Holidays

Holidays mean different things to different people. For some, it is a chance to enjoy time with friends and family. Others simply welcome the time off from work or school. For me, holidays are some of the few days of the year when my entire extended family is together. It is a time for us to eat, talk, and laugh. I have noticed that, in my family, the men and women usually separate. Some of my fondest memories are when my mother, grandmother, aunt, and I sit around and share gossip and laughter. We seem to form a little club which no one else understands. We forget about deadlines and many little problems we are facing. This Easter will undoubtedly be the same for my family.

Language Literacy

I feel that being able to speak another language can benefit one in so many aspects of life. Whether it is being able to communicate with someone, or simply being able to relate to someone, it is so important. I was fortunate to have grown up being spoken to in English and Spanish. In my house, English was always spoken, but in my grandparents' home, we only speak Spanish. My grandparents are from Spain, and so I have been able to experience their culture firsthand. I have always been able to understand Spanish, but gradually I began to be able to speak it as well, once I realized how important it was for me to master it. One of my mother's biggest regrets is that she did not speak to her children in Spanish when we were little. Luckily, my grandmother always did!

Even now, when I call my grandmother, she insists that I speak in Spanish to her. In fact, she pretends not to understand if I speak English! Being bilingual has helped me many times in my life. I strongly believe that one of the main reasons I got hired at my current job is because of my ability to speak Spanish. I feel extremely blessed to have been given the opportunity to learn another language. Although I know many people may not have other languages spoken in their households, I think that it is so important to try to learn another language  if possible. It never ceases to amaze me how many opportunities that it presents!

Culture of Marriage

The idea of marriage and relationships is all around us-in music, movies, commercials, and radio. We are constantly bombarded with the notion that we should find a partner to marry and start a family with. Although there is nothing wrong with wanting this, I do have to wonder if we experience subtle pressure to find this in a certain time frame.

Although I can only speak from the point of view of a woman, I think it depends on your environment. I personally have experienced a little pressure to find a serious boyfriend before I graduate. However, I do not think it has any influence on being focused on a career as well. In one of my groups of friends, the majority are in a serious relationship and are definitely headed toward marriage in the future. I do not wish to make any judgments, but sometimes I sense that they are more reluctant to participate in activities (on or off campus) without their significant others. However, they are also highly focused on their school work. In my other group of friends, most are not in relationships. These are the people who are always up for hanging out or participating in things around campus. They are perfectly content not being in a serious relationship and they are also very focused on careers.

There is nothing wrong with either of these circumstances, but I definitely feel that they are different. I have to admit that I sometimes feel that certain people are not happy unless they are in a relationship, and these are the people that are in a rush to get married after graduation. I wonder if they are missing out on important friendships in college?

How do you feel about this topic? Do you think men face the same pressures? Do you agree that these pressures even exist?