Awakenings

I always loved the film Awakenings with Robert DeNiro, and my apologies for spoiling the film, but the awakenings in the film prove to be short-lived. Among those who are staying in Japan for a year, I have heard many people say here at the halfway point that they are unsatisfied with the way things are going in their life and are ready to turn a new leaf. The hard part is following through, and even if there is a perceived awakening into a new life, often times this new leaf gets brushed away as the novelty of change has worn off. For example, I have heard many incidences of smokers being unable to quit until they think about the consequences it will have on their unborn child. If change requires this kind of serious motivation, then it's a shame that too many people are so unwilling to take care of themselves, possibly a sign that this age of information is also an age of poor self-esteem. At least I don't recall ever having read an uplifting book in the Wake County public school system.

So on top of learning to cook, my latest awakening is to shrug aside all my twisted perceptions of morality that pretty much equated to me being a slacker. The new goal is a disciplined schedule, a more active social engagement, no more fear of confrontation, and most importantly, not taking an hour to think through every sentence before I speak. Usually the topic has changed by that point anyway. Wish me luck.