Checking In, a Week Without Facebook

Hello again friends.  It's been a week since I probably lost contact with you.  My past week without a facebook account has been both productive and fruitful, mostly for my mental state.

I've recently gone into what I call "Zen master" mode.  I had an eye-opening realization this past week: life is beautiful simply because it is life.  The fact that you are having experiences, both good and bad, makes life beautiful and worth living.  You are completely in control of your own happiness and feelings.  If you don't want something to make you feel a certain way, then just don't let it.  If you can remember that in all situations that life is beautiful because you're living it, no matter what hardship or strife, you are one step closer to true happiness and nirvana.

Now, if we factor in the "human factor", we can see that this is a very high goal to strive for.  Some would say that Man is beautiful because he is flawed, or because he can be aware of his flaws.  I argue that Man is beautiful because he can realize that his flaws are still beautiful.  For example: I was recently counseling a friend with some relationship/dating advice.  He was upset over something that could possibly have been nothing, but it could also have been interpreted as frustrating and telling about how the girl felt about him.  Instead of traditional advice, I posed this question to him: "People are complicated.  Are you prepared to deal with that?"  This question opened his eyes and made him realize that he need not worry over small things or potentialities.  Things can go well, and things can go poorly, but they can always be beautiful experiences no matter what happens.  Living is beautiful, no matter what.

Switching gears:

I'm sitting in the Scrounge here in my last full week of classes at 9 AM while writing this post, and I'm amazed at the massive line for Dunkin' Donuts.  I know the line is probably out the door right now at Newark Deli and Bagel.  People really like coffee, bagels, and breakfast sandwiches.  On one hand, I'm amazed that coffee shops ever fail to stay open, but on the other hand, it really speaks volumes about the power of combining  manipulative marketing and low prices on today's American consumerist society.  Dunkin' Donuts doesn't really make good coffee.  Because I only drink coffee black, I realize what coffee actually tastes like.  I have no problem with people who use copious amounts of milk, cream, or sugar in their coffee, but they aren't really good judges of who has good coffee.  Caffeine addiction aside, people flock to the staple coffee and breakfast because they don't care how their coffee tastes, and because of the advertisements, although none of them would ever admit it.  As a generally economically conscious American, I'm a big supporter of buying local and sustainable.  Dunkin' Donuts, per customer served, probably has a higher level of sustainability than Newark Deli and Bagel, since NBD uses Styrofoam cups and take-out containers for their food.  Dunkin seems to use mostly recycled paper and plastic for their cups and wrappings, and they don't use styrofoam for anything.  However, their coffee is terrible, and I've heard that their food isn't great either.  The bagels are only so-so.  Rant over.

That's all for now.   Maybe more once it really sinks in that this is my last week of college.