"We can't be a society that's based on consuming and discarding endlessly." In my family of four children, that has never been a problem. My mom would always make sure that all of us used my older brother's clothes. I remember this Mickey Mouse jean jacket that I loved, I always thought it was just mine, but apparently, it was my cousin's, then his brother, then my brother, then me, and finally my two baby sisters. When I see these pieces of clothing now, it is amazing to think of all the stories they have. I don't have something that has lasted many years yet. On the other hand, my mom owns so many valuable things that she has had since she was very young. For example, she has these golden earings that my grandma received from her parents and gave it to my mom when she was 18 and also a t-shirt that is about 15 years old that she used to wear when she went to her family's cottage. Sometimes, she tells me these object's stories.
After watching the documentary, I realised how a piece of clothing or an object can become so valuable over time. What I liked the most about it was all the personal stories that those people told us, they were very inspiring and at least I, could feel a connection with some of them. I believe this was a great strategy that Patagonia used to show the costumers what their brand is all about, how they work on creating clothes that will last forever and by showing these real experiences made it extremely reliable. Something really unique from the video was how these people that were interviewed didn't just tell us their stories, but they showed us as well. For example, when Kristin Gates talks about her hat, she shows where she hikes and she is even wearing the hat. Also, the man that cycles with his red jacket shows us how he cycles, where and he is also wearing the jacket. In my opinion, this gives a more personal touch to the video and people have a visual image in their mind. Finally, when it comes to me, I don't think I would use all of my clothes for so long, I would probably donate them to somebody that needs it more than I do or something similar. For me, donating my clothes is like having them for a long time because I know that someone else is still using it and adding more stories to the same object. If I found something of such importance and value, then I would save it for as long as I can, but unfortunately, I haven't found it yet. I guess I'll have to check some of the Patagonia products out one of these days!
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These past three weeks have been of confusion and doubt. I don't feel they have been negative, just a lot of brainstorm, listening many different opinions and discussing with my family and close friends. Yesterday, I was almost ready to make a decision but today, after reading these three speeches, I feel completely ready. This doubt of mine was about the IA and the IB. Everybody keep telling me that I should do IB because it will be a better preparation for college, or that I am wasting my knowledge, or that I will regret it when it comes to applying to universities. All these comments started to get in my head. I talked to my mother a couple of days ago and she told me: "You should do what you feel is right for YOU, not the rest of your friends." Then, I realised that IA was my program, I felt I was a perfect fit for it. Thankfully, I read these speeches today because they gave me that little push I needed to be 100% sure of my decision about choosing IA for my next two high school years. First of all, after reading Nick Morgan's article, I realised that in IA I would be able to write in a different way, a way I enjoy very much. I would be able to story tell instead of writing sequence of events, anecdotes, like I did last year in my MYP english class. Writing stories allow you to get into much more details about things, places and even emotions. In my opinion, that's the best part of writing, being able to get to the reader, causing them to feel the emotions you convey through the style used. http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorgan/2010/10/13/whats-the-difference-between-an-anecdote-and-a-story/ What stood out to me from the David Foster Wallace speech was the idea of us being so self-centered that we are cannot see or listen to the people around us. This happens to me very often, I always think that everybody feels, acts and needs the same things I do. Luckily, next year will be a huge opportunity for me to start working with a team and practice listening to others and respecting different opinions. As Foster mentioned, "it is extremely difficult to stay alert and attentive instead of getting hypnotized by the constant monologue inside your own head." I agree that it is extremely hard but definitely not impossible, it is something that should be worked in order to overcome difficulties. http://www.metastatic.org/text/This%20is%20Water.pdf This last speech was the one that instantly changed my mind, the one that inspired me the most and showed me what my future is all about. I liked how Steve Jobs talked about being able to connect the dots when looking backwards and not when looking forward. I can definitely relate to this because it was one of my main points when discussing with my friends and family about choosing IA or IB. I believe IA is a program that will shape me and prepare me for the future, maybe not so much for the near future when facing the college pressure and the sleepless nights, but for the further future, when I get a job. And for me, this is way more important, I want to be prepared with experience, not by grades, words or stress. Steve also mentions that in order to get to your goals, you should do what you love, pursue your passions. Since I was a little girl, I was always worried I wouldn't find the right career for me, so I would ask my dad about each and everyone of them to see if I could fit in one of them. Now, I know what my mistake was, I was trying to fit in a career instead of letting the career fit me; when I allowed this to occur, I stopped trying so hard and I saw how the Human Resources career came looking for me. The most important part of the speech, in my opinion, was when he said that death take the lives of the old to make room for the new, and we are the new right now, but our time will also end someday. This means we need to enjoy the time we are giving, do what we love and contribute with the world as much as we can. It is our generation, our chance. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." This was the quote that changed my mind in a heart beat, when I read this, I realised I wasn't going to do what my friends and family wanted me to do, I was going to choose the IA, do what I loved and what I thought was the best for me. http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html |
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March 2017
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