Who Are You?

The Video Blog contains some of the written blog......plus....some other stuff. ;)

“The most loving parents and relatives commit murder with smiles on their faces. They force us to destroy the person we really are: a subtle kind of murder.” ~Jim Morrison

I am not a fan of the curriculum in schools. It teaches us to be well-rounded. If someone was to ask you what percentage of your schooling has actually assisted you in life, what would your answer be?

Here is how I rate my schooling;

Public School; Socializing Skills 5/10

Math & Science 9/10

The Arts 7/10

Physical Activity 9/10

High School ; Socializing Skills 3/10

Math & Science 4/10

The Arts 9/10

Physical Activity 2/10

I should have been home-schooled. Being bullied and picked on didn’t assist in me learning how to communicate or socialize. Public School was very good for teaching me basic Math & Science while High School was overrun with teachers who talked over my head and made me feel like my life would be useless without Math or Science. I only rated the Arts high in both because they saved me from the rest and I was good at them, but perhaps I should rate the curriculum low because they downplayed the necessity for them. Physical Activity was really encouraged in Public School but frowned upon in High School. You would be considered evil if you missed Math or Science class to go play Volleyball or Track and Field.

In looking back, I could have gone straight from Public School to an Arts College. I would have ended up in a better place because I would have been around people who would possibly accept me (or at least understand the need for the Arts) and I would be away from the people who made me feel like crap for years.

In its feeble attempt to churn out well-rounded children, the Education system doesn’t even do that. Well-rounded came out of 80 % of teacher’s mouths letting us know how important that was, but most students just leave confused, not knowing who they are or where to go with their life. A school counselor may tell them where to go, but the curriculum was forced-fed, so like a zombie, they just obey the next step. I’ll tell you who doesn’t that; a few teachers out of 10. You will find some rare gems in the teaching system who work a bit outside the curriculum to introduce students to themselves. I am thankful for those few. I recall one teacher at my High School who’s name, funny enough was Miss Cool. Seriously, Cool was her last name; Aileen Cool. She was super cool. I saw her sneaking around the system for the benefit of kids all the time. I am very thankful for her. She would encourage me to join the drama department and ask me a lot of questions about myself.

I am also thankful for my Mother who did not commit murder by forcing me to destroy the person I really am like Jim said. This is indeed a subtle kind of murder.

It’s actually a slow death which begins for some people in childhood and completely ruins their character by the time they are 20. Then they spend the next few decades trying to ‘find themselves’.

I am reminded of the scene in the Doors where Jim says; “Raise your hands if you understand! Alive, any of you alive? Let's take a poll; how many of you know you're really alive?!” Then he says; “BS! Plastic soldiers in a miniature dirt war! C'mon! How many of you people know you're alive? How many of you people know you're really alive?”

“Plastic soldiers in a dirt war” –what a fantastic analogy….programmed by the system to just do what everyone else is doing.

Parents and relatives often think they are doing what is best for us but channeling us in the way which makes them feel more secure. It’s good to see what their motivation is, I’m sure in many cases it’s because they worry about us. My Mother never forced us to learn subjects we had zero interest in. Instead, she encouraged us to take the path which was in alignment with our spirits. It doesn’t always pay as good, but I have a huge list of people I know working at good paying jobs who are not happy.

I’m sure it could be argued that they should be happy to have the work. I would agree with that. But surviving isn’t living. When Jim says, “How many of you know you are really alive?” It’s because most of us are zombies. There is so much more to life than being well-rounded.

The last time I saw Cirque du Soleil, I thought to myself, “Those people are really living!” I felt inspired (not to jump on the Death wheel) but to at least pour my full self into what I love. They may be unhappy for all I know, but at some point in their life they dedicated their whole self into something they were good at and that is pretty cool.

We don’t all have to be on the trapeze to know we are alive, but we should be living at our full capability…whatever that is.

I hope that if you are a parent, you will assist your child in growing their spirit according to their passions and skills and won’t try to live vicariously though them. Everyone should be allowed to be themselves. After all, our life is our own.

Giving my Plastic Soldiers some instruments to jam on,

Karen :)

“Where’s your will to be weird man? ~Jim Morrison