Good from the perspective of a Hope

Thinking back on my life I realize that it has been filled with good. I look around my bedroom to see old comic books, photos of my dad pushing me into my first wave, ukuleles that remind me of camping trips on the beach and so many more pieces of my childhood. Growing up a “Hope”, I guess I have always had a somewhat optimistic perspective on life, not only because of the connotations that my last name brings but because of my family how they raised me. I have been taught to have certain associations with the word good. In my family, good is going out side, going for an adventure, exploring life, enjoying the moment. I have learned the importance of driving out and sitting on the beach for a few hours when I feel stressed or listening to the sound of the wind when I begin to get too involved in insignificant problems. What is good is definitely something that you learn from where you live and who raises you, in other words, it is not your “nature” that tells you what is good but rather how you are “nutured”. I have noticed that the things I value as good often contrast with many of my fellow San Domenico community members. Often times what is considered “good” at this school is what will get you into college or what will get you the highest paying job. Although I do see value in, and respect completely that way of thinking, I never truly have understood it, simply because of how my life has been up until this point. However I do not see anything wrong with that, like I said before, you learn what is good through how you are raised, which shapes your values and the direction you want your life to go.