Friday, March 4, 2011
Daily Journal-- 3/4/11
The fact that I can get all the money I want won't even matter to me on my last day. All of my money goes to gas, clothes, and food. However, on my last day... I don't think I'd care about any of those things. If it were my last day on Earth, I would simply like to be with the people I love (as corny and cliche as that sounds). I would start off the day with my girlfriend. We would probably go out for a brunch-type meal, and then hang out for a couple of hours. Then I would go to the beach and play volleyball with my friends, and just live up the day. At night, I would be with my parents and siblings. That sounds like an ideal day to me, and the best part is that there would be no stress involved whatsoever. I wouldn't have to worry about studying for a test, going to work, saving up money for college, finding a job after college, making a house payment, finding a wife, financially supporting children, anything. It would just be me and the people that I care most about. For meals, I would have Brueggers in the morning, Chipotle for lunch, and.... Chipotle for dinner. That might play a toll on my digestive system the next day... but there will not be a next day, so I don't care. At night when I am lying in bed getting ready to fall asleep, I would pray for the last time. I would delete my Facebook, and Twitter. I would erase all of my messages in my AOL inbox, and then finish by giving one last blogpost, and writing one last song. I would record the song, and then put it up on the internet, so all of my friends and loved ones could get a proper "good bye." However, "good bye" doesn't ever really mean the end. I am sure in no time I would be reacquainted with them in Heaven, and we would share some of the good times that occured when we were still mortals. We would be playing Beach volleyball on the clouds, and watching out fellow loved-ones below us. My last day on Earth would not be a somber one.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Villanelle Assignment
I traveled aimlessly up the hill.
With nothing but sorrows on my back.
My body kept pushing against my will.
Cluttered mind, of the thing that I still
needed, and all the supplies that i lacked,
But still I climbed further up on the hill.
It started off as me just searching a thrill,
Fighting through pain with my empty sack,
Finding my heart that had hidden my will,
survival tactics I figured were filled,
these hindsight feelings that now were in stacks,
All because I attempted this hill.
My feet were exhausted, my brain cells were killed,
My hands in my pockets, like they had been packed,
But still strong enough, because of my will.
My head was spinning like it was a mill,
My mouth was so dry that my lips started to crack,
I finally got to the top of the hill,
Just in time for me to pen out my will.
With nothing but sorrows on my back.
My body kept pushing against my will.
Cluttered mind, of the thing that I still
needed, and all the supplies that i lacked,
But still I climbed further up on the hill.
It started off as me just searching a thrill,
Fighting through pain with my empty sack,
Finding my heart that had hidden my will,
survival tactics I figured were filled,
these hindsight feelings that now were in stacks,
All because I attempted this hill.
My feet were exhausted, my brain cells were killed,
My hands in my pockets, like they had been packed,
But still strong enough, because of my will.
My head was spinning like it was a mill,
My mouth was so dry that my lips started to crack,
I finally got to the top of the hill,
Just in time for me to pen out my will.
Daily Journal-- 3/3/11
10 Most Important Points in my Life so far:
10) Birth. If I wasn't ever born, I wouldn't even be writing this list in the first place. I think that birth is a very miraculous accomplishment, and we tend to forget about how lucky we are to even be living. To think that one sperm cell met one egg, and created me...
9) Starting Basketball. When I was in kindergarten, my dad signed me up for basketball and I never would have thought how much of a role it would play in my life, because at first I absolutely hated it. Basketball took up the majority of my elementary and middle school years, and the beginning of high school, and I still miss playing everytime I watch an Eastview game.
8) Going to Blackhawk. After elementary school, my mom gave me the choice to either go to Falcon Ridge (where a lot of my friends were going) or Blackhawk. It was a tough decision, but I ended up choosing Blackhawk, and I don't regret the decision at all, because I have made some life long friendships with the people that go there, and that place really turned me into the person I am today.
7) My first mission trip. I was never a very religious or faithful person until I went on my first mission trip after Freshman year to the Lakota Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It was a great experience, and I had never felt closer to God. I haven't lost touch with my spirituality since then.
6) Speeding ticket. It was a hot summer day, and I was anxious to get home after a Cross Country meet. I was about two blocks from my house, cruising at about 50 miles per hour on a 30 mile per hour road, when an undercover cop pulled out of the Thomas Lake parking lot and fined me 120 bucks. Needless to say, I have been a much different driver ever since.
10) Birth. If I wasn't ever born, I wouldn't even be writing this list in the first place. I think that birth is a very miraculous accomplishment, and we tend to forget about how lucky we are to even be living. To think that one sperm cell met one egg, and created me...
9) Starting Basketball. When I was in kindergarten, my dad signed me up for basketball and I never would have thought how much of a role it would play in my life, because at first I absolutely hated it. Basketball took up the majority of my elementary and middle school years, and the beginning of high school, and I still miss playing everytime I watch an Eastview game.
8) Going to Blackhawk. After elementary school, my mom gave me the choice to either go to Falcon Ridge (where a lot of my friends were going) or Blackhawk. It was a tough decision, but I ended up choosing Blackhawk, and I don't regret the decision at all, because I have made some life long friendships with the people that go there, and that place really turned me into the person I am today.
7) My first mission trip. I was never a very religious or faithful person until I went on my first mission trip after Freshman year to the Lakota Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It was a great experience, and I had never felt closer to God. I haven't lost touch with my spirituality since then.
6) Speeding ticket. It was a hot summer day, and I was anxious to get home after a Cross Country meet. I was about two blocks from my house, cruising at about 50 miles per hour on a 30 mile per hour road, when an undercover cop pulled out of the Thomas Lake parking lot and fined me 120 bucks. Needless to say, I have been a much different driver ever since.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Etheree Poem Assignment
You
Think You
Know my life,
But you really
only see one side.
You only see the kid
That wears his smile on as
he talks with the fake friends of his.
You don't see the kid who spends nights home,
with his tired eyes on the white ceiling,
his arms folded across his chest, praying
that someone emphathizes with him,
and the struggle his mind creates.
The anxious thoughts that flow out
of his brain, through his hands,
Up his spine, down to
his shaky legs,
he rests near
his bed;
here.
Think You
Know my life,
But you really
only see one side.
You only see the kid
That wears his smile on as
he talks with the fake friends of his.
You don't see the kid who spends nights home,
with his tired eyes on the white ceiling,
his arms folded across his chest, praying
that someone emphathizes with him,
and the struggle his mind creates.
The anxious thoughts that flow out
of his brain, through his hands,
Up his spine, down to
his shaky legs,
he rests near
his bed;
here.
Daily Journal-- 3/2/11
How ridiculous I was as a kid. I had a high, squeaky voice and got nervous about every little thing. I remember a speech that I had to give when I was in sixth grade, and by the time it was finished I was literally drenched in sweat from head to toe. Although I think it is silly now, and I laugh it off when people bring up my past, I still have some of the same traits that I did back then. It was discovered that I have anxiety, which makes me naturally nervous and paranoid very easily. That's probably why I'm always doing goofy things like shaking my arms to try to literally shake off some of my nerves. Some people say I shake and twist my arms so quickly that I look like a flailing octopus. Another problem that I still have is that I blush very easily. But people take that to be a sign that I am embarrassed a lot, when in reality it is just my face reacting to my nervous thoughts. It's a habit I wish I could stop, but I don't think I will ever fully grow out of my anxious behaviors. I will probably be an old man still blushing and shaking his arms around as he walks his daughter down the isle on her wedding day. I don't take pills for my anxiety, though, because my mom thinks it is unnecessary. I kind of agree, because I know that those pills would be very easy to get addicted to, and I have other things in my life that can temporarily ease my mind. For example, writing. Anytime I pick up a pen to write a book, I feel at ease with myself and am happy to take myself to distant worlds. See, in my writing I can be anybody I want, and I can surround myself with some of the greatest people in the world. Writing is equivalent to dreaming... only you, not your subconscious, are in control. Another facet for me to ease my mind is by being with my friends. We always have a great time together and we tell lots of jokes to take my mind off of other thoughts. I hope that someday I will grow out of my problem, but I know that it probably won't happen for a very long time, so instead I come up with coping methods that help me come to terms with myself, at least.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Acrostic Poem Assignment
Jackson Yakowicz
Jackson prefers "Jack."
Ann Arbor is where he was born, he
Could only crawl when he left,
Kicking and screaming, his father yelled
"Son," and he stopped.
Open roads headed to Minnesota in
November of 1993.
Years later he grew, and practiced
Athletics. His favorite sport was basketball,
Knowing his abilities weren't
Overly impressive, he didn't dream of playing
When he was older. He had other
Inspirations in life such as getting rich, and moving to
California, where there was everything from a
Zoo to Hollywood.
Daily Journal-- 3/1/11
No form of legislation will ever change the world. The only way to make the world a better place is to change things from a social and moral standpoint. For example, even when African Americans were allowed the right to vote there was still a lot of hatred directed towards them, to make them continue feeling inferior. So when somebody asks for gay rights or abortion rights through legislation, they will never really be treated equally until a change occurs from a social standpoint. Not until society sees gays/lesbians/transvestites as equal, and not until society sees abortion as morally acceptable, will one truly feel at ease. So, how do we bring world peace?
I once heard that the best way to change the world is through "one little act of kindness at a time." I whole-heartedly believe in that statement. I think that doing good is contagious, and when somebody helps us we have the natural feeling to help somebody else as a form of repaying out debt. So why not start a train, today? Why do we confine ourselves to such a small comfort zone? Nearly everyone I know genuinely likes helping others, we just get caught up in our own material lives. So here is what I would advise to anybody interested in making a difference: leave your house. Leave your family, leave your friends, leave everything you know, and take a risk. Now obviously this won't be a permanent move, but why not travel down to an area of the globe marked by destruction for a couple of weeks? Those couple of weeks of your service could make such a drastic change in the lifes of others. Then in return, those others will go out and help additional people. It truly could be the start of something great.
I once heard that the best way to change the world is through "one little act of kindness at a time." I whole-heartedly believe in that statement. I think that doing good is contagious, and when somebody helps us we have the natural feeling to help somebody else as a form of repaying out debt. So why not start a train, today? Why do we confine ourselves to such a small comfort zone? Nearly everyone I know genuinely likes helping others, we just get caught up in our own material lives. So here is what I would advise to anybody interested in making a difference: leave your house. Leave your family, leave your friends, leave everything you know, and take a risk. Now obviously this won't be a permanent move, but why not travel down to an area of the globe marked by destruction for a couple of weeks? Those couple of weeks of your service could make such a drastic change in the lifes of others. Then in return, those others will go out and help additional people. It truly could be the start of something great.
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