Started Holes, got about half way through so far. It is a very fun novel to read because of the language Louis Sachar uses. I also enjoy it because I saw the movie a few times and it was always very amusing to me. What I really like is how Sachar really embodies his characters. It is very funny that Stanley's name is just his last named spelled backwards. I can't imagine that or else my name might be...Retieb. Stanley works for him though. I love the song that the Grandfather teaches Stanley, it goes as follows:
"If only, If only," the woodpecker sighs,
The bark on the tree was just a little bit softer."
While the Wolf waits below, hungry and lonely,
He cries to the moo-oo-oon,
"If only, if only."
This, I noticed is different from the one they state in the film. In the film version (which I have memorized) the second line is changed, in which it is says: "The bark on the tree was as soft as the skies," so it actually rhymes with the first line. I kind of like the film version better, just because it flows a little better. What I also find hysterical about this novel is all of the juvenile's nicknames. If I had to go to Camp Green Lake, I wonder what my nickname might be...
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
expository
Discipline in athletics if learned and applied correctly can correspond to our every day lives. We must first understand that being an athlete on any team is a privilege, not a right. We can see an example of that in the young adult novel, Deadline, by Chris Crutcher, the only way to make a team is by earning your spot. Our young, unlikely hero Ben Wolf, usually a Cross Country runner drops the act to join the football squad.
He earns his way to the starting line up after proving he can keep up with the big boys by disciplining his body. He trains himself enough to always keep his head in the game, and in the last few moments where stamina and heart count, he knows how to outlast his opponents. One last thing about Ben, he’s only got one year to live. Through proper obedience we find a young man, virtually on his deathbed, going out and performing top-end at a sport he’s never played by disciplining not only his body, but also his mind.
Through disciplining the mind, one can achieve anything. Two years ago I was overweight, just getting out of high school after choosing to forego my senior year of lacrosse, the most important year. I decided that it was time for changes. Just three months later after quitting soda, chocolate, and caffeine cold turkey, and exercising on a regular basis I found myself 20 pounds lighter, and in the most shape I had been since lacrosse. I did this through determination, and the will to never give up until I achieved my goals taught by my hockey coach, Karl Hoffner, as well as Mike Evans, my lacrosse coach.
Discipline is more than just training your body and mind though. It is also learning principles that can apply to every day life. One of those, is managing your emotions. In another Chris Crutcher novel entitled Whale Talk, T.J. has anger issues that only escalate when his archrivals are around and making his life a living hell. Many times he is ready to fight them, seemingly the only way to solve his problems. But then he starts a swim team with a bunch of unlikely heroes; they learn as a team through self-realization how to handle their problems. Eventually T.J. learns how to handle his problems, and keep his anger in check. When his dad is murdered by one of his rivals, he chooses not to get back at him, not to fight.
Through this example T.J. teaches us all a life lesson that I believe everyone should harness. This specifically just came through discipline he learned in athletics. To control your temper, emotions, and to harness your strengths and your will to overcome any and every obstacle is discipline everyone should apply to their lives.
He earns his way to the starting line up after proving he can keep up with the big boys by disciplining his body. He trains himself enough to always keep his head in the game, and in the last few moments where stamina and heart count, he knows how to outlast his opponents. One last thing about Ben, he’s only got one year to live. Through proper obedience we find a young man, virtually on his deathbed, going out and performing top-end at a sport he’s never played by disciplining not only his body, but also his mind.
Through disciplining the mind, one can achieve anything. Two years ago I was overweight, just getting out of high school after choosing to forego my senior year of lacrosse, the most important year. I decided that it was time for changes. Just three months later after quitting soda, chocolate, and caffeine cold turkey, and exercising on a regular basis I found myself 20 pounds lighter, and in the most shape I had been since lacrosse. I did this through determination, and the will to never give up until I achieved my goals taught by my hockey coach, Karl Hoffner, as well as Mike Evans, my lacrosse coach.
Discipline is more than just training your body and mind though. It is also learning principles that can apply to every day life. One of those, is managing your emotions. In another Chris Crutcher novel entitled Whale Talk, T.J. has anger issues that only escalate when his archrivals are around and making his life a living hell. Many times he is ready to fight them, seemingly the only way to solve his problems. But then he starts a swim team with a bunch of unlikely heroes; they learn as a team through self-realization how to handle their problems. Eventually T.J. learns how to handle his problems, and keep his anger in check. When his dad is murdered by one of his rivals, he chooses not to get back at him, not to fight.
Through this example T.J. teaches us all a life lesson that I believe everyone should harness. This specifically just came through discipline he learned in athletics. To control your temper, emotions, and to harness your strengths and your will to overcome any and every obstacle is discipline everyone should apply to their lives.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Half of a Piece of Paper
Half of a piece of paper
to save for myself.
For no one has asked me for it,
for no one needs me.
In this perfect circle,
a reflection of our perfect world,
I do not fit in.
I make the circle crooked. I change
the circle.
I take on the different,
the role of the leper among the perfect Athenians.
I hold a piece of paper,
half a piece of paper.
This is just a simple tool to show how
the world is so imperfect.
to save for myself.
For no one has asked me for it,
for no one needs me.
In this perfect circle,
a reflection of our perfect world,
I do not fit in.
I make the circle crooked. I change
the circle.
I take on the different,
the role of the leper among the perfect Athenians.
I hold a piece of paper,
half a piece of paper.
This is just a simple tool to show how
the world is so imperfect.
Zombies, Everywhere
Everyone outside of my house
was going crazy.
I didn’t know what to do,
so I turned on the television.
The man in the nice suit
and toupee said that riots have started,
and people were infected
with a deadly virus.
I didn’t know what he meant.
That is until my sister came home
with a big gash in her leg claiming
“A stranger bit me.”
She wrapped it in gauze,
and mum told her that we’d take
her to the hospital
when all of the rioting stopped.
But after the rioting when on for days,
and my sister’s gash turned white, then purple,
she started to go crazy.
We didn’t know what was wrong.
She got out of bed and tried attacking mum and pop.
My parents tried calming her down,
but the rage didn’t cease.
She tore into their flesh like it was paper.
I didn’t know what to do,
but take her out.
So with our big kitchen knife,
I stopped her in her tracks.
After my parents said
“What have you done?!”,
and I told them
I did what had to be done.
The rioting never stopped.
And my parents never got better.
They turned to mindless creatures.
Then they came for me.
But before they got to me,
I got to their bedroom
and barricaded myself in.
I searched in their closet and under their bed.
Eureka, I found my dad’s 12 gauge.
I opened the door and was ready.
I was ready to do this, because
I reassured myself that
they were no longer my parents.
After the deed was done,
I turned on the t.v.
Then the man said something
I though only existed in books, or movies.
Zombies.
I decided to move on
when night time fell,
when it was the quietest.
I didn’t want to alarm the zombies.
I went to the neighbor’s house
in search of food.
All I found were their mangled bodies.
Zombies ate my neighbors.
I ran for weeks on end,
searching every house for food
so I could survive for another few days.
The apocalyptic world was upon me.
Every where I went, there were hundreds,
and thousands of zombies.
There was no one left in the world
Except the zombies and me.
When I went to the local grocery store,
I noticed a few followed me in.
After I disposed of them, I looked out
just to see that hundreds followed them.
I quickly barricaded all the windows and doors.
But it was no match.
Just like that, there were hundreds surrounding me
and all I had were a few shells, and an axe.
Just as they tore into my flesh,
I woke up and realized
I just had a bad dream
when I fell asleep in front of the television.
was going crazy.
I didn’t know what to do,
so I turned on the television.
The man in the nice suit
and toupee said that riots have started,
and people were infected
with a deadly virus.
I didn’t know what he meant.
That is until my sister came home
with a big gash in her leg claiming
“A stranger bit me.”
She wrapped it in gauze,
and mum told her that we’d take
her to the hospital
when all of the rioting stopped.
But after the rioting when on for days,
and my sister’s gash turned white, then purple,
she started to go crazy.
We didn’t know what was wrong.
She got out of bed and tried attacking mum and pop.
My parents tried calming her down,
but the rage didn’t cease.
She tore into their flesh like it was paper.
I didn’t know what to do,
but take her out.
So with our big kitchen knife,
I stopped her in her tracks.
After my parents said
“What have you done?!”,
and I told them
I did what had to be done.
The rioting never stopped.
And my parents never got better.
They turned to mindless creatures.
Then they came for me.
But before they got to me,
I got to their bedroom
and barricaded myself in.
I searched in their closet and under their bed.
Eureka, I found my dad’s 12 gauge.
I opened the door and was ready.
I was ready to do this, because
I reassured myself that
they were no longer my parents.
After the deed was done,
I turned on the t.v.
Then the man said something
I though only existed in books, or movies.
Zombies.
I decided to move on
when night time fell,
when it was the quietest.
I didn’t want to alarm the zombies.
I went to the neighbor’s house
in search of food.
All I found were their mangled bodies.
Zombies ate my neighbors.
I ran for weeks on end,
searching every house for food
so I could survive for another few days.
The apocalyptic world was upon me.
Every where I went, there were hundreds,
and thousands of zombies.
There was no one left in the world
Except the zombies and me.
When I went to the local grocery store,
I noticed a few followed me in.
After I disposed of them, I looked out
just to see that hundreds followed them.
I quickly barricaded all the windows and doors.
But it was no match.
Just like that, there were hundreds surrounding me
and all I had were a few shells, and an axe.
Just as they tore into my flesh,
I woke up and realized
I just had a bad dream
when I fell asleep in front of the television.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The King (a poem)
can you guess what this is about?
The King
Once there was a boy
that was wild like the wolf,
and his mischievous actions
got him into trouble.
The child like the wolf
did not fit in.
He wanted to belong and
he longed to be happy.
No one ever listened or cared,
so he ran away in search of a land
where someone or something would care,
to a place where he belonged.
He ran through the night to the sea
and got in a boat in which he sailed for days.
Amidst the storm that he was in,
he found new land, in hope that this place was different.
The wolf found light in the darkness.
A new hope was born.
He though his problems fixed
but the boy was wrong.
In the woods he found the beasts
unhappy, just as he was.
But he thought if he played along,
everything would seem okay.
He told the beasts that he was king,
and that he had conquered many things.
The king said he would rule their land,
and that he would keep them happy and together
because that is what they wanted, and he wanted to belong.
And when the beasts got wild
the king silenced them with two mighty words
Using his voice as a weapon, he shouted
“BE STILL!” and they were still.
They rejoiced as the king’s new reign began
because they were happy and together.
They ran amongst the trees, and destroyed the nature
because it was fun, and they wanted fun.
That night when the sun went down
and all was silent,
the beasts and the king
rested as one.
When they awoke
They built a home
For all of them to have fun in
and for them to sleep in a big pile in.
The next morning they started to play.
It was fun that they sought.
But when their playful nature got too rough,
that was then when they fought.
A war the king started.
The good against the bad.
The beasts started to turn on one another,
and the happiness became undone.
The beasts roared at the “king”.
They were mad at him
and blamed him for their problems.
But this time he couldn’t make it all better.
They found out that he was no king.
Nor a wolf, just a boy in a costume.
The beasts told him “if you don’t leave we will eat you”
so the child decided to go.
In his boat he returned,
and the monsters gave him a push out to sea
They all knew this couldn’t go on.
As he sailed away, the wolf and the beasts
howled at the moon as one.
For one last time, they all fit in.
The child sailed the seas for many nights
until he reached his home.
His family was happy to see him
and everything was okay because he was safe.
This is where he belonged.
The King
Once there was a boy
that was wild like the wolf,
and his mischievous actions
got him into trouble.
The child like the wolf
did not fit in.
He wanted to belong and
he longed to be happy.
No one ever listened or cared,
so he ran away in search of a land
where someone or something would care,
to a place where he belonged.
He ran through the night to the sea
and got in a boat in which he sailed for days.
Amidst the storm that he was in,
he found new land, in hope that this place was different.
The wolf found light in the darkness.
A new hope was born.
He though his problems fixed
but the boy was wrong.
In the woods he found the beasts
unhappy, just as he was.
But he thought if he played along,
everything would seem okay.
He told the beasts that he was king,
and that he had conquered many things.
The king said he would rule their land,
and that he would keep them happy and together
because that is what they wanted, and he wanted to belong.
And when the beasts got wild
the king silenced them with two mighty words
Using his voice as a weapon, he shouted
“BE STILL!” and they were still.
They rejoiced as the king’s new reign began
because they were happy and together.
They ran amongst the trees, and destroyed the nature
because it was fun, and they wanted fun.
That night when the sun went down
and all was silent,
the beasts and the king
rested as one.
When they awoke
They built a home
For all of them to have fun in
and for them to sleep in a big pile in.
The next morning they started to play.
It was fun that they sought.
But when their playful nature got too rough,
that was then when they fought.
A war the king started.
The good against the bad.
The beasts started to turn on one another,
and the happiness became undone.
The beasts roared at the “king”.
They were mad at him
and blamed him for their problems.
But this time he couldn’t make it all better.
They found out that he was no king.
Nor a wolf, just a boy in a costume.
The beasts told him “if you don’t leave we will eat you”
so the child decided to go.
In his boat he returned,
and the monsters gave him a push out to sea
They all knew this couldn’t go on.
As he sailed away, the wolf and the beasts
howled at the moon as one.
For one last time, they all fit in.
The child sailed the seas for many nights
until he reached his home.
His family was happy to see him
and everything was okay because he was safe.
This is where he belonged.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Optimism
(taken from some old lyrics I've written, condensed into one solid work, and thus I have this poem.)
It’s getting harder
To look on the bright side
I can’t sleep or think
Answers are getting harder to come by
I feel as if
I’ll never leave this state
But I finally know why
I feel dead
I skipped the funeral procession
Looking at the congregation
Filled with fakes and false hearts
The choir sang praise for all the wrong reasons
It hurts so much
Just to try and kept my head up
In this darkened world
Where no one sees the light
I haven’t slept in weeks
Because I’ve realized
Everyone I've hated
Mirrors everything that I used to be
And echoes everything I used to say
This is a journey on a ship
Through an unbeatable storm
How am I expected
To survive in this world
That was intended
To be infected?
There seems to be no hope
When you have no place to call a home
But after everything I’ve been through
I’m still happy to be alive.
It’s getting harder
To look on the bright side
I can’t sleep or think
Answers are getting harder to come by
I feel as if
I’ll never leave this state
But I finally know why
I feel dead
I skipped the funeral procession
Looking at the congregation
Filled with fakes and false hearts
The choir sang praise for all the wrong reasons
It hurts so much
Just to try and kept my head up
In this darkened world
Where no one sees the light
I haven’t slept in weeks
Because I’ve realized
Everyone I've hated
Mirrors everything that I used to be
And echoes everything I used to say
This is a journey on a ship
Through an unbeatable storm
How am I expected
To survive in this world
That was intended
To be infected?
There seems to be no hope
When you have no place to call a home
But after everything I’ve been through
I’m still happy to be alive.
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Anniversary (A short, very short story of fiction)
She sat on my bed expecting a ring, fancy necklace, flowers, or some nice gift. The truth was, since my car was totaled right after I pulled out of the car shop, there was no way I could afford a present for our anniversary.
She asked me where it was, and I didn’t have an answer. I still hadn’t told her about the accident and how unbelievably broke I’ve become because my crappy ’98 neon. I tried to play it off asking her “Where is what sweetie?” But her response of nothing but snorting out clouds of smoke had her thinking that I knew what she was talking about.
I told her that I didn’t get her anything, but she gave me something: a bloody nose. After I told her that I had been in a car accident the day before she understood a little but then realized I had waited to tell her so she was still pissed.
“I understand honey”, lying through her teeth.
“I just didn’t want you worrying, I’m so sorry I couldn’t give you anything” I managed to pull out.
My girlfriend reiterated over and over again that it was okay, but I would have to make it up to her. Her snobbish tone just reached into my heart and stomped down a few times.
Today just wasn’t good. Between not having a car, letting my girlfriend down, and definitely not getting laid, I wondered how to tell her that I just wanted to be alone. I was afraid to but still asked her if she would get off of my bed, since I had a long day and just wanted to sprawl out. She gave me a look as if I told her I had genital warts, hawked up some spit and loogied right onto my favorite sweater. That was right before she got up and left—for good.
Some anniversary.
She asked me where it was, and I didn’t have an answer. I still hadn’t told her about the accident and how unbelievably broke I’ve become because my crappy ’98 neon. I tried to play it off asking her “Where is what sweetie?” But her response of nothing but snorting out clouds of smoke had her thinking that I knew what she was talking about.
I told her that I didn’t get her anything, but she gave me something: a bloody nose. After I told her that I had been in a car accident the day before she understood a little but then realized I had waited to tell her so she was still pissed.
“I understand honey”, lying through her teeth.
“I just didn’t want you worrying, I’m so sorry I couldn’t give you anything” I managed to pull out.
My girlfriend reiterated over and over again that it was okay, but I would have to make it up to her. Her snobbish tone just reached into my heart and stomped down a few times.
Today just wasn’t good. Between not having a car, letting my girlfriend down, and definitely not getting laid, I wondered how to tell her that I just wanted to be alone. I was afraid to but still asked her if she would get off of my bed, since I had a long day and just wanted to sprawl out. She gave me a look as if I told her I had genital warts, hawked up some spit and loogied right onto my favorite sweater. That was right before she got up and left—for good.
Some anniversary.
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