Volvo's and Their Maintenance: The Story of Vern and his car.

            The heap of parts that Grace has been keeping in her garage over the years is Vern’s actual Volvo for several reasons. Let’s start with the definition of an object. An object is made up of its physical parts. This being said, the heap of parts was Vern’s Volvo because those parts originally made up his actual car. If we expand this concept to the entire world, the example of human beings is an excellent one. Humans are defined by their parts (just like Vern’s Volvo) in essence by their chemical make-up. What separates humans from primates is our DNA. Our DNA is one of the many parts that make us whole, just like the parts of Vern’s Volvo that originally made up a whole Volvo. Another example is that of a common toaster. The parts inside the toaster are what make up the toaster as a whole. Without these parts the toaster in question would not exist.  Objects are always defined by the sum of its parts.

Based on the definition of Vern’s Volvo, his current car cannot be the same as his original car, because it is made up of completely different parts. The new parts that Grace installed in Vern’s car were not original to the car.  Therefore, because all of the parts of Vern’s car have all been replaced over time, Vern in reality is driving a brand new car. This is why the heap of metal in Grace’s garage is indeed Vern’s actual Volvo.

            If Grace were to put the Volvo back together, it would then be Grace’s Volvo because she put it together. Ownership transfers when you put pieces together into a workable whole like the car. The individual pieces of the car were originally Vern’s, but because Grace put the pieces together to form a new car, the car is definitely hers. One could argue that the car she reconstructed was still Vern’s because the individual pieces were his. However, Grace put time and energy into the car so she made it her own. She is now going to make use of the old Volvo making it hers.

Vern’s Volvo changed when Grace finally received the last piece of Vern’s Volvo; the Volvo that Vern was currently driving was no longer his Volvo. He was driving a brand new car that he technically owned, but was not in any way his original Volvo.  For example, if I were to renovate my house and rip everything out down to the foundation and replaced everything in it, by market standards it would then be considered a new home. The same concept applies to Vern’s car. Everything old had be taken out and replaced, that is why Vern’s car changed. It changed not only owners, but it changed from and old car to a brand new one. 

To Know One’s Self

            To know one’s self  is to be self-aware. To be self-aware is the realization of your needs as an individual. Self-awareness is something we gain as we grow older and become accustomed to our behaviors and feelings.  To know one’s self is to be comfortable in your own skin, and to know who you are as an individual. There is never going to be anyone else just like you or me. We’re one of a kind; priceless. This knowledge and overall feeling is what one needs to know in order to truly know one’s self. Having this knowledge is valuable because it allows you to be totally connected to your inner self. Being completely connected to who you are as a person, both mentally and spiritually, gives you the freedom to explore everything the world has to offer but to still be totally confident in who you are. Everything you will experience in the world, either good or bad, may have little influence over you because you are completely aware of who you are. You are you and nothing and no one can change that.

            My worst quality as a person is my anxiety and my pessimism. I believe my pessimism is a direct result of my anxiety. If I were more able to stay calm then I would have no reason to always think so negatively. I always tend to think the worst out of every situation no matter what it is. It could be something as trivial as gas prices going up. If gas prices go up, then in my mind I always think the worst. I’ll think that because the price has gone up, then gas will be too expensive and then my family won’t be able to afford to heat our house, and then we’ll all freeze to death and die. This is obviously extremely overdramatic, and I know it will never happen; however, I can’t help but think that. Most of the time, it’s school related. For example, if I get a bad grade on a test and it makes my average go down then I automatically think that I’ll be rescinded from college and be forced to go to community college. I know in the back of my head that these things won’t happen, but I can’t help but stress out about them. To help combat these weaknesses I’ve sought the help of one of the school psychiatrists and we now have weekly meetings where we talk about coping strategies.  These meetings have really helped me. Being taught ways to better cope with situations has done wonders for my anxiety, and overall has made me less pessimistic.

            I believe that my greatest strength is my ability to get along with just about anyone. Having excellent social skills is imperative in every aspect of life from business, to social, to family. You will always have to interact with people and this is one skill that I believe I excel at. Being around people is something I’ve always enjoyed. I find it very soothing to be around the hum of other people’s voices and the sound of laughter. When I was younger, I would often get really depressed if I didn’t have a friend constantly around. I felt empty if there wasn’t someone there that I could make happy and laugh. Now I just find joy in being around those I love and care about, but I also find joy in making new friends. I think of making a new friend like finding a pearl in a mountain full of clams. I’ve always thought of it as a kind of accomplishment where both parties gain something: a friend.

            It’s so hard to write about one’s strengths and weaknesses, because we’re not used to talking about them in such an upfront fashion. We’re used to keeping them to ourselves to either not seem pompous, or to not seem weak. It is also hard to think about what our strengths and weaknesses are for basically the same reasons. We are all so image conscious that we don’t want to appear too overzealous or too feeble. I like that I was made to write about these things because it helped me figure out what they were in the first place. Writing about them made me learn a little bit more about myself then I knew before. I think that it is good for others to do this too so that they too can learn more about themselves and ultimately become more self-aware. Knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses is imperative in order to know one’s self inside and out.