The fallibility of the American Dream

Fallible is defined as . (of persons) liable to go astray, committing sinful acts, especially in being deceived or mistaken.

 A Poem By: Jordan Simmons 

In this world things are not what they seem in the land of mystery, the land of Babylon, in the land of the west.

The perception of reality is spiraling towards salvation, drifting further and further away, deeper into the illusion.

The elements of society guiding the righteous spirit into a dark place of solitude and making the human identity faceless, nameless, all in the pursuit of happiness, or is it money.

Every time the body awakes and feet hit the ground the motivation seems to be the all mighty dollar.

The reason we breathe, eat, live, and think the way we do or at least it seems that way.

The spirit of God in us all cries for peace and love, but the illusion of the world, blinds the spirit and the cause.

We breathe the breath of one God, we live for the glory of one God, and we are supposed to do his work, sacrificing the success of the individual for the salvation of the multitude.

The fallibility of the American dream has its hands on our necks and is strangling the life from our very spirits.

 The duel between spirituality and the american dream creates the fallibility in which I speak of. Unseen forces have a strangle hold on society and the things that we perceive as fact and Lee from True West was the symbol that understood that, while Austin on the other hand embraced the American dream and the sense of accomplishment that it can bring. The theme to take away from the fallibility of the American dream and the duel between the two entities is that the contradictions between the two are so great that the human mind continuously tries to recover and blend the two for understanding and finding the balance is what the mind cant recover to do. America strips us of peace and love because in our spirituality we find that peace and love, but the strong influence and need for a green piece of paper with dead white men on them mixed with the deprivation some experience when it comes to money creates greed. Greed will trump peace every time. THINK ABOUT IT! 

Here is Horace Andy singing "Root of All Evil"

Love Is Life Long

If you truly love somebody in the name of the Lord, you'll love them for a lifetime. The love a child should have for his parents should be unlimited. As well for parents, to have an unconditional love for their child.
T.S. Eliot who wrote "The Love Songs" gave me those thoughts when I read his poem. Love has its cycle which is repetitive, like an adolescent to adulthood, like a seed to a full grown flower. You love someone from black to grey (hair is what I'm referring too) and true love has no bounds, no color lines, no religious preference. 

Love is lost in many facets of today's society and who know's when its going to come back, but when words are put together right and disseminated across the world, people can be influenced for the better if the message is positive. That's one reason rap music is viewed in two different lights. The tongue holds power and one day we all should use it collectively, for one cause, for one true right we all deserve. To me, that's love.

 Love By Jordan Simmons

Thoughts wondering, mind racing
Arm pits sweaty, nervousness pounding away in my chest
Wondering why I’m not thinking about her breast
I realized it was because I wanted to be
What beats in her chest
Her HEART!
Which I believe is so bright
It can shine through oil at night
I felt love from the start
I swore it was beating deep down in my heart
Would go to the edge of the earth and
Fall off just to have you
Will break my back and kill demons for you.
Just call me Tom Cruise on Oprah’s couch
For WHO? For YOU?
That special girl out there
The one I need to survive like no other
My love runs deep so deep
Some nights I can’t even sleep!
Because I want to be your heart and the
Reason why it beats.
Your love so sweet.

Robert Frost Decoded

Robert Frost's poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is the poem I read and have a response too.

I believe when Frost says, "Whose woods these are I think I know," he is referring to God, who's house is in heaven, and Frost made the "house in the village" seem so far away. Even though you cannot see God doesn't mean he is not watching. The things you do can seem a little odd to the people around you, but at the same time it is a reason for everything. In this case, the peace and serenity felt on that cold winter night, must of been soothing to the point you would want to stay and soak up the comfort (sounds odd I know). But the character in the poem knows that their is more important work to be done, and in the since of faith. If you ask the Lord to guide you, you have to be willing to walk, and that's the promise. Many miles to go because we never know what God has in store for us and while we are on earth, success doesn't come while you're sleep. When its time for us to rest and sleep that's the day the Lord will call us home.

Here is a poem that I wrote via my Tumblr that I feel is enlightening just like Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"

A Message To The World by Jordan Simmons

Naturalism Comparison

Before the new world was founded by the British, the life for the African culture was a life of surplus. Mass areas of land, great for herding cattle and farming land. Lands were rich with the first universities, social life, economic life, and a solid foundation of art and culture. What I am about to get into in no way, shape, or form is an intent to proclaim racism and separation. This is just a statement of facts, mixed with my personal opinion.

Jack London, who wrote "To Build a Fire" brought out the concepts of naturalism and natural selection in his stories. This made me want to compare naturalism to "the survival of the fittest", in other words, natural selection.

Now back to the point. Africans lived life through war and prosperity. They survived off the land and the harsh conditions the African continent could supply. When droughts hit, the strong in the tribe would move to the best conditions to fit their needs. Even had slaves, some that were white, and some that were African. Africans used slavery as a means of war, not oppression. Slaves were not neglected and they were not slaves for LIFE. Which was the biggest difference between the Africans and the Trans-Continental slave trade.

Slavery as we know it was the most inhumane act in history, even worse then the Holocaust. Capturing men, women, and children, and shipping them somewhere so foreign they don't even understand the language or the culture they were thrusts into. This form of slavery didn't only take Africans from their homes, it took everything they knew was true of life and balled it up and burned it along with, morals, love, and compassion, and the tried to take the spirit, but that's another entity in itself.

The British were not just taking your muscular men and women, they were taking, scholars, poets, priests, kings and queens. While doing so, dispersing them throughout the new world with over hundreds of other Africans from all over the continent that were also captured who all didn't speak the same language. A recipe for disaster.

Africans were naturally selected into slavery, here's why: The British tried to use Native Americans first, but they would be too weak to work under such harsh circumstances. Also, they knew the terrain and could easily escape and not be captured again. Lastly, the Natives, were that indeed. Natives in the "New World" and the true foreigners, the British were infecting them inadvertently with diseases like small pox and measles. No work could be done.

The British also tried indentured servitude, bringing debtors from Britain to work off there debt in the New World. After 5 years they were free and could earn money and live "free" like every one else. Some Africans, a small percentage came from Britain into this situation. And after white woman, and men began to use the court to contest the servitude because it was too harsh and they deserved better, and remorse was shown.

I guess that leaves the Africans, who later were brought over and brainwashed and sent out in the field to work and think like beasts and heathens. The African race has persevered and been through it all. No other race has had their identity erased and re made by another race and culture, to in return not be accepted fully in every aspect of that culture and way of life. We've lost a lot of people in our race for the rights that were taken and never given back. The ones too weak to handle the conditions they were forced to work in, the cold, the extreme heat, the rain, died. Also the ones weak mentally died fast from the extreme mental deprivations. Lastly, even the strong that ran because they hated their conditions so much, were killed by the hands of the white man.

Africans went through natural selection right before the worlds very eyes, and had to deal with what nature handed to them from the weather to the conditions brought upon them by people who are just the same as them.

How Charlotte Perkins Gillman relates to The Freedom Writers

Charlotte P. Gillman wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" because her doctor told her to rest through her depression, which almost made her go insane. Using literature she was able to break through the adverse sickness she was dealing with and ultimately become a well-known author. From nothing to something can sum Gillman up quickly.

The Freedom Writers, a movie based off of Erin Gruwell's book "The Freedom Writer's Diary". Gruwell helps a group of misled teens through literature by letting the teens be the author of their own story. It unlocks things about each teen that otherwise would have never been known if it was for Gruwell's persistence, faith, and courage.

The Story Behind The Story - "The Freedom Writers"

Ultimately, Gruwell had the prescription to save her students from their depressed, hurtful, struggle through life. Same as Gillman prescribing her own cure for her depression. Both had to persevere through adverse situations to get the result they knew they had been longing for. Adverse situations like Gillman having to rest all day everyday and not being able to write because it may be "too stressful". Or situations like Gruwell wanting to help misled/lost teens find there way in society and the education institution that hinders them daily.

Understand the Freedom Writer's mission here --- FREE YOUR MIND !

At the end of it all, Gillman, Gruwell and her students relate because they persevered through all the turmoil and distress to make something better for themselves and their life. The point that relates them that stands out the most to me is that everyone involved was an author for their own story of life. Someone else didn't write their story or tell them how to live their life, THEY DID.

Emily Dickinson: Does the poor have more of the will to succeed?

Emily Dickinson said "Success is counted sweetest by those who never succeed." I would like to elaborate on this from the perspective of being poor, which will lead to an answer to the question presented.

     Being poor, meaning being without money to take care of the necessities in life comes with a lot of frustration but a lot of ambition and pride. Coming from the low income areas in Atlanta, GA I have seen many people proud of where their from, but understanding that it is much better for us in the world. Being born without, meaning the circumstances you have always lived in is all you know causes hunger and the will to have more. You see it a lot in reality television with wealthy families and the children within are very relaxed, carefree. And many people view this as a direct result of the children being born into a family that always has had money. Certain principles or lack there of is a result of becoming complacent, believing that life is not hard, or as hard as "everyone" makes it seem.

Here's a video about the younger Kardashian sisters via Youtube.

A little bit more insight with the video above, I believe the reason they are not going to college is acceptable. The one point not made but is very obvious would be the fact their mother, father and sisters, have been able to put them in a position to succeed without very little initiative or effort. Which on the other hand is what I believe poor people lack. That one person or persons that can influence the outcome of the, succeeding. Poor people have the strong will and want too to succeed, but its other forces preventing that from happening as easy as someone born into that lifestyle.

So to answer the question: I do believe that poor people have the greatest will and taste for success. The problem is, many poor people fail because its less ways or chances they have to succeed. Its all about who you know sometimes over what you know. Established businesses and businessmen know exactly where to go and who to talk too, if they don't they know the answer is usually one phone call away. For the less fortunate, sometimes it can take years to catch that break it takes a connected person 5 minutes to accomplish. So I too agree with the words of Emily Dickinson "To comprehend a nectar requires sorest need."

Here's a video for everyone to sit back and debate about how true some of these points are.

How did Benjamin Franklin Influence society?

     Benjamin Franklin first published his Almanac under the alias Richard Saunders, which many early writers use to do to keep their name clear, especially if they were the first to publish such writing that could stir controversy. He influenced many people who read his Almanac to the point where he began to hear his work being quoted throughout his days. He recollected on those events in his writing "The Way to Wealth", which I would consider a very influential piece of writing. "The Way to Wealth" can be used today to even influence our society because we deal with the same things people in Franklin's time had to deal with, for example, TAXES.

In Benjamin Franklin's "The Way to Wealth" he opened up his way of thinking and pursuing goals in life based off the foundation of TIME. TIME is everything. Every second you waste not pushing toward what you want to get out of life, the longer and harder you may have to work. 

"But dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of, as Poor Richard says. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep, forgetting, that The sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that There will be sleeping enough in the grave, as Poor Richard says." (from "The Way to Wealth")

      He let it be known through his writing that the people of the land should not let the governing body, taxes, disease, sleep, anything of that nature, stop them from getting what they want to get out of life. Time is of the essence and time should never be wasted.

"Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes will die fasting. There are no gains without pains"

     His influence was great on his society and he brought to the light that instead of complaining about their circumstances, its all about the effort and that time you put into your life and into your craft. WORK HARD and NEVER WASTE TIME. He laid a blueprint and a way of visioning your success and reaching it, but just like many people of the past and the present, following through with your goals despite the pressures of life is hard to do. Those that understand how to use time to their advantage are the ones that succeed. THINK ABOUT IT.