Influential People: My Aunt

     For almost everyone the most influential person in their life might be their mother or father. I love my mother but I would have to say she not much of an influential person in my life. I never had a father so that's that. The most influential person in my life would have to be my aunt. She is the cutest old woman ever and I love her very much. We share a very close bond because she never had kids and for some reason she loves me more than anything and I love her very very much. 

     Since I can remember she always told me to be kind to everyone. This can be really hard to do especially because of how horrible some people might be but it stuck with me. Some even might say I can be too nice which is exactly what I say about her. I admire her so much. Somehow after everything she has been through she still keeps going. When she was 11 years old her mother died and she became the mother of 5 other children and took care of all the animals they had as well. They were all younger than her too so you can imagine how hard it must have been for an 11 year old to automatically have 5 children. Personally I could never do that.

     Her struggles continue today because of her financial struggles and her old age. My aunt makes $400.00 a month and to provide for herself she sells our old clothes and toys on the streets hopefully to at least make $5.00 that weekend. She continues everyday on her daily route from Silver Lake in Downtown Los Angeles to Manhattan Beach just to come take care of us. The thing that inspires me the most is her ability to still smile after everything. She is the best person I know and even with that she never got a lot. 

     My aunt has taught me to be strong and have patience. Without her I wouldn't know how to really function in this life. We see this life that we have here in school but never stop to think how someone else is doing. She has taught me to appreciate the things I have. I know that someday I'll be successful because I believe in myself and when I am I will buy her a house that she deserves and her yellow hummer that she has always wanted even though she doesn't drive. I would give her everything she needed because life never did. 

Class Discussion

     An interesting topic that came up in our class discussion was the idea of power. In the United States most people and places see us as being very powerful but why is this? During the seminar we said that greed and selfishness are a part of power. If that is right then is the U.S. selfish?Are we constantly wanting more? As humans we are never completely satisfied. We continually seek more fulfillment. 

     If money is equal to power then how much makes you powerful and how much makes you evil? Money is not evil, it's what someone can do with it that makes it evil. Someone could give money to a homeless person and that makes them a good person but then what will that man/woman do in return? If knowledge is power then are we constantly being fooled? Are the people with more money and more knowledge higher than those that don't have enough money or aren't as intelligent? To me the people that are more knowledgable are much more powerful.What they do with that power is only up to them.

     I believe that  a person that is selfish and contains power would be the worst combination of people. An example can be the current presidential campaigns happening. There are very intelligible candidates that are running but then there are those with more power. This power can also lead to popular vote. This entire subject will also go back to Aurelius. Our opinions shape our leader and the right choice isn't clear because there are so many opinions.

    

Opinion, Fact, Perspective or Truth?

 For this weeks reflection I decided to really go deep into the quote. Yes many of the things we hear are opinions but not all of it. If someone said a law was passed banning a substance from the country and was a true statement then that is a fact. Obviously if no evidence is found to back up this statement then it is false which leads to the second part of the quote. If some sees something then it s actually there and others can see that too. But then there are people that are blind. If a person is blind then they only have an idea of what might be there and if the idea is only that then it is not actuality.

It then becomes his/hers perspective of sound. Our mind can also cause us to see things which also leads to the idea of schizophrenia. These people that are lost in their minds can see things others can't but because they see it and we don't then it isn't truth. I think that seeing is believing for the most part. We don't see the another part of the world everyday but it doesn't mean that it is not there. I went off tangent a bit but I think that you can understand where I am going with this. There has to be some truth to things and some faults because there is a reason that we have so many different opinions.

Philosophy and Me

For most people an experience only happens once in a life time, but it is with mine that I have learned to discover a step closer to the connections in between people and objects. Growing up I noticed something odd about myself that not many other kids did. I had to straighten things out and put together things equally. I was later diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which I still have today. Along with that I was raised with a very religious family with very sure answers which lead my sister and I to questioning. It is from my mind, family and surrounding that I have learned to evaluate things just a step further.

Philosophy has always been a very interesting topic for me and just with the name people can understand what to expect. "Love of Wisdom" is clearly demonstrated by the greatest philosophers ever known. Without questioning one could never be given answers and it is for that reason that I believe that teachers are always telling us to question. Since in my mind if I touch one object I get the germs of another person the chain keeps going in my head. I touched it so someone else will and then it will spread apart to animals plants and so on. When does it ever stop though and although there might be an answer it might not be good enough for me or another person.

Questioning was the reason my sister stopped believing in Catholicism. If there was ever really God how was he created and what is he made up of? If there is actually a heaven at what point can we see it and is it in space or beyond it or are we already there? There are endless possibilities of answers.These questions have always been questions of mine too but I try to get an answer and relate it to that of God. Obviously not everyone will agree with me but that is the sole purpose of philosophy, to teach yourself and others.

Overall philosophy is a great way to interact with others for their thoughts and opinions. Along the way I am excited to teach myself new things and keep my mind open for other ideas that are not my own. Hopefully I am able to teach others as well.