So, I've had a lot of different topics to be writing my blog about, but it just hasn't been too inspiring once I started writing--although for the few of you that even read this I of course have no idea if my blogs ever are inspiring or interesting. A big issue I had to deal with once I arrived at Falls Creek was comparing last summer to the current summer. I have realized that maybe the best course of action is never trying to recreate an experience that was just so amazing the first time around. Comparison is such a demon. I am having to actively tell myself that even though this is the same place I was last year and I am doing basically the same task this is a completely new and different summer. I always thought that one of the saddest movie characters is the uncle in Napoleon Dynamite. He is probably in his 40's and just constantly retelling his football glory story. I hate to admit it but I can somewhat understand this pathetic behavior once I arrived at falls creek. I was being constantly reminded of last summer and making me sentimental in some ways.I feel a little scandalous writing this at falls creek....but as crazy as this parallel may be I can very clearly understand one really good reason for staying a virgin until you get married. In my rather limited ventures of holding hands and kissing, I have kissed enough boys to where I can compare various aspects of it. Like simply one boy was shorter than me while the other was taller. I don't want to freak my mother and other family members that read this too much more. I'll move on.
There's the saying that assuming makes an a** out of you and me (watch out this post is getting explicit...) but I think comparing causes much more damaging and fool-creating results. I guess comparisons are needed for some ways like teaching devices but I'm not sure of their benefit in general use. In the book Sex. God. (one of the few books I got to read this last summer) it talks about the problem of comparison when judging a girl or guy on appearances. I loved the way the author addressed this by saying that the problem is when the "she" becomes an "it". When the girl with a past, personality, and humanity is stripped down to skin and bone, only being viewed like a piece of meat and looking at what was mainly genetically predetermined before she was born (sorry this is a bit of a tangent).
I've been trying to work on limiting my comparisons of people and events. I'm starting to see much more depth to staff members from last year that I had already compared to other people and formed my opinion of them. Individuality was something that I always valued for myself, but I'm starting to realize that I don't seem to allow other this same value. Comparisons might be needed for illustration purposes and essential to sociology, but I'm not convinced they are good for life. Just my random thoughts for the day!
-Kristy
