The Power is in Our Hands

Quite honestly, the food industry is discussing and corrupt, along with half the other industries we rely on now days.  It’s almost like we can’t trust anyone anymore, it’s a dog eat dog world; a money driven world.

However, we should realize how our world works by now. We rely on everyone else to do everything for us, so if we give big industries that power, of course they are going to take advantage.  Do we rely on commercials to tell us what to buy and where to buy it? We certainly are smart enough not to.

If we are educated about the food industry today, then it’s no one’s fault but our own what food we eat. No one is holding a gun to our heads saying eat or die. There is a lot of healthy food out there, we just have to take the time to do the research and get wholesome ingredients, instead of relying on someone else to feed us. 

We are a Google era: anything is possible. We have access to the knowledge of millions of lifetimes, why are we complaining about what we are being fed if we have the power to research, look at labels, and not purchase those items.  If anything, we have the power as consumers.  Large processed food companies cater to our likes and dislikes. If we stop buying, they stop thriving. Simple as that.

I think we have so much power, but we give it to these large junk food corporations.  They engineer and modify their food according to what we buy, it’s a bit silly to turn around and place the blame on them. They are just trying to make money as any company would. 

We need to stop being lazy. There are many cheap ways to eat and live healthy.  We need to think for ourselves and give ourselves, and our children the power of knowledge.  We need to make choices for ourselves and suffer consequences based on our actions. If you eat unhealthy, obesity might be faced. We can’t really blame it on fast food companies because we are the ones who pay to put it in our mouths.  

Even some of the heads in the fast food industry make the choice to stray away from their very own products. They make their own choice based on what they know and what they want for themselves. So let’s make our own choices and our own diet.  Let the companies try and make their money, but we have the power. 

We Bend

                                                                  

It’s strange how the structure of families can easily bend and the idea of what an American family is evolves with each era.  For example, beforehand a family was the same through life, there was a mom, a dad and a child, or two; nothing much changed until the children went off to college.  In today’s world, there are single moms, single dads, divorce and same sex parents.

             My family has certainly morphed and changed since the beginning. My parents started as an all American family, they bought a little house with a white picket fence, on a little street called cozy croft.  They had me, and then four years later they had my brother.  Years passed with ease, my mother had an art business in addition to being a stay at home mom and my dad was an electrician. Meanwhile I was attending a Lutheran school and my brother was placed in a daycare from time to time.  Picture perfect, right?

            Well then time went on and my mom and dad started facing financial issues. This wasn’t the only issue, L.A. was proving to be a dark place to raise a family and my parents wanted more for us. Since they had to get rid of our house anyway, they had made the decision to move to Hawaii. Hawaii’s house market was low at the time and as a wedding gift my grandma had bought them a piece of land there as well. So a leap of faith was taken and we left the only life we had ever known, across the ocean onto a little floating rock surrounded by water.  

            Life in Hawaii was hard at first and a bit scary. Luckily my grandparents had moved over with us, so they helped a lot. Our house was definitely different then I was used to, it was a small house on stilts with a large yard, with lots of greenery and just a walk to the ocean! Things were great honestly; my childhood was sunny, full of smiles and sand.  Oh, and lots of cats.

            However, when I was about to begin high school our family dynamic changed. My parents never saw each other because of my dad’s work schedule, and things fell apart. Then, the death of my grandfather affected us all immensely. My parents then got a divorce.

 The divorce was painful, and lasted about three years to finalize.  The worst part was when my dad lived upstairs and my mom had to live down stairs. They could be in the same room together without hell breaking loose, which was difficult because the kitchen was upstairs, and the computer room and laundry room was downstairs.

            Finally the house was sold and with it I felt like my childhood was forced to a close.  I think I knew that was my final goodbye to childhood, with the last shut of my front door.  I experienced so much in that house, so much stability and security, which was then swiped from under me.

            Nonetheless, I was surprised how different my parents were a part from one another. They were like new people, much happier. I got to see my parents as people for the first time, which was a weird thing to me.  My parents weren’t my hero’s anymore, they cried and struggled just like the rest of the world; they were human now.

            As things progressed, things seemed to get better and better. After graduation I moved away for a year with my boyfriend to another island. After a year, my mom and I decided it was time to leave the island.  Now my mom and I live here in Oxnard, she lives with her best friend and I live with my boyfriend, but we are only 10 minutes away. 

            It’s strange to look back before we moved to Hawaii; we went as a whole and then left in pieces. However, I think my family is now stronger in pieces.  It’s extremely hard, don’t get me wrong, but everyone seems to be looking for their own thing now. It’s weird, because my parents no longer talk and I don’t get to see my brother, dad and grandma as much as I would like to anymore, but no matter what we will always be a family.  This is what my family is and I am very proud of what I have.

The Holiday

                                                     The Holiday

I have to say, I agree with Laren Smith’s essay “Is the Holiday Season too Materialistic?”. Yes, Americans do tend to materialize Christmas to an unnecessary extent. However, in the end it’s not about what you are buying, but boils down to the fact that you are giving a gift to someone you care for. If your friend values expensive jeans, so be it, give her those jeans for Christmas to show her how much she means to you. I don’t think that means you are being materialistic, but more so thinking about someone else and what they happen to like.

Personally, I enjoy homemade gifts the most. I think it shows that that person spent a lot of hands on time with your gift and makes the gift much more personalized.  However, at the same time buying something with the money you worked hard for says almost just as much.  In the end, you should not feel guilty buying items during Christmas; it is a tradition that molds with time.  Some people may expect gifts from their friends and family, but that is only because of tradition and the years of participating in the events of the Holiday. For the ones that can’t spend a fortune during Christmas, they still participate and find ways to show their loved ones they care.

The Holiday is about giving and closing out the year with the ones you care about. I like to see it as a ceremony, providing loved ones with items for the New Year as well as receiving things for the New Year.  I don’t think people should necessarily be stressed about buying gifts; the gesture of the matter is what is most important. I hate seeing people stressed about Christmas, I feel as though they are putting the stress on themselves, those that love you will not be mad if they don’t receive their most expensive want from you. I love going with the Holiday and rejoicing the end of the year and the beginning of the new one, with the ones I love. 

Little Steps

                                                    

For the first time in two years, I decided to go back to school. After high school I really needed a break, but it came to a point where I got bored and needed stimulation.  So here I am, enrolled full time at Oxnard College.  It honestly feels really good to get back into the game. I noticed I am very rusty at writing, however I am surprisingly better at math than I remember. I am also very excited about my TV class and all the equipment that is available for us to use; I can’t wait to get more projects going. I am also very pleased with my Belly Dance classes I take; it feels good to be involved in so many things.   

Although I have eliminated my boredom, now I feel as though I am fighting for spare time. I am a full time student in addition to working a job in LA. The job in LA is seasonal, however during the Halloween Season I am trying to keep my head above water.  I work at Halloween Horror Nights, which starts at 5 pm and I don’t get home till 4:30am, meaning I don’t get to bed till 5am. Juggling this job and school is a bit of a challenge, however I am glad it is almost over and I will be able to focus on school more.

Overall, I am so thankful that I am back in school with a better understanding of how school works. Unlike High School, I choose to be here in College and I am determined. I am also thankful that there is financial aid for students like me, because that was one thing that was holding me back from going to school. I am also genuinely happy about where life seems to be taking me right now. I am motivated by progress, and once I am on a roll I won’t stop till I hit the top. I really like the feeling of being engaged in projects and being a part of something bigger than me.  I feel accomplished every time I turn in a project or an assignment I am proud of.  Beforehand I was just hanging around the house, working and partying a lot. That was not satisfying to me after a while, because my creative drive wasn’t being fed. So now I plan on staying in school till I get my Associates in TV and Film: my first step to becoming a Movie Director. It’s amazing to see the little steps of life unfold right in front of you. 

Fake Reality

                                                        

            When you turn the television on today, almost every time it will be a pointless reality show playing. Television is not like it used to be, or maybe our form of entertainment is different than it used to be. If there is no sex, drama, or violence, than what’s the point of watching, right? Reality TV seems like a cheap way to entertain the millions, pumping America’s brains with unnecessary drama and raunchy behavior. I do not enjoy Reality TV, however I must admit I’ve fallen into the evil of it on occasion.  Reality Television can indeed be very informative and interesting, however that is only when it is in documentary form, like the ‘Discovery Channel’ or the ‘Travel Channel’.  Although, what Reality TV is in my mind, is mindless shows such as ‘America’s Next Model’, ‘Bad Girls Club’, ‘The Hills’ and so on.  

            Reality TV in the first place is never really ‘Reality’ anyway; it’s Hollywood! I have been in a few Reality shows myself and I was very surprised how scripted and fake they actually were. I hate how reality shows depict people, and it’s unsettling to think how America is depicted in Reality TV. It’s flat and plainly just annoying girls fighting, couples breaking up, shopping, and being pretty.  

            I enjoy shows that have an art to it, such as writing the story, casting the actors and editing. I like shows that have more to them then just random people being followed by cameras. Honestly I think Reality TV is dumbing down it’s viewers, especially the young ones. Imagine how many girls watch ‘The Hills’ and try and act like the girls in that show? Or even a scarier thought, how about the girls that watch the ‘Bad Girls Club’? Reality TV doesn’t show any morals, or doesn’t seem to have any point to it besides brainless TV watching.

            I do have to consider other forms of Reality TV however, like cooking shows, or home improvement shows. There is some good Reality TV out there, however I see that more as informative TV than Reality TV. I do enjoy nature shows and survivor shows too. However, even the survivor shows are fake. I remember when ‘Man v.s. Wild’ came to Hawaii to film. They were filming in the lava fields, which was right next to a populated highway.

            I want to see more actual television shows, however it seems like Reality TV is taking over. I honestly try to stay away from Popular Reality TV shows, especially the ones that portray women as sexual lunatics; there are a lot of those.  It irritates me to watch those kinds of shows, it’s boring to me. Like ‘The Hills’ for example, all it contains is rich kids going out to eat, hooking up, breaking up, and complaining; I don’t understand who those kids are and why America cares.

            If it was up to me, Television would consist of shows like I Love Lucy, American Horror Story, Friends, Workaholics and Misfits. I enjoy anything that you can tell people put effort and passion into. That’s the beauty of filmmaking; everyone comes together to make a story. 

Finding Beauty the Right Way

           It’s funny how people change over time and how their idea of beauty can change with them. When I was young, I had such a close-minded idea of what beauty was in a guy. You can’t blame me I guess; I was only a young niave girl at the time. Nonetheless, I was only drawn to liking a guy by his looks. The only guys who got my attention were tall, skinny, white guys with long dark hair. I was really into hardcore music at the time, so I guess I liked that image: pale, grungy guys who looked like they had issues.  

            This lasted for a good few years, until I matured a little more. I started to realize that it wasn’t how a guy looked that made him attractive to me.  There would be guys that absolutely fit my pre-mature idea of beauty, however when I would hang out with them their beauty faded.  Then there would be guys that I never thought twice about, but as soon as I spent some time with them something would tick in my head.  Their personality would shine through their appearance and they would mold into someone I would absolutely go crazy for. Where as other guy’s personalities would dull them down, until their appearance no longer meant a thing.

            From this, I’ve really learned what beauty means. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and it’s like they say, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”.  It’s amusing, because my boyfriend now is absolutely the opposite of the guys I would go for. If it were 6 years ago, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed him if he didn’t have his tattoos. However, the more I got to know him the more I fell in love.  It’s important to dance with your heart, not your eyes. 

Food: What are you?

           

       What we put in our bodies becomes a part of us: thus the famous saying “You are what you eat”.  In today’s world, time is limited due to our jobs, school and the daily agendas we make. Therefore, our food industry had the smarts to evolve our food along with our busy schedules. Families especially benefit from fast food, children get their cereal before school and Dad swings through McDonalds for a quick bite to eat during his lunch break.  I remember, as a child McDonalds was a common treat after a long day at school.  My mom would pick my brother and I up, then we would swing by the drive through; it was so convenient. To this day, the smell of McDonalds brings me back in time and makes me feel like a child again.  My association with Junk Food is a love hate relationship. Junk Food is a sad part of our American culture, however I do my best to not indulge in such eating habits anymore.

            Now that I am no longer a child, I am aware of the truth behind Junk Food and how it goes much farther then just food.  Not only does it affect our health, but also on a bigger scale it is affecting our culture. These large food corporations have so much power over our food, which directly affects us. If I had it my way, I would shop solely at Whole Foods, Lassens and Trader Joes. These stores are fresh, Organic and is food that we should be used to eating. However, on busy days that I go directly from School to work, it is hard not to stop for a convenient meal; something that just gets the job done.  I usually feel so guilty when I eat fast food, it is just necessary when I get off work late at night and nothing else is open.  

I try and avoid McDonalds and KFC with more effort than most fast food restaurants.  Those restaurants in particular gross me out, especially when you go to eat inside; watching people eat them are the worst.  When I was about 13 years old, I helped petition KFC because of the animal abuse and the way their chickens are raised and butchered.  It’s sad however, because that’s usually the case for all fast food restaurants and large meat company’s.  Try watched Fast Food Nation, that documentary will make you vegetarian for at least a month.

I want my body to get the nutrients it needs as well as the attention it deserves. I’ve been trying to make time to cook food and stop by a natural food store occasionally. Once you make it a part of routine, it all falls into place. Once I have children of my own, I certainly wont be going to McDonalds everyday after school. You must think about it in the long run as well, how will all that junk affect you in 20 years? So if you are what you eat, what are you?