Precis:
1. Americans are usually known for having the ability to live the “American dream”, but this dream falls short. Why? You ask? Well this has to do with the American health care system. When compared to other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba, the American health care system doesn’t do much good for its people. If you don’t have healthcare while living as an American citizen, you are pretty much what they call "screwed" the next time you or a family member become ill. American Individuals who do not have health care are constantly denied help because their bodies have become diseased; which makes some believe that they are of no use to live any longer. By focusing on American health insurance and its pharmaceutical industry, Michael Moore conveys to his viewers the negative effects of the for-profit non-universal health care system the United States follows and compares it to the positive effects of the non-profit universal health care system many other countries follow.
Evidence:
2. Argument: Moore argues that the United States should make a transition from for- profit non-universal healthcare to non-profit universal healthcare.
a1. The United States is listed number 37 for health care. Countries such as France Canada and England are listed before us.
a2. An elderly man is forced to clean a supermarket because this is the only way he will receive health care.
b1. This piece of evidence definitely supports Moore’s argument. It proves that America is not considered to be the best when it comes to healthcare. If the United States were to follow a non-profit universal health care system, I am sure we would move towards the top. Because we have health care based on HMOs which make profit, we fall behind countries that don’t have HMOs. Equality is the main purpose for universal healthcare, it doesn’t matter what role one may play in society. No matter what condition one may be in, they are worthy of being treated and given health care to.
b2. It was surprising to see how much one will do to get health care. Moore uses the example of a man going on to his 80s working in a supermarket; mopping floors and cleaning the toilets. The only reason he is commited to this job is because he receives the benefit of healthcare from his employer. Moore chooses to show this to his viewers so they can compare the treatment of individuals living in the US to those living in countries that have universal healthcare. By doing so they will realize that there are many Americans who are forced to make sacrifices in order to receive health care; even if they may be about to turn 80 years old.
d. In Sicko Moore claimed that America is listed number 37 , behind Canada, France and England when it comes to the worlds ranking of health care systems. This statement is true; when referring to sources such as:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/12/opinion/12sun1.html
http://freedomedium.com/2009/08/who-says-our-healthcare-system-is-37th/
http://www.soulcast.com/post/show/110209/Medical-Care-in-America-versus-France,-Canada,-and-England
All these sites prove Moore’s statement correct. In the year of 2000, the WHO (World Health Organization) ranked The United States as number 37 for their health care system. France England and Canada were numbered before us.
Response:
3. I was pretty shocked when families living in the United States shared their stories about not having health insurance and being denied healthcare. Nobody should have the right to place a price on someone in need. When it comes to healthcare everyone should be a valid candidate. If you are living, you should receive healthcare, no matter what condition they may be in. When Moore travelled to countries such as Canada and France, people thought that he was a joke. They had the right reason to laugh at him; I am sure I would have laughed if I were to be a citizen of one of those countries. I think it was really shocking to see how many problems one can face living without access to healthcare.
I feel that it's wrong for the citizens of America to be treated like this. Healthcare should never be a topic worth debating about. Healthcare should be provided to everyone; without any questions or concerns. We definitely as a country need a whole lot of catching up to do. Many people assume that America has many benefits, but this is only to some extent. Watching Sicko made me want to move to France. Everyone in France was treated with first class health care. We as Americans should be offended by having a price put on us. This is totally absurd, we have modernized technology, yet we haven’t made enough effort to make healthcare available to all.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Hwk 24
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man who would Cure the World
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House Inc. in 2003
Precis:
Paul Farmer is known by many different titles; a professor at Harvard, a doctor, a disease specialist and an anthropologist. Farmer grew up in the United States, trying to overcome the struggles with poverty. Luckily Farmer became fond of diagnosing and curing diseased individuals with the help of the education he received at Harvard Medical School. By the use of modern medicine, Farmer treats those who are in need of a miracle. He makes house calls in Boston and Haiti to insure meaningful life to those in desperate need of health care.
From Harvard to Haiti, Doctor Farmer makes the reader aware of his love for taking care of the ill. He dedicates his practice to the philosophy which states "the only real nation is humanity". Farmer makes it his job to make his patients aware that hope is the golden key to life. Following the house calls Farmer makes is a clear example to the the Hatian proverb "Beyond mountains there are mountains." Once a problem is solved, surly another will follow and it too will need to be solved. The role of Doctor Paul Farmer is explicitly explained as Kidder travels with him to witness and almost feel for his passion of treating the ill.
Quotes:
“I imagine that many people would like to construct a life like Farmer's, to wake up knowing what they ought to do and feeling that they were doing it. But I can't think that many would willingly take on the difficulties, giving up their comforts and time with family.” (pg. 213)
Farmer happily devotes his life to cure strangers. I think the average doctors out there devote their life to care for others only during their shift where they play the role of a doctor. After their shift is over, their role as a doctor evaporates into thin air and they are suddenly relaxed at home surrounded by family. Farmer is apart from the average doctor; instead of having a shift that lasts a few hours, he devotes his whole life to be the doctor that is needed by many. I agree that we can't find many individuals that relate to Farmer as strictly when it comes to helping others.
“Paul is a model of what should be done. He's not a model for how it has to be done. Let's celebrate him. Let's make sure people are inspired by him. But we can't say anybody should or could be just like him.” (Pg. 244)
Farmer is a rare example of the doctor every society is in need of. He is a unique individual and it is almost impossible for one to become just like him.
"That's when I feel most alive"...."when I'm helping people". (Pg. 295)
It’s very rare to come across someone who is so serious about spending his/her time to make someone else’s life better...to make them worthy of living. Now a days we only care about our self…it’s just me me me. We always ask to be showered with care, but very rarely do we do the same for another in return. Our brains have become used to the idea of making everything in our life have some sort of positive outcome for our self. He eats, sleeps and breathes for one thing only, to give hope to the ill.
Thoughts:
The last third part of the book was okay; it was a bit longer than it needed to be. The stories helped the reader become aware of the common problem of illness many individuals suffer with. Illness is one way that connects us all; we have all experienced it or will experience it at some point in our life. Reading about Doctor Farmers travels to third world countries, I become aware that the number of those in need is nowhere near scalable to the number of those who are willing to offer their help. Many of us don’t have the same mindset as Farmer, we aren’t willing to take the extra step he does to change the lives of those who are ill. Because we are blessed with a healthy life in the present, we don’t show much concern for those in need. Reading the stories of those who struggle to live their life day by day made me realize that when our bodies are healthy we take our physicality for granted. We take it for granted because we rarely have close encounters with serious illnesses or death. Farmer is someone who sets himself apart from the average being; he makes every ounce of effort in to make someone else’s life worth living.
At one point towards the end of the book, many individuals claim that they would not be able to do what Farmer did. Farmer responds by telling them that that they don’t need to follow him by taking every step he took. They can go about finding different ways to make a positive impact for others. Instead of being given a set of rules to follow, Farmer makes himself in charge of creating his own set of guidelines. Unlike many doctors, he doesn’t show much concern with the income he makes with his profession. Alternately he finds interest in making a significant difference in the lives of others. If there were more doctors out there who had a similar mindset as Farmers, there would be a significant decrease of rejections sent out to those in desperate need.
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House Inc. in 2003
Precis:
Paul Farmer is known by many different titles; a professor at Harvard, a doctor, a disease specialist and an anthropologist. Farmer grew up in the United States, trying to overcome the struggles with poverty. Luckily Farmer became fond of diagnosing and curing diseased individuals with the help of the education he received at Harvard Medical School. By the use of modern medicine, Farmer treats those who are in need of a miracle. He makes house calls in Boston and Haiti to insure meaningful life to those in desperate need of health care.
From Harvard to Haiti, Doctor Farmer makes the reader aware of his love for taking care of the ill. He dedicates his practice to the philosophy which states "the only real nation is humanity". Farmer makes it his job to make his patients aware that hope is the golden key to life. Following the house calls Farmer makes is a clear example to the the Hatian proverb "Beyond mountains there are mountains." Once a problem is solved, surly another will follow and it too will need to be solved. The role of Doctor Paul Farmer is explicitly explained as Kidder travels with him to witness and almost feel for his passion of treating the ill.
Quotes:
“I imagine that many people would like to construct a life like Farmer's, to wake up knowing what they ought to do and feeling that they were doing it. But I can't think that many would willingly take on the difficulties, giving up their comforts and time with family.” (pg. 213)
Farmer happily devotes his life to cure strangers. I think the average doctors out there devote their life to care for others only during their shift where they play the role of a doctor. After their shift is over, their role as a doctor evaporates into thin air and they are suddenly relaxed at home surrounded by family. Farmer is apart from the average doctor; instead of having a shift that lasts a few hours, he devotes his whole life to be the doctor that is needed by many. I agree that we can't find many individuals that relate to Farmer as strictly when it comes to helping others.
“Paul is a model of what should be done. He's not a model for how it has to be done. Let's celebrate him. Let's make sure people are inspired by him. But we can't say anybody should or could be just like him.” (Pg. 244)
Farmer is a rare example of the doctor every society is in need of. He is a unique individual and it is almost impossible for one to become just like him.
"That's when I feel most alive"...."when I'm helping people". (Pg. 295)
It’s very rare to come across someone who is so serious about spending his/her time to make someone else’s life better...to make them worthy of living. Now a days we only care about our self…it’s just me me me. We always ask to be showered with care, but very rarely do we do the same for another in return. Our brains have become used to the idea of making everything in our life have some sort of positive outcome for our self. He eats, sleeps and breathes for one thing only, to give hope to the ill.
Thoughts:
The last third part of the book was okay; it was a bit longer than it needed to be. The stories helped the reader become aware of the common problem of illness many individuals suffer with. Illness is one way that connects us all; we have all experienced it or will experience it at some point in our life. Reading about Doctor Farmers travels to third world countries, I become aware that the number of those in need is nowhere near scalable to the number of those who are willing to offer their help. Many of us don’t have the same mindset as Farmer, we aren’t willing to take the extra step he does to change the lives of those who are ill. Because we are blessed with a healthy life in the present, we don’t show much concern for those in need. Reading the stories of those who struggle to live their life day by day made me realize that when our bodies are healthy we take our physicality for granted. We take it for granted because we rarely have close encounters with serious illnesses or death. Farmer is someone who sets himself apart from the average being; he makes every ounce of effort in to make someone else’s life worth living.
At one point towards the end of the book, many individuals claim that they would not be able to do what Farmer did. Farmer responds by telling them that that they don’t need to follow him by taking every step he took. They can go about finding different ways to make a positive impact for others. Instead of being given a set of rules to follow, Farmer makes himself in charge of creating his own set of guidelines. Unlike many doctors, he doesn’t show much concern with the income he makes with his profession. Alternately he finds interest in making a significant difference in the lives of others. If there were more doctors out there who had a similar mindset as Farmers, there would be a significant decrease of rejections sent out to those in desperate need.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Hwk 23
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man who would Cure the World
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House Inc. in 2003
Chapter Thirteen
Precis:
An epidemiological map is based on the causes of sickness, death and the statistics for the numbers and ages. It can be color coded into two categories; one is to show death caused by illnesses having to do with age. The other shows death occurring at early ages caused by hunger , violence and illness. Farmer comes up with the “great epi divide”; this is what divides the two color coded sections. The majority of Haiti would fall under the color which shows poor health. Tuberculosis is on the rise in Haiti; this is a major factor in the epidemiological map since it is usually optioned for the needy. It takes advantage of the malnourished, AIDS and highly contagious. TB can be cured by the simple use on inexpensive drugs. But they have to be administered for some months. Poverty seems to be the cause of ill health in Haiti.
Quotes:
“The map of the United States, by contrast, would depict a healthy nation speckled with disease.” (pg. 125)
What exactly is healthy? If there are still diseased individuals in the United States should we still be considered healthy? I guess when compared to Haiti yes, but in general I wouldn’t say we are a very healthy country. Neither do we have great hope of turning that around in the near future.
“Many of the groups of people living on the wrong side of the great epi divide have brown or black skin.” (pg. 125)
What kind of roles does race play in the topic of illness and dying? Does it have to do with how illness and death is carried out in different societies? Or does it have to do with the average income of these different races? I think money plays a big role for the health of an individual, if you can afford health insurance or have some form of health care, than you are less likely to worry about any illness. But if you are not so lucky then you are more prone to it. I think it’s terribly wrong to put a price on an individual.
“He remembered the feeling of dread that washed over him when he realized what his patient had. And dread was justified; the young man dies. Farmer blamed himself, but the fact was that treating MDR was tricky under the best of circumstances…” (pg. 127)
Farmer seems to take his patients life as if it is his job to keep them alive. This definitely shows that he takes his job very seriously, which to me is both good and bad. Farmer really wants to be responsible for his patients and give them the best treatment possible, but tends to have a hard time dealing with failure. Maybe he needs to realize that in some cases “failure is the key to success”…
Thoughts:
After reading the second third of the book, I realized how big of an impact illness can have in one country. Tuberculosis seems to be on the top of the list when it comes to sickness and death in many third world countries. Even though Farmer tries to make every attempt in curing the most possible, it is definitely not scalable. At first I thought this book would focus on Haiti and their dealings with illness and death. Instead it gives the reader a clear view of major illnesses spreading across a number of countries by focusing in on one country at a time. Reading further and further into the book I am able to mold Farmers character. Instead of denying pleas from the sick, he offers his own help for their good. He definitely puts others before himself; he makes every effort to help cure. Farmer doesn’t seem to take out much time for himself. His life is devoted to helping strangers. Is Farmer never concerned about his health? He travels around third world countries trying to cure the sick; wouldn’t he be more prone to sickness when compared to the average person? I think we need more people that have a mindset like Farmer around the world; he risks his health to save others. This to me shows complete devotion.
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House Inc. in 2003
Chapter Thirteen
Precis:
An epidemiological map is based on the causes of sickness, death and the statistics for the numbers and ages. It can be color coded into two categories; one is to show death caused by illnesses having to do with age. The other shows death occurring at early ages caused by hunger , violence and illness. Farmer comes up with the “great epi divide”; this is what divides the two color coded sections. The majority of Haiti would fall under the color which shows poor health. Tuberculosis is on the rise in Haiti; this is a major factor in the epidemiological map since it is usually optioned for the needy. It takes advantage of the malnourished, AIDS and highly contagious. TB can be cured by the simple use on inexpensive drugs. But they have to be administered for some months. Poverty seems to be the cause of ill health in Haiti.
Quotes:
“The map of the United States, by contrast, would depict a healthy nation speckled with disease.” (pg. 125)
What exactly is healthy? If there are still diseased individuals in the United States should we still be considered healthy? I guess when compared to Haiti yes, but in general I wouldn’t say we are a very healthy country. Neither do we have great hope of turning that around in the near future.
“Many of the groups of people living on the wrong side of the great epi divide have brown or black skin.” (pg. 125)
What kind of roles does race play in the topic of illness and dying? Does it have to do with how illness and death is carried out in different societies? Or does it have to do with the average income of these different races? I think money plays a big role for the health of an individual, if you can afford health insurance or have some form of health care, than you are less likely to worry about any illness. But if you are not so lucky then you are more prone to it. I think it’s terribly wrong to put a price on an individual.
“He remembered the feeling of dread that washed over him when he realized what his patient had. And dread was justified; the young man dies. Farmer blamed himself, but the fact was that treating MDR was tricky under the best of circumstances…” (pg. 127)
Farmer seems to take his patients life as if it is his job to keep them alive. This definitely shows that he takes his job very seriously, which to me is both good and bad. Farmer really wants to be responsible for his patients and give them the best treatment possible, but tends to have a hard time dealing with failure. Maybe he needs to realize that in some cases “failure is the key to success”…
Thoughts:
After reading the second third of the book, I realized how big of an impact illness can have in one country. Tuberculosis seems to be on the top of the list when it comes to sickness and death in many third world countries. Even though Farmer tries to make every attempt in curing the most possible, it is definitely not scalable. At first I thought this book would focus on Haiti and their dealings with illness and death. Instead it gives the reader a clear view of major illnesses spreading across a number of countries by focusing in on one country at a time. Reading further and further into the book I am able to mold Farmers character. Instead of denying pleas from the sick, he offers his own help for their good. He definitely puts others before himself; he makes every effort to help cure. Farmer doesn’t seem to take out much time for himself. His life is devoted to helping strangers. Is Farmer never concerned about his health? He travels around third world countries trying to cure the sick; wouldn’t he be more prone to sickness when compared to the average person? I think we need more people that have a mindset like Farmer around the world; he risks his health to save others. This to me shows complete devotion.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Hwk 22
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man who would Cure the World
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House in 2003
Chapter Four
Precis: Dr. Farmer is in the country of Haiti; he conducts a research study proving that those who receive free health care are indeed to fully recover. Farmer and Kidder travel to a village of Morne Michel in search of a patient who has been missing his visits. Later on they figure out that he wasn’t able to see Dr. Farmer because he hadn’t received stipend cash, and the instructions he got in his last visit were confusing. After coming across a cock fighting pit, Kidder and Farmer set out again.
Quotes:
"Giving people medicine for TB and not giving them food is like washing your hands and drying them in the dirt." (pg. 34)
There needs to be a balance of everything to keep one stable. Without one or the other, it makes no sense of making an effort to cure an illness.
"Beyond mountains there are mountains." (pg. 36)
One problem links to another...I think this is said to make the reader aware about how great the affect of illness is. There are a limitless amount of concerns having to do with illness and death, yet only a number that are willing to cure.
Farmer asked the patient, a young man, if he disliked his TB medicines. "Are you kidding?" he replied." I wouldn't be here without them." (pg. 41)
I think its funny the way our world works. Living organisms are usually categorized as "priceless", but we are willing to put a price on something that helps us stay alive.
"To understand Russia, to understand Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Boston, identity politics, Sri Lanka, and Life Savers, you have to be on top of this hill." (pg. 44)
To understand something you cannot look at it from one perspective; instead look at it with a kaleidoscopic view.
Thoughts:
So far this book has a strong way of creating a picture for its readers. Before reading this I wasn’t fully aware about the problems of Haiti. Even though we hear things in the news, reading this made me Haiti view Haiti through a totally different angle. Dr. Farmer seems like he has devoted his whole life to helping others. He doesn’t seem to mention any of his own necessities such as his family. All he has in mind is the health of others and how he can help in making it better. There are many individuals in Haiti that are in need of serious medical attention and Dr. Farmer is there to serve them all. While reading this chapter, I realized how much we value our life; we will go through anything to keep ourselves alive. For example when Dr. Farmer questioned his patient in the village of Morne Michel about his medications, he replied: “Are you kidding?...I wouldn't be here without them.” I think this connects back to what Beth stated: “I am afraid of dying.” Even though we try to mask ourselves as tough figures in society, we are all afraid of death. When we experience illness we become aware of our body and the state its in. We suddenly become worried because our body is not in its normal state as it should be. This is when we start to become afraid of the worst: death.
By Tracy Kidder
Published by Random House in 2003
Chapter Four
Precis: Dr. Farmer is in the country of Haiti; he conducts a research study proving that those who receive free health care are indeed to fully recover. Farmer and Kidder travel to a village of Morne Michel in search of a patient who has been missing his visits. Later on they figure out that he wasn’t able to see Dr. Farmer because he hadn’t received stipend cash, and the instructions he got in his last visit were confusing. After coming across a cock fighting pit, Kidder and Farmer set out again.
Quotes:
"Giving people medicine for TB and not giving them food is like washing your hands and drying them in the dirt." (pg. 34)
There needs to be a balance of everything to keep one stable. Without one or the other, it makes no sense of making an effort to cure an illness.
"Beyond mountains there are mountains." (pg. 36)
One problem links to another...I think this is said to make the reader aware about how great the affect of illness is. There are a limitless amount of concerns having to do with illness and death, yet only a number that are willing to cure.
Farmer asked the patient, a young man, if he disliked his TB medicines. "Are you kidding?" he replied." I wouldn't be here without them." (pg. 41)
I think its funny the way our world works. Living organisms are usually categorized as "priceless", but we are willing to put a price on something that helps us stay alive.
"To understand Russia, to understand Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Boston, identity politics, Sri Lanka, and Life Savers, you have to be on top of this hill." (pg. 44)
To understand something you cannot look at it from one perspective; instead look at it with a kaleidoscopic view.
Thoughts:
So far this book has a strong way of creating a picture for its readers. Before reading this I wasn’t fully aware about the problems of Haiti. Even though we hear things in the news, reading this made me Haiti view Haiti through a totally different angle. Dr. Farmer seems like he has devoted his whole life to helping others. He doesn’t seem to mention any of his own necessities such as his family. All he has in mind is the health of others and how he can help in making it better. There are many individuals in Haiti that are in need of serious medical attention and Dr. Farmer is there to serve them all. While reading this chapter, I realized how much we value our life; we will go through anything to keep ourselves alive. For example when Dr. Farmer questioned his patient in the village of Morne Michel about his medications, he replied: “Are you kidding?...I wouldn't be here without them.” I think this connects back to what Beth stated: “I am afraid of dying.” Even though we try to mask ourselves as tough figures in society, we are all afraid of death. When we experience illness we become aware of our body and the state its in. We suddenly become worried because our body is not in its normal state as it should be. This is when we start to become afraid of the worst: death.
Hwk 21 B
Kevin,
I read this through the modality of beauty, and overall I have to say you did I nice job. You connect Beth's experience with your own experiences, which was a great idea. When you wrote about your aunt Catherine's death battling lung cancer, it made me realize that sometimes you do have to let go. At some point in our lives our bodies won't be capable of taking care of us any longer; if we try to fight they might hold on a bit longer, but they will have to give up at some point.
You used a bit of metaphorical language which I liked. I would like to see more of it. I really liked the way you did this assignment, it was not boring to read at all. At no point while reading this did I feel the need to click the little red square on the top right corner of my screen. You keep your reader interested with your thoughts. I like how you are talking directly to the reader. I don't feel like you did this assignment just to complete your homework, instead I feel like you actually wanted to aware the reader about your thoughts on illness and dying. I would recommend you to increase your font size. Also, try to question the reader, or end with a sentence that will make your reader be sure to come back to your page and check to see if you have posted another blog post.
-Amber
Bianca,
It was nice to read your blog post; you have many insightful things to say. You asked me to give you feedback by reading your blog post through the modality of proofreading. Overall your blog post was interesting to read, but I felt like you had many long sentences. Maybe if you can cut some sentences shorter, or just keep everything short and concise. You were using a lot of commas throughout your sentences which to me signals that your sentences are getting too long. There were times where I felt the need to catch my breath. Next time I would advise you to use semi colons, in place of some of the commas. Try to let the reader know everything you are trying to say but in a shorter form. Other than that I felt like you did a good job. I didn't notice any spelling mistakes, which is good. It was interesting to hear your thoughts about Beth's presentation.
-Amber
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Bianca C said...
Modality: (Depth and Insight)
Amber,
Your post most definitely demonstrates your eye for key points. The most beautiful and insightful part about your writing would have to be one of your concluding questions: "When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life?" Such a thought-provoking question surely deserve recognition. I agree that it's strange how we complain about the hardships of life but, are defensive and ambivalent when it comes our time to part from life itself. The last sentence of your post was admittedly cliche and it would only benefit your writing if you were to have offered an alternative perspective, essentially a cliff hanger for a reader to trigger their interest in exploring the realms of death.
Kevin W. said...
I think that I'm supposed to be doing beauty. If I'm not, my bad. Well when it comes to beauty, I believe there is two types of beauty to look for. Beautifully written work, and beautiful insights. I think this had a little bit of both. "When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life?" That line is beautiful. It shows depth of thought, insight, and truth all in one. But it's even better because of the way it's phrased. It flows well and raises a question not commonly asked. It shows beauty in both ways. There were also some good lines in this post that could have been made stonger and more beautiful. "I don’t really understand why we are all afraid of death; I guess I am being hypocritical here because I as well am afraid of death." This is a line that raises another almost unsolvable question, but it could have been said better. If it was phrased more like: We are all afraid of death, myself included, but why? Or something along those lines. I don't want to take anything away from your post, as I think it's better then my own, but always keep looking for a better way to phrase things.
Nabil (Brother)
Amber,
"The last 10 days before Erics death were the best 10 days of our 27 year marriage". Even though this is Beth's quote, I like that you chose to put it here. I really like this quote because it tells me how even though Eric was fighting kidney cancer, both Beth and Eric knew that death has to come one way or another. The best thing to do is spend as most time as you can with your loved ones because at some time in your life, death will approach. "I think that many individuals become stoic after they figure out that their days are literally numbered." I agree with this quote, many of us no longer have any emotion at all because it won't matter. No matter what way say or do what has to happen will happen. Your paragraphs are very well formatted and the quotes you chose to put up really explain the ideal message of the story. What you can improve on is maybe adding some more details about what Beths reaction was like after Erics death and how she handled it. But over all very well done.
-Nabil
Shahana (mom)
Amber,
This line out of all really struck me the most: "Death will approach all of us some day." I really liked it because this is something that we can all connect to. This is the universal truth; death is something all of us will experience no matter what. All living things must die, which makes all living things make a strong connection with one another. We will not live forever, we have a limited time to spend our life in this universe. For some it is longer than others, but the main point here is that it is LIMITED.
This makes me aware that life is a precious gift of God. When we are seriously sick we hope for good health. But when we are fine we don't realize how precious our life is, because we become distant from our bodies while worrying about other neccessities which take over our life.
-mom
I read this through the modality of beauty, and overall I have to say you did I nice job. You connect Beth's experience with your own experiences, which was a great idea. When you wrote about your aunt Catherine's death battling lung cancer, it made me realize that sometimes you do have to let go. At some point in our lives our bodies won't be capable of taking care of us any longer; if we try to fight they might hold on a bit longer, but they will have to give up at some point.
You used a bit of metaphorical language which I liked. I would like to see more of it. I really liked the way you did this assignment, it was not boring to read at all. At no point while reading this did I feel the need to click the little red square on the top right corner of my screen. You keep your reader interested with your thoughts. I like how you are talking directly to the reader. I don't feel like you did this assignment just to complete your homework, instead I feel like you actually wanted to aware the reader about your thoughts on illness and dying. I would recommend you to increase your font size. Also, try to question the reader, or end with a sentence that will make your reader be sure to come back to your page and check to see if you have posted another blog post.
-Amber
Bianca,
It was nice to read your blog post; you have many insightful things to say. You asked me to give you feedback by reading your blog post through the modality of proofreading. Overall your blog post was interesting to read, but I felt like you had many long sentences. Maybe if you can cut some sentences shorter, or just keep everything short and concise. You were using a lot of commas throughout your sentences which to me signals that your sentences are getting too long. There were times where I felt the need to catch my breath. Next time I would advise you to use semi colons, in place of some of the commas. Try to let the reader know everything you are trying to say but in a shorter form. Other than that I felt like you did a good job. I didn't notice any spelling mistakes, which is good. It was interesting to hear your thoughts about Beth's presentation.
-Amber
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Bianca C said...
Modality: (Depth and Insight)
Amber,
Your post most definitely demonstrates your eye for key points. The most beautiful and insightful part about your writing would have to be one of your concluding questions: "When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life?" Such a thought-provoking question surely deserve recognition. I agree that it's strange how we complain about the hardships of life but, are defensive and ambivalent when it comes our time to part from life itself. The last sentence of your post was admittedly cliche and it would only benefit your writing if you were to have offered an alternative perspective, essentially a cliff hanger for a reader to trigger their interest in exploring the realms of death.
Kevin W. said...
I think that I'm supposed to be doing beauty. If I'm not, my bad. Well when it comes to beauty, I believe there is two types of beauty to look for. Beautifully written work, and beautiful insights. I think this had a little bit of both. "When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life?" That line is beautiful. It shows depth of thought, insight, and truth all in one. But it's even better because of the way it's phrased. It flows well and raises a question not commonly asked. It shows beauty in both ways. There were also some good lines in this post that could have been made stonger and more beautiful. "I don’t really understand why we are all afraid of death; I guess I am being hypocritical here because I as well am afraid of death." This is a line that raises another almost unsolvable question, but it could have been said better. If it was phrased more like: We are all afraid of death, myself included, but why? Or something along those lines. I don't want to take anything away from your post, as I think it's better then my own, but always keep looking for a better way to phrase things.
Nabil (Brother)
Amber,
"The last 10 days before Erics death were the best 10 days of our 27 year marriage". Even though this is Beth's quote, I like that you chose to put it here. I really like this quote because it tells me how even though Eric was fighting kidney cancer, both Beth and Eric knew that death has to come one way or another. The best thing to do is spend as most time as you can with your loved ones because at some time in your life, death will approach. "I think that many individuals become stoic after they figure out that their days are literally numbered." I agree with this quote, many of us no longer have any emotion at all because it won't matter. No matter what way say or do what has to happen will happen. Your paragraphs are very well formatted and the quotes you chose to put up really explain the ideal message of the story. What you can improve on is maybe adding some more details about what Beths reaction was like after Erics death and how she handled it. But over all very well done.
-Nabil
Shahana (mom)
Amber,
This line out of all really struck me the most: "Death will approach all of us some day." I really liked it because this is something that we can all connect to. This is the universal truth; death is something all of us will experience no matter what. All living things must die, which makes all living things make a strong connection with one another. We will not live forever, we have a limited time to spend our life in this universe. For some it is longer than others, but the main point here is that it is LIMITED.
This makes me aware that life is a precious gift of God. When we are seriously sick we hope for good health. But when we are fine we don't realize how precious our life is, because we become distant from our bodies while worrying about other neccessities which take over our life.
-mom
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Hwk 21
-Eric was always afraid to go to the doctor or the dentist.
-It was a gift to see him sleeping properly on a bed as opposed to having pillows holding him up while he slept.
-If Eric wasn’t fighting he was stoic.
-The last 10 days before Eric’s death were the best 10 days of our 27 year marriage, because there was nothing else I needed to care about other than him.
-Society tends to keep death removed from the public, and tries to keep it tucked away in hospitals.
-Eric was presented as an artist instead of an individual who was sick
Beth told us that it was a gift to see her husband sleeping properly in his bed after his lungs were tapped. This made me realize that we take the most common aspects of our life for granted. When we witness or experience an abnormality that has to do with our bodies. we become aware of our bodily functions. We suddenly realize that we are alive; we become aware of our physicality when we are ill or approaching death. This is when we finally figure out what side effects we can have to an illness and how grateful we should be when there is not much wrong with our bodies. When our body is in a normal state, we never tend to question ourselves regarding our body disfunctioning. since there is nothing out of the ordinary. We become used to this fact after a while and slowly start to drift away from our physicality. But when we feel as if our body is experiencing something unusual, we finally start to realize our physicality. It is as if we are pushed back into reality.
Beth stated that if Eric wasn’t fighting after he was diagnosed with advanced metastatic kidney cancer, he was definitely stoic. I think that many individuals become stoic after they figure out that their days are literally numbered. I think this has to do with all of us being aware that we will all go through death sooner or later, one way or another. When the time of death approaches we have to accept it and keep living day after day waiting for our life to be taken away from us. The ones that are witnessing death approach an individual are the ones that seem to be the most affected by it. They are the ones that are saddened by the fact that they will witness death approach on an individual. We are the ones who take pity on the ill, and make them feel as if something is wrong with them; as if there is something out of the ordinary. The outsiders view the individual approach death, and feel bad for them for some reason I don’t really understand. Death will approach all of us some day, so why do we act to surprised and concerned when we see someone else experience it?
I think Beth’s presentation was a great way to have a new face to discuss with us about death and illness. I haven’t had anyone discuss a death about their loved one with me; in fact I haven’t really been exposed to many conversations that deal with death or illness. Towards the end of the discussion, Beth told us that she is still afraid of death. Many of us are fearful of death, yet it is a fact that we will face it once in our life. I don’t really understand why we are all afraid of death; I guess I am being hypocritical here because I as well am afraid of death. But I think this is very common amongst many of us. When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life? Why do we mourn and take pity of those who are approaching death? I guess this has to do with not knowing what happens after death. We choose to believe what we believe in about death since there is no factual evidence about the after life. There is no way we can experience the after life, and come back to tell the tale to others; what’s done is done.
-It was a gift to see him sleeping properly on a bed as opposed to having pillows holding him up while he slept.
-If Eric wasn’t fighting he was stoic.
-The last 10 days before Eric’s death were the best 10 days of our 27 year marriage, because there was nothing else I needed to care about other than him.
-Society tends to keep death removed from the public, and tries to keep it tucked away in hospitals.
-Eric was presented as an artist instead of an individual who was sick
Beth told us that it was a gift to see her husband sleeping properly in his bed after his lungs were tapped. This made me realize that we take the most common aspects of our life for granted. When we witness or experience an abnormality that has to do with our bodies. we become aware of our bodily functions. We suddenly realize that we are alive; we become aware of our physicality when we are ill or approaching death. This is when we finally figure out what side effects we can have to an illness and how grateful we should be when there is not much wrong with our bodies. When our body is in a normal state, we never tend to question ourselves regarding our body disfunctioning. since there is nothing out of the ordinary. We become used to this fact after a while and slowly start to drift away from our physicality. But when we feel as if our body is experiencing something unusual, we finally start to realize our physicality. It is as if we are pushed back into reality.
Beth stated that if Eric wasn’t fighting after he was diagnosed with advanced metastatic kidney cancer, he was definitely stoic. I think that many individuals become stoic after they figure out that their days are literally numbered. I think this has to do with all of us being aware that we will all go through death sooner or later, one way or another. When the time of death approaches we have to accept it and keep living day after day waiting for our life to be taken away from us. The ones that are witnessing death approach an individual are the ones that seem to be the most affected by it. They are the ones that are saddened by the fact that they will witness death approach on an individual. We are the ones who take pity on the ill, and make them feel as if something is wrong with them; as if there is something out of the ordinary. The outsiders view the individual approach death, and feel bad for them for some reason I don’t really understand. Death will approach all of us some day, so why do we act to surprised and concerned when we see someone else experience it?
I think Beth’s presentation was a great way to have a new face to discuss with us about death and illness. I haven’t had anyone discuss a death about their loved one with me; in fact I haven’t really been exposed to many conversations that deal with death or illness. Towards the end of the discussion, Beth told us that she is still afraid of death. Many of us are fearful of death, yet it is a fact that we will face it once in our life. I don’t really understand why we are all afraid of death; I guess I am being hypocritical here because I as well am afraid of death. But I think this is very common amongst many of us. When we die it is usually said that we go to a better place, so why aren’t we excited about dying and escaping from this obstacle course called life? Why do we mourn and take pity of those who are approaching death? I guess this has to do with not knowing what happens after death. We choose to believe what we believe in about death since there is no factual evidence about the after life. There is no way we can experience the after life, and come back to tell the tale to others; what’s done is done.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hwk 19
I discussed the topic of illness and dying with my mom. We talked about different aspects of this topic; we started off talking about different types of treatments out there. I asked my mom what type of doctor she would prefer seeing, one that prescribes scientific drugs or one that provides homeopathic cures. My mom said that she would prefer a doctor that refers to homeopathic cures when treating their patients because even though the results of these cures will take longer to occur, they have almost no harmful side effects compared to the scientific drugs prescribed by doctors. A patient that is curing their illness with homeopathy needs to be patient because the results usually take longer to occur. When using prescription drugs the patient usually experiences results in as little as a couple of minutes sometimes, but these drugs usually have side effects that can cause troubles later on. When choosing to be cured with the use of homeopathy, the individual needs to be aware that the results will be experienced in a longer period of time. I guess this is why many individuals have a harder time sticking with homeopathy because patience is the key, and we usually want to see results much faster especially when it considers our health.
While I was having this discussion with my mother I started to think about how my family deals with iillness. Usually when a family member or I get sick, my parents usually recommend bed rest. They try to keep away from the doctor unless the condition is serious and needs to be treated right away. My parents also try to keep away from prescription drugs. Usually when I get sick or have a headache, I am told to eat well and rest; if I have a fever then I am supposed to stay home from school. My parents rarely tell me to take prescription medicine. When I get a cold my mom makes me this herbal tea which helps me feel better within a few days. After taking some thought into this I realized that my parents go for the natural remedies to cure sickness. For example if I have a cough my mom would tell me to gargle with warm salt water, or eat a tablespoon of honey. When I have a fever or a cold I am told to dress warmer. My mom makes sure I am dressed according to the weather. When it's cold out I will expect my mom to shout: "Amber! Did you take your hat? your scarf? and your gloves?"..."Yes mom!" I would reply while getting into the crowded elevator. From what I can recall I have never been to the doctor for a fever. The only time I make an emergency visit to the doctor is when it is something out of the ordinary. I asked my mother why she tries to avoid giving me prescription or over the counter drugs to relieve my pain or ache. She said that it's because she wants my body to stay independent. If I were to take a pain reliever every time I were to get a headache, my body would become dependent on it. Soon enough I would not be able to go through a headache without swallowing an advil.
Our discussion shifted to when my mom was younger and how her parents carried on with illness in the family. I asked her about how her parents were on this idea when she was a young child. She said that their ideas were pretty much the same on this topic. If my mom or someone else in her family were sick, my grandparents would usually try to wait out a couple of days to see if his/her health was getting any better. If it was not changing for the better within a few days, they would take him/her to doctor. Then they would follow the doctor's order and take the drug that was prescribed to them. When my mom was a young child living in Pakistan, she didn’t have regular doctor appointments. She would only make a trip to the doctor if there were something serious that needed to be taken care of right then and there. One specific time would be when my mom had unbearable pain in her ear. After some time she couldn’t take it any longer, which caused my grandfather to rush her to the hospital in the early morning hours. They found out that an ant had crawled into her ear...ouch!
Later on our conversation transitioned into the topic of death in the society we currently live in and how it compares to the approach of death back in Pakistan. My mother isn’t much aware about how this society deals with death, but she is aware about the procedure such as the coffin prepared for the body and the funeral that is held. Here it is common for both males and females to attend the funeral and mourn together; inn Pakistan this is different. Males have a grieving period together at the Mosque and at the grave site while the females gather at home. In Islam the mourning period lasts for a total of forty days. It starts at the day of the death of the individual and carries on for forty days. In the grieving period men and women gather separately to recite the Quran, and offer prayers and blessings. Seeds(tamarind or date seeds) are collected or borrowed from the local Mosque to keep count for the number of times a certain a’yat or surah is recited from the Quran. Each surah or a’yat is usually recited separately, as many as 125,000 (or more) times amongst a group of men or women. They also arrange food to be given to the needy in the name of the individual that has recently passed away.
My mom and I are not fully aware of the customs that this society follows for a death. We are aware of the general idea, but we don’t know much in depth about the process that follows after a death We (my mother and i ) have never attended a funeral, and don't plan on doing so in our life. This is mostly because of our religious practices, but I feel that there is another reason as well. I think it has to do with not having interest in the idea of death; we always wish for a healthy, safe and long life. My mom is much aware about the customs in Pakistan since she was raised there as a child and this is what she witnessed when her father passed away.
Back in Pakistan, after a death occurs the body is washed, scented, then wrapped up with a white cloth. The body is then taken with the males to a graveyard. The only thing that the body takes to the graveyard is the white cloth that covers it; nothing else because there is no need of anything else. The common necessities of this world will be of no use after ones death. The wrapped up body is placed directly in the earth and buried with moist soil. The caretakers of the graveyard are told to keep the soil moist. I asked my mom why? She wasn’t really sure about this concept either, but she thought it had something to do with keeping the body cool. After the body is buried into the earth a tombstone will be placed, and only males are allowed to visit the grave site. Islam does not allow women to go to the grave site.
While I was having this discussion with my mother I started to think about how my family deals with iillness. Usually when a family member or I get sick, my parents usually recommend bed rest. They try to keep away from the doctor unless the condition is serious and needs to be treated right away. My parents also try to keep away from prescription drugs. Usually when I get sick or have a headache, I am told to eat well and rest; if I have a fever then I am supposed to stay home from school. My parents rarely tell me to take prescription medicine. When I get a cold my mom makes me this herbal tea which helps me feel better within a few days. After taking some thought into this I realized that my parents go for the natural remedies to cure sickness. For example if I have a cough my mom would tell me to gargle with warm salt water, or eat a tablespoon of honey. When I have a fever or a cold I am told to dress warmer. My mom makes sure I am dressed according to the weather. When it's cold out I will expect my mom to shout: "Amber! Did you take your hat? your scarf? and your gloves?"..."Yes mom!" I would reply while getting into the crowded elevator. From what I can recall I have never been to the doctor for a fever. The only time I make an emergency visit to the doctor is when it is something out of the ordinary. I asked my mother why she tries to avoid giving me prescription or over the counter drugs to relieve my pain or ache. She said that it's because she wants my body to stay independent. If I were to take a pain reliever every time I were to get a headache, my body would become dependent on it. Soon enough I would not be able to go through a headache without swallowing an advil.
Our discussion shifted to when my mom was younger and how her parents carried on with illness in the family. I asked her about how her parents were on this idea when she was a young child. She said that their ideas were pretty much the same on this topic. If my mom or someone else in her family were sick, my grandparents would usually try to wait out a couple of days to see if his/her health was getting any better. If it was not changing for the better within a few days, they would take him/her to doctor. Then they would follow the doctor's order and take the drug that was prescribed to them. When my mom was a young child living in Pakistan, she didn’t have regular doctor appointments. She would only make a trip to the doctor if there were something serious that needed to be taken care of right then and there. One specific time would be when my mom had unbearable pain in her ear. After some time she couldn’t take it any longer, which caused my grandfather to rush her to the hospital in the early morning hours. They found out that an ant had crawled into her ear...ouch!
Later on our conversation transitioned into the topic of death in the society we currently live in and how it compares to the approach of death back in Pakistan. My mother isn’t much aware about how this society deals with death, but she is aware about the procedure such as the coffin prepared for the body and the funeral that is held. Here it is common for both males and females to attend the funeral and mourn together; inn Pakistan this is different. Males have a grieving period together at the Mosque and at the grave site while the females gather at home. In Islam the mourning period lasts for a total of forty days. It starts at the day of the death of the individual and carries on for forty days. In the grieving period men and women gather separately to recite the Quran, and offer prayers and blessings. Seeds(tamarind or date seeds) are collected or borrowed from the local Mosque to keep count for the number of times a certain a’yat or surah is recited from the Quran. Each surah or a’yat is usually recited separately, as many as 125,000 (or more) times amongst a group of men or women. They also arrange food to be given to the needy in the name of the individual that has recently passed away.
My mom and I are not fully aware of the customs that this society follows for a death. We are aware of the general idea, but we don’t know much in depth about the process that follows after a death We (my mother and i ) have never attended a funeral, and don't plan on doing so in our life. This is mostly because of our religious practices, but I feel that there is another reason as well. I think it has to do with not having interest in the idea of death; we always wish for a healthy, safe and long life. My mom is much aware about the customs in Pakistan since she was raised there as a child and this is what she witnessed when her father passed away.
Back in Pakistan, after a death occurs the body is washed, scented, then wrapped up with a white cloth. The body is then taken with the males to a graveyard. The only thing that the body takes to the graveyard is the white cloth that covers it; nothing else because there is no need of anything else. The common necessities of this world will be of no use after ones death. The wrapped up body is placed directly in the earth and buried with moist soil. The caretakers of the graveyard are told to keep the soil moist. I asked my mom why? She wasn’t really sure about this concept either, but she thought it had something to do with keeping the body cool. After the body is buried into the earth a tombstone will be placed, and only males are allowed to visit the grave site. Islam does not allow women to go to the grave site.
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