The Journey to Being Self-Aware

How long does it take to know yourself?

     First off, I would like to apologize for taking so long to post! It has been nearly a year since my last post and I have no excuses - but here is to new found inspiration!

     I heard someone say that one does not truly know oneself until they are around thirty. This really got me thinking. Does it really take thirty years for a person to discover all of the facets and idiosyncrasies in their personality? Does it take thirty years for someone to accept their short-comings and insecurities? While I do agree that it takes time for a person to realize certain realities about themselves, I hope it doesn't take thirty years for them all to come to light.
     I think that each person is different in this case. Some people are naturally more self-aware than others. In fact I would say some people could live their whole lives and not become fully self-aware or self-understanding.
     But is it not important to strive for more? Yes. Becoming self-aware is how we avoid so many bad mistakes and decisions in the future.
     When I was leaving High School I made a decision. I decided not to go to a University but to instead go the Community College route. While I have since questioned that decision several times, I can credit myself for knowing what I was doing. While the University experience would have been very memorable and I sometimes regret not being able to live it, I knew myself well enough to know that it was not what I needed at the time. Community College has provided me with a bridge from High School to a possible University life that is invaluable. To this day I think I would not have been able to keep up with the school work at the University level being fresh out of High School.
     And despite the fact that I have tons to learn about myself still, I am very proud that I was able to make that decision correctly. All because I strove to be self-aware. I still strive for this, and I know I still have a ways to go.

So strive too! Everyone should know themselves as well, if not better than the people and loved ones around them. Because we should love ourselves that much as well.

With much love and regards,

S.J.Hernandez

P.S. Let me know when you think people become self-aware in the comments! Thank you!

"That House We Built"

Through the Woods 

Down the lane

We came in trucks-

I came in pain

So take the tree

And take the phone,

Take everything- 

The bank can't own 

Serene and Silent,

Hot and vast,

At that house we built-

A deer walked past

Young and nimble,

Strong and free,

I knew he came-

Just for me...

Poem is orginal work by S.J.Hernandez

Picture is taken from Google Images and not owned by me

American Indians: Ahead of Their Time

     With all the social issues advancing political and mainstream ideology in America today, it is hard not to focus on our ever-changing society which promises in many ways to embrace tolerance and equality.
     Not every push for tolerance and equality is revolutionary however, and I am often reminded that our indigenous Native American people were truly ahead of their time in many ways.
     Before I explain how, I would like to acknowledge the ignorance of many young people in today's learning society on their knowledge of most matters of Native American history. An argument is often made that American education breeds ignorance in many topics, but I am not convinced of that, which I might choose to blog about some other time. I am however, saddened by the lack of knowledge and education in almost all Native American history and importance. Few American history classes give a respectable amount of information about American Indians, when they are so vital to the history of our nation.
     I don't claim to be an expert on Native American tribes or history, but I am fascinated by their culture and they are one of my true interests. In a Humanities class I had last semester I did a presentation on a Native American version of how fire came into being. I started my presentation, mostly out of curiosity, with a question. I asked how many people in the class could name five Native American Tribes. I hardy got any answers. To me, I find this to be as important as learning the lines to our National Anthem. It is part of the history. It is part of our culture as Americans.
     I think people today would be more interested if they knew how dynamic and progressive the tribes of North America could be.
     On the importance of Equality. In many Native American tribes, women held a most crucial role in society. They were often held in high esteem. When a young brave wed a woman within his tribe, it was the woman's family that the brave moved in with. Similarly, if the woman became upset with the man for any issues in their union, it was a common for plains tribes women to put the men out of their tipis. Men would come home to find all of their belongings outside of the tipi they shared with their spouse. This concept shows how much more progressive Native Americans were on equality.
     It has also come to my attention that on matters of tolerance and gender roles, many Native tribes believed in the idea of "Two-Spirit" people. A "Two Spirit" person was a transgender individual, such as a man who would wear womens clothing. Instead of being shunned by the tribe, although I'm sure not all were fully accepted, they were often given special tasks and roles within the tribe; sometimes they were even given shaman and medicine man roles.
     How awesome and accepting is that? In an age where hardly any "civilized" society treated women with any respect, the Native Americans were already viewing women as important figures in the tribe, and working on the acceptance of transgender and homosexual individuals.
     Much can be learned from studying the past, and in the instance of the Native Americans, we could even stand to emulate them in more than a few ways; let alone learn more about the culutre and people that were here before us.

Regards,

S.J.Hernandez

On Being a Writer

     Depending on the day, I can often pride myself of curse myself on being a writer.

     It's a strange thing really; writing. 

     The other day, my girlfriend and I were discussing what we found fascinating. She was surprised to find that while science interests me, it hardly ever fascinates me. She in this way, is my opposite. I find History fascinating. And more than anything I find the use of language for both literary and poetic purpose completely fascinating. 

     It's interesting though, as she pointed out, how I can be so involved in something that describes and provokes more than the actual thing itself. After all writing is often describing a story that happened in the real world, or telling a historical tale that was only discovered through science. To put it more simply, science is the destination, and writing is the journey. 

     I have a special bond with writing. Do I think it can be stronger? Definitely. Do I want it to change and mold as I grow older and wiser? Yes. 

     But what I have is truly special. I'm not always capable of putting my thoughts into words like some writers. Everything I write isn't a gem, but sometimes I think that's what is great about it. Finding the diamond in the rough. I know myself well enough to know when something I write is forced, or mediocre. But the feeling I get when I know I've written something beautiful or something straight from my heart is a feeling that is beyond anything else I've experienced. And I'm addicted to it.
     And that is how I know I'm a writer.
     What's funny about writing is it's rarely a profession. Sure, you can be a journalist, or a screenwriter, or a novelist. But for those of us who aren't (or who are aspiring to be someday) are we still writers? What constitutes being a writer? Do I have to have dozens of hand-written pages at home strewn across my room? Do I have to have notebooks full of ideas and short stories; poems and songs? If that's true then I only reach the criteria on a few levels.
     But it isn't- and that's what is great about being a writer.
     No one gets to tell you that you aren't a writer. If you write something that you put your heart into, and you like it, and you want to be a writer then guess what?
     You're a writer.
     You don't have to have published novels, or famous poetry, or any amount of awards.
     Like Ernest Hemingway once said, "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed". And that's it.  You just have to sit down and bleed on the page. Bleed all of your experience and soul and being onto one blank page and anything that comes out will be a gem by default. Because it's yours.

Regards,

S.J.Hernandez 

The Importance of Now

     For some strange reason, I often go through spells of nostalgia. And by that I mean I start going through old stuff both physically and mentally.
     For more than one reason I find his to be harmful. Sure, it can be nice to reminisce every now and again, but to a certain point. Old wounds don't need to be re-opened, and old hurts are meant to heal. So in many ways, nostalgia can be such a dangerous path to wander.
     I think I want to make a pledge to myself that I am going to make a conscious effort to live in the moment and in the present. That is the only time that truly counts. Sure, your future is important too, but     always remember that your future is shaped by the decisions you make today, and the actions you perform now. The past is the past, and for all intents and purposes, I believe that anyones pasts can be left behind to start anew.
     Wisdom comes with experience, and for that you must have a considerable amount of past moments to accumulate into knowledge that you are able to pass on to others. So don't forget those experiences. You want to remember the past, but you don't want to re-live it.

Regards,

S.J. Hernandez

Push Yourself!

     Often times, I have noticed that many of the best moments of my life have been a direct result of my positive outlook on life and optimism. There is one more aspect that I attribute this to though, and that is the bar I have set for myself.
     I have always tried to be the kindest person I could possibly be, generous and trusting. I look for the best in people and I think I often find it. But looking for the best in yourself is just as important.
     Push yourself.
     Be as good as you can be. Achieve what you want and act with kindness. Overcome stereotypes and preconceived notions. A lot of this has to do with coming through for people when they need you. It can be very easy to be selfish and make up excuses to avoid these situations, but it can be so rewarding to help a friend in need. If you believe in karma, then there it is. Come through for people, but also, come through for yourself.
     I am nowhere near experienced enough to say that I have accomplished this to the fullest, but it is a difficult feat. Its always going to be a work in progress, but one I find to be so great when I find myself on the right track.
     It is a good thing to have the standard of yourself; that bar. Keep it high and expect nothing less of yourself but the very best.

"The promises of this world are, for the most part, vain phantoms; and to confide in one's self, and become something of worth and value is the best and safest course"
Michelangelo 

Regards,

S.J.Hernandez

The Importance of Family (It's like Baseball!)

"A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living." - Charles R. Swindoll 

      Family, along with the experiences one obtains throughout life, are among the main factor that shape a person into who they are to be in life. 
      The importance of family is so important, and it is only becoming more and more crucial as the world changes and advances. 
     As Pastor Swindoll put it, family is a place where principles are hammered and honed, and that is how it should be. A persons family is their foundation, their anvil, their everything, on more levels than one. 
     If you want to put it into a social context, your family is your backbone, a collection of your best friends that should support you through thick and thin. They are among your closest confidants. A family is full of wise elders, close siblings, protective parents and more. 
     In a scientific context, your family makes up your DNA. They are a physical part of you just like you are a physical part of them, and just like a team, a family should support each other with this in mind. Each member should hold high their reputation and their family's honor, as mistakes and discrepancies reflect on them as much as you. 
     It is truly tragic to someone as fortunate as myself to witness this standard of the family not be met in so many peoples lives. Coming from the best of family's, with support surrounding me in every direction, with people I can trust and confide in, I have a fairly high standard. But with family, why shouldn't we have the highest of standards of what we should be achieving? 
   
 To me family is like baseball. When hitters are struggling, other hitters are expected to step up to the plate and produce runs. And that is what family should be like. When one member struggles, the others take up the slack and help. A good baseball team has a great defense. A good family has great support amongst its members. A great baseball team plays well together. A great family lives well together. 
     
     When I was younger, one of the main traditions and family principles that was embedded into me since before I could remember, was the classic All-American idea of the family dinner. A family should eat together. I never realized the importance of this truly simple idea, until I was much older. Eating as a family, face to face with your parents and siblings, builds true bonding; builds support and knowledge of one another. Dinner is a time to reflect on the day's events. Dinner is a time to converse with the most important people in your life. Dinner is a time to smile and engage, challenge and reward.
     As a young adult, the importance of this astounds me. It starts a family out right, and ends the day well. 
     Like I said previously, I am truly grateful and lucky to be apart of the most amazing family I could ask for. We are flawed, yes. We have problems, yes. But we also have some of the best people on this planet, and we support each other. We make each other better. 
    So please. Remember to take time for your family, and never take them for granted. Some of us are not as lucky to have such wondrous people in their lives. Some people have no anvil upon which to be hammered into great people. 
     Cherish the hard iron of support your family provides, as a true family will cherish you. 


Regards,
S.J. Hernandez