Final Reflection

The superhero I’ve learned most about has got to be Wonder Woman. Coming into this course I knew nothing about any superhero but I found Wonder Woman to be the most intriguing and I think what really got me was the TV episode we watched with Linda Carter. I really liked the way she portrayed the character and how emotionally invested she was overall. I’m not normally one for feminism but if I were, I’d like to think that’d I’d go about it in a similar was as Wonder Woman. She never pulled the pity card and she didn’t use her looks as a weapon and I really respect that. I think she’s very much a feminist without knowing exactly what feminism is because of her origin.

I was a little hesitant when we began the X-Men. I had some preconceived notion that a group of superheroes was going to be lame and I was going to get annoyed with their petty behaviors that negatively affected the team as a whole. The problems the X-Men face as a group are more severe and relatable than I imagined. Their powers are expressed as mutations and I think that’s why perceived notions were incorrect. The  word “mutations” allow for the reader to think of powers as differences and the X-men have a lot to say about diversity and teamwork.

I definitely did some reflective thinking when we talked about Aristotle’s notions of friendship.  I applied that theory to my life and found some interesting conclusions the more I thought about it. I think one of the bigger things I’ve learned has been in the articles where the author analyze a piece but conclude with, “but all in all they’re just pictures drawn on paper and they aren’t real.” This sort of lax attitude is what I’d like because often times I get too caught up in things and I need to realize there’s a bigger picture out there and it’s not worth getting hung up on a minor detail.

I would have liked to talk about Watchmen a bit more. I really enjoyed Hero as well. I wish we would have done a little comparison between the two as well. It seems to that Hal Creed is what could have become of Veidt if he was ever exposed. Hal took down a monster that killed a few hundred people but saved the world. Veidt created a monster that killed a few hundred people but saved the world. I found this to be really interesting and I wish we could have discussed it. 

We talked a lot about moral code and why superheroes do what they do and those discussions at the beginning of the course I think will help. I feel that superheroes in general are a good example of good citizens. They uphold the law and think what’s best for the people as a whole. If everyone thought as superheroes did, I can’t imagine the sort of world we’d live in. Overall I’d have to say that Superman is the most outstanding citizen of them all. Batman’s dark and all about revenge. Spiderman wears his mask. I just think the happy, familiar nature of Superman is what makes him the most noteworthy on citizenship. 

HERO

Coach says that Thom is a liability and the school just can’t take that chance anymore. I have congenital heart disease so I’ve dealt with things like this before. Coaches are always skeptical but I’ve never been off a team because of it. I would probably flip because I have no restrictions and I feel like Thom’s condition wasn’t diagnosed as a liability by a doctor and he always had no limitations before plus, he plays a very exhaustive sport and he’s doing just fine. I would have swore a lot more than Thom did and my mother would have swore even more than me. She wouldn’t stand for it because she knows I'm capable of anything.

Thom needs to basically step up and act like a hero now instead of waiting for the okay from the League.  He needs to be a hero right now for his father, Scarlet, other team members? and himself. During this talk Ruth is having Thom use his powers in a different way than he normally does. She’s also says he needs to explore and figure out his powers to a tee so when necessary he has control and won’t black out the city or any more civilians. Waiting for happiness…my personal life has recently exploded because I’m not waiting for happiness anymore. I took charge and I do whatever I want now and it’s working out pretty good so far.

I don’t know if this experience happens for most people but I would like to think it does. I remember in high school, at some ceremony, probably graduation or some event with all the students and parents, individuals were called up and this happened. Everyone of course was being cheered for but I like to think mine was louder because my family is ridiculous. It’s a large self confidence booster and I felt fully appreciated at that time which was nice.

My Ideal First Kiss: after a night of adorable shenanigans I’d be walked up to the door and it’d happen short and sweet.

My Real First Kiss: my best friend ex. Yes, yes I know girl code and whatnot. Whatever.  I think it was after an intense game of Guitar Hero if I’m not mistaken. Not at all what I imagined. 

Ideal first kisses are the most impossible things to achieve.

Of course I’ve had crushes on celebrities. I think these happen because they’re oh so attractive and we feel like we know them on a personal level because of their music or character, or however we see them in the media. We feel like we know them and that’s where these feelings come from but we have no idea what they’re actually like because the only time we’ve had experiences with them they’ve been in front of a camera. 

Watchmen

I’d like to talk about Watchmen for this week’s journal. While reading I was convinced that Rorschach was the good guy and eventually he would fix it all. Obviously I was mistaken seeing as he, physically, didn’t survive to the very end of the comic. When I finished the comic I had a lot of analyzing to do. There’s a lot to take in at the end and I probably laid around thinking about it for a good half hour after reading it. Eventually I gave up thinking though because I wasn’t sure who was right or would happen following it all. I think because I liked Rorschach from the start I tended to lean in his direction after it all. I didn’t have much time to think about it any further before I had read the assigned articles. The authors expressed exactly how I was feeling at the end. Who was right and why? Of course the authors delved deeper into the reasoning behind everyone’s actions. I wasn’t able to initially because I was still in shock & awe at the end and even now I don’t fully understand/accept the end. After reading the articles I’m even more unsure. They discussed Rorschach’s dichotomist thinking which had me contemplating if he was really in the right. I don’t think Veidt was right. After reading the article I’m convinced that Rorschach wasn’t either. Jon’s actions at the end were probably the worst for me to accept and then Laurie and Nite Owl became so passive. There’s so much to take in at the end and so much to consider. When I thought I could accept it in the end, we read article which turned my thought process around. I still want to believe that Rorschach was in the right but I know he’s not because of the evidence presented against him in the articles, particularly the evidence calling him a hypocrite. My mind is swirling again thinking about it all. It’s truly amazing that a comic could do this. It’s brilliant and I really have no other words. This is probably because I’ve yet to fully make up my mind about the ending and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to. I’ve never been this mind blown from a book ever. It’s been a great experience reading it. 

If I Were a Real Life Superhero

My costume would more than likely be black and I would have my mother make it for me. She’d like to get involved I feel. Unlike comic book characters I wouldn’t be wearing heel. A nice sneaker would do fine. I would want to be comfortable. No cape. I would wear a mask yes, not only to hide my embarrassment but also give that element of the unknown. The unknown is always intriguing. I think I would like a car as equipment. It’s very practical. So is a sidekick. Does that count as equipment?

I live in a town of 500 people but our bank was robbed this past fall. We don’t have cops in my town because we are that small so I would more than likely just patrol. We’ve got lots of kids that go to the park but there are also lots of drug deals that happen in the park as well and that’s not okay. My hometown is only 8 miles away from the meth capitol of the world so I think drug busting would be a good gig for me.

The Dark Guardian has a similar purpose so I feel we relate the most. I feel like I would be very cooperative with the police just as he and his followers are. He never actually hurts anyone either, well none of the Real Life Superheroes did, but I would run myself similar to how he does. 

Mutations

I’ve never been one for lying. My mother has also never been one for lying. I don’t lie to her about anything. I learned my lesson. Of course at times I leave out details and whatnot but normally the truth is what is told. People make mistakes and I’ve made mine. I haven’t been truthful to people about my mistakes. Because I haven’t been truthful I feel guilty. It’s hard to accept that I’m lying to people. So now I’m feeling guilty and lying but I feel my hidden mistakes are for the betterment of everyone. Acting purely on my morals of not lying have gotten myself & others into trouble before. At the time myself & others have to be the consequences but I’d rather deal with the consequences of telling the truth than living with the guilt.

I feel like being able to pass is very easy and more positive than not being able to. Life would be harder but knowing you have this superhero responsibility to uphold it would be manageable. Both parties have mutations and these superhero responsibilities. They both have the support of all the other X-Men as well. Being able to pass relates to a normal society as a whole. Those with obvious mutations, like those with disabilities, a certain race, or a certain clothing choice, can be identified as different from the regular society. I think the main thing to take away from any X-Men series is that there are many of them and they have to support of each other. This support system is the most important.

I’m not sure what mutant I relate to the most. No matter my mutation though I don’t think I would ever cure it. I think because of my lack of exposure to the X-Men I’m unable to decide. Perhaps I’m like the one mutant in the film who was able to detect the presence of other mutants at their status. I think I’m good with people like that. For the sake of choosing I’d pick her. But from my understanding there are so many more X-Men so that’s not my final answer. 

Meditation & Friendship

After meditating I felt pretty relaxed. I was once part of a group that practiced yoga and meditation for like 5 hours a day for a week. I found it extremely beneficial. It’s very hard to keep up on it though, but it was so cleansing. I think if given the chance again to have a week retreat of meditation and yoga I would take it because how I felt afterwards. I wish I could explain it better. We did this practice that released these built up emotions. While meditating people became angry and frustrated and upset. We got in touch with this bad feeling and then, through meditation, those feelings dissipated.  After finishing this certain technique there was just a lightness. Our bodies were released of all these negative energies and it was truly amazing how wonderful it felt afterwards.

 

I would say I have all 3 relationships. The utilitarian, and pleasure are easily defined but I feel that I have a friendship of virtue with my best friend from home. There’s such a deep understanding and appreciation between the two of us. No matter what decision either of us makes, the other will always be supportive. Along with that friendship I think that another friendship could possible grow into a friendship of virtue. There’s an understanding between us but there’s not a commitment on either of our parts (yet). Without that commitment though, it won’t be able to grow into a friendship of virtue. Multiple factors contribute to why there’s no commitment. They’re simple factors that can be overcome. Once these factors are overcome and a commitment is established, we’ll be able to have a friendship of virtue.

Creativity

I have quite an embarrassing memory but it’s one of the most creative things I’ve ever been a part of. Every Wednesday, a group of kids, including myself, would go to my church for our children choir practice. Rehearsal started at 4 and school let out at 3:15. That gave us kids forty-five minute to play Sewer God Monster Tag in the basement of the church. Sewer God Monster tag was this like running adventure series that we played. We’d go to the classroom with the circular table with the hole in the middle, flush ourselves down the “toilet” to enter the sewer world in which we played a mixture of hide and seek and freeze tag. Every week we played that game and I remember it being the time of my life. Unaccompanied children in the basement of a church playing in a pretend sewer. That was the life.

How have I recently been creative when solving a problem? This one’s pretty tough. I have problems with school and relationships but they aren’t resolved in a creative way.  The answer to those are time management and communication. Perhaps I now have an example after the completion of Hairspray. During the Saturday afternoon performance, half of the council kids missed the cue to come up the stairs. Instead of splitting the stage between four couples we had to split it between two. Of course we didn’t know this until we were already on stage. We covered it fine and it’s not like the audience had any idea we messed up. We could have froze and made it obvious that there was a mistake but we didn’t. I wouldn’t call our solution extremely creative. I would say our covering of the scene was innovative.

I thought it was pretty creative of Batgirl to pick up on the sister’s perfume smell. She smelled the scent in the apartment and also at the scene. The connection of the miniscule detail allowed for her to know that she was at the right place. I think it’s funny she could pick up on the smell but not the brother/sister relationship. 

Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout My Best Friend

I decided to show my appreciation to my best friend on campus Erika Gray. For those of you who don’t know her she’s the hippie looking thing with blond dreadlocks. I’m a music major and she’s a music performance major. We have multiple classes together, we’re the same age and we’ll be roommates next year. She just laughed at me the entire time. I knew she would. I told her how much I valued her and how proud I was of her in all of her accomplishments. But I really did like voicing that sort of opinion to her. I don’t hear it enough as don’t most people. It was nice I could do that for her. I’m sure it actually meant something to her as well. She didn’t know how to handle it. Most people don’t. The reason for that is because people don’t voice appreciation enough. Sometimes we buy presents or cards for someone to show how much we appreciate them but people do not voice their appreciation. It’s become a material thing just like everything in this world it seems. I’m pretty old fashioned so voicing this to Erika wasn’t awkward for me. Voicing it to my family or anyone else wouldn’t be difficult for me either but I’m not sure how I would take it. I think I would welcome it. Who wouldn’t want to hear they’re appreciated in such a sincere way from someone that means something to them? It can’t be an empty appreciation as indicated by Chopra. People don’t like talking about their feelings though so when they finally do, it’s best not to lie. Be honest and completely true with how you feel. That way your true thoughts are voiced and those receiving your thoughts are able to know exactly how you feel about them. Erika knows exactly how I feel and because she does we’re able to build an even stronger relationship that it going to rock the socks off of next semester. 

Fiction Suits & Nostalgia

I've been sick the past few days. I’m up coughing practically all night long and my sinuses are draining. So today I've decided to go to drug store and pick up multiple cold medicines because I’m running out. While at the drug store three armed masked men rushed towards the register and demanded all the money along with all the narcotic drugs to sell on the black market. It was terrifying. The store was full of elderly patients and sick children who were waiting for their medicine. Suddenly the Incredible Hulk busts into the drug store demanding cold medicine (you see he has also been suffering from an annoying cold as well). Upon seeing the robbery he also demanded the robbers drop their weapons. Of course they didn't immediately comply but after a little rough housing the robbers willing left the store. The young and elderly patients along with myself and the Hulk then toasted with large shots of cough syrup.

Just last night I experienced a large dose of nostalgia. My friends from home and I used to listen to certain songs of certain genres a lot. A friend of mine tweeted lyrics to one of the songs. I then youtubed a few of those songs and thought about how we all used to be friends and always hung out and got into ridiculously innocent shenanigans. I’m not in touch with half of them and I never make it down to the river to see the ones I do still talk to when I am at home. I know that I was longing for the feeling of ultimate belonging again. My future may hold arguments about feeling wanted and or a sense of belonging. It may also cause me to reconnect with the friends I’m still in touch with. I can say that I’ve been having wavering feeling of belonging. I’ve been informally rushing a sorority and arguing with friends about a full sense of belonging. This present feeling of not being wanted caused my feelings of nostalgia and can explain the actions I’ve taken since feeling those nostalgic feelings. 

Law of Power

I fell in love with Chopra’s Law of Power chapter. After reading this chapter I wanted to loan out this book to a few people who need to realize the true definition of power. There was a single paragraph at the bottom of page 61 that summed up power:

“On the contrary, the truly powerful live in a state of never-ending calm. They are not fearful of the future, but rather comfortable with uncertainty and prepared at all moments with the infinite choices at their disposal provided by the unknown. They do now stew in regret, feel guilt over the past, or get trapped by old conditions and habits. That’s not to say they are not thoughtful and reflective, but they’re not imprisoned by emotions and circumstances that have already come and gone and cannot be changed. As a result, their body language demonstrates the ease with which they interact with the world. Powerful people are comfortable with themselves, prepared at any given moment and confident in their ability to react with creativity and grace to every situation. Who among us doesn’t want to master this skill?”

It’s almost hypocritical of me to want to make others read this chapter. For me, as I can assume for many others, power means control. Not once does Chopra mention control.  One could argue that a person with power as defined by Chopra has the control to be comfortable with themselves, has the control to be prepared, has the control to react, but there’s a difference is having these sort of controls and being in control. More often than not, being in control is seen as being powerful like in the instance of President Obama or your boss. Chopra has set my head straight on the definition of power and I wish I could share it further.

Of course Chopra’s characteristics of powerful people have limitations. For instance you have a “powerful” person who is too comfortable with themselves, over prepared, and overly confident. I wonder, except for the few Superheroes, if it’s even possible to be considered powerful. One needs to be comfortable enough, prepared enough, and confident enough without overdoing or underdoing it in any one of those categories. How can one even try to achieve all those characteristics while still living “in a state of never-ending calm” ?? Power must be a power within itself only attainable by our superheroes.  

Morally Sound, Historically Influential, Identity Protected

The discussion on the morality of Superheroes had me thinking. I know what I perceive as moral and I think it fits into the Superhero mold. More often than not I think Superheroes have an easier time doing what is morally sound though. I think this is possible because of their secret identity. No one judges the man behind the mask. They judge the mask. Even though the Superhero is acting as the man would, if the Superhero’s actions are perceived negatively by the public the man behind the mask is able to go out in public without direct ridicule. Of course the man would have to deal with the guilt and indirect ridicule but I think that’s better than being judged as a person. In my opinion, being judged as a person is what keeps people from acting morally every time, just as a Superhero would act.

Superheroes, created for entertainment, played much bigger roles in history than just strictly for entertainment. This had me question objects in my life; objects thought of as entertainment that played a larger role. In my childhood it would stuffed animals. Not only were they used for my entertainment but also as objects of protection and comfort like in a dark room or a stormy night. Nowadays the example I choose to use is music. Music, also created for entertainment purposes, means so much more to people than that. Comics were written to show nationalistic pride. Captain America was specifically created for this purpose too. Famous composers like Dvorak and Tchaikovsky composed pieces specifically for their country. 

My different behaviors in different sets of company always ALWAYS get me into trouble. I’m constantly aware of it and it’s quite exhausting. It’s becoming better though because I’m figuring out whose opinions really matter to me rather than just my own. Superheroes benefit greatly from secret identities, not only in a crime fighting aspect, but also in a social aspect. Although Clark Kent’s Superman gets in his way of courting Lois Lane, Superman is able to act like the man he wants to in front of her. This is also the case of the main character in the newer Superhero movie Kick Ass. I like how this has transcending into today’s celebrities. Celebrities go by names that aren’t their own like Kesha and Lady Gaga but I think the best celebrity who encompasses their secret identity is Beyonce. A few years ago she released a C.D. entitled “I Am Sasha Fierce” This was her alter-ego’s (secret identity’s) album. I think if given the choice everyone would chose to have at least one secret identity. Superheroes can’t resist (not always by choice), celebrities can’t resist, and everyday average humans can’t either. 

Who's My Favorite

I’m not at all familiar with any Super Heroes. The only contact I've ever had with any of them was upon viewing the Iron Man movies and partially watching the newest Batman. I believe it’s Dark Knight Rises? (I’m not sure that’s the correct movie, that’s how unfamiliar I am.) Knowing from what I've learned from the documentary, along with the two articles for class, I feel that I’m going to enjoy Batman the most. I’m drawn to Batman because unlike most of the other more popular Super Heroes, he’s darker and about vengeance and I think he’s got a very good reasoning as to why he seeks vengeance. His parents were killed in front of him and now he’s out for revenge. He doesn't have powers but has money so that he’s able to afford weaponry and Super Hero necessities such as transportation and a lair. I feel if any other regular human was in his situation, he would bask in his wealth and just look back at his parents’ death as an unfortunate event. However, Batman is unable to forgive and forget his parents’ death.

            I think the main reason I’m attracted to Batman is because he is the complete opposite of me.  And as they say, opposites attract. I’m a forgiving person and I can’t hold a grudge. The entire Batman series (to my knowledge) is based on revenge and a lifelong grudge against the thug who killed his parents. Batman has something I don’t. I’m not referring to his Super Hero wealth and identity but more to his Super Hero thought process about right and wrong; moreover, forgivable to unforgivable.

            If I were more able to hold a grudge and be like Batman I think that I would be in fewer relationships than I am in today. Batman would have seen actions as unforgivable and worthy of punishment. Punishment in his comic world being a swift “POW” or “WHAM” whereas my “punishment” would be changed feelings or lack of communication and/or respect. If I were able to realize the bad and hold onto the feelings I felt when I am hurt, it could save me from falling back into hurt caused by similar situations. Basically, if I had a thought process like Batman I could save myself. Ironic isn't it? If I think like a Super Hero, a masked man out to save others, I can actually save myself. 

My First Blog Post

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