HW 19

When I asked my mother about sickness and death; she said that it happens to everyone and there isn't a way to avoid it. Her views on death were more calm then I expected, she didn't sigh or start dwelling on the recent death of her mother. She seems to just accept the fact that one day were all going to die. She is a Jehovah's Witness so she believes that we go to "Sleep" when we die and then after the resurrection the chosen few will rise from the dead and live life on earth. I then asked does she every doubt that that's the truth and she said she has faith in her religion. The conversation then drifted away and eventually I went back into my room, when trying to hold a conversation death and illness is a hard conversation to continue to talk about; eventually everyone starts dwelling on negative things.

Hw 18

    My experience of this holiday fit more into the "anti- body" then "body centered" only because no one was focused on the nutrition side of the meal, thanksgiving is an excuse to eat like a pig and not feel to bad about it after wards.

    When people get together with they're family they tend to stop caring about what they eat and how much of it, the focus is the family. When my family comes together for thanksgiving we dont focus on the food as much as others, we play games and watch movies and once the food is ready we sit at the table and we eat. I wouldn't say that the food dominated the event but it is the highlight. Once we eat its back to being active, my mother doesn't like it when people sit around after they eat. Some families might exclude certain foods that are apart of the "traditional" thanksgiving meal because diabetes might run in they're family or they're over weight family members.
   Some of my uncles and cousins did watch the football game after the meal, but everyone else was socializing. The death of a family member could alter the "anti-body vs body centered" cultural practice a family that usually eats fatty and salty foods that is prone to diabetes might try to change their diets after a love one dies or gets really sick from diabetes. Sometimes it takes sickness and dying for people to start to change their ways.

HW 17

1. Your experience with the topics.

 

I havent experience too many death experiences, saw a few suicides but never family related so I was extremely affected by it. Illness is something I am very familiar with, many family members of mine are sick and everyone is trying to cope.

2. The way you've been taught to see illness & dying.

 

 Death happens but illness can be prevented. My mom always told me this , you wont get sick if you take care of your self and sickness can be prevented.

3. Social norms around illness & dying in our culture.

 

"It happens to the best of us" we tend to have pity for the sick and dead. We then decide its time to appreciate that person.

4. Your family's approach to these aspects of life.

 

they believe that its going to happen eventually but why deal on it, be happy and live your life.

5. Possibly unusual perspectives you have about being sick and/or dying

No, I dont have any unusual perspectives