Sociological Imagination and Mindfulness

There is so much more to life than what meets the eye. Sociological mindfulness and sociological imagination play a day to day role in everyone's world in one way or another. Sociological imagination is understanding how individuals are affected by where and when they grew up. For example, an individual living in a small town in Pennsylvania in the 1970's will be affected differently than an individual living in the twenty first century in a busy city. My father grew up in such a town in Pennsylvania, and therefore he has been impacted differently than what I at first could even imagine. He was raised in an area with not much to do, and because of that, he was always outside, making up random games with his friends around the town just for some entertainment and something to do. Me on the other hand, my life is full of bombing technology and many attractions to visit and spend time with friends. It is a whole different way of growing up. My dad has had a huge impact on me because of this. Learning the idea of sociological imagination, I was able to quickly connect with it. Because my dad was influenced the way he was, he wanted to make sure my brothers and I always had something to do. He gave my brothers every piece he could of technology that they wanted and every winter break he took my family and I to Disney World. I have been influenced on not just when and where I have grown up, but also the people in my life. Because of his actions, I have the social imagination to realize that family always comes first. The strong bonds I share with my brothers are because of our parents influence on us, always making sure we were together. Sociological mindfulness is involved with realizing that people have unique qualities and to appreciate them. Every individual has his or her own impact on the world and the people around them. Just a simple task like holding the door open for the next person behind you can be sociologically mindful. While walking into school the other day, there was a student walking right in front of me and another student in front of them. The student first in line barley opened up the door wide enough so he alone could fit through, then he let the door slam behind him. The student in front of me was able to catch the door before it closed and held it open until everyone who was walking in was through. This one action made my day more bright and put a smile on my face. I think that this is a great example of sociological mindfulness because it shows how just one person can impact another. It is great to learn and to be able to understand that where, when, and other people have an impact on your own life, but that you as an individual have an impact on others as well.