POST # 3

I think that the way we are in life has a lot to do with our social class, our language, and our work. I do not necessarily think that that is a bad thing, but I also do not think that it is a good thing. Sometimes people from higher classes seem to have this mind-set that they are better than others, while sometimes people in lower classes believe that they are not as good as others. However, sometimes we find that we can do more and better things for other people and the world depending on our class, language, and work! They make me who I am, because I am from the middle class, I speak your average langauge (nothing too intellectual but also nothing too childish), and I am set out to work an average job (being a teacher). It is not that I do not believe that I can not do something spectactual in life, but I really do just want to be a teacher and make my own difference in people's life with that career.

For example, I work as a swim instructor at the YMCA and I work with the younger kids who are trying to swim for their first time. Some of the kids are very curious and brave and will just hop right in, but there is also the occassion kid who is terrified and fears the water more than the average child. So I have to use very warm and comforting communication to help get the child to trust me and be more excited about swimming. A time in particular when this has happened was with a kid who was crying so hard and so, so afraid to get into the water and was in another class with another instructor. My boss called me over and asked me to help out and get the child into the water. So I went up to them and starting talking and eventually got them to laugh and finally got them in the water, and by the end of class, he was crying because he did not want to go home!

In reference to The Odyssey, Odysseus speaks with very proper and intellectual langauge, which makes sense since everyone refers to him as "god-like," even though he is mortal. Although, he is from a high "mortal" class, he does things to help protect his people and his family. So in a sense, his langauge, work, and class is from the more intellectual, higher class, and yet he does things to help out people who normally could not protect themselves as well as he can. I think that his style and mine are similar and different. He speaks a very unique langauge, while I speak a very normal, average language. Although, he helps people who can not help themselves and I teach people something that they need help with. So I kind of believe that goes hand in hand with many people and things, because I do think that we are all similar in some ways and different in others. I think that works for us though, because no one is supposed to be the same as someone else but we should always try to help people who need it.