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Perfection has its pitfalls
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I have often wondered what it truly means to be a good person. My life experience thus far has taught me the importance of treating others with kindness, serving one’s community, being grateful and admitting to one’s failures. I would like to say that I am a good person, but of course, I have…
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The life of a Buddhist warrior monk calls me
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I am not what I do. I am not the articles I write, the assignments I turn in, the sports that I play or the parties I attend. And yet, all of those things are, and I am. Since reading a variety of books on Buddhist lifestyles, most notably “Saltwater Buddha” by Jaimal Yogis…
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Movies teach lessons beyond entertainment
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Often, whether I am passing time on TikTok or Instagram, I find that much of my free moments are occupied by my beloved “scroll time.” While I also enjoy watching movies, to me, they require more commitment and attention. Through this, I find that any time spent away from my phone is both productive…
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Priorities blurred by quantity activities
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As I navigate the idea of applying to colleges, the overwhelming feeling that I am “not doing enough” creeps into my head on the daily. This however, could not be further from the truth. Every minute is booked with extracurriculars, sports or school work, as well as trying to have some type of social…
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Purity culture forces unnecessary shame
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I have time and time again seen my classmates and friends go through the social ritual of taking the Rice Purity Test: a test that gives a purity score out of 100 based on how many boxes you check on a list of things you have done, with the score decreasing by 1 point…
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Abandon the inherited fear of growing older
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“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” – John Steinbeck, “East of Eden.” From the second you are born to the second you die, you are taught to fear aging. To fear the skin around your mouth wrinkling as you smile, to fear the pigment of your hair…
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Seahawks unsurprisingly dominate Patriots in Super Bowl LX
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Super Bowl LX, contrary to a captivating National Football League season that precluded it, was one of the dullest products in recent memory. In a matchup that featured a quarterback who was one vote away from being the MVP and a wide receiver who had a record-shattering season worthy of “Offensive Player of the…
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If old age doesn’t kill me, nostalgia will
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I can tell you exactly what I have done for the past 1,883 days, from the people I was with to the mood I was in; every detail is accounted for. I can tell you about birthdays well spent, holidays surrounded by family and around the world vacations–dating back to Dec. 28, 2020. No,…
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Valentine’s Day hate is performative
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Valentine’s Day has come and gone, and despite the fact that it is a day meant to celebrate love, I have noticed with each passing year that it brings up many negative emotions for those who do not have a romantic partner. Indeed, I would venture to say that many people feel a distinct…
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Growing up means rediscovering who I am
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Growing up, I was a really good kid. Not just in the listening to my parents or getting good grades kind of way, but in the sense that I was good at being a kid. The spirit and magic of childhood were at the core of my identity, and I leaned into it completely,…