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Nodi Khan

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      April 21, 2017

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nodik007

Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict
FeaturedLifeMomentsStories

Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict

It’s hard to even start this post. The verdict ruled today revealed many ugly truths about not only our judicial system but our country as well.

The fact still stands that a murderer crossed state lines, entered a populated environment with a gun, and shot three people. Undeniable drone footage shows him committing these atrocious acts, and yet he walks free.

There is a lot to unpack in this case. There is the fact that the judge refused the prosecution to refer to those shot by Kyle Rittenhouse as “victims.” But the defense was allowed to refer to these two dead men and one fatally wounded man as “arsonists,” “looters,” “rioters.” There is the fact that the prosecution wasn’t allowed to zoom in on a video, because the judge was convinced it was a digital alteration. The fact that Rittenhouse’s involvement with the “Proud Boys” (a white nationalist hate group) was rendered not acceptable for use in the case, despite the obvious racially charged motives he possessed. There is also the extremely inconsiderate Asian food joke made by Schroeder in the middle of the trial. I can’t comprehend how you can make any sort of joke in the courtroom of families with dead sons.

It should be known that the prosecution itself was not perfect. There were flaws and inefficiency in some of the arguments but these shortcomings pale in comparison to the grand scheme of things.

Ultimately, the trial boiled down to a question of self-defense.

And this question is ultimately what gave the unimaginable leeway for a murderer to walk free.

America’s fixation with self-defense is ridden with racial biases and political agendas. “Self-defense” is what is used to justify policemen killing unarmed black men. “Self-defense” is used to justify the use of absolute and lethal force, taking away mothers and fathers and leaving their children without a parent. Today, “Self defense” is used to protect the privilidged few from the consequences of their horrific actions. 

It seems that “self-defense” is a one-way street and statistics on the overwhelming presence of racial bias in such cases reflect this.

Although the victims of Rittenhouse were all white, self-defense still remains a one-way street. After witnessing Rittenhouse shoot Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber attempts to apprehend the fatal shooter and he himself is shot. However, is this not also self-defense? What about when Gaige Grosskreutz, after being held at gunpoint, attempts to wrestle the gun from Rittenhouse’s hands? Is this also not self-defense? Why are these and similar cases of “self-defense” twisted to suit one narrative: granting one person the right to protect themselves, when that same right isn’t equally extended to others?

There is a lot to discuss in regards to the content of this trial and its nauseating outcome though what stands out the most is the very apparent and serious pitfalls in our judicial system. My condolences and sincere support go out to the victims’ families and I can only hope for the healing of their hearts.

November 19, 2021 0 comment
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Nature
FeaturedNature

Nature

Everyone wants to know how to bring happiness. It is the one question that has pervaded through the air of every school of thought.

Everyone has a life purpose, a fulfilling role to play, a dream to make come true.

I have a different perspective.

Desire is a double-edged sword. Desire is what gets us out of the bed every morning, what pushes us through the middle of the day, what keeps us from giving up on whatever we’re doing.

Thanks to the massive developments made in technology, agriculture, and medical industries, human desires have generally graduated from needs of survival to a journey for pleasure, enjoyment, fulfillment.

The desire of the superficial leads to hearts with holes, dissatisfaction, sometimes even greed that just won’t be satiated. The desire for what is genuine, pure, and true is what grants relief to the trials and tribulations every single one of us is forced to face every single day.

Self-accomplishment, Companionship, and Beauty.

These are things that I believe feed the hunger of the human soul. To own something of your own, to overcome a challenge and call it your own victory is gratifying and comes as no surprise. The glittering laughter of your close friend, the warm fingertips of a beloved family member, or the humming of a sincere lover are no doubt obvious bearers of happiness as well. But how does the prospect of beauty become a meal for the self?

A slew of Greek philosophers scratched the surface on this. The sight of something beautiful bubbles joy into the heart. The sight of an awe-inspiring mountain, the smell of fresh rain, the crisp chirp of a sparrow in a forest. Nature answers the craving with a vibrancy that few human-made inventions can deliver. And every time I come back from a beloved hike, I grow more and more confident of that fact.

May 22, 2021 0 comment
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Lunar New Year
LifeMomentsStories

Lunar New Year

I approached the silky gown with the caution of a bomb defuser, pinching the fabric as though too much human contact would cause it to dissipate.

With the hue of cotton candy, equally as bright as delicate, I pinch the cloth, trying to minimize the times I touch it. Like a prism, the fabric converts the ambient glow of my yellow kitchen lights into the blurred rays of a nighttime carnival.

The gown feels less like clothing and more of a second skin: gifted to me by my mother and tied with a matching magenta ribbon. Unfolding the drapery feels just like untying a bow- succinct and graceful until the original silhouette hangs.

The mission to slick my hair is equally as poised- my black hair stretched out into a thick string of inky dough, before twisted and twirled into an even bun. A blend of hair oils and serum acts as the glaze, flattening stray hairs until my hair sits taut and pulled back, neatly pleated to match the outline of my dress.

Getting ready had turned my body into a moving prototype of glass, where I carried myself with a cautious fragility, but I also brought a glittering skip in my step with me. As I kneeled gently for a family photo, I felt the moon rise in the center of my chest.

I tell my experience like this because the emotions that I underwent during this lunar celebration could only be described in the unsaid process of creation- the naturalistic and simplistic procedure of where each step is equally as necessary as intuitive.

My theory is that the world has never operated in words. “Show, not tell” is not just a commandment of writing but rather natural law, and anything else feels interruptive. It’s difficult for a single word to match the intensity of an emotion, but it’s easy to find read pages encapsulating a single feeling.

This is the sole reason why unsaid glances exist- the implications of unspoken movements, tones and atmosphere say what the human language limits us on. It’s not necessarily something one can document but feel.

Emotions aren’t tangible: they are the thin strings woven into a thousand thread rope.

February 7, 2021 0 comment
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FeaturedLifeMoments

Don’t let yourself forget

We sometimes have the tendency to give our memory more credit than it deserves. The human body naturally overlooks things, dims the vibrancy of previous life events, and allows for major occurrences to fade from the mind. Once the anticipation, fear, and excitement dissipate, a memory loses its position at the forefront of your mind. This is normal, of course, but that doesn’t mean it’s unavoidable. 

If the issue circulates around the idea that we don’t recall things as well as we should, then the only plausible solution would be to give our brains a well-deserved refresher. 

Nowadays especially, it is more important than ever to reflect and remind yourself of happier times. Looking at old pictures, videos, and clips will remind you of the better times that existed outside of now. They’ll also remind you of what’s to come in the future. For me personally, allotting a set amount of time each day to dedicate towards simply recalling sunnier days is what keeps me motivated and happier. Everyone should, once in a while, take time to appreciate the good things that they have experienced. Not just the memory itself, but the sensory stimulants, the emotion attached to it, and the visuals. Don’t just remember what happened that day, but the warmth of the sun on your skin, the speed your heart would beat, and the hue of the sky as well.

September 17, 2020 0 comment
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FeaturedLifeNature

Why humans love the beach

There’s a specific reason why swaths of crowds swarm the beach every summer.  Humans are naturally attracted to oceans, shores, and large bodies of water. In fact, it’s embedded in our survival instincts to pursue areas with loud, crashing waves and deep waters. As humans evolved from apes, they moved from forests and settled on nearby beaches and rivers all the while maintaining a marine diet. This diet of fish, clams, and crabs provided a surplus of omega-3 fatty acids which were necessary to promote brain cell growth. Scientists have also discovered a link between the amount of fish consumed in ounces per week and rates of depression. It seems as though our attachment to the ocean is rooted deep within our intrinsic nature to obtain abundance and secure survival. Phenomenons such as these go to show that although the human race has evolved exponentially far from our primate ways, humans will still find a way to enjoy the simple, basic beauties of life.

September 10, 2020 0 comment
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FeaturedLife

How to Heal

How do we deal with this? With everything that’s going wrong, it’s as if every member of humanity has been put under a curse that refuses to leave us alone. It’s painful to wake up every morning and be bombarded with crisis after crisis. What do we have to do to cope? How can we make it go away?

Unfortunately, there’s no right answer to that question. 

And me especially, I cannot give you that answer. Only you know yourself best, only you can figure out what works best for you. 

So what can I offer you?

Realities.

Things that we forget, understandably, and things we have to remember, especially now.

The first reality is that humans were assembled to adapt and to change accordingly to a changing environment. The human race has a remarkable talent to alter itself nearly at will- from a fluctuating body mass to varying levels of flexibility and strength. The human body and mind innately evolve depending on the sort of initiative taken. That means essentially, we change ourselves in order to make our lives easier. This sort of adaptation is perhaps a lengthy process but it indefinitely occurs.  Whatever foreign and unexpected circumstance you are enduring as of now will be just an old obstacle in the future.

The second reality is that humans are persevering in nature. This phenomenon is called the Hedonistic Treadmill. Essentially, it states that when major events occur, either positive or negative, humans will relatively quickly regain their normal sustained levels of happiness. In other words, humans are brilliant at recovery. The pain that most of us are tolerating right now is temporary. As cliche as it sounds, things will improve, either with our environment changing or ourselves. Nothing painful is eternal. 

The third reality is that humans are naturally gifted to deal with so many problems that overwhelm us. Each of us possess our own desires, skills, communications and needs. Some of us require a routine to feel in control. Others need to schedule blocks of time to relinquish that control. As unique, individual beings, we have our own methods and special ways of getting through absolutely anything. All of us are in essence, an unstoppable force. It is embedded in our psyche to heal. 

August 26, 2020 0 comment
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Swings
LifeMoments

Swings

When I was younger, the swings were my vice on the playground. I loved the gentle rocking of the motions, the wind rushing past my calves, and the rhythmic squeak of iron chains. But I despised the eclipse that would occur when I soared too high when the pit of my stomach expanded until it felt like I was being swallowed up whole.

Today, I embarked on those swings again: and the pit of my stomach still dipped, folding over and flipping itself like a falling pancake.

It is a good thing.

Your stomach’s “pit” is what makes the world’s colors seem brighter, what keeps your head refreshing, it is one of the sensations that separates your today from your yesterday.

Call it fear, adrenaline, or adventure, but the lively nature of the pit should be fed daily. Ironically, it is the hollow abyss that fits itself right beneath our belly buttons that keeps us from feeling empty.

The pit is metaphysical- It is not to be fed with tangible, sporadic motions like the simple presence of riding on swings but rather with the experience of things that one cannot get used to-

A confrontation, a risky menu choice, a different route back home. Everyone carries a different pit.

The pit for me, just for today, was the swings.

And after over twelve years, I’m happy to know that my pit is nowhere close to being full.

June 15, 2020 0 comment
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why we need to get lost more often
Travel

why we need to get lost more often

lost
/lôst,läst/
1.
 
past and past participle of lose. 
adjective
adjective: lost

1.  unable to find one’s way; not knowing one’s whereabouts.

2.  denoting something that has been taken away or cannot be recovered

3. (of a game or contest) in which a defeat has been sustained.

 

The word “lost” means a lot of things and can be interpreted in a lot of ways. The word “lost” has a fear aspect to it, a negative connotation, like it’s a really, really bad thing to be “lost.” But, it isn’t.  Being “lost” can lead you to the most exhilarating places, places for wanderers, places that you can’t simply find by following a map or a set of directions. So when I suggest that we should get “lost” more often, I don’t mean that we should start to lose our house keys or purposely not win a game.  What I mean is that we shouldn’t be constantly stressing over our “whereabouts.” We, as people in a society, are so obsessed with “where we are” in our lives. Are we at our high point? A low point? A dive down?

Who cares?

Unfortunately, we lose our lives in this quest to prove to others that we are at an all-time high point. And we do this by buying things we don’t need, doing the things we don’t want to do, adopting the idea that if it’s not uploaded online, it might as well have never happened.  We live with this constant pressure to prove ourselves, and it just leaves us unfathomably sad.

Let me give you an example. Say you decide to go to the arcade with your gang of friends. It’s supposed to be fun, go figure. But when you begin to have a strict plan for everything, micromanage every single tiny detail because it needs to be “perfect”  and then take dozens of photos to show others how “perfect” it was, all anyone remembers is how they couldn’t play a single game of air hockey “because there wasn’t enough time” and how you forced everyone to take dozens of photos to get that “just right” lighting.  We end up losing the importance and purpose of that event so much, it eventually just becomes a photo-shoot. It’s not fun anymore.  The solution to this, though, is laughably simple. Just let yourself get lost in the beautiful chaos of everything.  You don’t need to let everyone know where you are. You can just experience it for yourself.

The photo above is one of me knee-deep in seawater at a beach in Shelter Island. I didn’t plan on being there. The purpose leaving my house wasn’t so that I could take artsy photos. I didn’t write down on a to-do list to visit the ice cream shop or to bring my cousin along. I didn’t know I’d be riding a ferry until I was on it. The end result though, was gorgeous. Just let things play out in their own funny way for once, and tell me what happens.

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July 15, 2017 3 comments
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Why The Trees Change Color in Fall
FeaturedLifeNature

Why The Trees Change Color in Fall

So I just published my book on Amazon titled “Why the Trees Change Color in Fall“, I have been working on this story since the US President Election of 2016, I was so depressed in seeing all the ugliness of our world, all the divisions and the hate among each other, I just couldn’t understand how as a society we were moving backwards, after all the wars and ugly history of our planet.

I wanted create a story that could be read and shared by anyone, a story that had hope, diversity, acceptance, inclusion and an inspiration to stay true to yourself and never change but be yourself always wherever life takes you. I took inspirational from His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama from an Aspiration Prayer –

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June 7, 2017 5 comments
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looking inside our hearts
FeaturedLifeMoments

looking inside our hearts

The photo above was taken by my father at the Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City. Art pieces here rotate monthly, featuring new works and different artists for people to discover.

The sculpture I’m standing beneath is by Nari Ward. It features a large upside down heart, made up scraps of rusty copper, hanging from a tall, red metal frame. Inside this copper heart is a bell you can ring. The noise it produces is nothing short of something magical and fantasy-like, soft jingles echoing from the depths of the inside of the heart and flowing outside. Like a heartbeat. When I shook the bell, I didn’t grab on to the string and shake it. I didn’t wildly swing the thread upwards. I didn’t shove the bell harshly. Instead, I gave it a very gentle tap. But that small gesture caused ripples of sound, and it let me know that something was inside the heart. I think that the whole structure of this artwork is an accurate model of how all of our hearts function. Whether it be a small smile, a pat on the shoulder, or a gentle tap, you will never completely know what the effect of your action is until it happens. The most tiniest of gestures can cause an entire earthquake in us.

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June 7, 2017 3 comments
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“And still, after all this time, The Sun has never said to the Earth “You owe me” Look what happens with love like that. It lights up the sky!”

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