Forever Young (seniors READ ONLY)
Class discussions on the Bob Dylan song revealed the following:
You understand "paradox" and "oxymoron." The phrase "forever young" is not quite an oxymoron (a two-word contradiction) like "jumbo shrimp," but the idea of staying "forever young" is an impossibility, a contradictory statement, and hence, I believe, a simple paradox. We understand that Dylan wants us to maintain some of that childlike Spark and innocence as we grow older and "mature."
You know the Bible just as well as Dylan--the Golden Rule to "always do for others and let others do for you." You pray and sing a joyful song and ask that God may "bless you and keep you," just as Bobby D does.
You are beginning to think about your essay topic, looking for the "lights surrounding you" that have acted as "beacons" (good metaphor) as you've sailed the seas for 17 some years.
You are examining if you've built any "ladders to the stars" and "climbed on every rung," too. Have you kept your hands busy and your feet swift as the winds of changes have shifted (more sailing imagery here, I think)?
If I didn't know any better, I might think that the writers of the Saint Mark's alma mater and Bob Dylan exchanged writing notes on the telephone as they composed their songs.
Don't these ideas and some of the imagery sound familiar?
Winds of time whisper on.
Now the foundation's laid strong.
On this will the spirit survive, that we are building each day of our lives.
Striving to retain convictions, searching for elusive goals.
Never losing hope for progress, ever seeking strength of soul.
The spirit of these words of your alma mater echo Dylan's verse in its "audacity of hope." Both songs were written, I'm sure, within months of the other. Maybe it was the Age of Aquarius, as the 60's hippies suggested.
The photo above pictures of "forever young" Bob Dylan, not the grizzled 69-year old.
If you want to hear Forever Young sung by a wonderful singer with a beautiful voice, find the Joan Baez version available anywhere on the web. Baez was a Dylan girlfriend who covered many of his early songs.
posted by JTF @ 8:51 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
The person that inspires one most is someone we can connect to on a person level, almost like we're physiologically linked to them. When i was in middle school, I was short, fat and somewhat geeky. Consequently, I got picked on,secluded from the "cool" kids, and girls didn't give me a second glance. Highschool couldn't have come any faster for me, a fresh start-a new beginning. I began to become religious about watching ufc. The physique of the fighters mesmerized me; their ability to hit each other senseless without showing the slightest bit of hesitation or pain. I looked at them like Gods, surely i could never be on their level of mental and physical abilities . Until one day I read a story on Forest Griffin, who was rapidly raising through the UFC ranks. He wrote a story about when he started college he weighed 120lbs, was 5'3, and wore glasses. Freshmen year he was carrying a stack of books, when 4 college linebackers approached him, he was quickly identified as the perfect victim of freshmen hazing. They threw his books, broke his glasses and spun him around. Forest cocked his fists and began to throw quick light fists; however, to no avail, a single punch from a linebacker knocked him down. But Forest got up and yelled out "You're going to have to kill me to keep me down", the bullies not giving his words much credit, laughed it off. Until Forest would not stay down, the fear was showing on their face not because they were afraid of his fists, but that fact that he was willing to die. In order to get rid of him, they carried him down a hill, threw him down, and sprinted back to their car terrified. Forest got up and chased after them, face bloody, shirt torn and glasses broken. He began to workout and train in mma He is now one of the greatest fighters of all time.
This story hit me hard, i must have read it over a thousand times. I was beyond inspired. I began to workout 7 days a week, improve my diet and train in fighting. The change was night and day, my physique improved and my self-confidence sky-rocketed. I now bench-press 310lbs, I have 8-9% body fat, and now starting to do fighting competitions. I don't smoke marijuana or cigarettes, i once considered that cool, but now i have trouble respecting those who do that to their bodies. I love wrestling and boxing. I don't want to make it to the ufc for money, family or fame- I want to because it's my life, and I can't imagine myself becoming a slave to the corporate grind. In addition, the adrenaline rush is second to none. Some people have to jab a vein for it when all you have to do is fight. Any time i enter the octagon, I say to myself Forest's words, "This guy is gonna have to kill me to keep me beat." I hope to be a state champion wrestler as well. I may not be the most be technically sound but i am second to none in heart and in order to beat me, you'll need to kill me first.
Post a Comment
<< Home