class reflection...

At the end of class today Professor Powers posed the question, "Do we have a responsibility to appreciate things we do not like?" I found this thought interesting and rather thought provoking. I can remember as a child my mom always making me take "no thank you" helpings for foods such as peas, carrots, and brussel sprouts. Even thought I didn't like it, and most of the time I complained about it, I now realize that my mom wanted me to appreciate or be grateful for all the food provided for me. And even though when I was a kid I always vowed to never, ever make my kids eat their vegetables, I can now honestly say that I'll probably use the same approach as my mom. Funny how that always seems to happen. On a more serious note, I think it depends upon the issue being address in order to decide if it is our "responsibility" to appreciate it. For example, I don't always like the essays I am assigned in my classes but I've reached the point where I can appreciate them as works of literature that have impacted a time or place or situation in history. I realize that they are significant enough for my professor to assign them to the class, and even if I wouldn't choose to read them on my own, I'm still able to find some value in them. This is easier to write than to actually put into action. Because there are so many times when I think to myself "why do I have to read this? I don't like it". And I'm almost positive that during those times I'm not thinking, "oh but that's okay because I appreciate it as a piece of writing that my professor deems important". So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm a work in progress. And I'm not positive if it is always our responsibility to appreciate everything we don't like, but it is worth thinking about and discussing.