ESSAY: Do We Need Emotions?

What does it mean to be "human"? Could it mean one has a heart? Could it mean one has pride? Could it mean one has a personality? Could it mean one knows right from wrong? Could it mean one has perseverance? Could it mean that one is born evil? Actually, there is no definitive characteristic of a human being. We all have our own thoughts and opinions about this broad question. There are many different qualities that someone can obtain to be a “human.”

I think that a human must be able to feel emotions and feelings. An emotion is a word that helps describe how a person is feeling. There are many emotions used to describe a person. Some emotions are: happiness, sadness, anger, hate, excitement, depression etc. In this world, some people show no emotions at all, but I think it is very rare. We are humans. We all have emotions that we feel. If we didn’t, how would we be able to describe how we feel? Would we use the term: “I feel nothing..?” No, this would be impossible. How can someone not feel anything at all? The only time where a person would feel absolutely nothing, is when he/she is dead. That is the only exception. With that being said, a human being will always have an emotion. He/she may not decide to show it, but they are feeling it.

For some people, it is obvious to tell what they are feeling. For example, you can tell a person is happy, if he/she is smiling, laughing, and is in a good mood. On the other hand, he/she can be putting up a front. Meaning, the laughs and smiles are all fake. Why would someone want to pretend that they are happy, when they aren’t? Maybe it is because they are trying to cover up all of the pain that they are holding in. It could be the only way to cope with the pain. Another way, in which a human will cope with the pain, is to use a fake smile. It is a very easy thing to do. Some people cannot tell the difference between a real and fake one. Some people find it easier to do because he/she will not have to explain why they are feeling unhappy. There are also some people who don’t want their business going around, so they keep quiet and to themselves about the problems that they encounter. Keeping everything bottled up inside is not a healthy thing to do. He/she should have at least one person that they can confide in. If not, this human being will be stressing about a lot things. In today’s society, it is very hard to find people that are trustworthy. Now a day, these so called “friends” that we have are nothing but backstabbers.

Another emotion that makes up a human is the ability to feel love towards their significant other. Love is a very powerful emotion to feel. Love is not a word that can be thrown around like it is nothing, but one must earn the love. Today, a majority of teenage kids think they are in “love.” Truth is, we have no idea on what love is, not yet anyway. We are way too young to understand the concept of it. Love is one of the main reasons to why two people stick together. If there is no love, then there is no point in having the relationship. Loving someone requires commitment. Being committed is to hold on to the relationship even when things get rough between the two. There is also a feeling you get, when you are with that special someone. He or she is able to make your world feel so perfect. Finding true love takes time and patience.

Another emotion that we humans feel is the feeling of loneliness. One person can be surrounded by hundreds of people and yet they still feel so alone in the world. It seems like everyone else is doing their own thing, has their own crowd, and is completely comfortable. While everyone else is doing their own thing, you are there feeling like an outsider. You feel like you do not belong, you feel lost, and sometimes you have the urge to run away. You feel sort of awkward because everyone else seems to know what they are doing, but you have no clue on what to do. Feeling alone also has something to do with being shy. Feeling shy might mean it is harder to make friends with people. Keeping a conversation may be a little hard; there may also be several awkward silences. Hopefully, this person will learn to not be shy and know that it is okay to make new friends. This person does not have to be afraid of what everyone else thinks of him/her. When conquering the fear of shyness, this person will have friends that will accept her for who he/she is.

Fear. It may be one of the most common emotions. Everyone is afraid of something. It could be: spiders, ghosts, heights, clowns, etc. Some people think of the future, and it scares them. There are a lot of thoughts that can run through someone’s mind when looking into the future. The thought of being alone, the thought of getting diseases, and the thought of dying young are some of the scenarios that I think of. There is also the fear of losing the ones you love. What are some of your fears?

In the end, being able to feel emotions is what makes us human. As mentioned before, having emotions helps us describe what we are feeling. Without emotions, we are nothing. If we didn’t have them, then we would be living in a world that is very dull and boring. There would be no excitement, joy, and happiness. Who would want to live in a world that is boring? Just imagine it. Every single day, you go through the same routine without feeling anything. What kind of a life style is that? There is no point in living, if you are not able to feel anything. Me, personally, I would not be able to live this way. I need some excitement in my life. I am young; I want to live my life to the fullest. I want to be able to feel the rush of excitement, happiness, joyfulness, etc. How would you feel if you lived in a world with no emotions or feelings?

CE: Mexico.

Oh, my. There were 35 dead bodies that were dumped in the middle of the road in broad day light. A majority of the people died due to suffocation, two of which were minors. I do not understand how someone can do this to these human beings. How can one suffocate 35 people? The person that did this does not have a heart. I believe they were killed because they were involved in some drug organization. An organization that has been fighting rival drug gangs for control of the key port city.

These types of crimes are rarely solved in Mexico. Why? It is that hard to solve a case like this? They should put a lot more effort into trying to find out who murdered all of these people. Mexico needs to do whatever they can to prevent this tragic incident from happening again. The security in Mexico should try to improve. The Government should also find a better way to prevent illegal activities from happening.

The city of Veracruz use to be a very peaceful place. The women in this video states that: “It seems like nobody is doing anything about this incident.” It shows that she is trying to get back to life before the violence. It may be a hard thing to do, considering what recently happened. The Mexicans are wondering when the violence will end. They aren’t the only ones who are thinking this. Everyone around the world is probably thinking the same thing. Honestly, I don’t think the violence will ever stop. As the year passes by, the more violence there will be.

FREE: Yes, I've Changed.

“Kristy, you changed…” Recently, I have been getting this a lot from some of my old friends. I would have to agree with them. I know I changed, but I think I changed for the better. Yes, that nice, innocent little girl from middle school finally grew up. She learned to not let people walk all over her. She learned to not let people take advantage of her. She learned how to say “No.” to something she didn’t want to do. She learned that a friendship can only last for so long. She learned how to depend on no one, but herself. She learned how to trust only in a few. She learned the meaning of a true friend. She learned the meaning of backstabbers and shit talkers. She learned how to believe in herself. She learned how to stand up for herself. She learned to not give a fuck about what people have to say.

So, yes, you don’t have to tell me I changed. I know I changed. After I learned all of these things, I am much more content with my life. Within the years of this learning process, I think the biggest concept I learned was to not give a fuck about other people’s opinions of me. I don’t live to impress you. You can talk crap about me all you want, but just know, you’re wasting your breathe. I find it quite flattering that you’d use your precious time to talk shit. I’m guessing you have nothing better to do?

If you’re not getting hated on, then you ain’t doing shit. (This is MY opinion..)

RE: Our Generation Has Changed.

This is from Pamela.

"Our generation right now sucks. Things changed so quickly. All everyone cares is about popularity, looks, relationships, money, and other stupid crap. What shallow world we live in? Little kids are wearing makeup, have facial piercings, and are cursing their asses off."

I would have to agree with this completely. I am disappointed with how our generations of kids have changed. Kids these days are so disrespectful towards their parents. When I hear kids cuss at their parents, I am very shocked. If I was a kid, and I cussed at my parents, my ass would be dead. Some 5th – 6th graders today are already going to parties, drinking, smoking, and having sex. I’m a 10th grader and I have never done any of these things. Like what the fuck is this? It makes me question the parenting of the kids. How parents are raising their kids, it disappoints me.

I think kids today are trying to grow up way too fast. I know exactly where they are coming from. When I was little, I wanted to grow up so my older sibling couldn’t boos me around anymore. I’d be able to do what I want, when I wanted. I thought I’d have so much freedom, but I was wrong. Actually, I would do anything to go back to my childhood days, ya know? I miss the days where everything in the world made sense. I didn’t have to worry about anything, besides cleaning up the mess that I made. I miss waking up on a Saturday with a bowl of cereal sitting on the couch watching cartoons. Today, there is so much bullshit to deal with. Everyone is being judged by the way they dress, talk, etc.. Why can’t we all just get along? If we were able to accept each other when we were kids, why can’t we do it now? Oh, I know, it’s because of all the people who judge someone before getting to know him/her.

BC: A Trip To The Basement.

It was a dark and cold Friday night at the Johnson’s house. You could hear the wind roaring. On top of that, it was raining. You can hear the thunder and see the lightning. Eleven year old Brian was stuck at home, with no one to accompany him. As he was sitting on the couch watching a scary movie, there was a cold breeze. Brian could immediately feel the chills running up and down his spine. He wanted to turn on the heater, but in order to turn it on; it required him to take a trip down to the basement. Brian despised the basement; he was terrified of the creatures that lived in his basement.

At first, he did not want to go, so he was sitting on the couch curled up in a ball. He could feel goose bumps spreading from his arm all the way down to his legs. Finally, he builds up the courage to head down to the basement. As Brian is making his way to the basement, he can hear the creaking noise with every foot step. When he reaches for the door knob, he takes a step back. He is terrified of what he will see behind the closed doors.

When he opens the door, all he could see was the darkness of the basement. The light switch was broken at the top of the stairs, so he had to walk down the stairs in the dark. He was beginning to tremble. As Brian’s hands meets the railing, his hands and feed are shaking. Sweat begins to form on his forehead. It runs down his face as he continues to make his way to the bottom. When Brain is half way down the stairs, he walks into a spider web. He simply screams “AHHH!” He then decides to sit down on the hard, cold, stairs. Brian is deciding whether he should turn back around or keep going.

Brian is back on his feet. He is taking one step at a time with his hands extended out to feel for any more spider webs. Finally, he reaches the bottom. He could tell he was at the bottom because it felt like a smooth flat surface. Brain is trying to look for the light switch. To look for the light switch, he puts his hands along the wall as he walks. He feels nothing except the dusty and rough texture of the wall. As his hands are searching, he comes across the light switch. He tries to turn it on, but it does not work.

Brian hears some ruffling sounds coming from a corner with a foul odor. He thinks it could be some type of a rodent. With this in mind, he is beginning to tremble again. Now, he feels like he needs to hurry and find some type of light source; a flashlight or a candle. He comes across a flashlight on a dusty shelf. He is feeling for the “ON” switch and finally turns it on. He shines the flashlight around the cold and dark room. He spots the big metal box that looks like the furnace. He rushes to turn it on, so he can go back upstairs. When he turns it on, he feels so relieved. As he makes his way up the stairs, he turns around and smiles to himself. He was able to go down into the dark and cold basement all alone.

CE: Not Getting Paid Enough.

How the maids are being treated is not fair. They do so much work around the house and for what? Only $18 a month? That is barely enough to survive. 17 year old Ann uses the money to feed her siblings at home. After buying food, there is not much left over. Under the countries labor code, $18 a month is considered enough pay for the country 2.5 million helpers. I would have to disagree with this code. Do you agree with it? It is hard to survive in the world with such little pay. I can’t imagine how I would survive with a low income. If the employers are able to pay for cable and refrigeration, then they should be able to pay the maids more than $18 a month. All of the effort and time they put into their jobs, they deserve better pay.

One of the things that bothered me in the video was, they mentioned Ann getting verbally and physically abused by some of her employers. I don’t understand how they were willing to abuse someone who was helping them around the house. Let alone, abuse anyone at all. If they had no problem doing it to Ann, then they’d have no problem doing it to someone else. This man, also made Ann call him “Uncle.” He also threatened her.

Although being a maid is not the best choice, they are still getting paid. It may not much, but it is better than no having a job at all.

FREE: Do you need something? Or...

I hate it when a "friend" will talk to me because he/she needs something. Honestly, I think it is irritating. I don't say anything, but it makes me not want to help them. A majority of the time, I end up helping them. I wouldn't mind helping them if we talked on a daily basis. When an old friend talks to me out of nowhere, I get the idea that they miss talking to me, but no, they just need something from me.

One of the things that bother me the most is that, I never get a "Thank You." After they get what they need, they stop talking to me. I'm just like "What the fuck!?" I always tell myself that I will not help them the next time, but I fail to do so. It is not because I like the feeling of being used, it’s because I made a promise to always be there for them. I dislike people who break their promises, so I try not to break the promises that I make. But recently, I have realized that maybe I should not help people who talk to me when they need something.

Don't take it personally. I am just tired of being used. Also, when I am in need of something, they are nowhere to be found. If I am there for you, why can't you be there for me? Talk to me because you want to, not because you think I will do something for you.

RE: The Future

This is from Peter Nguyen.

"Where do you see yourself ten years from now?" This question is constantly asked and I honestly never have an answer.

I honestly don’t know where I see myself in ten years. I try not to think about it too much. But it’s hard to not think about it because, my high school years will affect where I’ll be in ten years. I have to start focusing on school work. For the rest of high school, my goal is to maintain a good GPA and try to figure out what i want to pursue in life. My mom wants me to be a doctor or a lawyer. These jobs are great careers, but it does not suit me. I don’t want to do something that I don’t enjoy doing. Because I am talking about the future, anything can change. My interest and hobbies will change. When I think about it, I don’t have much interests or hobbies. I don’t know what I will enjoy doing for the rest of my life. I just want to be successful. I want to make my mom proud. I want to be able to support my family. I also want to be happy with the career path that I choose for myself.

When I think about the future there are so many questions that run through my mind. Will I graduate college? Will I have a good paying job? Will I be successful? And the biggest question I have is: Will I be able to survive on my own? Let’s face it. Eventually, we will be on our own. Our parents will no longer be there to cook, clean, and pay for the bills. We will have to do everything ourselves. It’s a scary world out there. When we graduate high school/college, we will be entering the real world. The world of being independent.

CE: The 10 year anniversary.

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. In case you didn’t know, on 9/11 of 2001, there was a terrorist attack. The attack was a frightening experience for many people. For an example, the woman that was being interviewed in this video is now afraid of thunderstorms. She used to love the sounds of the thunderstorms. She is also afraid of walking under buildings because she is afraid that the buildings will fall. After the attack happened, she felt somewhat safe because she thought that they would be coming back, but they never came back. Because of 9/11 it has made many people afraid of another attack happening. Many lives have been taken due to the attack. It also has made the world somewhat worse. Like when it comes to America creating alliances with other countries.

The US security system has tightened up a lot since the attack. In my opinion, sometimes I don’t think the security system is doing enough to protect us. Maybe it is due to the fact that people are always traveling in and out of the US. It is hard to keep track of everyone who is traveling. Another reason to why I think it is not safe is because the news are putting videos of people at the airport on TV. While watching these videos a “terrorist” can find a loophole in the security system. The security at an airport cannot predict a person’s thoughts, intentions, or actions when entering or leaving the US.

FREE: Be Grateful.

People, who are always complaining about the most stupid shit in the world and are ungrateful for what they have, it irritate the fuck out of me. When kids say, “Oh, I hate my parents!” it bugs me. Okay, well, I must admit, I’ve said this a thousand of times, but I realized how lucky I am to even have a parent. Getting back to my point, people these days needs to open their eyes and see all of the things our parents do for us. What do they do for us?

They put food on our plates, gives us a home to live in, and clothes to keep us warm. Think about it for a second. There are so many kids in the world who don’t have a mom or a dad. There are kids who are starving and are wondering when their next meal is going to be. There are kids who walk around with no clothes on, because their family is poor and can’t afford clothes. So, the next time when you’re complaining about not getting the shirt, jeans, jacket, or shoes that you wanted, you should be thankful about having clothes to wear in the first place. Another thing that bothers me is when people are complaining about the smallest things. An example would be, complaining about being grounded for the weekend. It’s not really a big deal; it’s only for the weekend. Think about how other people have to live. There are parents that physically and verbally abuse their children. Well, let’s just say, if we all threw out problems into a pile and saw everyone else’s, I bet we would be quick to grab ours back.

RE: Who are your real friends?

This is from Gendarme Docena.

"Finding the wrong friends can be fun too, because you can see whose worth to keep and who isn't.."

 I can really relate to this quote. In my past experience, i have lost some close friends, but hey, who hasn't? Losing a close friend may be easy for some people, but for me, it takes some time to realize that we are no longer friends anymore. Why? I think it is because i always find myself sitting and reminiscing about the good times that we shared together. All of the memories we had comes rushing back. It makes me think about what went wrong in our "friendship." Finally, i realized that there is a reason to why they did not make it to my present. It shows that they weren't worth my time. Which is a shame because i tried to recreate the special bond that we once shared, but things weren't the same. It was actually kind of awkward...

I am not ashamed to say, i don't think i have much friends at Alameda High School. Well, i have friends, but only a few good friends. Honestly, i'd rather have a small group of real friends than a big group of friends that don't really give a shit about me. I have come to realize who my true friends are. I can confide in them with a majority of my problems. Although, there are certain people who like to make fun of me, it's okay because that is the kind of friendship that we share with each other. To me, the ones that are worth keeping are the ones who has been there for me since the very beginning, the ones that i can trust, the ones who can keep secrets, the ones who actually care about me, etc...

Get To Know Me (:

Hi, my name is Kristy Vo. I am nice, quiet, shy, caring, ect... I was born at Summit hospital on July 13, 1996 approximately around 9:00 A.M. I lived in Oakland for a majority of my life, and i moved to Alameda when i was in 7th grade. I went to Santa Fe Elementary, Cleveland Elementary, Lincoln Middle School, and now I am attending Alameda High School as a Sophomore. Now that i am a Sophomore, I have to start focusing on my future. I have a lot of goals that i want to fulfill. My older sister, Jenny wanted to name me after one of her favorite Hong Kong movie star. I do like my name, but when I want to buy something with my name on it, the store usually doesn't have my spelling. I am 100% Vietnamese, but I speak Chinese. Yes, I know it is weird, I find it strange how my mom decided to teach me Chinese instead of Vietnamese. I went to Chinese school for three years and went to Vietnamese school for a whole summer. I regret quitting because it would've have benefited me in the future. I can always go back, but I will be put into a class with the younger kids. My favorite animals are monkeys, turtles, and ducks. I think they all are really cute. One day, my friend and I are going to own these animals. I have 2 older brothers and 3 older sisters. I also have 1 niece named Katie and a named Tyler. Although they all annoy me, i still love them because they are family and no matter what they will always be there for me.

During my free time i like to listen to music, watch TV, hangout with friends, and spend time with my family. Actually, i love listening to music. I like to listen to anything that sounds good. I usually listen to underground my R&B, acoustic music, and rap. When i am listening to music, i have the tendency to block out my surroundings. So, if you decide to talk to me when i have my headphones on and i don't respond, don't take it the wrong way, i probably can't hear you. I don't have cable, so i watch my TV shows on Netflix or online. Some of my favorite TV shows are: Pretty little liars, The secret life of an American teenager, Lincoln Heights, Bones, Prison break, ect... I really enjoy spending my friends. Although, our hang outs are usually random and pointless, i still have a great time with them. We usually walk around Park St, eat, go the the park, movies, or just sit around and talk. Every Sunday is family day. We usually go to the mall, movies, Dave and busters, sisters house, or sometimes we just stay at home. Other than that, i don't do much during my free time.
       
I have a lot more guy friends than girl friends. Why? Well, in my opinion, i think having girls as friends comes with a lot of drama. I don't like to deal with all of the unnecessary drama, so i try to stay away from it as much as possible. I do have a few girl friends, but one of my goals this year is to make more. There is nothing wrong with the guy friends i have, but when it comes to venting and emotional stuff, i don't think they really care, so so yeah. Speaking of goals, i have some for writing this year. I would like to increase my vocabulary. I also want to improve my writing skills. In my opinion, I don't think I have the best writing skills, and i hope to improve them. I also want to be able to write more creatively. Well, i don't think i have any other writing goals this year, so bye!