Last night, the 62nd Emmy Awards were handed out, honoring the best of the past year in television. There were a lot of new winners, and some snubs of long-standing shows, most notably Lost. I'm not a Lost fan, so I have no insight on the issue. The new show that I was watching most closely was Glee. I love everything about Glee; the music, the plot, the humor. I always wished that my high school had a glee club or show choir. Ryan Murphy won the Emmy for best director of a comedy last night. In his acceptance speech, Murphy addressed the importance of arts education and how he is using Glee to bring attention to the issue. I agree, wholeheartedly. Glee has used a unique humor and different take on a sitcom plot to get people interested in music; even those who didn't think they would like to watch a show choir. I watch because I love the music and the humor, but I also love the movement behind the show. The Gleeks around the country have helped to make show choir, musical theater, and a capella singing acceptable. Perhaps no more Gleeks will find themselves covered in slushies. Glee also shows how being involved in positive activities in school can help students to be more productive in their educational and personal lives. Making Tina more outgoing, Artie more comfortable with his disability, Finn, Quinn and Puck more compassionate to those 'less cool' than themselves, and Kurt more comfortable in his sexuality, New Directions is not only a way for the characters to embrace their love of music, but also a new love for each other and a new perspective on their lives. Mr. Shu gives every member of the club self confidence to be themselves, no matter what others think. Being involved in choir, band, and dance while I was in school helped me to be outgoing and comfortable in my own skin. In conclusion, I love the arts and especially arts education, and I truly admire the efforts of those like the production team of Glee, and the multitude of other individuals and organizations who work to be sure that the children of America have the opportunities to enjoy the arts that I am blessed to have had.
Well. I made it back from Washington in one piece. Had a minor mishap with my car and a pole in a parking garage, but overall had an excellent time. I did almost everything that I wanted to and saw everyone that I wanted to. I took some back roads and Interstate 68 through Maryland to get there and it was a beautiful drive. Once I got to the city, it was almost as though I never left. I missed everything about Washington! The Metro, the sights, the people, the places... It was kind of an emotional roller coaster from my anticipation of everything, to being really, genuinely happy in the time that I had with those friends, and then having a return to reality when I remembered that we didn't actually live there anymore and it wasn't the same. We all had to go back to work and class and our own homes this week, separately. It was hard to get a little glimpse of what my life could be, and what I wish it was, and then have to leave and come back, where I'm content for now, but still waiting for that thing that will make me happy. The drive back yesterday offered a lot of time for soul searching, and I thought a lot about what I'm missing in my life, and what I want out of being in Pittsburgh. It just made me even more driven to work toward getting that PR job that will start me in the right direction to get to DC sometime sooner than later!
In slightly related news, tomorrow, I'm going to a networking happy hour event with PRSA members in the Pittsburgh area. Hopefully, it will help me make some connections and at least get some advice and ideas. I just really need something where I feel like I'm doing something with my life. A lot of times, when I see what other people are doing, I feel like I'm just sitting by, watching life and time pass without me. I know that I've got a lot more in me than what I'm doing. I just need to find the job and the employer who can see that too, and I really hope that it comes along soon. What is going to be exciting, you ask? Well I'm happy to tell you! In exactly 48 hours, I will be wandering happily though the city I love the most with some of the people I love the most! Yes, I am making my return to our nation's capital, but only for the weekend. I'm staying with a friend from Westminster who is a grad student at American, and spending the weekend catching up with other friends whom I met when I spent my semester in DC. So, in honor of my great return, I thought I would share some of my favorite places in the District.
Welp. This is the third time I've tried to be a responsible blogger. Maybe now that I have a sort-or-normal-grown-up life, I can be more regular at updating this with all of my incredibly enlightened thoughts. I'll try to touch on current events, what I'm reading, and what is going on in my search for a professional life. I've tried to create a presence on Twitter, so I will try to use this to expand on the thoughts I share there.
I think its fair to say that the most talked about topic in domestic affairs is the proposed mosque and Islamic community center about 3 blocks from the site of the World Trade Centers. In short, I think that the opposition to the center is only a small-scale example of the intolerance that killed those 3,000 people. This is supposed to be the land of the free, separation of church and state, etc. If we make an exception to the First Amendment now, who can say when it is and isn't acceptable to infringe on civil rights. It could become a slippery slope. The Slate article here, http://slate.me/d7mgfE, addresses some of the main arguments against the center and brings up really important points. I think the most important is that our 'War on Terror' is not a war on Islam. It is a war against a group of people who hate the American way of life and the freedoms we have as American citizens. Denying one of those rights will only further the intolerance that we are supposedly fighting. Some conservatives are calling Ground Zero a sacred place, a claim with which I agree, and that building this place of worship and community would defile this sacred ground. I ask those who may agree to think about this: What about the Muslims who died in the attacks? (Statistically, there was bound to be at least one.) Are their families not entitled to go to that ground where their loved ones were killed and pray for their souls in the same way as their Christian, Jewish, or Hindu, or any other religion, can? I think the distinction in exactly which war we're fighting and who is the enemy is the most important to acknowledge in this discussion. Now on to what I'm reading. Currently, I'm following my usual course and reading up on my classic lit with Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence. I'm nearly finished with it. I don't have any deep insights that haven't already been posited about this novel. The protagonist Archer Newland is caught in the timeless conflict of whether to follow his heart and marry a girl who has disappointed her family and run away from her terrible Eastern European husband, or the 'nice' girl of whom his family has approved for many years. Family tradition and social norms vs. being true to yourself... I do have a huge stack of other books to read as well so hopefully I will have more thoughts to share about those. Aaaand now my search for a professional life, direction, place to belong, etc. I'm working part time for some family friends' insurance business temporarily (and hopefully not too much longer) while I search for a job that will point me in the direction I want to go. In case anyone was wondering what direction that is, I will tell you! Dream job/end-all-be-all/fulfillment of my every dream would be a job in Washington working for a non-profit doing advocacy, public and government relations. I want to work to tell people how important a cause is and why they should support it and tell policy-makers why they should also support it with legislation. I've been trying to reach out to local professionals who do what I wish I was doing at this point for any tiny bit of advice or tidbit of knowledge that could help me along this way. Whew! I think that can be it for right now. I'm really going to try to keep this going this time. Really. |
Carrie:-2010 Westminster College grad Archives
January 2015
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