Reflection

When Ms. Mott said we had to do a blog again for English 1A I was worried because before this class I did not think I could write very well. I soon figured out that it is fun, it is not just something to turn in to get a good grade. Writing is something you feel, and I was able to express myself through pictures and fonts, and colors on the blog. It was a lot of fun for me. I am sad that this class is ending, I found something in myself that I did not know was there. I am confident in my writing and I learaned how to write in different ways this semester. This class and blogging really set me up for other English classes to come and I am really thankful for that. Ms. Mott you have always been a teacher that I mesh well with and you have showed me how to enjoy writing. I wish you taught other English classes! You impacted my life a lot.Thank you!!

Media Post: My Family My Idea

Family is different for everyone. I come from a very closenit family but by the time I became an adult my family dynamics changed. My parents were no longer in the picture but it made my brothers and I that much closer.
We were all really close growing up but once my brothers started having kids we all became even closer.  The babies brought us together even more so than before. My two nieces are the light of my life. They make me happy when I am sad and they make my day when nothing seems to be going right.

My oldest brother RAY sleeping with one of my nieces. We all have one of these pictures and boy are these girls loved.

One of my brothers, MARIO and I with two of our cousins back in the day! We were inseperable! I miss the days that we could just play all day and have no worries about reality and everyday life.

My niece BELLA, she is an angel and the first baby to be born into our family!

This is SELENA the second edition to our family!! She is learning new things everyday and she is so lucky to have such a strong family behind her.

My amazing brothers. They are the only immediate family I have and they support me with everything I do. They are there whenever I need them and I could not ask for a better group of brothers in my life!

My family is not the typical American family, but I do not know what I would do without them. We have gorwn up and started our own lives but no matter how long it takes for us to see eachother sometimes, we still love eachother more and more like brother and sisters do!

Into the Wild- ALASKA

What is Alaska.....?

• *Silent*
• Deserted
• Cold
• Tranquil
• ...Peaceful...
• ^Wild^
• Natural

Alaska is the land of the unknown. It is know for it's rugged beauty, size, and resources. It has a certain mystery to it because the wilderness is so harsh that it takes a certain kind of person to beat the odds of wild vs human. In the book Into the Wild by JonKrakauer, Chris McCandless thought he would be that person to succeed without being defeated in the wild, to an extent he was right but it took a toll on his body after awhile of living in the wilderness and it led to his death. Looks are decieving when it comes to the wilderness and its beauty. It is unpredictable, but so breath taking!

Into The Wild- Why did Chris McCandless go?

In the book Into The Wild by John Krakauer nobody knows for sure why Chris McCandless felt he had to leave to the Alaskan wilderness. Chris seemed like he was trying to escape civilization and all the troubles that come with it.  Chris came from a well off family and was a very bright young man.  Chris had the opportunity to run a very comfortable modern life, but he decided against that. Living his normal life would have been an easy choice for most, but Chris thought differently. Everyday tasks in life was easy for him but not enough to keep him happy. Chris did not see the world in a positive manner, he saw the negative aspects of it and he hated that no one else wanted to change it.
Towards the end of the book it explains how Chris was effected by learning about his dads affair as well as another son from a different women. He was extremely angry at his family and refused to forgive him.  This led Chris to be very unhappy with the world in general.  Chris probably began to blame society at large for his unhapiness. This is why he wanted to leave into the wilderness and escape the world around him.  He was influenced by reading ideas by Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson that encouraged the ideas of living in the wilderness.  He believed that the only way a man can be cured is by returning to nature. Based on Chris' Journal it seems that in the end he did find what he was looking for in the wild, but he wanted to return to civilization, and was blocked by the obstacles of nature so he could not return. 

Class Topic- What is success?

Everyone's idea of success is obviously different. Some people think that graduating college is a success, and others think that being completely rich is a success. I think they are both a success. Many people have a plan for their lives whether it is a three year plan or a five year plan, accomplishing and fulfilling those goals in that plan is also a success. We as humans have a tendency to look at people with money as a very successful person. That may be true but there are many less wealthy people who are also very successful. I think that success is in the eye of the beholder. One success may be nothing to someone else. As long as it is a success to who ever wants it, then they are doing just fine! Success is nothing but a positive thing and anyone who accomplishes what they want goes nowhere but up!

Class Topic- Unplug Yourself Already!

People do not realize the effects it has on us when we are always connected. A couple weekends ago I went out with a few very close friends and by the time we arrived at the restaurant we realized that we all forgot our cell phones. Usually I would choose to run back home and grab it but because I was so tired of being hassled by everyone during the week, it felt great to be disconnected and worry free for one night! It was the first time I had less stress on my shoulders in a long time. I never realized that by being connected all the time makes that much of a difference in my life. When I get home from school or a long day at work I turn off my ringer and relax! 

"Zen" In Class Topic

Zen.....
"The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring with you."-Robert M. Pirsig


Zen is different to everyone.
In class we discussed Zen as being multiple things like happieness, and a sense of feeling calm.
Zen:A school of Mahayana Buddhism that asserts that enlightenment can be attained through meditation, self-contemplation, and intuition rather than through faith and devotion and that is practiced mainly in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Also called Zen Buddhism

Zen is a different meaning for me. My Friends, Family, and Health is calming to me in my life. I get strength from my friends and family, and I am incredibly calm but happy when I know I am healthy. Zen is what makes me happy and strong. I am not a very spiritual person but I do take intuition seriously, and I also believe that everything happens for a reason.