Why?

This question intrigues me. This may seem trivial or dumb to think about, but that's kind of my point. Why do we ask why?

Humans are naturally curious creatures; that's why science came about. People became tired of just believing because the Church said so; many wanted to know and see for themselves. This caused a major clash in Europe between the Church and those who wanted to publish their discoveries.

I used to hate the question why. I always thought that a lot of things should just be accepted and left alone. Then, I discovered the value of this three letter word and question. It provides the motive behind an action, the cause of a heart attack, and other such things. So I learned that the question why can be very useful.

However, as I began to think about everything in terms of why, I found that some things cannot be explained by experimentation or reason alone; now this is obvious, I know, but what this train of thought led to was interesting. This was where I started to deeply think about the questions that can't be answered by logic or reason or science or observation. Questions like, where did we come from, why are we here, is there a God, why do bad things happen to "good" people, and so on, began forming in my mind. Then, I wondered, are there truly universal answers to these questions? For the most part, the best answer I could come up with was no.

My conclusion: FAITH

We believe in the unexplainable, illogical, and unreasonable simply because we all have different ideas and thoughts on such things. Each and every one requires faith to accept and believe.

So why bring this up? Well, perhaps the purpose was to encourage people to think about these things. Do you know why you're here? Do you know why bad things happen to "good" people? Do you believe there is a God? Why do you believe?

Brain Cells

I learned in my AP biology class the today that some scientists are doing research on when and if brain cells actually divide. Before this, it was known that brain cells don't divide during the homo sapian (human) life span, and neither do muscle cells. However, these scientists believe that brain cells may indeed divide after a person turns 120. Yup, folks we may finally get more gray matter after we're old and grey and too fragile to do anything.

What I thought was funny about this whole thing was that no one ever lives to be that old. My teacher said that the oldest person on record was something like 116. One of my friends turned to me during this class and mentioned that some early biblical figures lived to be hundreds of years old. (Maybe that's why they were so wise, haha.) I then replied that this was interesting because after the flood God told man that people would no longer live as long as they had been living before. He limited our years to 120.

Then, I had a funny thought (well, at least, it was funny to me haha). Isn't it kind of interesting that God's limit is set at 120, and scientists believe that it might be possible for brain cells to divide after someone hits 120?

Personally, I think that even with more brain cells we would still do stupid things, say stupid things, and not much would change because it's not about how big your brain is, it's about how pure your heart is.

Character

"Talents are best nurtured in solitude. Character is best formed in the stormy billows of the world."

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"Reputation is for time; character is for eternity."

J. B. Gough

"Character is a diamond that scratches every other stone."

Cyrus A. Bartol

"Character is higher than intellect. A great soul will be strong to live, as well as strong to think."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Autumn and All

Autumn is probably my favorite season.

It's not to cold, but not too hot. Most of the days are either sunny with a small breeze to keep you cool or rainy or just cloudy, but not muggy. Well, I guess it all depends on where you live, but here in Nampa, Idaho, the weather is perfect for me. It may sound crazy to some people who may think Idaho isn't exactly the ideal place to live, but I love it.

I love the colors of Fall. Reds, oranges, yellows, browns, some greens... earth tones one and all. They are a beautiful combination. The trees intrigue me most in the Fall months.

I heard once that the only reason the leaves fall from the trees is because the buds from the new leaves are pushing the old ones until they detach and fall away. This especially made me think this year. I have become a deeper thinker thanks to a couple teachers and my increased time alone, so this idea of the old dying and the new coming interested me.

Perhaps this season is one of renewal through loss... Most of us have gone through a time that involved losing something, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, in order to acquire or experience another thing that is perhaps bigger, better, or more beneficial. I have had plenty of these experiences in my life, and they have made me the person I am today, which is someone I would have never dreamed of being two or three years ago.

Three years and one and a half months ago, I left one life for another. My parents divorced and my old life fell away quickly, taking my childhood from me and forcing me to grow up and mature greatly. I'm not complaining, on the contrary, I'm quite thankful for the loss. The major change made me a better person in the long run... I have more self-respect than I ever did, and my level of understanding others is far above anything I have ever experienced before. The new life pushed away the old, allowing me to flourish in my new surroundings and find peace that I could never have imagined.

Sadly, Autumn is over for this year, and Winter has begun... Another year is close at hand once again, and the loss of one year in anticipation of another brings new hopes and fears to many, including myself. In light of this change comes some of my favorite holidays, times spent with family and friends, and the prospects of the new beginnings of the brand new year - my graduating year! It's all so exciting yet somehow scary and sad. However, I've decided to look at all this as a loss of the current me, in an attempt at finding a more accomplished individual within.

Always learning...

If I have learned one thing in my 17 years, it's gotta be that there's no end to learning. ")

I love to learn, whether it be in school (unless its statistics or economics or writing essays or papers), or in my social life, or my personal discoveries about myself or my family and friends. Getting to know myself has been a lot of fun, I'm happy that the journey never ends in this life.

That's what I want this blog to be about: my discoveries.
It's all a learning process. Bring it on world!

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