<strong>AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE</strong>

<strong>OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT – </strong>

<strong><em>THE FIRST GRADER</em></strong>

<strong>J. Lauer – 1302 – 207 # 13622</strong>

<strong>PHILIP ROBINSON</strong>

<strong>12/07/2012</strong>

<strong></strong>
<a href="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/First-Grader.jpg"><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-3111" src="http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/First-Grader.jpg" alt="" width="499" height="214" /></a>

&nbsp;

In 2010 the British director Justin Chadwick brought us an award winning tale. <em>The First Grader </em>is based on the true story of a man that believes that we should never stop learning no matter the opposition. <!--more-->The story is set in Kenya in 2003 when the government came through on a promise that elementary education would be offered to all that had a Kenyan birth certificate. There are also flashbacks to 1953 when rebel forces attempted to gain independence from British colonial rule in the Mau Mau revolution. This film is about standing up to those who hinder our path. It is about the power of our beliefs and the price our principle character and others paid to bring the dream of better life to the people of Kenya. This film will speak to people on many levels. I found this gem on nexflix while looking for an independent film. What follows are my thoughts and inspirations on a film based on a true story about an eighty four year old first grader.

For most of us that have grown up in the United States; going to school is taken for granted. With the exceptions of those who choose not to attend due to genuine hardship or behaving badly enough to not be allowed to attend, most school age children are in school. Somewhere along the way our parents stopped correcting us when we asked if we had to go to school; they said yes rather than showing us how blessed we are to be able to go. Having the opportunity to attend school is a privilege that I was guilty of taking for granted while growing up. When I became an adult and experienced how limiting it was to lack an education, I decided to return with a different perspective. There is analogy that I find quite fitting; being uneducated in today’s world is like being an older pet rabbit being released into the wild with nothing. We must be thankful for the ability to go to school and soak up as much knowledge as we can from what is being taught and what is not. Our ability to think rationally and reason does not come out of thin air. To be effective in any of life’s pursuits we must be able to communicate. Cherish the opportunity to learn from our triumphs and mistakes; unless you wish to repeat the mistakes.

The years of my life have not always been easy, and my belief in this country has wavered a time or two as a result. My trials are trivial by comparison to the lengths that the colonials went. While I do not flinch often, what Maruge endured for not renouncing his oath to his tribe was unspeakably horrible. The purpose is not to sensationalize the violence, but to provide an understanding of what the British did to the Mau Mau rebels; and of what the British forced other Kenyan’s to do to their own albeit often different tribes. Maruge’s life is a testament to the strength of the human spirit even in the darkest of times. What strikes me most is Maruge’s poise as a soldier; in the way he carries himself, and in the way he speaks directly and without asking for pity. There is one thing to live through tragedy and be forever broken, and continuing to fully live life afterward. The lesson being that life is a struggle that some have harder than others, keep everything in perspective.

<em>     Carpe Diem ……. </em>Seize the day is an undercurrent that flows through the entire film. This philosophy of urgency is lost on many of us that are wrapped up in the daily minutia of surviving. If we do not take an active role in our education or for standing up for what is right, then we are destined to live a life that is full of mediocrity and struggle. While I freely concede that personal bubbles can become rather intense and difficult to manage, I also contend that one must actively choose the direction of their life regardless of difficulty. There are many reasons why we make certain choices in life, but none of them is as important as the decision about how to live. I know from personal experience what it is like to drift through life, letting the winds take me where they wish. I have missed much in life by standing outside the fire.

Be thankful for the blessings we have; thankful for the hardships we do not; and be mindful of the direction or lack thereof in our lives. We should not stop learning and growing spiritually, physically, and mentally until we are food for the worms. All three of these human traits are part of the fundamental basis of humanities. Without man’s pursuit of knowledge; their understanding of human struggle; and the drive to live and create in the moment; there would be no great works. I can imagine no greater tragedy than a world without expression. There are works on film out that touch different parts of the soul, and there are those that are not worth the film they are printed on. I am happy to say that this film touches the soul. These are the inspirations and thoughts that <em>The First Grader </em>brought out of me.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;