Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Dialogue
"Dude, you're such a wimp!"
"I don't care, I'm not doing it!" They could say whatever they wanted about me, but I wasn't going to do it.
"We've done it before, and it's not that bad; really, we're serious." They gave me more undermining looks, and I could almost physically feel the pressure stacking in the space between us.
"I think I'm good." They were used to my overwhelmingly abundant sarcasm.
"Come on man, we don't have much time left; they're about to close," he said, failing to conceal the apprehension on his face.
"Guys, I really don't think I want to do this." I failed concealing mine too.
"Trust us, it's really not that bad."
"Yeah, it really isn't," said the slightly quieter one, finally breaking his judging silence. I looked around, deep in thought. I thought of myself as a very stubborn character, however, these were my friends, and a part of me thought that maybe they knew me better than I did.
"Ugh, just do it by yourselves guys, I already made up my mind." In truth, I really hadn't. "I'm just going to waste more y'all's time."
"No, you're doing it with us right now." He grabbed me by the wrist, preparing to drag me if necessary, knowing that I wasn't nearly strong enough to put forth any significant resistance. The other followed suit.
"Guys, please." I let go of my resistance and simply resorted to desperate begging. They seemed to not hear me, however, so I did what little I could to rebel against their combined strengths as they slowly dragged me in the direction in which I was avoiding. They sped up as I surrendered myself and prepared to face what was ahead of me. They let go of me, and I found my legs and feet moving of their own accord. I exhaled deeply.
"Let's go."
"I don't care, I'm not doing it!" They could say whatever they wanted about me, but I wasn't going to do it.
"We've done it before, and it's not that bad; really, we're serious." They gave me more undermining looks, and I could almost physically feel the pressure stacking in the space between us.
"I think I'm good." They were used to my overwhelmingly abundant sarcasm.
"Come on man, we don't have much time left; they're about to close," he said, failing to conceal the apprehension on his face.
"Guys, I really don't think I want to do this." I failed concealing mine too.
"Trust us, it's really not that bad."
"Yeah, it really isn't," said the slightly quieter one, finally breaking his judging silence. I looked around, deep in thought. I thought of myself as a very stubborn character, however, these were my friends, and a part of me thought that maybe they knew me better than I did.
"Ugh, just do it by yourselves guys, I already made up my mind." In truth, I really hadn't. "I'm just going to waste more y'all's time."
"No, you're doing it with us right now." He grabbed me by the wrist, preparing to drag me if necessary, knowing that I wasn't nearly strong enough to put forth any significant resistance. The other followed suit.
"Guys, please." I let go of my resistance and simply resorted to desperate begging. They seemed to not hear me, however, so I did what little I could to rebel against their combined strengths as they slowly dragged me in the direction in which I was avoiding. They sped up as I surrendered myself and prepared to face what was ahead of me. They let go of me, and I found my legs and feet moving of their own accord. I exhaled deeply.
"Let's go."
Reading Response: The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir about her life before she matured and pursued her own dreams as an adult. The story consists of a continued string of stories in chronological order, skipping periods of time when necessary or appropriate, such as a week on the road in which nothing significant to the themes occur. Starting with Walls' earliest memory as a three-year-old living in an Arizona trailer park, The Glass Castle captures the life of a poor, dysfunctional, and mostly nomadic family in the years before Walls' life as a true member of society and civilization.
Although I honestly simply picked up this book from the store because I had seen the trailer for the film, I can easily say that I currently hold no regrets whatsoever about that poor-appearing decision. The story moves rather quickly, natural for a memoir that covers multiple years of the author's life, so many events and details can easily be glossed over or forgotten, but the book appears to be gradually spinning a web that will be able to connect each event to the themes. These "themes" aren't fully clear quite yet in the earlier parts of the novel, but I can only speculate that they will soon develop strong tastes of determination and perseverance. The Glass Castle as a story is a "glass castle" of the ties and emotions that challenged the Walls' family.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Reading Response: Check. Mate?
Check. Mate? by Miles Pequeno follows his story about the unforgettable bonding moments between him and his father. Mainly told through a flashback revelation, Pequeno takes on the mysteries of his father's actions through near-daily chess games. It is almost immediately revealed to the reader that the narrator's relationship with his father was expressed the strongest through their competitive matches of chess that took place nearly every night. The narrator then goes on to explain the lessons he learned his whole life through these chess games, starting with one significant night. Revealing the hidden principle which he took to heart that night, the reader is able to take his advice to heart as well.
Through the intense moments of rapid thought between moves, the unconditional desire to win, and the unbreakable hidden bond of the two players, the relatively short plot leaves the reader's train of thought continuing even after its conclusion. The simplicity of the situation and the complexity of human behavior blends together in such a way in this narrative that it mimics human emotions well enough for most readers to feel as they are reading. Any author knows that a well-written narrative is based off of interactions, and those of sentimental humans make the deepest cuts. Those cuts made by the plot then create scars, and scars can be felt forever. This story had not only left a scar for the narrator to relive throughout his life, but it may also scratch the reader deep enough for him or her to not easily forget about.
Dear 12-year old...
Dear 12-year old,
Don't stress out. You are much younger than you think you are when it comes to issues about "life", and most definetly, school. I used to think too much about the future at your age. I used to worry that I would fail at everything and anything I would ever do, so I would need to try my hardest at whatever I do. Looking back at this, I do still think that trying your hardest at anything and everything is what it takes to be successful; however, never should you ever push yourself to the brink of collapse. Never allow yourself to be let down due to a mistake. Simply relaxing and moving forward while learning from those mistakes is the best thing you can do, because you will have to try even harder sooner than you might think.
As long as you don't stress yourself out too much, then you can accomplish much more than you might think that you can. Despite this, you might still have regrets and be repulsed by your past. Don't be. Almost nothing that you have ever done at your age, or even mine, is going to seriously impact you in a life-changing way in the future. So don't regret whatever embarrassing thing you might have done in front of your classmates; don't think that your previous mistakes will lead you to further mistakes; and most importantly, don't stop moving forward, as looking back won't put you closer to your goal.
Don't stress out. You are much younger than you think you are when it comes to issues about "life", and most definetly, school. I used to think too much about the future at your age. I used to worry that I would fail at everything and anything I would ever do, so I would need to try my hardest at whatever I do. Looking back at this, I do still think that trying your hardest at anything and everything is what it takes to be successful; however, never should you ever push yourself to the brink of collapse. Never allow yourself to be let down due to a mistake. Simply relaxing and moving forward while learning from those mistakes is the best thing you can do, because you will have to try even harder sooner than you might think.
As long as you don't stress yourself out too much, then you can accomplish much more than you might think that you can. Despite this, you might still have regrets and be repulsed by your past. Don't be. Almost nothing that you have ever done at your age, or even mine, is going to seriously impact you in a life-changing way in the future. So don't regret whatever embarrassing thing you might have done in front of your classmates; don't think that your previous mistakes will lead you to further mistakes; and most importantly, don't stop moving forward, as looking back won't put you closer to your goal.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Monday, September 4, 2017
September 11th, 2001 Documentary Response
Link to the documentary: https://youtu.be/-zc5lwR5nB0
I recently viewed a documentary called "September 11th, 2001: A Day That Changed The World | 9/11 Documentary" that reviewed the events leading up to and after the attacks of 9/11. The documentary starts by analyzing the details and records of the perpetrators. Going over the specific events of how each person who played a role in the attacks, it is amazing to think about how these terrorists managed to sneak into the U.S. and prepare for the attacks in a matter of weeks. These terrorists had been planning and acting simultaneously to use their time wisely in order to make sure that their plans and efforts would come to fruition; and as we all know, they did.
After the attacks were successfully executed, and the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda took credit for the attacks, a manhunt was ordered on Osama Bin-Laden and a war was declared on Al-Qaeda. Although the long and controversial war eventually did lead to the death of Osama Bin-Laden, the aftermath left a strong taste of bitterness and tragedy, but also a sense of unity. The world recognized these attacks and paid their respects not only to the civilians who lost their lives but also the first responders and rescuers who risked or gave their lives for the safety of others'. These attacks allowed the U.S. to realize that they could not allow something of this manner ever occur again, and that rationalization still thrives today.
I recently viewed a documentary called "September 11th, 2001: A Day That Changed The World | 9/11 Documentary" that reviewed the events leading up to and after the attacks of 9/11. The documentary starts by analyzing the details and records of the perpetrators. Going over the specific events of how each person who played a role in the attacks, it is amazing to think about how these terrorists managed to sneak into the U.S. and prepare for the attacks in a matter of weeks. These terrorists had been planning and acting simultaneously to use their time wisely in order to make sure that their plans and efforts would come to fruition; and as we all know, they did.
After the attacks were successfully executed, and the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda took credit for the attacks, a manhunt was ordered on Osama Bin-Laden and a war was declared on Al-Qaeda. Although the long and controversial war eventually did lead to the death of Osama Bin-Laden, the aftermath left a strong taste of bitterness and tragedy, but also a sense of unity. The world recognized these attacks and paid their respects not only to the civilians who lost their lives but also the first responders and rescuers who risked or gave their lives for the safety of others'. These attacks allowed the U.S. to realize that they could not allow something of this manner ever occur again, and that rationalization still thrives today.
Reading Response: Fairest
Fairest is the 4th installment and the prequel to The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer. The novel is set about a decade before the events of Cinder, the first installment in the series. The story follows Levana Blackburn and her life before she was Queen of Luna, as well as her rise to power. Therefore, Fairest provides the necessary background information to solve a few mysteries about the Blackburns that arose throughout the series. In addition to the final scenes in Winter, the finale of the series, some light is finally shed on Levana's motives and mind. Although it may not completely justify Levana's cruel methods of rule and leadership, readers may find that Levana is a much deeper antagonist than she exhibits.
As the novel moves forward, Marissa Meyer attempts to portray Queen Channary as the larger antagonist in the story, where Levana is the oppressed victim who looks for revenge. This creates a nice contrast to the story in the main series, where Levana is the perpetrator. However, although it does stir a sense of curiosity in the reader to solve Levana's past, the novel has not created the same impact on me as the rest of the series. The plot's action seems to be hinting at a steady rise, but it doesn't seem to have a significant effect on the plot and characters' development, at least early in the novel. As I continue to read, my opinions may change, but I have a stubborn sense that I will not be able to enjoy this novel as much as the others in the series.
As the novel moves forward, Marissa Meyer attempts to portray Queen Channary as the larger antagonist in the story, where Levana is the oppressed victim who looks for revenge. This creates a nice contrast to the story in the main series, where Levana is the perpetrator. However, although it does stir a sense of curiosity in the reader to solve Levana's past, the novel has not created the same impact on me as the rest of the series. The plot's action seems to be hinting at a steady rise, but it doesn't seem to have a significant effect on the plot and characters' development, at least early in the novel. As I continue to read, my opinions may change, but I have a stubborn sense that I will not be able to enjoy this novel as much as the others in the series.
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