"Courage is being scared to death . . . and saddlin' up anyway." John Wayne
I'm not sure why it took me so long to come to this particular blog day. I've been toying with the idea of simply skipping it, and perhaps that's what caught my attention. Why was I avoiding this one? Because "Demagogue Days" was so political? Ranty? Leftist? I think we all know me better than that by now. So . . .
What's in my craw?
I found it over my third cup of coffee. Fear. Let's have a chat about saddlin' up, shall we?
I'm with Almond, all the way down to the last level of Dante's hell. Pissed and self-righteous with him, hurt and indignant with him, embarrassed and vindicated with him. It came as quite a jolt that Canto XXX left the two of us (yes, the two of us) in the dust, so to speak, and horribly grieved at the real fallout. When do my rants, valid or not, take me away from my intended heroism? How many times have I been right, had a warrant (and boy, did we cover that one), filed my exquisitely crafted injunctions with the proper authorities and found myself, smoking gun in hand, so far from my cause?
Just to be clear, I'll provide disparate examples of such shenanigans:
1. Professor X warns me that I am too emotional about my essay subject. Obviously, Prof X is an Anal, Archaic, Sexless Fart who is part of the great conspiracy to rip the passion out of my writing. Final essay firmly refuses to examine AASF's alternate take on said well-loved subject (damn skippy!) and lands in a slap of dust and glory on AASF's desk. Take that. Flash forward to my first B.
2. With doctorate firmly in hand, and under sudden and decidedly unwarranted attack from an uptight academe, I (and my little warrant) saddle up and ride into Town. After all, others like myself need defending. Freedom of speech and religion and all that. I think I was feeling a little less John Wayne and a bit more Clint Eastwood, circa High Plains Drifter. (Of course, I completed forgot that Clint was dead, nothing more than a vengeful ghost with a bone to pick.) The rest was all pathos-driven-Facebook-diatribing, cost be damned. My mother isn't quite over it yet.
Let's now look at the fallout, shall we?
1. I publish the B paper in a well-respected academic journal. Accolades all around, self-satisfied grunts, and AASF will still not speak to me in the halls. Word.
2. I read the end of Almond's essay and drop my gun. Shit. Tyler. I had completely forgotten about Tyler. But there he stands, hair in his eyes, that stray bullet all on me. My student. Well, damn.
You know, sometimes "my bad" doesn't quite cut it.
I guess what I'm saying/asking/posing is something a bit like this: How far can our warrants take us? Or, how far are we willing to go? Personally, I don't think we can count the cost when saddling up, mostly because I think it might be too late. I've asked a lot of you, stuff like honesty and passion, and so I hope it's not too late or too much to ask one more thing: foresight. Temperance. Just in those places where we have forgotten a little thing like ethos and we are galloping so fast toward our target that the townfolk get a bit blurry. I think Steve Almond, and I, are a bit trigger happy. Maybe it's worse to be slow on the draw? Either way, when it comes to our writing (and maybe the rest), qualitative balance couldn't hurt.
One last thing. For any of my students: I really hope the shooting match isn't over. You were the point, all along.
How long and to what extent do you have to experience something before you are entitled to a warrant?
ReplyDeleteJust because you went on a weekend trip to Florence, does that mean you're now the don of the Italian Renaissance? I don’t think so.
Do you think I want to hear someone explain neuroscience when all they have done is read a pamphlet about migraines? Um...hell no.
I also, don’t agree with the fact that you have a warrant just because you have a shiny seal, and a fancy signature, on a cotton bonded parchment, hanging in a mahogany frame in your mahogany office.
I do commend these individuals for their diligence and accredited intel, but I don’t think they have the right to fully disarm my intelligence or experience on a matter just because I don’t have the same credentials.
I mean I have the mindset that I have many warrants. I can be defined in a broad sense as a college student, veteran, or even simply as a white male. When you look closer I feel I have the right of knowledge as a board certified medical lab technician, nomadic traveler-- maybe as a member of a different orientation in a semi backwoods area. I could probably feel a million of those bubbles we did in class the other day about how I would describe myself or my warrants.
By no means and I’m saying that I am the brightest star and that I personally know everything about everything. I’m just saying I think you have to earn your warrants with each individual personally. For example, I don’t want people to tell me how something is--I want them to show me. If you are a subject matter expert don’t get all knowledge aggressive and shove a bunch of biased bullshit down my throat (you could at least buy me dinner first). Instead take a step back and have a two way conversation. You will discover your warrant will flourish if you are fair and balanced. (I can’t believe I just used a Fox news motto in my blog, oh well)
So next time you want to use your warrants around others, try knocking first don’t just kick the door in. (Get it because of cops, and police warrants, and busting down doors?.....)
On another note, whenever I think of the word warrant I do think of the song “Cherry Pie” by the band Warrant since it was one of my sisters and my favorites when we were kids. Although, we definitely didn't know it was about having sex on every corner of your house....
More importantly the word makes me think of my momma who is the quintessential Scarlett O’Hara of our time. She definitely has the ABCs of being a Southern Woman -- attitude, beauty, and class. However, she is in the mindset that she has a warrant to talk about everything from growing tomatoes to molecular pathology. Now since she is my mother I listen to her, but being the ass I am sometimes, I try to correct her when she is out of line. Then of course I get the, “who the hell do you think you are,” speech. With anyone else the hair on my back would rise like a dog about to charge. But, with my momma I back down and say, “yes ma’am, you're right,” and I just let it be. So I suppose some people in our lives don’t really need validated warrants, they just get a pass.
One thing I have discovered throughout life is that those who think they know everything, definitely do not.
ReplyDeleteNothing aggravated me more than seeing some new teacher, fresh off the bus walk in to teach us in high school. I can think of one example pretty vividly. He had gone to my high school, gone to college and graduate school, where he got a degree in Classics or some other nonsense. (Don’t get me wrong, learning Classics is something to be commended for, but it does not entitle you to be the dictator of a 10th grade World History class.)
So the first day this guy walks in and the whole class knew that this guy and I were going to be going at each other the whole year. I have a problem with authority to begin with, so it was not easy when someone thought that the best way to control me was to hold me down. That doesn’t work. It wasn’t long before this teacher had enough of my talking, attitude, and smart remarks. But I was just getting started. The worst part about this guy was not his inability to deal with 18 high school boys, but his inability to teach. Nothing makes me angrier than when a teacher asks us to read, and then comes to class unprepared himself. This happened countless occasions. Yet, this man still felt as if he had a warrant to teach us. Given the opportunity due to his frustration, I was allowed to teach the class for a day. I showed up, having read the chapter, and had a PowerPoint prepared for the class to use as a note-taking aid.
Needless to say, the class was much happier to have one of their own teaching them than the man we all despised. I can honestly say I made it my goal to make this guy’s time teaching me a living hell. I would find ways to stump this guy and make him look stupid. It had nothing to do with how intelligent he was, but entirely to do with his personality and condescending attitude towards us.
Rather than earn our respect, he asked for it from day one with no authoritative attitude. He was the worst teacher I have ever had, and he felt entitled for no apparent reason. He did end up getting fired at the end of the year, something I feel very accountable for, proudly somehow. I was complaining to the administration almost weekly.
Despite hating him and that class every second I was in it, I found a way to make an A. it wasn’t easy because I could tell he was out to get me. I just had to devote all my time to being so perfect that it would be obvious for him to count me wrong. While this gentleman might have felt as if he knew more than us, in the realm of his teaching, he was not even close to the smartest one in the room. When he walked in day one and we knew there was trouble, there was no going back.
All I’m saying is, when you know you are wrong, more forward, give credit where it is due. Don’t get defensive. And certainly don’t try to hide from your problems.
Think long and hard about what exactly your warrants are. What things can you speak on that make you who you are, that give you passion and a cause? I think one huge motivating factor on warrants is that they spark some type of fear in us, a fear that we can quell through words and our ability to give due justice. Thinking about my warrants – daughter, sister, Catholic, friend, nature, music, etc, etc – I know I would be willing to brandish a sword or a pen for any of these warrants. They are all things that would radically change me as a person if any of them were taken away from me. I am afraid of that change and the radical hole that would be left in not only my life but also my soul. If I were no longer a daughter, a sister or a friend – well, you know what I would have lost then. But if I were no longer Catholic for some reason or another, I would have lost my last little glimmer of support for those times when my family, friends, and own personal strength have failed me. Then if I had no music or nature, I would have lost those bright spots in my day where I can lose myself in something bigger than my own small little world. All of those warrants make me who I am as a person. Without any one of them, I would not be me.
ReplyDeleteFear is healthy though. (Of course, I’m not talking about the type of fear you have after watching White Noise that gives you insomnia and stomach ulcers…not a true story or anything either…) I am talking about the type of fear that reminds you that you are alive, that you have something worth fighting for. The type of fear that Mel Gibson has, painted blue and in kilt, waiting to ride into battle willing to fight till the bloody death. It is fear that makes your back a little straighter, your eye brows set, and a goal in mind to fight for what you believe in and the things that you love. To have a warrant, you must fear it. You must feel it.
Caitlin-I love when you said, "I am talking about the type of fear that reminds you that you are alive, that you have something worth fighting for." I totally agree with this quote and everything you say after it. Our warrants make us and after a while, we want to fight for them! Taking this one step further, we can all identify our warrants by something that we would fight for, and even in an extreme example, give our lives for it.
ReplyDeleteThat is how I will approach this blog: What truly brings in us fear, passion, and FIGHT? The things that arouse these feelings ARE your warrants. The main two that cause my fear to start to rise, light a spark in my passions, and cause me to pull out my sword are being a brother, and a Jesus lover.
A brother is the first one. Anyone that knows me knows that I would do anything to protect my little sister. When she starts dating, I am going to be all over the guy to make sure he is not some stuck-up, body-loving-craving-desiring (because I know how most guys are), materialistic guy that only cares about himself and how my sister looks. He WILL NOT BY ANY MEANS touch my sister! I also have done everything I could to help her on the right path in life. If I can help it, my sister is not going to end up like...SO MANY GIRLS DO. She is not going to be some snobby brat, wanting to date a fraternity guy just because he is cute. She is also not going to "fall in love" (People do not even know what that means anymore!) when some guy tells her she is pretty. I will make sure she dates the right guy that will actually treat her well. She is not going to end up like trash.
Now for Jesus…He is already shaping my life around and causing me to do things I would not normally do. Or things that normal "Americans" would want. It is coming to the point where I would probably die for Him. Christians that is when you know it is your warrant…when you would fight for Him.
dog21- You almost made me cry with the way you talk about your sister! She is the luckiest girl in the world to have a big brother like you. I hadn't thought about this blog the way that you approached it but I completely agree. Your warrants define you. They are what you're passionate about and those are the things worth fighting for.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I kind of took this blog to be the fear of writing. That's all we've really talked about in this class is it not? The fear of going beyond that cookie-cutter defined style of writing and challenging ourselves to push further than we’ve ever ventured before. That’s an intimidating thought though. Forget everything you’ve been taught in grade school. Forget the five-paragraph essay, the perfectly structured sentence, and the overly proper grammar. Finding your personality and writing to stretch your limits, now that takes courage.
I think this quote sums it up well:
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
Maybe not the thing that you cannot do, but what you think you cannot do. You have to face your fears or you will never know if you can do it. This applies in writing too. It makes you a stronger person, a stronger writer, to face your fears and find courage. And overtime you will gain confidence. We all have a little John Wayne in us. So let’s saddle up and face our fears.
Caitlin, dog21, and McGee. Thank you. You've given me the spark to respond to this blog. I've got scraps of paper littered on my desk with ideas of how to approach it and all of them were crap. But you guys (apart from being great writers) gave me my idea.
ReplyDeleteWe all have this passion for what we believe in. I mean come on, if we didn't actually care, where would we be? Our passions, our warrants, our words and actions are the building blocks of who we are. Is there ever a time when we can cross the line? Well yes. But why shouldn't we? We are the next generation after all. One day, people will look up to us, so why not start exploring the reaches of our minds now while we still have room for mistakes?
I don't want to preach. I don't want to inspire. I just want you guys to think for a minute. Think about your warrants. Which ones are you willing to fight for? Which ones could you not see yourself without? What are your identifiers?
Now, can you see the warrants you may not be so proud of? The things that make you who you are even when you wish it weren't so. Those are the warrants we need to remember. Add them in when you write. Give that part of you an escape. Don't live in fear of mistakes.
Some warrants are permanent, but not all. We shouldn't barricade ourselves behind what we think society wants to see.
This post took a turn that I wasn't expecting, but that happens sometimes. What I guess I'm trying to say is knowing who you are is great. Fighting for what you believe in is even better. But embrace all of you. Explore the shadows of your personality. They may help bring back the fire.
This blog in particular has been very hard to write. I must have read the prompt about a hundred times and still have no idea where to start. So I start with this quote at the beginning, “Courage is being scared to death… and saddlin’ up anyways”(John Wayne). It really got me thinking about how many opportunities have presented themselves that frightened us, so we just give up? I can think of one example in particular that have probably happened to others to…
ReplyDeleteI was ten years old and my family was taking a trip to Disney World. All the rides looked so fun and my heart was racing. I couldn’t wait to start my day and ride the roller coasters. I was one of the kids who did every ride accept the upside down ones. I was terrified of the upside down roller coasters. Back then I did not have the courage to go on those roller coasters. I did not “saddle up” and ride the ride. I wonder how it would have been? Would it be as scary as I thought or would it have been the time of my life? I will never know because my timid ten year old self did not have the courage to ride that upside down roller coaster.
Now I know this really has nothing to do with writing, but I think about it in the way that I didn’t have courage to get on that roller coaster, and sometimes I don’t have the courage to write with my warrants. But Why? Is it that fear that I wont get an A because its not grammatically correct, or because its not in the standard 5 paragraph essay form we were taught in grade school? Warrants are what make you who you are. Everyone keeps saying how far are you willing to go for your warrants? I was trying to make this relate to fear, why do we fear our warrants? I know I wont usually admit this but putting warrants in my writing scares me because I am scared no one will understand. They wont understand why it is so important to me and why I am writing so hard about it. But if I don’t have the courage to overcome that fear then my writing will never be good. I already have trouble putting personality into my paper but now I think that is because the fear is holding me back. If I don’t have the courage to write with my warrants then I might not never know how good a writer I can be. So I come back to the quote “Courage is being scared to death… and saddlin’ up anyways”(John Wayne)… have the courage in anything whether its with writing or something small like a roller coaster. Because if you don’t “saddle up” then you will never know the outcome whether it be worth the fear or not.
Caitlin and Katherine- THANK YOU! I was so lost about how to respond, but y’all have given me the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteLike what Caitlin said, “I am talking about the type of fear that reminds you that you are alive, that you have something worth fighting for.” That hit me hard, but in a good way. Life is a challenge and you have to find what is worth fighting for and not giving up on what is important to you, even when times are tough. When you think everything is going wrong, remember that God blesses you every day with the gift of seeing another day. Being Christian I would say God is one of my warrants because I know that if it wasn’t for him dying on the cross and taking all my sins away I don’t know where I would be or what I would do. That’s my spill about my warrant :)
I also agree with what Katherine said because I know the feeling of not wanting to be judged or looked at weird because of my experiences and “warrants.” I guess that’s why most people are scared to write what they feel because they don’t want to be the person with all the problems. Fear has held me back from writing what I feel. I’m terrified to let people see me vulnerable. To see me completely stripped of any wall I have up. I shouldn’t fear my warrants because that’s who I am and I’m proud of where I come from and who I am, but I do. Fear is holding me back from writing with a voice. I fear writing with a passionate voice because sometimes people just don’t understand or don’t want to understand.
“If you don’t “saddle up” then you will never know the outcome whether it be worth the fear or not.” Katherine I totally agree with this. I want to overcome my fear.
Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteThe previous posts talk about warrants defining us, and in some ways I agree. I mean, past experience influences us heavily.
But are we to be trapped by that past with no hope for a second chance? Let me elucidate.
It's quite apparent from another of my posts that at one point in my life I was emotionally unstable. It was such a long stint, that I feel justified in talking from a position of knowledge about what depression means; however, am I damned to always be considered suicidal just because I can talk about suicidal tendencies from a position of experience? I certainly hope not.
Truth be told, it's not just the posts that made me think this. Actually, I had been thinking about this awhile before even reading this blog.
It's time for another story (or rather, a continuation).
I didn't really make it through my depression solely by my own fortitude. I did have someone that listened. This individual and I became best friends rather quickly on account of the fact that we talked with no fear of judgment. Truly, he's the most significant reason I chose Auburn over UPenn.
He spent the summer working while I lived in my lair of a small apartment. Fast-forward a few weeks, and we never really re-connected. He has a girlfriend (whom he'll most likely end up marrying), and I hang out with an entirely different group of friends. This past Monday we get to talking and something I never would've suspected happened. I ask him if he wants to resume our friendship, not asking for him to choose me over anyone, just a relationship in some form. He says he cannot be friends with me since I am apparently false. He says he doesn't even know who I am. He says he almost called my summer employer to tell him that I would not be a good employee. He says I'm emotionally unstable.
Now, I may be a lot of things; but false is definitely not one of them, and at this point, neither is "emotionally unstable". But how am I to respond to this individual whom I no longer know? Well, I did what I used to do whenever someone I love wounds me: shield myself in apathy and worry about emotions later.
Stop giving a shit. Stop giving a shit. Stop giving a shit.
And slowly but surely, I am.
I don't think our warrants have to define us or identify who we are. I think the great part about being human is we get to choose what defines us. It's like Dr. P said: she could write about being abused by her husband, being a runaway, or even a Hell's Angel. But instead she chose to write about being a Southern Lady. And while I did end up writing about a less-than-jubilant event in my life, I did so only to prove a point.
I'm an Alabama boy that loves his football (college AND pro), am a sunkist FIEND, prefers his clothes on the floor instead of in a drawer (for easy-access) and will talk your ear off about all things Astrophysics. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Pk- I agree a lot with what you have to say. I think it is important in life for people to have passions and it definitely makes them who they are. If everyone was the same, what kind of world would we live in? Passions are what define people, along with showing how unique each and every person is.
ReplyDeleteWhat things are you passionate about in life? Everyone has a different opinion and thought towards that question. It can go from something as little as a sport to something as big as a higher being. Even though some people find their comfort in their passions, it is important to take risks. This can also bring in the idea of feelings being a warrant. The idea of looking past your comfort zone and taking a chance brings fear to many people. There is so much a person can do and accomplish if they take chances. There is no life, really, without a risk. Choosing your next step in life is something every single person goes through and that requires taking a risk. Having fear and taking risks go hand-in-hand. It is fearful to take a risk, but that’s life. If you look past the fear and take the chance, you will find yourself.
Respect is a powerful thing. It’s something I give freely, but once you lose my respect, the chances of you earing it back are slim to none. When it comes to teaching, I can’t take what you say seriously if I don’t respect you. You can be the most knowledgeable teacher in the world, but once you’ve said or done something to make you lose my respect, you lose all credibility with me. This is why warrants are so important. However, it is also important to use warrants that are relevant to the topic at hand. Nobody cares how good you are at horseback riding when they are trying to learn about the Pythagorean Theorem. Likewise, I don’t need to know how to find the square root of 1837564 when I’m learning how to relate to other cultures in a communication course.
ReplyDeleteI took a class over the summer with a professor who told a bunch of stories. A lot of the other students in the class would complain about this teacher, upset that he would go off on tangents. What they didn’t understand was that each of his stories illustrated a point he was trying to make about the course material. Each of the theories we studied related directly to a story he told in class. He used his warrants in a unique way, but unfortunately most of the class was too stupid to realize what he was doing. Those who understood the point of the stories ended up doing well in the class, but those who missed the point entirely ended up with a less-than-satisfactory grade.
Warrants are a tool, and you must learn how to use them to be effective. A gun can be a dangerous weapon, a tool that brings a sense of safety, or an accident waiting to happen, but it all depends on the intent of the person using it. Vv_13 made a great point when he said, “I don't think our warrants have to define us or identify who we are. I think the great part about being human is we get to choose what defines us.” Our warrants may define us at times, but those definitions are never static. Our warrants change as we grow, and they expand our understanding of ourselves and others. The important thing to remember is that we must use our warrants wisely.
I honestly have no idea what I am supposed to write about for this blog post. But I am going to ‘saddle up’ anyway and write some crap for a while because I am not afraid to do so.
ReplyDeleteI consider myself to be a forward thinking person. I know what I want, I work towards goals and I achieve them. I feel like I have the kind of foresight that will make me successful in anything I wish to do. Could this sense of confidence be my warrant? Or am I looking to the future to quickly, close-minded and blind to what is happening around me? I certainly hope not. If this class has taught me anything it has taught me to keep an open mind. Just by looking at our class I would never imagine some of the things you have been through, experienced and thought about. All of us have different warrants and beliefs. I, personally, don’t have the right to argue with someone who had a hard life or been to hell and back because I haven’t experienced nearly as much as they have. Warrants are not just given out to everyone; they must be worked for, earned. The person who has ‘been through it all’ for sure has a lot more to write about, more stories to tell because there warrant is their experience.
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ReplyDeleteMcGee, i love your quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” This quote has shaped me in so many ways.
ReplyDeletePeople sometimes scare the hell out of me. It hasn’t always been this way, I haven't always struggled with trusting people. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that i realized you cant trust everyone. I found this out the hard way, the really hard way. One night my best friend and I were laying in bed talking into all hours of the night. I vividly remember our conversation because it was then that she told me that she had cancer and wasn't expected to live much longer. That night I cried and cried as a mere fifteen year old not knowing how to even begin to handle the situation. The days went on and i prayed and cried for her frequently, not understanding why God would allow my best friend to have cancer.
Then one day the truth was revealed. Long story short, she lied. She had lied to me, her boyfriend and many other people that she had cancer. She didn’t have cancer, she simply needed attention and could not think of any other way to get it. She even convinced her boyfriend to date her because she just wanted to have a boyfriend before she died. I have never felt so sick in my life. I confronted her and screamed and yelled and cried, but honestly that didn't even do anything. I just didn't understand how something I had been struggling with for over a year now, praying and questioning God about, was simply a lie. She left our school and even the united states and I have not talked to her since then. My “best friend” did so much more than hurt me. She made me question everyone I even begin to trust.
Something I have learned through all of this though is that just like Roosevelt says, we gain our strength and courage from our experiences when we truly confront our fear. I have confronted my fear of trusting people and have realized that this is not the way to live life, questioning everyone I encounter. Im tired of being scared to invest in people because of my own fears. That’s why I came to Auburn ready to saddle up. I came here finally ready to open up my heart again, even though most people here don’t know that im truly scared to death.
"Dark blue, dark blue. Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?"
ReplyDelete--Jack's Mannequin
I feel as if I easily fall into the category of "drawing my gun to fast" when it comes to my warrants.
Don't judge that incorrectly--i'm definitely no know-it-all. However, when I KNOW FOR A FACT that I am right about something and someone continuously shuts me down...well, you know what happens. I ,of course, get defensive and fight until the end, until I can prove to that person that I am right and they are wrong. Now i'm not like that on every subject. I'm completely comfortable in admitting i'm wrong.
Nothing irritates me more than when another person just happens to have a warrant for just about everything. Um, HELLO?!?! YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING! I never actually call someone out for it though (okay that's a lie, there was that one time...maybe two...or three). Bullshit just doesn't work with me; sorry i'm not sorry.
It's understandable how some people can feel undermined about voicing their warrants. Just like the John Wayne quote Dr. P used in her blog, "Courage is being scared to death...and saddlin' up anyway." Personally I have never really had a problem with voicing anything. I grew up in your typical loud family...you should hear when my momma gets together with her three sisters--basically a match of "who can talk louder than the rest in order to get their opinion out"...ANNOYING. But, I am my mother's daughter. I'm loud, opinionated, and yes, i'll be honest, even a little obnoxious at times. That's just me. So take it or leave it.
In writing I think that warrants give us our voice. If we all had the same warrants writing would not be beautiful. This blog took me a little bit to write so I looked for ways to get started in the responses. Katherine Sampson actually said the same thing in her response so it got me thinking about how she begun her thought process- the quote that started the whole blog, “Courage is being scared to death . . . and saddlin' up anyway.".
ReplyDeleteI had a friend in high school, Ellen, who was as involved in her Christian faith as one could possibly be. You know the one I’m speaking of. She goes to church every Sunday, she goes to youth group every Wednesday, she reads the bible every day, she spends school breaks on mission trips, and is a great girl. I am a Christian myself, but I would say that I sadly fall short of Ellens impeccable résumé. I go to church when I feel called, I read the bible on occasion, and I visit her youth group when I am politely asked. I think a lot of people who find it easy to hold Ellens faith against her. They compare their lives and see their shortcomings staring them straight in the face. However, I couldn’t begrudge Ellen because those are her warrants. She is a great girl and has put her heart and soul and more into what she believes in. I would never try to belittle somebody’s warrants because I don’t like when people try to belittle my warrants, and I think that is what scares me most about employing them.
@ Skittles- I have had the same experience with a new teacher during my senior year in school.
ReplyDeleteIt was for my gov/economics class and our teacher was just out of college and fully licensed. She came in on the first day and tried to make it known that she was in charge. Well me and one of my friends in the class were going to be here first "obstacle" to see how well she deals with "issues" with her students. Both me and my friend were on the cross country for our high school and being the south, it was 1000 degrees every freaking day. So we had to drink lots of water each day to keep from passing out in the afternoon on our runs. Well she decided to emphasize her authority on us and say we cant drink water in class because it is against school rules.
Well me and him both argued that it is ridiculous because we are both school athletes and need to stay hydrated so we dont die in the hellhole we have to run in every day. Well she said "it's not fair to the other students" and we said "screw the other students they dont have to run 10 miles this afternoon in 100 degree weather!!!"
Well being the bitch she was she threatened us to contact the vice principle and said if we have anymore concerns that we should have our parents contact her about it. Well sure enough we took her on because we were not gonna back down from this fight and ended up getting the entire cross country team to take her on and the went straight to the principle about it. Well there was a long and huge argument about it between them and our parents but eventually our hard work was paid off and all student athletes are allowed to drink water in class during summer times.
It was annoying cause she thought she knew everything about our sport and thought that we could get enough water from a water fountain in between our classes when we were required to try and drink a gallon a day and we are sure as shit not gonna get that from a fountain. So always stand by your ideas and beliefs, especially when you have to live through those ideas daily, and your efforts will not be in vane.
Caitlin, you have inspired me to write about my own warrants and the fears I have. I was very stuck on what to write for this blog but you have really helped me. Sometimes I feel as if I over think things so therefore I can’t think of anything at all. I know everyone has been stuck at some point in their lives and cannot figure out where to go next. Well this is me when I write. I have tried for so long to be the perfect writer and I think my problem has been that I have been thinking too hard and have not been letting my own personality flow through my words.
ReplyDeleteI am a shy, southern belle who sits quiet in a classroom and is scared to say a word. I am afraid of what people are going to think of me when I make a comment and am afraid to say something wrong. If I could just let go of this fear I feel like people would understand me so much better and that they could maybe see the goofy side of me that my friends see. Most everyone is taking this blog as losing what warrants you already have, I like to take this as what would happen if my warrants were different. What if I weren’t shy and was able to speak in front of a million people and not care a thing about what people would have to say about me. But I guess if I look at what if my warrants were different I wouldn’t really be me. I have learned to accept the fact that I am like this and hope that people accept me for this also.
Family: daughter, sister…this is one of the most important warrants in my life. I would drop anything in the world for my family no matter the circumstances. I have no fear around my family. They are the only people in my life that I can actually act like my true self around and they won’t judge me or not be there for me when I need them. Fear can be a good thing like Caitlin said. Everyone has fears and if you say you don’t then you are lying. Fear makes a person grow stronger.
Throughout this blogging experience my fear of writing is decreasing. I can now feel more comfortable about my writing because I am slowly learning to express my personality in more than just an everyday conversation.
Clint Eastwood is such a man. Warrants are what separates us from each other and because of that, I think being quick on the draw is always a plus. It may not always make things go smoothly but hey, it sure does make things interesting. I don't think Clint Eastwood would be the guy to sneak around and be lame like that. Clint Eastwood rides into town and takes everyone out behind the woodshed. That's what it's all about. I know if I'm writing with a warrant, I want to let it be heard. Mainly because I'm proud of it, but also because I know that if I go out guns blazing, there will be no doubt as to where I stand. I'm naturally a loud person and maybe it's a personal preference, but I have never seen the point in beating around the bush.
ReplyDeleteI really like what Putty talked about. I say all this about throwing your warrants out there but Putty is right. There's always that risk of getting put down. It all comes back to that quote "Courage is being scared to death... and saddlin' up anyway." Voicing ones warrants has so many benefits but it can take courage. Just like how we've had to put more personality in our writings this semester. It's all about courage.
Skittles- Honestly, after reading your initial comment, it seems as if you were too extreme and bitchy. I can only base what I am saying off of your comment, but I don't think it is healthy, or just, to attempt to make someone's life a a living hell. I understand having teachers who suck, but based off what I read, you went way too hard.
ReplyDeleteNanceytembo- That is absolutely horrible that she would do that. I really feel bad that you had to go through all of that for nothing. It's hard to believe someone would put others life in turmoil for their own self "glory", maybe I am using the wrong ironic word, but oh well.
Stewie_Griffin- I like the way you handled this ridiculous situation. Kudos.
I like the whole "saddle up" theme represented in this blog. It is important to fight for justice, whether it is something minute or very large. We would have many injustices in this world if it wasn't for people banding up, separating themselves from fear they may have, and going after a goal.
*I think a central idea for this topic is for you not to go overboard with irrationality and stubbornness in pursuit of your goal.*
I found a great quote from the excellent novel "The Great Gatsby," which I feel applies to this topic quite well.
"It's a triumph. What thoroughness! What realism! Knew when to stop, too--didn't cut the pages. But what do you want? What do you expect?'" -F. Scott Fitzgerald
Well, I am pretty sure that the quote is referring to a book within the book, but taken figuratively:
It commends the efforts in the utmost respect, and praises how complete such actions were followed through, with no falseness, nor filler. The actions DID NOT get out of hand and ended with promptness. Now, the last two questions of this quote are great in pondering if it was truly what you wanted, and if it was everything you hoped for.
It's great to push back your fear, and chase after what means alot to you. Just be careful of what gets damaged in your warpath.
Meh, here's a fun song:
The Beastie Boys- "Fight for Your Right"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBShN8qT4lk
I strongly believe that warrants define you, shape you, and make up the person that you are. I love how Caitlin said,” I am talking about the type of fear that reminds you that you are alive, that you have something worth fighting for.” This really got me thinking about what it is in my life that makes me feel this way. Anything that can be identified by this can be defined as a warrant. The first things that came to my mind were God and my family.
ReplyDeleteSo many times I have felt like Katherine, not wanting to be judged or ridiculed because of my warrants. After all, they are me. My true self. What I am made of. This feeling of fear, especially when talking about my faith, has held me back for so many years. It is no secret that Christians many times get a bad rap for being judgmental, hypocritical Bible beaters. I have recognized this since I was young and never wanted to be labeled as such. So, instead of changing their minds by loving them in a Christ-like way, I ran away from the situation entirely and tried to hide behind the face of a normal middle-school girl, when really I was burning up on the inside with a passion for Jesus. As the years progressed, I came to realization that this was not my calling. I was not made to keep this amazing love inside of me. The second I made the decision not to let fear define me anymore was the second I began living. This warrant became real. I unashamedly proclaimed my love for the King and could really and honestly take the name “Christian.” I now have something that I would, without hesitation, lay down my life for. This is what warrants are made of.
My family is the second warrant that truly defines me. Ask anyone from my hometown, I LOVE my family. My parents are the most incredible people I have ever been blessed to know. Seeing the way they love each other gives me something to look forward to when I am married one day (hopefully ☺). Any boy I date has some big shoes to fill. He better measure up to the way my daddy loves my mom. Big sister. These are two words that have become so familiar to me. I have been a big sister for 15 years and wouldn’t trade it for the world. It has taught me so many lessons that I don’t think I would have learned otherwise. I have had to be an example, advisor, and role model over the years and have really learned the responsibility that comes when you have a little pair of eyes watching every move you make and wanting to imitate it exactly. This sometimes scares the poop out of me, still to this day, but I have learned to “saddle up” and take on this role with pride. I have learned to let these warrants define me, not the fear that accompanies them. I am constantly reminded of the blessing that these warrants have been to me and how proud I should be to own them. People might never know all of these things about me by simply looking at me. But this is the real me. These are my warrants. And I am so pleased to call them mine.
I am very similar to Caitlin; my strongest warrant is my Catholicism. This is my "something worth fighting for." Without religion, what kind of drive do we have in life? What worth will we have? Religion gives us hope and a goal of Heaven to work towards, and without the values and goals religion provides for us, I simply don't understand how someone can live without any sort of spirituality. Where is their hope? Where is their drive? Their passion, their answer to the quest for the meaning of life?
ReplyDeleteNothing makes me prouder than to say "I am a friend of God, He calls me 'friend.'" God has done so much for us, given us everything, loved us enough to bring us into existence, that the least we can do is look up to Him every once in awhile say 'Thank You.' We owe Him everything, why can't we give Him a little?
This, my faith, is my strongest warrant. It has shaped who I am, brought me through everything I have been through, and given me a place to turn to when I have a blessing to celebrate. People insult Catholicism all of the time; nothing makes me more hot-headed. I will stand up and defend the Faith that defines me. He died for me, defending Him is the least I can do. And I will saddle up for that right away, fear and all.