Perseverance

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Fly On The Wall

In the documentary film Restrepo, the meaning and purpose of the film itself is very difficult to understand because there isn't a narrator to explain what to think and feel. Therefore we are left to determine certain aspects through the use of context and clues. One scene that stood out to me was Tim Hetherington's interview when asked if the film was political. Although the film was not intended to be political, he related it to the fact that everything we do as humans can be viewed as political. Such as, the clothes we wear and the food we eat. I believe that everything we do can be seen as political, even if we are not fully aware of it. With every action we take there are certain hidden values and beliefs that lie underneath. For example, if you choose to build a huge house in a really poor neighborhood you could be described as someone who is trying to one-up everyone else, or it's an attempt to show off how much money you have. Buying the most expensive clothes could be another attempt to showing off how much money you own. Although, there are situations when we might not think we are expressing our values in a political way we are. 

I think the central idea of the documentary film Restrepo is to express the life of soldiers throughout a deployment of fifteen months, The directors of the film make it very clear that it was not meant to be political. Personally i believe this film is political because I think the director is attempting to change the audiences opinion of war and soldiers. Also, Hetherington does a great job of expressing heroism throughout the film, which in return allows the audience to think more highly of soldiers than they might have thought before. In some cases it could be negative in a way that people don't want to fight for our country after seeing what they go through. Restrepo, a documentary film of the deployment of soldiers, was created to enlighten the audience of what soldiers go through. However once thoroughly examined, the film is seen as political because the directors are indirectly promoting war. 

Faded Memories

"We're going to the Big Blue Park" says Katie. I remember the Big Blue Park as the Disneyworld of Sterling, Virginia. Anybody that's anybody knew of this joyful second home. Despite the fact that children find fun in everything, as we drove past fields and fields of green and brown, my stomach was filled with an unbearable excitement. This playground brings upon you a sort of happiness that a child desires. All my friends lined up side-by-side, swinging with the wind tunneling between us. There is no better cure to the after school disappointment than enjoying time with what seems like your best friends. However childhood friendships don't always come with a "forever".

One day we were strutting across the Big Blue Park like we owned the place, and the next I was disappearing away from them into the school bathroom enjoying a nice lunch hidden between two green walls. Our best memories came from long phone calls and endless conversations that ended in laughter, now we can barely make out the word "hello". Unfortunately the hardest part didn't come from learning to cope with the pain, it's the nights where I feel completely isolated and question how I even managed to ruin all my friendships. Every night is a constant battle of overthinking or not letting things get to me, but at the end of the day not all friendships will remain.

In all sixteen years of my life, the one trade-off of growing up that seems most obvious to me is that friends come and go.Whether it's enjoyed or not, life doesn't come with an instruction guide, but it does come with amusing moments that make it a little easier to suffer through the bad ones. When one door closes another one opens. My childhood friends might not still remain, but there memories will soon be filled with new ones.

Now I drive past the Big Blue Park and I smell the faded memories of friendships that were never truly there.

 

Beauty Within

At first glimpse, looking out into the world of nature, we are sounded by living objects filled with great depths of beauty. Each object growing and blooming into it's own world of color.

Within each organism lies flaky and brittle petals, soft as silk, secured by the same thick, green trunk. Suspended in midair is the scorching hot, sphere of gold filled with the tastiest nutrients neccessary for the world's most beautiful objects to prosper. This environment of nature that surrounds us if filled with such light and color which musn't be destroyed. 

Despite the alluring and fascinating objects suspended from the ground, brutality and corruption suffocate nature as their roots are forcefully ripped from their home. The beauty that once was so evident, now lies without the opportunity to ever return again. After leaving the organism deprived of life and oxygen, it's left to wither away into complete darkness. 

Beauty is surfaced within all living creatures, and is often torn apart regardless of how much life we see inside of something/someone. It takes a dark, warped mind to destroy the attractiveness that every organism contains. Just like the beautiful people we come across throughout our lives, without even realizing, we touch them with a sort of hurt that takes the light and life out from underneath them.

Human Nature

As humans it is in our blood and nature to make mistakes as we go about our day-to-day life. I, myself, have made enough mistakes to go around for everyone. Although the struggle comes from overcoming them and moving past it. Each human faces consequences due to mistakes and misjudgment as it is part of our lives. We tend to be given various obstacles each day, but as a great speaker once said "Nobody's given more than they handle.". This ranges true that each obstacle you are given serves a purpose throughout your life. Life doesn't come with instructions and a blueprint, we must create each step of the way on our own.