Materialism

Gift Giving

            Lauren smith has a point, holiday’s aren’t materialistic because everyone has the choice to give rather than to receive just for the pleasure of it and to show how appreciated they are to have a special loved one in their lifes. I myself like to gift rather than to receive mainly because I like to see a smile on a person’s face when they receive the gift they’ve been wanting, like a game, or a sweater. It’s not that I don’t like to receive gifts from anyone because I’m delicate, but I feel more happy when I make someone’s day and I take pride in what I do for others.

            The way we gift gifts in my family is either, white elephant were you exchange gifts and “steal” them of the other person until you get what you want, and that’s done with a budget, for example the gift can’t be more than thirty dollars. Another thing we like to do is gather with the entire family and we all watch the movie of when Jesus Christ was born until midnight, and then were allow to open gifts and share with everyone what we got. We tend to get impatient some years so we shave a few hours and end up opening them earlier.

            Holidays to me aren’t materialistic, I like to see is as day where I get to see family that I haven’t seen in a long time to talk and catch up about memories we’ve shared and anything new going on with us. Everyone has their own opinion, but as far as I know, gift giving is a way to show your appreciation to someone and at the same time you can have the pleasure of making someone’s day. 

Fall Semester

Fall Semester

My fall semester of 2014 has been good to me so far. I haven't faced many stressful homework assignments but I don't want to jinx myself just yet. I have a full time schedule and the only class I seem to have some confusion is Oceanography. I have trouble understanding its criteria and remembering the material. Many of my friends told me it’d be a sweet class to take but I beg to differ.

The best thing about this semester for me so far has been not driving to Ventura every day! This has been my first semester at Oxnard College after going to Ventura College for a year. I got sick of driving almost every day to Ventura. Same route, same view, it all gets old and it was time for a change. Not to mention gas is expensive and it’s much more convenient to go to school when I only live 5 minutes away. I wanted to go to Ventura because most of my friends were going there, but I learned that I should focus on myself before anyone else to accomplish what I want in life. Also I love the fact that the gym I go to is walking distance from the college, so every day I get to better my body as well. I see myself progressing every day.

 Finally, My greatest motivators are my family and girlfriend, but to me more descriptive I'll have to say my Dad is my number one support, he's always asking if I need anything and if I do and it's out of his reach he does everything possible for me and I'm grateful for that. Then I have my girlfriend that always keeps me on top of homework and is a reminder that I can't slack off. She helps me with proofreading and she's always there for me.

Reality Lies

Reality Lies

The cabs here! If you know that phrase then you definitely know what I'm referring to,

"The Jersey Shore"! A reality TV show that takes place in no other than the Jersey Shore. Filled with drama, clubbing, sexuality and laughter.

Not only does the show portray how a bunch of young people act living in a beach house doing nothing but drinking, clubbing, dealing with drama, and taking girls back to their houses to have intercourse with them. They do do one thing right, the importance of safe sex and checking yourself for STDS is a major thing for the roommates. This show is meant to show how these strangers get along in one house together. The Jersey Shore has shown our youth love, friendship, and the importance of family. This show has its good episodes and bad ones, it all depends how you view it. The Jersey show is on air for enjoyment and not to harm our society.

In my opinion I don't think its harming society, everyone has their own choice to watch the show or not. Shows like The Jersey Shore have influenced some people to speak different, change their hair, and party more. Reality TV shows are there to give us a chance to view how people of other cultures live. Society really doesn't benefit from any of this, just the pure enjoyment of another person’s failure or accomplishment in life and how they live their luxurious life either being a complete douche person or watching a show that is really about what they're portraying. There's also a possibility of obtaining new information and using that knowledge to your advantage at some point in your life, like for example a survival show or a food network reality TV show.

Then you have the Kardashian show. The family received a show because of Kim’s porn video drama. The families show is truly what they are dealing with in their lives whether it’s a new store they are setting up to a divorce. The Kardashians can seem fake at times but they do have a different way of living than most of us. Being in the lime light and having to seem perfect all the time can be stressful for one person to handle. It’s intriguing to watch because we gravitate toward drama and the outcome of the situation. They make us involved in their personal life therefore we feel more invested and try to find a solution in our own minds.

Personally I don't like to watch them, but when I do it's like a guilty pleasure. Every one of us likes drama, and cliffhangers at the end of each show makes you want to watch more right after it.  As much as I try to avoid them I can't help but to watch them when everyone is talking about them. A new show starts and it starts trending, that's how society is and always will be.

My Dad

My Dad

            Growing up with twin sisters made my life miserable, but before thinking this is going to be about how they made my life a living toilet, it’s not. As a child up until I was seventeen, I thought my dad was unfair or even hated me. A scream from my sisters across the hall and he’d be there faster than bullet to punish me or ground me. I always though he loved them more and that even made me depressed for some time.

            I’d see my cousins and how their dad’s treated them and how much fun they always had playing, I envied them. My dad would even treat my cousins better than me, always playing soccer with them or having conversations. For some time I thought that because I didn’t like to watch or play soccer was the reason he didn’t like me. It was always awkward and I had to ask my mom for things that I needed, like clothing, or shoes, so I would avoid talking to him.

            My dad is a construction worker, and he one day found me plastering the side walls on our front yard that needed a touch up, he was impressed and started taking me to work with him in his company on the weekends. Within a couple months we were always talking and laughing at the randomness things. I was confused for some time about how both of our attitudes slowly changed into something positive.

            I asked my mom why he was the way he was before then, she started by telling me that I was a hyperactive kid who wouldn’t stop annoying their twin sisters and thought that my dad was just toughening me up to learn how to respect girls and to protect them, and that explains why I always feel protective over them and when they need anything I’m always there for them. Lastly she said that he didn’t really know how to deal with a son since his dad wasn’t there for him, but it makes him happy that we both have something in common now and that we can finally talk to one another without fear. Although both of our attitudes changed gradually throughout time I’m glad it happened now better than never, and I know now how it feels to be loved by a dad.