Maya Angelou Questions

 Language

I think everyone should try to learn at least one other language, especially here in America. Learning a new language forces you to think and see things in a new way. When you lapse on a word and try to explain yourself in words you do know doesn’t mean your memorization is bad, it means you have the control of the language needed to accurately express yourself.

I am comfortable using Japanese, but still want to become fluent in it. But because so many other countries mandatorily teach English in schools, Americans sometimes feel above others because they think their English is perfect. I hate it when people carry the American stereotypes of arrogance and such. People in other countries get so excited when you at least attempt to speak in their native language. I saw this a lot in Japan, and they wanted to try their English.

Writing

I agree that writing is hardest when you want to make it flow from one sentence to the next to make it “easy reading.” I think the hardest thing about writing is varying sentences while still making them sound like they’re coming from the same person, especially when writing from a different point of view. The easiest, at least for me, is deciding the overall tone and tense of something.

Small Mind

I think when you distract yourself in a positive way, you can leave your mind to figure out bigger problems on its own. I usually straighten up and do laundry. As long as I’m moving around it’s a positive distraction. But what distracts me the most when I need to get something done is pinterest, tumblr, and tv. Sitting down and veg’ing out is just so easy to do. And then when I also have a bowl of Doritos and ice cream, I know nothing is going to get done.

Dreams

Maya Angelou and others suggest that dreams “tell the truth” about us. I think that sometimes dreams can help you dig deeper into your emotions and reasoning. But I don’t think they always tell the truth or reveal our “true selves” all of the time. People are able to lie to themselves and fully believe it, why shouldn’t dreams be able to do that? Even when you’re not sleeping, we have thoughts that surprise us and we think, “that’s not me at all!” I think dreams can get like that too. It’s how we react to those thoughts and dreams that “tell the truth” about us.