Cubing Exercise

The one thing that I saw during my observation was that this older couple that was sitting across form me at the food court didn’t seem to be in a hurry. They weren’t concerned with getting anywhere fast, they just seemed to enjoy the time that they had to themselves to talk after their long day of shopping. Compared to the other people in the mall who were rushing around talking hurriedly about what was going on at that moment and the upcoming events in the future. Also most of the younger people carried around bags from brand name stores while the older couple carried bags from cheaper department stores. These observations suggested that we do indeed live in a very material world where we tend to rush around a lot and not take the time to just enjoy life. It also suggests that we spend lots of time considering the future rather than reflecting on the present.

The example that I used with the older couple I think is a perfect example of how things are different now than they used to be. The older couple just sat down and seemed content to be with each other rather than rushing off to the next big thing that they had to do. The younger kids were constantly doing something to keep themselves busy.

The one thing that could be compared with my subject is driving in traffic. People always comment on how older people drive so slowly, but you have to wonder if maybe they just aren’t in a hurry. This is the only thing that I can think to compare it to, the way that older people like to live in the moment and enjoy things. This to me can demonstrate just how society has changed over the years. I think that today we have the opportunity to stop and observe life as it happens, but we rarely take that opportunity.

My subject not only can be taken in the route of how life is faster paced today than it used to be. It can also be taken in the sense of what is important to society today. It seemed like brand name clothes were what all of the people my age were carrying around, while the older couple had bags from department stores. It made me think how material society is today, and even how society has influenced me to be material. The older couple seemed far more relaxed and laid back than everyone else, just taking life as it came and not worrying about what else might be going on. It somewhat made me consider my life and how sometimes I might get caught up in the constant rush and materialness of our society today.

My subject, the mall and my reflection about the way society is today all goes hand in hand because they deal with society as a whole. In the mall you go and get basic needs such as clothing and you go to the food court to eat, another basic need. The values that society teaches us play a big part in our lives, even if it isn’t a basic need like food and clothing. I think that all of these aspects are important in my paper because people can relate to my observation and then can see where I am coming from in my reflection.

I can use my reflection and observation to be more aware of the affects of society on me as well as others. This will make me more aware of how society affects me and how it is sometimes important to take time off and reflect on what is happening today and not so worried about what is going on in the future. I hope that others will also reflect on this and think about how they are living, and take a moment to observe what is going on in their lives today and what is really important. I think that if more people would reflect on this then they would make an effort to be more aware of how they were living, and possibly make an effort to change if they didn’t like how society has made them.