Why Are There Cats Everywhere?

The biggest culture shock I have ever experienced was when I spent a summer in Israel. Obviously, being that I spent seven weeks in a country half way around the globe, I was caught off guard many times by various things. However, I was most intrigued with what I saw on the street. Firstly, there are cats everywhere. And not 2 or 3 strays in a couple of alleys I passed; they are actually everywhere! Dumpsters, behind grocery stores, on army bases, in neighborhoods; you name it, there's probably a cat there (or digging through the trash out back). Nobody notices. My first thought was always, "how do people just let their pets run around? Aren't they worried they'll get lost?" Then I realized they were all wild. Even my Israeli cousins, who took in a cat as a pet, just picked one off the street (that was then checked for disease and whatnot). It's odd to think that such a domesticated animal here is like a squirrel there. On a more serious note, it's hard not to notice the soldiers on every street. On every hike, every street, every mall, each rest stop; armed soldiers. Here people would panic if the army suddenly took to the streets, but in such a conflicted zone the soldiers in Israel not only seem necessary but they almost blend in with the rest of society. They are no more bizarre to see than a stray cat.

Generally Speaking

Charon raises an interesting point; not only is generalizing useful, it's necessary. People want to believe that people are individuals and grouping them together is just wrong. There's no way an entire group can all portray the exact same characteristics, but at the same time it's impossible not to generalize. It is too easy to confuse stereotypes and generalizations. Generalizations are facts that allow individuals to take in the world around them more easily. It is a generalization to view people as either male or female, however it is not acceptable to assign specific roles to each gender. The individuals of either group may act as individuals, but the generalization should still apply. For example, I can be generalized as a senior. I am taking more classes than I ever have and I'm busier now than I have ever been. Obviously I am not a lazy senior who is just skating through second semester. It is fine to generalize as long as we are all open to accept exceptions to the generalization. Nobody should be put down for being generalized a specific way. There is no reason a young man in a wheel chair cannot do a back flip at a skate park; our assumption that a wheelchair bound child should not be at a skate park is ignorant. People are individuals and should not be defined by how we initially generalize them.

One of Us

The other day in class, Sal separated everybody into two groups. These groups were decided by whether we were wearing a colored or a black shirt that day. Even though this separation was completely meaningless when asked to analyze the other group, all us "black shirt" people felt united in a way. For some bizarre reason, we were right and they were wrong. Sal explained that this was because of the effects of Ingroups and Outgroups. Even if it was a meaningless group...it was my meaningless group. Each group that you can align yourself with instantly becomes more important to you than the groups to which you are not a member; the outgroups. In class we also took some time the other day to reflect on what groups we belong to. Between my family, my school friends, my camp friends, etc. I began to realize that I belonged to a lot more groups than even I thought. It is important not to get too caught up in "your" groups. When I think about everything I'm involved in it's quite easy for me to see my groups as the right way to be. Why would I want to think that something I'm a part of is wrong. However, in a world with so many different groups, it is crucial that we can recognize the merit outgroups have to offer.

SNOPOCOLYPSE!

First of all, I was shocked that the weather channel was so accurate. 3 pm on Tuesday the main event will begin. Ok so it was 2:46, but sure enough I was driving home right in the beginning of the blizzard.
As I woke up on Wednesday, at noon with killer bed head, I could not even imagine the day I was about to have. I had to leave my car in the driveway so now I had to dig it out of the snow, and I wasn't the only one walking outside with a shovel...actually, I wasn't the only one in my driveway with a shovel?!? The second my dad and I walked out the door one of our neighbors, who I've never said more than 3 words to, walked over and started suggesting ways to dig out my car. He helped us figure out a good place to move it once we got it out of the driveway and we even joked about how the second the roads were clear he was going up to 7-11 for Doritos. How could I live in a townhouse, literally surrounded by neighbors, and have this be the most contact I've ever had with someone who lives 3 doors down?
In about 20 minutes my car was moved across the street. We thanked our neighbor for the help and went inside for lunch. I haven't seen him since. It's amazing that it took a blizzard for me to get to know my neighbor. It just goes to show that as a society that can communicate with the opposite side of the world from our living room, we forget to step outside and interact with those closest to us.