The Golden Ticket

    An experience I had that made my jaw drop was when four of my friends and I won a golden ticket. In explanation, I used to be on a dance team(had to quit for school). During my final year on the dance team, 2014-2015, four of my friends on the dance team and I went to a summer dance camp. We learned some choreography and put it together to make a routine. We practiced the routine and performed it at every performance the dance team did. When the dance competition was approaching, our coach said we could compete with the routine. The five of us worked extra hard during the week leading up to competition to perfect the routine and executed the routine very well, if I do say so myself. When it came to awards time, we received platinum, the highest award. Then came the time for judges' awards and golden tickets. Basically, the golden ticket is an invitation to the national championships. Anyway, when the routines that won golden tickets were being called out, our routine was called, and I was so shocked. I couldn't believe that our little routine that we put together was good enough to go to the national championships! My favorite part is that I was the one who got to go up and receive the ticket and invitation. It was so much fun, and I really enjoyed the exhilaration of being on the stage. It is unfortunate to say that we did not go to the championships because I quit the team, and it was in another state that was kinda far away. However, I still have the memories of it all, and I will definitely never forget the moment we won the golden ticket.

NaNoWriMo!

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month(this month)!

     I received news of NaNoWriMo via Ms. Smith when she emailed all members in Creative Writing Club. NaNoWriMo is where thousands of people worldwide commit themselves to writing a 50,000 word novel(personal goals may vary). I do not know if I am able to complete a 50,000 word novel with such a busy school life, but I have a personal goal of at least 15,000 words, hoping for more. 

     I have not yet decided on what my topic will be, so I am open to suggestions. However, in the spirit of writing, below is a little piece I wrote for Creative Writing Club.

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A Child

In her own little world, she lies on the grass, making extravagant shapes out of clouds. “A puppy with a big pink bow! No, a rainbow unicorn! And that one’s three scoops of double chocolate chip ice cream in a waffle cone! Can I eat it?” she excitedly shouts. She listens to Lesley Gore’s “Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows” constantly, humming the tune all day long. She fantasizes that she’s in another world, the best witch in Hufflepuff or the smartest daughter of Athena. Hiding under a veil of innocence and wearing a dress woven with kindness, she twirls and twirls and pushes the thought of leaving out of her mind.

However, the world around her is swimming in awful and inappropriate jokes and words that have the same intentions as a hard punch to the face. People, friends, trying to fill her head with a bunch of useless bricks that cover up her true thoughts. Her optimistic world shattered, broken by all of these bricks. At times, she lets go of the rope that keeps her tethered to her true self.

Yet, she always manages to grab hold again. She takes hold of the kindness and loyalty and creativity that holds her together like Gorilla Glue.

She remembers her innocence, as if she’s a child or a lamb, and she never wants to let go.

Because this is who she is.

She is a kind, loyal, creative, smart, weird, and awkward person who dreams of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, who wishes for Peter Pan to fly by and take her to Neverland, who wants to become a famous YouTuber with millions of subscribers, who lives and breathes her schoolwork, who is an innocent person.

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I hope you enjoyed the piece. It's just a little something I whipped up with a sprinkle of inspiration. So, the point of this, as you may be wondering, is to inform you of NaNoWriMo and to encourage you to write a novel. This is a fun thing to do, and it will help to get those creative juices flowing. I encourage you to branch out and try this, just as I am. Thank you and don't forget NaNoWriMo!

Important Things

For this blog post, I am choosing to write about some important things that have decided to show themselves in my journey of life.

   First, I would like to address the topic of stress. Lately, I have been stressed out about schoolwork and keeping up my grades. These past few weeks have definitely been large trials to overcome, but I know that the experience has helped become a better person. Of course, there are other things that can induce stress, but I have luckily only faced very few of them. I have had trouble learning how to deal with it, mainly because stress is a hard thing to face. However, I have learned how to deal with my stress, and I feel as though I can now face most other stress-inducing experiences with confidence that I will reign victorious.

   Next, bullying has been an issue that has come about in my life. I would like to state that I have not really been bullied at the Webb School. (There are a few things that bother me, but I would not consider it bullying.) Bullying is a serious problem that all children experience. I, too, have experienced bullying, and I know that it is a memorable event. For this reason, I want to work towards being bully-free in every school. This is a bit of wishful thinking, but I do believe it is possible.

   Finally, I am confronting opinions. Opinions, by definition of Dictionary.com, are beliefs or judgments that rest on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty or personal views, attitudes, or appraisals. At Webb, I know you are able to express your opinions freely. One of my peers, my parents, and my friends have always told me that I have the freedom to express my opinion, and it's my opinion no matter what. Unfortunately, whenever I express my opinion, I am almost always shot down and attacked. I have noticed this happening to a few of my peers, as well. I want these actions to stop. I am entitled to my opinion just like everyone else, and I feel that I should be able to express it without being attacked.

   Now, I look back and see how fast this went from a blog post to one of my daily rants. But that doesn't matter. What matters is the important things that I have just discussed. These are special topics that I am glad I have talked about and shared with you. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful life.

Hello! I am Me.

Hello! For this blog, I would love to tell you a few things about myself.

(Nothing too personal because.......it's the internet.)

•      To start things off, I'll tell you that I like video games. Yes...I do...I mainly enjoy Minecraft(If you don't know what it is, I highly suggest looking it up) because I love expressing my creative, imaginative, and weird ideas in "physical" form. I also enjoy playing video games because I am always fascinated by the graphics and the effort put into it.

•      When I grow up, I hope to be a YouTuber, a person who makes money by putting videos on YouTube. I want to do this because currently I watch many YouTubers who play games, and I love how they make me feel like I'm not watching a video made by a random person but rather a video made by a really close friend. I want to make people feel the same way. And it would be cool to make a living off of playing games, but that's not the point...

•      I am a Hufflepuff in the Harry Potter world, and a child of Athena(particularly Annabeth Chase) in the Percy Jackson world.

•       My two favorite T.V. shows are Gravity Falls and Star vs. the Forces of Evil. I hope to dress up as Star Butterfly, the protagonist of Star vs. the Forces of Evil, for Halloween. 

•       My favorite books are too many to list, but I really enjoy Angus and Sadie. I love all animals, except for insects(especially spiders). I love school, all things sweet, CHOCOLATE, purple, spring(the season), the French language and I LOVE rainbows, unicorns, pegasi, and alicorns(winged unicorns).

•      I am a very spastic, energetic, and optimistic person(I actually don't know if I am a normal person because I am still waiting for my letter from Hogwarts) who is always up for a challenge, unless it involves major physical activity.

      Yes, I know I'm weird, crazy, and weird(wait, I already said that...), but I love me, myself, and I. These are just a few things about me that I thought you should know. So, thank you for reading, and have a FABULOUS life. Au revoir!

Bob the Cockroach

            Bob the Cockroach is my pet Madagascar hissing cockroach. He is, as the name states, a cockroach that hisses from time to time, usually because he thinks he is being threatened(he's not). Now, there is an interesting story behind Bob. It may not be interesting to you, but I am still fascinated by his presence.

           Bob the Cockroach was originally the class pet at my school. He had two siblings, and since we got them while they were "teenagers", we could not tell the gender(they were also named Bob). Around mid-fall, my teacher said that each cockroach needed a place to stay over winter break. I offered to keep one and was lucky enough to be able to take a Bob home. Two other students also received the chance, but unfortunately, one cockroach died due to lack of water. On the bright side, I was still able to take home a Bob. It was nice taking him home, but one night, I do recall Bob trying to escape(that's a long story). Anyway, school continued as usual. However, not long after winter break, we started having multiple snow days, and another Bob died. The Bob I took home(I was for certain it was him) was still alive and healthy, and that made me really happy. As the end of the year drew closer and closer, I offered to take Bob home over the summer. I had forgotten I would be leaving(I was already accepted to Webb), and now, Bob is mine forever. 

          He's actually a pretty cool pet to have. I mean, he doesn't do much, just eat carrots, sleep under or on top of his log, climb on the sides of his terrarium, and hiss. However, I find it so fascinating to watch him move or eat or climb. It's also so much fun having a pet of my own, even if my sister is always complaining about how she hates bugs. 

         Anyway, I love Bob the Cockroach, my weird but cool pet.

A Sign from the Grownups?

            What is the “sign that came down from the world of grown-ups” and what could it  symbolize?    

             The sign was a "figure dropping swiftly beneath a parachute." This figure floats down after a "bright explosion and corkscrew trail across the sky." I think that this figure is a person, quite possibly a pilot who was just shot down but managed to escape before disaster struck. Since Sam and Eric take the figure as the beast (I assume), I will try to look at the situation from that perspective. So, let's say this "sign" is the beast. I think the beast represents the evil that we have within ourselves. That sneaky feeling that all of us sometimes get, like when you just want to push that one person in class. That feeling is represented by the beast. Why do I think this? I think the beast symbolizes the evil within because the boys on the island are starting to get homesick, scared, and are starting to realize their situation. I believe this realization is starting to bring the evil inside to the front of their minds. I know I have definitely felt this feeling and would totally feel that way if I were in their shoes. 

            In conclusion, the sign is a figure floating down from the sky, I think it symbolizes the beast, and the beast symbolizes our inner evil. That is basically what I just said.

What Does it Mean?

“He found himself understanding the wearisome of life, where every path was an improvisation and a considerable part of one’s waking life was spent looking at one’s feet.”

            I interpret that this quote means that he came into realization that nobody, I mean nobody, comes into life with every little detail figured out and perfected. Nobody even knows what they're doing, hence the paths of improvisation. Everybody improvises and takes risks in life, but they never have the confidence to take pride in what they are doing. They are scared that they are doing the wrong, insecure about the decisions they make, and confused on what to do. This is why a lot of one's life is "spent looking at one's feet." I can say I have felt the same way, realization smacking me in the face as if I just walked into a wall. However, I call it maturity. When I realized that everyone was and is in the same boat, I matured and realized that I should hold my head high as I go through life. Why not, am I right? 

         I interpret this quote as a statement everyone has or should take notice of in their lifetime so that then they finally feel a little less scared and a whole lot more confident.

Views on Life, Power, Control, and Violence

"After reading Chapter 4, have your views about life, violence, power, and control changed since the beginning of the book?"

         I believe my views have not changed because I feel the book has showed me nothing new in the sense of my views on life, violence, power, and control.

          I think the book shows that people can grow inhumane and resort to violence when they are frustrated or angry or numerous other reasons, such as when Jack slaps Piggy for saying his opinion on the matter of the fire going out. This shows that people can act in such an atrocious way when put in situations like being stranded on an uninhabited island. This is my exact view on violence.

          Life is a very controversial topic, especially when one is asked to state their view on it. Personally, chapter four didn't really change my views because I feel that the book has not expressed enough of the myriad of views on life for me to change mine.

          Power is an important element of this book, conveyed through the conch and the platform. I think Golding is trying to show the reader the desire for social and political order through government. My view on power is this exactly, giving me no reason to say that my view has changed.

         I think control is what someone wants when they are in a situation they feel they can't handle the situation or  they fear that they can't manage the situation. For example, when Ralph calls for a meeting to stop the other boys' "reenactment" of the pig's death, an event Ralph was not apart of and could not control.

          My point being is that my views on power, violence, control, and life have not changed since reading chapter four of the Lord of the Flies.     

Dear Auntie

Dear Auntie,

      Life is bad. The plane crashed on a inhabited island and all of the grownups died. Now there are only about thirty boys here and we've formed a society. Ralph is the leader. He's the only boy who is ever nice to me and he is barely ever nice to me. He's the leader because everyone voted for him and he has the conch. I was really excited when we found the conch. I told Ralph about my friend who had one and then Ralph blew the conch and we had a meeting with all the boys on the island and one guy came and his name is Jack. I don't like Jack because he makes fun of me and he calls me Piggy like the rest of the boys and they poke fun at me too. He also tells me to shut up even when I have the conch and when you have the conch, you are the only person who can speak. An' nobody listens to me and they do everything wrong. They hunt for food when they are supposed to be building shelters and Jack let the fire burn out so we missed our one chance at being saved. And Ralph got mad at Jack for that. But when I tried to say something on the matter, Jack slapped me and knocked my specs off so now they only have one side that I can see out of. Simon helped me when Jack knocked my specs off. I like Simon because of that and 'cause he and Ralph are the only people trying to make shelters. And I am okay except for the lack of RESPECT in this society. I'm still the only boy with asthma so that's one good thing. Auntie, please come save me.

No Grownups?

             What would my life be like without grownups?

             My life would be insane.

              My life would be chaos because I would not have my parents, grandparents,              teachers, and other important adults in my life to guide me. At first, I would be happy, excited,       and I would feel free because I wouldn't have my parents constantly yelling at me for doing one tiny thing I wasn't supposed to, i. e. lying, cheating, stealing, etcetera. However, after a few days, I would start to feel the pain of not having someone there to cheer me up when I feel blue, to fix my wounds when I get hurt, to give advice when I'm going the wrong way, or to discipline me when I've been bad. I would basically shatter into a million pieces because I wouldn't have the glue that keeps me together.

             I'm going to be honest, and say that most kids, including me, take their parents for granted at least ten times in their life. My eyes have been opened, and now I see that my parents have         taught me so much, including that I should take this knowledge and use it. This is extremely           valuable, and I should never discard it, abandon it, or even dare to think of never picking it up and   putting it to use. I will and should always treasure my time with the special adults in my life                 because they will not always be here, and that is a sad but inevitable thing.

             Basically, I would not live without grownups.  

          

Response to a Curious Quote

                     

        This summer, I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and I absolutely loved it! It was a great book that gave insight to the mind of a fifteen-year-old boy with disabilities.  I was recently given the task of responding to the quote below by stating whether or not I agree with it and by using evidence from the book and my life to back up my answer.  

        "Sometimes people are born with disabilities, but it's communities that handicap them."  -Anonymous

            In some ways, I agree with this statement, but in some ways, I don't agree. I agree because the reason Christopher acts the way he does is because of his surrounding environment. The community surrounding Christopher immediately thinks that he can't comprehend everyday situations and starts treating him as though he is unintelligent or a small child of small knowledge. This results in the community handicapping Christopher. However, Christopher's disabilities have wired his brain to think the way he does, causing him to act different from a "normal person" in certain situations. The community around Christopher does not know and could care less about the things Christopher does like. Therefore, it is not the community's fault. So, there are two sides to this statement, and I agree with both of them.

            However, I think everyone, including me, could at least try to be a little more understanding of disabled people. By reading this book, I have obtained a new perspective of people with disabilities, and I will try my best to be more understanding of them.