Round and round we spin. Our minds spin as they pulsate with new information, and our circuit continues as we proceed on the path that has been built for us in these four years of education. But once in awhile the feeling of sickness overtakes us, disorienting us until we stumble to the ground. After our fall we choose to stand again. As we gather ourselves to our feet, our vision is shifted. Our perspective makes us unable to see the world as we once did: it is blurred causing certain figures to become more pronounced and others to be faded. However, we dismiss our fall from our consciousness because life requires us to in that moment. But every now and then, the pain from the fall returns as we accidentally bump into unforeseen objects. The mere disturbance of the forgotten bruise reminds you of the reality that you have dismissed, for we are always encouraged to "move forward". In these moments our consciousness must focus on keeping our balance as our world continues to spin....
I enjoyed our class. There were many topics that stood out to me. I would say that the most notable were the topics of memory and tourism. I found memory to be particularly interesting because it is a complex topic. It is interesting how individuals memories are skewed after atrocities, yet they are encouraged to "look past them" and move on. Our society is so bent on "moving forward" we never consider what the repercussions are in "moving forward". This same notion was used in WW1, and what followed? WW2 followed because Germany was punished severely from WW1. They were encouraged to accept punishment, so this allowed certain figures to promote "nationalism" in a way that proved detrimental...the past was then "blurred into the present" as Sacco says in his work. This can also be seen in Japan after the atomic bombings as we discussed in class. The members of Japanese society were encouraged to look past, to get over the bombings, however it is not so simple. Those who lived through it were forever impacted. Their trauma is present in the future generations that are raised by those who experienced the bombings. Native Americans are also encouraged to "move past" the past. Yet, reservations still exist and alcoholism is more present than ever. In choosing to take a sip, they are choosing to numb their past. While individuals may not have experienced WW1, the atomic bombings, and losing their lands directly the trauma is still present indirectly through the influences of those who lived through it...passing down the trauma. When a pebble is thrown into the water, it is foolish to believe that the disturbance will be simplistic. Ripples emerge directly afterwards combining into one another, and traveling across the once glassy surface.
The other topic I enjoyed, as I mentioned above, was tourism. It could be because I am from Santa Cruz, which is known as a tourist town, but I found something both alluring and disturbing in this section. I do notice that there is a certain attraction to locations that embody some of the most violence acts in history. However, in contrast, I also found it interesting to consider what deems a sight "violent enough" to become noted. For instance, the comic we reviewed in class pertaining to Palestine. Massive shootings didn't add up to a site of memory, instead it became a parking lot only fifty years later. The only thing preserving these violent images was the memory of those who lived through it. Tourism and memory work hand in hand in some respects. How people reflect on tourist sites depends on the "memory" associated with the site.
These topics and so many more will stick with me: in a sense the past of this class will blur into my present. Thank you all <3
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