Emma Morrison

Reflecting on Convocation

     Coming from a different culture, Da grew up with some values that we as Americans take for granted. In his speech at NC State's Wolfpack Welcome Week Convocation Festival, Da elaborated on a Chinese value that we view with the opposite opinion: weight. In his village as a child, the heaviest man was also the wealthiest because he could afford food.  In our lives we have been lied to over and over again that the only way to be happy is to be skinny. This blatant contradiction shows me how sometimes I may need to reevaluate my values. I should feel lucky and priveleged to have food on my plate at every meal. This also ties in with another point that Da made saying that we are the "princes and princesses of the world" because we were born into the right bellies. We have been provided with more than just the basic food, shelter and clothing. I need to step back from life and begin to appreciate all that I have.
     Da's value of weight and food also helps me to realize that I need to view cultures with an open mind. Just because someone has a different set of values and comes from a different location doesn't mean I should disregard them. Cultures are complex and are defined by their values. Cultural relativism may be hard to have but I should definitely make sure that whenever I observe a culture I look at the group without any prejudice or skepticism.
     The first thing Da did when he was introduced at Convocation Festival was narrate a story about his father and his bamboo flute. Da has kept a bamboo flute with him ever since that first day his father bought one for ten cents. This act is evidence of Da's appreciation for his father. At this point in my life, I can easily connect to appreciating my parents. Being at college I have begun to realize how much they really have done for me and how much I miss and love them. My parents have guided me these past eighteen years of my life and I wish that somehow they could be with me forever like with Da's flute.
     Another part of the speech that makes me think is Da's claim that life is like a river and a river isn't straight. This truth helps prepare me for the twists and turns my life will make. I may hit many obstacles in my journey, but I know that life doesn't stop and eventually I will pass over the bend and a new brighter horizon will be ahead.

Posted at 08:05AM Aug 20, 2008 by Emma Morrison in General  |  Comments[0]