Blog Assignment #2

Part I:
Finding Your Howl
The full story can be found at www.changethis.com

Johathon Flaum's article FIND YOUR HOWL can be summarized as a story of a wolf named Mumon trying to find his howl after being born in captivity. In the beginning Mumon the wolf  is released from captivity and back into the wild to learn the ways of living as a wolf in the wild. Through his journey Murmon meets with other animals that help show him that life's circle is necessary and to not be sorrowful for killing and death.  In the end the wolf not only regains his howl but we also learn that  people need to live their own lives and do the things that we are meant to do in life.  This  I feel is what the author Flaum is trying to get across as the lesson to be learned.

Part II:
One of my favorite quotes is an old Italian proverb:  
"Once the game is over the king and the pawn go back in the same box."

I am going to talk about why this proverb has meaning to me.  First, let me start off by giving a little background on the subject.  In the game of chess the king is the most valuable piece and pawn is the least valued.  In the end, no matter the outcome of the game, both pieces are placed back in the box from which they came. That saying means a few things to me.  Some say that it's a metaphor that when we die we all end up in the same box or "coffin," but to me it also means that when the game is not being played we all become the same people without titles, without ranks. I also see this as all of us being pieces on someone's gameboard other than our own.  They use us to gain what they desire. No matter if we are the pawn or the king, we are used as they see fit.  Lastly, it reminds me that life can be viewed as a game of strategy where we the player must make smart decisions with the moves we make so that we can protect and gain what is important to us.  We may not wish to lose what is most important to us (our "king"), but is it alright to keep it safe at the expense of all of our pawns?  We all have risks that we are willing to take, and in doing so, we may lose some of the pieces that we have. I do think that one of the most important things to do is to look at each and every one of your pieces closely. When you put them away in their box, what you may have thought were all pawns may actually turn out to be kings and what is important to us.


- AZ