Juliana Rivas Torrente
Bio
Thoughts and opinions flood my head. As a Colombian student living in Canada, I want to share the messiness in my brain. Spontaneity will drive the content published here, so expect an unexpected variety of carefully polished rants. Enjoy!
Stories (2/0)
Forgetting: An act of loss or gain?
The way in which I have been raised has emphasized the importance of memory, both individual and collective. Being born and raised in Colombia, taught me that those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it. Having my amazing grandmother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s over half a decade ago has been a constant reminder of the value of being able to treasure the present for times to come. This being said, remembrance has been put on some sort of pedestal. Holding on to memories or the past has been a central focus of, both, my country, and my family. Hence, forgetting, its opposite, has been imprinted in my brain as an act of loss. Letting go of thoughts or events has never been viewed in a positive light. I have been taught that letting things slip away is a huge mistake.
By Juliana Rivas Torrente2 years ago in Humans
How Becoming Competent has Become a Competition
In the age of LinkedIn, becoming competent has become a competition. The thoughts that I have articulated below, those you will proceed to read, sprung, not exclusively from the previous statement, but from the deep realization that summer has transformed before me. As a university student, summer no longer holds its innocent appeal. It is no longer synonymous with sun, rest, and playtime. It is a daunting period where I must get hired and paid, where I must transition from a period of intense studying after finals season into a laboring reality. Part of this transformation has to do with growing up, and there is no doubt adulting is difficult. However, there is more to finding a summer internship, for instance, than just being responsible. There is pressure attached to it. There is an expectation that must be met. One must not fall behind. One must stay ahead of the rest.
By Juliana Rivas Torrente2 years ago in Journal