Interesting Realizations

So I started class yesterday I got to reflecting on the past few weeks. As much needed as that break was it was slightly weird. I realized that I have changed a lot since the last time I spent more than a few days in New York, granted that was more than a year ago. I got caught up in the realization that I no longer see things the same way as my friends and family. Dealing with this was a little more challenging than I anticipated. As a result I ignored a few people that I probably shouldn't have.

Two quotes came to mind a lot over break, "Home is where you lay your head" and a line from an old Catch 22 Lyric "I don't care, I can fade away to anywhere." The meaning of home has changed for me, it used to be good old Berne, NY but that has kinda evolved into just the place where I grew up. It still holds a lot of value and is what shaped me into who I am today, its just interesting to look at it from a different perspective. The second quote reminds me of the different places that I've lived and things I've experienced. Going from Berne with influences of both Rural New York but not out of touch with Albany, to Oklahoma which is a college town in the bible belt. Then the experience of DC living on the corner of two roads that only have a number and a letter as their designations. I would like to think that I adapted quite well to all of my surroundings but at the same time I bring away a little from each experience and compare where ever I am to the other places.

In the end I see people that are intolerant of others through their own ignorance, people that are stuck in their ways, people that let their environment define who they are. At the same time I wonder about the concept and origin of this 'Ignorance'. I see it as ignorance but looking at it through their eyes its just mirroring their environment and the actions that are positively rewarded in that culture or even just for that individual. It is rough to look at this in a manner that is not strictly pointing blame for how people turned out. How exactly do you go about changing a mindset of a culture or society? You would think that going somewhere that the action or thought process is acceptable would be an way to solve the problem but really it only makes you're environment more comfortable, what happens on the society that your removed yourself from?

Another thought that has been bothering me lately is the real world in general. I'm talking about the real world that is mentioned in our freshmen orientation classes, the one that waits after graduation. For a wile I've had a grasp about how the real world works, its not the sun shine that they make it out to be. Its not all bad just its a little more competitive and cutthroat than we were lead to believe. Regardless, it the name of the game and the only way to get through is to adapt and overcome. My mental wandering has shifted more towards the people that are out in the world making the society work. I look at the previously mentioned people that are stuck in their ways, working 40 years in a factory doing mindless work to feed their families. Now this may just be my arrogant know it all college student side of me but its seems that they are doing tasks that really take nothing more than some simple training in that particular task to complete. I guess what i struggle with is why they don't pursue anything further. I realize thats easy for me to say as a student that is only tied down but the amount of luggage i can pack onto my motorcycle but it still makes me wonder.

Anyway, amongst the deep thought of winter break I ignored several people that i shouldn't have and apologize for that. I really have no ideal if any of these thought make any logical sense but for a kid that goes to college to play with fire these realizations are quite puzzling and it will be interesting to see where I can take these concepts.