Alaina's Craziness

This blog is called Alaina's Craziness because Mr. McCarthy told me to call it that, just saying.

     The Puritans were a confusing group of people. On the one hand, they were super super strict. They had to do everything right so they wouldn't go to hell; they disapproved of drinking in large quantities (understandable) and even banned the practice of toasting one another; they were the cause of the Salem Witch Trials, which, because of the manner in which people were sometimes accused, seems to me like a good reason for the accuser to go to hell. Celebration in general was banned from 1659 to 1681 in Boston, and they disapproved of Christmas celebrations for a long while, even after celebrations were once again legal. Many people today are under the impression that Puritans were against sexual activity of any kind. On the contrary, it was perhaps one of the most important parts of their society. When a man and woman wanted to get married, they needed to go through a series of steps, including contracts and announcements and celebrations, at the end of which was sexual intercourse. If the husband and wife could not, for one reason or another, perform this act, the marriage could be damaged. Often the contract between him and his bride would dissolve.

     The Puritans had so many strict rules that it is only natural that eventually that religion would die out. But,  regardless of the fact that the Puritan way is largely dissolved today, they have had an enormous influence on society. They essentially started the first public schools, and founded what we know today as one of the very top schools in the country: Harvard. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard has turned out some of the finest professionals in the country. Cambridge is a town located not far from a very famous village, Salem.

     Several Puritans lived in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a very old town, the port of several stories, many of which are not easy to hear. The most famous of these is, of course, The Salem Witch Trials. These trials began in the winter of 1692 when a group of girls became sick and blamed certain members of the community for their illness. Hundreds of people were accused, wrongly of course, of witchcraft, and 19 men and women were hanged. One man was also pressed to death. Another famous feature of salem is the House of the Seven Gables.

     The House of the Seven Gables was built by a Salem sea captain and merchant named John Turner in 1668. Whoa. That was a long time ago. After being in the family for three generations, the house was handed over to Captain Samuel Ingersoll, who died at sea and left the property to his daughter, Susanna. Susanna was a cousin of the man who later became a very influential American writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne visited the house so many times that it inspired the setting and title of his novel in 1851.

     Obviously, the Puritans did not have  lifestyle they were able to maintain. But, because of their amazing advances in schooling, we now have the ability to attend schools. Because of the House of the Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne was able to write a beautiful piece of literature that has been read by thousands of children in the schools the Puritans were able to create. Ahh, what a wonderful world.

The Moment I Knew I Was An American

     This is a difficult question to answer. I think I've always known I'm an American. Okay, let me rephrase that though. Of course I've always known I'm an American. I was born in Chicago, I've been raised in the same house all my life. It's more than being born in America though. I went to school at the age of five to learn to read and write and do math. I learned Spanish so well I could almost speak fluently. The very fact that I had the chance to learn it that well should have been a sign to me that I'm American, tough I didn't acknowledge it at the time. I learned from an early age history of my country and the presidents. I don't think there was a real moment when I realized that I am an American. I've just always known.
     Of course, there have been times when that fact is more prominent than others. I've traveled from a young age, France and England at the age of nine, then off to Thailand at age twelve, only to visit Scotland and Greece in eighth grade, and Costa Rica a couple years later. I am so lucky to be able to visit these places, and it makes me realize the privileged world in which I grew up. I've had the chance to travel to several places of the globe, but each time it is clear to me that the culture I know is different from any of these countries. Some speak different languages, eat different foods, have different religions and family values. Everyone is different. That's why I think there was never a real moment of realization to me, that I am an American. Because all cultures are different. Especially with the fact that American culture is so diverse, it's hard to identify myself with a single "American culture".

Us vs. Them...Us and Them

     There are so, so many things that can push a person to do the wrong thing. The key to that question though, is society. Things in society cause people to make the wrong choices every day. Peer pressure, for one thing, is the root of many choices. People are pushed into doing things they don't want to do, even though they know in their heart that it is the wrong decision. But it's hard to make the right choice when everyone else is saying differently.
     Another, slightly less noticeable branch of peer pressure is when you're trying to do something for the good of someone else. I myself have fallen into the trap of always trying to please other people, instead of doing what's best for myself. I'm not saying it's bad to do things for other people, and to try to make them happy, but it can get to be too much. Sometimes, while trying to please someone else, one can be blind to what is really the right thing to do, and choose the wrong thing. This kind of thing can happen easily, and is not always spotted until later on. You can feel really good about "doing the right thing" and making someone else happy, and then realize later on that you missed something.
     Things in society cause people to choose the wrong thing all the time. Whether it be peer pressure, the need to please others, advertisement, or just a subtle "social norm", people make the wrong choices. It happens. What can't happen is people beating themselves up over the wrong choices. Once you've made a choice, it's made. If it's not something you can change, don't worry about it. It's not worth it. Treat every mistake like a gift, because it's teaching you a lesson. Society, "them", is always against "us". We need to be strong and individual, or our sense of self will be lost. It's always going to be "Us vs. Them", and the only thing to do is be strong. If you falter, take it in your stride and start again.