Sociological Mindfulness

In Schwalbe's Sociological Mindfulness he talks about how mindfulness is more than paying attention, it's to see and appreciate something for its unique qualities. It's the practice of tuning in and seeing how the social world works. On that note, reading this article made me question myself on how everything in life comes together. My parents started off by living in Chicago, and they knew how independent you become while living there because the environment is different. Chicago isn't a terrible area to live in but the kids growing up go through a variety of difficult obstacles that we've never been through living in Buffalo Grove. They wanted a better life for my brother and I so they decided to move to Buffalo Grove. They not only wanted a good education for us; but wanted us to experience positive events that we'd appreciate them later for. Down in Chicago, they say the crime percentage has and is been high. Therefore, my mom and dad were worried we'd be apart of bad influences too. My parents were being considerate for our individual futures and I'll make sure to keep that in mind when I have a family of my own some day.

Silence

Imagine in a room full of 25 students and one teacher, nobody is talking. Everyone is blankly staring at each other and the teacher is sitting in the back of the room, not saying one word. This was a simple exercise my teacher practiced on us the first day of school. How could silence not be awkward? Of course, out of the 25 students, majority knew at least one person in the room. But even then, there was giggling and a lot of confusion. The students in our class didn't know whether to talk or not because we were always trained to be quiet when the bell rang so the teacher could explain directions. Students in every class, talk because who wouldn't? But in a room full of silenced teenagers, you begin to observe each individual and what they may be thinking at that very moment; because if it's awkward for you, it's just as awkward for person next to you. You may be trained to think about how the teacher is not much more different than you, and could be feeling just as nervous as you are for the first day.

Who am I?

Independence, respect, and individuality, have molded me into the person I am today. My name is Michelle but I go by Mish. The biggest influence would have to be my older brother. He's been someone I've looked up to since day one. Being seven years apart, we've grown to be very close. He's 24 years old, and has come a long way after high school. He owns a Tae Kwon Do school and that's become a big part of my life. I've done Tae Kwon Do the day I turned three years old and it's been a sport that's ran in my family for generations. Next to my brother, Tae Kwon Do itself has been a huge influence. It's a sport that trains the mind and body. I get the best of both worlds, not only do I get to train but I learn the meaning of earning and giving respect. Being advanced in a sport, allows you to help others and make the people around you better in what they do. This summer, I had the opportunity to work with children, teenagers, and adults that joined Tae Kwon Do. I instructed the classes and decided that I loved teaching, but children especially. My goal after high school is to get into a good school for early childhood education and then get a job as a Pre-K teacher or own a Pre-school.