When everything seems to be going right, you can’t help but wonder what will go wrong next.
“Don’t settle. Know what you want and reach for it. And if you don’t know what you want, be patient. The answers will come to you in time, and you may find that your heart’s desire has been right under your nose all the while.” — Julia Quinn, To Sir Phillip, With Love (via sorakeem)
(Source: simply-quotes, via eggplanttree)
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(Source: , via wowfunniestposts)
Racism isn’t what it was 150 years ago. It’s not in the headlines, and it’s not addressed as a political issue anymore.
What it’s also not, however, is gone. It’s not as prevalent an issue as, say, gay marriage, but it’s far from being a thing of the past.
Earlier today, I was sitting with a group of friends (all of us being Asian-American) when two passerby’s muttered a comment about it feeling like “Chinatown”, obviously alluding to our large group of Asians in one area. A few minutes pass, and we notice them looking in our direction, pointing, and very blatantly talking about us. A friend of mine finally steps up, asking if there’s a problem.
This escalates into yelling, swearing, and eventually me standing face to face with the two men, us throwing threats left and right until staff intervened and took them back to their table. Now, I was not about to get physical with two geriatric old men, but I wasn’t going to stand there and let this happen either.
Everyone sat down and continued their business, but I couldn’t help but think—did this really just happen? Was there really about to be a fight because of what race we were, and because of two old men’s ignorant comments? Do people really still do this in this day and age? I may be a little naive, but I always assume the best out of people and society; I like to think that we’ve progressed, and that people have left this sort of thing to the past, so it was a little jarring to encounter this kind of situation firsthand.
At one point one of them referred to the Korean war, and how he was used to “killing our kind” during the 50’s, completely unaware of the fact that none of us were Korean. One expressed disgust about living “in the midst of us” for years (this being in a neighborhood that’s predominantly Asian). Another called me a “teenage tough guy” (never mind the fact that I’m not a teenager; +1 for Asians looking young?) for actually saying something about their rude remarks and standing behind it.
Maybe they were just stuck in the past, an older way of thinking. Maybe they assumed it was fine to talk about us, right in front of us, thinking we would just sit there and accept it. My friend pointed out that people typically think of Asian people as timid, quiet, and unwilling to defend themselves, and that she stood up because she didn’t want to be seen that way. I agree completely, and I have no regrets following her lead in sticking up for us as a whole.
Whatever the case, today’s events are telling of one thing: racism isn’t gone, and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. This might have been an isolated case of two old men, still living with old-fashioned mentalities, but the fact of the matter is, they pass these things on to the next generation, and this is how racism lives on.
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All there really is to do, and this is the point of my writing this message, is to be the better person. Let it go, because while it is important to know when to defend yourself, it’s often even better to avoid confrontation altogether. It solves nothing, and only adds more hostility. We didn’t do this today, and I’m aware of it. We made a point that we weren’t going to sit by and accept it, but in reality, all it really did was set up for a “next time”. Everybody left harboring even more hatred and contempt, and if provoked again, it could end much worse than it did today.
One might say “being the better person” is simply “ignoring the problem until it goes away.” I say to this, you’re right. But we need to define the problem. You see, one might look at the “problem” as racism or discrimination, things that have to be addressed, but I see it as ignorance and stupidity. In my eyes, people with this kind of mindset are mindless morons, and I have no problem putting myself above them and going on with my day. This, I feel, is the best way to approach it.
Be the better person. Don’t buy into their game, and continue doing whatever it is you do. Put yourself on a pedestal; you are better than them, and you don’t need to even acknowledge them; they aren’t worth your time or thought, and they’re certainly not worth starting conflict over.
(Source: brotips)
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CUNY’s Blackboard service goes down. Goodbye practice exams and formula sheets.
Verizon’s FiOS Internet service goes down (in my area). No more studying via web homework services.
iPhone charger stops functioning. I guess I’m not seeing any class resources over 3G for long either (yes, I’m wasting precious battery power to post on Tumblr).
Why does everything have to go wrong at the most inopportune moment?
That is all.
I’ve been seeing tons of dandelion seeds floating around lately; it’s really nice.
(via inspiring-pictures)
I could probably use a new wallet.
I’ve been using this one for as long as I can remember, which really got me thinking—how often do guys actually change wallets? We don’t accessorize and change depending on our bag or outfit; we really have one that does its job for a very long time.
I think I’ll invest in a nice one, rather than cheapo-generic this time around.
BLT…chips? GENIUS
*And delicious. Where they came from, I don’t know, but I am glad I found them in my kitchen cupboard.
Glad to finally be putting my skills to good use.
Next purchase: Sigma 30mm f/1.4! Personal reward; I think I’ve earned it.
Close to a real 50mm FOV on my crop body, faster than anything I’ve got, and much better build than my fifty. Yay.