Entry 23 - Reflection

→ Marriage

- The section on my future marital plans was my favorite bit of this component, mostly because this entry brought me out of my comfort zone and made me realize that a future with a wife was possible.  Romantic thoughts have never been one of my strengths as a human being, but I couldn't keep them in the abyss of my mind for long once I started searching for how to organize my wedding day.  Through literally thinking outside the box in this entry, I was able experience two meaningful ‘aha’ moments.  The first was one in which I was given the opportunity to think about the possibility of having a special someone with which to spend the rest of my days here on Earth.  By opening my mind to the idea of love and what it truly meant, I was then able to look at my world as so much bigger than myself, and as something that perhaps required me to look after another human being with no blood connection.  In addition, I realized from researching venues and food options how having a person to share my life with may be more rewarding than I initially thought by giving me motive to show my personality type in full light, in all of its flawed glory.  By coming to terms with this surprising truth, I saw myself as having the option of sharing my being independent and curious with a wife, finding this piece that could complete my puzzle and help me to have even more momentum with which to lead my life - imagine the change and adventures such a ‘power’ pair could be capable of!

• Recommendation: I do recommend that this entry should have required more research and details as to how undertaking a wedding day would impact the budgets my classmates and I have created for life stage two.  Perhaps even, the entry should have also, to have helped us gain a more realistic perspective of courting, required my mates and I see how marrying at different stages of our lives would affect our livelihoods and funds, with us focusing on the fragile relationship between work and love.
• Commendation: The entry truly helped to get us young hopefuls prepared to experience what lies behind the alluring facade of love and its seeming infinite donation of happiness
  

  
  

  

  Living with an attraction to romantic themes can sometimes be exciting, can be shown in how I gravitate towards the warm colors and sense of infinity of this picture that can be likened to a snapshot of a honeymoon stroll

  
  

→ Family

- The entry that had me detail the nature of my family chemistry, as well my definition of what being part of a family meant, helped me gain a very interesting perspective of the biological side to the intrinsic interaction within a family.  I learned how the way a family functions is based primarily on human nature and the need for family members to understand the bonds that hold them together in such a resilient way.  By tracing the meaning of resiliency to knowing one’s family history, and realizing that family history is most of the time made up of dramatic stories that make their orators immortal and constant points in life for inspiration, I was more than able to take precautionary steps to make certain my family is strong for many years to come.  This realization also made me appreciate the family life I have now, especially how my family and I constantly communicate on an adult level day after day - an aspect of my life that has allowed me a comfortable, nurturing niche from which I will be more than able to fly into my next chapter in life.

• Recommendation: To make this stage a bit more in depth and hit home the heartfelt theme it secretly upholds, I think that after the screening of ‘Big Fish’, students should be required to discuss their thoughts in regard to the movie, especially towards how the film reminds us about our individual family lives.  We should also be required to draw up a sort of family constitution, wherein we draft a document that sums up what we want in a home and what we want from our family members.  These constitutions could then be discussed in class, with the class having to draw up a constitution of its own that combined the themes outlined in each of its creators - this exercise is reminiscent of how the Constitution of the United States was drafted, and can explore how being in a country changes family dynamics.  This exercise may also ask whether a country can be considered a family, applying the iPoly motto of creating worldly students to the project setting.
• Commendation: The transition of ‘Big Fish’ to the life stage was priceless; I only wish the emotions stirred up in the viewer can be indulged and molded into a learning experience wherein the student comes to terms of something important they can learn about family culture.
  

  
  

  

  This picture of my father talking to my grandmother shows how food is a common catalyst fro conversation in my family, a willingness to communicate I have come to appreciate especially in times I am in most need of this human interaction

  
  

→ Credit and Debt

- What I walked away from this bit on life stage three was how I must learn to live within a means that fit my lifestyle, my individual, highly dispensable niche.  Being human has often only attributed in my life a highly idealistic image of what can be, seeing only the opportunities around me.  The part of the project that forced me to look at expenses in life also forced me to realize that in order for idealism to be enjoyed, it has to be realistically looked upon.  Money is not only the currency necessary to buy things, it has often proven itself to be the currency that allows for experiences and for life to progress.  Money is also the thing I looked at most closely while placing the finishing touches on this project component, and is thus thing that I most link with realism and looking at the world knowing it has much to offer and much to take away.  Therefore, when paying for  credit card or buying a house, I have learned to balance frugality with enjoyment, and have in this way learned to lead a more balanced life.

• Recommendation: I do believe a budget should be included in this component of the project so that the full scope of investing in a new independent life can be fully realized.  I would have loved to see how the earning from my job for example fit into buying my house versus renting a house or apartment.  Learning a new idea is one thing, building on top a preexisting one is priceless and really hits the point being made home.
• Commendation: I did enjoy having a powerpoint presentation before each entry, as the presentations defined key terms and concepts with which I was then able to work with when completing each entry.  Having this time to catch up with an often-times complex subject helped to guide and create an experience for the student in my eyes.

This plant accents a room, just as money will allow for me to accent my life with furnishings I shall come to know as memories