Response to Personal Relationship Question

Why does Western man wish to suffer this passion which lacerates him and which all his common sense rejects?

I believe that people love for a number of reasons.  One reason why people love is because we are taught by society that there is someone out there that is perfect for everyone, and if we want to find them, we have to love in order to do so.  Another reason why people love is because humans are social creatures, and loving is a part of our social skills that are innate to us.  Lastly people love in order to receive love in return.  To be loved is a warm, comforting feeling, and in order to receive it to others, we have to give some ourselves.

I believe that the main reason why people continue to allow themselves to fall in love is because of the high regard that society puts on it.  In the days where most marriages were fixed and young adults had no control over who they married, "falling in love" was not an option and, therefore, did not hinder them.  Also, human beings are social and interacting with others in a way to show love is a part of who we are.  Finally, people love because they like to receive love back.  If love was a feeling that others did not enjoy, they would not readily inflict that feeling on people that they care about.  For this reason, I believe that love is a positive feeling that people give off because they expect to get it in return.

There are many factors that contribute to the reasons why people choose to love --- society, human nature, and the reciprocation that love entails.  All of these factors contribute to the reasons why people fall in love and work together to keep the bond between two people as strong as it is.

My Favorite Song

My favorite song is "Maria Maria" by Carlos Santana.  The first time I heard this song was when I was ten years old, and it was during my first trip back to New York after my family and I relocated to South Carolina during the same year.  I will never forget the first time I heard it because I remember feeling like I was listening to a song that would change my life and was so different from anything I had ever heard before.  I was in the car with my aunt, and we were on our way back to my sister's house after shopping.  It came on the radio, and my aunt knew all of the words.  I remember thinking out lucky she was to know all of the words to such a beautiful song and, in my mind, making it my duty to one day learn all of the words.  At that age, I did not know what the song actually meant, but now that I am older, I have a less superficial appreciation for it, and it is still my favorite song of all times.  "Maria Maria" is my favorite song because it represents everything that I remember and what means the most to me about New York: the blended cultures, the poverty and the endless hope.  When I listen to this song, I feel like a piece of my city is always with me, and that is why it means so much to me.

Here are some of the lyrics to my song courtesy of lyrics007.com: 

"Stop the looting, stop the shooting

Pick pocking on the corner

See as the rich is getting richer

The poor is getting poorer

See mi y Maria on the corner

Thinking of ways to make it better

In my mailbox there's an eviction letter

Somebody just said see you later."

What is a "soul mate"?

A "soul mate" is someone that you completely connect with on a mental and emotional level.  No, I do not believe that searching for a soul mate is a good idea because it is not realistic.  Times have changed, and people's values and beliefs are so broad and different that the likelihood of one finding someone of the opposite sex that is just like them is rare and probably not going to happen.  I also believe that in order for a person to find someone out there who is perfect for them, they would have to be, in essence, perfect.  Because I am not a perfect person, it is hardly likely that there is a perfect person out there for me.

The Red Trenchcoat

The red coat signifies the years of marriage that the two people in the video have been involved in.  The attachment of the woman to the coat is similar to the attachment of the man to his wife. Although the woman would say every year that she would throw the coat away and get a new one, she would always find herself holding on to the coat for another season.  This is a lot like the way the man decides to hang on to his wife and now leave her. He is attached to her, and for some reason other than love, he decides to keep her around.  And by keeping her around, his love for her grows.  Courtly love is one of the only things holding this marriage together.  He loves her because he feels that he is obligated to, not because the feeling is still there.

My Autobiography

Born to experience. Living for myself.

Political Cartoon

This political cartoon illustrates the biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ and the three wise men who travelled to see him.  This cartoon makes fun of the fact that Americans consider Barack Obama to be the "savior of the nation," by having one of the wise men say that he was hoping for Barack Obama as opposed to a baby.  It humorously puts Obama on the same level as Jesus in terms of admiration and greatness in the eyes of some people, which ironically makes fun of how much people idolize him.

English Lab: Most Memorable Image

The most memorable image I have ever seen was the image of the World Trade Centers burning down on September 11, 2001. The first time I ever saw an image from that event was during my second period math class in the seventh grade.  I remember that day so vividly, and I can remember precisely what I was doing and how I felt about the images I saw on the television.  I can recall my classmates and myself speculating as to which group would do something so terrible.  I thought it was the Chinese; some of my classmates thought it was the Africans. At that time, I did not know the magnitude of the situation, but it was only a matter of time before I realized how serious it was and the impending danger of the state of our nation.