Thursday, May 6, 2010

Muted Colors

How simple we are
And we never change our ways
So very shallow

I just finished The Giver.  It's given me a new perspective on life... On living.

Everyone wanted to be safe, so they shut themselves away in a carefully controlled "community."  They wanted to shut out the pains of life, and in doing so, stopped really living.  Throughout the whole book I wondered what life would be like if that's what we had done. But... Isn't it?  Our lives are carefully controlled throughout most of our existence. Sure, we have some freedoms here and there, but most of our lives we're controlled by various things.  Our parents, our friends, society... We do what people expect us to do.  We do what is easiest.  Just like they did in the book, we've muted the colors of our world.  Perhaps not the physical colors, but most certainly everything else.  How many of us can say we have truly lived.  I would guess very few.  How many of us have done what we wanted instead of what is expected of us.  Again, very few.  Isn't it a bit sad?

It's interesting to me how people go about their lives.  I was people-watching today, and it was pretty fascinating.  Why do those people do the things they do?  Parents, friends, society...  We take the  easiest path, and in doing so, we mute the colors of our world.

4 comments:

  1. Are we have supposed to finish The Giver already? I haven't even finished Banner in the Sky...
    But anyway, this is really great, Ethan! It makes you think...

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  2. Ethan, this is by far the thing that has made me think the most. I completely agree. You are one smart kid. Thanks for posting this. :)

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  3. ETHAN DRAKE!!! How a come you NEVER mentioned you could write...well! mmmhmm. Well I loooooved LOVED this! So very much, and I love you, and this blog, and the Giver. Nicely put ma man-said like an islander.

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  4. Lovely writing :) that book breaks my heart. i BAWL everytime i read it. (so why is it my second-favorite bedtime book?) I want to grow up alive.

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