As a white American I honestly thought for a while that racism ended a while back and Obama was proof of the fact. As a male, I thought sexism ended sometime before I was born and that suffrage was the end of feminism. Now I have seen that I was mistaken. I don't know how big these issues are, as I am neither of color nor a woman, but from the little insights people give me into their lives, I feel another bubble pop and I am surprised. These problems haven't been fixed, they have evolved. We think we improve, but really we find new ways to interpret old fears. The Irish, the Italians, and now its the Southern Americans. Somebody is always coming to hurt America. Even in writing all this down here I can't even begin to address the problems that we face, and it simply feels like a futile exercise. Will we ever truly believe that "all men are created equal?" But even in the questioning half of the population is forgotten. "Its just an expression for humanity," some may say, "does it matter?" is my response, it still leaves women out.
Something Broken: My shoulder
A year and 3 months ago my shoulder started to bother me while I was a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. At first it wasn't to bad, but over time, life became excruciatingly painful. Doctors had no clue what it was. Physical therapy did nothing but waste time. Drugs had no effect. Even after coming home doctors cannot help me fix this problem. To this day I wake up with shoulder pain and go to bed feeling this same pain. How is it that we have "come so far" with medicine and yet my shoulder can't be fixed?
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| North Reflection Pool |
One of my earliest memories is of 9/11. Imprinted forever in my mind is the look of shock and terror on my parents face. After returning from my mission I took some time and visited the reflection pools at the 9/11 memorial site. Despite there being hundreds of tourists and fellow New Yorkers around me, when I got to the pools life seemed peaceful, time seemed to slow and for a moment I felt at peace. Life goes inexorably on, but in that moment man's offering helped me connect with the divine as I remember how fragile life is and how simple it can be to change the lives of millions forever.
Something Mysterious - The effects of too much Estrogen
Recently while listening to a podcast I came across a fascinating subject - estrogen. To hear the way it was described, we are inundated with the chemical, receiving far more of it than is healthy for us. But I still don't really understand how it is that we get it, or what exactly it does to us that is so bad, aside from cancer. However I got a different chapstick and stopped using plastic water bottles, opting for metal instead. I remember the fear when I found out this chemical can be found in hundreds of common items and absorbed into our bodies (wait, How?). I don't know why but plastics 2,4, and 5 are ok to use while the others are not. I don't know why, but soy and flax contain estrogen so I avoid them like the plague. I don't know what glyphosates, astrophenes, benzafinones, lenolium, or polyester are but I avoid all those too. And stay away from carpets.
Image credits: 9/11 memorial pools by Amy Dreher
The reflection pools of the 9/11 memorial really are a phenomenon. I mean, we can understand architecturally how they were built, but there is singular feeling that seems to emanate from such monuments. It reminds me of Lincoln's Gettysburg address when he said that they couldn't hallow or consecrate the ground because those brave men had consecrated it "far above our poor power to add or detract." So is it their sacrifices that hallowed it? And how is it that years after these events, a reverence prevails in these places?
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