The 5 incidents that have changed my ways of thinking:
1. A first love
2. My pap's death
3. Falling completely in love with God
4. September 11th
5. Failing a class
When someone looks at me, they see a normal teenage girl. Someone who goes to parties and does what the "normal" teenager does. No, that person is wrong. I want someone to look at me and see how completely in love with God I am. I have never been so fired up about anything like this before. All I want to do is show every person I come across, the love of Jesus Christ. It was a typical Sunday night, going to my youth group. I was so excited to go. Not knowing as of that night, my life was about to change. The whole youth group was worshiping and something just came over me. It was like nothing I have ever felt before. I through my hands up and started crying out to God. I have never felt more at peace, then when I am worshiping my God. The tears started to run down my face, but I did not care. Because for the first time in my life, I knew that all I needed was God. Nothing more than him. I know that I will always have peace about what ever I need, because I have my God with me at all times. Yeah, I may screw up, I'm human, can't change that. But I do know that with God, those mistakes are forgiven. Don't get me wrong, messing up happens. But when it does, you have to ask for forgiveness and God will grant you peace. The night I gave my life to God, was the best feeling I could ever have. It made me feel invincible. I love living my life for God, each and every day. I leave you with a challenge. If you're not right with God, I challenge you to give your life to him. With God all things are possible
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The Terror of War
The top 5 things that scare me:
1. Snakes
2. Growing up
3. My friend joining the army
4. Guns
5. Death
One of my best friends is totally set on joining the army shortly after high school and becoming an officer in the marines. War in general is something that scares me most. America is fighting in a tough war against terror right now and it doesn't look like there is a resolving end in sight. The problems overseas that our country is fighting hard to get under control seem to be ones that will last for many years to come. I know that if my friend will join the army or marines after high school or even after college, if he decides to go, that he will receive just enough training and will be sent to Iraq to fight soon too. Innocent men of the United States army are dying everyday from these battles. Thousands have died already and it continues. These young men are losing their shot at a happy life and the many opportunities that their country offers them. Stories on the news about these deaths and the pain and suffering of their families puts my stomach in several knots. It makes me feel sick to think they have lost their child, brother, husband, or father to a war such as this. I think of myself in a few years from now in my home watching the news and hearing my friends name to be the next victim in this horrid violence. That makes me feel helpless. I would never in a million years be able to handle that kind of news. He does well in school and has so many hopes and dreams for the future. To think his chances for all that and a great life could be taken away just because he wants to be apart of the marines drives me crazy. The republican nominee for vice president, Sarah Palin, just released news that her 19-year-old son would shortly be reporting to Iraq to battle for our country. Nineteen. Someone at that age has their entire life in front of them. I have tried to tell my friend of this and how he could be sent that soon and die. I asked him if he wanted to die, and of course he doesn't. He thinks he can protect himself and have enough training to make it through but, how can anyone know that? I have asked him a million times if there is anything he would want to do with his life instead, like go to college and get a great career in something that he likes. He only wants to join the marines, he has always wanted to. I feel that it is really a shame and I am terrified to think that he could be sent to fight in only a few years. The bombings and other dangers that those brave soldiers face everyday causes them to struggle for their lives all for us. I can't even imagine of my friend being one of them, the risk is just too great. So not only can i barely stomach how horrible war is and the young innocent men losing their lives everyday who are being taken away from their loving families, but it is one of my biggest fears to know that someone so close to me out on that battle field, staring death in the face. I wish all the best for him in his future and the thought of him getting caught up in a harsh, hateful war and not making it out scares me to the bone.
1. Snakes
2. Growing up
3. My friend joining the army
4. Guns
5. Death
One of my best friends is totally set on joining the army shortly after high school and becoming an officer in the marines. War in general is something that scares me most. America is fighting in a tough war against terror right now and it doesn't look like there is a resolving end in sight. The problems overseas that our country is fighting hard to get under control seem to be ones that will last for many years to come. I know that if my friend will join the army or marines after high school or even after college, if he decides to go, that he will receive just enough training and will be sent to Iraq to fight soon too. Innocent men of the United States army are dying everyday from these battles. Thousands have died already and it continues. These young men are losing their shot at a happy life and the many opportunities that their country offers them. Stories on the news about these deaths and the pain and suffering of their families puts my stomach in several knots. It makes me feel sick to think they have lost their child, brother, husband, or father to a war such as this. I think of myself in a few years from now in my home watching the news and hearing my friends name to be the next victim in this horrid violence. That makes me feel helpless. I would never in a million years be able to handle that kind of news. He does well in school and has so many hopes and dreams for the future. To think his chances for all that and a great life could be taken away just because he wants to be apart of the marines drives me crazy. The republican nominee for vice president, Sarah Palin, just released news that her 19-year-old son would shortly be reporting to Iraq to battle for our country. Nineteen. Someone at that age has their entire life in front of them. I have tried to tell my friend of this and how he could be sent that soon and die. I asked him if he wanted to die, and of course he doesn't. He thinks he can protect himself and have enough training to make it through but, how can anyone know that? I have asked him a million times if there is anything he would want to do with his life instead, like go to college and get a great career in something that he likes. He only wants to join the marines, he has always wanted to. I feel that it is really a shame and I am terrified to think that he could be sent to fight in only a few years. The bombings and other dangers that those brave soldiers face everyday causes them to struggle for their lives all for us. I can't even imagine of my friend being one of them, the risk is just too great. So not only can i barely stomach how horrible war is and the young innocent men losing their lives everyday who are being taken away from their loving families, but it is one of my biggest fears to know that someone so close to me out on that battle field, staring death in the face. I wish all the best for him in his future and the thought of him getting caught up in a harsh, hateful war and not making it out scares me to the bone.
5 things that make me frown
5 things that make me frown
1.When my fantasy football team does bad. ****
2. When there is no food in the house
3. When I get home after a long football practice and have homework in every subject.
4.When my dad doesn't come to my football games when he says he will (which is every time.)
5.When I think that high school is almost over.
***when my fantasy football team does bad.***
Though this may not be the most interesting topic out of those five, My fantasy football team is the most prominent in my mind right now. Being that it is Sunday night and I just got completely bum rushed by another team again. I just don't get it. My team was supposed to be so good. It consists of Matt Hasselbeck(QB), Braylon Edwards(WR), Marvin Harrison(WR), M. Colston (WR), Brain Westbrook(RB), Frank Gore(RB), Kellen Winslow(TE), and Willie Parker. However so far Edwards has played as if he went blind just before the season started and decided to play anyway without telling anyone. Colston, Westbrook, and Parker have all gotten hurt already. And to top it all of my Quarterback's wide-outs have all gotten hurt and he is throwing to his 6th string receivers!
Even though my players are doing so bad, I still managed to win my first to games. I thought I was going to be alright until last week when the person I faced murdered me. And now this week is no better. I thought I might have a chance going into it but oh no, why would I? As I turn on my TV this afternoon I find out that Brett Farve has thrown six touchdowns and threw for 650 yards, and it just so happens the kid I'm facing has Brett Farve on his team (I may have to add that sentence to my list because just writing it made me frown.) So basically what that means is Brette Farve most likely scored more points than my entire team and I am going to lose another game this week. The world just isn't fair. :-(
1.When my fantasy football team does bad. ****
2. When there is no food in the house
3. When I get home after a long football practice and have homework in every subject.
4.When my dad doesn't come to my football games when he says he will (which is every time.)
5.When I think that high school is almost over.
***when my fantasy football team does bad.***
Though this may not be the most interesting topic out of those five, My fantasy football team is the most prominent in my mind right now. Being that it is Sunday night and I just got completely bum rushed by another team again. I just don't get it. My team was supposed to be so good. It consists of Matt Hasselbeck(QB), Braylon Edwards(WR), Marvin Harrison(WR), M. Colston (WR), Brain Westbrook(RB), Frank Gore(RB), Kellen Winslow(TE), and Willie Parker. However so far Edwards has played as if he went blind just before the season started and decided to play anyway without telling anyone. Colston, Westbrook, and Parker have all gotten hurt already. And to top it all of my Quarterback's wide-outs have all gotten hurt and he is throwing to his 6th string receivers!
Even though my players are doing so bad, I still managed to win my first to games. I thought I was going to be alright until last week when the person I faced murdered me. And now this week is no better. I thought I might have a chance going into it but oh no, why would I? As I turn on my TV this afternoon I find out that Brett Farve has thrown six touchdowns and threw for 650 yards, and it just so happens the kid I'm facing has Brett Farve on his team (I may have to add that sentence to my list because just writing it made me frown.) So basically what that means is Brette Farve most likely scored more points than my entire team and I am going to lose another game this week. The world just isn't fair. :-(
Make Good out of Even The Worst Situations
Top five incidents that changed my way of thinking.
1. Being in a car accident
2. September 11, 2001
3. My grandmother's death
4. Having to say no to peer pressure
5. Watching Remember the Titans
Three students had just left our fifth grade classroom in a matter of about five minutes. Fifteen minutes later, eleven children left. Teachers were crying, we were not allowed to leave the classroom, and televisions were turned on. What was going on? It was about ten minutes later when my parents came to Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary to pick me up. Confusion was about the only emotion I was feeling at the moment. My parents explained to me (lacking great detail of course) that America had been attacked by terrorists. Ashamed to admit it now, but that tragic information went in one ear and out the other. Since it was not affecting my family or me I was not worried about it. It was not until about two years later when this tragedy changed the way I thought and looked at life. Reading about the families who lost their friends and loved ones in those planes and burning buildings hit me like a bullet to the chest. What if that would have been me? It was almost instantaneously after reading a particular article that I began to look at everyday as gift from God. After that day, I have never gone one night without praying for the families who lost loved ones, nor have I gone a day without being thankful for the life I have.
1. Being in a car accident
2. September 11, 2001
3. My grandmother's death
4. Having to say no to peer pressure
5. Watching Remember the Titans
Three students had just left our fifth grade classroom in a matter of about five minutes. Fifteen minutes later, eleven children left. Teachers were crying, we were not allowed to leave the classroom, and televisions were turned on. What was going on? It was about ten minutes later when my parents came to Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary to pick me up. Confusion was about the only emotion I was feeling at the moment. My parents explained to me (lacking great detail of course) that America had been attacked by terrorists. Ashamed to admit it now, but that tragic information went in one ear and out the other. Since it was not affecting my family or me I was not worried about it. It was not until about two years later when this tragedy changed the way I thought and looked at life. Reading about the families who lost their friends and loved ones in those planes and burning buildings hit me like a bullet to the chest. What if that would have been me? It was almost instantaneously after reading a particular article that I began to look at everyday as gift from God. After that day, I have never gone one night without praying for the families who lost loved ones, nor have I gone a day without being thankful for the life I have.
You Wanna Be More Like Me, eh?
Top 5 ways to be more like me:
1. Learn how to use a computer
2. Meet my father
3. Prove people wrong ... all of the time
4. Learn to play tennis (well)
5. Become a perfectionist
So, there's this guy. He has dark short curly hair, big brown eyes, and is about five foot ten inches. Considering my blond hair, blue eyes, and gender .. saying that this man and myself look nothing alike is an understatement, but if you saw him from the inside .. you could easily get us confused. Meet my loving father, Alan Bruce Karelitz. If you wanted to become more like myself, all you would half to do is become more like my good 'ol dad. Everything from our accident prone klutziness to our first and last initials are identical. When I was a little kid, people used to refer to me as my dad's "shadow," because no matter where he was, I was beside him (if not dangling off of his back).
Our minds even work the same. When my dad was driving me to work in the morning about two summers ago, we unfortunately got stuck in traffic. When we finally reached the front, we of course were stopped by a tall post with a light hanging off that just so happened to be bright red. This was our luck. But at that moment, I was not thinking about the traffic, or how late I would be for work ... I was simply thinking about the other cars. Particularly, how each and every one of the other cars, has a person in them with their own lives. Literally a whole four seconds later, my dad tells me how it's amazing how all of the different people in each car has their own problems, their own lives, and their own issues. Wow. As shocking and unexaggereated as this tale happens to be, it doesn't surprise me one bit. My father and I think the same thoughts, at the same time, to a point where it's scary sometimes.
They say that it's the inside what counts. So if you truly wanted to "be more like me," just introduce yourself to my father sometime and get to know this guy a little. And you will be rolling, or should I say "dangling," from there.
1. Learn how to use a computer
2. Meet my father
3. Prove people wrong ... all of the time
4. Learn to play tennis (well)
5. Become a perfectionist
So, there's this guy. He has dark short curly hair, big brown eyes, and is about five foot ten inches. Considering my blond hair, blue eyes, and gender .. saying that this man and myself look nothing alike is an understatement, but if you saw him from the inside .. you could easily get us confused. Meet my loving father, Alan Bruce Karelitz. If you wanted to become more like myself, all you would half to do is become more like my good 'ol dad. Everything from our accident prone klutziness to our first and last initials are identical. When I was a little kid, people used to refer to me as my dad's "shadow," because no matter where he was, I was beside him (if not dangling off of his back).
Our minds even work the same. When my dad was driving me to work in the morning about two summers ago, we unfortunately got stuck in traffic. When we finally reached the front, we of course were stopped by a tall post with a light hanging off that just so happened to be bright red. This was our luck. But at that moment, I was not thinking about the traffic, or how late I would be for work ... I was simply thinking about the other cars. Particularly, how each and every one of the other cars, has a person in them with their own lives. Literally a whole four seconds later, my dad tells me how it's amazing how all of the different people in each car has their own problems, their own lives, and their own issues. Wow. As shocking and unexaggereated as this tale happens to be, it doesn't surprise me one bit. My father and I think the same thoughts, at the same time, to a point where it's scary sometimes.
They say that it's the inside what counts. So if you truly wanted to "be more like me," just introduce yourself to my father sometime and get to know this guy a little. And you will be rolling, or should I say "dangling," from there.
Falling in Love
Top 5 things that scare me
Clowns
The dark
Falling in love
Losing someone
Death
When two people form a bond together to spend their lives with one another, they are thought to be in love. Love is such a strong word and has a meaning that only those who are in it can explain. So many people think they are in love. But in reality, there is a difference of loving someone and being in love. A lot of times, most people think the next thing after liking someone is love; so love is used a lot more than it should be and also used in the wrong way. It is tough to know when you are in love for sure. So many factors run through your mind questioning your true feelings for this person. It can be a scary thought. Some fear that they may never fall in love. Love is a feeling that comes when you are with that one special person that just makes your heart light up. Some people find love in just a few short months while for others, it takes years to know if they are in love. So don't rush anything in life that may concern love. Also, never settle for the person that you like because the person that you like will leave you for the person that they love. Now I have never been in love but I have witnessed two people falling in love. For instance, my brother Josh went to Penn State main campus and was a part of the forty-eight dance marathon for kids with cancer. He needed a moraler to make sure he didn't sit or sleep or anything. His moraler's name was Becca. These two became very close and eventually started dating. Four years later, my brother proposed on top of the Empire state building. Their relationship took years for them to be sure they were in love but now they are happily married starting their own lives together. Another example is my other brother Matt. He became a teacher at Plum Senior High School the same year I was a freshman. He met Marisa Cicconi on the first day of school. He knew he had something for her so he asked her on a date. It took them six months to realize they were in love and and Matt proposed on June 12, 2007. They were married a on July 19, 2008. I have no idea what love has in store for me. I guess I'll have to wait to find out. I sometimes even think that I may never find love. Everyone is different in how they find love. You can't go searching for it, you have to let it find you.
Clowns
The dark
Falling in love
Losing someone
Death
When two people form a bond together to spend their lives with one another, they are thought to be in love. Love is such a strong word and has a meaning that only those who are in it can explain. So many people think they are in love. But in reality, there is a difference of loving someone and being in love. A lot of times, most people think the next thing after liking someone is love; so love is used a lot more than it should be and also used in the wrong way. It is tough to know when you are in love for sure. So many factors run through your mind questioning your true feelings for this person. It can be a scary thought. Some fear that they may never fall in love. Love is a feeling that comes when you are with that one special person that just makes your heart light up. Some people find love in just a few short months while for others, it takes years to know if they are in love. So don't rush anything in life that may concern love. Also, never settle for the person that you like because the person that you like will leave you for the person that they love. Now I have never been in love but I have witnessed two people falling in love. For instance, my brother Josh went to Penn State main campus and was a part of the forty-eight dance marathon for kids with cancer. He needed a moraler to make sure he didn't sit or sleep or anything. His moraler's name was Becca. These two became very close and eventually started dating. Four years later, my brother proposed on top of the Empire state building. Their relationship took years for them to be sure they were in love but now they are happily married starting their own lives together. Another example is my other brother Matt. He became a teacher at Plum Senior High School the same year I was a freshman. He met Marisa Cicconi on the first day of school. He knew he had something for her so he asked her on a date. It took them six months to realize they were in love and and Matt proposed on June 12, 2007. They were married a on July 19, 2008. I have no idea what love has in store for me. I guess I'll have to wait to find out. I sometimes even think that I may never find love. Everyone is different in how they find love. You can't go searching for it, you have to let it find you.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
E=mc2
Top people I need to write about: (in no particular order)
1. Jesus
2. My Parents
3. Albert Einstein
4. Paris Hilton
5. Kira Plastinina
When you think of Albert Einstein I’m sure the first thing that pops into your head is not fashion or looks. Chances are you would think of a bizarre looking guy with crazy hair, right? Although Albert Einstein was not exactly born in the technology, fashionable friendly society that we have today, we would be no where without him.
Just think for a second the average child learns to talk sometime around 1 year of age. But, in Einstein’s case he was slow to learn to talk, not beginning to speak until late after his second birthday. As a result of his slow verbal development one teacher had told Einstein that he would never amount to much in life. Well what a joke that was! Not only had Einstein proved him wrong, but made him look like a complete fool.
He had succeeding in learning subjects such as geometry several years before he was even suppose to study them in school. Not only had he found a talent in math, but in music as well. His mother being a violinist taught him the finest music like Mozart by the age of 13. Graduating from being trained as a physics and mathematics instructor, he could not find a teaching positional anywhere which turned him into accepting a job as a technical assistant. He continued working and shockingly completed the range of theoretical physics publications in his spare time.
Proving various people wrong Einstein won many awards for accomplishing several theories and equations still used in society today. Although the hair styles, technology, and fashion have changed since Einstein’s time it does not change how talented and an intelligent person he was. Thanks to him we still know and use the equation E=mc2 (energy equals mass times the velocity of light squared). As a physician you would think Einstein would stress only on the logical points of life. Well, that’s not the case; he enjoys more of the fun, imaginative points of life more than anything. He had not only lived his life that way but quoted it that way as well. “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”–Albert Einstein. Einstein in an amazingly talented person and a role model to many people all over the world.
1. Jesus
2. My Parents
3. Albert Einstein
4. Paris Hilton
5. Kira Plastinina
When you think of Albert Einstein I’m sure the first thing that pops into your head is not fashion or looks. Chances are you would think of a bizarre looking guy with crazy hair, right? Although Albert Einstein was not exactly born in the technology, fashionable friendly society that we have today, we would be no where without him.
Just think for a second the average child learns to talk sometime around 1 year of age. But, in Einstein’s case he was slow to learn to talk, not beginning to speak until late after his second birthday. As a result of his slow verbal development one teacher had told Einstein that he would never amount to much in life. Well what a joke that was! Not only had Einstein proved him wrong, but made him look like a complete fool.
He had succeeding in learning subjects such as geometry several years before he was even suppose to study them in school. Not only had he found a talent in math, but in music as well. His mother being a violinist taught him the finest music like Mozart by the age of 13. Graduating from being trained as a physics and mathematics instructor, he could not find a teaching positional anywhere which turned him into accepting a job as a technical assistant. He continued working and shockingly completed the range of theoretical physics publications in his spare time.
Proving various people wrong Einstein won many awards for accomplishing several theories and equations still used in society today. Although the hair styles, technology, and fashion have changed since Einstein’s time it does not change how talented and an intelligent person he was. Thanks to him we still know and use the equation E=mc2 (energy equals mass times the velocity of light squared). As a physician you would think Einstein would stress only on the logical points of life. Well, that’s not the case; he enjoys more of the fun, imaginative points of life more than anything. He had not only lived his life that way but quoted it that way as well. “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”–Albert Einstein. Einstein in an amazingly talented person and a role model to many people all over the world.
Expand Your Mind
Top 5 rules I think people should live by:
1. Be honest.
2. Regret nothing.
3. Worry about nothing.
4. Focus on what you want more than on what you don’t want. Let your desire for success be stronger than your fear of failure.
5. Always be willing to observe and try new things. Every action, even every object, has significant lessons to teach.
[As an introduction to this post, I’d like you (whoever you are) to watch a relatively short video. I don’t know what exactly the rules are for this blog, so I will give you fair warning about the strong language. I hereby forewarn you that there is some strong language in this video!!! And God’s name is used in vain (for those of you who might be offended).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDSTfPSITGI
I’m placing emphasis on the section about entertainment (especially television) in the lives of modern-day U.S. citizens.
Now, moving onward…]
Where would we be if not for the commonplace items and habits of everyday life? How would we feel if we could not see anything the same way we did yesterday? Are we more interested in stability and entertainment or passion and understanding?
Months ago, I tossed my television into the garbage can. It was not disappointment, but satisfaction, that accompanied this act of American sacrilege. What was the point? It was symbolic. By this time, I had stopped watching television anyway, but to get rid of the thing was the final blow in a series of assaults on mindless entertainment. I realized that life was about far more than just the things I had heretofore contained in the “box” of my individual life; there was more to see and to engage my thoughts and interest than what I could extract from such sources as a television set. (The power briefly went out just now, as if the storm is reminding me of the fragility of electronic entertainment. Lose your electricity, lose your equipment, and suddenly you have nothing with which to entertain yourself but your own imagination.)
Human nature – even nature itself, in the most general sense imaginable – is incompatible with the stability of the modern American lifestyle. We continue to move toward senseless entertainment and the sterility of precision, confining ourselves within a graceless, dispassionate atmosphere of TV shows, video games, and the dependence upon sensation rather than real art to capture our attention. One can see the effects of this confinement in America’s children and teenagers. In this world of stability and precision, they express their frustrations with the pointlessness and monotony of it all through watching and creating an abundance of extremely violent and cuss-word-saturated homemade cartoons on Youtube (just to name one small example). There is never a point in these videos; they’re created merely because these kids feel as if there is nothing worth doing except creating them.
I will provide an example of one of these videos. (This one depicts violence and gore that could be disturbing. And there’s very strong language. Again, you are forewarned.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ4j-MBnLQo Note the number of views and the ratings. Apparently intended to be a comedy, yet failing miserably in that regard, this video reflects the purposeless wandering of today’s American youth. Despite the utter lack of real comic value, elementary and middle school kids, possibly even some high school kids, thrive on this kind of useless entertainment as a reinforcement of their ambiguous desire for the destruction of stability.
Violent fantasies and “dark” creativity are just a couple of the results of confinement to a pre-established way of life that does not encourage (and sometimes does not even allow) full freedom of expression and individual identity.
We need to push into new areas, surpass our limits, find the ideas and emotions within ourselves that are truly worth expressing. In the words of the Chemical Brothers: “This culture’s fallen off it’s feet / I’ve got to find a brand new beat” (taken from http://www.lyricstime.com/the-chemical-brothers-battle-scars-lyrics.html). If we maintain an awareness of our surroundings, rather than sticking ourselves in “boxes” that contain only the common affairs of our everyday lives, we will see that there are bigger things happening. Catch onto the patterns in those larger events, and you will find yourself bursting with boundless passion and creativity. Look at your current circumstances and realize that there is always, always more – all you need to do to see it is open the doors of your mind and heart.
1. Be honest.
2. Regret nothing.
3. Worry about nothing.
4. Focus on what you want more than on what you don’t want. Let your desire for success be stronger than your fear of failure.
5. Always be willing to observe and try new things. Every action, even every object, has significant lessons to teach.
[As an introduction to this post, I’d like you (whoever you are) to watch a relatively short video. I don’t know what exactly the rules are for this blog, so I will give you fair warning about the strong language. I hereby forewarn you that there is some strong language in this video!!! And God’s name is used in vain (for those of you who might be offended).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDSTfPSITGI
I’m placing emphasis on the section about entertainment (especially television) in the lives of modern-day U.S. citizens.
Now, moving onward…]
Where would we be if not for the commonplace items and habits of everyday life? How would we feel if we could not see anything the same way we did yesterday? Are we more interested in stability and entertainment or passion and understanding?
Months ago, I tossed my television into the garbage can. It was not disappointment, but satisfaction, that accompanied this act of American sacrilege. What was the point? It was symbolic. By this time, I had stopped watching television anyway, but to get rid of the thing was the final blow in a series of assaults on mindless entertainment. I realized that life was about far more than just the things I had heretofore contained in the “box” of my individual life; there was more to see and to engage my thoughts and interest than what I could extract from such sources as a television set. (The power briefly went out just now, as if the storm is reminding me of the fragility of electronic entertainment. Lose your electricity, lose your equipment, and suddenly you have nothing with which to entertain yourself but your own imagination.)
Human nature – even nature itself, in the most general sense imaginable – is incompatible with the stability of the modern American lifestyle. We continue to move toward senseless entertainment and the sterility of precision, confining ourselves within a graceless, dispassionate atmosphere of TV shows, video games, and the dependence upon sensation rather than real art to capture our attention. One can see the effects of this confinement in America’s children and teenagers. In this world of stability and precision, they express their frustrations with the pointlessness and monotony of it all through watching and creating an abundance of extremely violent and cuss-word-saturated homemade cartoons on Youtube (just to name one small example). There is never a point in these videos; they’re created merely because these kids feel as if there is nothing worth doing except creating them.
I will provide an example of one of these videos. (This one depicts violence and gore that could be disturbing. And there’s very strong language. Again, you are forewarned.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ4j-MBnLQo Note the number of views and the ratings. Apparently intended to be a comedy, yet failing miserably in that regard, this video reflects the purposeless wandering of today’s American youth. Despite the utter lack of real comic value, elementary and middle school kids, possibly even some high school kids, thrive on this kind of useless entertainment as a reinforcement of their ambiguous desire for the destruction of stability.
Violent fantasies and “dark” creativity are just a couple of the results of confinement to a pre-established way of life that does not encourage (and sometimes does not even allow) full freedom of expression and individual identity.
We need to push into new areas, surpass our limits, find the ideas and emotions within ourselves that are truly worth expressing. In the words of the Chemical Brothers: “This culture’s fallen off it’s feet / I’ve got to find a brand new beat” (taken from http://www.lyricstime.com/the-chemical-brothers-battle-scars-lyrics.html). If we maintain an awareness of our surroundings, rather than sticking ourselves in “boxes” that contain only the common affairs of our everyday lives, we will see that there are bigger things happening. Catch onto the patterns in those larger events, and you will find yourself bursting with boundless passion and creativity. Look at your current circumstances and realize that there is always, always more – all you need to do to see it is open the doors of your mind and heart.
BOOK SMART vs. STREET SMART
"The top 5 emotions I have felt."
1. Smart
2. Joy
3. Pain
4. Scared
5. Sad
We all go through life facing obstacles and overcoming challenges everyday, and this is what makes every person a strand of DNA; different and not quite the same as anyone else. Some people are smart, some athletic, and some hard working. Well, I try to be all three but unlike the kid who does nothing to prepare for a test and always receives the expected magical "A", I have to work hard to receive good grades. It's NOT fair. Until realizing that good grades in school were extremely important but not everything, I did not look upon myself as "smart", because I had to work so hard to do well. I had this mentality until one day working to put up a wall. The design of the wall was curved like a semicircle and the support required a perfect cut to slip into the specific angle. As we wasted a forest of lumber trying to get the exact cut, I decided to use geometry to try and find the exact angle needed. After ten minutes of hacking away at the last remains of our lumber, I slipped the board in place and it fit like a glove. I actually felt "smart" and learned that school had a point and taught me something. This showed me that even if you have to work to do well in school, other real life experiences may come easier.
1. Smart
2. Joy
3. Pain
4. Scared
5. Sad
We all go through life facing obstacles and overcoming challenges everyday, and this is what makes every person a strand of DNA; different and not quite the same as anyone else. Some people are smart, some athletic, and some hard working. Well, I try to be all three but unlike the kid who does nothing to prepare for a test and always receives the expected magical "A", I have to work hard to receive good grades. It's NOT fair. Until realizing that good grades in school were extremely important but not everything, I did not look upon myself as "smart", because I had to work so hard to do well. I had this mentality until one day working to put up a wall. The design of the wall was curved like a semicircle and the support required a perfect cut to slip into the specific angle. As we wasted a forest of lumber trying to get the exact cut, I decided to use geometry to try and find the exact angle needed. After ten minutes of hacking away at the last remains of our lumber, I slipped the board in place and it fit like a glove. I actually felt "smart" and learned that school had a point and taught me something. This showed me that even if you have to work to do well in school, other real life experiences may come easier.
Top 5 Rules Teenagers Should Live By
Top 5 rules I think teenagers should live by
1. get good grades
2. listen to your parents
3. don't have an attitude
4. get a job
5. do things without being asked
Listening to your parents is vital to keeping a good relationship, but doing something without being told to is even better. It is amazing how much nicer parents will be if you just do what they ask when they ask it, or even better, do it without them asking. A simple unloading of the dishwasher will do wonders. After a long day of work the last thing your mom or dad wants to do is housework, so run the vacuum and do some laundry. This is especially good if you want to go out with your friends that night. Your parents will be so happy and relieved they do not have to do much, they will let you do pretty much whatever you want, within reason of course. During the summer while I was home all day, I would do a few loads of laundry and make sure the dishwasher was loaded (or unloaded), and trust me it paid off. I had more freedom then I knew what to do with, although I'm sure some of that had to do with the fact that I was about to be a senior. Just try this rule out and you will be amazed by the change of the overall mood of the house, because if mom or dad is not happy, no one is happy.
1. get good grades
2. listen to your parents
3. don't have an attitude
4. get a job
5. do things without being asked
Listening to your parents is vital to keeping a good relationship, but doing something without being told to is even better. It is amazing how much nicer parents will be if you just do what they ask when they ask it, or even better, do it without them asking. A simple unloading of the dishwasher will do wonders. After a long day of work the last thing your mom or dad wants to do is housework, so run the vacuum and do some laundry. This is especially good if you want to go out with your friends that night. Your parents will be so happy and relieved they do not have to do much, they will let you do pretty much whatever you want, within reason of course. During the summer while I was home all day, I would do a few loads of laundry and make sure the dishwasher was loaded (or unloaded), and trust me it paid off. I had more freedom then I knew what to do with, although I'm sure some of that had to do with the fact that I was about to be a senior. Just try this rule out and you will be amazed by the change of the overall mood of the house, because if mom or dad is not happy, no one is happy.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Aqua Man
The top five people I need to write about in no particular order:
1. Tiger Woods
2. Lance Armstrong
3. Michael Phelps
4. My Parents
5. Abraham Lincoln
How does a person become the talk of the town? How does a single person, just a mortal man, make everyone stop what they are doing to watch that person in an instant? A 23 year old from Baltimore can help answer those questions. Michael Phelps is faster than your average fish, and he proves why he is an inspiration for many, including myself. Just this past August, he captivated the world in Beijing. Michael racked up 8 gold metals in the Olympics, and he obtained them during 8 swimming events in that many days. Wow! How do you top that? All he did was bore millions of people with 7 new world records. There is more to Michael that makes him worth talking about. This guy swam about a total of 3 competitive miles in the span of a week, and he had to do drug tests and interviews in between the events. I pass out when I just try to go 100 meters across a pool. Try doing 100 meters against the elite 7 swimmers in the world. That is pressure. So many athletes fail to live up to the expectations that are set by sports writers, coaches, fans, and media, but not Michael. Including his major feats, I have to give respect to a guy that eats, sleeps, and swims for his daily routine. He consumes 10,000 calories a day on average for energy. Talk about living the dream. This man, if he even is human, will continue to do eye-popping things in the future, and he will show what the definition of impressive really is.
1. Tiger Woods
2. Lance Armstrong
3. Michael Phelps
4. My Parents
5. Abraham Lincoln
How does a person become the talk of the town? How does a single person, just a mortal man, make everyone stop what they are doing to watch that person in an instant? A 23 year old from Baltimore can help answer those questions. Michael Phelps is faster than your average fish, and he proves why he is an inspiration for many, including myself. Just this past August, he captivated the world in Beijing. Michael racked up 8 gold metals in the Olympics, and he obtained them during 8 swimming events in that many days. Wow! How do you top that? All he did was bore millions of people with 7 new world records. There is more to Michael that makes him worth talking about. This guy swam about a total of 3 competitive miles in the span of a week, and he had to do drug tests and interviews in between the events. I pass out when I just try to go 100 meters across a pool. Try doing 100 meters against the elite 7 swimmers in the world. That is pressure. So many athletes fail to live up to the expectations that are set by sports writers, coaches, fans, and media, but not Michael. Including his major feats, I have to give respect to a guy that eats, sleeps, and swims for his daily routine. He consumes 10,000 calories a day on average for energy. Talk about living the dream. This man, if he even is human, will continue to do eye-popping things in the future, and he will show what the definition of impressive really is.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Blog 4 Directions
1. Go to:http://writingfix.com/leftbrain/decalogue.htm. Scroll to the bottom where you are prompted to press the button for a decalogue idea. It would be a challenge to force yourself to do the first one it gives you, but there is no way for me to monitor this, so the challenge is up to you.
2. When you begin your post, first provide the type of list you are going to create.
3. Create a list of FIVE.
4. Choose ONE of those ideas and write a paragraph illustrating the truth behind the idea. For example, the first one I came to is, "The five people that I need to write about are . . ." I would first create the list, then highlight one of my choices by explaining it. Try to keep the writing formal, so avoid the unnecessary "I"s and other lazy writing pitfalls. My sample is below. As always, you don't have to be like me, but often, a sample makes people more comfortable. If you want to respond to it, please do. I won't sabotage your grade! :-) I actually like the criticism.
5. The end result will be a example that reveals something about yourself. You'll see.
Good luck and have fun.
The Top Five People I Need to Write About
In no particular order:
1. Leonardo DaVinci
2. Jesus Christ
3. Martin Luther King Jr.
4. My daughter Isabella
5. My high school mentors
** The purple paragraph is the example; what precedes it was a introduction draft to guide my thinking. You don't have to do this. It helped me focus my thoughts.
There are certain truths about myself I have come to accept. I draw worse than my six year old daughter, my extent of scientific discovery is my Erector set quasi-suspension bridge I built when I was ten years old, and I seem to suffer from AAD (art appreciation disorder). All these deficiencies would suggest I an neither a Renaissance man, nor have appeals to one. This could not be further from the truth. One man, aside my Lord and Savior, inspires me most to become something great. Unbeknownst to him, Leonardo da Vinci inspires me to reach quintessence.
My first connection to Leonardo DaVinci came when I mistakenly thought we actually had meaningful common bonds. First and foremost, we're both Italian, so we're practically family. We're both left-handed, too, and thus represent a mere 10% of the population, although he decided to learn to write using his right hand, as well as backwards; I just cope being a representative of the 10% of the world. These qualities, in addition to his status as sword-wielding Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle just began my intrigue. I soon discovered that I admired Da Vinci for all the wrong reasons.
Sure, it would be nice to wax philosophical with him on the inner workings of a homemade ravioli, but his true essence was in his tireless curiosity--a characteristic for which I have been both praised and vilified. For him, life was about looking first, thinking next, acting last. I have been told on many occasion that I simply think too much. For me, life is about contemplation and ramification--what choices do I have and what might happen as a result of said choices. The contemplative life is what led Da Vinci to discoveries generations before their time. These discoveries and creations illustrate what most makes a true Renaissance man, and a man after my heart: a life of balance. His love of science and art was tantamount: for every Mona Lisa he created, there was a Vitruvian man. For every one of his inventions used to propagate war--catapult, tank, machine gun, submarine, cluster bomb, helicopter-- he was dedicated to prolonging life by dissections of human corpses. He continuously walked the bridge between art and science, all while letting faith guide him. Although known as a religious revisionary, he never forgot to recognize the omnipotence of God within nature, from light to botany, to the human body. This renaissance man continues to spark rebirth in my life.
2. When you begin your post, first provide the type of list you are going to create.
3. Create a list of FIVE.
4. Choose ONE of those ideas and write a paragraph illustrating the truth behind the idea. For example, the first one I came to is, "The five people that I need to write about are . . ." I would first create the list, then highlight one of my choices by explaining it. Try to keep the writing formal, so avoid the unnecessary "I"s and other lazy writing pitfalls. My sample is below. As always, you don't have to be like me, but often, a sample makes people more comfortable. If you want to respond to it, please do. I won't sabotage your grade! :-) I actually like the criticism.
5. The end result will be a example that reveals something about yourself. You'll see.
Good luck and have fun.
The Top Five People I Need to Write About
In no particular order:
1. Leonardo DaVinci
2. Jesus Christ
3. Martin Luther King Jr.
4. My daughter Isabella
5. My high school mentors
** The purple paragraph is the example; what precedes it was a introduction draft to guide my thinking. You don't have to do this. It helped me focus my thoughts.
There are certain truths about myself I have come to accept. I draw worse than my six year old daughter, my extent of scientific discovery is my Erector set quasi-suspension bridge I built when I was ten years old, and I seem to suffer from AAD (art appreciation disorder). All these deficiencies would suggest I an neither a Renaissance man, nor have appeals to one. This could not be further from the truth. One man, aside my Lord and Savior, inspires me most to become something great. Unbeknownst to him, Leonardo da Vinci inspires me to reach quintessence.
My first connection to Leonardo DaVinci came when I mistakenly thought we actually had meaningful common bonds. First and foremost, we're both Italian, so we're practically family. We're both left-handed, too, and thus represent a mere 10% of the population, although he decided to learn to write using his right hand, as well as backwards; I just cope being a representative of the 10% of the world. These qualities, in addition to his status as sword-wielding Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle just began my intrigue. I soon discovered that I admired Da Vinci for all the wrong reasons.
Sure, it would be nice to wax philosophical with him on the inner workings of a homemade ravioli, but his true essence was in his tireless curiosity--a characteristic for which I have been both praised and vilified. For him, life was about looking first, thinking next, acting last. I have been told on many occasion that I simply think too much. For me, life is about contemplation and ramification--what choices do I have and what might happen as a result of said choices. The contemplative life is what led Da Vinci to discoveries generations before their time. These discoveries and creations illustrate what most makes a true Renaissance man, and a man after my heart: a life of balance. His love of science and art was tantamount: for every Mona Lisa he created, there was a Vitruvian man. For every one of his inventions used to propagate war--catapult, tank, machine gun, submarine, cluster bomb, helicopter-- he was dedicated to prolonging life by dissections of human corpses. He continuously walked the bridge between art and science, all while letting faith guide him. Although known as a religious revisionary, he never forgot to recognize the omnipotence of God within nature, from light to botany, to the human body. This renaissance man continues to spark rebirth in my life.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Blog 3 Archive
Are You Talkin' To Me?
Using your refined skills of descriptive writing and your ability to include purposeful, correctly-written dialogue, create a scene where two people who detest one another are forced to communicate. Whether they are trapped, confined, or just in the wrong place at the wrong time, not only describe the scene and relay what's being said, but most importantly, SHOW how they feel and how they act during the encounter. See my sample. Critique if you wish, too. I don't bite.
Using your refined skills of descriptive writing and your ability to include purposeful, correctly-written dialogue, create a scene where two people who detest one another are forced to communicate. Whether they are trapped, confined, or just in the wrong place at the wrong time, not only describe the scene and relay what's being said, but most importantly, SHOW how they feel and how they act during the encounter. See my sample. Critique if you wish, too. I don't bite.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday Madness
It was September 15th a Monday morning just like any other except it was storming outside. Branches and trees were found all over the road. I arrived at work ten minutes late because of all the traffic caused by the storm. Shockingly my boss was extremely understandable because of the circumstances. After I talked to my boss, I sat down at my computer, ready to start work. I then realized I had gotten something sticky all over my hangs. I nervously rushed to the restroom to wash my hand off. What are the odds! As soon as I stepped into the restroom, I saw Mary Beth!
Mary Beth was a co-worker of mine who from rumors was having an affair with our boss. Naturally, I hated her because I am very close with my boss’s wife, Linda. Mary Beth is the type that has always tried to do anything to make herself look better than everyone does. A split second after I saw her, the power went out. Usually there are emergency lights that kick on but since the storm was so powerful it did something to make it unavailable for them to turn on. I tried to leave immediately but since the doors were electric, they would not open.
There we were the two of us locked in the restroom in the complete dark! At first, we avoided as much conversation as possible. Thankfully, Mary Beth soon broke the awkwardness.
“What are the odds us getting locked in here together,” Mary Beth said knowing I am not exactly fond of her.
“I’m not sure but when do you think we will get out?” I replied nervously.
“Hopefully soon, but that is a pretty wicked storm out there.”
Two hours had passed and there was still no electric. Surprisingly those two hours flew by. We talked about everything possible. We now knew and understood more about each other than we had ever thought. Thinking back this taught me a big lesson; never form an opinion on someone before finding out what someone is really all about. It turns out all the rumors in the office had not been true.
After two hours and forty-five minutes and one new friendship formed, the electric had finally come back on! I feel like there was a reason this happened and I am glad that it did. From enemies to friends in just one day, this Monday had turned out to be a day unlike any other.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Broken Friendship
"Oh, hey Steve, Cassie said noticing she and Steve were both walking somewhat near each other in the hallway and no one else was around.
"What's up," he replied in a way that he didn't want or expect an answer, just was acknowledging Cassie's greeting. You could cut the awkward tension between the two with a knife. Once again Cassie took the high road for the millionth time and decided to acknowledge her ex best friend. If it was up to Steve, the two would never speak. Cassie thought she knew that deep down Steve didn't want it to be that way but she could never be sure. He was so changed now, so different from the old guy she knew and loved. They told each other everything and had so much fun with all of their friends. Steve and Cassie still have so much in common and they had been friends for many great years that she felt it was almost impossible for him to just erase her from his memory, for she definitely couldn't. The way Steve acts now toward Cassie and her friend Lucy almost made her want to forget him. It is awfully hard to let go of some things that are very close to you. Steve and Cassie barely talking now was something most people would never understand of how much it upset her, but Lucy did.
"It was just the two of us in the hall and it was so terribly weird and I had to say something to him, Cassie began telling Lucy shortly after. I mean honestly if I never said anything to him would he just never care to talk to me ever again?
"He is such a jerk Cassie sometimes I wish we wouldn't waste our time thinking about how he asks and dwelling on the past so much, it's just hard having to see him in school and stuff," Lucy answered sounding upset to hear of the situation. Steve was one of our best friends. But with time people can sometimes change just like anything else. Lucy and Cassie blame the most prominent thing about Steve changing was him getting close to one of his friends named Blake. Blake didn't really know Lucy or Cassie very well but he did love hanging out with Steve and never liked how much the girls and Steve would hang out. Blake was another jerk. He only cared about finding a new girlfriend and he wanted Steve to be the same way. Blake is pretty rude and is one of those people who will always think he is better than everyone else. Why would Steve want to become such close friends with him? Good question. Back about two summers ago it seemed that every time Cassie and Lucy and their friends would ask Steve to come hang out with them or do something Steve would say no and have previous plans, or sometimes wouldn't talk to anyone and just not show up. But on July 7Th Cassie had her birthday party. Everyone went out to see a movie and then were going to come back to Lucy's house for the rest of the night. Steve was invited to the movie because they were best friends and she wanted him there. There were two cars who drove to the theatre, Cassie drove one of the cars and her friend Jerry drove the other. When everyone got back to Cassie's house for the party, Jerry's car had been missing one passenger, Steve. After some time we all found out that Steve had met Blake at the mall and stayed there with him to walk around and look for girls. No one knew how to break that news to Cassie because they knew she would be flaming mad and upset. And she for sure was. "I can't he would do this to me on my birthday! Just totally ditch me and all of us to hang out with his stupid friend who no one likes. He doesn't care about me at all and he's supposed to be my best friend!" Cassie complained angrily to all her friends around. No one could even respond but just agree. Steve never showed up at the party and someone made sure of it. Steve had called Lucy when he was on his way from the mall to Cassie's house saying that he was on his way. Lucy was so upset about what he did to her best friend that she flipped out right then on the phone with him.
"Are you out of your mind? No you are not coming here, you are no longer wanted by anyone here after you did something like this to your best friend on her birthday. What is happening to you? Why are you acting like this and treating your best friends this way? It is so unlike you and we all hate it."
"Wow I don't even know what to say to you," Steve replied after a pause sounding kind of pissed off but Lucy wasn't sure by his tone. "I guess no one would even give me the time of day if I wanted to explain or apologize."
"It would just be another excuse with you, that is what it always is. You are doing this to all of us not just Cassie, but for her this is probably going to be the final straw," Lucy answered back determined to get her upset point across.
"Whatever, I guess I'll just find a way to talk to Cassie later," Steve said and immediately after he and Lucy simultaneously hung up the phone.
Lucy told Cassie of what happened and Cassie was so happy to hear that Lucy stuck up for her and agreed with everything she told Steve. A few days later Cassie and Steve talked and put it behind them. But things never got back to normal. They somehow slowly drifted apart. Steve never hung out with any of their group of friends anymore either. Now when Cassie would run into Steve or something he would act weird and pretend he didn't see her and try to avoid her. She didn't understand. She was the one who should be doing that to him, he was the jerk to her. Time went on and things never improved, but Cassie always tried to somehow make it seem like it didn't have to be awkward. After talking to Lucy, Cassie realized that instead of always trying to make the situation better and looking like an idiot when it doesn't get better, she was just going to treat Steve like he was treating her. So the next day when Cassie passed Steve in the hall she went on her merry way not saying a word to him and pretending he was just another person in the hallway. She turned around and caught a glimpse of the look on his face. That was just enough to put her at peace with their situation.
"What's up," he replied in a way that he didn't want or expect an answer, just was acknowledging Cassie's greeting. You could cut the awkward tension between the two with a knife. Once again Cassie took the high road for the millionth time and decided to acknowledge her ex best friend. If it was up to Steve, the two would never speak. Cassie thought she knew that deep down Steve didn't want it to be that way but she could never be sure. He was so changed now, so different from the old guy she knew and loved. They told each other everything and had so much fun with all of their friends. Steve and Cassie still have so much in common and they had been friends for many great years that she felt it was almost impossible for him to just erase her from his memory, for she definitely couldn't. The way Steve acts now toward Cassie and her friend Lucy almost made her want to forget him. It is awfully hard to let go of some things that are very close to you. Steve and Cassie barely talking now was something most people would never understand of how much it upset her, but Lucy did.
"It was just the two of us in the hall and it was so terribly weird and I had to say something to him, Cassie began telling Lucy shortly after. I mean honestly if I never said anything to him would he just never care to talk to me ever again?
"He is such a jerk Cassie sometimes I wish we wouldn't waste our time thinking about how he asks and dwelling on the past so much, it's just hard having to see him in school and stuff," Lucy answered sounding upset to hear of the situation. Steve was one of our best friends. But with time people can sometimes change just like anything else. Lucy and Cassie blame the most prominent thing about Steve changing was him getting close to one of his friends named Blake. Blake didn't really know Lucy or Cassie very well but he did love hanging out with Steve and never liked how much the girls and Steve would hang out. Blake was another jerk. He only cared about finding a new girlfriend and he wanted Steve to be the same way. Blake is pretty rude and is one of those people who will always think he is better than everyone else. Why would Steve want to become such close friends with him? Good question. Back about two summers ago it seemed that every time Cassie and Lucy and their friends would ask Steve to come hang out with them or do something Steve would say no and have previous plans, or sometimes wouldn't talk to anyone and just not show up. But on July 7Th Cassie had her birthday party. Everyone went out to see a movie and then were going to come back to Lucy's house for the rest of the night. Steve was invited to the movie because they were best friends and she wanted him there. There were two cars who drove to the theatre, Cassie drove one of the cars and her friend Jerry drove the other. When everyone got back to Cassie's house for the party, Jerry's car had been missing one passenger, Steve. After some time we all found out that Steve had met Blake at the mall and stayed there with him to walk around and look for girls. No one knew how to break that news to Cassie because they knew she would be flaming mad and upset. And she for sure was. "I can't he would do this to me on my birthday! Just totally ditch me and all of us to hang out with his stupid friend who no one likes. He doesn't care about me at all and he's supposed to be my best friend!" Cassie complained angrily to all her friends around. No one could even respond but just agree. Steve never showed up at the party and someone made sure of it. Steve had called Lucy when he was on his way from the mall to Cassie's house saying that he was on his way. Lucy was so upset about what he did to her best friend that she flipped out right then on the phone with him.
"Are you out of your mind? No you are not coming here, you are no longer wanted by anyone here after you did something like this to your best friend on her birthday. What is happening to you? Why are you acting like this and treating your best friends this way? It is so unlike you and we all hate it."
"Wow I don't even know what to say to you," Steve replied after a pause sounding kind of pissed off but Lucy wasn't sure by his tone. "I guess no one would even give me the time of day if I wanted to explain or apologize."
"It would just be another excuse with you, that is what it always is. You are doing this to all of us not just Cassie, but for her this is probably going to be the final straw," Lucy answered back determined to get her upset point across.
"Whatever, I guess I'll just find a way to talk to Cassie later," Steve said and immediately after he and Lucy simultaneously hung up the phone.
Lucy told Cassie of what happened and Cassie was so happy to hear that Lucy stuck up for her and agreed with everything she told Steve. A few days later Cassie and Steve talked and put it behind them. But things never got back to normal. They somehow slowly drifted apart. Steve never hung out with any of their group of friends anymore either. Now when Cassie would run into Steve or something he would act weird and pretend he didn't see her and try to avoid her. She didn't understand. She was the one who should be doing that to him, he was the jerk to her. Time went on and things never improved, but Cassie always tried to somehow make it seem like it didn't have to be awkward. After talking to Lucy, Cassie realized that instead of always trying to make the situation better and looking like an idiot when it doesn't get better, she was just going to treat Steve like he was treating her. So the next day when Cassie passed Steve in the hall she went on her merry way not saying a word to him and pretending he was just another person in the hallway. She turned around and caught a glimpse of the look on his face. That was just enough to put her at peace with their situation.
Is It Too Late?
Etzelied was alone. Alone with the smoke, the debris, the fiery, scorching air, and – he hesitated even to think it – the bodies, the dead bodies everywhere, littering the ground like so many rocks, like an additional layer of earth spread over this Godforsaken battlefield. He hadn’t signed up for this. He shook his head violently, trying to clear away this image of purest devastation. No, he had signed up for it (voluntarily, even), but he didn’t know at the time what he was in for. He’d heard his share of horror stories from the more experienced soldiers, and from the colonel, but no verbal account of such a massacre could ever really prepare one for the sight, the feeling, the knowledge that this had happened and that he was a part of it. He was quite certain that he was melting. Breathing in the hot air and the revolting stench of death, he would, sooner or later, collapse like all the rest, sink into a formless puddle of flesh…
“Filthy German,” a coarse voice croaked from somewhere behind him, followed shortly thereafter by the sound of a clumsy step, the shuffling of debris.
He turned abruptly to see the hunched, bleeding form of a young Frenchman, bayonet raised at eye level, moving toward him with the frantic perseverance of a wounded buck. Etzelied blinked for a moment in shock, and then burst into hysterical laughter. What was this? A joke? Who did this guy think he was? Did he really think that after all this…that there was a reason, any reason at all, to keep on fighting?
Taken aback, but still determinedly marching ahead, the Frenchman jabbed his bayonet forward angrily. “You’ll die laughing, you son of a -----.”
Amusement quickly transformed into fury. “Yeah? Despite all that?” he asked, pulling out his own weapon and pointing it at the multiple patches of blood on the other man’s uniform, which must have concealed quite grievous injuries. He advanced forward one step, now within three feet of him. It didn’t make any sense. Nothing made sense. Why were he and this man the only ones to survive? What gave them the right? Why should they not die as well, and--
The Frenchman’s blade arced up, up, over his head and around on one side, quickly, so unbelievably quickly, and Etzelied felt it pierce his side. He would have screamed in rage, but he felt as if something were caught in his throat. Perhaps the smoke. He grabbed the bayonet with his bare hand, letting it slice deeply into his palm, and wrenched it out of the other man’s grasp. “You fool!” he managed, his voice choked and much quieter than he had intended, as he threw the weapon aside. No…why should they die? Maybe they had no right to live, but it wasn’t their duty to die either. Another thought occurred to him, and he demanded, “Tell me your name.” Who was this nameless warrior?
“Arnaud.” Suddenly fearful for his life, he gave his name without hesitation. Then, ashamed at his weakness, and seeing that the German didn’t seem to have any intention of killing him, he grimaced and added sardonically, “You want to make peace now? NOW? Isn’t it a little too late for peace? Look around you. Look at all of them!” His voice broke on the last word, and he dropped to his knees, burying his face in his hands.
Etzelied’s expression was stony, impassive. He threw his weapon atop Arnaud’s. Hastily, he tore the sleeves off of his uniform, tied the end of one to the other, and wrapped it around his waist as a makeshift bandage. “And what was it all for…” he added, almost as an afterthought.
Arnaud was silent, trembling slightly. He lowered his hands and stared, without really seeing (rather, seeing beyond, toward something deep in his mind), at the mud beneath him.
Etzelied turned his face to the sky as a light rain began to fall, and held his arms out like wings. “Yes, what was it all for!” he shouted into the smoke and the rain. Arnaud grumbled scathingly, but Etzelied paid him no mind. “I say this with dead men as my audience, and one living who has the mind of one dead. I say this to God. I say this…with hardly any heart left to feel the words. But I say…” He paused dramatically, raising his hands an inch higher. “I say, it is never too late for peace!”
“Filthy German,” a coarse voice croaked from somewhere behind him, followed shortly thereafter by the sound of a clumsy step, the shuffling of debris.
He turned abruptly to see the hunched, bleeding form of a young Frenchman, bayonet raised at eye level, moving toward him with the frantic perseverance of a wounded buck. Etzelied blinked for a moment in shock, and then burst into hysterical laughter. What was this? A joke? Who did this guy think he was? Did he really think that after all this…that there was a reason, any reason at all, to keep on fighting?
Taken aback, but still determinedly marching ahead, the Frenchman jabbed his bayonet forward angrily. “You’ll die laughing, you son of a -----.”
Amusement quickly transformed into fury. “Yeah? Despite all that?” he asked, pulling out his own weapon and pointing it at the multiple patches of blood on the other man’s uniform, which must have concealed quite grievous injuries. He advanced forward one step, now within three feet of him. It didn’t make any sense. Nothing made sense. Why were he and this man the only ones to survive? What gave them the right? Why should they not die as well, and--
The Frenchman’s blade arced up, up, over his head and around on one side, quickly, so unbelievably quickly, and Etzelied felt it pierce his side. He would have screamed in rage, but he felt as if something were caught in his throat. Perhaps the smoke. He grabbed the bayonet with his bare hand, letting it slice deeply into his palm, and wrenched it out of the other man’s grasp. “You fool!” he managed, his voice choked and much quieter than he had intended, as he threw the weapon aside. No…why should they die? Maybe they had no right to live, but it wasn’t their duty to die either. Another thought occurred to him, and he demanded, “Tell me your name.” Who was this nameless warrior?
“Arnaud.” Suddenly fearful for his life, he gave his name without hesitation. Then, ashamed at his weakness, and seeing that the German didn’t seem to have any intention of killing him, he grimaced and added sardonically, “You want to make peace now? NOW? Isn’t it a little too late for peace? Look around you. Look at all of them!” His voice broke on the last word, and he dropped to his knees, burying his face in his hands.
Etzelied’s expression was stony, impassive. He threw his weapon atop Arnaud’s. Hastily, he tore the sleeves off of his uniform, tied the end of one to the other, and wrapped it around his waist as a makeshift bandage. “And what was it all for…” he added, almost as an afterthought.
Arnaud was silent, trembling slightly. He lowered his hands and stared, without really seeing (rather, seeing beyond, toward something deep in his mind), at the mud beneath him.
Etzelied turned his face to the sky as a light rain began to fall, and held his arms out like wings. “Yes, what was it all for!” he shouted into the smoke and the rain. Arnaud grumbled scathingly, but Etzelied paid him no mind. “I say this with dead men as my audience, and one living who has the mind of one dead. I say this to God. I say this…with hardly any heart left to feel the words. But I say…” He paused dramatically, raising his hands an inch higher. “I say, it is never too late for peace!”
Row F, seats 10 and 11
John was an avid Steelers fan. He wore is lucky Willie Parker jersey to every game he went to, which was every game played since 1995. Not only did he go to every game, he had a special game room where everything in it had something to do with the Steelers. He even stole the family dog while his wife was out, and dyed its fur black and gold. This Thursday was a special occasion, because not only were the Steelers playing Sunday night, they were playing the Cleveland browns. This match-up made the game even more enjoyable to go to because he knew his team would whoop on the browns like they have for the past 9 times. That afternoon he left the house at the same time he always did when it was a night game. He got to the parking lot at 6 o'clock and tailgated with his buddies until it was 7:30. Then he headed to his seat, Row F seat 11.
James was a self proclaimed "best browns fan in the world." He went to the dog pound every home game and sat in the same seat he always did. He even went to some special away games against the team's rivals, like the Bengals, Ravens, and of course the Steelers. Yes James would leave his family all weekend just to drive to a browns away game in some other city. And nothing changed this season. His Browns were supposed to be "contenders for the division" this year with their explosive offense and improving D. So of course this weekend when the Browns went into Pittsburgh he had to go. Not only did he have to go but he had to wear his special outfit, which really wasn't an outfit at all. It started with jeans, then for the torso he smeared brown paint all over his body until he looked like a big fat meat ball with a white head sticking out the top; and to top it all off he wore an ugly dog mask over his face and made sure he had a least 5 beers before the game started.
James had just finished his 5th beer and decided to take is brown smelly body to his seat, Row F, seat 10. When he got there he could not believe what he saw. He was going to be sitting right next to a big fat Steelers fan. John could hardly believe his eyes either, he had only seen people like James in his worst nightmares. As James looked at his seat and began to sit John blurted out, " You know if you sit there you won't be gettin' up anytime soon because not only will your team be gettin' their ass beat on the field, but you'll be gettin' yours beat too."
James shouted back as if the Steelers fan was 10 seats away," Haha ohh is that so bub, well you know my Browns are a little better than I think your giving them credit for, and better yet don't be fooled by this chubby meatball looking man, cause I can come at you like Shawn Rodgers comin' through your Steelers sorry excuse for an O-Line."
John didn't quite understand what the meatball-man said because his speech was already very slurred but it didn't matter he knew what he had to come back with. "Well if that's so why don't we settle this here and now before you dirty these yellow seats with that [explicit] brown [explicit]!"
James wasn't going to have that. He staggered over closer to John and punched him square in the nose. Then John stood up and uppercutted James strait in the gut, and while James winced proceeded to pull the dog mask from his face and let it snap back right in his face. After that it wasn't quite clear what was going on. They continued to exchange blows, all the while falling over seats and people.
The fight lasted a good 5 minutes until security saw and rushed over. They immediately pulled the sweaty men now with brown smears all over their bodies away from each other and out of the seating area. The two men were so furious they did not even realize they were being thrown out of an exit door and into the street. The doors closed behind them, and then it hit them. They were going to miss their first game in over 10 years. It actually hit the drunken James pretty hard as a little tear fell from his cheek. John slowly said,"look what you did you idiot!"
"You were the one that started it, I don't even want to hear it!" replied James.
"This is ridiculous, because of a fat guy painted brown, this is going to be the first game I miss in over 10 years!"
"How do you think I feel! I haven't missed a game in over 10 years either, and plus I've come all the way from Cleveland!"
Just then they heard the roar of the crowd as the opening kickoff began.
"I have to get to a TV! exclaimed John. As he quickly got up and rushed to the pub down the street across from PNC Park.
"Well wait for me I don't know my way around this place, its the least you could do for me after getting both of us kicked out" pleaded James.
John replied, "I don't care what you do I'm gettin' to the closest car fast."
They both rushed to the bar down the road to took a seat at the table. It was only 5 min into the 1st quarter thankfully, so they didn't miss that much. They proceeded to watch the game while eating wings and having a few beers, and before you knew it they actually started to not mind each other. By the time the game was over they where actually playfully going back and forth after each play and not at each other's throats.
As they were leaving they said their goodbyes. It was a surprisingly peaceful goodbye which actually ended in James inviting John to the next game they played in Cleveland. John accepted the invite and the two left the bar. From a night that started in a fisticuffs, it ended in a new kind of awkward friendship that would last the next 10 years. They never missed another game after that again. And once a year when the Browns played the Steelers John and James sat next to each other in row F, seats 10 and 11.
(p.s.) That ended way cheesier than I ever thought it would...
James was a self proclaimed "best browns fan in the world." He went to the dog pound every home game and sat in the same seat he always did. He even went to some special away games against the team's rivals, like the Bengals, Ravens, and of course the Steelers. Yes James would leave his family all weekend just to drive to a browns away game in some other city. And nothing changed this season. His Browns were supposed to be "contenders for the division" this year with their explosive offense and improving D. So of course this weekend when the Browns went into Pittsburgh he had to go. Not only did he have to go but he had to wear his special outfit, which really wasn't an outfit at all. It started with jeans, then for the torso he smeared brown paint all over his body until he looked like a big fat meat ball with a white head sticking out the top; and to top it all off he wore an ugly dog mask over his face and made sure he had a least 5 beers before the game started.
James had just finished his 5th beer and decided to take is brown smelly body to his seat, Row F, seat 10. When he got there he could not believe what he saw. He was going to be sitting right next to a big fat Steelers fan. John could hardly believe his eyes either, he had only seen people like James in his worst nightmares. As James looked at his seat and began to sit John blurted out, " You know if you sit there you won't be gettin' up anytime soon because not only will your team be gettin' their ass beat on the field, but you'll be gettin' yours beat too."
James shouted back as if the Steelers fan was 10 seats away," Haha ohh is that so bub, well you know my Browns are a little better than I think your giving them credit for, and better yet don't be fooled by this chubby meatball looking man, cause I can come at you like Shawn Rodgers comin' through your Steelers sorry excuse for an O-Line."
John didn't quite understand what the meatball-man said because his speech was already very slurred but it didn't matter he knew what he had to come back with. "Well if that's so why don't we settle this here and now before you dirty these yellow seats with that [explicit] brown [explicit]!"
James wasn't going to have that. He staggered over closer to John and punched him square in the nose. Then John stood up and uppercutted James strait in the gut, and while James winced proceeded to pull the dog mask from his face and let it snap back right in his face. After that it wasn't quite clear what was going on. They continued to exchange blows, all the while falling over seats and people.
The fight lasted a good 5 minutes until security saw and rushed over. They immediately pulled the sweaty men now with brown smears all over their bodies away from each other and out of the seating area. The two men were so furious they did not even realize they were being thrown out of an exit door and into the street. The doors closed behind them, and then it hit them. They were going to miss their first game in over 10 years. It actually hit the drunken James pretty hard as a little tear fell from his cheek. John slowly said,"look what you did you idiot!"
"You were the one that started it, I don't even want to hear it!" replied James.
"This is ridiculous, because of a fat guy painted brown, this is going to be the first game I miss in over 10 years!"
"How do you think I feel! I haven't missed a game in over 10 years either, and plus I've come all the way from Cleveland!"
Just then they heard the roar of the crowd as the opening kickoff began.
"I have to get to a TV! exclaimed John. As he quickly got up and rushed to the pub down the street across from PNC Park.
"Well wait for me I don't know my way around this place, its the least you could do for me after getting both of us kicked out" pleaded James.
John replied, "I don't care what you do I'm gettin' to the closest car fast."
They both rushed to the bar down the road to took a seat at the table. It was only 5 min into the 1st quarter thankfully, so they didn't miss that much. They proceeded to watch the game while eating wings and having a few beers, and before you knew it they actually started to not mind each other. By the time the game was over they where actually playfully going back and forth after each play and not at each other's throats.
As they were leaving they said their goodbyes. It was a surprisingly peaceful goodbye which actually ended in James inviting John to the next game they played in Cleveland. John accepted the invite and the two left the bar. From a night that started in a fisticuffs, it ended in a new kind of awkward friendship that would last the next 10 years. They never missed another game after that again. And once a year when the Browns played the Steelers John and James sat next to each other in row F, seats 10 and 11.
(p.s.) That ended way cheesier than I ever thought it would...
What she doesn't know, can't hurt her
How could she even be doing this to me. Ruining my life. That is exactly what she was doing. Completely destroying everything. My whole year has built up to this... and she wouldn't even let me go! I'm not even a bad kid! It's not even the least bit fair! The frustration and tension built as the screaming volleyed back and forth between her and I. She just could not even understand. She was completely calm, while I was screaming my beat red head off right in her face.
"Why do you have to be like this!" I shouted, approximately three inches from her face.
"Darrian, I will not allow you to go, its not safe, its unchaperoned, and its NOT a good idea"
"Mother I'm eighteen years old, I'm an adult and I can handle myself! Your ridiculous!"
"Your the ridiculous one darling, I wish you could see it from my point of view."
"MOTHER!" I could not contain myself much longer "you don't have a point of view, I'm an adult, I should be able to do what I want on my own!"
"Do what you want eh?" she replied with a smirk on her face "ha, does this include paying your own medical insurance, and providing your own roof over your head? Well that is exactly what you will have to do if you expect me to let you drive twelve hours with those sorry excusses for friends of yours to a house that will be fully loaded with trouble and mistakes just waiting to happen."
I tried, I pushed, and I failed. This is how all of our conversations from start to end flowed for the most part. I got angry, and she remained calm ... just to frustrate me! I know she doesn't want me to go, but what she doesn't know can't hurt her, right?
"Why do you have to be like this!" I shouted, approximately three inches from her face.
"Darrian, I will not allow you to go, its not safe, its unchaperoned, and its NOT a good idea"
"Mother I'm eighteen years old, I'm an adult and I can handle myself! Your ridiculous!"
"Your the ridiculous one darling, I wish you could see it from my point of view."
"MOTHER!" I could not contain myself much longer "you don't have a point of view, I'm an adult, I should be able to do what I want on my own!"
"Do what you want eh?" she replied with a smirk on her face "ha, does this include paying your own medical insurance, and providing your own roof over your head? Well that is exactly what you will have to do if you expect me to let you drive twelve hours with those sorry excusses for friends of yours to a house that will be fully loaded with trouble and mistakes just waiting to happen."
I tried, I pushed, and I failed. This is how all of our conversations from start to end flowed for the most part. I got angry, and she remained calm ... just to frustrate me! I know she doesn't want me to go, but what she doesn't know can't hurt her, right?
The Wedding Day
It was a day that would be mine. A day everyone revolved around me, a day I had dreamt about since I can remember, my wedding day. I was madly in love with my soon to be husband. He was tall, dark, and handsome, every girls dream. The best part about it was he was all mine, and would be forever. Everything was going to be perfect; it would be a beautiful day. There was only going to be one not so little problem. Who was going to walk me down the aisle?
My father would be the logical answer, however we got in an argument about three and a half years ago. My father was about my height, and the nicest man in the whole world. He had a big bald spot on the middle of his head and enormous bright blue eyes that could be seen from miles away. Stubborn was what he was; it was his only fault but a big one at that.
"If that's how you want it to be, then I am never going to see or speak to you again as long as I live." Those were the last words my father had ever spoken to me. His words were like a knife to my chest. Heartbroken, I drove home crying that night. Before it got better, it got much worse. I missed him like crazy, but with my stubborn attitude too i was not going to go against his wishes.
However, the day would come that I was going to need him to walk me down the aisle. I still loved my father very much, and the past three and a half years had been the hardest of my life. Procrastinating, every day it seemed as though I would say, "No, today doesn't seem right. I'll go tomorrow." Enough was enough. I would see my father that day, and that was that.
I got into the little red Honda civic he had bought me for my twenty first birthday. Inside the car was messier than anyone could imagine. I grasped onto the steering wheel for dear life while driving over to his house. My palms were sweating bullets. Shaking was my foot on the gas and break pedals. Halfway there, I turned around and decided today was not a good day.
Uncontrollably crying, I pulled over onto the side of a little dirt rode. How had I let it get this bad? Not speaking to my father for three and a half years, I was better than that. I took a few long deep breaths and decided to go back. I pulled up; he was sitting on an old blue rocking chair. It was the same chair he would rock me on every Sunday after Church. The blue had faded, and it looked as though it was falling apart. Grayer, shorter, and heavier was my father. I sat there and stared for about fifteen long minutes until he saw me. Slowly, I got out of the car and said, "Hey there Dad."
Surprised yet excited, he limped over to see me. He gave me a huge hug and kept saying, "I'm sorry baby, I'm so sorry." Those were the only words I needed, and it was then that I was sure I was not going to be walking down the aisle alone.
My father would be the logical answer, however we got in an argument about three and a half years ago. My father was about my height, and the nicest man in the whole world. He had a big bald spot on the middle of his head and enormous bright blue eyes that could be seen from miles away. Stubborn was what he was; it was his only fault but a big one at that.
"If that's how you want it to be, then I am never going to see or speak to you again as long as I live." Those were the last words my father had ever spoken to me. His words were like a knife to my chest. Heartbroken, I drove home crying that night. Before it got better, it got much worse. I missed him like crazy, but with my stubborn attitude too i was not going to go against his wishes.
However, the day would come that I was going to need him to walk me down the aisle. I still loved my father very much, and the past three and a half years had been the hardest of my life. Procrastinating, every day it seemed as though I would say, "No, today doesn't seem right. I'll go tomorrow." Enough was enough. I would see my father that day, and that was that.
I got into the little red Honda civic he had bought me for my twenty first birthday. Inside the car was messier than anyone could imagine. I grasped onto the steering wheel for dear life while driving over to his house. My palms were sweating bullets. Shaking was my foot on the gas and break pedals. Halfway there, I turned around and decided today was not a good day.
Uncontrollably crying, I pulled over onto the side of a little dirt rode. How had I let it get this bad? Not speaking to my father for three and a half years, I was better than that. I took a few long deep breaths and decided to go back. I pulled up; he was sitting on an old blue rocking chair. It was the same chair he would rock me on every Sunday after Church. The blue had faded, and it looked as though it was falling apart. Grayer, shorter, and heavier was my father. I sat there and stared for about fifteen long minutes until he saw me. Slowly, I got out of the car and said, "Hey there Dad."
Surprised yet excited, he limped over to see me. He gave me a huge hug and kept saying, "I'm sorry baby, I'm so sorry." Those were the only words I needed, and it was then that I was sure I was not going to be walking down the aisle alone.
The ex-best friend
The day arrived that Carla was so excited for. It was the day of her 16th birthday party that she had been planning on for months. Her guest list held 30 of her closest friends. People had been asking her for weeks at school for her to invite them to her big bash but she just didn't want to. Especially her ex-best friend, Irene.
A few weeks ago her and Irene had a huge fight over a boy they both had a little crush on. The fight went a little too far and now both of the girls couldn't even look or speak to one another. It was sad to see becuase the two girls had been best friends since kindergarten. Carla just wanted to have a good time at her 16th birthday, and forget about all the things that were troubling her.
Carla was finished getting ready for her party and her friends started arriving at her house around 7:30 for the big party. Everyone that said they would be there had arrived. All of a sudden the door bell rings again around 8:30 and Carla answers the door to see Irene standing there with tears filling her eyes.
"Irene...what are you doing here?" Carla says with her voice shaking.
"I'm here because I care about you, and I really think we need to fix our old friendship." Irene said sobbing. "We used to be so close and we just let some boy come into our lives and ruin the friendship that we had."
"But Irene you knew that i liked him and you just went and took him away from me. I thought we were best friends and that isnt something best friends do." Carla said with a stern look on her face.
"I know i was a terrible best friend at the time but i was jealous of you and I didnt know what else to do." Irene said as she wiped her tears with her sweatshirt sleeve.
"I think you need to leave now, Irene. This is supposed to be a special night for me and you're ruining it by coming to my house and bringing this up." Carla said this as slamming the door in Irenes face and walking away to her friends at the party.
That night the arguement wasn't resolved, and the two girls never became friends again. Who knew one boy could come into two girls lives and ruin a friendship. Neither of them were with the boy the rest of their highschool career and they truley lost something special between the two of them: a bond of two best friends.
A few weeks ago her and Irene had a huge fight over a boy they both had a little crush on. The fight went a little too far and now both of the girls couldn't even look or speak to one another. It was sad to see becuase the two girls had been best friends since kindergarten. Carla just wanted to have a good time at her 16th birthday, and forget about all the things that were troubling her.
Carla was finished getting ready for her party and her friends started arriving at her house around 7:30 for the big party. Everyone that said they would be there had arrived. All of a sudden the door bell rings again around 8:30 and Carla answers the door to see Irene standing there with tears filling her eyes.
"Irene...what are you doing here?" Carla says with her voice shaking.
"I'm here because I care about you, and I really think we need to fix our old friendship." Irene said sobbing. "We used to be so close and we just let some boy come into our lives and ruin the friendship that we had."
"But Irene you knew that i liked him and you just went and took him away from me. I thought we were best friends and that isnt something best friends do." Carla said with a stern look on her face.
"I know i was a terrible best friend at the time but i was jealous of you and I didnt know what else to do." Irene said as she wiped her tears with her sweatshirt sleeve.
"I think you need to leave now, Irene. This is supposed to be a special night for me and you're ruining it by coming to my house and bringing this up." Carla said this as slamming the door in Irenes face and walking away to her friends at the party.
That night the arguement wasn't resolved, and the two girls never became friends again. Who knew one boy could come into two girls lives and ruin a friendship. Neither of them were with the boy the rest of their highschool career and they truley lost something special between the two of them: a bond of two best friends.
Prom Night Blues
The time had come. May 15Th 2009, the day where girls are allowed to spend hours getting ready for a night full of memories and laughs. Senior prom. Julia had just finished getting her hair done and was heading to do her make up. Her prom date was due to pick her up at six thirty for pictures. There was just one little problem, another boy had wanted to take her to prom and was planning on showing up to crash her night.
As six o'clock came around, Julia was putting the finishing touches on to make everything perfect when the door bell rang. She answered and her jaw dropped to see Jeremy, not her date, standing before her.
"What on earth are you doing here?" she spoke in a demanding tone.
"I am here to take you to prom Julia. I want to make all your dreams come true." he answered.
"You better leave before Chris shows up. I've told you many times I do not want to go with you Jeremy!"
While time was spent arguing, Chris's black Mercedes Benz pulled into the driveway. He was dressed in a suit with a Tiffany Blue tie to match Julia's dress. He was carrying her corsage for which he planned to place upon her wrist as the finishing touch to make her look stunning.
"Jeremy, funny seeing you here." Chris spoke aloud as he approached the doorway.
"Chris, I completely lost track of time. I am almost ready to leave." Julia announced.
"Jeremy, it's time for you to leave. I am not going to prom with you tonight." Julia said as she led Chris to the car pushing past Jeremy.
Jeremy was left dateless and heartbroken for the rest of his senior prom. Julia went on to enjoy her night with the football star, Chris Barkley. She danced the night away and it was soon time to head home. When she arrived home, she found a bouquet of roses waiting with a card. The card read, "My dearest Julia, you looked astonishing tonight. I know I wasn't your choice of man candy tonight, but I want to let you know that I will never be bothering you again. I am leaving town tonight only to never return. I am sorry for delaying your evening with Chris. Enjoy your life and see you on the other side." "Yours truly, Jeremy Winsterfield." Julia felt a tear roll down her face. She never thought of hurting one boy so bad. She hurried and called Jeremy but his phone was disconnected. Her night that was supposed to be filled with miracles and dream come trues, was closing in on what happened to be a not so happy ending.
As six o'clock came around, Julia was putting the finishing touches on to make everything perfect when the door bell rang. She answered and her jaw dropped to see Jeremy, not her date, standing before her.
"What on earth are you doing here?" she spoke in a demanding tone.
"I am here to take you to prom Julia. I want to make all your dreams come true." he answered.
"You better leave before Chris shows up. I've told you many times I do not want to go with you Jeremy!"
While time was spent arguing, Chris's black Mercedes Benz pulled into the driveway. He was dressed in a suit with a Tiffany Blue tie to match Julia's dress. He was carrying her corsage for which he planned to place upon her wrist as the finishing touch to make her look stunning.
"Jeremy, funny seeing you here." Chris spoke aloud as he approached the doorway.
"Chris, I completely lost track of time. I am almost ready to leave." Julia announced.
"Jeremy, it's time for you to leave. I am not going to prom with you tonight." Julia said as she led Chris to the car pushing past Jeremy.
Jeremy was left dateless and heartbroken for the rest of his senior prom. Julia went on to enjoy her night with the football star, Chris Barkley. She danced the night away and it was soon time to head home. When she arrived home, she found a bouquet of roses waiting with a card. The card read, "My dearest Julia, you looked astonishing tonight. I know I wasn't your choice of man candy tonight, but I want to let you know that I will never be bothering you again. I am leaving town tonight only to never return. I am sorry for delaying your evening with Chris. Enjoy your life and see you on the other side." "Yours truly, Jeremy Winsterfield." Julia felt a tear roll down her face. She never thought of hurting one boy so bad. She hurried and called Jeremy but his phone was disconnected. Her night that was supposed to be filled with miracles and dream come trues, was closing in on what happened to be a not so happy ending.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Co-worker
Sue was excited to start her new job, and woke up extra early to ensure everything went perfectly. She left her house at promptly six o'clock which would put her at work forty-five minutes before she was due at seven. Sue thought to herself, "Today is going to be a perfect day and everything is going to run smoothly."
As she walked up to automatic doors of her new office building, she stood waiting for them to open. After waiting several minutes, she knocked on the door to get the attention of the security guard. The guard slowly put down his doughnut and coffee, walked to the door and turned it on. Upon entering the building, Sue attacked the guard with questions. "How is your morning?" "Do you like your job?" "Where is everyone at?" "Would you like me to bring you a doughnut tomorrow?" "Don't you think this is a great day to be alive?"
The security guard stared in amazement then rudely told her where her office cubicle was and to be on her way.
As Sue made it to her floor and went through the maze to find her cubicle, she realized she must be sharing with someone. The swamps of paper and hazardous fields of tacks and staples almost sent her to tears. She cried to herself, "Self, something must be done!" With a forty-five minute jump on the day Sue went to town sorting, stacking, and cleaning.
The clock struck seven fifty-three and several employees slowly made the journey through the maze to their cubicles. Sitting in her stiff chair, she anticipated the arrival of her co-worker. Finally, around seven fifteen something walked towards the cubicle and Sue prayed that the thing she saw was not her co-worker. Frizzy hair, laptop wires dragging along the floor, and a rather smelly jacket with coffee stains was what appeared in front of Sue.
The monster roared, "Who do you think you are and what have you done to my office?"
Sue replied, "Well I just cannot understand how anyone could work under these conditions, so I cleaned up a bit. To be honest with you, I thought there may have been a pig working in here."
"Well this is the way I work and if you don't like it you can get out."
"I think we can work something out. There is no need to fight on such a great day to be alive."
The monster yelled, "Today sucks! It is not a good day to be alive. I quit! There is no way I can come to this place and work with Princess Happiness everyday!"
Well, that was that and after Sue drove the lady to quit her job, she ultimately got what she wanted. She continued on her routine of arriving at work forty-five minutes early and getting a jump start on the day. I am sure everyone can relate someone they know or work with to Sue, who in some cases brightens your day but in some makes you feel terrible.
As she walked up to automatic doors of her new office building, she stood waiting for them to open. After waiting several minutes, she knocked on the door to get the attention of the security guard. The guard slowly put down his doughnut and coffee, walked to the door and turned it on. Upon entering the building, Sue attacked the guard with questions. "How is your morning?" "Do you like your job?" "Where is everyone at?" "Would you like me to bring you a doughnut tomorrow?" "Don't you think this is a great day to be alive?"
The security guard stared in amazement then rudely told her where her office cubicle was and to be on her way.
As Sue made it to her floor and went through the maze to find her cubicle, she realized she must be sharing with someone. The swamps of paper and hazardous fields of tacks and staples almost sent her to tears. She cried to herself, "Self, something must be done!" With a forty-five minute jump on the day Sue went to town sorting, stacking, and cleaning.
The clock struck seven fifty-three and several employees slowly made the journey through the maze to their cubicles. Sitting in her stiff chair, she anticipated the arrival of her co-worker. Finally, around seven fifteen something walked towards the cubicle and Sue prayed that the thing she saw was not her co-worker. Frizzy hair, laptop wires dragging along the floor, and a rather smelly jacket with coffee stains was what appeared in front of Sue.
The monster roared, "Who do you think you are and what have you done to my office?"
Sue replied, "Well I just cannot understand how anyone could work under these conditions, so I cleaned up a bit. To be honest with you, I thought there may have been a pig working in here."
"Well this is the way I work and if you don't like it you can get out."
"I think we can work something out. There is no need to fight on such a great day to be alive."
The monster yelled, "Today sucks! It is not a good day to be alive. I quit! There is no way I can come to this place and work with Princess Happiness everyday!"
Well, that was that and after Sue drove the lady to quit her job, she ultimately got what she wanted. She continued on her routine of arriving at work forty-five minutes early and getting a jump start on the day. I am sure everyone can relate someone they know or work with to Sue, who in some cases brightens your day but in some makes you feel terrible.
The Elevator
The time had finally arrived. After four endless years of high school Rachel graduated. She was ecstatic to get on with her life and move out of her parents house. She also could not wait to get away from all of the pointless drama caused by the girls in her school. There was one girl in particular that caused most of it, Kara Robbins. Rachel and Kara had always despised each other, and getting away from Kara was what Rachel was most looking forward to.
Two days later Rachel decided to go shopping to find some things for her new one bedroom apartment. She happily walked through the mall with her mom's credit card finding what she wanted. Realizing that the kitchen supplies and decorations were on the second floor, Rachel quickly headed towards the elevator. When the doors opened, Rachel stepped on and her mouth dropped. Kara Robbins was standing in the elevator with her hand on her hip and a look of disgust on her face. Before Rachel could get off, the door slid shut. Rachel pushed the number two button and waited. Suddenly the lights began to flicker and Kara angrily shouted, "Look what you did, Rachel!"
"Look what I did? I didn't do anything, how are you blaming this on me?" Rachel yelled back.
"Well make it stop then!"
"Kara, we need to call for help or something"
"Well I'm not doing anything," Kara yelled with a I'm-better-than-you tone.
The two continued to blame each other and Rachel finally found the phone and called for help. After an hour a fireman came and pulled the girls through a latch at the top. After being stuck in an elevator together, the girls hated each other even more.
Two days later Rachel decided to go shopping to find some things for her new one bedroom apartment. She happily walked through the mall with her mom's credit card finding what she wanted. Realizing that the kitchen supplies and decorations were on the second floor, Rachel quickly headed towards the elevator. When the doors opened, Rachel stepped on and her mouth dropped. Kara Robbins was standing in the elevator with her hand on her hip and a look of disgust on her face. Before Rachel could get off, the door slid shut. Rachel pushed the number two button and waited. Suddenly the lights began to flicker and Kara angrily shouted, "Look what you did, Rachel!"
"Look what I did? I didn't do anything, how are you blaming this on me?" Rachel yelled back.
"Well make it stop then!"
"Kara, we need to call for help or something"
"Well I'm not doing anything," Kara yelled with a I'm-better-than-you tone.
The two continued to blame each other and Rachel finally found the phone and called for help. After an hour a fireman came and pulled the girls through a latch at the top. After being stuck in an elevator together, the girls hated each other even more.
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Dreaded Roommate
College is supposed to be that magical time of a person's life, where new beginnings can help that person grow and have a blast. Bob had been excepted to the University of Arizona, which was his dream school. He was looking forward to moving on with life and escaping the dreaded confines of High School. The time had come to experience new things at an exciting place. Bob slept like a worm the night before he left for college, just turning over and thinking of everything that he was going to do. Moving day would be hectic because of all the unpacking and cleaning. Bob would also meet his Freshman roommate. The name was Trey Erving, which seemed oddly familiar to Bob. Bob didn't seem to care and even gleamed at the thought of having a roommate. He had no idea what he was actually in store for.
The August day was beautiful with its lemon-yellow sun. Fleets of students and parents swarmed around the campus. Bob had unloaded his bags already and cleaned some of the room. His day couldn't go wrong--well, that's at least what he thought. He looked down and saw the gigantic shadow of a 200lb gorilla. As he looked up, Bob realized who Trey was. He was the biggest bully from the Junior High days. Trey made Bob's life into a state of fear and anxiety. Trey felt a thumping from his chest, while he waited for his old enemy to speak.
"What are you doing here," said Trey with a deadly look on his face.
"I'm here to go to college. Have you ever heard of it?" Bob realized that he shouldn't provoke Trey, but his mouth moved quicker than his brain.
"Your still that same wise guy, aren't you?"
"Well, at least I don't think that I need to at tough like you do."
Trey tried to stare down Bob until he melted. He wasn't happy about being judged. He finally said, "Look, I'm not trying to start any trouble with you."
"But that is what you always did."
" I am changed. I agree that I was a jerk six years ago, but many things happen in that amount of time. I realized that I was an ignorant monkey. I want to start over if you will."
Bob did sense the change in Trey. "I think that I can try that. Sorry for judging you after all this time," he said with remorse.
So Bob and Trey went on being good roommates for the entire year of college. They didn't kill each other and actually hung out. They decided to remain roommates the following year.
The August day was beautiful with its lemon-yellow sun. Fleets of students and parents swarmed around the campus. Bob had unloaded his bags already and cleaned some of the room. His day couldn't go wrong--well, that's at least what he thought. He looked down and saw the gigantic shadow of a 200lb gorilla. As he looked up, Bob realized who Trey was. He was the biggest bully from the Junior High days. Trey made Bob's life into a state of fear and anxiety. Trey felt a thumping from his chest, while he waited for his old enemy to speak.
"What are you doing here," said Trey with a deadly look on his face.
"I'm here to go to college. Have you ever heard of it?" Bob realized that he shouldn't provoke Trey, but his mouth moved quicker than his brain.
"Your still that same wise guy, aren't you?"
"Well, at least I don't think that I need to at tough like you do."
Trey tried to stare down Bob until he melted. He wasn't happy about being judged. He finally said, "Look, I'm not trying to start any trouble with you."
"But that is what you always did."
" I am changed. I agree that I was a jerk six years ago, but many things happen in that amount of time. I realized that I was an ignorant monkey. I want to start over if you will."
Bob did sense the change in Trey. "I think that I can try that. Sorry for judging you after all this time," he said with remorse.
So Bob and Trey went on being good roommates for the entire year of college. They didn't kill each other and actually hung out. They decided to remain roommates the following year.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Whisked Away--My Sample
For Joel, there were just too many to count. His days at the office were horrifically routine. Get up before dawn, commute through painstakingly slow traffic, overpay to park downtown, just to arrive to pushy secretaries, overzealous colleagues, and a boss with a major Napoleon complex. And this was before the day officially started.
People talk about how bad things happen in groups of threes; for Joel, his days became a series of 333 bad events.
His planner was booked for the day with phone consultations and meetings, and yet today more work continued to pile up. There was no escape, no safe haven. His boss even cornered him at the urinal. In sum, this was the most brutal Monday to date, and noon had yet to arrive.
Joel had known by now that going out with his buddies for lunch on Mondays was an impossibility, unless he wanted to sleep in his office until Tuesday. Every moment counted, and his lunch hour was where he could pick up the slack. The clock read 12:00, but he was still on 10:00 paperwork.
Reaching into his mini fridge (an old relic from his dorm days at Villanova), he pulled out the bachelor special: leftovers from Mom's Sunday cooking. Looking for a spare knife to cut his meat, he reached into the top drawer of his desk and something caught his eye.
Amidst scattered staples, Post-It Notes, and stress balls, the bottle peaked its head. He usually tried not to go in there to avoid this confrontation, but it slipped his mind. Now the world had stood still, and Joel was in a face-off with his arch-nemesis: himself.
"C'mon Joel. You put me in here for a reason. You know, to get your mind off things. To de-stress yourself." He could see his reflection in the glass of the whiskey bottle, but his hands, eyes, and lips had yet to move.
"No! Get with it," Joel said to himself. "You can't go screwing this up too." Joel had only been on the job six months, and he had worked his entire life to score a position in a firm of this caliber.
"Just a little bit, Joel, that's all. It will just tide you over until you get home."
"I, I can't," Joel whispered.
"Everyone's at lunch and your office door is closed. Besides, you really think you are going to make it the rest of the day without me? You couldn't even last after you spent yesterday with your Mom. Without me, you'll be throwing yourself to the wolves this afternoon."
"Well, it is a long afternoon ahead," Joel rationalized to himself. "I suppose. . . "
Just then, his secretary buzzed in.
"Mr. Goldberg, there is a call on line 3 for you. It's your wife."
She never called him at work since they got the divorce almost a year ago. All he knew was that she was the number one reason that led him to drink himself to sleep every night. Nevertheless, He picked up the phone.
"Goldberg here," he began.
"Don't be an ass, Joel. You know it's me. I know your secretary told you. I checked the account this morning, and your child support payment isn't in there. I want that money."
"I don't know what happened. I'll call the bank."
"Don't play dumb with me. Banks don't just pick and choose who to give money to. They get it from somewhere and put it somewhere else. The money comes from you and goes to me, remember?"
"Well, technically Diane, it goes to the kids. Remember them? The ones you coerced the judge to take from me?
"Don't get lippy. GET ME THE MONEY. I have a big purchase on hold."
As the conversation deteriorated (like usual) the whiskey had reached his hand, cap still closed. "Are you buying the kids something?"
He heard his youngest, Ana, crying in the background. "It is none of your business what that money is for."
"Maybe you should get going to deal with Ana."
"I'll deal with her later. The money. Royal Caribbean is demanding our money today."
"Wow, you're taking them on a cruise!" Joel was shocked at his wife's atypical generosity.
"No, my boyfriend Bill and I are going."
His hand slid to the top of the bottle and began to twist counterclockwise. "Are you kidding. . . ."
Just then, in the background he heard the stampede of little feet. "Hiiii Daddddyyyyy," the girls yelled. "We love you and miss you!!"
"Go somewhere and play, for God's sake," Diane yelled.
Instantly, Joel put it all together. "Ok, I'll call the bank. If they say it will take longer than this afternoon to credit the account, I'll bring over the cash right now and drop it in your mailbox." As he spoke, his hand, first turning clockwise while clutching the bottle tight as ever, reached over the open drawer and released.
"What was that?" Diane asked.
"Nothing. Just got rid of some trouble. Call me tomorrow, same time, so we can discuss the dates of the trip and when you will be dropping the girls off."
"Don't forget the money," she reminded.
"Believe me, I won't." As he hung up the phone, he decided then to not even call the bank. He was paying cash.
As Joel wheeled his chair back, he pushed in the drawer to his desk, grabbed his keys and gave one last look at the garbage. There was the whiskey, but this time there his reflection was different. He was smiling.
Finally, his streak of 333 was broken.
He was on his way to make his downpayment.
People talk about how bad things happen in groups of threes; for Joel, his days became a series of 333 bad events.
His planner was booked for the day with phone consultations and meetings, and yet today more work continued to pile up. There was no escape, no safe haven. His boss even cornered him at the urinal. In sum, this was the most brutal Monday to date, and noon had yet to arrive.
Joel had known by now that going out with his buddies for lunch on Mondays was an impossibility, unless he wanted to sleep in his office until Tuesday. Every moment counted, and his lunch hour was where he could pick up the slack. The clock read 12:00, but he was still on 10:00 paperwork.
Reaching into his mini fridge (an old relic from his dorm days at Villanova), he pulled out the bachelor special: leftovers from Mom's Sunday cooking. Looking for a spare knife to cut his meat, he reached into the top drawer of his desk and something caught his eye.
Amidst scattered staples, Post-It Notes, and stress balls, the bottle peaked its head. He usually tried not to go in there to avoid this confrontation, but it slipped his mind. Now the world had stood still, and Joel was in a face-off with his arch-nemesis: himself.
"C'mon Joel. You put me in here for a reason. You know, to get your mind off things. To de-stress yourself." He could see his reflection in the glass of the whiskey bottle, but his hands, eyes, and lips had yet to move.
"No! Get with it," Joel said to himself. "You can't go screwing this up too." Joel had only been on the job six months, and he had worked his entire life to score a position in a firm of this caliber.
"Just a little bit, Joel, that's all. It will just tide you over until you get home."
"I, I can't," Joel whispered.
"Everyone's at lunch and your office door is closed. Besides, you really think you are going to make it the rest of the day without me? You couldn't even last after you spent yesterday with your Mom. Without me, you'll be throwing yourself to the wolves this afternoon."
"Well, it is a long afternoon ahead," Joel rationalized to himself. "I suppose. . . "
Just then, his secretary buzzed in.
"Mr. Goldberg, there is a call on line 3 for you. It's your wife."
She never called him at work since they got the divorce almost a year ago. All he knew was that she was the number one reason that led him to drink himself to sleep every night. Nevertheless, He picked up the phone.
"Goldberg here," he began.
"Don't be an ass, Joel. You know it's me. I know your secretary told you. I checked the account this morning, and your child support payment isn't in there. I want that money."
"I don't know what happened. I'll call the bank."
"Don't play dumb with me. Banks don't just pick and choose who to give money to. They get it from somewhere and put it somewhere else. The money comes from you and goes to me, remember?"
"Well, technically Diane, it goes to the kids. Remember them? The ones you coerced the judge to take from me?
"Don't get lippy. GET ME THE MONEY. I have a big purchase on hold."
As the conversation deteriorated (like usual) the whiskey had reached his hand, cap still closed. "Are you buying the kids something?"
He heard his youngest, Ana, crying in the background. "It is none of your business what that money is for."
"Maybe you should get going to deal with Ana."
"I'll deal with her later. The money. Royal Caribbean is demanding our money today."
"Wow, you're taking them on a cruise!" Joel was shocked at his wife's atypical generosity.
"No, my boyfriend Bill and I are going."
His hand slid to the top of the bottle and began to twist counterclockwise. "Are you kidding. . . ."
Just then, in the background he heard the stampede of little feet. "Hiiii Daddddyyyyy," the girls yelled. "We love you and miss you!!"
"Go somewhere and play, for God's sake," Diane yelled.
Instantly, Joel put it all together. "Ok, I'll call the bank. If they say it will take longer than this afternoon to credit the account, I'll bring over the cash right now and drop it in your mailbox." As he spoke, his hand, first turning clockwise while clutching the bottle tight as ever, reached over the open drawer and released.
"What was that?" Diane asked.
"Nothing. Just got rid of some trouble. Call me tomorrow, same time, so we can discuss the dates of the trip and when you will be dropping the girls off."
"Don't forget the money," she reminded.
"Believe me, I won't." As he hung up the phone, he decided then to not even call the bank. He was paying cash.
As Joel wheeled his chair back, he pushed in the drawer to his desk, grabbed his keys and gave one last look at the garbage. There was the whiskey, but this time there his reflection was different. He was smiling.
Finally, his streak of 333 was broken.
He was on his way to make his downpayment.
Blog 2 was. . .
Blog 2: A Picture is Worth . . . at least 250 words. Well, that is what you are being asked to do this week. See post for instructions on how to bring a picture to life!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Why?
I sit here thinking about why things happen, and why no one knows the reasons. I feel a tear run down my face, I only wish I could have said goodbye. I don't know why he died so young. I do know that I miss him very much. I sit here, at this very spot where we would meet, just knowing that he will not show up. I wish I knew why he was called up now. He was only 17 years old. He had so much more life to live. I want it to be a dream, and when I wake up, he will meet me here and we will go and do our thing. But no, it's not going to happen, because someone had to pull a gun. Why? Sitting here all alone, makes me sick to my stomach, knowing that it could have been me. Standing there with him, not knowing that I was never going to see him alive again, makes me so sad and angry. But I have no room for anger at this point. All I want to do is sit here on this cold, wet ground on this nasty day and cry. I miss him so much. He was my best friend, and always will be. I only wish that I could have said goodbye. My white t-shirt has become soaked, with tears from all the crying. I can not take this anymore, all I want to do is scream. My friends keep telling me to go home, but I know that this very place on this very street is where I feel him the most. I can feel sad anywhere, but I feel like he is still alive when I sit on this cold, wet ground. I feel as if I can look up and he will be standing right in front of me, waiting for me to stop crying. I know that he is gone and that I will see him again, but I will sit in this very spot for a while longer and ask why.
Katrina
I waited. For days I sat in the muddy swamp in front of my house and waited for someone, anyone, to come and help us. Our house, our new, used car, and every single thing we owned had been viciously swept away by Katrina. All we had were the wet clothes on our backs, and if we were lucky the worn shoes on our feet. All anyone could do was sit, pray, and wait. Since our entire family had always lived in New Orleans, we had no where to turn, no shoulder to lean on. My father and older brother left to find some type of food for us, anything would be like a Thanksgiving feast to our family at this point. The rain stopped and left a muggy atmosphere behind. I sat down in front of what used to be my house and cried. I cried for all of the memories we had in that house. It was the first place I had ever felt at home, and now it lies in ruins behind me. All that is left is the soggy beams and our soaking wet lifestyle. After saving every last penny for years to afford a home, how would we ever be able to scrape up enough money again? I dont know. All I can do right now is wait.
Creature in the Pond!
I looked out the window of the kitchen as I paused from my math homework for a second, and saw the nicest Sunday I think I had ever seen before. I couldn't go outside though because my mom said I couldn't watch the football game that night unless I finished all my homework. I don't know why she cared about my homework anyway, I had good grades in all my classes. So I tried to get back to my homework but the cool air and green grass was calling me through the window. I had to do something other than homework! I looked into the living room and saw that my mom was sleeping, so I decided to make my move. I slowly got up and snuck out the back door without making a peep. As soon as I was in the clear I bolted for the forest behind my house and made my way along the trail, if you could call it a trail. My friend Dave and I made little marks on trees and tried clearing a ground from the sticks and twigs at the beginning of summer as to show ourselves to our secret spot we had found walking around one day. The secret Spot was the best place to get away from your parent ever. It was the pond in the middle of the forest that no one knew about. You could swim in it, skip rocks in it, basically do what ever you wanted. This was definitely what I needed after doing all that math homework.As I went along the trail, something seemed a little different that day. The woods were a little quieter, like I was the only person around for 5 miles in every direction. As I walked over leaves and fallen branches it sounded like I was walking over a million firecrackers scattered all over the ground.
I finally reached the pond after a good 10 minute walk though the forest. It was so still that day. There was nothing moving around the pond either everything just seemed still. The silence was creeping me out a little bit so I so I began to through some rocks in the pond to try and liven the forest up a little bit. But it didn't work. It almost made it seem more quiet the way the plops in the water echoed. I decided to just sit down and try to take a nap.
I was laying there with my eyes closed when I heard I huge PLOP cut through the silence. I immediately shot up to see just ripples in the middle of the pond. I looked around but saw nothing. My mind immediately thought of the story Jimmy Daniels told me down the street of the monster that lived in this pond. I knew that the story wasn't true and he was just trying to scare us away because we was jealous of our amazing spot, but for some reason I couldn't get the thought out of my head.
Then I heard another, louder PLOP, and this time I saw that something didn't fall into the water but it was something in the water itself. Then another different noise came from the water, it was the sound of bubbling, and it wasn't staying in one spot. It was coming right for me! Terror shot up my spine as I jumped up immediately. Then all of the sudden something surfaced. It was blue all around with what looked like skin for a face. Its eyes bulged out of its head like an iguana's would. Then its mouth...this was the most horrifying of all. Its mouth had huge lips that stuck out. They where black probably from eating all of the other people that had once thought of the pond as a cool secret spot. The creature started to emerge more from the water. Its body was also blue, with 2 arms and the biggest claws I had ever seen at the end of them.
That was all I had to see. I screamed so loud I don't think the forest will be quiet for another week. I turned and ran so fast home, that I think I backed out and teleported there. When I got to the back door I didn't even worry about waking Mom up and just threw the door open. I locked the door behind me and sat at the kitchen table in a cold sweat. After probably a half an hour of staring at the forest I figured I was OK. I got up and got a glass of milk. As I was up I realized that I didn't even wake my mom up. At least something good came out of that.
I decided from that point on that every Sunday from now on, I am to do my homework, watch football, and nothing else. I also decided that Jimmy Daniels was right, and I will never go back to the secret spot ever again.
No Joke About It
The second most successful and ultimate highest money making movie to ever hit the box office. It made the most money out of any superhero film to hit the big screen. Yes, this is reference to The Dark Knight. But, one might find themselves wondering, was it the courageous role played by the Batman or perhaps the deep, dark, character of The Joker, who was not so much a heroic knight, that helped the money to pour in for several weeks this past summer and still today. Seeing the movie taught you a lot about the acting performance of the late Heath Ledger in this film but, his appearance said tons about him as well. Hiding his identity, The Joker's face was covered in white makeup that made his skin more pale than an albino, also bringing out the extremely dark black circles surrounding and covering his eyes, making them darker than a Gotham night. His mouth and lips were completely painted over with a bloody red color up to his cut-in scars. He explained with different stories of how he got the scars that made his lips look like they were shaped into a smile all the time. Although, these scars didn't look like a smiling face but instead treacherous and terrifying as if a knife where forcefully taken to his face cutting and stretching the tight skin of his mouth scaring it horrifyingly. The dark red paint of his lips wasn't even bright enough to cover the scars that constantly stuck out as long, curving, swollen blisters that would never heal. You couldn't help but stare at them or his general facial appearance. The Joker's hair was a little past his ears in length and seemed to aimlessly hang down. It was pushed back away from his face and eyes and was tangled, messy, and almost seemed greasy. He always wore a dark lavender suit to make him look somewhat professional. But just as the crooked smile on his face, The Joker's business was not a joke in any way. Everything he owned was either stolen or purchased with money that he stole. He was a villain of treachery, mystery, and pure terror.He had no soul and something that stood out most about The Joker was his voice. It was scratchy and deep and every word he spoke sent a quivering, fearful feeling through your ears to your body. His trademark question that he would always use to explain his horrific and unforgettable scars, "Why so serious?" illustrated the frightening voice he did have. This was one that would send everyone watching in the theatre to the edge of their seats, along with terrifying the characters in the movie beyond belief. That question was spoken almost in a whisper and dragged out till the end, emphasizing the separate sound of each letter of each word as it slowly and suspensefully rolled off his tongue from his blood red lips. The laugh of The Joker was even worse. Something Heath Ledger had to have worked at and i would say he in fact mastered flawlessly. It was a long and ear piercing type of giggle that you could feel took every ounce of energy out of his body to send a chill down the spine of every witness, giving a new meaning to the word evil.
Heath Ledger recently died from a drug overdose this past year and left behind a young daughter and a character that no one will ever forget. The spirit or Heath Ledger and how he carried the role of The Joker said so much about him as an actor. He spoke once in an interview about how playing the character affected him, and it truly did. We can imagine The Joker hanging out the window of a speeding get away car, gun in hand ready to kill any innocent person getting in his way, and how he chilled us with all of his horrific features that were just described. But, Heath Ledger claimed that it wasn't easy and almost scary for him to thrill us with the true treachery of The Joker. Such a villain even affected the man deep inside of Ledger when he claimed that the true darkness and soul of the role hit him hard while filming it. He had said he struggled with playing such an evil creature and getting it to come off that horrifying in the movie, showing truly how tremendous of a role The Joker really was. However, when we picture a scene of The Dark Knight and the tricky and suspenseful character of The Joker, we truly can come up with more than a thousand words to describe and even feel him.
Shining in The Light
A light flash hits my eyes and I smile and stare with my wildest dreams finally at my finger tips. Standing in front of dozens of people snapping photos of my dressed to the nines in the magical city of Venice. The crowd is ecstatic upon my arrival to the red carped of the Venice film festival. Never had I imagined to be standing tall and being recognized by such vast amounts of people.
I am greeted by such fascinating people that I can't even explain in words how I felt on this particular evening. "Claudia, look over here." "Claudia, did you ever imagine to be standing here in Venice today?" "Claudia, Claudia Claudia." Those words rang within my mind for hours as I stood with people questioning my arrival and my feelings of which I was experiencing at this moment. I felt as though for once in my life, I was being noticed as an individual for something I had accomplished and worked at for many long days. As my cheeks begins to sore from all the smiling, the pictures keep snapping away. I do my best to maintain a sincere smile, but I can tell it's beginning to fade. I am greeted by a man who takes my hand and leads me toward the doors.
With my award from hard work behind me, I now enter the building that holds many wonders of mine. Inside, "WOW" were the only words I could retrieve from my mouth. It was as though I was standing in a fairy tale. Large chandeliers of modern crystal stood tall above my head. The "clacking" of shoes caught my attention and many astounding women walked along the marble floor. "I can't believe this is truly happening." I spoke aloud. Venice, Claudia Schiffer, film festival, this is exactly how I had pictured it.
Now, after many hours of conversing and laughs and many memories made, it was time to return to the real world and head back to reality. As we left the magnificent building of which i only dreamed of entering, I was greeted once more by the large crowd of fans of mine awaiting my farewell. The lights hit my face once more as I exited a wonderful night. Back at my hotel, I saw a newspaper with my face on the front page. My face in a Venice newspaper, dreams really do come true.
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