RIVERA'S TIME IS OUR TIME

Diego Rivera's Frozen Assets painting reminds of the phrase "the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor". For me, the top section showing the skyscrapers, represented a land of opportunity where supposedly anyone can make something out of nothing. The middle section with the guard watching over the sleeping people gave me a sense of overpowering control. The guard is acting as the government making sure the people who struggle are kept comfortable enough so they won't have the desire to climb the social ladder. The bottom section emulates the same government protecting the rich by securing their position on the social ladder through banks which protect their money. Even though the painting refers to the Great Depression during the 1930’s, I think it still applies in 2011. This Rivera painting relates to events currently running around the world, for example the Occupy Movement. Even though our time isn’t in as bad of shape like the 1930’s, there is still social inequality occurring. Do not forget the Oscar Grant case in which his murderer, a police department official, only got a maximum of three years and was out in one and a half, after shooting and killing a handcuffed, defenseless, urban male. Michael Vick, an NFL football player, got the same sentence for dog fighting. If that isn’t recognized as social inequality then I don’t know what is. These kind of situations take place right in our face but are inevitable because a position of power and money control all.

What Inspires?

I gain most inspiration from older people that tell me their personal experiences. So personal that the only reason they tell me is to specifically teach me a life lesson. This way I have the option to learn the easy way or the hard way.  Some stories I heard have ended with a righteous path to success and others, unfortunately, have been cut short with continuous trips to prison or death. The message I receive from all these experiences is to have a focus on what my heart really wants in life, pursue it and achieve it. I also have to clearly realize the road to my success will be a row full of obstacles to overcome. The most inspiring auto biography I heard so far came from an older man, about 35, named Kuma. He shared with me that he had been in and out of incarceration since the age of 11. It took him until the age of 30 to realize it was finally time to straighten out his life. After his last stay in San Quentin Penitentiary, which lasted 5 years, he got his first job working for Goodwill Industries. Kuma expressed to me how blessed he felt to have the chance to start over the right way after everything he has done to himself. The one thing he wanted me to understand was that there was nothing better than freedom and I should do my best not to lose it. I captured that point and noticed the incredible drive Kuma obviously has, to be able to pick himself up when he reached rock bottom. In my life, I try to incorporate consistency and quality for a better outcome, when trying to reach my goals. I feel fortunate when I understand the perspective of a more mature person because it is similar to predicting and controlling the future for my own choices.