TOW #27 - Sanford University Commencement Speech by Steve Jobs

            If a butterfly is stepped on in the present, it has the ability to alter the future. The present impacts the future because every event is set in place with respect to some consequence of that. This message, also known as “the butterfly effect”, is in regards to Steve Jobs’ commencement speech given to the graduating class of Stanford University on June 12^th, 2005. Throughout the speech, Job shares stories of his past experiences, and how they have played on a role on his present life. Here, he employs repetition of the word “connect”, and an analogy in order to stress to the audience of future leaders, that everything happens for a reason. Jobs, unlike his audience, did not finish college, and recalls this decision as one of the most honorable of his life. Jobs uses the repetition of the word “connect” when saying, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future” (Jobs). The repetition of “connect” symbolizes that all of life’s decisions are strung together, and impact each other; in other words, every event, good or bad, happens with a purpose behind it. The future is all us humans have, which is why trusting the future and its reasoning are vital. Jobs continues to speak of his past experiences, specifically being fired from Apple Company, and how that event led him to his present work and family. When describing this occurrence, Jobs uses an analogy for comparison. He says, “It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it” (Jobs). Jobs compares this experience to taking medicine because at first, both events seem harsh and unwanted, but they end up having pay off in the end. In Jobs’ case, he had to rely on his ambition and hope to connect the dots of his future for him. He had to trust that everything in his life happened for a reason.

Visual: http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-jobs-commencement-speech-2005-2011-8

 

Caption: "Connecting the dots"

TOW #26 - Michael Botticelli's "Addiction is a disease. We should treat it like one."

            A disease is defined as a disorder of structure or function in a human. If this general statement is the case, then why is it that society views disease as a physical illness; a diagnosis only cured by numerous visits to the hospital? According to Michael Botticelli, an American public official and director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, disease is not only a physical illness, but also the mental hardship that comes with substance addiction. In a TED Talk entitled, Addiction is a disease. We should treat it like one, Botticelli employs polysyndeton and the comparison of addition to disease in order to preach the title of his lecture. Botticelli, after informing the audience of his sexuality, describes an AIDS awareness program he was involved in. He says, "Years ago I was a volunteer for the 'Names' project [...] to show that people who died of AIDS had names and faces and families and people who loved them" (Botticelli). The listing of “and” reflects the fact that people struggling with substance addiction can and do have all of the love and support that others do. In other words, an addict is still a human, and deserves the same respect as any other patient of a disease. In addition, Botticelli plays on the idea that patients and addicts are not different, yet they are treated different. Here, he says, "If you have cancer you get treatment. If you have diabetes you get treatment. If you have heart attack you get emergency services. [...] But somehow people with addiction have to wait for treatment" (Botticelli). It is not just; it is not fair that people suffering from addiction have to wait in the back of the line for the treatment that they deserve. Addiction is a disease because it causes disorder in one’s life, and it takes over a person physically and mentally, just as any other disease would. Botticelli makes it clear that is time to change the stigma surrounding addiction, and treat those who need to be treated.

Visual: http://www.rivermendhealth.com/resources/white-house-drug-czar-michael-botticelli-presents-rivermend-healths-dr-mark-gold-with-path-foundation-ny-lifetime-achievement-award/

 

Caption: "Disease Control"

TOW 25 - Margarita Engle's Enchanted Air

To children, the world is a wondrous place filled with adventure at every step. This makes the colors seem brighter, but the hardships furthermore arduous.  Margarita Engle, Cuban-American poet, addresses this idea in her memoir entitled, Enchanted Air. Here, she entails her childhood, going back and forth from Cuba to America by plane; her story takes place during the Cuban Revolution (1953-1959). In two poetry-styled chapters toward the beginning of the memoir, Engle employs personification, and the repetition of the word “two” in order to convey her dreams as a child. While viewing the sights of the Cuban environment, Engle describes the plants using personification. She says, “trumpet flowers love to move around, dancing […] maybe I will be a scientist someday, studying the dancing plants of Cuba” (Engle). Referring back to the idea of a wondrous world to the eyes of a child, Engle presumably details the flowers as dancing because her young imagination is able to view the beauty of the flowers in this unique way. Also, her interest in the personified flowers spark her dreams of becoming a scientist; Engle connects an image to her longings in life. In addition, after mentioning the fact that there are two ways of talking between the two countries which Engle are affiliated with, she employs the repetition of the word “two.” She mutters, “Two countries. Two families. Two sets of words” (Engle). The fact that Engle has two sets of (everything) is unfortunate because it represents the fact that she has no solid home. In comparison to her dream of becoming a scientist as an adult, Engle also has a dream that one day she will have that solid home. Furthermore, because Engle has “two sets of words”, it’s like she has two personalities to play in regards to her two cultures. Overall, Engle’s dreams lie within the future of her cultures. 

Visual: http://chamindra.blogspot.com/2011/07/dreams-of-child.html

Caption: "Dream of a Child"