Behind the Scenes

Have you ever wondered about a writers writing process? Well, here is a peak into what mine looks like.  This is a small selection from a paper I was writing for English.  It took me like an hour to write this much...

Appiah brings up some worries in connection with a *stops to think of words* persute pursuit of an individual life. *Takes a break to stir the taco meat* The first is that it could tend towards the arbitrary. *checks on the taco meat again* “Suppose, for example, I adopted a life as a solitary traveler around the world, fee of entanglements with family and community *doesn’t like this and erases it*  *changes “a pursuit” to “the pursuit”*  *goes back to the taco meat* To use his example, what is to stop a person from setting of to be *gets a text* *responds* a “Scholar Gypsy.” Some one Someone who merely flits from place to place “free of entanglements with family and *gets another text* *responds* *goes to check meat* *does dishes* *cuts up tomatoes* *starts eating tacos, sadly without sour cream* *gets chat message* community” and only making the money necessary to survive. *gets another chat message*  *gets a glass of milk* *eats more taco* *more chat* *stares at computer trying to think what to write next* This doesn’t make full use of the person’s tallents talents *pauses some more* *more chat* *and more taco* and is essentially a waste of their life. The second *pauses to think of word* charge against the *more chat* *tries to think of word* individuality is that it *more chat* is “unsociable.” (67) Because you place your views about your individuality *gets distracted by Katie’s TV show* a quest for individuality is based on your knowledge, opinion and will; there is the possibility that a person could become ingrown and only focus on themselves. 

So, what do you think?  Will this type of thing become as popular as movie behind the scenes? Yeah...I don't think so either So that you can actually makes sense of what I was writing; here is the finished section (I did do a few more revisions to it after the above was completed): 


Appiah draws attention to “a couple of worries” in connection with the pursuit of an individual life (66). The first concern is that it could tend towards the arbitrary. What is to stop a person from setting of to be a “Scholar Gypsy?”(67) Someone merely flits from place to place “free of entanglements with family and community” and only making the money necessary to survive (66). This doesn’t make full use of the person’s talents and wastes his life. The second charge against individuality is that it is “unsociable” (67).  A quest for individuality is based on an individual’s knowledge, opinion and will, there is the possibility that a person could become ingrown and only focus on himself.  


~Nat

Why Do We Take Vacations?

My brain is a contradiction.  I was blessed with a very logical and pragmatic portion as well as a completely flighty emotional one.  This leads to very interesting arguments inside of my brain.  One of the most common ones is the purpose of spending money on fleeting things such as concerts and vacations. My flighty emotional side loves the experience and doing new things; while my pragmatic part grumbles about wasting money on things that don't last. So why do we do this? I mean, I know we aren't Vulcans (if you don't know what those are you obviously didn't grow up with gigantic nerds for family members) but our actions should be governed by some logic, right?

My mom has a phrase that she always uses whenever we grumble about not liking a family outing. She says that we are, "making memories." Now, although she just applies it to situations that are less than desirable; she is kind hits the mark on this one. Isn't that why we-well everyone but my family pay big bucks to go on fancy vacations; to make memories?

 But even though there is a reason; the logical part of my brain still asks "what is the point of making memories?" For awhile, I didn't have an answer to that. But then, the other night, it hit me. Memories are what define us. They make us who we are. For example, when we lived overseas we used to have to take this horribly nasty malaria medicine. I mean it was bad. The worst thing that I have EVER tasted. To reward us for taking medicine like good little children; our parents would give us chocolate afterwards. I soon began to associate the taste of the horrid medicine with chocolate and it wasn't long until I began to dislike chocolate and refused to eat it. So, the bad memories I associated with the medicine erased my love of chocolate for awhile (don't worry; I have it back now).

But memories can have an even larger impact on us than just changing what foods we like. They can define out character and change our personality. A guy who has had a lot of betrayal or abandonment in their lives will be more closed off from people. A girl who was told everyday she was beautiful will be more confident and sure of herself. Our memories and experiences make us who we are. And this is the answer to the pragmatic bit of my brain; we spend money to make good memories because good memories make us better people. So go ahead, spend loads of money on your vacations! (Unless of course you want to send some of that money my way. I am a broke college student after all.)

~Nat