Oops.

I am sorry that it has been so long since I last updated.  As you can see, I spend more time fooling around with the format than writing.  I still have a hard time figuring things to write but my guess is that the people that read this blog (if they exist anymore), would appreciate me writing anything rather than nothing.  As you can see, I changed the title form SaGsite to Sagblog and I don't really know why but the link to my Blogger acount has changed from sagsiteblog.blogspot to sagblog.blogspot.  What I do know is that you can expect more randomness to come because that is my specialty. Randomness. 

I had been fearing the dates November 15th and 16th since the first week of school.  Scheduled for those two days were two tests, a term paper, a Biology research paper, a process recording (typed results from a 45 minute interview I had to conduct on one of my classmates) and yet another Sociology paper.  If you remember the post awhile back where I talked about freaking out, it was in regards to this series of unfortunate events.  Luckily, those days have passed and I have come out of it more or less unscathed.

I am finally all registered for the Spring 2005 semester. I am enrolled in Sociology of Fear, Sociology of Deviance, Families Issues and Social Change, Sociology Research Methods, Quantitative Reason (or, stupid people Math) and Volleyball. Rachel figured out for me that if I average 16 credits for my next three semesters at NAU and take 6 more credit hours this summer at Rio Salado, and I will graduate in May of 2006. Which would be nice considering I plan to get married then too. Also, I have decided to drop social work as a minor because somehow I overlooked that I can major in Applied Sociology and not have a minor. Instead I will emphasize is family studies.

I am on a volleyball intramural team and are record dropped to 2-2. Were were 2-0 but lost the last two. Our first win was due to a forfeit because the other team didn't shoe but, shhh... don't tell anyone. Our next and last game is on Sunday.

~SaG

A Hard Lesson

As you probably could have guessed, the results of last night's election left me feeling sad and scared. It was something that I genuinely feared, but at the same time, didn't think would happen.

Throughout the day, I have pondered how I wanted to go about writing this. At first, I wanted to spew all my anger and fear and disgust that overwhelmed me at the beginning of this day. I thought better of that because I have realized that such a display would not help me or you. Instead, I am forced into a new mindset. I don't think I can sit back and believe that I live in the greatest country in the world when the examples of 58 million people have taught me otherwise. I fail to see how this country, consumed with fear, bigotry and intolerance for its own people is better than England, Spain, Sweden and France. Is it because we make more money? Is that how we measure greatness? Is it that we have the greatest capacity and resources to do good? That may be if we used those resources for good? Is it our freedoms? I am willing to sacrifice some of those if it means that children can have healthcare and the elderly can have their medications from Canada. Clearly, I am in the minority when it comes to the willingness for those sacrifices. I hear that morals and values are what won this election. What moral and values? What's moral about a war that the majority sees as a mistake? What's moral about taking away one's Constitutional rights because of whom they love? Honestly, it makes me sick. It makes me sick that "bleeding heart" has a negative connotation. Is it so wrong to think of those suffering before you think of yourself? Obviously, it is.

Once the sadness, confussion and overwhelming disappointed in this country subsided, I decided to create my own "silver lining". I realized that, although the majority of this county doesn't see the suffering of people as a top five concern, doesn't mean I can't make it a priority in my life. Already I have weighed the possibilities of joining the Peace Corps because, I began to realize that there is an entire world out there that I know nothing about. That would be a though choice because it is a two year commitment and I can't miss two years of my families lives. I know, I too have selfish things to get over but I assume family is a better value than assault weapons. Instead, I will strive to become active in the lives of the less fortunate in the communities around me and maybe one day, I will have the resources to expand my effort across the country's borders. I know what you are thinking: "Steve is a hippie, tree-hugger." That's out of the way, so now think about it. I want to dedicate some of my time to benefit the lives of others less fortunate. I think if people would stop to think, they'd get passed the negative stereotypes. If anyone can tell me why a bleeding heart is bad, feel free to comment.

I know it's hard to get a true idea of my state of mind right now because you only get to read my thoughts. I assure you that I am the same old Steve. Now, however, I need to express my values through my actions, not only my words.

Note: After reading this, I know it can be hard to follow but that may be because I had no set format in my mind before I began writing. The words just began to flow, straight from my bleeding heart.

~SaG