All posts by Keegan Lee

Homelessness according to Frankl

Ireland, Study Abroad

11013097_1000203880004825_346487969273065232_nEnding our third day in Ireland, we say farewell to Dublin and welcome Derry as our new venture. Today we had a professor from the Viktor Frankl Institute talk about Frankl’s Logotherapy theory and his sentence during the Holocaust. Frankl talked about the meaning to live, and to do so you must have equal shares of creations (work), experiences (love), and attitude. This modeled an idea of how the homeless live in Dublin compared with the homeless in American.

Here in Dublin you walk down the street at 2 in the afternoon and an elderly woman asks for some spare change. Automatically, and simultaneously with everyone else around you, you turn your head and act like she does not exist- as you would do in America. But then you’re walking back to your room later that night and you see that same lady sleeping in the spot where earlier she was begging for spare change.

The homeless in America stand on their corner from 9 to 5 then disappear. Half of them return to their homes and the other half lay a blanket under the Main Street bridge. Having to sleep where thousands of fellow Dubliners step over you makes you think of how they are able to continue their will to live. So, according to Frankl, you will find meaning through creation, experience, and attitude. For someone who is able to shake a cup day in and day out, they must have more than we think they do. They have what is more important than money: desire. Desire to live another day, even if it is just one day.

Inspiration by Keegan Lee

Study Abroad

It’s pretty hard for me to pinpoint a single thing about the London trip that I loved the most. The scenery, both in the city and the countryside, was magnificent and breathtaking, and the history was richer than anything I’ve ever seen in the states. The food was delicious, and the people were kind and friendly, but the main thing I took away from this trip was what I gained from seeing the theatre. Not so much the simple joy and happiness from simply seeing a show, but something a bit more exciting.

I was inspired by every show I saw over in London. As a student actor, there are plenty of rough times, and it’s easy to get disheartened. But every little doubt I had about my career was washed away the second the current rose for our very first show. The actors were on a completely new level, bringing me both tears of joy and sadness. They weren’t flawless by any means, but they were astounding. As the current fell, I felt a raging fire in my chest. While I did enjoy my stay in London, I now had an urge to return home. I wanted to start working again, improving and turning myself into a better actor. These professionals were like deity’s to me, and I wanted to be on their level more than anything.

In the end, I left London with many things; New memories, new pictures, new friends, and a new incentive to continue acting. And I wouldn’t trade these things for the rest of the world.