Hope
Spiritual melody
Crystallized and creative force
To dispel my terrors
To blend my fears
To dispel my hatred
To see the light
They pushed me in to the swamp of terror
They pushed me in to the abyss of hatred
I was cracked by impotence
I could not see the horizon
But now I see the light
It is hope
The teacher of my heart
Who taught to me the virtues of truth
The hope
Throws away my fear of the history of injustice
It releases me
It is hope
that has rebuilt my being
It is hope
that has given me a home again
Throws away my fear of the history of injustice
It releases me
It is hope
that has rebuilt my being
It is hope
that has given me a home again
It is hope
that has taught me to believe again
that has taught me to believe again
There were many fears
There was much dread
There were many pains
That hope
Helped me to overcome
Hope is the spiritual melody
That saved a slave of hate
as I
I was wandering
In the sloughs of fear
In the darkness of hatred
But now I see the glowing horizon
Now I can see the light again.
Julio Cochoy June 2012 “Year of Hope”
This is a poem written and shared with us by the speaker on Monday evening. He shared a tragic tale of civil war in his community in Guatemala and the effect it had on the victims, their families, and the community at large in a widespread manner. For example, we may not think about this, but he told of one girl who, because her father had been killed, had to stay at home and work and not attend school. Her dream of becoming a secretary was quashed. We heard of the journey from hate to hope, and I think that is such a powerful element to consider: What does hope mean? How important is it? What happens when hope is taken from us? Can hope overcome huge obstacles, or is it simply a diversion?
I am reminded of stories of the Holocaust, in which victims declared that they survived because no matter what the Nazis did to their bodies, they could not control their minds.
I didn't have the pleasure of attending the event at Café Books, but from what I've heard from my classmates, it was nothing short of genius.
ReplyDeleteHope, to me, comes in all different shapes and sizes, because hope is entirely dependant on two variables: the person, and the necessity. There are many different types of hope that entirely depend on the situation in which one finds oneself. Hope could be as simple as waking up in the morning, or as complex as an entire life, planned out to the event, and hoping that everything falls into place due to proper execution.
But for hope to exist, in my opinion, desire must be present, for what is hope if not a longing for something that appears to just be out of one's reach. To me, hope comes at the end of the day. after hard work and elbow grease—once one has exhausted all of one's physical means to achieve a goal, hope kicks in. And I think that's such a powerful state of being, yet also a state of vulnerability, because once one starts to hope, one has to, on some small level, admit to oneself that the goal may not be achieved.
Hope is a fantastically important state of feeling, because it allows us to see humanity for what it truly is—a being that tries its best to control its surroundings, but fails sometimes. For hope to be present, failure and necessity must be an active part of the situation. Much like the night is darkest before dawn, hope comes only when one has, in my opinion, hit rock bottom.
Yet, we don't know rock bottom until we've had hope stolen from our clutches, for without hope, there is nothing. Failure can push a person down, but it is hope that motivates them to get back up again. Once hope is taken out of the equation, motivation disappears with it. Once one isn't motivated, terrors take hold, and one really realizes one's desperation.
Yet, hope can overcome these obstacles, for it comes from inside. It is by no means a diversion, but gives to a person a different perspective that motivates them even further to their goals. It isn't a distraction, or a survival mechanism. Hope allows a person to be stripped to the core, build themselves up again, and become stronger at the same time. Hope allows one to adapt, to deflect, and to succeed.
Hope is essential to life. Much like water, we can't live without it.
I think this poem describes the idea of hope in such a way that I could never write it down. Give it a read, let me know what you think.
Invictus, by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
ReplyDeleteI was also not able to make it to the presentation. It would have been great to attend because I find the concept of hope very fascinating.
I do not believe I can define hope, for I find the concept quite complex. I feel as if the true psychological concept of hope has yet to be truly discovered, and for now all we have are our opinions. I could argue against my last point and say that many concepts in our world are still debated but are often viewed as legitimate because they are accepted by a majority of the world. Education preaches these accepted ideas, but imagination expands and changes them. Philosophies develop and our world comes upon new ideas, new definitions. That being said, not only can I not define hope perfectly, but none of us truly can because the concept will vary between all of our imaginations. We will most likely agree on many factors that hope consists of, but I am interested to see what new factors are formed by individuals.
First of all I feel that one of the most important factors of hope has been addressed by Brogan. As he said, “for hope to exist, in my opinion, desire must be present, for what is hope if not a longing for something that appears to just be out of one's reach.” This is a very valid point and I agree with it completely: as the philosopher, Alfred Adler, once said, “We cannot think, feel, will, or act without the perception of a goal.” My point is that desire is completely essential; however, I think there is another factor that hope strongly depends on- promise.
As a child grows and learns through experience they will come across many situations involving promise. It is a concept used in the simplest daily actions as well as in life’s most significant actions and is therefore very important. A child learns from the characters that surround them and their abilities to keep these constant promises. When a promise is kept it formulates hope inside oneself that future promises also have the possibility to be kept. Children will believe in possibility, leading to wider imaginations and most importantly, optimism. However, if promises are continuously broken I believe that pessimism is formed. If one continually experiences the “breaking” of promises they will lose hope, they will lose desire. And as I quoted before, desire is our only reason to feel and think: it is our reason to live.
"When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
This quote may seem a little off topic, but for me it is very relevant. In order to have hope, we must desire something. Our desires or dreams, are usually experiences unknown to us, that we believe, but do not know, will make us happier. Sometimes we think these desires are impossible and unreachable because we have not yet reached them, but we must push past our mental blocks and use our imagination to believe in their possible existence. This brings me to another concept: “mind over matter” ... a topic for another day...
Brogan, thank you for posting that poem. I found it thought provoking, and reminded me of Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope”.
ReplyDeleteHope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune—without the words
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I’ve heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
It’s interesting that the song is without words – is hope just a feeling?
Does it, as you’ve suggested, combine desire and expectation?
Why is hope “sweetest” during a storm? Simply because that’s when we need it the most?
What happens if hope dies?
Hey there Miss Nelson,
DeleteYour question "What happens if hope dies?" is I think something very interesting to explore, and I think I tried to touch on that a bit during my two cents up above, but I think it would be very interesting to explore the idea of human psychology and the essential, (or, I suppose, inessential) part that hope plays to human well-being.
None of us, I don't think, have ever met a truly defeated person—a person in which hope doesn't exist. I think that hope, in essence, cannot die. I think that hope ebbs and flows. If we look at people who commit atrocious acts—murder, assault, etc.—or if we look at people with suicidal thoughts, or even people plagued with drug addiction, I don't think any of them would consider themselves "hopeless", but rather that they are—forgive the expression—in the ditch for an undetermined amount of time.
Let me explain.
First, I must sort of put a small disclaimer here. I don't feel hopeless. I've never felt hopeless—to me, life has, all things considering, came pretty easily. So I'm purely speculating.
But on a psychological standpoint, hope is always there. It's what makes people get up in the morning. Hope can be as small as a person suffering from suicidal thoughts to "delay" what they're going to do by a day. Hope is as small and invisible as the person suffering from addiction deciding to wake up in the morning and beg. They've acknowledged the fact that they're in a rotten position, but have admitted, entrusted, in the hands of humanity that hope that things can change. And I don't think you can lose that.
Hope is there when one dislikes one's surroundings. Hope is there when one wants to change one's path. Hope, in my personal view, is like a personal fuse. Hope flicks on—cutting the "electricity" to whatever was causing distress—and saves us from ourselves. We, I do believe, will, as a society, always have our common humanity that binds us—what makes us human is that tiny, perhaps unconscious yet ever-present, voice in our heads saying:
"Maybe something can change. Maybe things can get better. I'll wait and see."
Hope can't die, for it would destroy the common fabric of our humanity. Hope continues to live because, however stuck one may perceive oneself, one will always desire change. A desire for change is hope, and hope is a desire to change.
Disagree?
Let me know! I'll try to clarify if any of you are unclear of my views.
What happens to a dream deferred?
DeleteDoes it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore then run?
Does it stink
Like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over
Like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
Like a heavy load..
Or does it explode?
Seems to me that hope, desire, depending on mostly external responses to the internal passion, can take many forms, become many things.
"I am reminded of stories of the Holocaust, in which victims declared that they survived because no matter what the Nazis did to their bodies, they could not control their minds." That is a very strong and powerful statement.
ReplyDeleteI'm not very sure what hope means, I understand it I just wouldn't be able to give my own definition. I find hope to be very important, at least for me, it gives me a sense of security.
I think that there a lot of ideas and concepts that we don't really know how to define or explain in any kind of articulate manner. And perhaps that's okay. Is it important to be able to explain what hope means? I don't know. But perhaps if we want to provide hope, we need to understand what we're talking about. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteThe definition of Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, but what does it mean to everyone individually? Hope is something different for each person but it is also similar in many ways. People might have different hopes about their futures or something happening later that day. It can be a hope that is very deep in you or something your hopeful for but doesn't mean much.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brogan when he said, "… for hope to exist, in my opinion, desire must be present…" Hope, to me, is very important. For some people hope is like, the light at the end of the tunnel. They might not have a good life and they know if the work hard, there is hope for a better life. I think hope really gets people through tough and miserable times, and their desire to change their own futures, is what will determine if they succeed at reaching what they considered hope.
When hope is stolen or taken, it takes away one's purpose. It takes away the light at the end of the tunnel and makes everything go dark. The hope for anything good vanishes and it feels like your left with nothing. It is depressing. If you are a strong enough person with desire, no matter what, you keep pushing. Hope will come back and you will be given another opportunity.
Hope is needed in everyday life to keep pushing for a better future. It gives people comfort in knowing things will get better. I think hope is a key element in everyday life and it would be hard to live without.
Hope is always present. Without it, fear and hate would consume the world. Hope is a small flicker of light in a dark room. Hope is the emotion that keeps people going. I think hope is real. I have hope. I have hope for my future, hope for the future of the world. Hope is a gentle form of optimism. I feel as if hope is almost indescribable, and that it is greater than just a feeling. Hope, when lit in enough people, cannot be contained and can be an incredibly strong accelerator of change. I do not think hope can be stolen from someone entirely. There is ALWAYS hope. It can die down, yes, but not die out. Hope is so important to being human and survival. Hope is there when times are tough. Hope is a surviving emotion. If I ever saw someone without any hope I would be looking at an empty shell. Overtaken by fear and hatred and sadness. They would have no soul. I think hope is a deep rooted part of our soul, put in place to keep us spiritually, and physically, alive.
ReplyDeleteI was able to attend this, and I am very glad I went. It was a very powerful and insperational presentation. To listen to Julio Cochoy talk about his experiences, was sad but it was uplifting to see how someone who went through so much could put their hatred behind them and just try to help. The presentation made me think about what hope meant to me, and I believe hope to be the driving force behind everything we do. We need hope to function everyday, it tells us that we can accomplish any task. Without it we would crumble and not be able to function. Hope is not what overcomes obstacles, hope is what makes us believe that we can overcome and pushes us to do so. Without hope humanity would fall apart so no matter what we must not loss hope.
ReplyDeleteI was able to go to this speaker and I really enjoyed it. It was very neat to here Julio Cochoy's stories, before this I never really knew anything about the Guatemalan Civil War. I don't think I can give a definition for hope, it is such a broad and complex thing. Hope means something different for everyone. I do believe hope is important, like Denomie said, "it is the light at the end of the tunnel", without hope we wouldn't be able to do anything. We would have no reason to if we didn't believe there was hope. I think hope can overcome obstacles, it makes you believe that you can do something, if there was no hope, then you wouldn't believe you could do something and when you don't believe in yourself you are less likely to succeed.
ReplyDeleteHope is varied from person to person. Hope can mean many things; for one person it can mean the difference between being happy and being sad, for another it may just be a yearning that something will happen. Hope is important, even if it may seem unimportant at times, you always need hope in your life. If your hope is taken away you could feel lost and helpless, unable to continue because you’ve been crushed from the inside (excuse my dark language). Hope is vital to live someones life, everyone hopes for something at some point in their life and it can help people get over obstacles in many ways. Hope has many definitions, but this is what I believe hope is.
ReplyDelete