Racism has existed since man existed. The weak are conquered and those without food take it from those who have it. It is a tough part of life. Sharing has helped but has not replaced taking.

It was interesting that our speaker on South Asia basically said that she questioned Swami Yogananda and could not tell whether or not he was a quack job or the real deal. Of course, this wasn’t only her opinion but the opinion of others as well.  This brings me to the question of this… When will people stop talking shit about each other?  Even if someone does good for the world and spreads love and peace they will be ridiculed.

Teddy Roosevelt is one of my greatest influences.

I love what he said about being the man in the arena.

The majority of people sit around watching the few who are actually doing shit. Go to any music venue and you’ll see only a few people dancing while others sit around and poke fun at them. This is seen on larger scales as we progress through life. People are so afraid and insecure to actually get out of their comfort zone and try something that they decide to talk shit about other people who are trying instead.

Of course, that was a poor paraphrasing of a great speech. So here is more of it…

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”- Teddy Roosevelt

This is something that bothers me about college and people in general. I try to be positive but at times I listen to people and I think “shut the fuck up.” Because it can be annoying. It seems that we come to college to learn how to be a critic instead of learning how to live. I don’t care if it is Evergreen or not. This college is supposed to be different than other colleges but I see it everyday on campus. Those with leather jackets stick together, men with skirts stick together, asians, blacks, whites, skateboarders, all of it… Everybody sticks to their own group and then goes into classrooms and defends what they believe and then goes back into their own group. The separatist of the world are cheering on these colleges. Where they tell people how to write, how to think, how to watch movies, how to interact with each other, all of it. A homogenized pot that is boiling over and only a few escape.

To make a long story short, I don’t want to give in and I refuse to. Of course I realize that at times I cannot escape this… I, too, think this way.

Either way, this is a rant and I’m done here.

Let’s have another good week.