Getting To Know Our Audience

          This has been an assignment that I was slightly unsure about near the beginning. I was unsure how asking questions online could actually help us to get to know our classmates. The assignment seemed to turn out a bit different than I had anticipated. There were some things that I had assumed would happen; however there were also some things that really got me thinking. Luckily this is being posted in my blog so I can be my normal unapologetic self and asses the points of interest the way I actually see them.

     One classmate asked where we would go and who we would take with us if we had a one way ticket to anywhere in the world. Naturally, with me being the person I am, of course I chose Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. This is the birthplace of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu which has been one of my loves for the past few years. Rio Heroes is also a product of this place. Just imagine bare knuckle mixed martial arts, it is a beautiful thing. Enough about my response though, I had noticed that the majority of the class had decided that they would not want to accept a one way ticket. They are attached to the place in which they live. Because these are real people I will abbreviate the names so that those whom it concerns will still understand. R.L had said "I don't think I would want to permanently move away from my home. I have everything I need here.” This one response pretty much summed up what the class thought; they have what they want and who they want here in their hometown. I respect their decision and their attachment to this place in which we began to learn who we are. That being said I cannot agree with them; if it takes a one way ticket to get myself into a better environment for me to become the man I want and know I should be then a one way ticket it is for me. As we move on we gained some further understanding about the class and me.

     The question that I had asked was what lesson the class would their posterity that they had learned from a major mistake that they had made in life. I had truthfully expected the majority of the class to be brief and avoid alluding to the fact that we have all made major mistakes in life at one time or another. Those who had rejected the notion of major mistakes had come up with things that they had learned from what I was left to assume were minor mistakes in their lives. The responses that were given had a lot to do with honesty and seizing opportunities. There was one post that stuck out to me, it was made by S.R "... you can't look forward to the future if you dwell on the mistakes in your past.". This is something that people constantly tell me. I relentlessly beat myself up over the things that I have done. It has been a problem that I have always dealt with. After reading this from someone that I've not met it makes me feel as though there should be a bigger push to quit dwelling on my past life. As we look at the mistakes of the past and the prospect of the future it brings me to the one question that has puzzled me.

     Where are you going after you die? One question that has perplexed nearly everyone from theologians to reformed Ukrainian Mob bosses (I've met some interesting people...). When the class was asked this question, I'm not sure why, but I had anticipated different responses. The overwhelming majority of the class had said that they are Christian and had been saved so they are going to heaven. This perplexed me for a few different reasons. Keep in mind that this is not meant to tear down anyone's beliefs or religion, simply to invoke deeper thought. When one takes the response that someone is Christian and they have been saved so they will go to Heaven, is it really enough to just go into the water and become saved? What happens to those who have not been saved, even if they had never been exposed to the opportunity for it? If we follow the thought that you must be saved to go to Heaven it would seem as though those in third world countries that never had the opportunity to learn Christianity would be doomed. They would not only be the only "doomed", from this perspective any children that have died before they had the chance to be saved would be in the same boat. Looking at this from a different perspective; what about those who have been saved but do not show it? Throughout time there have been numerous examples of those who have been Christian and "saved" that have committed heinous crimes against humanity with no remorse to speak of. Is it fair that infants and those who had not received the opportunity are doomed while some of the world’s shittiest people, those that deserve the inner circle of Hell, are "saved" simply for being submerged in water? Apologies for going slightly off of topic but I felt the need to write my analysis of this train of thought. Coming from this topic I find it necessary to highlight one more question that was asked that also greatly helps us understand the class which will be our audience. Just as religion greatly influences our lives, those that we surround ourselves with also have a profound impact.

     The last question that I will highlight from this exercise shows us who our classmates found to be the most influential in their lives. After reading and gaining an understanding of the class from the previous questions I felt that there was a clear choice on which their influences were. As expected the majority of the class was influenced greatest by members of their family. There were two exceptions in the class; they were influenced most by someone outside of their family. I would venture to say that here in the Mid-West our families tend to be the people that influence us the most. This may very well be different as you go further north and maybe south. Ultimately as we look at the results the responses to this question line up with the beliefs that we can conclude most of the members of this class adhere to.

    Looking back at this exercise we seem to be able to draw a conclusion as to who our audience ultimately seems to be. Assessing the responses given when asked about a one way ticket anywhere it is noticed that the class is fond of their home and very few had said that they would accept a one way ticket. Regarding mistakes and lessons to teach posterity the class seems to reject the notion that we all make major mistakes in life with that being said they would teach of honesty and one had spoken of not dwelling on the past. With not dwelling on the past comes looking to the future as in where we will go when we die. Predictably enough almost all of the class agreed that since they are Christian and had been saved that they were going to Heaven. Just as predictably the class also shared the feeling that various members of their family had been the most influential people in their lives. Hometown and family oriented, honest and forward looking, Christian and influenced by family members; to me personally this seems like the typical Mid-Western to Southern mindset that I love so much.