Best of Week: Truth

As a triplet, I have a multitude of experiences with groups of three: cakes, cell phones, books, etc. Until this week, while reading Orlando I hadn't encountered three dancing girls before. Purity, Modesty, and Chastity skip and sashay around Orlando in hindrance of the truth, which would set him free. They mock, they deceive, they enchant us to do their bidding and believe in innocence.

It’s this funny thing, innocence. Culture nowadays is geared toward two extremes – Disney naïtivity and pop culture bare-it-all views. There is no transition between the two, which is where the truth gets lost – why my mind was blown at the realization in class that ideas like purity and modesty hinder the truth, rather than help. “But men want us no longer, the women detest us. We go; we go. I (Purity says this) to the hen roost. I (Chastity says this) to the still unravished heights of Surry. I (Modesty said this) to any cozy nook where there are curtains in plenty” (101). The sisters aren’t wanted, are simply alone in the world which explains a lack of middle ground. They only apply to the young and then vanish as truth takes over.

Our discussion in class rotated around Purity, Chastity, and Modesty’s honesty-blockage and interactions with the trumpeters of Truth. What struck me as the most intriguing was Purity. I consider myself to be a relatively pure person, I pride myself on it. I’ve got my own definition of Pure, composed of my values, and I intend to stick to it. I’m operating under the assumption that it’ll lead me to a happier life; but this was all called into question. The discussion in class wove in and on, while my mind felt like the girls were waltzing inside of it, spinning circles of confusion and uncertainty in my core beliefs.

Finally, we as a class were directly asked – how did each element, separately, interact with Truth? I found myself confidently raising my hand, an unconscious movement. Something in that moment had kicked the dancers out, the glitter was gone and all was clear. I gave my answer as to why Purity endangered Truth, because she was too focused on her characteristic and rejected anything new. Purity doesn’t try different opportunities, for the risk they might lead to impurity. A question formed in the back of my mind – am I living my life too hidden, in the hen roost where Purity will return? If I have these beliefs, am I then holding myself back? The idea was horrifying, because I being limited is something I absolutely despise. But, what if? Do I abandon purity and embrace Truth?

Today, the two aren’t mutually exclusive. I don’t want to desert one, so I’m simply not going to. Purity, in less absolute form, can be combined with a less absolute form of Truth without losing the benefits of either. Truth can walk with Purity, hand and hand, simply with lower expectations. I believe my values can change, as can my view of Purity; as can standards for truth. They don’t have to be steadfast, that’s the beauty of the living; the ability to paint and blend the world and it’s attributes however we want. This acknowledgment made the fear of a terrible choice seem almost worthwhile.

Carry It Forward: Orlando

Two chapters in, and already Orlando is my favorite book read in Academy. There are two main reasons for this: the writing, and the thoughts within the writing: I'll focus on the latter. Orlando, in his moodiness, tends to raise enthralling questions and uncover concepts that people in Elizabethan England and 21st century America take as given and without consideration Ideas about sex and gender, recollection, and the role of people in society all have a distinguishing twist, and one has especially stuck out to me. The comments on people and how they live are fascinating; the recognition that we're quite small, and we'll all end up in the same place regardless of if we realize it while conscious or not.

The discussion today in class, touching off from the morbidity of walking on skulls and cracking bone, led to a connection in the story and my life as reincarnation of a question I’ve been trying to answer for awhile. What is the end goal of racing so far forward, so fast – in high school, college, careers? Everyone seems to be doing it, climbing higher and starting off younger. Orlando dwells on this, wondering whose left finger he picks up, and under the oak tree as he thinks profound thoughts about celebrity and obscurity. He comes to the conclusion that people want to leave something behind, but I believe it’s more than that. Humans not only want to leave something behind, we want to be remembered for who we are, for doing something spectacular and great. As a species, we can no longer settle for only leaving a family or a home behind, the way Orlando can. Time has progressed and we have a cultural craving – our media is so focused on so few people, people who we look up to while growing up and aspire to be. Aspiration takes controls and takes us to extreme measures to be the best, or the worst, as the only way to quell the compulsive craving.

Because of this engaging desire, an awakening moment can be quite a painful thing, especially for a high school student trying to to the top in a shark tank, etc, to know that all the work we do won’t make a comprehensive difference. It’s a little nugget of wisdom that I can only begin to comprehend, many because I don't want to comprehend, for I am one of the creatures stuck in the rat race. As long as memory holds I’ve wanted to do something big as an adult, and while the process of doing this has progressed, the ideal hasn’t. I’d like to carry forward the idea that nothing lasts, because while sobering, I think it can help frazzled teenagers find ground. Like Orlando, we need to learn to do what we love for ourselves, not to be know. Some of us plain need to learn what we love, instead of focusing on what will get into the best school or the top position. The knowledge could be the first step in going to bed on time, accepting failure, to discovering passion instead of pressure and lastly: it's possible to make a smaller dent in the world and be fully satisfied.

It's going to be hard, no doubt, because lines are blurry. Do I want to do 'x' for myself, or for the effect it'll have? A hard question to answer. I will fall back on this ideal, but I believe it's a step not toward changing my dreams, but finding alternate paths to distinction.