Stereotypes: What Would We Do Without Them?

I've noticed that stereotypes are everywhere these days, and whether you like it or not, most of them are going to stay for a while.

Some of us love stereotypes because it allows us to group people into descriptions to make up the entirety of that population. Generally these people who enjoy grouping are bullies, but sometimes even we do it. How many of you have at one point or another thought Muslims were terrorists? Hopefully not many of you, but perhaps there are many of you, and it's because of what the media has given to us as a portrayal. However, I myself have friends who are muslim and they are some of the nicest people I know. What about gay people? Are they all limp-wristed, flamboyant people? No. They are a variety from actors, to football players, to parents. What about in school, how we categorize people into groups? Just because someone isn't a certain race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender, doesn't mean they aren't stereotyped. In high school and university alone we stereotype people as the "dumb jock" or the "brainy nerd" or the "loners", etc. We even do it in our Facebooks, even if we claim it as "fun".

So why do we do it? Why do we feel the need to stereotype people and automatically assume they're one thing? It's quite simply my friends, it's called the media. Every day we are given a view of a person or group of people who act a certain way and as a result that makes us believe that if these people are acting this way, then anyone who has that label: "Gay", "Black", "Muslim", "Nerd", "Loner", "Jock" is the same way. But let me tell you something, I've met a lot of jocks who are in fact quite smart, "Nerds" who actually have failed more than one test, and gay people who are just like the rest of us.

So before you stereotype someone, here's something to think about, what are you being stereotyped as?

Sean :)

Time Flies

Hey Everyone!

So wow is all I can say these days. It seems like just yesterday I finished my third year, and now it's already the first day of May. How is this possible? Why is it time goes by sooooo fast? Maybe it might be because I sleep till around 3PM each day and therefore all that's left is a bit of the evening, and the night. But none the less, I find it almost ridiculous how fast time is going by. But I digress, the good thing about time going by fast is it means it'll be fourth year before I know it, which apparently is the year that just goes by so fast it's the end, ie. graduation, before you can say 'good-bye'.

Anyway, I don't know if other people feel about this but anyway, all that's left to say is that the day went relatively normal. Work, Tutoring, etc. I also played some video games and watched The Proposal which is such a good movie. Autism-wise I think the only thing I had going on was just getting aggravated over not being able to leave my neighbour's when I wanted to. Once I was done tutoring, Matt's father just asked me several thing about my work with Chris, and I was just thinking in my head 'I want to go home now...please let me go....' But he was just curious about it so I guess I can't blame him for asking questions.

Anyway, that's it for tonight!
Sean

A Little Night Music

Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well. My life is going relatively fine, and I'm in a relaxed state which is wonderful. Summer vacation is just absolutely exciting being done so early, the end of April I mean. Knowing that I have four months of complete freedom is absolutely the best thing I could ask for.

Now my day consisted of sleep, work, and watching some television. Autism-wise, I think the only thing that really happened was lingering on talking about my schooling with Chris's mother as we often chat after I drop him off.

Now here's a nice little war story (don't ask why I wrote this, I don't know lol) that I submitted for the Creative Writing course.

" The war has been going for five years, and I am here in the middle of it. I’ve watched countless people die on both sides. Watching people strewn across the battlefield, their eyes gazing at me with pity, yet dark due to their life having left them. Their expressions have left them, their minds are blank, their dreams and hopes for the future shattered because of this chaos.

I remember this one soldier I met the other day, a young boy, someone who couldn’t be older than eighteen years, shorter than me, thinner at me, only beginning his time in this battlefield, his face appearing to be the face of a fourteen year old. ‘How can someone this young be subjected to this horror?’ I asked myself, but he answered that question with a bright-eyed smile, ‘To protect my family!’ It broke my heart to hear that the boy joined the war to protect his family who was on the other side of the world. To think it would only be two years later that that boy would die. I saw it happen, and I remember it like it was yesterday. He had just been stabbed by a blade and was on the floor of the tent, bleeding profusely. He looked up at me with sorrow and pain, not believing he was dying as he hadn’t lived his life. I couldn’t bear to see him this way, the life fading from his body and his eyes growing dark. He asked me to tell his parents he loved them, and I agreed but I truly did not know how I could tell his parents their son was dead. If it were me, it would be a devastating blow and I can imagine that’s how it will be for them.

Now two years later, I’m still here in this war, watching the skies turn dark from the smoke of bombs, the land that was once full of grass, lush and green, is now barren and brown. Everyone’s faces, so youthful and full of vigor, now looking old and withered. Why? Why has this war gone on so long? We entered believing it would be a brief bout, last maybe a couple days, or months at most, and now it’s been five whole years.

This war given me a lot to think about however, more than I would normally think about in a year. When people get hurt, they learn to hate. When people hurt others, they become hated and are wracked with guilt. But it seems that knowing that pain allows people to be kind, and in turn pain allows us all to grow. I’ve seen people in this war be kind to children of this country simply because they’ve experienced the pain of this war and know what they’re causing the children is just as painful. But how we grow in this world is up to us. Once you know pain and think about that pain, you can try and find the answer of how to stop it. The problem is, one after another people still are dying, because finding the answer to stop pain is beyond our comprehension. Just by living, we hurt others in the attempt to avoid being hurt ourselves. Our very existence ensures that hatred will never disappear. Peace and harmony don’t exist, not in this tainted world. I think though that it’s no longer about bringing peace to the world necessarily, it’s about bringing peace to ourselves before we can even attempt to bring peace to this world. If we have hatred inside, if we have pain inside, we will never be able to bring peace because all we’d wind up doing is bringing our pain and hatred with it, starting over this endless cycle once more. I’ve had it with this pain and hate-filled world, and I can’t bear to watch this endless cycle go on any longer. I know it might mean the end of me, but I think that if I can end this meaningless war, losing my life will be worth it. This endless chain is like a curse for the world, but no longer. I will end this curse, and if any kind of peace exists, I will grab hold of it and never let go.

These thoughts I’ve had, have been developing over the past several years of being here. While I realize that they may be immature, or childish to think, but I truly believe I can put an end to this fighting. That peace is out there and I intend to find it no matter what it takes, even if I have to sacrifice my life to achieve it. I’d rather my own family live and enjoy the peace, then have to live in fear the rest of their lives. They may be safe on the other side of the world right now, but how long will it be before the war is brought to them. It’s already taken over nearly half of this side of the world, so I will stop it before it reaches anything else. For freedom, for justice, for life, I hereby swear in writing, that I will end this war by any means necessary."
Some of the ideas about pain and such, are actually referenced from the manga Naruto as I liked how they put it and everything.

That's all tonight!
Sean

Without You

Hey Everyone,

So today I've been doing some thinking and for today's post, rather than doing something about my day, I just want to post a beautiful song that I really inspires oneself to dream basically.

"I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest swing.
I had a dream.

Long walks in the dark through woods grown behind the park, I asked God who I'm supposed to be.
The stars smiled down on me, God answered in silent reverie. I said a prayer and fell asleep.

I had a dream
That I could fly from the highest tree.
I had a dream.

Now I'm old and feeling grey. I don't know what's left to say about this life I'm willing to leave.
I lived it full and I lived it well, there's many tales I've lived to tell. I'm ready now, I'm ready now, I'm ready now to fly from the highest wing.

I had a dream."

And here's the video featuring pictures from Bride Wars. The singer's name is Priscilla Ahn. Sorry for the video being slightly cut on the side, it's just due to Blogspot:



Edit: Okay okay, I changed my mind. Basically today, I had a photo shoot with my old friend Lisa, and I had a blast with it. Following of course was me getting my blood work done that I had put off for so long just because I continually forgot to go but oh well, it's done now. After that was work with Chris as always, where we just finished off Bewitched and then watched New Moon. After this was basically a really dull evening of video games, tutoring and watching some tv.

The only autistic thing I can think of that happened was me finding it difficult to sleep once more because I had to be home alone for the night as my parents went away for the night. They're back soon so I'll be fine sooner or later, just tonight was difficult.

Anyway that's all tonight!
Sean