P O L I T I C O N S C I O U S

  There's plenty of good people doing good work and I am thankful for them every day. There are also people who are not putting in any work. Yet, the worst kind of people are not the ones who put no work, rather the ones who pretend to. And to these people, I say; "No, thank you." To those who know and understand our problems, to those who have the ability to invoke change, to those politicians and activists I say, "No, thank you."  To those who are outraged by the use of the terms "alien" or "illegal," but spare no outrage for the millions of undocumented immigrants living in struggle in the US; To those who are outraged because of physical symbols that represent white supremacy, but offer no outrage at the very real institutional and systemic racism BIPOC communities continue to endure; To those who are outraged by the gender pay gap, but pay no attention toward its more adverse effects toward women of color; To those who are outraged by ra...

  As is the case with hundreds of other grads, I moved back home after graduation, in part, thanks to COVID-19. Before this, I hadn't thought much of this quaint little town, as I had tried my hardest to unlearn a lot of the biases and beliefs that I experienced. I have now been here since the end of March. It's been seven months of what sometimes feels like new observations, but is mostly just the same life I grew up having, just a little different.  I drive through town and I see plenty of American flags, something I was taught represented freedom, and equality, and all that good stuff you learn in history class. That has always been the case, those flags have always been there. And, as a first-generation immigrant, I believe(d) all that good stuff. I saw American flags and thought, yes, I live in the USA, and of course I'm grateful to live here, just as my parents taught me.  But recently, all those American flags I once saw as a symbol of my story, are accompanied by ...

In one of my classes we were asked, what I consider an immensely important question for individual life philosophy: Would we rather have a long, mediocre life or a short, glorious one? If I had to choose, by far I would want to live a life where I felt fulfilled. Consequently, I'd pick the shorter more amazing life over the life of average happiness and achievement. Much like the Aristotelian concept of eudaimonia, I believe there is a benefit in feeling successful and satisfied at the end of one's life. I don't want to die until I've done everything I have ever dreamed of. From establishing a non-profit to help those in hunger, and working on international human rights reforms, to backpacking through nature, and buying a beach house to watch every sunset I can: I want to do it all. I don't want a longer life where I don't do some of these things. I want a shorter life where I feel useful and helpful. I don't want to live a life of averageness and me...