Help.

I am writing this letter because I don’t know where else to come from. I have a problem that desperately needs to be solved. So desperately in fact, that if I do not fix my problem, I am afraid I will be doomed for the rest of my days.

My problem is something that most can relate to. It is one of the most common problems in this hectic world. A problem that everyone has faced at one point in his or her life, or will face soon enough. A problem that is swallowing the youths of today, along with the adults finding themselves in a rut filled with utter depression. The problem of finding ones self.

I don’t know if we truly know how to find ourselves. Some think it is through extensive reading and others think it is through life’s adventures and music. I am not sure, because I have no clue how I found myself before. But I find it odd how I used to know exactly what I wanted out of life and how, but today I have no idea how to face the world.

My self has disappeared and to my knowledge, has left me completely. Whether it is because it grew bored of my tiring lifestyle, or because it has simply faded away in the black, dying. I don’t know. The only recollection I have is that I knew exactly who I was yesterday, but today is a different story. And this has me gasping for air, crying and pleading out for help. I don’t know who I am. I don’t know what my life means.

The world is such a big space. So big, that I don’t know if we could cover the ends of the earth and back in one life time. I know that many people have tried it and maybe someone out there has succeeded, but I don’t think it to be possible. I cannot help but feeling that in this big world, we are very minuscule. Yet our problems seem to affect everyone and those around us. Not only are our problems greater then any other man or woman, but they are also affecting the fate of the entire universe. It seems to me, that I am not the only one who has lost their self. I think the world has become a victim of this unsolvable dilemma.

How should I go about finding who I am? Should I read more? Study the lives of great people who know exactly what they want out of life. Or should I coward away and save my depressing thoughts for a much more private space? I know what my body feels. I know that I really just want to hide away. Maybe not speak to another human soul again. That would be nice. But I know that I cannot. I know that in the face of our ever-expanding society, we have to stand up for ourselves. We have to find the answers ourselves, and we have to do what truly makes us happy. Unfortunately, we have to do all of the above ourselves, with no help from anyone, unless those people are the great thinkers of our past, present and future world.

Perhaps it is true what they say, that we have to rediscover our pasts to figure out our futures. Maybe the answers to life are between the lines of the holy book, or between the lines of space and time. If we search hard enough, chances are that we will find them and they will spell out the rest of our lives and how we think. The trouble of course is knowing where to look, and how to start.

I don’t think that my self has given up on me. I suppose I am just at a stage in my life where it is time for me to grow and expand. To change my life around, because I know that I need to change something. I think we all need to. Still, I find myself frantically trying to find out where my self went. I feel like the walks I take are not as beautiful, the sun is not as brighter. I am retaining information differently…my whole life as I know it has changed. I don’t think I can do this alone.

So should you find myself, please let it know that I am looking for it. And I miss it terribly. Let it know that I will be waiting patiently for its arrival, and that I will leave the porch light on.

Sincerely,

Lindsay Taylor.

Position paper

"The Threat of Nuclear Weapons in North America"

By: Lindsay Taylor

Background Information:

Nuclear weapons have been around since July 16, 1945, when the United States donated their first nuclear bomb in New Mexico, in Alamogordo (Asia Society). It was not even a month after the first testing when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japanese territory, Hiroshima. This bombing killed and wounded over 130,000 people. A few days later another atomic bomb was dropped in Nagasaki, killing over 70,000 people. Though this helped end the Second World War, it revolutionized the world and the views on war (Asia Society).

On average, there are 30,000 nuclear weapons owned by various countries (Greenpeace). These weapons are placed around the globe in 10 different countries. Out of those nuclear weapons, the United States has 9,962. An estimated 5,735 of those bombs are classified as deliverable. In the Russian Federation, there are 16,000 nuclear weapons, 5,830 of these being classified as deliverable (Greenpeace).

This is an issue that can no longer be ignored. Nuclear weapons are not safe and are severely overlooked. The issues associated with these weapons include: the production of fear to lives, their testing and radiation exposure creates severe problems to the health of many lives, and also creates harmful emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere, adding to the problem of Global Warming (Health).

My Position:

There are many groups and organizations across North America that work to stop the threat of nuclear weapons. Though this is a striking effort, there is still not enough being done. In order to reach out and make a difference to stop the production and threat of nuclear weapons, it is imperative that everyone combine forces to create action. By doing so, changes will be made and North America will see a positive outcome.

After combining forces, some ways of creating change are:

i. Attacking the media
By creating more of an outrage and adding more information on the effects of nuclear weapons to the media, more people are likely to follow. By allowing someone that many people idolize (for example: President Barack Obama) to agree with the fight against nuclear weapons, many people will follow his beliefs and opinions.

ii. To educate the population and future generations
By educating children in public and in middle schools, they will understand the consequences and the severity of the issue. They are the future generations and therefore can create more change. Another way to educate the population is by having more discussions on the topic and provide more information on the issue. This can be done through the major newspapers, and through radio and television talk shows. The more people know, the more they will understand and want to help create change.