E-Portfolio

Rachel Jenkins' E-Portfolio

The Art of Communication

I've got more than I could ever handle on my mind this weeks, which sucks especially because finals are right around the corner and I can't focus on anything. What I can't stop thinking about have been inspired by some pretty sucky recent events, all coming from a lack of communication. One of the questions we had to answer in class this semester is "is it okay to lie?" I know I said that it depends on the situation, but now being on the other side of it all i take it back. If something's on your mind, SAY IT. It takes the time and pain out of what happens when you put it off until later. Sure, you don't want to hurt feeling because you're a good person, but delaying the obvious hurts that other person more because of the fact that it is being delayed. Recently I've had someone tell me, "you don't need to worry about a thing; everything's fine." Obviously not. Why is it that much easier today to put off the obvious? Us as a society have regressed to taking the easy way out, or changing the means of our words to not cut too deeply sometimes. We choose our words, rather, our rhetoric, wisely as to not hurt someone. But how far does that rhetoric get us, really? Why can't we say how we feel, no strings attached? In my instance, I knew something was up for a couple weeks..things just felt sketchy. Which stressed me out because I didn't know what the hell was going on. So, as an ardent believer in communication (past relationships have shown me that when something doesn't get talked about, it festers), I brought up the situation at hand. I was then told millions of times that everything's okay. Why take the easy way out?! Here I am a couple weeks later finding out what I should have weeks ago. The art of communication is seriously messed up today. Have we as a society become so lazy that even being morally correct and honest are out of the question? Is it really that much more efficient to tell a few lies to pass the time? No. What we need to remember is the importance of honesty. Sure, the truth hurts, but lies kill. Hearing those rhetoric "comfort phrases" such as "it's fine" and "don't worry" give us some serious setbacks. Be honest people.

Tats

Lately I've been thinking a lot about tattoos. I don't know if it's the change in weather which has inspired some change in me, but I'm beginning to think differently about inking up one's body. Normally, I'd be completely against it. The mere act of permanently marking yourself up is kind of repulsive to me. I understand that people are inspired, moved, motivated, or whatever else by whatever event or cause, but I've always though that there has to be a better way to show your passions than to drill them into your skin. But then I started to do some research and ask a few of my roommates about their own tattoos as well. As is turned out, their reasonings were really touching. For instance, one of my roommates has three black stars on the top of her right foot, symbolizing the bond between her and her two sisters, who also have the same tattoo. Being a sibling, I absolutely loved the idea. I'm more close with my twin brother than I am with nearly anyone else on the planet, and nothing could ever change that. I guess I've never really been inspired by anything, so I never saw the purpose in getting tattoos. But I've had a change in heart and really appreciate the rhetoric of it all now. Tattoos are a bodily portrayal or manifestation of a person's beliefs. There's really no other rhetoric out there that speaks as powerful as a tattoo does. Tattoos can be a tribute to one's past and can tell a whole story. Everything is meaningful and has its own rhetoric within the process, even down to the decision of where to place it. I've always thought about getting a tattoo, but the topic has always been so taboo and has had such negative connotations within my family that I've never really given it any serious thought. But last week I decided to call up my mom and just ask her about tattoos, just for shits and gigs. And she was fine with it. I was floored by her reaction, but then I remembered it's my personal decision of what I'd chose to be inked onto me. My choice is what's changed my mother's mind. With all of my family strife going on lately, I've been really attached to the idea of "family first." My brother, in particular comes first. Recently he came out about being gay and it's been a trial and testimony of support for my family. But I realized that Drew is Drew and I love him irrevocably. He's my twin. So, I want to tat myself up with the tribal Gemini symbol on my foot. This symbol holds so much importance to me because not only are Drew and I Gemini, but the symbol for the Gemini zodiac sign are the twins. It's always been so fitting. I chose my foot because Drew and I have always walked the same journey all of our lives together, one step and one foot at a time, in the same unison with our strides.

Seriously, Just Do It.

After our rhetoric speeches earlier in the semester, I've begun to pay a lot closer attention to advertisements and the portrayals of their messages. The ad that I'm discussing here is one by Nike, which I think is pretty powerful. Situated in downtown Manhattan, it states “Yesterday You Said Tomorrow.” This is an old ad from Nike, dating from a couple of years ago. It doesn't really matter if it's older, it's always a good reminder to be proactive. Furthermore, it's timeless. This message is a simple one that stands the test of time because it's so true, and Nike knows that. The ad essentially guilts you into whatever you haven't done yet. In this case, since the target audience is made up of athletes, this ad guilts athletes into exercising, but through the use of Nike products. The colors are simple: black and white. This highlights the simple, "no-brainer" attitude of the advertisement.