What is Love?
We had a great time in both classes sharing what love means to us. Yesterday was Marcus' birthday and today was Rudy's. The freewrites generated a great conversation. The choices were to write about the antithesis of love or free associate on the term. If anyone wants to post their freewrite here, please do so. I wished I'd recorded the class comments. I don't know why I didn't think about it. My tape recorder was in my office :-) You can post anonymously. Some students didn't want their photo taken, so I just photographed their object. (I still plan to post the photos when I get home.) I was surprised to find out that we have students from as far away as Nepal and Ethiopia in the class.
Maria gave me a chocolate rose--it's my birth month flower. She's been showering me with presents since I met her last semester: angels her mother makes, a ceramic container filled with candy for Ancestor Day and a box of cookies on the day of our final--this was a great present because I had students working late that afternoon into the evening and the cookies and pretzels and candy were a great snack. I still don't understand why another man in her family couldn't present her to the world at the celebration of her 15th year. (I can't spell the name of the ceremony.)
Students in both classes shared poetry, presents from parents like rings and wallets and cell phones and angels and a Holy Qur'an: Rudy, Sushil, Rajiv, Ali, Daniel, Dung, William, Melissa, and Maria. Faraj shared a peace sign. Teneya brought her daughter to class and shared a poem after all of you left :-) She connected love to time and showed me a lovely heart-shaped watch. Other students had heart lockets like Maria. Aisha shared a cup her grandmother made for her mother when her parent was a child, while Aiko shared a painting he did in art class based on one of his favorites by Salvador Dali. Marcus shared a singing card he's sending to his girlfriend. Marty shared a photo of one of her two 14 pound felines. Makda shared a poem and brought her bible written in Amharic. Inside there were photos of her parents. Kevin shared a score he loves and spoke of his passion for music. Michael brought in CDs for a group he loved called "the Mob" I think. Joe shared tattoos and so did Angel. Dominique shared a photo album with pictures of her grandfather who passed not to long ago. Deon shared his Tasmanian Devil (I think that's what it's called).
Lauren sent her poem, so I pasted it in the comment section. I also shared a poem, which I posted in the comment section. I encourage all of you to share your comments here. Have a great weekend. Don't forget to read Walker over the long break.
We had a great time in both classes sharing what love means to us. Yesterday was Marcus' birthday and today was Rudy's. The freewrites generated a great conversation. The choices were to write about the antithesis of love or free associate on the term. If anyone wants to post their freewrite here, please do so. I wished I'd recorded the class comments. I don't know why I didn't think about it. My tape recorder was in my office :-) You can post anonymously. Some students didn't want their photo taken, so I just photographed their object. (I still plan to post the photos when I get home.) I was surprised to find out that we have students from as far away as Nepal and Ethiopia in the class.
Maria gave me a chocolate rose--it's my birth month flower. She's been showering me with presents since I met her last semester: angels her mother makes, a ceramic container filled with candy for Ancestor Day and a box of cookies on the day of our final--this was a great present because I had students working late that afternoon into the evening and the cookies and pretzels and candy were a great snack. I still don't understand why another man in her family couldn't present her to the world at the celebration of her 15th year. (I can't spell the name of the ceremony.)
Students in both classes shared poetry, presents from parents like rings and wallets and cell phones and angels and a Holy Qur'an: Rudy, Sushil, Rajiv, Ali, Daniel, Dung, William, Melissa, and Maria. Faraj shared a peace sign. Teneya brought her daughter to class and shared a poem after all of you left :-) She connected love to time and showed me a lovely heart-shaped watch. Other students had heart lockets like Maria. Aisha shared a cup her grandmother made for her mother when her parent was a child, while Aiko shared a painting he did in art class based on one of his favorites by Salvador Dali. Marcus shared a singing card he's sending to his girlfriend. Marty shared a photo of one of her two 14 pound felines. Makda shared a poem and brought her bible written in Amharic. Inside there were photos of her parents. Kevin shared a score he loves and spoke of his passion for music. Michael brought in CDs for a group he loved called "the Mob" I think. Joe shared tattoos and so did Angel. Dominique shared a photo album with pictures of her grandfather who passed not to long ago. Deon shared his Tasmanian Devil (I think that's what it's called).
Lauren sent her poem, so I pasted it in the comment section. I also shared a poem, which I posted in the comment section. I encourage all of you to share your comments here. Have a great weekend. Don't forget to read Walker over the long break.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 5:21 PM
14 Comments:
Love
I heard a picture was worth a thousand words and then I saw your face. I pictured your extraordinary countenance and genuinely thought it was beautiful, until I saw its counterparts and ingredients:
¼ cup lies
2 tablespoons mistrust
1 teaspoon dehumanization
½ cup self-fixation
Just a pinch of deception, leave out the cooperation & justification & explanation of and in this relationship, at least that’s what I thought it was. Pictured me and you sharing one romantic moment- no communication, only virtuous fixation of my eyes on you and yours on me so peacefully glowing of love, respect and amazement. Your smile made my heart grin and my spirit sparkle and soar and deep dangerous love is what I felt, I felt for this man of many faces. Yes many faces is right and those faces?-the evil counterparts I pictured that spoke louder than that once wonderful smile.
They said things that should never b spoken but yes there was a purpose to my hearing them- to let me know that looks can be deceiving and never judge a book by its cover or its cover up. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure and one person’s faults are another person’s beauty-One. There was one. He watched me from the very beginning, saw your pseudo-faces long before I even knew they existed. I ignored his wisdom because I perceived it as ugly advice even though it came from a beautiful place. A very dear friend who loved me so, stayed truthful even though it meant he could possibly never have my heart in return. In my ugliness he saw beauty. In my sorrow and pain he saw radiance and peace. In my worst time he comforted me best as he knew how. So now when I picture him I hear love, truth, awesome, unconditional, transcendence. I picture him and his being transcends to mine and we connect as ONE.
When I picture love, true love real love-not love making but love creating love over and over and over, mouth watering love not lust but genuine love-I think of he and I, I think of he and I, he and I, HE AND I being ONE and the earth breathes, the winds are calm. Rain stops dead in its tracks to acknowledge love, LOVE, real love no duplication, not store-bought but real, Real, REAL plain and simple love. I guess a word is worth a thousand pictures because when I hear love, I see the sun. I see the sun setting. I see the sun setting on pain and rising on a spectacular intertwinement of you and I, You and I , YOU and I, finally the epitome of love.
By Lauren Byrd
Eng 1A 9-10am
Maafa Memories
For King
By Wanda Sabir
You are my Maafa commemoration, life after death, the possibility of everlasting
You are my triangular slave route, the pain, the confusion, the inarticulate horror I have to wade through to see day
You are my Katrina nightmare, the levees broke, broken New Orleans wetness both salvation and unimaginable hell--a hell you've learned to walk through
I used to fear you until you became an ally, yet I have yet to learn to swim. Aquatic lessons don�t work in a land where fish breathe air unaided
We need translation. The words don't make sense in either language, so we stop speaking
I don't know if you are the one I�ve been waiting for, but you are the one I'm with
You are my Maafa Commemoration. You're the ocean--Mama Yemaja--
red earth colored with the blood of my people.
When I look into your eyes, I see my father, my grandmother, my Great Aunt Ruth, Uncle HJ, I see my nephew Carlton and cousin Telemethus, Great Uncle George and Grandfather Henry; Auntie Teenie and Great Aunt Bea
Your love speaks to me, the white foam a language that needs no translation, as I stand bare foot in the stream
You are my Maafa Commemoration
Chained to strangers, the ship carries you into bondage where you capsized onto my shore and I rescued you/you rescued me
You looked familiar, even after several lifetimes separated--ocean waters nearly drown me--I sputter and float to shore where I stand alone contemplating my destiny 'cause you are my Maafa Commemoration
You are my celebration linked to a primal fear of death at sea-- won't you save me? The more I pull away, the deeper I sink
You are my Maafa Commemoration--a new and old testament. You are my here and after that
You are my life everlasting. You are my hope that there is a future
Your presence acknowledges all that I am
I have been here before and when I was here so were you, 'cause you are my Maafa Commemoration. You are my libation, my ashay, and my amen too. My Hallelujahs and Al Hamdulilahs!
You are the land I stand on, the shore when I'm away at sea I'm trying to get back to --'cause you are my Maafa Commemoration
Tears roll down my cheeks as I thank the creator you held on,will continue to hold on. We find solace in one another. I throw flowers in your path; you are my miracle
I blink to clear my mind and you come into view 'cause...you are my Maafa Commemoration. You survived a hell, braved a journey and lived to tell me about it...your waves fill my shore, the foam threatens to drown me. I lie down and let you come over me, the baptism a vital ingredient in the exchange
We die to live again... again
You are my Maafa Commemoration, Ashay and Amen and Hallelujah
Copyright 10/28/07
Deon Johnson
English 1A 8-9
Free-write: Words associated with Love
• Family
• Censored
• Reliable
• Personable
• A Being
• Happy
• A Fight
• Warrior
• Valentine
• Hearts
• Mary J. Bilge song: Roses
• Many Definitions
• Memories
• Red White
• Pink
• Commitment
• Understanding
• Heartache
• Angels
• Togetherness
Rajiv Amatya
Eng 1A (8-9am)
Love
Love: what is this four letter word? What does it refers to? To many people love means many things. To others, to love is to place their happiness in one another; it can be how they feel about their special someone. Here I’m talking about the love that you feel towards someone, whom you lose your heart and could possibly spend the rest of your life with. Many people defines love in different way, is the love a feelings, an attraction resulting form sexual desire; enthusiasm or fondness. But to me love is not just a feeling, but it is the way that you indulgence that special that you take care for treating them so kindly so they will know you care and love them. Love in my eyes, making that forgo for someone, knowing that you might regret it earlier or later.
Love is how you make another person feel when you are in presence. Love is the laughter that you share, the time you spend, and the relationship that you assemble with that special someone. Many people show one express their love for someone in many and different ways. But in my personal view, love does not need to express, it is what you feel about him/her. Love is respect whether your beloved one in return of that or not. No matter, far or near, smile or tear, your respect will rise even sun set at one time.
Kenton Low,1A
MTUWR: 8 - 9AM
Ms. Sabir
Love Essay
Febuary 14,2008
Love
Love has many things to offer. Many people don’t know a lot about love, or what love is. Depending on the context, love can have a wide variety of intended meanings. Love is a highly overrated commodity which traps the public yearly when holiday’s like Valentine’s Day comes around. Love is described as a strong deep affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties. It’s the object of attachment, devotion, or admiration.
With some people love can sometimes get carried away with Valentine’s Day. Many major candy companies along with Hallmark are coming up with ways for people to purchase their items. Some of the items are ridiculous, and costly. I do think that some stores are going overboard on Valentine’s Day and that’s creating some insecurity. There is nothing wrong with candy, flowers, and cards on Valentine’s Day. It’s a special day for a mate, friends, and family to celebrate love.
There are many love styles including Eros, Agape and Philia, which are Greek meanings of love.
The types of love that I’m going to discuss are Eros, Agape and Phillia. Eros means love at first site. It is based on physical attributes and is mostly physical arousal. Eros is probably what most people mean when they announce with a smile, “I’m in love.” Eros is the type of love that covers everything from queasy stomachs, and warm fuzzy feelings to a strong sensual passion.
Philia got the name from Philadelphia that is the city of brotherly love according to a recent television broadcast on CBS news. Philia is the love of friendship, best friends and the fellowship of being with those people you enjoy.
Agape is way different than Eros, and Philia. Agape is not limited to being held hostage by its environment and someone’s perception. Agape is based upon the commitment of a decision. Agape is capable of acting in a hostile environment where there are no warm fuzzy feelings.
According to a recent article at www.care2.com/channels/solutions/bms,
as many as 73% of Russian Women and 63% of Japanese and American women believe themselves to be in love. Yet only 6% of Russian men and as few as 41% of Jap men think they are in love. “This probably explains why as many as half of al marriages now end in divorce,” stated Bob Henry a television anchor from CBS news.
The experience of love is a function of levels of intimacy, commitment, and passion. Eros, in my opinion is the most valuable type of love. Eros is love at first sight. Most people have had that type of love. I have personally felt that type of love in my life. It’s a different feeling than if you just generally like someone. Eros is a unique kind of love because you don’t feel that love everyday.
I do think love is the most effective weapon against hate. People sometimes use hate against someone to like him or her.
In the world there is a role for Romantic love. People often use February 14th, a day to express their love. People distribute Valentines Day love cards, candy, hearts, and balloons also to express their role of love.
We develop styles of love that are based on expectancies developed from childhood experiences with caregivers. In recent pole at www.1000ventures.com they key to happiness is 56% mental attitude, 25% love, 8% achievement, 7 % creative activity, and 4% of love. This is a key to strengthen your relationship.
So whether you describe love as non-love, liking, infatuated love, empty love, romantic love, companionate love, fatuous love, or consummate love, or the types of love such as Eros, Agape you may want to treat that special someone on Valentines day with a special something from a Hallmark store, or a dozen roses delivered right on their doorstep.
I believe Philia is the most widely coming type of love. We may even use it every day. We say love you to your friends, family, and people you really care about. Valentines Day is a special day for many, and it may not be a special day for some. For those who don’t plan on spending it with that special someone, I hope someday you will.
Sushil Pathak
English 1A 8-9
I think love do not fall within any specific definitions. once defined,love is confined and when something is confined, it is dead. It is a concepet which requires higher degree of understanding and application.
The greek gave the different types of love names like agape,eros,philia,storge and thelema.
The word "agopo" is the verb "I love." In ancient greek,It often refered to a general affection rather than the attraction. It can be described as felling of holding one in high regard.
"philia" means friendship in modern greek. It was a concept developed by Aristotle. It includes loyalty to friends,family and community and requires virtue,equality and familarity.
"Eros" is love with sensual desire. It refers more to the romantic love. It is love for someone you love more than philia love of friendship.
"storge" means affection in modern greek. It is natural affection like that felt by parents for offsprigs..
"Thelema" means desire. It is desired to do something,to be occupied or to be in proinence.
I think the most important is the "Philia." It is because human life and human love is made of much more than just love of people themselves. we cannot limit the object of our loves to people. Life supposes a broader relationship of love like a relationship with community,other forms of life and the universe, love with knowledge and wisdom,with beauty,music. We have to love more than just people. Love transcends humanity.
I find only one word associated with love which is "HEART."
Sushil Pathak
English 1A 8-9
For above comment,I took reference from Ask.com in finding the meanings of different greek names for love.
Rudy Gonzales
8-9am Mon.-Thurs.
MLK Love Assignment
“Love Your Enemies” http://www.mlkonline.net/enemies.html
Due to doctor’s orders Martin Luther King was headed out the backdoor of the church right after his sermon “Love Your Enemies.” A little boy named Billy Lee at the back of the church had many questions for Dr. King post his love sermon. Billy ran outside and to the back of the church where King was slowly moving to his automobile.
Billy: Dr. King, wait! I have some questions to ask you.
King slowly turned around always ready to have a conversation, especially with youth.
King: Yes, may I help you?
Billy: Dr. King, I heard your thoughts today about why we should love our enemies and I felt that what you said was true, but I find it so hard to even like my enemies. How can I get past seeing my enemies as people who seem full of hate?
King: Why do you think they hate, Billy?
Billy: Well, they constantly call me horrible names and they don’t even know me. They don’t even want to get to know me or the kind of person I am. I don’t understand how these people can already have a prejudice.
King: People are taught this Billy. Most likely they have learned or overheard people they look up to be mean to people like you. So they feel they can be mean as well. These people don’t think for themselves Billy. They just keep this cycle of hate going and it’s not right. However, you have the power to break the cycle. What do you do when they are mean to you?
Billy: I call them names back and sometimes it escalates to a physical fight. In the end I build up my hate for them.
King: Now wait a minute, hate is a strong word. Do you remember when I talked about hate in my sermon?
Billy: Yeah.
King: People that hate Billy are people that actually love something so much that they hate to see their something jeopardized. For example, there are some people out there that would like to see America as solely a white-mans’ country, like the Klan. They love this country so much that they would do everything they can to intimidate us and make us leave. In short, their love for this country is more than their love for humanity. What they can’t see is their greed for wanting it all for themselves. Billy, sometimes we love something so much that is makes us blind to what we really love and gets obscured with hate. Loving something like I said Billy, makes you blind because you are overtaken by it. In the end, we all have to understand that we are all people of God. We are all on this earth together and need to learn to live with one another and not against the other. There is hate in this world Billy, I am not going to tell you that there is not, but (pause) there is also love. And with love for the common good, we will not be overtaken by greed, power, or any other shadow that may lie before us. We love our enemies not because it is the right thing to do, we love our enemies because we want to show them that love is possible under any circumstance. All it takes is one person to love them and change their outlook on life in general.
Billy: So you’re saying that these people love something, but I am blocking that so they hate me?
King: Yes, in a way. These people don’t see how they can love that something with you in the picture because they haven’t learned any different. You can be the bigger person and show them that you’re filled with love and that you might be going for that same something that they love. When people find they have commonalities they can usually take a step back and appreciate one another. This breaks the barrier of hate that both of you have been building against one another.
Billy: I think I am starting to see your point. One of us needs to be the bigger person before any common ground is found, right?
King: That’s right. (smiles)
Billy: I should not wait for my enemy to take the first move. If I want change, I need to have some sense and take steps towards loving my enemy. Because if I do that, I will fuel him only in a positive way and he will have no reason not to like, wait, I mean love me back as his fellow brother.
King: Now you got it. I have to get goin’ Billy. I have to take care of this cold before I get any sicker. See you next Sunday?
Billy: I’ll be here; my mom doesn’t let me miss a Sunday. Besides I like to hear when you’re up at the pulpit. You’re greater than you’ll ever know Dr. King. You are a hero to many.
King: We all have our heroes Billy. The Lord is My Savior!
Billy: Amen!
King: Amen!
King gets in his car and his wife drives home. Billy rushes back to the church and catches the last song of praise appropriately titled “Oh How He Loves You and Me”
Rudy Gonzales
8-9am Mon-Thurs
Response to Sushil
I thought your thoughts about love were good. I liked how you found other Greek words from Ask.com to describe the word love. I understood your thesis as, "[Love] is a concepet which requires higher degree of understanding and application." Your supporting evidence shows numerous examples of what love can entail, but I would have liked to seen more examples with each word and what you thought about each.
I enjoyed your conclusion. Your thoughts were direct and well thought out in believing philia was the most important. It does cover a wide range of love and all the examples you expressed that we could love. Going back to the definition, I particularly enjoyed how it defined philia as, "requires virtue,equality and familarity," because I believe to love something needs these other elements to be on a serious level. For example, we could say something like, "I love ice-cream," but that does not cover the moral goodness, equality we love for other foods, or even a vast familiarity with all types of ice-cream. That is not to say that we could not eventually love it, but to just say something on such a whim seems that it does not have depth.
To the contrary, I believe that your last word, "Heart" that you associate with love is great. After looking up heart I understood that most definitions talk about heart being the core/center of something. In this sense, it says that we have to look within to really see what we actually love.
Good job
SUSHIL PATHAK
8-9AM
Monday-Thrusday
Martin Luther King Love Assignment
“Love Your Enemies”
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/sermons/571117.002_Loving_Your_Enemies.html
Martin Luther King is a synonym for love. A man who believes in "Love is the only way", who fought to implant love on people for their fellow citizens and who lived a life of a loving person is remembered in human history as a symbol of love. Everey sermon he imparted,every act he performed reflected this philosophy.
"love thy enemies" echoes his prime agenda in life. It is not one's victory over enemy that makes one be great but being great requires one to overcome this very feeling of hatred. His notion of love is charecterized by "Love is creative,understanding,goodwill for all men. It is the refusal to defeat any individual" as recited in one of his sermon on Loving your enemies. King realised that defeating the ills of society or people is hard but is possible because we can always work toward our goal by using love as a tool. If we start today with hope,we can reach every heart to get rid of the things that have pushed humanity towards suffering and division.
Love redeems people. It has a transformative power. It can redeem those who are full of hatred and ill. King says,"Here's the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all of that. Just keep friendly to that person. Keep loving them. Dont do anything to embarrass them. Just keep loving them and they, and they cant stand it too long." So ultimately everybody realize that love is the only tool or even weapon to win everything including human heart.
Rajiv Amatya
8-9am
Martin Luther King Love Assignment
“Loving Your Enemies”
Martin king author wants to have a peaceful nation where there is no hatred among oneself. He gives example of Jesus saying “Love your enemies." For this he adds that to love anybody, know yourself, try to know why you hate this person. The reason may be simple like you don’t like his hair, his walking style; his attitude, his eyes and though they have not done anything wrong to you. We may hate someone with those simple unnecessary things. So try to know yourself. After that King suggests us to take only good things from the bad person. He says" everyone has good as well as bad side. Even the worst person has the good side. Whenever you feel like hatred is overwhelming you, think about those and love and appreciate their good things.” According to King, overcoming the bad thoughts to good thoughts loves the enemies.
King uses Greek word such as Eros meaning love for powerful and attractive things, Philia meaning affection between two persons, reciprocal love as that person likes you; third Greek for love is “Agape” which refers to the unconditional love for mankind, just because they are the ones God loved. King emphasis on “Agape” to give love to everyone as they are God’s creation not because just they are likeable. King Author tells us to focus on loving individual and hating their deeds. Whether we don’t like the way they speak, the way they look, still we can love them. He highlights the fact that hatred increases with hatred. Love can win the hatred.
Link: http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/sermons/571117.002_Loving_Your_Enemies.html
Ali Hassan
Professor Sabir
8/9
Free-write: Words associated with Love
• Love
• Happy
• Heart
• Value
• Time
• Hardship
• Commitment
• Passion
• Hugs
• Kisses
• Desire
• Chocolate
• Roses
• Valentines
• Peace
• Family
• Value
Ali Hassan
Professor Sabir
8/9
Dear, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Love is an essential seed of peace and is the basis of the non- violence that you have practiced. You have worked real hard to plant this love seed among our hearts, to love even our enemies. You made it clear in the speech “Loving Your Enemies”, which the first step to loving your enemies is developing and maintaining the strength to forgive, “He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. You also point out that in order to love your enemies you must begin analyzing ones self. Although many might find it so hard to believe regarding what you said about loving our enemies, I find this all true about loving our enemies, that we should love our enemies because love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend, we should love our enemies because returning hate for hate multiplies hate, and hate is just injurious to the person who hates as to the person who is hated. I agree with what you concluded in your sermon telling everyone while abhorring segregation, “we shall love segregationist this is the only way to create the beloved community. I concur about what you said about love …“Love is the durable power in the world. This creative force, so beautifully exemplified in the life of our Christ, is the most potent instrument available in mankind’s leaders have gone. And their empires have crumbled and burned to ashes”. I never questioned anything you say. Because everything that comes out of your mouth is the truth and the right thing to do. I look at many others before you, like Gandhi who has substituted hate for love and have successfully overcame many obstacles, not for his own good, but for his people and their future generation. Love is power that why I agree about what you said about love. “Love is an absolute necessity for survival of our civilization, it is love that will save our world and our civilization, love even for enemies”.
love is hate turned inside out.
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