Journal 43

The day started gray. My parents sat at the breakfast table. Their faces were drawn and sad. No one said a word. Today was the day that I would be tested. The day that would determine the rest of my life. My hands shook in my lap as I waited for the clock to strike eight. Then the people would come in their sterile white lab coats and blank faces. They would come to take me away from my home and test whether or not I was what our society considered sane. I wasn't sure if I would come back. No one ever knew whether they would be determined crazy and sent away. No one knew where. The door bell rang, and my mother rose to her feet. She took my arm and led me to the front door where the people in white coats waited. The door opened with a creak to reveal them. My mother pushed me out the door softly, and I stumbled outside. The people then did something unexpected. They took my arm and took out a needle. I knew what was going to happen, but I was still terrified. What if I didn't pass? I started to squirm. I didn't want to go. Soon all the people in the coats had surrounded me and were holding me down. They stuck me with the needle. Everything went black.
I woke up in the testing center. No one else was in the room. In was at a desk and my torso was strapped in. I shivered with terror. I noticed there was a bright yellow pencil next to a stack of papers; it was the mental health test. I picked up the pencil that was way too bright for the room that was covered in gray. I opened the test and started to fill in the bubble sheet. None of the questions made sense. I had so many questions and no one was there to answer. The test was multiple choice, but the answers didn't match. I didn't understand. I just filled out the test and did my best. The second that I filled out the last bubble, the people came into the room. They took my test and looked at me with blank faces. A man stepped forward and looked at me, and he told me that I had failed. That I was already crazy and that they did not even need to grade the test. I would not be going back home.

Journal 42

Once upon a time there was a hero that did good things, but for the wrong reasons. His name was the Shining Leopard. The Shining Leopard was a young bunny that could turn in to a leopard that glistened in the sun at will. The bunny acquired this magnificent power by wandering into a vat of toxic lemonade. Many will ask why the bunny would do such a thing. He did this because of his grief. See, his whole family had been attacked by a swarm of tarantulas and never seen again. This caused the bunny to fall into a depression and fall into a toxic vat of lemonade. He was in the lemonade for over an hour before his friend named Scooter found him. Luckily, the bunny survived but he was different. Scooter noticed that his dear friend no longer had a taste for grass. He looked at the other woodland creatures with hunger in his eyes. Scooter became terrified and the bunny felt terrified himself. Soon he became violently ill, and Scooter was sure the bunny was to die like his beloved family. After sleeping for a bit, Scooter checked on his friend to discover he was no longer there. In his place was a huge leopard that shone like diamonds in the sun. Scooter was terrified. The Shining Leopard saw his friend's fear an reassured him that he would not be harmed. The shining Leopard was unsure of what to do with his newly discovered powers, but he would soon find out. A pack of rabid baboons raced into the village of the bunnies to take their land and their lives. The Shining Leopard interfered and drove the baboons off. The Shining Leopard was celebrated by the bunnies and received much glory and praise. He became motivated only by glory, and he purposely hunted to bullies of the forest. The bullies would learn their lesson, but the Shining Leopard became ruthless. His reason for living was for glory, so he did good things for bad reasons.

Journal 41

A hero is a person that goes above and beyond what they must. Heroes are also everyday people that do not do something extraordinary, but do everything that they can do to help somebody else. Many of these heroes can be seen in response to the bombings of the Boston marathon. I was watching the news to hear updates on the situation when the program started to talk about people who were helping others during this incredibly hard time for the people of Boston. For example, one person had been hosting a party for the marathon. They had a lot of food and such, and after the bombing they took the party food to the streets to feed the runners, who were in shock. That's what a hero is to me. That person did what they could do to help others. Other people also loaned their homes to runners who could not get back to their hotels. They provided shelter for the scared runners and helped them in their time of need. These people stepped up and did the right thing, and more are needed in the world today. Just imagine if that's what everybody or at least a majority did. If almost everyone stepped up and did everything they could for their fellow man, we could become better and bigger than just our lives, and help the whole entire world. This may sound idealistic, but how hard would it be? For ten, twenty, thirty people to step up and become heroes, and help the world. Everybody has the potential to be a hero to somebody else and save them. Just a small acts each day and heroes would not be a rarity because many would be honored with that title.  I know that I need to step up and start helping others, and it is my goal to become a hero to somebody else. Eventually heroism could just become a part of everyday life, and we can live in a world that we call home.

Journal 40

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. In the dungeon there was a troll named Allie. The princess was truly ugly but she had stolen Allie's looks through witchcraft. She then sentenced Allie to go and live in the dungeon where she belonged. This made Allie sad. All day Allie would sit in her cell and make towers out of mouse dung. This continued on for many years and Allie's only friends were the mice that made her toys. However, one day the young Allie caught a break. Her mice friends had sneaked up to the princess's chambers. The princess had everything anyone could ever want, and the mice decided that she would not notice if they took one of the items from her room for their dear friend Allie. The mice scurried through the boxes of designer shoes that littered the princess's closet when suddenly they came across a old chess board. They swept off the dust that coated the board. Their eyes widened when they saw beautiful and ornate chess set. The pieces were made of ivory and clearly handmade. Since they were mice, they were not terribly bright and did not think to look around a key to  Allie's cell. They scurried the chess board down piece by piece until it was in Allie's dungeon. Allie was delighted to receive the chess set and sought out how to learn the game. All day and night Allie practiced and she soon became a chess master. Allie was a clever troll, and challenged the princess to a chess match. The princess was terribly arrogant and underestimated Allie and her genius. Allie said that if she won she would get her beauty and freedom back. If the princess won, Allie would give the princess her youth, so she wouldn't grow older. She consented to the match. The princess was stupid and lost. Allie was rewarded with her beauty and freedom, and she lived happily ever after.

Journal 39

My spring break was great! I feel like this was just a taste of what my summer will be like. Over spring break I celebrated Easter with my family. We held a party at my house for one side of my family, and I went to my aunt's house to celebrate with the other side of my family. I had a good time at both parties and I was glad to see my family. Not to mention, there was some delicious food to eat at both gatherings. I did not really go anywhere on my spring break, but I had a good time nonetheless. Many times I would hang out with my friends. A couple times during the week I went out to eat with friends, which was a lot of fun. Over spring break I also saw the movie The Host, but I only thought that movie was alright. I had a lot of homework to do over my spring break. I had an packet of history homework to do, but that was not a big deal because I had a whole week to do it. I also had to read the book The Jungle, which I actually enjoyed reading. After I read it, I then head to write a book report over it. Another thing that I did over my spring break was sleep. The week takes a huge toll on me and I am always tired. With my extra time I was able to sleep in which was very nice. I also got to spend a lot of time to start reviewing for AP Biology test that I am going to take. It was a little daunting, but it felt good to start the process so I can do well on my test. I really enjoyed my spring break because I got to do  all the things that I wanted to do with plenty of time to spare. I needed the break and now I cannot wait for summer.

Journal 38

I had a truly awesome job shadowing experience last week! I loved being there. I job shadowed a judge and  it was everything I hoped it would be. I really enjoyed being there and I definetly think that a job in law is something that I would really enjoy. I think I would love to be a judge. When I was at the courthouse I was never bored and I was fascinated with the workings of the court system. The judge that I shadowed was really nice and was able to answer all of the questions that I had. She really gave me some valuable information about the field. For example, I discovered what kind of schooling is needed to become a judge and what kind of degree I will need to receive. While I was at the court I was able to observe order of protections cases. Some of the cases were very interesting. Some on the other hand mostly consisted of paperwork. I think that it was helpful to see both the sides of being a judge. Another reason that being a judge would be fun is because I would be able to do different types of cases every day. This way I would have something new and different to look forward to every single day. I do not want to spend my career doing the same thing over and over again. When I went job shadowing I was able to observe the court on the day that it was doing of order of protections. Some of the cases were really dramatic , and others were not. If I were to become a judge, I think that I would really enjoy both a relaxed and an excited atmosphere. Judges also have to sometimes make hard decisions. You cannot please everyone and it is the judges responsibility to make sure that justice prevails. Overall, I really enjoyed my job shadowing experience and I think that this career is something I should definitely look into.

Journal 37

When I hear this song I see Barnes and Noble. This is due to the fact that at Barnes and Noble they always play jazz music much like the song we listened to in class. It is super classy music and makes you feel more sophisticated by hearing that sweet music. Since I think of Barnes and Noble when I hear this song I am happy because I really enjoy Barnes and Noble. Barnes and Noble is a happy place that smells like the delicious mixture of coffee and the paper of the books that fill the shelf. As an avid reader this smell is very appealing to me and is relaxing. The song makes me think of when you go to the book store and run your fingers across all of the spines of the book. Every book that you touch contains its own little a world. Worlds of magic, science, and so much more. Every book has its own story and that is what makes it unique. Another thought comes to mind when I listen to this song. I think of some classy speakeasy in the 1920's. It's full of smiling happy people that laugh as the spin around the dance floor. Maybe they even break out into the dance known as the Charleston. I picture a live band in the corner playing this song with all of their heart. This song has the ability to transport me into another time and that is truly special. This song reminds me of a better time when life was so much better. I never expected that a song that did not have words would give such clear and vivid images to my brain. I am very glad that I listened to this song today in class and that it was able to provoke so much imagery. Overall, this song made me think of another time and it also made me think of Barnes and Noble.

Journal 36

One of the most important things in life is to be yourself. You have to be true to yourself. I believe that if you are not, you will never truly be happy. By being yourself you are able to be the person that you were meant to be and not the person that others want you to be. If you are not yourself than you are fake, and living a lie takes a toll on your whole life. Why live your life trying to be somebody else when there is only one of you? I always try to be myself because I have only one lifetime and I want to make the best of it. An example of me being myself is coming up with my own ideas. Some people follow others blindly and just agree to whatever they say. I try my best not to do this. I try to research the topic and come up with the best conclusion for me. I always also doubt everything I hear a little bit especially when it comes from the media. Everyone has their own agenda and sometimes they are not giving you the message that is best for you. I like to come to my own conclusions, but I am also open to what other people think. I think that creating your own ideas are important because it is something no one can take from you. They can never make you believe something if you do not want to believe it. Forming your own ideas makes up part of you that is an individual and not just a part of the masses. Your ideas are a part of you and when you follow in what you believe in you are being true to yourself. Overall, I think being yourself is very important. When you are true to yourself you are able to do the thing that is right for you, and you are able to live a happy and successful life.

Journal 33

Sometimes life becomes stressful and you just need to take some time out of your schedule to reduce stress and reconnect with yourself. There are many activities that help me do this. My favorite thing to reduce stress is to read. I love reading because it takes me to a whole other world where I do not have to worry about what is going on in my life. For a couple hours I get to be in the mind of someone else and not mine. For me reading books is like going to see a movie. Except with a book my mind creates the whole world and if I do not like it I can visualize it differently. Another way that I get rid of stress and reconnect myself is by taking a nap. Sleeping is the best thing in the world after a long week. Sleeping helps me feel refreshed and relaxed. In some ways sleeping also lets me reconnect with myself. It does this by giving me a look at my self conscious through what kind of dreams I am having. Sometimes dreams help me to evaluate myself and realize what is really bothering me in the real world. I also like to be with the people that I love when I am feeling stressed. They make me feel better by just being around. I also feel like I can just be myself with them and not the person everyone thinks I should be. Being myself just takes the weight of the world off of my shoulders and lets me get back to who I really am. Another thing that helps me to relax is meditation. At first when I meditate I am a little bit bored and restless. Yet, as I continue to do it I feel better and better. Meditation really helps me to think in that it clears away all of the thoughts that are concerning me. Overall, I do many things to get rid of stress and reconnect with myself.

Journal 34

When  many people think of Self they just think of maybe one or two aspects that make them up and not their whole Self. For this journal I am supposed to describe my Self like Walt Whitman did. There is one problem with this though. I do not think that I know my whole Self. I believe that you discover a little bit about yourself everyday. I learn things about myself when I face the obstacles of everyday life. Maybe it will take me a lifetime of soul searching to find out who I am. Also, what happens when I change? Everyone changes. So, my Self is something that is constantly forming and reforming. This makes it hard to pinpoint my Self at this specific period of time. Self is supposed to be all the different parts that make up you, but what if one day I am feeling a certain way towards something and then the next I am in someway influenced. My whole perspective on a certain topic may have changed just in little over twenty four hours. I, however, will try to explain my Self, as I am in exactly this one moment of my life. I think that part of my Self right now is focused on doing what I believe what is right and what is wrong. This is very important to me. Sometimes I do something without thinking and I always will try to do my best to fix this in whatever way that I can. It is important to me that I lead a life that I can be proud of and not regret doing something I should not have. Another part of my Self is that I am a dreamer. I think that it is so very important to dream big. Sometimes you fail to meet your goal, and that is alright as long as you tried your best. By aiming high I also set myself to a specific standard in which to lead my life.

Journal 35

When looking back at the blog I did all the way back in September, I noticed that my writing seems to be much different. I would not say my writing is better or worse now, but just different.  One of the differences that I noticed was that my writing seemed to be a lot more formal when writing in the blog format. Now that we use a different website for posting our assignments, the post seems much more relaxed and a part of a discussion. I really like this because now my writing is not as dull and stiff as it used to be. I also like commenting on other people's posts in theory because I think it helps to see the way that they see the answer to the question. In practice though the comment box is super annoying and freezes. This makes me mad. My writing also used to have both an introduction and a conclusion, which is a consequence of the more relaxed discussion posts that we now do instead. I also noted that I had a lot of quotes. My writing still uses many quotes to support what I am trying to say. I have also noticed that I use a lot more support for my statements    then I used too. This is one way that my writing has changed for the better. Now I use literary criticisms more, which uses the thoughts of experts. Since I am using the thoughts of experts, this supports what I am trying to say. This has really helped me improve my writing. I also think that I have gotten better at citing my sources than I used to be. I am much more comfortable with using parenthetical citations because I now have to use them in every single thing that I write about.   Overall, only some aspects of my writing has changed. Some of the change is good like how I am comfortable using citations.

Journal 32

"You say you want a Revolution, well you know, we all want to change the world" (Lennon). Revolution is an extremely important concept in our society. Through revolution we can change things and make life better for ourselves. Sometimes revolution can be seen as something bad and radical and it can be, but revolution can also be for the best. Someday I want to revolutionize the world. When I do this society will be controlled by.....PENGUINS! Society will be so much better once penguins have finally asserted their dominance over the human race. Just think of how great everything will be! No longer will the movies be full of actors, but penguins. The world  will be captivated by the sight of the elegant penguins waddling  up to receive their academy awards. This is a great idea because penguins are practically wearing tuxedos already. Once I have put the penguins in charge, they will make me their ruler. I will be known as the Supreme Empress of the Penguin Nation. Now Congress will not be full of politicians, but penguins! Penguins are known for their supreme decision making. Besides its not like anyone ever understands politicians anyway, so when we have the penguins installed it will not be that big of a change. The flag will also be changed. The new colors will be black and white with a picture of a penguin in the middle. Also the penguins will get rid of all the roads in the country. Instead they will build a device that will change the weather to make the country more like the arctic. Instead we will travel around on the sheets of solid ice of the ground. All day when we want to get around we will slide on our stomachs on the ice just like the penguins do. This seems like a much better way to get around and at the same time the environment will be saved because we will no longer need gas. Overall, I think that letting the penguins and I rule the world is a pretty solid idea.

















Lennon, John. "Revolution." Perf. Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Rec. 10-12 July 1668. Abbey Road. The Beatles. Abbey Road Studios, 1968. CD.

Journal 25

To give someone something is the best thing one can do in the world. I really enjoy giving people things, and it excites me to see the look on somebody's  face when they see what I have given them. This happened this year during Christmas. This year I got my brother Michael the DVD of the Disney movie Hercules. When he unwrapped the present, I loved the look of happiness on his face as he looked at the movie he had loved in his childhood. For Christmas I also got a movie for my brother Danny. Even though he kind of knew what I was going to get him, he was still happy to receive it. I also enjoyed watching my dad opened the present that I got him. This year for Christmas I got him a piggy bank. I laughed as I watched the confusion grow on his face. He had no idea why I got him a piggy bank! Almost everyday my brother sneaks in and steals my Dad's quarters. I got my dad the piggy bank, so my brother could no longer take his quarters. After I explained all of this to him, he laughed and was glad to have it. Not only do I like to give gifts, but I also like to receive gifts from people. I hope not to sound materialistic  but it makes me feel good that someone thought of me and wanted to give me something. This happened in eighth grade when my wonderful friend Jenni gave me a snow globe for Christmas. I was so touched that she thought to get me something and was so generous to give me something. To this very day I still have that snow globe that my dear friend Jenni gave me. Every time that I look at it I feel good inside and remember the happy feeling that I felt when Jenni gave me that snow globe.Giving is very important.

Journal 26

In my particular area in which I reside, we have many local customs and traditions. One such specialty in the area in which I live is a delicious food called a Horseshoe. Horseshoes can only be found in the place I live and honestly that is a sad thing for the whole world. A Horseshoe is first made with a toasted piece of bread. Next, you put a piece of meat on the bread. A hamburger patty is traditionally used for this part of the Horseshoe. Some people like to use chicken or Italian beef. After adding meat, french fries in all their golden deliciousness is added to said Horseshoe. After the french fries comes a cheese sauce that varies on the place where you order your horseshoe. I like to then add ketchup and voila you have a hot and yummy dish in front of you. Do you want to know what is not a specialty to the area in which I live? Egg rolls are not specific to where I live, but they are so good that I thought they should be written about. Today at lunch I had an egg roll. It was so delicious but it was also a little bit on the greasy side. I am really excited to get home tonight. I am so excited because a book that I ordered from the Internet. I have been  waiting for this book because it is part of a series that I have read for a very long time. I have been waiting eight long months for this book to come out and I can barely contain my excitement as I write this blog. I cannot wait for this weekend, so I will have a lot of time to read my book. At the same time I feel really sad because the next book in the series does not come out until November and I will have to wait all over again.

Journal 31

Gossip is information being passed from person to person that is discussing another, usually in a way that slanders their reputation  Gossip is usually viewed as a negative thing. When gossiped about, people can get hurt emotionally and be damaged. Gossip can even isolate some of its victims from their friends and acquaintances  This is why gossip is so terrible. I have seen gossip in action and the way it hurts both the person gossiping and the person being gossiped about. I have personally seen people that gossip all the time and they eventually become outcasts for their excessive gossip. No one wants to be friends with someone that they do not trust. The next thing you know, they may stab you in the back and start saying bad things about you. The gossiper is to be sympathised with despite their hurtful deeds because no one should be friendless. Yet, the person gossiped about then has a tarnished reputation and that is not fair to them because the gossip may be a lie. This is also very hurtful to their confidence and self esteem. It could even affect someone and the way that they think and act for the rest of their life. This complex social disaster is one reason that people should watch what they say and stop gossip, not spread it. Gossip hurts everyone. While many people may claim that gossip is just part of the human nature, I think that we can learn to control ourselves and hold our tongues when it comes to talking about other people. Just look at the celebrities in our society today. They are constantly chased by the paparazzi and lied about in tabloids. I do not think that they all deserve this just because they are well known in society. Many of these celebrities lives start to spin out of control and this may be in part to the stress of people constantly gossiping and lying about them.

Journal 30

Civil rights are the rights that people are given from birth and have as citizens of a certain country. An example of this is freedom of speech given to the citizens of the United States from birth. Yet, at one time not all people received the civil rights that they deserved. For many years in the United States of America, African Americans were denied some of their civil rights. In many places of the United States, African Americans were discouraged from voting due to racism. This is terrible because under the amendments of the Constitution everyone over the age of eighteen has the right to vote. African Americans were also segregated from white people in public institutions. Everything from buses to water fountains were separate for the races under the doctrine "separate but equal". I cannot even imagine a society that would do this. It seems awful and very degrading, and I am glad that there were people like Martin Luther King Jr. to take a stand against "separate but equal". Without him and people like him, society could still be segregated. They fought for a society in which everyone would have the same rights and the same opportunity. I find this to be very admirable because they helped make society what it is today. Today people of every race have the same civil rights and are not segregated but integrated. Civil rights are very important because they give everyone equal rights and opportunity. In my opinion a society that has civil rights is much better than a society that does not. Despite the fact that civil rights have been achieved in the United States, we cannot rest. We must continue the  tough fight that people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks started because people may try to take away our civil rights at any time. We must be careful and alert of those that seek to limit the civil rights of anyone, and make sure that our society continues to grant civil rights to all.

Journal 29

Many humans believe that they are in control of the world, but then Mother Nature will strike and remind us who really is in charge. This can be seen in the hurricanes that affect the coast to the earthquakes that shakes the earth. An example of this is the storm that occurred several years ago. I was very young and was frightened by this storm. Lightening flashed in the night sky and thunder rumbled around my home. I recall the hail that beat upon the roof of my house and my growing sense of unease. After the storm started, my parents turned on the television to find out what was going on with the weather. I watched with fear as the news anchors begged the audience to not go out in the weather unless absolutely necessary. They reported that funnel clouds had been spotted in the area and the weather was right for one of the worst natural disasters:a tornado. Soon, the storm began to get worse and worse. Before long the electricity began to flicker before going completely out. I sat in the dark, unable to look out and see what exactly was going on in the world around me. My family had to get out the flashlights and the battery run radio. Eventually, I fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning the power was still out, but now I could look and see the destruction the storm had brought. Tree branches lay across the highway near my home and around my yard. Later, I would find out that a tornado had touched down, not twenty miles from my house. For weeks after that I would see bits and pieces of the destruction that the tornado had brought upon my environment. A building would have damage here and there, and the power lines took several days to get back up and running. The destruction was great and I saw for one of the first times in my life the strength of nature.

Journal 27

Sometimes life does not work out the way you expected. Sometimes it ends up being for the good, but sometimes you also can be disappointed by the outcome. For example, I was just watching a basketball game. The team that I was rooting for was down several points, and I expected my team to lose the game. The other team was also known to be very good and was ranked number one in the whole conference, while the team I supported was known to be kind of bad because they had lost several of their last couple games. I was not really invested in the game until I saw that the underdog was not that many points behind. Unfortunately, the other team was able to get a lot of points and I thought the game was over. Little did I know how wrong I would end up being. In an amazing comeback my team was able to score many points and the game became almost tied. At this point the game was almost over. Before I knew it, my team had tied with the very good team. My heart was beating hard in my chest as I watched the clock quickly wind down. The other team was in possession of the ball and they had a very good offense. I thought that they were going to score and therefore win the game. Suddenly,  a player on the underdog team was able to steal the ball and run down the court to his basket. A player from the other team swatted the ball away in the air, and it went out of bounds. At this point, there was less than a second left and my team now had possession. When the other team went to guard the player with the ball, they neglected to see one guy was not guarded. That guy was passed the ball and he did a perfect layup right as the buzzer went off! The underdog had won!

Journal 28

One summer I went on a trip to Spain. While it had some similar customs that I was used to, some I was unprepared for. I experienced a lot of culture shock. For example, when I would go to a restaurant to eat, I noticed that the server would only hand the males at the table a menu. They must have expected the males to order for us. Where I live this has never happened to me before and I was confused. Another difference that I noticed was that when you ordered a drink it would always come in a glass bottle. The server would also bring a glass of ice with a lemon. You were expected then to fill the glass with the soda instead of drinking straight from the bottle, like I would have if I was at home. Probably the biggest culture shock was the difference in language. I knew of course when going to Spain that Spanish would be the language spoken, but I was not quite prepared for it. It was strange but in a unique way to be in surrounded by people that I could not understand. This forced me out of my comfort zone, and I had to stumble through my interactions with other people there. Surprisingly, I found that I was able to adapt quickly and would use what little Spanish I knew to help me communicate. I was greatly helped by many of the friendly people who were patient with me as I tried my best to communicate with them. Also, many signs were first in Spanish and then in English, which also helped me immensely. Overall, I loved my trip to Spain and I even kind of liked the culture shock. I enjoyed getting out in the world and learning about people in different places and their culture. It made me discover how big the world is and that I want to get out and see as much of it that I can.