"As I sit here..."

My initial thought when it was mentioned that we were going to be using blindfolds and ear plugs in an experiment was, "Oh God, it's like the first experiment, but this time, I might actually die!" I had no idea that what we were actually going to be doing was just sitting, thinking.

I'm a very anxious person, so throughout the entire experiment, I could not sit still. I think I switched positions every ten seconds, or so I believe since I really had no idea how much time was passing. I kept waiting for something to happen. For someone to tap me on the shoulder and from there we would do something similar to the first experiment where one person would lead another. Ir that I would take a little peak out from underneath my blindfold, which I did a few times, and see that everyone had left me as a joke. Instead, we just sat. About a million things were running through my head, all at once.

1. Since I'm senior class treasurer, I'm one of the people in charge of Homecoming this year, and I kept making to-do lists: what music we should be playing, what the senior hallway should look like, why there was a dinosaur on one of the class t-shirt designs! I ran for treasurer because when there is an event to be planned, I will almost always volunteer. I want everything that I participate in to be the best that it can be. 
2. Following Homecoming, I started to think about how around fifty people will be meeting at my house to take pictures and eat. I, again, will always volunteer, and clearly have a problem with saying no. I think the amount that I'm doing for Homecoming and the fact that I'm just excited to be a senior in general is part of the reason I got really anxious. 
3. I started to then think about all of the discussions that we've been having so far in class. I am not a religious person, but I've never had a strong faith in anything either. The only thing I know is that I personally do not believe in God. My mom, who doesn't believe in God either, does believe in karma, or at least the thought that your "fate" is a direct result of your actions. When I was really young, death scared me because it's always been my thought that when you die, that's it; that there is no afterlife. I would have panic attacks because I didn't think I had enough time for anything. These discussions have brought back these thoughts, and while I know that I will probably become really anxious while we continue to simply just think and bounce ideas of each other, I realized just how excited I am for them/the rest of the year. 

So, I figure that it's safe to say that this exercise definitely got me thinking. I thought about my sort of "external world"--for lack of a better word, but then also was able to think about about something other than my personal life or material items. I think sometimes, we as humans, can get distracted from the bigger picture.

Blindfold Reflection

I never would have noticed just how much I use my sense of sight and how little I trust people without this experiment. Since I was not the partner to be “blind” first, I was leading my partner without knowing exactly what she was going through. When I led her up the dirt hill, I couldn’t imagine just how scared she must have been not knowing exactly where she was or who what she was doing. When it was me with the blindfold on, I became terrified. I had no idea who was around me at any given time. When I had to run across the street, I honestly thought I was going to trip and then be run over by a car. This activity taught me how frightened I am by the unknown; by uncertainty.

What is contained on a blank piece of paper?

Potential. With a blank piece of paper you have the power to do anything. You can start off however you want. You can write whatever comes to mind. If you want to doodle, feel free. If you want to write a poem, go ahead. A blank piece of paper contains whatever you want it to.