Learning Lessons

       A lot of time we take advantage of the things that we have. The play Pygmalion really enhances the idea of personal possession as well as many other topics. Even though there are many themes in this play, I feel that certain themes shine brighter than others. The importance of the English language, and social class and status are two prominent themes in Pygmalion. 

      Pygmalion really portrays the importance of the English language in relationship to where you “rank” in society. You can be the most intelligent person in the world, but if you cannot speak properly, where you work and live can greatly be effected. Although you may be able to get a job without being able to speak properly, you may not have any room for advancement in your field because the ability to have an intelligent conversation and communicate efficiently is not there. If you think of the capability to speak proper english as the clothes you wear, you will see that in some public settings people react to improper grammar and misuse of words in the same way that you might react to someone who had their shoelaces untied or had their fly down. It is viewed as sloppy, lazy or maybe even somewhat unintelligent. 

      Most people can agree that there is an obvious distinction in social class and status among the many people that are alive today. For instance, if a homeless man were to walk into a upscale restaurant many people would notice him and instantly begin to question why he was there either verbally or to themselves. In Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw clearly illustrates how separated the classes were in the 1800’s in England. Through various characters he shows us what it was like to live as the rich, the poor, both deserving and undeserving, and the middle class. From first hand experience I can attest to how different each class is. Growing up my biological family was very poor and we struggled to keep food on the table for the family. Eating chocolate for any average or middle class family was like breathing, almost not even thought about. However as a young child being offered a piece of candy, or chocolate was like discovering a rare jewel, absolutely spectacular. After I was placed in foster care with a family that was very wealthy I noticed things that I had hardly ever been a part of, were things that they did in their daily life. Subsequent to living with the wealthier family, I moved in with my aunt where things seemed comfortable. We were not eating lobster every night for dinner but we had dinner on the table. Looking back on I realize how true Mahatma Gandhi’s saying really is, “It is health that is real wealth, not the pieces of gold and silver.”

      The importance of the English language, and social class and status are two extremely important themes in Pygmalion, although they are only few among many. Pygmalion can teach many people a lot of great lessons. From reading Pygmalion you can learn these lessons and understand them without actually having to endure them yourself. As Vernon Law once said, “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, and the lesson afterward”.

For Years to Come

     All throughout my high school years the number one topic of a "beginning of the year" paper has, for the most part, always boiled down to a "goal" oriented paper. Before this year whenever I heard "goal" oriented paper my stomach just cringed. However, recently it was brought to my attention that when you repeat what your goal is multiple times in your head, it sticks. I am now starting to understand how coincidentally all four years of high school I have been required to write these types of papers. It was all in the teacher's unintentional master plan to make each individual student realize their goal and actually remember and retain it. My master plan is to truly flourish starting with this year, my senior year, and ending with my life-long goals.
   It is senior year and my college years are just around the corner. Because senior year is all about preparation for college, one of the biggest goals I have this year is to crack down on those essays for all the college applications I have to put in. On top of keeping up with all of the essays, research papers, and homework that my senior year entails, I have to be able to manage my time and set aside numerous hours to really put a good first impression down on a piece of paper for the colleges of my dreams. Giving up Friday-night football games, late night movies with friends, and beach days seems nearly impossible considering that everyone else wants to live-up their senior year but I have come to the realization that better things come in life when you are willing to sacrifice certain luxuries. So I've decided to really get those essays for my college applications done, I am willing to give up the fun, late nights and replace them with long nights of brainstorming, writing, rewriting, and revising a million and a half essays that will hopefully lead me to a college that will help me succeed in the future.
     After the long, late nights of studying I will endure in college, as well as the greatly earned "A's", I would hope that six to eight years after graduating from high school, I will have a steady job practicing what I went to college for. Being an ultrasound  technician has always been a dream of mine and in order to be able to work in an OBGYN office doing fetal ultrasounds I know that I will have to apply several places. I also know that I may have to work in a hospital in the radiology department doing ultrasounds in order to build up the work history to make my self more marketable since getting a job in the ER of a hospital is a lot easier to come by.
     As life's journeys continue, I would like to have a nice home, preferably in suburbs, a loving husband and two children. In order to obtain the home of my dreams, I will have to strengthen my credit and budget my money in order to save up for the down payment on my house. Sacrifices will have to be made, some of the luxuries will be gone but I will have a good job, and a loving family. In the end all of the hard work and dedication will be big enough of a reward to outweigh the rough patches.
    In the end, many long nights, stressful days, and hard, long days at work will pay off more than I even fully understand now. These goals will be the guidelines of my life, the structural support and the light at the end of the tunnel. As long as I keep looking and moving forward satisfaction will come sooner than later. As Jim Rohn once said, "discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments."