Finally an Adult

Topic: Right of Passage

Source: This week I was hired for my first job. I went to my first day of work on Friday April 27, 2012.

Relation: Last week's reading in Anthro Robbins discussed the rights of passages for different cultures.

Description: With the school year coming close to an end, I've been job searching more than ever. Last week I needed some paper for my printer so I went into the bookstore to get some. To my surprise I saw one of my classmates working one of the registers. I asked her how she got the job so fast, to only be pointed to the direction of the back of the store to grab an application. I filled it out before I even left for home. The next day I had an interview for an opening! I was so happy and so not prepared for one. I went into the interview with what I had and got the job anyways. I started my first day of work that Friday. My training was pretty simple. I just never realized how many things a cashier had to know for a transaction. I'm done with training now and soon will start making transactions of my own in the upcoming week. I'm so excited about my first job!

Comment/Analysis: I feel closer to an adult now that I finally have some money to support myself. Now that I have a job I'll be able to keep up on living expenses and other things I need for school. I also won't have to ask my parents for money and other support. (That was pretty embarrassing). Now I feel like a new man ready to take on the world. My step-dad even told me I'd have to start paying taxes like the rest of us. As weird as this sounds, I'm happy I'm in that group. It's the group of the elite and adults, and that's the one I want to be in. Other cultures have different rights of passages; like the Maasai. They have circumcison as their way to become a man (Robbins 140). My culture would see their culture's right of manhood as a pretty extreme one. This doesn't mean that a simple thing like getting a drivers licence and turning 18 isn't the same right of passage in America. Each culture has their own distinct right of passage. In my family, getting a job is a big deal and great step towards becoming an adult. This is why I was so excited to finally get a job. I'm now accepted as an adult in my family and happy that I am.

I'm a Jesus Freak!

Topic: Love

Source: Yesterday, on April 14, 2012, I was baptized for the first time. I never knew so many people cared about me. All my nuclear family was present, and a lot of my friends were there, giving their love and support for me too.

Relation: Our Cultural Anthro book discusses families in different areas of the world. It describes how various families love individuals in their family or if love is even present at all in family life.

Description: Waiting in the back room, I was nervous. I had butterflies going through my stomach before I even stepped through the door. Since I was just being baptized I knew I shouldn’t be so anxious, but for some reason I was. With the door opening, I suddenly became even more worried that I might slip or that I might forget how to pronounce my own name. When I walked out the door and saw that most of the crowd was composed of my family or people I knew, I was immediately relieved. I saw all their eyes fixed on me. Their smiles and tears were so comforting, and it was then that I knew everything was going to be okay. And it was. I said my name without messing up. Papa John asked if I had anything else to say. I did, as I shouted I was a Jesus Freak into the microphone. Everyone thought that was funny.

Analysis/Comments: A lot of people take love for granite. I used to be one of these people. It took me until I was knee deep in water to realize that there are a lot of people outside of my nuclear family that truly love me. Love comes in many different forms from many different people. I learned that my mom and dad love me no matter what I am doing. And if it is proven to be morally right, my parents love me even more. My friends love me when I stand up for what I believe in. As long as I’m doing something that shows who I truly am, my friends will show their love for me too. All this hit me like one giant lightning bolt as I was dunked into the water. I came up and saw my family and friends so proud of me; they were crying, smiling, and clapping with love and joy. It was then that I realized love comes in different forms from different people.

"If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other one also." -- Luke 6:29

Topic: Religion

Source: Reading the Bible and journaling this past week in preparation for Easter Sunday.

Relation: Chapter four in our anthropology book discusses religion. It brings up questions, arguments, and practices about it.

Description: When I saw that religion was a topic to blog about, I decided to read my Bible every day for that week and take notes on it. I didn’t know where to start, but I wanted it to be in the New Testament since Easter was coming up. It was between the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I picked Luke because he was the most educated of the four gospel writers and also because he was the only gospel author who was a gentile; or a person who is not Jewish. His letters were to all the people, but mostly to gentiles like me. So I read and took notes on Chapter 4, 5, and 6. Each chapter had great information to follow. The one that impacted me most last week was chapter 6, when Luke talks about loving your enemies just as much as you love your brothers. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them.” (Luke 6:32)

Comment/Analysis: Even though I’ve read this passage before, it’s still hard for me to try and like people I don’t like. It’s hard for everyone to love and forgive those who have done terrible things to you. For example: when you’re waiting in line and someone just cuts you like they’re better than you. I just wanted to push the guy out of the way because I had already been waiting for a while and I had lots of things in my hands, and I was sick. I decided to let it go and not even say anything. He noticed he had cut me and said he was sorry. I decided that was enough first hand evidence for me and I decided to forgive all the people who had ever hurt me or my family right there in my life. I felt like the biggest weight had been lifted off me and for some reason I just kept smiling. It’s funny how things work. It started out as an assignment, turned into a study, and then reality. By forgiving the guy in line I forgave everyone else too and relieved myself of added stress that I didn’t need. Anthropology would view this as an interpretive drift (Robbins). I was drifting toward the practices of the Bible without even realizing it. And the words from Luke stuck with me. Even though all I did was take a couple notes on it.