My Myth

Jordan Erekson

Period 6

April 2

Myth

They had it. Love, what more could they have asked for? In the beginning, Poseidon ( The Greek God of the seas and water) and Demeter (The Goddess of earth and forests) had it all. They maintained there lifestyles together upon Mount Olympus among the other gods. Day to day they would create and balance the land and water on the mount. Until that one day… As Demeter was laying out a new, fresh, and green layer of land on the ground Poseidon thought it would be funny to send a tsunami over the newly laid land to get his love wet. He created this enormous wave that stood way above anyone’s head. As he let it free it rushed down a hill to Demeter’s land. Demeter not knowing it was coming did not have time to brace for impact as it slammed into her knocking her off her feet. The wave continued to grow as it flowed down the hill. It destroyed many things in its path leaving the other gods and goddesses angry. Although this was not the first time Poseidon and Demeter had made this trouble erupt. Many times before this one, Poseidon created waves that rushed through the valley of Mount Olympus destroying anything and everything in its path. It had been one to many times for the childish behavior and Zeus (God of all Gods) banned them from the mountain. Then and there they were sent from off the Mount and was not allowed time where they could not pack up any of there belongings.

They were sent to an unknown world where the land was bare. Not a thing was around. Although knowing that they had been kicked out of Olympus it had led them to humble themselves. It was one day where Demeter was working on the land and planting new trees and amazing plants all over the vast land when they Poseidon decided to maybe help her out some and try to work things out between them too seeing how she was still angry with him for his childish activities that got them kicked out. It was at that moment when Poseidon with the flick of a finger sent water running through the land and sent rivers that explored through out the vast land of trees and land Demeter had set and planted. Through all of there hardships they were able to get past there hard times and create land so beautiful that it will be praised and worshiped for eons to come.

After completing there project and working together, Zeus had come down and congratulated them. He told them how the gods and goddesses had been watching them. They sent them here as a test to see how well they could work together and over come there childish behavior. Having passed the test they were warmly welcomed back onto Mount Olympus where they could go back to there normal god and goddess lifestyles, working together to create majestic and beautiful lands together.

As for the land they created together, it still remains today. As beautiful and majestic as it was in the beginning. And a life lesson has been taught that we must not take the powers and things we have in life for granted. As soon as we are able to achieve them we are just as vulnerable to get them taken away. But if we truly have a passion for what it may be, We can accomplish great things.

Moral Living

Jordan Erekson

Period 6

April 1

Moral Living

In the story Tao Te Ching written by Lao tzu there is a lot that we can learn about how we and others can live a moral life. In the first part of the story, he says “We know there is beauty because there is ugly. We know good because there is evil. Being and not being, having and not having, create each other. Difficult and easy, Long and short, high and Low, Define each other, just as before and after follow each other.” (pg. 165) This is the part that truly got me. I know for a fact in my life that these things do exist all around us today. For example this weekend over spring break which was a very nice break with the whether, but over it my mom was reading this book called “The Ugly's” I think is what the name of it was. I had asked her what it was about and she was saying how it is about this population of people who are split up depending on there designs and color of there attributes.

In the Dhammapada by Buddha started off perfectly, it said “All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, made by mind. Speak or act with a corrupt mind, And suffering follows As the wheel of the wagon follows the hoof of the ox.” (pg. 155) I believe in life this is all true to a certain point. It takes me to the point where I must be thinking about what I am going to do in order for me to go out and do it. Things don't just happen to happen. They all happen for a reason.

In the end I think one truly lives a moral life by the opposing forces that exist in their path. They must be able to choose between good and evil, must be able to over the lows in order to reach the highs in life. Its all in our mind and our choice whether or not we choose to do it right or wrong. The morals are there we must partake of them and use them for the right outcome.

Museum Critique

Museum Critique

The Museum that I went to was the Utah Art Museum up at the University of Utah.and I thought it was a great experience.

One of the collections that they had shown up at the Museum was along the lines of nature and how we as humans can effect it. They had had oil paitings in a big room that were showing the destruction of nature due to human inhabitants. One of the paintings was of an oil rig out in the ocean. But, this rig had been leaking oil into the ocean and you could see the impact it made on the water preservations. There was oil all over the water, it was covered and most likely it is impossible to get it all completely cleaned out of it. There will always be oil in it now.

There are many places where you can find more information about the work that is in this art museaum. You can learn more about some of the paintings by actually going to the museum. At the museum you can ask the people who work there more about the paintings. Also, another thing you can do while you are there is you can look and they have discription boxes on the side of the pictures that give a more in depth article about the painting. One more way is that you can go online and look up more things about a certain painting.

One of my most memorable paintings would have to be the ones about the great depression. These paintings were about the time period when america's economy had dropped. When everyone thought that nothing could be fixed and we just slummed around not wanting to fix anything or do anything about it.The name of one of the paintings was the “Tenant Farmers” this was a painting created by Lou Barlow. The picture shows it to be around the year 1936.

The Picture “Tenant Farmers” depicts an agarian couple whose lived and humorless faces are accentuated in shadow and angular shape by the woodcut technique used to make the print. The verdant fields of corn surrounding the couple stand as testament to their hard work. Barlow was referencing a system of labor that involved landlords paying farmers to work their land. Tenant farming was at the time coming to an end. Some farmers grew tires of what they saw as an unjust labor system. Tractorsand mechanization replaced others, while yet others were driven off the land by the environmental catastrophe called the Dust Bowl.

All of the pictures that I had looked at in the museum related back to the things we have talked about in class in some shape or form. For example, the Depression period. I put this into place along with the topic about our impact on nature. We talked about how we would drive down the streets around town and we stop at a stop light or even just look over to the car next to us, and it happens to be a big SUV. Usually most of the time when we see cars like that there are usually only one person in them at a time. And what that does to our economy is bad. It puts out many toxins and uses a whole bunch of gas. I related the artwork selection to that because the great depression was hard for people all around. Everyone would try to conserve the best that they possibly could at there times of need. If we dont try to conserve then we could just be leading ourselves into another great depression.

Personally I would love to go back and visit to another museum and learn more and more about paintings and the history about them. As I walked into the Utah Art Museum I almost felt as if a calm mood had come over me. It was verypeacefull inside of them and it brought a good vibe into me. As I walked around and looked at the pictures I felt as if I could relate in some way or form to the pictures and with the stuff we talk about in class. I love being able to relate things together and get different views on things for a better understanding on them. If another oppurtunity were to come about. I'd love to go to another museum again.

Hudson River Paintings

Jordan Erekson

Humanities

“The Oxbow”

The title of this painting is called “ The Oxbow”. It was created by Thomas cole in the year 1836 after there was a thunder storm. You can tell in this picture a lot of what the arrtist is trying to put into the meaning of the painting and what mood he is trying to create. As you can see on the right side of the painting it shows a little about how humans can affect the land and nature. You can see that there are places for agriculture and farming. On the other hand the left side shows a big thunder storm. Not only that but you can see in the corner there is a twisted tree that has been deformed by the storm. In conclusion it is safe to say that this painting depicts the beauty of nature and also how destructive nature can be at times.

“Kindred Spirits”

The artist of this painting Kindred Spirits goes by the name of Asher Brown. He is one of the well known artists and this painting was one of his firsts. As you are looking into the picture you can see the land in the distance and then if you look up close there are to men standing in the front. This picture shows the balance that man can have with nature. The trees around them are almost giving them shelter and helping to protect them from any danger that could come. In the background you can see the waterfalls and an eagle. This shows that there is a balance between nature and animals. That one without the other would not make it complete. They both help eachother out in a way.

The title of this last painting is called “ Rainy Season”. It was created by Frederic Edwin. This one is one of the more popular ones back in the time. It has been painted on a real secenic photo. A lot of the time when you look at an english artists painting what do you see in it? Buildings and stores. But when you look into an american painting a lot of the times you will see nature. This pictures shows the true beauty of nature and how increadible it can be without us even knowing it.

                                               Summary

From these pictures you can tell that nature is a big part of our society today. Without it we would not be able to cope and have the resources that are need around us for essential living. As I said, there is a big difference in the paintings from other places like England to here in America. Places like England have there paintings of buildings and towns because they do not have much nature around them. Unlike there, we have nature and wildlife all around us. It is surrounding us on our left and on our right. These paintings show the great and majestic beauty of nature and how we can affect it. Without good knowledge of our surroundings we will not be able to maintain it to the passion that we want it kept at. For example, when ever I go down to moab with my friends or my family we will usually do a couple of hikes and go rock climbing and repelling. As I am there I can see the affect that we as humans put into our national forests. There are always paths that are being created when there are open ones right along side of he ones people shouldn't be making. If only they would have a greater care for the nature and want to preserve the land then it would stick around for a long time. At the rate we are going, the land is getting degraded and falling apart because of our laziness. In Conclusion We need to have a greater respect for the land if we still want to see it and look at paintings of it like the ones above.

Polemic

Polemic

The general argument made by Abbey in his work Polemic is that of nature, The impacts that people have by traveling on it. More specifically, Abbey doesn't like all the traffic that people are making in these national parks. He writes “No more cars in national parks. Let the people walk. Or ride horses, Bicycles, mules, wild pigs-anything-but keep the automobiles and the motorcycles and all their motorized relatives out.” (pg. 389).

In my view, Abbey is correct all the way because I am one of those people who love going to the wild outdoors and the national parks to see the majestic views, but when I go and see trash everywhere and tire marks it hurts me because I want to help. For Example, My family and friends go to Moab at least twice a year, once we were going on this hike and we looked off the path a ways and saw a bunch of trails that bikers had made, even though there was a sign posted that said “no trails”. I think it is important to save the places we have like these so they will be around for many years and generations. But if we continue to build new developments it will surely decrease and disappear.

Walden

Walden

The general argument made by Henry D. Thoreau is about the impact that us as humans have on the environment and nature around us. More specifically, He talked about staying in a little tiny cabin for a long time and was just out in the wild all by himself. He writes “ Most men, even in this comaratively free country through mere ignorance and mistake are so occupied with the factitious cares and course labors of life the its finer fruits cannot be plucke by them.” (pg. 350). This means that people have been overly obssessed with the big non important things in life. The the little important things are not dealt with or known how to be dealt with.

In my view I think Thoreau is wrong because I dont have to go spend time in the forest in a little cabin to understand the meaning of things. For example, I was sitting in class one day and we were reading stories about people and there dfficultises in life. My teacher had asked us to put ourselves in their footsteps to try and see how they felt. I didnt want to because I already knew the feeling that the people were feeling and going through. Therefore, I conclude that if we just take time to look at the small non important things in our lives that we will be able to understand them without having to go great distances to figure them out.

Peach Blossom

Peach Blossom

The general argument made by T'ao Ch'ien in his work Peach Blossom, is that we cant take things for granted. When we have or know about something special we must cherish it. More specifically, Ch'ien suggests that when you are told to keep a secret that you will find it easier to keep it than to lose with what was said. He writes “On reaching the city, he reported what he had found to the magistrate, who at once sent a man to follow him back to the place. They proceeded according to the marks he had made, but went astray and were unable to find the cave again.” (pg. 344). In this passage, Ch'ien is suggesting that you shouldnt be spreading the word of things that need to be kept secret.

In my view, Ch'ien is correct in his writing and with what he expresses. For example, One time my mom had gone to the store and got a bunch of bags of candy for Halloween, but when she got home she hid them.I of course found them and started to devour it right away. No one knew about it till my mom caught me eating it. She told me I cant tell anyone else where it is hidden or they will eat it all gone. Me wanting to tell people that I had found the stache of cand y told my youngest brother and he went and ate all the rest of the candy. I learned my lesson because I was told not to tell anyone and I did, I had to face the consequence of the candy being all gone for that. Therefore, I conclude that if you are told not to tell anyone you better listen and just keep it to yourself.