Agua

The water metaphor which was discussed in class is "culture is like water to a fish, it is absolutely essential and it permeates every single moment and action of a fish, but it is probably something a fish never ever sees or thinks about..just as our culture permeates our actions and actions without us realizing it." It was difficult for me to come up with an example of "water" in my life, but then it hit me. It was probably so hard for me to realize because it is actually just like water to a fish. I am always surrounded by it whether I'm the one using it or somebody else is. What I am talking about is technology. These days, no matter what, everybody is always somehow connected to technology. Everybody has cell phones. Everybody owns a computer or a laptop. Everybody has iPods. Everybody always has the choice to stay connected. Technology is always surrounding us.

I try to navigate the water, or technology, around me by staying respectful. Technology sometimes interferes with relationships. I have found myself having conversations with people, only to be interrupted with a text or call that they have recieved. I find that extremely disresepectul. Even though you do have the option to stay connected, it doesn't mean that you always have to respond to it. Sure, I love having the ability to shoot a text to my friends to see what they are doing or to just check in, but I don't think it is necessary to constantly be sitting on your phone or laptop to almost stalk people. Since when did it become so important to know what everybody else is doing? Why can't people just stay concentrated on their life and mind their own business? More than once, I have found myself annoyed with my phone. I have an iPhone, and I am obsessed with it. I know that I probably couldn't live without it. But sometimes I find myself ignoring it. I always have my iPhone on me, but there have been times where I just don't answer any of the calls or texts I have gotten. The fact that I do this actually bothers my friends about me. It's kind of funny but they have gotten mad at me when I don't answer their texts, but they don't understand that they shouldn't take it so personally. It's not like I am purposely ignoring them, I just don't want to talk to anybody. I want to stay in my own little bubble and worry about just myself and not feel the need to talk to everybody. I think that I behaviorally adjust to the cultural forces going on around me by setting my own guidelines and not conforming to the common belief that since you have the ability to answer to texts and calls, you have to respond to them.

Two values which I embrace are Individual Personality and Religiosity. I think that it is very important to be your own person and not confrom to everyone around you. I've been described by my friends more than once of being "real," and I take pride in that. I don't find it necessary to act differently around different groups of people. I am constantly true to myself. I think that I have my own style in the sense that I wear what I want. I have huge blonde curly hair and I embrace it. I'm goofy and I don't try to hide it. In my middle school days I would always straighten my hair because it was different, but now I embrace it. I like being my own person and having a unique personality. Along with embracing my Individual Personality, I also embrace Religiosity. Religion is every important in my life, and after going to a Christian summer camp two summers in a row, I learn that there is not reason to hide my religion. At camp I learned more about my Christian religion and how to share it with others. I also learned that people will have different viewpoints on religion and they sometimes may shut you down or treat you differently because of your beliefs, but I have learned how to deal with those and always stay true to my religion. Two values which I may creatively adjust to find my own hapiness would be Romantic Love and and Progress. I would first adjust Romantic Love to find my own hapiness because first of all, I don't think that all love needs to be romantic. I think that it is possible to be in love or love someone without it having to be romantic. Secondly, there is a quote that I like which is "Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean that they don't love you with all they have." I think that is quote explains how you can adjust a value into your own. This quote is true, love doesn't always have to extremely romantic or the way that you pictured it, but you can adjust to it and it can then be just as perfect as you expected it to be. I would also adjust Progess. I chose progress because I think that progress has multiple interpretations. Progress for one person could be more or less the same for another person. I measure my progress after I set my own goals. Whether it be progress in the work environment, school environment, or with friends, I can change my progress and adjust it to how I am doing with my goals. So, I live by and adjust different sets of values depending on my outlook on life.