CRITICAL THINKING

Dear Journal,

Its been a while since I have last wrote in my Journal. There was much that had happened between these months. I am thankful, that in all that has transpired, each event lead to something positive in my life. Now some events were not great, some down right devestating, but I got thru it all and landed on my feet, accepted the fate and turned the outcome positive to work in my benefit. God is truely good.

My Journal for this month is about a painting that I gazed upon and allowed to capyure my imagination. The story that I summoned up from the foreground and background colours, the soft and hard lines, the actual focual point and the most insignificant detail all put together spoke to me heavnly. Although, my journal is not specificlly about the painting itself, but the way that it has taught me how to use one of the most valuable tools in life, CRITICAL THINKING. I was given this painting as an assignment in class by my instructor. The assignment was for me to decipher into words what was the painter was trying to say. Well, I did come up with my intepretation of what the painter wanted to tell his viewers but I think that the little girl in the picture, told the painter what she wanted the world to know. I loved so much what my intepretaion of the painting was so much that I wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoy the painting, my intepretation of the painting and most of all I hope you critically think of your own intepretation of the painting. 

 Innocence

It’s amazing how one can look at a picture and remember a childhood memory so vividly that he/she can smell, taste, and feel all the things of then—now. Recalling the sweet aroma of the less polluted air; reminiscing on the summer sun rays wrapped around his/her skin. Even recollecting the emotions that filled one's body when certain events would transpire in his/her life. But can we call to mind our innocence? Do we bask in the revelation of not knowing what was truly going on in our surroundings? Do we relish not having any knowledge of the vindication of injustice, discrimination, poverty, suffering, and all other malicious reasoning of the world? And why should we? The innocence that we unintentionally carried as our weapon remained drawn out and ready for battle, until our wisdom overpowered our innocence and guided our eyes towards the light.

The painting of Stephen Scott Young titled Flip Flops and Lace depicts all of the wrongs of the world trying to penetrate the innocence of a young girl. I gaze at her surroundings and I see a white structure with old, dirty and rusted outside walls that stand on rocks that are chiseled and broken as a foundation. This may symbolize a not so old America standing on broken promises such as freedom, opportunity and justice for all its residents. The dark space beneath the house is the emptiness for these

promises, unfulfilled for her African-American people. Her head and eyes are faced away from us and her proper posture - ankles crossed and hand folded above her knee - may suggest that she is watching and mimicking someone of older age; she is ready to grow up. She is not ignorant to her circumstances; she knows she lives in poverty and hardships of her color. The mathematical look on her face gives off the assumption she may be already planning her steps in aiding the cause. Protests, marches, petitions, and long nights are all she sees in her future, which is represented by the bright sun that flares off her face and dress. The sun flare may also represent her wisdom overcoming her innocence, the white dress is now shadowed in some parts as the sun brightens other parts. If this is so, then her innocence has begun to retreat as her wisdom claims victory. Her pure white dress (innocence) is no longer her guardian but has allowed her wisdom to become her shield.

In either direction, whether her future bright with a new America reformed through her dedication to the cause or if her wisdom shields and guides her through a long life with in suffering and social injustice; one thing remains true: She, one day, will lose her innocence.