The Journey

By Mary Oliver

 

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice–

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

“Mend my life!”

each voice cried.

But you didn’t stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do–

determined to save

the only life you could save.

Everyone have or will experience displacement at some point of their life. Displacement is not a pleasurable experience. Displacement can cause one to feel isolated from others. It prevents individuals from expressing their needs and desires. Various factors can cause one to feel displaced. For example, not meeting societal expectations, facing others criticism, or fear can result in one to feel displaced. In the poem “The Journey” by Mary Oliver, Oliver communicates the idea that one should follow the path that they desire the most. Oliver starts off the poem  stating that, “One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began, though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advices– through the whole house began to tremble” (Line 1-7). Oliver presents that it is extremely important for individuals to realize what they desire the most. People often are lost between making decisions that are good for themselves or making decisions based on what others tells them to do. Oliver expresses that criticism is inevitable, however, it should not be an excuse from preventing one to accomplishing their goals. This relates back to the displacement because no matter how much displacement have impacted you, you should not let it impact you from accomplishing your goals.

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

 

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and

his feet are tied

so, he opens his throat to sing.

 

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

 

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn

and he names the sky his own

 

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

his wings are clipped, and his feet are tied

so, he opens his throat to sing.

 

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

 

“Maya Angelou 1983”

 

 

This poem describes the feeling of displacement and what it means to be somewhere with your hands and legs tied and not being able to move. The caged birds refer to slaves during slavery. They moved from their countries seeking jobs and a better life yet to find themselves slaves and taken advantage of. Maya Angelou also reflects the displacement of blacks between the North and the South and the trade of slaves and how slaves felt about it. The way I see it is that Maya Angelou chose to use the bird metaphor to describe blacks is because birds are supposed to be free to fly wherever they want without being caged. Segregation is a form of displacement in the way of feeling discomfort and not belonging.

Food and exercise are my free time, the time I use to forget and simply be happy.  They are two worlds that I have never been able to combine for the benefit of my health.  I love to exercise most specifically fighting.  I do boxing and just recently started to do Jiu Jitsu, although I do not do it as much as I would like to.

 

Food has pretty much been a barrier from those abs I’ve been wanting, my diet consists of everything.  I’ll eat salads every so often but I’ll also eat tacos weekly and anything that I crave.  While it would be okay if I ate as much as I do if I were to work out daily or at least four times a week, I just don’t.

 

My comfort food has displaced me from my fitness goals.

 

I often find myself lost in thought. It doesn’t really matter where I am. I can be at home procrastinating, school in a class that isn’t particularly interesting, or on the train while I stare at the person in front of me. I always have the most random thoughts. I can have fake arguments that will most definitely never happen, but you never know right? I might think about how there are parallel universes and the other me’s are using their time more efficiently or maybe worse.

I’m not much of a science person, but I believe that there are parallel universes. It sounds beyond crazy, but I seriously think that there is another me who has her whole life figured out. Someone who goes to sleep at a regular time and wakes up early in the morning. She would be someone who is always caught up with the current events, stocks, but would still have time to have fun. She is someone who always drinks eight cups of water a day, eats three meals a day, and exercises on a daily basis. She has a stable job and is loved by all her family and friends.

Although that is all a fantasy me that I’ve have led myself to believe exists somewhere in the galaxy, there is someone out there on Earth who lives their life like that. Someone who lives the perfect life that I wish I had. Thinking about the 18 year-old self that I am in reality gives me a strong feeling of displacement. What am I doing with my life? I’m most definitely not the only one who fights this inner struggle, but at the same time, everyone has a different experiment with it. It’s not as if I have no goals in life or standards I set for myself to meet. Getting to know myself better over time is the only solution I have to that question. I might not be the person I want to be now, but the path to success is not an easy one to find. I may feel lost now, but soon I will learn more about what I want to do with my life and soon build up myself to be the person I want to be.

“It was a kind of schizophrenia. A moral split. I couldn’t make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile. I was afraid of walking away from my own life, my friends, and my family, my whole history, everything that mattered to me. I feared losing the respect of my parents. I feared the law. I feared ridicule and censure.” (O’Brien, 176).

In this section, Tim O’Brien expresses that he does not want to fight the war in Vietnam. On the other hand, O’Brien claims that if he does not fight the war he would be seen as a coward. He fears that he would lose his reputation. Part of him wants to escape from the draft and flee to Canada, but the other part of him did not want to lose the respect of his family members, friends and society.  This shows the inner displacement or conflict that the narrator is going through. The narrator proclaims his agony of trying to meet societal expectation of men. Men are obligated to be tough and courageous characteristics. O’brien feared that his sudden departure would cause people to view him negatively. He is afraid that he would lose his reputation as men.  Tim O’Brien’s short story: On the Rainy River communicated the emotional pain of being oppressed by society. Therefore, the pain of trying to meet societal expectation can effect an individual’s action, behavior and emotions. As a result, the pressure of trying to maintain the masculine features forced the narrator to return. Unable to risk the embarrassment, he went to war.

“To be lost is nothing to fear,
you are just spinning, gliding, flying
into free fall. Waiting
for the moment when your wings
detach from your sides, catch
the wind underneath their feathers
like sails. Then you learn to flow
with the change of the breeze,
learn to find your rhythm
in the wake of change
with each flap, each shift,
each breath.

To be lost is nothing to fear,
for everything that is lost
is on the path to being found.

And you, my darling, have wings.”

-Marissa Donelly

This is a poem that speaks about the feeling of displacement and being lost. We often see being displaced as a bad thing. It’s a feeling that challenges us and we don’t know how to feel comfortable with it. I think that everything is about perspective. When we see things as negative, they come into our lives with a negative effect. Often, it is helpful to switch perspectives and analyze things deeper. That’s why I encourage you to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. As college students, we may feel physically displaced at Baruch. We also may feel displaced because we are currently exploring and learning new things about ourselves. Society places a lot of pressure on deciding on a major and career. The feeling of displacement should not make this process less valuable or less enjoyable, it should make the moment more special. Therefore, I hope that this poem makes you feel less pressured and more grateful of the process ahead. We all have the power to view things the way we choose, so for a change .. get lost! Get lost within yourself in order to find yourself!

Questions I Have

Aim for the top

How do I get there?

 

Become what you want to be

Then what am I now?

 

Carefully make your choices

But what if I don’t?

 

Don’t do something you’ll regret

What happens if I do?

 

Everything happens for a reason

How do you know?

 

Find where you can be yourself

Can I get a map?

 

Give yourself space to think

What should I think?

 

Have faith in yourself

Do you have faith in me?

 

I believe you can do whatever you want

What do I want?

 

Just let your mind roam free

But what if I want it caged?

 

Keep in mind what’s important

How do I know what’s important?

 

Look deeper into yourself

Why does everything look so dark?

 

Make memories where you can

What if I’m trying to forget?

 

New can be good

What’s wrong with the old?

 

Open your eyes and see what the world has to offer

Why should I take it?

 

Perfect does not exist

Then why is there a word for it?

 

Question what you don’t know

But if I don’t want to know?

 

Remember where you came from

What if I’ve forgotten?

 

Search for a deeper meaning

What about what’s on the surface?

 

Throw your anxieties away

What if they come back?

 

Understand that not everything goes your way

What way does it go?

 

Voice your desires

What if I’m not heard?

 

Wish for the best

Will it come true?

 

Yearn for more

Does more mean better?

 

Zealously live your life

How do I do that?

Displacement is what can’t be touched but can be seen and felt

It changes you, sometimes even for the better

Displacement is the feeling of discomfort

The feeling of anxiety rushing down your spine

It creates tension that paralyzes you

Humans crave familiarity without such, we feel helpless

Displacement can be as easy as skin color, ethnicity, race and even hair color

The feeling of not belonging brings the feeling of failure

Many wonder how such a horrible feeling can bring any good

But we fail to understand what we have yet to see

To see growth is to step out of your comfort zone

So how can you witness growth when you do everything to avoid it

Displacement is learning how to adapt

Learning to change like the seasons

Fall like autumn

Rise like spring

And shine like the summer

Displacement is learning how to let go but not to forget

Displacement isn’t physical, it is emotional

What we feel takes over what we know

We can feel like we don’t belong

That doesn’t mean we aren’t safe

One can feel displaced in a new town

But that feeling is only there because we got emotionally attached to what was not what is

Displacement is survival

Just because it feel comfortable doesn’t mean it’s the best thing for us

Sometimes displacement is necessary

Sometimes displacement means never settling for the bare minimum

It means becoming stronger

Displacement should no longer be seen as negative

It should be seen as a feeling of human privilege

 

 

 

1. skate park
2. appendectomy
3. moving

Every 4 years, I look forward to the international soccer world cup. Having Mexican parents, soccer is a very important part of my culture. Mexico’s national sport is soccer and every little Mexican boy’s dream is to become the next Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez. Since soccer is the country’s national sport, you would think the national team would have plenty of talent right? Wrong. In fact, realistically speaking, Mexico’s international soccer team is mediocre at best. Our team consists of washed, unmotivated, and not good enough players. It sucks having a mediocre team because you patiently wait four years for your national team to be completely slaughtered by another. In my freshman year of high school, I joyfully watched the last 16 teams play in eliminations. The game was Mexico and Netherlands and was looking very bright. It looked like Mexico was finally going to break its curse of always being eliminated at round of 16 when all of a sudden they get whooped at the last 10 minutes of the game. Since soccer is a big deal of my culture, you could bet I was angry and ready to punch things. This was back in 2014’s world cup. In 2018’s, they again get destroyed by the Brazilian team and will have to wait another 4 years. Whenever your favorite team gets eliminated from such an important sports event like the soccer world cup, you die inside. On the outside you tell yourself that you don’t care but deep down inside, you’re completely full of rage. You feel this type of displacement since your team is being kicked out from a huge tournament and cant help but feel sorrow for it. Then again you move forward and in 2 days tops you don’t even care anymore and ready to wait for 4 more years.