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Should we be taking advantage of the funds available to us in college to go do adventurous things in places like Africa, South America or SE Asia? I mean, on one hand, I feel like Bowdoin offers so much money for you to just travel in the name of serving the Common Good - a good number of my friends spent their summers working for NGO's in the above places.... or should we consider the fact that we have one life to live, and we probably shouldn't risk it to help people even though the worst that really happens is that you might get mugged?
Some people go to Europe. I did. I didn't go bike riding through Africa, or go spend the hottest summer of last century in some little room in Nepal that has no air conditioning so that I could teach the kiddies there how to take pictures and go hiking in the Himalayans on the weekends. Are we missing out on something, or is it stupid to stay with some NGO for a whole summer when you could afford to stay in a nice hotel and just donate a bit of money? Or even more of an excuse - when your own country needs volunteers? (But wait, my college doesn't provide for my food and housing stipend if I volunteer for US of A)
I've felt in the past that I should go out and do something...but when I've thought about it for a longer period, I've realized that I'm not going to have the eye-opening experience that some white girl who has never travelled will have when she sees a bucket of water instead of a shower stall - and honestly it'd be plain inconsiderate to put my parents under that much stress the entire time I'm abroad. There's the other thing, I'm a petite girl who sounds like a 10 year old - maybe I'd feel safer walking down a street in say- South Africa - if I weren't who I am...considering that 50% of the men in SA have raped a woman in their lifetime.
Occasionally I feel, wow, I just spent $800 on a camera that I use about once a month. But should I feel guilty about my hard earned little present? I mean, I know there are so many people in the world who don't make that annually - yet single handedly, it's unfair for me to feel guilty for the rest of the world. At least I don't eat 5000 calories a day and/or waste tons of food.
I had a professor who tried her best to remind us of all of our guilts and what the world suffers. That's good. It's important to know, it's important to understand - she said our generation should go somewhere and think. Think about the world. I actually took it to heart, went to Denmark, didn't do what every other kid did there, which was get drunk every night and sleep till half way through the next day, but instead I rented a bike, found nice lakes and thought.
This is what I had concluded - in my life time, in my capacity and interests, it'll make no difference to the general state of nature whether I do something about the injustice (it might make a difference in someone's life here and there but that's irrelevant to the general welfare) I could either spend rest of my life feeling miserable about it, or I could look the other way and try to enjoy the only life I have. Of course, I could try to do something about it, but in doing so I'd be hurting so many people in my life who matter the most. The implication is that I deserve the normal, good life...the underlying question is, don't the others? They probably do, but is it my responsibility to them?
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| Mid college crisis. Never thought I'd be so unsure of life, universe and pretty much everything else at this age.
Urban dictionary definition:
Mid college crisis: the state of being in which a 2nd year college student still feels completely lost and attempts to re-examine the meaning of one's pathetic little life before becoming another useless member of society. | | |
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I am not so sure of most things in life anymore. All I am sure of is how I feel at the end of the day. Not what I felt the day before, and certainly not what the future holds for me.
At the end of the day, I know where I stand. The unfortunate thing in life is that technology allows me to see where the others stand, and makes me doubt whether my position is the best one.
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| hmm. I wish I wasn't the jealous type and could be satisfied with what I have in life.
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| After finally having the time to fully understand the reform proposed by the Obama administration, I have decided that I do not support it. I apologize to anyone that I have argued with on this issue because unfortunately I was missing a few perspectives that mattered the most.
In the past two months, I have lived in two very different places - one nation with universal health care and one clearly without. What I have understood the most though is that in order for the system to work, it is not just the government effort, definitely not just an effort on the part of the doctors and hospitals, but a public effort too.
The American culture and demands of the general public are so high, so outrageous, and most of all, so unnecessary that often times I have felt that some people really do not deserve to be "treated" (this is in response to a Professor's lecture on whether or not it is okay to discriminate who deserves health care). Don't get me wrong - I am not saying anyone ultimately deserves to die diagnosed but untreated (maybe this is blunt. but so be it), but I do feel that before he/she is, he needs to a) take responsibilities for his actions, his stupidity, his habits and his disease being his own fault/misfortune b) not be in the mindset that the doctors' job is to treat him regardless of whether they get paid for it.
For those who want to reduce the doctors' paycheck - let's make med schools free of charge (as opposed to the >$55000 yearly with no financial assistance offered), let's reduce the residency hours from 80 to 40 per week, let's get rid of the lawyers and patients who want to sue given every little opportunity, and then we will consider it, okay?
Baucus' plan -
Let's require employers to offer health insurance - sure; I support this. But I also don't doubt that there will be job cuts.
Let's require individual mandate and say everyone must buy health insurance - if they could, wouldn't they? (brilliant, Senator Baucus)
Government subsudies? Where will the money come from? Look at any successful un. health care system - look at their taxes (50-70%) which no one here will pay. And why should they? It is one thing for everyone to agree to share the burden for health problems that cannot be helped - but quite different to pay taxes so the alcoholics, the smokers, the obese people can continue their habits while we pay for their heart, lungs and liver problems.This goes back to my comment on personal responsibilities.
New efficiencies - this is my favorite. Computerize everything, make it electronic, and we will reduce the cost. Yeah right. If you are interested in a concise article - read this
The only point I like in Baucus' plan is the restriction on private insurance companies - anyone who wants health care should not be denied because of prior conditions.
I understand the health care is not an easy system to reform, but it's not going to work unless we change the culture of fast foods and court rooms. If you don't agree with me, don't ask me to propose a better plan because it is not my need and because I will not get anything out of it, certainly not my job. I have done enough "thinking" on my part for my personal present satisfaction on the issue of American health care.
shikha | | |
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