What is...the way we get by?

Journal 2-1


What is...the way we get by?


I. In my last blog, I was curious about the results of the election that took place on November 2. Here is what I found:
This chart has basically all the information reguarding the election results.
https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2010/EB24720D-F5C6-4880-8DC5-12AE4D0C3772/Unofficial/6_s.shtml


II. This week's blog is going to be about the latest documentary we watched in class, called "The Way We Get By". This was my favorite documentary so far. It was really interesting to me. It was about a group of veterans, three seniors in particular, who devote their time to welcoming home or sending away troops. They're called the Maine Troop Greeters, which is a group of veterans and ordinary people who greet the current soldiers and let them know they're appreciated. The main characters were Bill, Joan, and Jerry. Bill was a widower who had prostate cancer and was struggling to pay his bills. Joan is a mother of eight with two grandchildren in active duty. Jerry lost his youngest son at age 10 and is currently suffering heart problems. Obviously, these three have their fair share of difficulties in their lives. However, they choose to devote their time to serving others.

source:

Fanning, L. C. (n.d.). The National Guard - Heartwarming film pays tribute to Maine troop greeters. The National Guard - Official Website of the National Guard. Retrieved November 14, 2010, from http://www.ng.mil/news/archives/2009/07/071609-Heartwarming.aspx

Personally, I thought this documentary was very moving. It proves that life isn't always about you. No matter what you're going through, you can always find a way to make someone else appreciate you. My favorite part of the whole film was the speech that Bill gave to the camera person. He said "My life don't mean a hell of a lot to me, but if I can make it mean something to somebody else, that's my endeavor...I have nothing, really, to live for except what I do for other people. I've outlived my usefulness as far as individually. But helping other people puts a little meaning back into my life. At least I hope that's what it's doing." This was expecially moving to me because it just goes to show that everyone has a purpose. No matter how worthless you think you are, there is someone out there who values you. If you think you have nothing to live for you're absolutely wrong. Everyone has a purpose and a meaning in life. For Bill, he believes that the only purpose he has left is to help people. Therefore, no matter how old, poor or sick he is, he can still serve a purpose in life.

source:

POV - The Way We Get By . Have You Met the Maine Troop Greeters? | PBS. (n.d.). PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved November 14, 2010, from http://www.pbs.org/pov/waywegetby/have_you_met.php



It is believed that volunteering is a way for people to stay happy and healthy. I fully believe this because my grandpa is a living example. He is currently 83 years old and he worked for FEMA as a civil engineer up until last year. That job was everything to him. He poured every ounce of heart and soul into that job. Sometimes is required that he travel, and stay away for a long time. This was rough on his family, but we knew it made him happy. There were several times when he considered retiring, but he couldn't ever bring himself to do it. We, as his family, knew he shouldn't be traveling anymore, but we also knew that his job was keeping him happy and healthy. There was even a few times when he wound up in the hospital in another state due to health problems that he encountered while he was on the job. However no struggle was great enough to make him stop doing what he loved. So, because of personal experience, I thoroughly believe that doing what makes you happy can boost your well being. In this film, it is volunteering to greet the troops that brings joy and strength to these elderly people.

source:

Sobel, R. S., & Leeson, P. T. (n.d.). Find the FEMA Concentration Camp Near You! | USAHM Conspiracy News. USAHitman | Conspiracy Theories & Alternative News. Retrieved November 14, 2010, from http://usahitman.com/find-the-fema-concentration-camp-near-you/ 


III. For next week's class I want to know more about the group in Dallas that is similar to the Maine Troop Greeters. It was mentioned in the packet that we read, so I plan to further research that organization.