This other poem by Baca is, on the surface at least, far simpler to understand than "What We Don't Tell the Children." Yet in its simplicity may be hidden deep truths about the current situation in which some of us find ourselves as human beings.
The title may be something many of you can relate to; after all, how many of us have-- or have had-- jobs we have hated, work we have done only because we need to make ends meet. Dreams, on the other hand, are always with us, if we so choose. No one can take our dreams away from us but ourselves. For if one dream fails, another can just as easily take its place.
One of the trickiest things to do nowadays is to find a Dream Job-- the sort of job that we absolutely love going to, and that also pays enough for our needs (and, for many of us, our wants). The poem may be bringing up ideas along those lines; it may also be bringing up more profound ideas about the very nature of our existences: Are we doing, day to day, what our Inner Selves really yearn to be doing? In the modern world, can we be living as we truly wish? As some mysterious part of us desires? As our ancestors before us have lived? How many of us wish we could go back and live in a less hectic, technology-driven world?
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I do not want to go back and live in a less hectic, technology-driven world, because without technologies it is not convenient to us to travel to any long distance places, and hard to communicate with my relatives. I was living in a village before I moved to US where there had no car, our main transportation devices are bicycles and wooden boats. When I go to school, I have to ride bike or take a boat to there; or you can simply take one hour run to school. I was still enjoyed what I got during that time, but i rather live in morden society.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the modern living situation. Just like raisinskl said, it helps us to get faster from one place to another one, to communicate, simply be closer to each other. However, this holds truth only if the technology is controlled by us not the other way around. I do not like the idea of being a "slave" of the modern equipment. For example: cell phones are very helpful when used for the reason they were made, not just to kill time while walking down the streets or driving in the car, even worse while being outside with children. I understand that talking with a friend is fun, but do surrounding people have to be a part of their conversation, fights etc? Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, it annoys me very much.
ReplyDeleteAnother example are cars. I myself cannot imagine to live without one, sad I know. But what I do not stop wondering about is how is it possible that in the time of decreasing gasoline supplies and need for a healthier environment, like nowadays, cars with a huge fuel consumption are still produced? Why do we need a 4.0L cars? Not for being able to last it longer or to be stronger, because if that would be the case a new technology would take care of it. Just to build the engine differently (more economically), like in Europe.
It is simple a sign of a vanity. Paradoxically, when factories faced a potential bankruptcy government tried to avoid it by investing even more money in them. If this is not a flout, then what is it?
Modern technology is important because demands on this century are higher and higher, but people have to be wiser than the robots and see the limits.
As the economy developed, we can have a better life than before. However, the Competition becomes more and more intense. In fact, people cannot live in the world without money. In the poem，the author found it’s hard for him to find a job relative with his dream. In the real world, that’s true. The author just used the simple words to show the truth of the world. It makes our opinions come together. I thought that is the reason why the poem is successful.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal opinion, I honestly believe we cannot truly pursue the "dream career" we truly desire. There are many factors that contribute to this belief. The foremost reason would be finding such a dream career. Modernization and reliance on technology has come at a terrible price, our ability to imagine has been cut significantly. Instead, today, careers are merely jobs we do to acquire some of the necessities we desire, be it, a home, car, game, etc... Essentially, we have become slaves to global corporations that we desperately depend on just to bring food to the table.
ReplyDeleteThe second argument would ask whether the “dream career” viable is or not? Of course you would be happy doing it, but will it be able to generate a suitable income for you to survive? In most cases, the answer is unfortunately no. Then another dilemma arises - job security. How long will you be able to keep this job? Sure, I could work at Wal-Mart and eventually rise to the rank of manager through time and have an easy life generating a suitable income for me, or perhaps even my life partner, but how long will my job last? In this fickle economy, it is hard to predict just that.
Another factor would be competition, even if you find a career that you are truly passionate about, competition encourages downsizing employment opportunities. On the other hand, if you truly believe it is the correct path for you, then you may be able to succeed if you strive to make it your career.
Personally, I have always thought about growing up two decades earlier. The foremost reason to justify this is that jobs were a lot easier to acquire than they are now. An AA degree twenty years ago is the equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree today. Additionally, job security was a lot more stable and lay-offs were not as sudden and massive. However, despite all this, the technology that I have embraced has clung on to me, and for myself, I simply cannot live life without it. Technology and progress has made my life worth living.