Love; I took this to mean romantic love. Romantic love is very nice and sweet in the movies, and the real thing can be very rewarding, though generally harder work. And if it happens, if I find someone I wish to be with that way, then I will be grateful for the opportunity and take it. I am willing to do my part in a relationship. However, I do not need to be in love or to have someone that way. There are so many advantages to being single that many people seem to forget about - I do not. And it would take a lot for me to give up this freedom, which gives me the ability to do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it. Mercy; Mercy is when someone does not deserve to get a second chance, when the one giving it has no obligation to do so yet chooses to anyway. That is an amazing gift to give and to get. I believe that for what we have control over in life, we ought to do the best we can and get what we deserve in return for it. And for someone wanting mercy, they will do anything for it. Yet mercy should only be selectively given. If they do not deserve that chance, that forgiveness, there is a reason for it. And mercy may not be enough to wake them up to change and become a different person, take a different path. Instead it might just allow them to slip back into their old habits, believing that they have “gotten away” with their mistakes. And at those times, giving mercy can be worse than withholding it. Tradition; I do not believe in upholding tradition for tradition’s sake – there has to be a good reason for doing something. I have left my home environment and I have discovered places with different traditions, which have made me question the traditions I have grown up with. At the same time I have come to appreciate the traditions that deserve it. For example, I value the personal freedoms that are considered traditional in the States yet are not in other countries I have visited. Like with friendships, values – traditional or not – that have survived test after test to prove they are worthy are ones I value. Yet generally, as it has proven to be one I value through surviving, the tradition is strong and continues, regardless of my opinion of it. Duty; I was told a lot about duty growing up. I “owe” my father this, duty “demands” I do that for my mother. The ability to have sex and create a child does not make that child have duties in return. I do things for my parents, not because duty demands it, but because I appreciate certain things they have done for me or choose to. I am the only person who has made me truly succeed in this world. People have taught me sure, but no one has been important enough for me to owe them anything. I am my own woman.
Also, what do you think of abundant display of emotion? Everything has its time and place. When it is inappropriate (say in the middle of my talk or involves other people getting hurt), then I dislike it very much. However, with “my people” it can be just fine. I have cried, I have screamed in excitement, and probably displayed every emotion abundantly at some point to some person/people but only when it is appropriate. There are plenty of grey areas when it comes to this, like most things in life, and I approve or disapprove of those on a case-by-case basis.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2009-04-02 12:57 am (UTC)Mercy; Mercy is when someone does not deserve to get a second chance, when the one giving it has no obligation to do so yet chooses to anyway. That is an amazing gift to give and to get. I believe that for what we have control over in life, we ought to do the best we can and get what we deserve in return for it. And for someone wanting mercy, they will do anything for it. Yet mercy should only be selectively given. If they do not deserve that chance, that forgiveness, there is a reason for it. And mercy may not be enough to wake them up to change and become a different person, take a different path. Instead it might just allow them to slip back into their old habits, believing that they have “gotten away” with their mistakes. And at those times, giving mercy can be worse than withholding it.
Tradition; I do not believe in upholding tradition for tradition’s sake – there has to be a good reason for doing something. I have left my home environment and I have discovered places with different traditions, which have made me question the traditions I have grown up with. At the same time I have come to appreciate the traditions that deserve it. For example, I value the personal freedoms that are considered traditional in the States yet are not in other countries I have visited. Like with friendships, values – traditional or not – that have survived test after test to prove they are worthy are ones I value. Yet generally, as it has proven to be one I value through surviving, the tradition is strong and continues, regardless of my opinion of it.
Duty; I was told a lot about duty growing up. I “owe” my father this, duty “demands” I do that for my mother. The ability to have sex and create a child does not make that child have duties in return. I do things for my parents, not because duty demands it, but because I appreciate certain things they have done for me or choose to. I am the only person who has made me truly succeed in this world. People have taught me sure, but no one has been important enough for me to owe them anything. I am my own woman.
Also, what do you think of abundant display of emotion? Everything has its time and place. When it is inappropriate (say in the middle of my talk or involves other people getting hurt), then I dislike it very much. However, with “my people” it can be just fine. I have cried, I have screamed in excitement, and probably displayed every emotion abundantly at some point to some person/people but only when it is appropriate. There are plenty of grey areas when it comes to this, like most things in life, and I approve or disapprove of those on a case-by-case basis.