Life Meaning

Every individual has something in his or her life to make it meaningful. Whatever that is varies from person to person. I personally find meaning in two activities: learning new things and doing stuff on my own. I love learning because I like feeling more knowledgeable. Doing stuff on my own gives me the satisfaction of feeling independent. It is comforting to know that I can fend for myself.
Learning is something I took for granted when I was younger. As I got older, I realized that not every kid got an education and that I should be thankful for the one I have. I have gone to different types of schools including a suburban public elementary school, a parochial grammar school, and now a Chicago public school. The types of education do have their differences, but I did take something from each type of school I have attended. Each school has something unique about it, and each has made a contribution to what I know. I genuinely enjoy learning new things, and I know an education is the key to getting a decent job when I get out of college. The perfectionist in me is what pushes me to get good grades. My grades are the result of the two things I find meaning in. I worked for those grades on my own, and I learned something new in the process. I’m glad that these two things mean a lot to me because that is what is going to drive me to college.

Candide's Punishments, Do they Fit the Crime?

Candide received different punishments for different reasons throughout the book. The reasons are justified in the book, but I don’t think all of the punishments fit the crime. I think this is especially evident in the beginning of the Candide’s journey. He may have done something that is considered wrong, but I think Candide should not have received the punishments that he received.

The first punishment Candide received was banishment from the castle after being caught with Cunegonde. I think that was completely unfair. Both Candide and Cundegonde were naïve and had no idea that what they were doing was considered wrong. Cunegonde saw Master Pangloss “giving a lesson in experimental physics” to one of the maids, and Cunegonde believed she witnessed a true science experiment. She was the one who had the idea to try it with Candide. I’m not saying Candide is completely innocent in this situation, but he was innocent enough to not know the consequences of his actions. Candide was banished from the castle, and he becomes less naïve and innocent as time goes on.

I think it could be argued that Candide continually pays for his “crime” throughout the entire book. He just keeps getting into unfavorable situations and ends up committing some other crime. If he was never banished from the castle in the first place, none of the crimes following his banishments would ever have happened.

How Do I Know What I know?

When I was younger, I knew what I knew because someone I trusted told me so. Almost everything I thought to be true was told to me by a parent or some other trusted adult. As I got older, I knew what I knew through school. Going to class taught me a lot over the years. School taught me a lot of factual things, but pretty much everything else I know I learned through experience, or I questioned what I already knew. I think living through a situation or circumstance is the best way to learn about it because I’m experiencing it first-hand.

A particular thing I know is how to cook and bake. When I was younger, I was told that cooking food made it edible. I grew up watching my family cook, my mom and grandma especially. I was fascinated on how they could take ingredients that I wouldn't normally eat and turn them into something delicious. At this point, all I knew about cooking and baking came from watching others doing it or having it explained to me. My grandma would tell me how to make a lot basic Italian food, such as tomato sauce. As I got older, I began to try cooking and baking on my own. I was capable of reading a recipe, and I was now old enough to handle knives. I made a whole bunch of things to practice. It turned out I had a knack for making food just like my mom and grandma before me. As time went on, I would experiment with food without using a recipe even though I didn't do it too often. Last summer, I took part in the culinary program at Gallery 37. The instructors in that program were three chefs from Washburne Culinary School, and I had a lot to learn from them. We prepared enough food for 150 people for weekly buffets. The program exposed me to a lot of different types of food I wasn't very familiar with, and I learned how to make a lot of food in a short amount of time. When Gallery 37 ended, I took that experience home so I could use it for my own cooking. I began to cook more without recipes, especially when I had to cook for myself. I made a meal out of whatever ingredients I had available to me. It actually takes a little bit of creativity, which is something I didn't think I had a lot of.

In Summary: I learned how to cook and bake first through being told how and watching, then making food according to recipes, and then eventually making my own meals without the help of a recipe. The learning process was supplemented by the internship at Gallery 37. This is just one incident of learning, but I still believe that I know what I know through experience.