1. Since I grew up with two brothers, I can picture the main character as being full of tough love. As far as physical appearances are concerned, I really have no clue what he looks like. Physical attributes may have been good for the cousin, since he was going to try bull riding. If he was scrawny, that would have added to the effect of the story.
2. I would not take any characters out, but I would like to see a compassionate female in the story. Maybe there could be a sister of the cousin or brother to be worried for the cousin. When the cousin got hurt, she would add a bit more drama to the story, because she would be very emotional. Her worries would be coming true.
3. Having to deal with tough love my whole life, the plot interested me. I would have loved to have read a bit more on the cousin's bull riding camp "fun".
4. I could picture where most of the scenes took place, but only during the last half of the story. Even then, the pictures of the places I thought of were lacking detail. Therefore, a bit more detail could be told about places such as the bull riding camp and the store.
5. The dialogue seems real enough, but more dialogue could be used in the store/workplace scene to add an urgency feeling.
6. A good start is to have people read it and ask them questions such as the one asked here. Then use the input to mold the story for the better, without completely changing it. Then have people read it again and give more input.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Building My Tastes
I have never heard of a family food tree, and I don't think my family has one. I'm sure if I ask my elders, they could tell me what kind of dishes have been in our family for generations, but I never have had that type of curiosity. My family members do prepare certain dishes. Also, we gather for different occasions to eat and socialize.
There is, of course, the obvious gather times in which we eat. These times are events such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. I am not religious, but I guess my family gathers due to religious beliefs, as most families do. During the major holidays such as these, my mother does most of the cooking. Everyone shoes up with a dish, but my mom will show up with a car load of dishes. Pot after pot, pan after pan, she single-handedly makes sure everyone will have enough to eat, and that there is variety for everyone. Her dishes ranged from homemade chicken and noodles to baked beans to cakes and pies. My other family members have great dishes as well. My aunt Debby has a very delicious baked mashed potato dish. The potatoes seem to just slide down my throat. The red velvet cake that my aunt Janet makes is one of the most delicious desserts I have ever had. If you have never had a good red velvet cake, you are missing out on a fine portion of life. Her cake was a firm sponge topped with the smoothest and creamiest sweetness there is. It is way too easy to over eat dessert when her cake is present.
Explained so far was just my mother's side of the family. My father's side of the family is a bit different. We usually gather only to socialize and "catch-up". I rarely see my father, aunt Barb, and grandpa McGrew. Usually, I get to see my grandpa when he is off the road. He is a truck driver, and travels from Florida to Canada. When he is in town, my father usually brings him to Evansville to visit. We used to just gather at a pizzeria or any other type of restaurant to talk and eat. Pizza was usually the food of choice, because it was my brother's and my favorite. However, now that my aunt Barb is married and lives in Evansville, we usually meet at her house to visit, have fun and eat.
Aunt Barb prepares all the food. She is a great cook and has many dishes. Plus, uncle Jim usually grills up some sort of tender meat. It really does not matter what type of food it is, pasta or burgers or chicken, it is always something to look forward to. I am not really picky when it comes to food. I will eat what is put in front of me usually. Of all the nice dishes my aunt cooks up, my favorite is probably the simplest. When she cooks pigs in a blanket (hotdogs wrapped in biscuit dough), I am in love. A simple man with simple tastes is what I am I guess.
So, as far as a food tree goes, I don't know of one. However, each person in my family, who cooks, has certain dishes that they prepare. They prepare them for social gatherings or holidays. Food is a big part of my family's socializing, now that I really think about it.
There is, of course, the obvious gather times in which we eat. These times are events such as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. I am not religious, but I guess my family gathers due to religious beliefs, as most families do. During the major holidays such as these, my mother does most of the cooking. Everyone shoes up with a dish, but my mom will show up with a car load of dishes. Pot after pot, pan after pan, she single-handedly makes sure everyone will have enough to eat, and that there is variety for everyone. Her dishes ranged from homemade chicken and noodles to baked beans to cakes and pies. My other family members have great dishes as well. My aunt Debby has a very delicious baked mashed potato dish. The potatoes seem to just slide down my throat. The red velvet cake that my aunt Janet makes is one of the most delicious desserts I have ever had. If you have never had a good red velvet cake, you are missing out on a fine portion of life. Her cake was a firm sponge topped with the smoothest and creamiest sweetness there is. It is way too easy to over eat dessert when her cake is present.
Explained so far was just my mother's side of the family. My father's side of the family is a bit different. We usually gather only to socialize and "catch-up". I rarely see my father, aunt Barb, and grandpa McGrew. Usually, I get to see my grandpa when he is off the road. He is a truck driver, and travels from Florida to Canada. When he is in town, my father usually brings him to Evansville to visit. We used to just gather at a pizzeria or any other type of restaurant to talk and eat. Pizza was usually the food of choice, because it was my brother's and my favorite. However, now that my aunt Barb is married and lives in Evansville, we usually meet at her house to visit, have fun and eat.
Aunt Barb prepares all the food. She is a great cook and has many dishes. Plus, uncle Jim usually grills up some sort of tender meat. It really does not matter what type of food it is, pasta or burgers or chicken, it is always something to look forward to. I am not really picky when it comes to food. I will eat what is put in front of me usually. Of all the nice dishes my aunt cooks up, my favorite is probably the simplest. When she cooks pigs in a blanket (hotdogs wrapped in biscuit dough), I am in love. A simple man with simple tastes is what I am I guess.
So, as far as a food tree goes, I don't know of one. However, each person in my family, who cooks, has certain dishes that they prepare. They prepare them for social gatherings or holidays. Food is a big part of my family's socializing, now that I really think about it.
"Catfish in the Bathtub" Question Responses
1. She explains the rubbery smell of the skunk that her mother is dismembering. To me, this was the strongest description, because I have smelt a skunk fairly up close. Rubbery is definitely one way to explain it. She described how some of the weeds she pulled up had white star flowers, and how she used to hide under her bed with her ears plugged to shut out the screams of the birds being butchered. Also, her mother told her that if it tastes bad, it is good for you. Thus, most things that she had to eat probably tasted bad. As far as touch is concerned, she mentioned how the cooks would grasp a clump of the monkey's hair to open its eye lids and do what they did.
2. Kingston uses the dialogue from her mother without editing. This bluntness enables me to form an image of how her mother was, and that image is one of someone who would cook so exotic animals without hesitation.
3. The story is used to show the mentality of her mother, as mentioned previously. Her mother obviously carried a certain mind set from China to the United States.
4. She used a simile that the flowers were like white starts. An example of personification was where she said that a glass jar kept a clawed hand. I don't really find any metaphors in the reading, though.
5. It is easy for the reader to just read all the things she had to eat, without having to decipher anything. After explaining what she had to eat and how long she had to eat it for, she ended with the simple statement because it was strong enough to describe her disdain for the food she had to eat. Eating plastic would be disgusting, so that says a lot about what she did have to eat.
2. Kingston uses the dialogue from her mother without editing. This bluntness enables me to form an image of how her mother was, and that image is one of someone who would cook so exotic animals without hesitation.
3. The story is used to show the mentality of her mother, as mentioned previously. Her mother obviously carried a certain mind set from China to the United States.
4. She used a simile that the flowers were like white starts. An example of personification was where she said that a glass jar kept a clawed hand. I don't really find any metaphors in the reading, though.
5. It is easy for the reader to just read all the things she had to eat, without having to decipher anything. After explaining what she had to eat and how long she had to eat it for, she ended with the simple statement because it was strong enough to describe her disdain for the food she had to eat. Eating plastic would be disgusting, so that says a lot about what she did have to eat.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Uncle Dave
If I had to choose one person that influenced my childhood, it would be my uncle Dave. My parents and brothers affected me in many great ways, but when I think back to my childhood, I my uncle Dave pops into my mind. I could not wait to visit my cousins, so I could see what fun was in store.
Everyday after school, my aunt Lori used to babysit my brothers and me. She would pick us up in her old station wagon and take us to our awaiting cousins. I always loved going over there, because they always had the newest video games. My uncle Dave made sure of that. My cousins, Anna and Kara, were very playful and had creative minds. If we weren't doing one thing, we were doing another. We constantly had some kind of plan to have fun.
Even with all of our grand schemes of fun, uncle Dave will stroll in from his job at the local news paper and have an idea for us kids that was ten times as fun as anything we could think of. A few things that we all did with my uncle Dave were: riding the four wheeler, blowing up things in the fire pit, turning the back yard into a huge swamp, and taking the boat out onto the Ohio River. A lot of the activities my mom did not like us doing, but we did anyway, especially going out onto the river. My mother is afraid of deep water, and cannot swim.
No matter the time or the place, one thing was constant with my uncle Dave, his shirt. Even if I try to remember as hard as I can, I fail to picture my uncle Dave wearing anything other than his work shirts. They were all the same. All were light polo shirts that were as blue as jays. I even remember seeing his closet. Hanger after hanger, shirt after shirt, I could only see in blue when I viewed his closet.
His shirt actually accented his most obvious feature. Since his shirt was only so long, his belly slightly hung out from under it. Uncle Dave was a big fellow. His haircut was straight from medieval period and as black as the plague. The nose in the center of his face was quite big, but brought a sense of jolliness to his persona. That was a good way to describe him, jolly. He was always happy. It seemed like nothing fazed him. My mother said that he spent his money too lavishly. I think that he just loved using his earnings to enjoy life. Even without money, he found new uses for old toys.
Even today, I try to see the world with his eyes. He always seemed happy. In turn, that made everyone around him happy. He was, and still probably is, an asset to the world. It is a shame that him and my aunt got a divorce, because I have no idea where he is today. I have not seen him in nearly 16 years. Even if I do never see him again, he impacted me greater than most people who have known me my entire life. I only hope that I may have this same effect on my children, and give them a healthy view on the world as a whole.
Everyday after school, my aunt Lori used to babysit my brothers and me. She would pick us up in her old station wagon and take us to our awaiting cousins. I always loved going over there, because they always had the newest video games. My uncle Dave made sure of that. My cousins, Anna and Kara, were very playful and had creative minds. If we weren't doing one thing, we were doing another. We constantly had some kind of plan to have fun.
Even with all of our grand schemes of fun, uncle Dave will stroll in from his job at the local news paper and have an idea for us kids that was ten times as fun as anything we could think of. A few things that we all did with my uncle Dave were: riding the four wheeler, blowing up things in the fire pit, turning the back yard into a huge swamp, and taking the boat out onto the Ohio River. A lot of the activities my mom did not like us doing, but we did anyway, especially going out onto the river. My mother is afraid of deep water, and cannot swim.
No matter the time or the place, one thing was constant with my uncle Dave, his shirt. Even if I try to remember as hard as I can, I fail to picture my uncle Dave wearing anything other than his work shirts. They were all the same. All were light polo shirts that were as blue as jays. I even remember seeing his closet. Hanger after hanger, shirt after shirt, I could only see in blue when I viewed his closet.
His shirt actually accented his most obvious feature. Since his shirt was only so long, his belly slightly hung out from under it. Uncle Dave was a big fellow. His haircut was straight from medieval period and as black as the plague. The nose in the center of his face was quite big, but brought a sense of jolliness to his persona. That was a good way to describe him, jolly. He was always happy. It seemed like nothing fazed him. My mother said that he spent his money too lavishly. I think that he just loved using his earnings to enjoy life. Even without money, he found new uses for old toys.
Even today, I try to see the world with his eyes. He always seemed happy. In turn, that made everyone around him happy. He was, and still probably is, an asset to the world. It is a shame that him and my aunt got a divorce, because I have no idea where he is today. I have not seen him in nearly 16 years. Even if I do never see him again, he impacted me greater than most people who have known me my entire life. I only hope that I may have this same effect on my children, and give them a healthy view on the world as a whole.
"Words Left Unspoken" Question Responses
1. Her earliest memory of him was his chin. She was unable to converse in sign language with him, so she used physical language, such as playing games and holding hands, to communicate with him.
2. This title expresses how ideas and emotions can be expressed in ways other than sound. "Words left unspoken" are the words that can be communicated through physical means. Therefore, they do not need to be said.
3. Her and her grandfather communicated on a personal level through touch and other physical means. While walking home, she was able to have a prolonged one on one physical conversation with him. They did not even need to look at one another to express their feelings.
4. She uses a simile to describe her grandfather's voice. When she said that the cards lay face down, that is personification. She also uses a metaphor when she mentioned that his hands were the instruments of his mind.
5. She means that all of her memories of him seem like they all have significant meaning as to who he was and how he felt about her and everyone else. I think this is a great way to end and essay. It makes the readers remember what happened in the essay, and try to find the significance in each thing.
2. This title expresses how ideas and emotions can be expressed in ways other than sound. "Words left unspoken" are the words that can be communicated through physical means. Therefore, they do not need to be said.
3. Her and her grandfather communicated on a personal level through touch and other physical means. While walking home, she was able to have a prolonged one on one physical conversation with him. They did not even need to look at one another to express their feelings.
4. She uses a simile to describe her grandfather's voice. When she said that the cards lay face down, that is personification. She also uses a metaphor when she mentioned that his hands were the instruments of his mind.
5. She means that all of her memories of him seem like they all have significant meaning as to who he was and how he felt about her and everyone else. I think this is a great way to end and essay. It makes the readers remember what happened in the essay, and try to find the significance in each thing.
Monday, July 26, 2010
National Pastime
It was on a giant coach bus filled with familiar faces, when my excitement really started to swell. All of the familiar faces were those of my brother's, my father's, and my father's coworkers. Everyone was so lively while entering the mammoth of a bus, even though it was only 6 a.m. I do remember the time of morning having a slight chill to it, but the heat from each body combined in the bus hit me like a wave, as I took three giant steps to gain access.
After everyone was situated in their rightful place, my father's boss gave a speech to everyone. I do not remember what was said, but it made everyone happy. They should have been happy, this was the company trip. The seats within the bus were pillows that I sank in to. In fact, the seat was the cause of me dozing off for a short period before departure. The nap was short due to the ignition of the engine. As the bus was turned on, I shot awake and looked around. Before I knew it, we were moving!
On the road, I could not sleep. I was moving past other cars, which may as well have been ants, in a house on wheels. As time past and lunch neared, I asked my dad if we could stop for food and a restroom break. "There is a restroom and a cooler full of sub sandwiches in the back of the bus", he told me. Things just kept getting exciting. Clutching onto every seat on my way back, I grabbed food and stumbled back to my seat near the front. Before I could even finish my sandwich, we had arrived.
More people than I knew existed surrounded the structure in which we were going. I once felt like a giant while riding in a coach bus. Now I felt as small as ever after pulling up to the stadium. We rushed through the gates. My hand clasped to my father's belt, we made our way to our seats. Sunlight filled the stadium. It was only matched by the roar of the fans in attendance.
From my view, home plate was straight ahead, but on the other side of the field. I believed that we were too far away. I held this believe until baseballs were shooting toward us. Then I knew we were going to see plenty of action. The action that would come from the battle between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners would be very adequate.
During the seventh inning, my two brothers and I were escorted to the restroom by my father. That is when I had waited the longest time in my life to use a urinal. On the way back to the seats, though, I noticed helmets at the souvenir shop. After nagging my dad, my brothers and I persuaded him into buying us each one. My younger brother got a Seattle Mariners helmet, my older brother got a Chicago White Sox one, and I chose the Baltimore Orioles. I thought the Orioles team symbol looked real cool. After adjusting the little plastic crown inside the toy batting helmet, I placed my new treasure on my head and followed my dad to the seats.
As the game ended in favor of the Mariners, everyone piled back into the comfortable bus and we journeyed home. Half way through the trip and through the rest of the night, I would remain asleep. The day of many new sights and sounds was a grand event, but it took its draining toll on me. I don't think I will forget that day.
After everyone was situated in their rightful place, my father's boss gave a speech to everyone. I do not remember what was said, but it made everyone happy. They should have been happy, this was the company trip. The seats within the bus were pillows that I sank in to. In fact, the seat was the cause of me dozing off for a short period before departure. The nap was short due to the ignition of the engine. As the bus was turned on, I shot awake and looked around. Before I knew it, we were moving!
On the road, I could not sleep. I was moving past other cars, which may as well have been ants, in a house on wheels. As time past and lunch neared, I asked my dad if we could stop for food and a restroom break. "There is a restroom and a cooler full of sub sandwiches in the back of the bus", he told me. Things just kept getting exciting. Clutching onto every seat on my way back, I grabbed food and stumbled back to my seat near the front. Before I could even finish my sandwich, we had arrived.
More people than I knew existed surrounded the structure in which we were going. I once felt like a giant while riding in a coach bus. Now I felt as small as ever after pulling up to the stadium. We rushed through the gates. My hand clasped to my father's belt, we made our way to our seats. Sunlight filled the stadium. It was only matched by the roar of the fans in attendance.
From my view, home plate was straight ahead, but on the other side of the field. I believed that we were too far away. I held this believe until baseballs were shooting toward us. Then I knew we were going to see plenty of action. The action that would come from the battle between the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners would be very adequate.
During the seventh inning, my two brothers and I were escorted to the restroom by my father. That is when I had waited the longest time in my life to use a urinal. On the way back to the seats, though, I noticed helmets at the souvenir shop. After nagging my dad, my brothers and I persuaded him into buying us each one. My younger brother got a Seattle Mariners helmet, my older brother got a Chicago White Sox one, and I chose the Baltimore Orioles. I thought the Orioles team symbol looked real cool. After adjusting the little plastic crown inside the toy batting helmet, I placed my new treasure on my head and followed my dad to the seats.
As the game ended in favor of the Mariners, everyone piled back into the comfortable bus and we journeyed home. Half way through the trip and through the rest of the night, I would remain asleep. The day of many new sights and sounds was a grand event, but it took its draining toll on me. I don't think I will forget that day.
"Ground Zero" Question Responses
1. She may have been expecting to see what she saw on all the news channels on 9/11. When she realized that nothing was there, it took a minute for her to piece together what had happened from the moment 9/11 occurred until the time she stood there at that time. When she saw nothing, it seemed as nothing only. However, what had once been one of the busiest places in the United States, or even the world, now no long exists. It is just nothing. That absence is what puts the world in awe.
2. On television, her mind was used to seeing the actual buildings being attacked, or remembered how they were. If anything, footage of the aftermath still had piles of massive rubble to take in. When she arrived to notice the absence of this, it made her mind form a story about why it was different; to make her eyes adjust.
3. When she notices the memorials, she takes time to describe as meaningfully as she was able. Noticing and describing all the flowers, flags, paper cranes, and the rusted girder cross made that scene have a powerful impact on me.
4. She moves around quite a bit while she is visiting the site. She gets to view it from different points of view. Each location having its characteristics of the devastation, just as each person in the United States, or even the world, have their own opinions on ground zero.
5. If it was titled "My Ticket to Disaster", I would be under more of an impression that this whole event was a disaster, instead of an event that was tragic, but a stage of growing together as a nation. I don't want to think of it as a disaster.
6. The WTC used to be a bustling location with a variety of different types of people. After the sad event, it was that no longer. However, now it was returning to its original state, but for a different reason.
2. On television, her mind was used to seeing the actual buildings being attacked, or remembered how they were. If anything, footage of the aftermath still had piles of massive rubble to take in. When she arrived to notice the absence of this, it made her mind form a story about why it was different; to make her eyes adjust.
3. When she notices the memorials, she takes time to describe as meaningfully as she was able. Noticing and describing all the flowers, flags, paper cranes, and the rusted girder cross made that scene have a powerful impact on me.
4. She moves around quite a bit while she is visiting the site. She gets to view it from different points of view. Each location having its characteristics of the devastation, just as each person in the United States, or even the world, have their own opinions on ground zero.
5. If it was titled "My Ticket to Disaster", I would be under more of an impression that this whole event was a disaster, instead of an event that was tragic, but a stage of growing together as a nation. I don't want to think of it as a disaster.
6. The WTC used to be a bustling location with a variety of different types of people. After the sad event, it was that no longer. However, now it was returning to its original state, but for a different reason.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Malleable Me
People are shaped in many different ways. This topic is good for the nature versus nurture category. Much can be said about how I was shaped into the man I am now, but I will break it down to a few key points in my life. Those points are my first time seeing a disabled person, my first job, and meeting my friend Danielle. These are all events that changed my perspective of life.
My life has always been a great one. I had a wonderful childhood, and am still living a fortunate life. As a child many things were still very new to me, and i had a good learning experienced nearly everyday. Most were good, but some were strange or bad.
One experience in my life that really made me reflect and put me into deep thought was the time I first saw a disable person. It was a young boy who lived in the same apartment complex as I did. I moved with my mother and two brothers into this apartment complex after my parents divorce. We moved back to Evansville from northern Indiana. So, the world was really expanding to me. I loved how the world was getting bigger and better. It was a like an adventure to see all sorts of great new things. However, they day I saw this young disabled boy, who was nearly the same age as myself, I was with my father. My dad came down to visit my brothers and I.
As we were driving out of the apartments, when I saw the boy on the sidewalk. My dad must have saw him as well. When I said, "I feel sorry for him", my father said, "That's because you have a level head." I have no idea if it was right to say what I said. But it was how I felt. Even to this day, I feel like there is something I can do for the less fortunate. However, for some reason, that thought seems like a maze to me.
No matter how different or similar people were, I mostly got along with anyone and had no enemies. That seemed to change when I got my first job at a restaurant. I still was in good with everyone at the place until I became a cook. For some reason, it is hard to get along with waitresses and waiters who yell for their orders impatiently. That is when I started to feel disdain towards people in new ways. I really wish I did not feel that way towards people ever, but it is hard. Especially when it seems like there are people who dislike where they are in life, and try to drag others down with them. It is a very sad sight.
Being angry towards people did affect my life. One reason I got angry with people is because I did not take the time to see things from their view. My eyes really opened up to try to see the whole story when I met my friend Danielle. Just talking to her taught me to consider both views of any argument or situation. She is a very logical thinker. That kind of thinking has really rubbed off on me and I feel like a better person for having this kind of thought process.
All experiences in life seem to test and shape you into the person you become. This is definitely the case for me. From the first time I saw a disable person to my first job to the time I met my friend Danielle, my life was shaped. Even as time passes now, the experiences I go through continue to form me as an individual.
My life has always been a great one. I had a wonderful childhood, and am still living a fortunate life. As a child many things were still very new to me, and i had a good learning experienced nearly everyday. Most were good, but some were strange or bad.
One experience in my life that really made me reflect and put me into deep thought was the time I first saw a disable person. It was a young boy who lived in the same apartment complex as I did. I moved with my mother and two brothers into this apartment complex after my parents divorce. We moved back to Evansville from northern Indiana. So, the world was really expanding to me. I loved how the world was getting bigger and better. It was a like an adventure to see all sorts of great new things. However, they day I saw this young disabled boy, who was nearly the same age as myself, I was with my father. My dad came down to visit my brothers and I.
As we were driving out of the apartments, when I saw the boy on the sidewalk. My dad must have saw him as well. When I said, "I feel sorry for him", my father said, "That's because you have a level head." I have no idea if it was right to say what I said. But it was how I felt. Even to this day, I feel like there is something I can do for the less fortunate. However, for some reason, that thought seems like a maze to me.
No matter how different or similar people were, I mostly got along with anyone and had no enemies. That seemed to change when I got my first job at a restaurant. I still was in good with everyone at the place until I became a cook. For some reason, it is hard to get along with waitresses and waiters who yell for their orders impatiently. That is when I started to feel disdain towards people in new ways. I really wish I did not feel that way towards people ever, but it is hard. Especially when it seems like there are people who dislike where they are in life, and try to drag others down with them. It is a very sad sight.
Being angry towards people did affect my life. One reason I got angry with people is because I did not take the time to see things from their view. My eyes really opened up to try to see the whole story when I met my friend Danielle. Just talking to her taught me to consider both views of any argument or situation. She is a very logical thinker. That kind of thinking has really rubbed off on me and I feel like a better person for having this kind of thought process.
All experiences in life seem to test and shape you into the person you become. This is definitely the case for me. From the first time I saw a disable person to my first job to the time I met my friend Danielle, my life was shaped. Even as time passes now, the experiences I go through continue to form me as an individual.
"Only Daughter" Question Responses
1. In her father's mind, the best that his daughter could do is to find a good husband for a happy life. It really did not matter that she was the only daughter, because if he had more daughters, he would have thought the same for them as well. Where the sons had to work hard to achieve greatness, the daughter just had to marry.
2. She feels that it gave her time to herself to develop into the writer that she is today. She did not have that nagging father over her should, worrying about if she was wasting her time. However, she actually wanted that from him.
3. I learned that he was a very old fashion type of guy. He grew up with gender stereotypes, and he tried to impose them on his children. It was what he thought was the best. He is like any other father. He just wants what is best for his kids.
4. Sympathetic. She grew to understand that he was just a man of his time. He did the best he could while raising and supporting this big family. He wanted her to be happy. He just had his own differing idea on how to achieve her happiness.
5. It seems as if she was always seeking her dad's approval for the life she chose to lead. It was different from the one that he had in mind, but she wanted to show him that it was the one she wanted. When he liked the story of hers, she felt that she received that approval.
2. She feels that it gave her time to herself to develop into the writer that she is today. She did not have that nagging father over her should, worrying about if she was wasting her time. However, she actually wanted that from him.
3. I learned that he was a very old fashion type of guy. He grew up with gender stereotypes, and he tried to impose them on his children. It was what he thought was the best. He is like any other father. He just wants what is best for his kids.
4. Sympathetic. She grew to understand that he was just a man of his time. He did the best he could while raising and supporting this big family. He wanted her to be happy. He just had his own differing idea on how to achieve her happiness.
5. It seems as if she was always seeking her dad's approval for the life she chose to lead. It was different from the one that he had in mind, but she wanted to show him that it was the one she wanted. When he liked the story of hers, she felt that she received that approval.
Ambitions
Everyone has ambitions. One way or another, everyone wants to change their life in some way. Be it to become rich or to just achieve the next meal. I lump myself into this group of "everyone", naturally. When I was younger, I had a creative mind and took to art as a hobby. I always wanted to draw and paint random stuff, but superheroes were my favorite. Luckily I had great art teachers that let me express what I wanted. Also, my mother should get a lot of credit for encouragement and for buying me what I needed. Everything was set in place for me to grow with my art.
My art was always a leisure activity, and I hated doing it by a deadline. This often happened in art classes throughout school. It made something that I like into a sort of job. I hated that. But I rolled with the punches, because I enjoyed the adventure of presenting my creativity in physical form. Art class was definitely my favorite class in elementary and middle school.
During elementary school came a pivotal decision in my life. My first participation in an art show. I was in fourth grade, and everyone in my class had to choose one piece of artwork to enter into a contest at Washington Square Mall. I knew exactly which one that I wanted to enter. However, when my friend saw the one I was entering, he said that I would win too easily with it. He convinced me to enter another piece to make it fair for everyone. So I did.
He ended up using his artwork that was similar to the one he talked me out of. The day came to go to Washington Square Mall and view the results. His piece won first place, and mine won nothing. This was a big reality check for me as a fourth grader. I felt that I could have won first place if I entered my original choice. I realized that I didn't really know that for sure.
The only thing I did know for sure was that I liked all my artworks, and enjoyed making them. This reminded me that my art was for me. Nobody else. Just me. I am very happy this experience happened to me. I think I would have disliked art if I was seeking glory. It would have sucked all the life out of me and my works, from that point on. The only goal that I had from that point on, with my art, was to just enjoy and have fun with it. That is one of my greatest achievements in life, because it applies to many aspects of me.
On a side note, I am finding that writing is much more of an art than I have thought. There is the ability to place key words in certain positions, just as to place key colors in focal positions in an artwork. This is new to me, because I have been trained to write in a business style. Straight to the point with no fillers or unnecessary clutter, that is the business style. It is a bit difficult from going from trimming writings to having a minimum word limit. I guess it is time to get creative.
My art was always a leisure activity, and I hated doing it by a deadline. This often happened in art classes throughout school. It made something that I like into a sort of job. I hated that. But I rolled with the punches, because I enjoyed the adventure of presenting my creativity in physical form. Art class was definitely my favorite class in elementary and middle school.
During elementary school came a pivotal decision in my life. My first participation in an art show. I was in fourth grade, and everyone in my class had to choose one piece of artwork to enter into a contest at Washington Square Mall. I knew exactly which one that I wanted to enter. However, when my friend saw the one I was entering, he said that I would win too easily with it. He convinced me to enter another piece to make it fair for everyone. So I did.
He ended up using his artwork that was similar to the one he talked me out of. The day came to go to Washington Square Mall and view the results. His piece won first place, and mine won nothing. This was a big reality check for me as a fourth grader. I felt that I could have won first place if I entered my original choice. I realized that I didn't really know that for sure.
The only thing I did know for sure was that I liked all my artworks, and enjoyed making them. This reminded me that my art was for me. Nobody else. Just me. I am very happy this experience happened to me. I think I would have disliked art if I was seeking glory. It would have sucked all the life out of me and my works, from that point on. The only goal that I had from that point on, with my art, was to just enjoy and have fun with it. That is one of my greatest achievements in life, because it applies to many aspects of me.
On a side note, I am finding that writing is much more of an art than I have thought. There is the ability to place key words in certain positions, just as to place key colors in focal positions in an artwork. This is new to me, because I have been trained to write in a business style. Straight to the point with no fillers or unnecessary clutter, that is the business style. It is a bit difficult from going from trimming writings to having a minimum word limit. I guess it is time to get creative.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
"Homemade Education" Response Questions
1. The frustration of not being able to understand what he read, and the inability to properly express his true ideas in his letters to people were the main reasons for him to begin his studies. He wanted to express his ideas to Elija Muhammed, a leader of the black Muslim community.
2. To increase his vocabulary, Malcom wrote, read aloud repeatedly, and studied a dictionary's pages from start to finish.
3. I believe that the general public hold a certain disdain for prison inmates. That being said, I don't think that people would be as likely to read the title "Prison Studies". They may just over look it as not worth reading. How can anything dealing with prisoners be of any interest?
4. Most people will react positively to the word "homemade". To me it brings back memories of actual home cooking, as compared to the microwave meals in which seem to be surviving off of currently. Although, it also reminds me of constantly fighting with my two brothers, which really isn't that big of a deal in the big picture. Overall, "homemade" is a positive thought, but it is something that I will never experience again, until I marry and start my own family.
5. Knowledge is power. Once he learned to read and write properly, a brand new world opened to him. He was able to freely lose himself in books, and express himself in a logical manner. All of this made him feel truly free.
2. To increase his vocabulary, Malcom wrote, read aloud repeatedly, and studied a dictionary's pages from start to finish.
3. I believe that the general public hold a certain disdain for prison inmates. That being said, I don't think that people would be as likely to read the title "Prison Studies". They may just over look it as not worth reading. How can anything dealing with prisoners be of any interest?
4. Most people will react positively to the word "homemade". To me it brings back memories of actual home cooking, as compared to the microwave meals in which seem to be surviving off of currently. Although, it also reminds me of constantly fighting with my two brothers, which really isn't that big of a deal in the big picture. Overall, "homemade" is a positive thought, but it is something that I will never experience again, until I marry and start my own family.
5. Knowledge is power. Once he learned to read and write properly, a brand new world opened to him. He was able to freely lose himself in books, and express himself in a logical manner. All of this made him feel truly free.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
School Days
Growing up with two brothers was always a fun time. When you throw in a single mom trying to raise and keep control of us three, it made things that much more chaotic. She did a great job. She knew how to keep three rowdy lads on their respective leashes. In her mind, she knew each of our personalities as fluently as she knew the English language.
My older brother's personality was that of a brainy child. He took to school work easily. My little brother, however, did not. He tended to let his mind wander in class, and had a terrible time keeping it in check. Every time he got a bad grade, he would exclaim, "It is because of my A.D.D."(attention deficit disorder). My reply was always, "Whatever that even is!"
I guess my tough love mentality came from my father. My personality fell between my two brothers. Though I also had an artistic streak. I did well on my report cards, and took a liking to art in school.
When my mother and father divorced, my mom, two brothers, and I moved back to Evansville. We had lived away from Evansville for around four years, and moved back in 1991. Since we started Caze Elementary School halfway through a school year, and since my older brother was very intelligent, he was bumped up to the next grade. I don't know how all that worked, but I do know that it sort of distanced him from me, as compared to my younger brother. Grade level wise, I was now closer to my little brother than my older. He was in fifth grade already, and i was only in second. This I presume to be the start of my feeling of being closer to my younger brother than my older brother.
I loved second grade, and would always see my little brother Derek on the playground and after school during daycare. We always played together, and knew the same people. He often imitated me. Back then, I found it very annoying. He did not mind getting my hand me down clothes, but I had trouble letting them go. He would even get the same haircut as me. After a while, I just accepted his imitations and did not let it bother me.
My mother had a friend that would cut our hair for very cheap. We always made a night of it. We would go visit her and get our hair cuts. One of these nights came during the winter of my second grade year. My older brother got a totally different haircut than my little brother and I, like usual. However, on this night, my little brother and I got the best haircuts of our lives! It was a simple buzz cut, but with a little something extra. Our mom's friend shaved a Bat-Symbol into the back of our heads! A Bat-Symbol as in the one on Batman's chest.
After many hours of excitement and the inability to calm down, we rested for the next school day. On our way to school, Derek and I ran as fast as we could. We had to get to school and show off our new haircuts. We each wanted to be the first to step through the doors. From the point we entered school until the point our hair grew back, it seemed as if everyone were talking a out the McGrew brothers. I was starting to be called "Derek's older brother", and he was starting to be called "Dustin's younger brother". After that experience, I knew that he was gonna be my brother forever. Even to this day, I will hear a someone I don't even know call my name, "Derek's older brother". He still gets the same.
My older brother's personality was that of a brainy child. He took to school work easily. My little brother, however, did not. He tended to let his mind wander in class, and had a terrible time keeping it in check. Every time he got a bad grade, he would exclaim, "It is because of my A.D.D."(attention deficit disorder). My reply was always, "Whatever that even is!"
I guess my tough love mentality came from my father. My personality fell between my two brothers. Though I also had an artistic streak. I did well on my report cards, and took a liking to art in school.
When my mother and father divorced, my mom, two brothers, and I moved back to Evansville. We had lived away from Evansville for around four years, and moved back in 1991. Since we started Caze Elementary School halfway through a school year, and since my older brother was very intelligent, he was bumped up to the next grade. I don't know how all that worked, but I do know that it sort of distanced him from me, as compared to my younger brother. Grade level wise, I was now closer to my little brother than my older. He was in fifth grade already, and i was only in second. This I presume to be the start of my feeling of being closer to my younger brother than my older brother.
I loved second grade, and would always see my little brother Derek on the playground and after school during daycare. We always played together, and knew the same people. He often imitated me. Back then, I found it very annoying. He did not mind getting my hand me down clothes, but I had trouble letting them go. He would even get the same haircut as me. After a while, I just accepted his imitations and did not let it bother me.
My mother had a friend that would cut our hair for very cheap. We always made a night of it. We would go visit her and get our hair cuts. One of these nights came during the winter of my second grade year. My older brother got a totally different haircut than my little brother and I, like usual. However, on this night, my little brother and I got the best haircuts of our lives! It was a simple buzz cut, but with a little something extra. Our mom's friend shaved a Bat-Symbol into the back of our heads! A Bat-Symbol as in the one on Batman's chest.
After many hours of excitement and the inability to calm down, we rested for the next school day. On our way to school, Derek and I ran as fast as we could. We had to get to school and show off our new haircuts. We each wanted to be the first to step through the doors. From the point we entered school until the point our hair grew back, it seemed as if everyone were talking a out the McGrew brothers. I was starting to be called "Derek's older brother", and he was starting to be called "Dustin's younger brother". After that experience, I knew that he was gonna be my brother forever. Even to this day, I will hear a someone I don't even know call my name, "Derek's older brother". He still gets the same.
Shame Response Questions
1. I found it to be surprising that his teacher called him out in front of his whole class. From my experience, teachers are supportive. However, this was from an earlier time. Things were a bit different, I guess.
2. His shame lasted until he was 29. His academic, comedic, and athletic feats helped to rid him of shame. However, It seemed to be his wife that was the one to really help rid him of the shame he felt since that day in school.
3. He makes sure to wash his clothes every evening. Even when the water pipes were busted, he melted ice to wash his clothes in. Also, every time he saw Helene coming down the street, he would fix his hair and wipe his shoes clean. To really impress her, he attempted to donate more than she did, to the community chest.
4. As he reflected upon his past story of shame, it seemed like he didn't want to identify his teacher by name. Since he was older when he wrote the story, he probably felt that his teacher was just a person of the time. Also, that the teacher did not fully understand how her words affected him. Gregory doesn't seem like the type of person to try and tarnish a persons name over something that may have been a misunderstanding. He knows what it feels like being lumped into a group, and did not want to classify the teacher in a similar negative group.
5. To me, as a reader, the dialogue helped me visualize each situation. It also made me feel as if I was there, in each situation. Each situation had significant importance, and the dialogue helped accent that.
6. He says that because he becomes aware of discrimination, and sees the world in a whole new view. His points are illustrated by the food bus, the clothes handed out to the poor (that looked the same), and being classified as a "Worthy boy".
2. His shame lasted until he was 29. His academic, comedic, and athletic feats helped to rid him of shame. However, It seemed to be his wife that was the one to really help rid him of the shame he felt since that day in school.
3. He makes sure to wash his clothes every evening. Even when the water pipes were busted, he melted ice to wash his clothes in. Also, every time he saw Helene coming down the street, he would fix his hair and wipe his shoes clean. To really impress her, he attempted to donate more than she did, to the community chest.
4. As he reflected upon his past story of shame, it seemed like he didn't want to identify his teacher by name. Since he was older when he wrote the story, he probably felt that his teacher was just a person of the time. Also, that the teacher did not fully understand how her words affected him. Gregory doesn't seem like the type of person to try and tarnish a persons name over something that may have been a misunderstanding. He knows what it feels like being lumped into a group, and did not want to classify the teacher in a similar negative group.
5. To me, as a reader, the dialogue helped me visualize each situation. It also made me feel as if I was there, in each situation. Each situation had significant importance, and the dialogue helped accent that.
6. He says that because he becomes aware of discrimination, and sees the world in a whole new view. His points are illustrated by the food bus, the clothes handed out to the poor (that looked the same), and being classified as a "Worthy boy".
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Hello everyone
Hello everybody. My name is Dustin McGrew. This English class is one of four that I am taking this summer at U.S.I. I am not a big fan of writing, but do not mind it from time to time. I am an accounting major, so my focus is not really writing. However I do understand the significance of being able to write well. Being able to put together well composed writings will help me out in many parts of my educational and career oriented goals.
My goals are to qualify and pass the certified public accountant exam for Indiana. Most people say, "eww", when I tell them my major. To me it is not all that bad. It is a lot of work, but any major is a lot of work. I much rather deal with numbers than having to write extensively. Numbers usually come more naturally to me. Whatever my preferences may be, I will do my best to succeed in this class.
On a more personal note, I have two brothers. I was born and mostly raised in Evansville. Some things I like are: disc golf, xbox, comic books, skateboarding, most anything Japanese, and my friends (especially Braco, see his blog for info on him). Also, I am a huge Dr. Who fan. I have other hobbies, but I'll end this before it becomes a list of random stuff.
My goals are to qualify and pass the certified public accountant exam for Indiana. Most people say, "eww", when I tell them my major. To me it is not all that bad. It is a lot of work, but any major is a lot of work. I much rather deal with numbers than having to write extensively. Numbers usually come more naturally to me. Whatever my preferences may be, I will do my best to succeed in this class.
On a more personal note, I have two brothers. I was born and mostly raised in Evansville. Some things I like are: disc golf, xbox, comic books, skateboarding, most anything Japanese, and my friends (especially Braco, see his blog for info on him). Also, I am a huge Dr. Who fan. I have other hobbies, but I'll end this before it becomes a list of random stuff.
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