the more you know the more you grow

I think that the website about myths and creation was really interesting. I think that it is really important for people to study and compare myths and creations from around the world because it helps all of us to better understand one another. I think that people who are uneducated are very ignorant and often judgmental. I think that if is a very good idea for everyone to learn whatever they can about different cultures and regions. I love learning and gathering new information because it makes me feel like I am well versed and more open to different ways of thinking. A lot of people are so stuck in there ways simply because they do not know anything else. The more you know the more you grow. I think that statement is very true, the more knowledge you gain the more you grow mentally and socially. So I liked that this website gave us information on myths from all over the world. I like to feel like I am connected and that by obtaining new information I can be knowledgeable about different countries all over the world.

we are all the same

From the beginning of the story Lily’s character seems to be almost unaware or at least acts as though she was unaware of the color differences. She was not racist at all and she truly felt that we are all just people, love is love. As the novel progresses she begins to get a better understanding of the different races, I think she is maturing and realizing the differences and that the black and whites were treated differently. I do not think that Lily was ever a racist, however I think she did in some ways have an understanding of what roles each race should play. In her household she knew that the servant was black, and throughout her community this was so. This did not mean she treated the servants badly, however she did feel that was the role they belonged in.. As the novel progresses she finds herself realizing that the world that she knew is not how it is. That the black and the whites, can be whoever they want to be and it is not dependent on there color to make them who they are. The author did a great job portraying Lily’s maturity and growth throughout the story and she grows very close to August, May, and June and she eventually loves them as her own family. Lily goes through what I would like to call an evolution throughout this novel. She goes from merely accepting what she knows, to defying the rules and her customs and stepping outside that box to let love in. She realized that we are all the same, we all love the same, and it didn’t matter the color of your skin, but instead the love you had to give.

A friday i will never forget

Pg1326
This prompt confused me a little bit, however I am going to go with my gut on what I think the question is asking. Oh and warning I am not a great story teller but I am going to try.
I remember it like it was yesterday, it was a very warm summers day, a Friday I believe, during summer break. My mom decided we would go to the park that day, “get out of the house,” she said. So we all hopped in the van, yes we had a minivan, it was my mom, my youngest sister Sam, and I. We all buckled up and made our way to the store, we were going to pick up a few things so we could have a picnic, then we packed up and headed on. At the time we lived in east Lancaster and we were heading out to Apollo Park, so it was quite a ride. Ten minutes into the drive my little sister, who was two, was getting fussy in the backseat. So mom told me to give her something to play with to keep her content. I looked around the car and found a necklace, one I had made a while back with my bead kit, it seemed to catch her eye. I gave her the necklace and a few minutes later she had quieted down. Finally, some peace. A minute or so later I looked back to check on her and saw the beads all over the floor and then I looked up at Sam and she was turning almost a shade of blue. I started to yell “stop, stop, it’s Sam, she’s blue.” My mom immediately pulled off the side of the road and went to grab my sister. I then went to the back of the van and try to help my mom, she told me to call for help. I called for help and in the mean time my mom was trying to dislodge the bead from her airways, my mom was an RN so luckily she knew what she was doing. I was no help, in the background flipping out, panicking, I could barely breath myself. I was waiting for what seemed like forever, when I heard my sister gasp for air. My mom started crying and picked my little sister up, we all began to weep. I was so thankful to have heard that little breath, it was like for just a minute the whole earth stood still and all I could hear was the sound of her heart, it was music to our ears. Minutes later the paramedics arrived and checked my sister, they told us that if she would have gone without notice for one more minute she probably wouldn’t have made it. The paramedics checked Sam out and said “she should be fine, you guys are all lucky.” I was so happy, but at the same time I felt such an enormous amount of guilt. I knew that the only reason that my sister had nearly died was because of me. Who gives a two year old a necklace made out of little plastic beads. I felt so horrible, it was like the whole world was resting on my shoulders, that’s the weight of the guilt I was holding. I picked up my little sister and rested my hand over her heart, it was the only thing I could do to keep me from bursting out in tears. I knew that it was only by the grace of God that she was still with us. After the crowd that had gathered, disbursed, we got back in the car and headed home. The day defiantly did not go as planned, but we were just thankful to all have each other.


I am not sure what animal I would compare my feelings of guilt to. All I know is that to this day, before I go to bed I go in and feel my sisters heartbeat, just to know everything is ok.

suicide..hm

Writing topic pg 1211 #2
Is suicide ever justified?

I think that the topic of suicide is one of great complexity, it is not a black and white issue, it goes much deeper then yes or no. My personal belief is that suicide is wrong, and I personally do not agree with it. But the question was not do I agree with it, it was is it ever justified. I think that suicide can be justified in certain situations. There are things like assisted suicide and being asked to have the plug pulled if you are said to be brain dead. I think that suicide that occurs because someone is emotional suffering and is not able to discuss how there feeling, so in that misery takes there life is not justified. I think that for something such as depression, heartbreak, things such as that there is a better way to deal with it rather than giving up. However I think there are exceptions to every rule. If you are in psychical pain and you are suffering from an illness in which you are told you have only a few days to live and those days are full of physical pain, then I feel that assisted suicide is somewhat justified. I personally would not do it, however I feel that if you are in great physical pain to the point where there is nothing that can help you then it may be the best option. I also know that if people are going into major surgery then they are asked to sign a DNR. To me this is a form of assisted suicide, I believe that this is justifiable because if you know that your quality of life is going to be very poor then why live. I feel that if a person is going to be brain dead to the point where they are no longer able to function on there own and be a burden to t ones around them then there life on earth is probably not worth living. If you are unable to shower for yourself, or communicate with loved ones, your not really living anyways. I am though completely against the act of suicide, as I said before when it comes to emotional pain I think that there is better ways to handle it such as therapy, rather then drowning yourself with pills and alcohol and ending your life.

....

Writing topic #1 pg. 937

Having the person that you love not even acknowledge your existence, is like standing in a crowded room butt naked and no one even give you a double take. Have you ever been so in love with someone, and I mean truly in love with them and they are so obliviously to it. The guy that you have grown up with, you even took baths together as babies, it’s the guy that you tell everything to, the one who knows your deepest fears and regrets, its your best friend, and the one you love. The worst feeling in the world is loving someone who doesn’t even know your there. Sure he knows you as being “like a sister,” “best friend,” or
“one of the guys.” When all of those are great titles but you only want to be known as “the one.” No matter how hard you try to get over it and realize you will never be more than friends all you can think about is being with that person. Seeing the person that you are in love with everyday and not being able to be with them is like, drowning in an ocean and the life preserve is just past the tip of your fingers. Needless to say I have been in love with my bet friend for many years now and it feels like I am suffocating not being able to tell him how I feel. I know that I could easily tell him and see how he reacts, but we have such an amazing friendship that I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize it. Then there is the side of me that thinks, but what if he feels the same way, this could be the one and I am just going to sit back and let the chance slip away. The decision of whether to tell or not tell is like betting double or nothing. If I tell and he feels the same way, this could possibly be my future husband. And we live happily ever after. Or I could tell and he doesn’t feel the same way at all and I lose my best friend. I have kept it inside for a long time and I think that it is probably best I continue to do so. We did tell each other though, that if we are both single and haven’t had any children by time were thirty then we will marry each other, so I guess that is plan B? lol. I just need to keep those girls off him for a few more years.

I prefer...

Pg 825 writing topic 1

I can only speak for myself when I say that yes I do have a “type” and in my opinion everyone has a “type.” Some maybe would call it a preference rather than a “type” because often times we will date someone that is not our “type,” so a more accurate word maybe preference. Psychically I prefer a man who is African American, bigger build, tall, light eyes, and a great smile. That is my preference or what I am typically attracted too, however will I talk to someone who does not meet that criteria yes. I think that “types” are in some way used as a general guideline of what you are looking for. For instance most people have a certain “type” of vehicle they like whether that be a van, truck, or car it is all about preference. If I usually only buy mini vans that would be my “type,” however if the sales man shows me a crossover vehicle that meets my needs I can easily be persuaded to go that direction. So I guess what I am saying is that yes I do think that everyone has a “type” however are most of us willing to go outside of those configurations yes.
I am really unsure of where “types” come from. I know for me personally I grew up in a predominantly African American community so I was naturally attracted to men of that race. I am sure for some people that are raised in a certain culture such as Muslims, there “type” would probably be a man who is of Muslim religion. I think that most of our preferences are developed in our early stages of development. I also think that we tend to look for our mothers or fathers in our spouse that we choose. Not in some creepy way, but the things that you love in your parent you look for in your spouse, and the things you don’t like you tend to look for the opposite. For instance, my dad is heavier set and I look for that in a man because I feel safe and secure with a larger man. Also my father is extremely passive and since I do not like that quality in him I tend to look for a man who is very aggressive. I know that there truly is someone for everyone in the world but I am not sure just how it is we come to find each other.

Independent woman

Writing topic pg 783
I am a twenty year old women who grew up knowing that I could be whatever I wanted to be. When I was little I would always tell my mom that I wanted to be a King, she said “Sure honey you can be whatever you want, but why a King not a Queen?” I would say “Because everyone listens to the boys.” It was at that time when my mom wanted to make sure I knew that I didn’t have to be a boy to be heard. My mother stayed at home while we were little, but before we were born she was an RN and only stopped to see us through our first five years, before school. My parents always made sure that I knew that I could be whomever and do whatever I wanted in life. I have an extreme type of personality so when you tell me I am just as good as someone else and that I need to be independent I take that to the max. I think that in this world today there are still many people who consider women to be the weaker gender. I know that thru the years we have evolved to the idea that women do not have to cook and clean all day and bow down to their man. However, do I think that men are completely comfortable that women are holding a lot of the top positions at big name companies? No. I personally am a big activist for women’s rights and equal rights and I think that there shouldn’t be any barriers, weather that be race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, we are all people. Although I do realize that there is a lot of work that needs to be done for the rest of the world to agree with that theory. I also need to take a step back with my own journey of becoming an independent and respected women. I am so caught up in proving that I can be the best, make good money, have a great job, be strong and independent that I am unable to let a man in at all. I often times find myself paying when I go out with someone, not because he doesn’t offer, but because I refuse. I also tend to get upset when a man assumes he needs to help me to my door. I kick myself for it afterwards, and realize hello its called “being a gentleman.” I need to find that middle ground of standing up for who I am as a women, but also letting a man be a man. In regards to Woolf’s attitudes about women I thin that it still is relevant. We as a nation are constantly evolving, but we are not there yet.

old fashioned views

Writing topic pg. 589

My family is what some would call “old fashion.” Not only my parents but all of my in laws have there mindset stuck somewhere back in the 70’s. They view marriage as something between a man and a woman and preferably they be of the same race and religion. They are also very concerned with things such as sex before marriage, dating before the age of 18, etc. Even though I was raised in a family that was very closed minded I seem to have turned to be a direct opposite. I am Caucasian and I have a preference of dating African American men. I grew up in a predominantly black community so in my opinion that is why I am more attracted to that race. I have dated Caucasians and when I brought them home to meet the family it was never an issue my parents were accepting and he fit right in. However, I knew that I was only really talking to those guys so that my family would approve not necessarily because I liked them. In order to be fully happy I followed my heart and started to date an African American. I wasn’t nervous to bring him hoe because I know that my parents love me no matter what so I knew that they would still accept him. Eventually I told them about him and they were very skeptical and after I talked to them they spread the word like wild fire through my family. I was very upset because my entire family had something negative to say before they even met him. I eventually worked up the courage to bring him to meet my immediate family and it went really well. My parents were able to see passed the color of his skin and realized how amazing he was and that he made me really happy. I was very excited that my parents were able to look past there “old fashioned” up bringing and open there mind to new things. I wish I could say the same for the rest of my family. My grandparents are still disgusted with the idea that I would date outside of my race, but its ok because I am comfortable with who I am. I am also very proud of my parents for opening there eyes to the 21st century. Since then they have also become more understanding of things such as gay marriage, different religions, and inter racial dating in general. I see a lot of my parents in this story, but I am glad they were able to except me and my choices.

imagine there is no heaven... i rather not

“To choose unbelief is to choose mind over dogma, to trust in out humanity instead of all these dangerous divinities.”
I have spoken out about my beliefs in several posts and here I am again to say that I am a Christian. Unbelief was never an option for me, so to say “to choose unbelief,” is something that has never crossed my mind. I was raised in a home where we went to church every Sunday, went to bible study every Wednesday and prayed to God every morning, unbelief was never an option. I believe that there is most defiantly a higher power, I think that it is my faith and belief that allow me to see the goodness in the world. I can not imagine walking this earth everyday, without knowing that I was put here for a purpose and my life means something. I know that there are a lot of people who do not believe in a God or a higher power, that there is no heaven or hell, and to those I say “why not believe?” I have young brothers and sisters and they are always asking me about Gods existence. When will they see him? What does he look like? How do we know he is real? Etc. I relate it to the story The Polar Express, I am sure many of you know the story where the boy is getting a little older and he does not believe in Santa anymore, he tries to sneak down every year to catch Santa putting the presents under the tree but he never spots him. He then dreams of a trip he takes on The Polar Express, a train that is going to the North Pole. Throughout the trip he is asking many questions, Why? When? Who? Etc. his unbelief is quite apparent. In the story the sound of a bell is used to represent your belief. During the story the boy finds a bell that fell off of Santa’s sleigh, he thought it was broken because he was unable to hear anything when he shook it. However at the end of the story when Santa had appeared and everyone received exactly what they wanted from him, he shook the bell again, and to his surprise it rang. The bell was never broken, it was his disbelief that stood in the way of him hearing the sound of the beautiful bell. I tell my siblings this story in hopes of relating Santa to God and the sound of the bell to hearing God’s voice. It is not that God does not exist or that we can not see him, it is a choice on whether or not we choose to open our ears and eyes to him. I think that a lot of people have a hard time believing because they cant physically prove the existence so a lot of people can not wrapped there head around the idea that “it just is.” I can tell you how I know that my belief is not in vein, everyday I wake up to take in another breath, when I am on my last dollar a job comes through, when you feel like you just cant take it anymore, suddenly you are given a boost of courage and strength. If that is not proof, then I don’t know what is.

first impressions matter

Writing topic # 1 pg 371
Since I could remember I have always been very interested in my appearance, not in a conceited way, just that I liked to look polished. My mom always use to take me to pick out my clothes for school and she would never let me get what I wanted. So over summer leading into 6th grade I begged her to give me my spending allowance and let me get my own clothes. It took a lot of persuading but eventually she caved, finally I would be able to get whatever I wanted. So my friend and I got dropped off at the mall and off we went, my budget was $150 and that was suppose to buy me all of my clothes for summer/fall. I began buying and it seemed as though as soon as I got there my money was gone. I bought a very cute handbag for school, two pairs of shoes ( to ensure that I would match), two pairs of jeans and one shirt. I came home and showed my mom and she began to laugh, she said, “Well it looks like you will only have one shirt to wear for the whole week, but maybe people wont notice since your handbag is so great!” I knew that she was right I spent so much money on the handbag that I forgot the whole purpose of why I was there in the first place. Needless to say she took me back to the store and had me refine some of my choices to less expensive pieces so that I would have enough to last me a few months.
The moral of the story is that I have always been very interested in how I come across to others, I would like to say that I learned from that experience but I simply did not. Still to this day what I wear and how I appear to others is important to me. I am the girl who has to have her hair done, face on, and fully dressed just to run to the grocery store. I believe the reason I am so caught up on my wardrobe and such is because I have always been the “big girl,” therefore I feel like I have to try twice as hard to look good as someone who has a smaller frame. Since I am a plus size women I tend to draw heavily towards things I know will always fit, such as shoes, earrings, necklaces. Purses, etc. I must have over 20 purses, 50 necklaces, 100 pair of earrings, and now that I think of it I can probably open shop selling accessories. Ladies? LOL. I make sure that when I get ready my hair is done, make up on, and my outfit is coordinated and well put together. I am very hard on myself, but it is because I know that there will always be that one person who notices something wrong, so I have to play the role of that critical eye. I think when people look at me they think confident, got it together, well maintained, cares about herself, etc.
I feel as though I am coming off a little materialistic so I want to clear that up I am not a label whore or anything like that. I jut really like to look put together and give a good first impression. I think in reality now from writing this I realize I maybe hiding behind the clothes and accessories. I like to make sure that I look so well maintained and manicured because in the inside I am losing my mind and I am unable to control most things in life. The way I dress, I can control that, that’s easy for me.

Death, Life, and Growing up

Making Connections pg 161

“Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde and “From the Diary of An Almost-Four-Year-Old” by Hanah Mikha’il Ashrawi are two powerful poems in which life and death is discussed. In “Hanging Fire” the girl being depicted is fourteen years old and in high school. You can tell by the reading that this girl is extremely insecure and is trying very hard to measure up. In the first stance she says “and my skin has betrayed me…how come my knees are so ashy” She is going through and pin pointing all of what she sees as “flaws” on her body. She then goes on to say “what if I die before morning and momma’s in the bedroom with the door closed.” The feeling I get from that line is not that she is afraid of dying but that she is afraid she will have been forgotten, or as though no one would even notice. Throughout the rest of the poem she states other things that she needs to fix or get done, always trying to impress someone, yearning for that approval to fit in. The attitude that she has towards life as a fourteen year old, is a fairly typical one. I think that as a teenager your main focus in life is to fit in, to be liked, to make sure you have all the right things. I believe that this girl is seeking some kind of attention and that is why she uses the door being closed to describe the idea of nobody being there, no one paying attention to her. This poem has a very sad tone to it. Then their is the poem “From the Diary of An Almost-Four-Year-Old,” this poem has a tone of strength, love, and wisdom. This poem depicts a girl who has been shot in the head but a soldier, because of this injury she has lost one of her eyes. This girl stays optimistic throughout the poem, when she starts to think about her life with only one eye she says, “it could be that inside our heads we have one spare set of eyes to make up for the ones we lose.” It is that optimism and strength that set the tone for this poem. The girl in this story is only four years old however, she is not afraid of dying, or only having one eye, she is however considered for others. She hears of another girl who also list an eye, a 9 month old, she then says “ I’m old enough, almost four, I’ve seen enough of life, but she’s just a baby who didn’t know any better.” Even though this girl is only four and had just lost an eye, she was able to empathize for someone else instead of feel sorry for herself. I think that this little girl is a pillar of strength and it goes to show just how innocent a child is.

Battle with Public Pressure

In life we experience a lot of different acts of peer pressure or public pressure, it is through those experiences when you figure out who you truly are. I never thought that I was one of “those kids,” you know the ones who smoked pot because it was “cool,” or failed a test so they didn’t look like a “suck up,” I had thought that I escaped peer pressure, but I was wrong. It is only now as I look back on my life that I realize that I have been a victim of public pressure for some time now. It wasn’t in school where I was swayed to do or say something I didn’t agree with it was within my family. My entire family on my Dad’s side are all practicing Catholics, which meant I was raised as a Catholic. Growing up I went to church every Sunday and on all Holy Days of Obligation, I did so until I turned 18. In the Catholic faith they have a program called Confirmation which is one of the “Rights,” or in other words a mandatory step in becoming a Catholic, such as First Communion and Baptism. I went through all the steps in becoming a Catholic, however it never felt right to me. When I was 16 I started going to Confirmation, which is a weekly meeting where teens get together to discuss our religion and do bible study. It was at these meetings when I really started to ask questions and study the bible. I became consumed in knowing all that I could about the religion, and once I uncovered the truth I completely disagreed with the inner workings. In group I constantly found myself battling everyone on the issues and being on the other side of the argument. I knew then that the Catholic religion was not right for me. The Confirmation process last for one year and at you “graduation,” you go to the church in front of family, friends, and peers and confirm your place in the Catholic Church. Even though I knew that I was not Catholic and that I did not want to continue to practice that religion my family members forced me to proceed on with my Confirmation. So I did and I continued to attend Catholic Church until I was 18. It was then when I finally got the courage to stand up to my family and tell them that I did not believe that same as them. I told them that after careful consideration and a lot of research I feel that I fit better into the Christian church. I got a lot of negative feedback and my family was very disappointed, but at least I didn’t have to live a lie anymore. I felt so free and I now have a great relationship with God and I think that my family is starting to finally come around. It is funny though that through all 4 years of high school I was able to fight off peer pressure, but I didn’t even realize I was dealing with that same pressure at home.

Literature: My thoughts

There are many different types of literature whether it be a novel, short story, poem, play write, and to each of these our interpretations vary. I believe that with each its own. By that I mean to say that several readers can all come up with a different interpretation of the same story. When a person reads a piece of literature it is up top their creative imagination to decide how far they will run with it. Some readers are simply reading to identify the theme , the plot, and the story line, however they fall short when it comes to identifying key parts of the literature. Other readers are concerned more with the details and the reason behind certain phrases and scenes rather than the overall story line. However both readers are reading that piece of literature for a specific reason, and they get out of it what they put into it.
When it comes to discovering new literature it is important to have a point of reference so that you are able to identify better to what you are reading. If one of your favorite authors is Nicholas Spark, you would be more apt to picking up one of his books off the shelf in the book store. This is because you have a reference point, you may have read his books before or heard a review on one and you know you would be interested. If you are going to expand your horizon and your literary choices it is a good idea to gain some insight on the artist and or the book itself. It is important when you are reading a piece of literature to analyze it. Literature is much like an onion, in that it has several different layers, you must peel those layers back one by one. While reading I challenge myself to look closely at the context of the story, the form in which it is written and to make the story come to life. Once you master the art of analyzing literature then reading as you know it will change for the better. Once you are able to actually feel as those you are in the novel or play in which you are reading you will have a whole new outlook on literature. Critically analyzing literature is not an easy task, but once you are able to do so you will reap the reward. You will no longer have to wait until the book goes to film to really "see" it. Just by spending time reading and rereading the story you will begin to "see" it in your imagination. The idea of being able to take something that is in print and recreate it in your mind to be a visual imagine is extremely captivating and moving. I know that as I continue to learn how to critically analyze a piece of literature I will gain more insight and understanding as to what the author was trying to convey. Literature is a very powerful art form which has the ability to send your imagination on an amazing journey of twist and turns and the whole time keep you on your toes, all of this through a piece of literature, simply amazing.

Literature: the meaning

Literature is not just what you read in a text book, magazine, or dictionary, literature is what you learn and it has the capability of expanding your way of thinking. For me literature is very important, I use literature in everyday life whether it be at work through training manuals or at home with novels that entice my imagination. Everyday as Americans we are surrounded by literature and it is a shame that we do not take advantage of that great privilege. I often find myself diving into a great love story after a fight with my boyfriend, or maybe an inspirational true story when I find myself feeling down and out. I use literature as a way to lift my spirits, spark my imagination, and ignite learning. I often times find myself getting caught up in books, news articles, etc. Its as though these different mediums are my friends the things I confide in. I look to literature to fill me up emotionally or even take me on an adventure. Literature is such a great tool in many different ways. For example, it can be freezing outside, your feeling ill, you have a tissue stuck up your nose, and your feeling miserable; but then you open up a book and it all goes away. Suddenly your in another world being whisked off to a tropical paradise, a charming waiter plays your lover, and the sounds of the ocean ring in your ear. For an author to be able to make you feel as though you are the character is a real talent. I completely respect the art form of writing I think it is just as powerful ,if not more powerful, than movies and music. Reading and literature have so much to offer us as a community and I hope that through English 102 I can help to inspire others to see the beauty in the books. This semester I hope to gain a greater knowledge of literature, the ins and outs. I also look forward to hearing of new authors and stories that I am unfamiliar with. Through this class I also aspire to learn how to analyze literature. Currently I read novels and such only as an audience but I would love to learn how to really analyze and critique a novel. I also do not know much about all of the literary terms such as plot, theme, climax. I have studied all of these words before however I have failed to really comprehend there meaning. I am sure that throughout this course I will get a better grasp on these and other terms. in my opinion having an understanding of literature is a true blessing. I think that when people read and push themselves to learn new things it truly expands there mind. I think that people who are literate often sound more intelligent. I hope that this class opens up my eyes to even more literature and hopefully thought the process of learning about literature I will be able to improve my writing skills.