The Scars of USHMM Part Eight: The Broken Educational System On The Holocaust

I am taking American History II and today we learned about the Holocaust.

I went into it really excited because since this is a college level history class we go quite in depth on most of our topics of study so I assumed we'd do that for the Holocaust. So as I'm sitting in class and listening I'm making a silent tally of the incorrect/omitted things I hear. 

We did not mention the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 that ultimately made the Holocaust a legal action, we did not note that there was a distinct difference between the workings of a concentration camp vs. a death camp, no mention was made of any of the heroic efforts some people made to rescue victims. We talked about it for thirty minutes and hardly touched the material.

Needless to say I was very disappointed and a little angered.

In my opinion, I think we need AT LEAST two days spent on the Holocaust as its own mini unit rather than a side note of World War ii. That way educators can hit all the highlights without feeling rushed to get through it so the material can be tested on. That two day unit should not include a test but rather hands on activities like hearing a Holocaust survivor or maybe doing something like the Trunk Project where students actually learn the material by working with it and putting it to use.

I totally get wanting to make sure students know about what happened in the Holocaust, but a big part that education is missing is the significance of the event and how it still affects us today in 2015. We've experienced genocides since 1945 and I believe that a large part of few people speaking out against these atrocities is a lacking education on genocides of the past. If you don't know about and learn from past mistakes how are you supposed to not make them again? This truly boggles my mind.

In a quote by Ronald Reagan that hangs in the museum he explained why remembrance and education of the future leaders of America was so important: "We who did not go their way owe them this. We must make sure that their deaths have posthumous meaning. We must make sure that from now until the end of days all humankind stares this evil in the face...and only then can we be sure it will never arise again."

We are the witnesses. It's our job to make sure that others are educated properly about these things and know when to recognize them in practice and then intervene. That's what we missed back in the 1930's and 1940's: we didn't know how to speak out and we were afraid to because of uncertainty. But I can tell you, doing nothing and regretting it is much worse of a feeling than speaking out and few listening. If we do nothing, then the perpetrators of crimes like genocide win and that's why I believe there is so much evil in the world today.

At Nineteen I Am One Of The Best (If Not The Only) "Theoretical Oncologists" In The World

Uncontested, of course.

I might have mentioned before in a post or two that the idea that I wanted to maybe consider going to med school died long ago when I realized while taking my Healthcare class in high school that I wouldn't last a day in the real world of medicine, but yet I'm still fascinated despite actually having almost hypocritical views on medicine when I am the patient in question.

So after binging on Grey's and House (twice) I came up with a perfect medical subspecialty for myself: theoretical medicine. It's based solely on information you look up and your own logic; so all the cool cases you want without the pressure of needing to diagnose/treat a patient correctly or face killing someone because you didn't get the answer. And plus, Netflix teaches you a good bit about what you might encounter.

In mid March, my Grandmere (my mom's mom) was diagnosed with lymphoma, but at the time of the diagnosis that's all her cancer hospital knew. I became interested and I wanted to put my theoretical oncology skills to the test. After all, I watched Robert Sean Leonard play a sweet and cute oncologist on TV so therefore I could be a theoretical oncologist with Google on her side right?

Yep!

So when my Grandmere went to her cancer hospital and had her tests done I already had my primary diagnosis of Stage I Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma locked in. I figured it out using a combo of Google, a little bit of a medical history I got from conversations with my mom on the phone, and pure Gregory House-style logic.

Here's how I figured it out:

Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (NHL) is the most common type of lymphoma in people who are diagnosed with a lymphoma. The cancer has very distinct symptoms and if you go in early they can take out a lymph node and biopsy it to see what's messing it up. Knowing that's what they did for my Grander, it seemed like they had caught it early so the likelihood of metastasis (spreading) of the cancer at this early was slim.

When her tests came back, she let me know the cancer was Stage I NHL proving my diagnosis and also proving I had a future in theoretical Oncology.

Well, that's my story. Hope you got a laugh out of it or were enlightened.

The Scars Of USHMM Part Seven: Wounds That Time Can't Heal

I was just browsing on Thought Catalog, a website where writers write articles/listicles/peices about things important to them, when I came across an article about a girl who had written about a recent trip to Dachau in Munich. Her account was moving and as I read it, my own wounds surfaced again.

When you visit a somber place, it stays with you. I have images from USHMM that will be with me until I die. They prepare you for coming to the museum very thoroughly on their website, but what they don't do is tell you that while you can distract yourself with your day to day life that anything can trigger the memories. It's like PTSD without actually having gone through the Holocaust. You don't even feel a fraction of what the survivors feel and yet the feelings cripple you.

You grieve, then your wounds close up for a while, and when you least expect it they burst open and the vicious never ending cycle begins yet again. This is how a lot of Holocaust survivors live except their level of grief is incomprehensible to us living and growing up in this era.

People process different things differently. As you know, I went to the museum with my mom and I've wondered how she processed it. I was in tears for a good bit of time after we left but she wasn't so I wondered if she was processing differently (and perhaps more effectively) than I was while I just lost it.

This Sunday, we start the annual week the USHMM calls the Days of Remembrance due to Yom Ha'Shoah (Holocaust Memorial Day in the Jewish calendar) being observed Wednesday. The Museum has lots of events and programs during this time, including an online program where you can send a survivor volunteer at the museum a message to say you'll remember. I have done so, and I encourage you to do so too. It'd mean a lot to those who lost so much not so long ago.

This line of work is undoubtedly the most important thing I have done in my life. I knew I wanted to do more in 2015 than I had in the two years previous for the cause and I think I'm reaching that goal. It has been the hardest war I've ever fought but it's worth every time the memories come back because I know a whole generation of people who won't be here much longer need people like me to tell the stories when they can't.

On Wednesday I encourage you to do something to remember and even hashtag it #ISayNeverAgain and send me a picture or a message saying how you contributed!

A Letter To My Future (If We Ever Meet) Boyfriend

Hey you awesome dude whoever you are,

Hi, it's your future girlfriend here just wanting to tell you some things in this sassy letter. Why? Because A) I'm Queen of All Sass (have you figured that out yet??) and B) You need to know these things. Ready? Come on this journey with me...

Know that I will challenge you. At first it might seem like I'm not interested in you, but I promise I am. I just will not fawn over you like some girls will. When I finally get comfortable around you I will really start to challenge you mentally so be prepared for lots of questions on details of your daily life, world views, etc. And have solid, thought out answers to those questions instead of short ones. I actually enjoy holding a conversation.

Know that you are not the center of my life. Sorry, that's just how it is. You're a wonderful part of my life but not even close to all of it. As a Western woman in 2015 I am entitled to have a life outside of you; in fact I'm kind of obliged to. Just because I'm a woman that doesn't mean I will stand aside for you and back down from my ambitions. I have the natural right to the pursuit of happiness thanks to the country we live in and I have the right to define my own happiness.

Know that if you make me choose between you and my ambition the choice will not end well for you. So just don't do it. Be aware of what decade it is, dude.

Know that you'll learn from me and I hope I'll learn from you. My lexicon of interests and knowledge is vast and I tend to learn all I can about something that interests me. Come prepared to learn and grow with me and I'll do the same.

Know that even if I write cute fan fiction/stories I am in no way 100% reliant on you to do everything for me, so don't ever attempt it. I hate asking for help, but at the same time offer it if I do ask

One last thing:

If we end up never crossing paths know I'll be okay. Like I said before, I'm perfectly capable of sustaining myself and creating happiness. If we never meet I wish you all the happiness life can bring, kind sir. But if we meet one day that'd be awesome too.

See you one day, maybe?

Things I Learned From Dr. House About Life Through Puzzles

As many of you know, these days you can find me watching House in my free time.

For those of you unfamiliar with House, it's a medical drama that was broadcast from 2004 to 2012 on FOX that starred Hugh Laurie (my second current celebrity boyfriend) as Dr. House, a misanthropic diagnostician who could always figure out the puzzle the symptoms of a patient put in front of him. With amazing performances by Laurie as well as the supporting cast like Robert Sean Leonard (my first current celebrity boy toy), Lisa Edelstein, Jesse Spencer, and others House was a hit for all of its eight season run.

I blogged earlier on how I got into House, so this post is about what House taught me about the medical world as well as life. 

First: Never give up. Even if you're certain you've lost everything you have keep going. You'll surprise yourself about what you can endure and you'll triumph with enough determination and hard work.

Second:Things are never as they originally seem. Maybe it's a diagnosis House thought he got right but then a new symptom appears to disprove his theory or maybe you end up going to college and it's not what you expected. This just leads you to investigation so you can figure put the right answer.

Third: Everybody lies. I lie, so do you. It's a fact.

Fourth: Everyone dies. An interesting thing about the human race is we think we're immortal, but that is so far off. The faster you accept your mortality the faster you can get to living like every day is your last and you appreciate more.

Fifth: People need to earn your trust. Don't hand it to them on a silver platter, because when you do they take advantage of it and you get hurt. Be guarded just enough to protect yourself from being hurt when it's not necessary. It's inevitable that you will be hurt in life, but not as often if you make people work for your trust.

Sixth: Have a group of close friends and stick with them through everything. Period.

Seven: The details are just as important as the big picture; don't neglect things you might think are trivial. Most of the time the little things end up being important too.

The Scars of USHMM Part Six- Shoes

To lead into this sixth part of the blog series on my USHMM visit I want to tell a story about when I was a child.

When I was little and went to the pediatrician for yearly checkups, a visit which I loathed to the point of spitting on people (but that's irrelevant so we'll ignore that), there was this one doctor named Dr. Smith. He used to always come in to see me and then proceed take one or both of my shoes to mess with me. He'd tell me how good they'd look on him instead of me and at my young age I must not have understood his sarcasm because I would cry and beg him not to take my shoes.

On the second floor of the Permanent Exhibition at the USHMM there is a display of hundred of actual shoes taken from victims before they were gassed at Auschwitz. The shoes are one of the artifacts that a lot of people familiar with the USHMM say affected them the most. The shoes range in all styles and sizes, but they are all this gray color because time has taken a toll on their appearance.

If you can imagine the smell of old shoes than that's what he shoe display smells like. It's almost as disgusting as the circumstances of the shoes is and it's chilling.

While I looked at the shoes that story of Dr. Smith and my shoes came into my head and the comparison nearly was too much. I always got my shoes back from Dr. Smith but these shoes before me were never returned to their owners who were unknowingly walking to their deaths. Their shoes, suitcases, and clothes would never be returned to them. Instead they'd be confiscated and sent to Germany in most cases.

Be thankful for your shoes, people. Be thankful for your clothes, your glasses, your possessions because you never know when they won't be returned to you. It's a privilege to have what we have and we take that for granted way too often.

The Scars Of USHMM Part Five- The Vastness Of The Place And The Crime

Sorry this is late, I've been super busy with school things!

Anyway...

In part five of this series I'm going to cover the museum itself. It's a huge place, and an unsettling one. When you're in the main lobby/atrium you look up and the ceiling is caged like a barbed wire fence and you just know this place is unlike any other place you've been in your life.

The atrium itself seems like a never ending hall when you stand in it and even though I spent a good bit of time at the museum I did not see all of it, but I'd like to one day.

When I first stood in the atrium I knew this place was different. Something was wrong here, was my first thought. And it is but you can't put your finger on it right away unless you're an architect. The walls are mismatching, the ceiling lets light in yet you're caged. It's like an architectural paradox.

The exhibit is laid out in a similar fashion with the walls getting narrower and narrower as you move through to symbolize the walls closing in as the Nazis gained power over more people's fates. At one point on the first floor there is a blocked off section and to get to it you have to go this really complicated way around. I assume whomever designed the museum had these intentions to make you feel like you're walking along this path.

And it's horrifying.

I can see how clever they were when building the place because the architecture becomes part of the story and the feelings of unease stay with you after you leave. I know I will never forget looking up at the ceiling of the atrium and seeing the sunlight shine on me but never quite reaching me. The architecture, I think, is a huge part of what makes the museum such an unforgettable place. There you feel a small fraction of the pain the victims felt and that feeling stays with you forever.

They say time heals all wounds, but I don't think these will ever heal.