Unlucky

It was like any other day for Tom, waking up in the hospital bed and doing the normal everyday tasks that were ahead of him. Get up, eat then patiently wait for the nurse to check his vitals and slowly fall back to sleep again. When he was at the age of forty he lost his whole family in a tragic car accident, which only left him alive with a few broken bones. Now at the age of 88, he is dying of liver failure. This is a life no one would dream of having, however   he has managed to find a positive side to it with the help of Sally. Over the months spent in the hospital, Tom and Sally grew to know each other more and more.  He knows he is lucky to have her there for him: she’s all he’s got left to live for.  They created a bond no one could replace and it certainly wasn’t love but it was friendship, a valued friendship.

While Tom spent his days at the hospital, Sally spent all her life taking care of horses. Sally could not live without them, especially Rider.  Rider had long black hair that whipped through the wind, and remarkable size seizing anyone who stepped foot in his path. Sally wasn’t like other moms or wives, she had lived a long fulfilled life traveling overseas and working endlessly.  Her youngest son Troy recently left the house for collage in Madison. She used to go to every Friday night football game at Waterside High: her son Eric was the starting quarterback and he was very good indeed.  It hasn’t been easy since her kids have been out of the house.  Though she has found ways to cope while her sons were living their lives without her; she joined book clubs, she spent her Friday nights volunteering at the football games and varsity basketball games. Sally also volunteered at her church “Sheppard of the Hills” she was the youth director of Sunday school which kept her busy.

Sally  woke  up one  October morning feeling a slight cold, it was getting chilly outside and the leaves were starting to shed ,one tree to the next. She was happy that winter was just around the corner because it was her favorite season. She loved the smell, the sound and taste of winter.  Even her husband shared the love for winter with her. Her house was filled with Christmas accents here and there, tints of green and red spread throughout the house.  She walked downstairs preparing to leave for work, the news was shouting in the background like a little kid trying to grab his mother’s attention. Flood flash   warning signs were appearing on the screen in her area and already an accident was reported close to her job.   This frightened Sally but she was determined to make it to work in time to see Tom since he has been in a five hour surgery. She was informed earlier in the morning that the surgery wasn’t going as well as planned, this also worried Sally. Tom had just awakened from what to him felt like a very long nap, he was happy to see Sally in the recovery room.   A bouquet of flowers was grasped in her hands waiting to give them to him and a red box of chocolates neatly placed on the end of couch. They chatted for a while and then Sally was on her way home.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             She had reached the crosswalk and started to stroll carefully across.  All of the sudden Sally was knocked down by a big SUV that drove through the stoplight, furiously backed up and rolled over Sally for the second time. This stunned nearby drivers and they quickly dialed 9-1-1. The woman was severely injured, from what they could see in the dark frigid night. The ambulance hurried to the incident, and what they saw was something they never had seen before. She was brutally wounded from head to toe with bruises and scars covering her fragile body. The ambulance quickly rushed her to the hospital, of which she had worked at. Tom had just awoken from his nap, he felt rested and relieved. Though something didn’t feel right to him, something was missing and he knew exactly who it was. It was Sally, and he was surprised she wasn’t there even though he had just seen her an hour or so ago, but he was on heavy pain medication which left him a little confused. As he was walking down the hallway to the bathroom, Tom spotted  a women brutally hurt. She was being carried away on a stretcher, as he the strecther came closer he realized the women wasn't just any women it was Sally.  The ambulance found out her identity by an elderly man who said she currently works here and he claimed that it was his  nurse. Sally was in immediate care and soon to be whisked away to surgery. After four days, Sally didn’t wake up from the surgery. Ten days passed and still nothing, she was officially in a coma.  On October 31^st Sally had awoken from the dark and opened her eyes finding herself in a hospital bed, she was as white as everything around her. Feeling tangled in endless amount of monitors and cords surrounding her upper body.  Troy glanced up at his mom to see that her eyes were open. Inside he felt relieved .He cautioned the nurses and doctors immediately.  Sally sat motionless with no expression; all she wanted to see was her husband and children.  A week passed and after she had woken up she was feeling much better, all   she remembered was feeling like she was in a tunnel. Sallly counted down the days until she left the hopsital. After  six long  months she was finally released from the torture and the pain.  She felt completely healed though her life will never be the same. Sally now only uses her left hand to write since she lost her right hand in the accident, which was her stronger hand. She has contuined life on with her horses and hopes of never returning  to that awful day of October 7th, the day her life changed for good.

Humane Treatment Award

               Thank you, oh thank you so much for the Humane Treatment award. Over the years I have come to realize that animals are just as important as humans. Ever since I was young I always lived with dogs, cats and just about every farm animal you could think of.  Growing up in a house of five helps with learning responsibility and teaches hard work. As of course I was the youngest of four boys and the only girl too. My brothers and I raised the animals, though I had more interest in taking care and treating them than they did.   Animals are similar to friends; always there to talk to and listen to anything you have to say.

                 As I became a teenager, my understanding of animals became more important after researching animal cruelty for a science project. I knew it was my job to do something about the issue.  Of course one teenage girl couldn’t change the world, so as a result, I created an organization called “Against Animal Cruelty”. I only started with my two good friends, then it multiplied and before you know it, by high school there were over thirty students in the organization (A.A.C.). The word spread about the club and already it was too much for me to handle so I decided to set it aside and focus on being accepted to college.

                 Animals were still part of my everyday life; I just wasn’t able to volunteer as much as I wished.  Meanwhile school was becoming a huge factor to my future; I had to put my dreams on hold.  With all my hard work, I was honored a full-ride scholarship to Norte Dame. From then on, I found my career in the education branch.  I became a sixth grade teacher and I couldn’t have made a better decision.  I learned through my students about what really matters in life, especially been given the privilege to teach Panchito english, he didn’t know a word so it was a tough start.  He was a Mexican boy and a  Bracero, I knew he was going to have to work again so I did my best do give him the finest education he will ever have. The feeling of helping someone or an animal is one of the greatest experiences among us.  I am glad to have be a volunteer to our local Humane society, and I am honored to be given this award and for all of you out there always follow your dreams no matter how big or how small.

               

Chapter of the Shakers

Imagine waking up everyday knowing that this day is going to be just like yesterday with the exception of what you wear; what you eat. Unlike most of us, Rob lives by the same day to day routine: get up, get dressed, eat, and work, soon followed by lunch, more work and finally bed time. This is the lifestyle of what most considered a life of a Shaker. Simply put in six words, “Hands to work, heart for God”: this quote refers to the shaker practice.  The author, John Newton Peck clearly proves that anyone can live in simplicity, however most choose not to because it’s takes commitment and hard work.

Among everyday citizens the Shakers, are one of the most hardworking and selfless groups of people. Within everything they do, it’s devoted to God, which is easier said than done. The shaker religion came from Mother Anna Lee, a woman of reason and hard work; she stood for what she believed in and was relentless. The very first Shaker community was in Lebanon, New York and still exists to this day. Being a Shaker boy, as Rob was, he came to realize that his ways are different from the rest of the world. He was taught many lessons by, his father was Haven Peck, unfortunately his father didn’t receive any formal education and that’s what made his father understand the importance of having an education, instead of living by experience and learning lessons by mistakes. However they balance each other out, you can’t live a well rounded life only being book smart and not be aware of what the real world has to offer. Meanwhile trying to go on in life without knowing your ABC’s and 123’s isn’t going to get you very far.

Living in the Shaker religion you learn to confide yourself in God and the long term commitment of Shaker practice. Although there are always going to be the negative side to just about anything,  such as missing out on the opportunity of  voting, which many take for granted and numerous restrictions that are not considered normal to the people outside of the Shaker livelihood. While reading chapter four I didn’t agree with the ideas practiced by the Shakers. Almost everything I do would be considered extra to them, like  even attending a local baseball game. However, many people find certain beliefs to critize in other religions, as in the Hindu culture they praise cows, and to us it sounds funny, but if we grew up with it , praising cows would be normal.

In all walks of life there are always going to be challenges and negative obstacles though in life you reach a point where you will have to sacrifice for someone else’s well being. For me, it was the start of my basketball career in fifth grade and the try-outs for the upcoming  6^th grade select teams were soon to be held. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to try –out because my brother was playing competitive basketball at the time; it would be just too difficult to balance out the same season and same sport for my mom. It was hard for me to comprehend why I couldn’t play, because I was young and didn’t see the  big picture, yet eventually I came to the understanding as I got older. This reminds us of when Rob  sacrificed his arm along with the rest of his body, just to save his neighbor's prize cow. Besides he didn’t even have to, he could of easily walked on by. At his age, most young boys would stroll on by, but that’s what separates Rob from everyone else, because of his religious practice.

As far as I am in this book, chapter four had talked of and about many issues, of not only

HOME

        Maud Martha sat hopelessly on the porch alongside mama and sister Helen. They all thought that this would be the end of their fourteen years in this house with a slim chance of staying. Mama thought of all the memories created in the house: the friendly neighbors and the entertaining parties they shared together. The reality is that if they didn’t receive an extension from the mortgage holders, the whole family will be kicked out on the streets. Unfortunately that’s when it would set in that they are no longer homeowners; just another homeless family. The short story “Home” by Gwendolyn Brooks represents the feeling of waiting and unbearable worry that comes with living paycheck to paycheck.

        All over America today, more families are losing their homes due to job loss or many other causes. According to MMI, one out of five people say that they are only paying for the necessities which includes gas, groceries and paying bills. In “Home” the family had to make do with what they had: a shortage of money causes a shortage of everything. Over 80% of families in America say they are dealing with the effects of our economy, some better than others, though many have the problem of always want, want, want. Most citizens believe what they hear and see in the media, except in reality a majority of us do not have it that way.

        Throughout America people are facing the challenge of keeping a roof over their heads. Just as in the article “How Far Will A Man Go For A Job”, by Jeff Truesdell the author, illustrates that people are traveling great distances just to have a job, not even a decent job. However this situation is better than being one of the many jobless. As sad as it is, the father lives five days a week in a simple Kansas apartment with his brother, miserably five hundred miles from his home in Janesville, Wisconsin. While reading this article I thought of Maud Martha and how she must feel living in worry of her parents losing their jobs. Just as Mike’s two sons think about where they will be if their dad loses his job again. From what I have experienced and learned, the economy has a domino effect, beginning with being in debt, followed by war, soon after it hits close to home and before you know it goes one by one, knocking down whatever lies in its path.

        Beneath the article, I thought of the majority of families in situations similar to the “Hanley’s in Wisconsin. As well as my very own situation, I am aware that I am not the only middle school girl living with a single mother in a suburban lifestyle, also in a difficult economy. Meanwhile, my dad lives in Colorado working for a water and oil transporting company. We find ways everyday to save and cutback. Some adjustments we’ve made are the use of less electricity, shortened showers, and cutoff the short trips to fast food restaurants. There are many other alternatives to saving, such as having a savings account or downsizing to a smaller house even buying a 30 mile per gallon hybrid. The relation between “Home” is that the family will have to find ways to cut back, if they haven’t already.


        The short story “Home” brought about many topics of real life situations and the responsibilities of living paycheck to paycheck. Sometimes when we have less it makes you think what really matters in life. The author “Gwendolyn Brooks” teaches sometimes change is needed and most of the time it’s for the better. Many readers will learn from the short story that life isn’t easy and that you have to be prepared for what’s next, while planning for what’s ahead.

Mine:Taylor Swift

Mine Lyrics by Taylor Swift
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh

You were in college, working part-time, waiting tables (older man she seems interested)
Left a small town and never looked back (he needed to get as so did she)
I was a flight risk, afraid of fallin'(afraid of going back to the old ways)
Wondering why we bother with love, if it never lasts(waste of time what am I doing)

I say, "Can you believe it?" (she’s surprised she found love)
As we're lyin' on the couch
The moment, I can see it(she ‘s sees them in the future together)
Yes, yes, I can see it now

Do you remember, we were sittin' there, by the water?(memories of the first times they met)
You put your arm around me for the fist time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter(he changed her to do things she never do)
You are the best thing that's ever been mine ( You are my everything)

Flash forward, and we're takin' on the world together( she’s telling a story about how she met her husband) not in real life though
And there's a drawer of my things at your place (moving in together)
You learn my secrets and figure out why I'm guarded
You say we'll never make my parents' mistakes(Doesn’t want to get in a divorce like her parents did)

But we got bills to pay ( All of the problems that could turn things bad)
We got nothin' figured out
When it was hard to take
Yes, yes

This is what I thought about:

Do you remember, we were sittin' there, by the water?
You put your arm around me for the fist time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine

Do you remember all the city lights on the water?
You saw me start to believe for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine

Oh, oh, oh, oh

And I remember that fight, two-thirty AM ( the big fight over all the problems that happened when moved in together)
You said everything was slipping right out of our hands
I ran out, crying, and you followed me out into the street

Braced myself for the goodbye, cause that's all I've ever known
Then, you took me by surprise
You said, "I'll never leave you alone."

You said, "I remember how we felt, sitting by the water.
And every time I look at you, it's like the first time.
I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter.
She is the best thing that's ever been mine."

You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine

Do you believe it?
We're gonna make it now
And I can see it

I can see it now
From the album Speak Now (2010)
I chose to do this because she’s telling the story of how she met her husband and that love is good and bad. She speaks of the struggles and the highs of being young together. "MINE lyrics - TAYLOR SWIFT." Lyrics. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec.2010.

Papa's Parrot

     In our modern world the  human nature of kids causes them to believe that they are old enough by thirteen to do whatever they want, so therefore,to them, they don't need their parents anymore.   However we all need our parents some way or another.  Within the short story "Papa's Parrot", the tale illustrates that relationships between father and son are different for everybody,some better than others. Cynthia Rylant, the author, wrote "Papa's Parrot" to show readers the things kids take for granted, including how important spending time with family is because you never know what could happen when you don't. The  connection between "Papa's Parrot" and life teaches readers that real life parent relationships change as kids get older and how kids become independent through time.
     As most of us, Harry was a typical middle school kid. He did his homework, hung out with his friends and worked in his dad's shop every once in a while; eventually it doesn't become a priority to Harry anymore. Every kid had that one special thing they do with their parent, although with a father and son it's different, such as working in the family store together or sharing fantasy football leagues. Whatever it may be it's their way of connecting and it's also an excuse for the parents to do something with their child. Though as years go by,soon enough, son or even father looses interest ,until it just stops. If they can't do it together they choose not to do it at all,but that's not always the case.\
   Beneath the loss of connection ,there are interferences that cause us to choose something over another. Since Harry's friends found that playing video games was much cooler than hanging out at the family store,soon Harry joined  them.  Up until elementary school we start to do competitive sports,spend time with friends and I can't remember the last Friday the last Friday that we were all home.  Even though it seems like I chose to do things with my friends, it was just human nature.
     Once seeing that it hurt my mom's feeling after bailing on her several times, I felt terrible on the inside. Of course I didn't intentionally try to hurt her feelings,though I made the choice of being with my friends. As Harry had done too. Mr. Tillian found things to replace Harry when he wasn't there. In the short story you could tell how neglect takes place. That also may happen when kids go to collage : some parents may find a new hobby to keep their mind away from missing their kids,or even find human-like replacements such as buying a dog or pet of some sort. The parents do this because they are searching for closure.
       Above all "Papa's Parrot has messages about growing up and becoming independent, though since becoming older is part of the process so is forgetting to spend time and slow down. In some cases if you go to fast like Harry had done he forgot about his father and that caused the heart attack. Upon realizing this harry learned not take things for granted  such  as family  like  most of us do.
    

Patriotism

   Patriotism is taking  pride in your country such as serving war or working for a branch of the governement. While it could also be saying the pledge every morning and celebrating our country's independence in July.  There is a variety of ways citizens show pride in our country,however patriotism matters because it's what makes our country who we are.
     Although people show patriotism they really are showing pride. In order to have patriotism there needs to be pride, pride is what comes from the inside and reflects on how you are on the outside. We believe that taking pride  is having dedication and love to our country.  Though pride can come in any shape or form, whether it's recycling or help to keep our environment clean an having a protest to stop smoking in local places. There are so many ways of showing what pride is,but what do you think pride is?                                        Among most average day people, teachers are a huge contribution to teaching pride and giving it. Without teachers, where would we be? I and many kids believe that teachers build us up to be a good citizen and to do the right thing. In addition they also provide us with an education and if we didn't have an education we couldn't talk or communicate that well or even write. Even though they teach for nine months out of the year, they present a lot of effort in that amount of time and soon people may realize why teachers are true patriots.
        Above all things patriotism means to have love and dedication towards your country. Many of us show it in our lives by doing something good and few of us don't because of doing illegal things. However we all are one and need to stick together to represent the United states as a country of caring citizens. So after reading this essay,do you think  are you a good patriot or not?