To Use or Not To Use
April 19th, 2006 Freedom is a thing we take for granted, though rarely does it truly exist. Taxes and death are not the only circumstances we can't cheat. To believe otherwise is not only foolish, but irresponsible and selfish. The problem with the illusion is that for anyone with an open mind and half an imagination, the need to feel each experience, be it good or bad, and the misconception that it is indeed possible to do so will not quickly enough be hindered by reality. Dreams will only be smashed by practicality when they seem just within reach.
Since I've been in China, this is much less the case. I hear the word traditional quite often. It is the measurement of this quality in a person that truly defines them here in a world striving so hard to push forward into the next step of societal evolution. It is a beautiful time. It is a time of nearly unadultered change. It is a time in which I feel at home. Though it is ancient, the country is like an infant in many ways. Here, I am a teacher. I speak english. I am liberal. I am socially responsible. Here, I was born with the silver spoon. I have the opportunity to either take advantage of the nation's naivety or responsibly guide it into the next generation. The temptations to execute the former have not been lost on me, but the self-loathing and white guilt inspired by encounters of fellow foreigners have kept me in check.
I hope I continue to meet such horrible people...
