Remember This Always

Dear Alexis and Blake,

            I am writing this letter so you can remember the good times. When things get bad, as surely they will, I want you to read this letter. Read this letter to remember me and the advice that I am to give.

            Life is a battle and you have to fight to get what you want. The odds may seem stacked against you, but I believe that you can do whatever it is that you want to do. You have not had the easiest life and that is what has made you strong. Use that strength to continue on and do great things.

            Our family is not the easiest to live with, but you will find that you need them and they need you. Family depends on each other in the good times and the bad so do not get discouraged. There will be times that you will wish that they were different, but in all honesty, they have made you who you are and you are a great person.

            Like me, you will want a family that understands you and your situation, but I can promise that it will be difficult to achieve. You have lived your own life with so many different people and experiences that only the two of you will fully understand each other. Make sure you take care of each other as there will be times that only a sibling can support you.

            To Alexis, life is going to be hard for you, but you are so much smarter than everybody gives you credit for. You have this keen understanding even though you do not choose to share it often. Society will underestimate you, but family will always know the truth and that is what matters the most.

            To Blake, stop letting everybody push you around. You are the sweetest boy and I love that about you, but do not let them take advantage of that. Become the strong independent person that I know you are. You and your sister may not get along now, but there will be a time when you will understand each other so do not let that deter you.

            Lastly, make sure you take care of each other. You may have your differences, but family is important. Do not let the little things hold you back from loving each other as you will regret it later on. Become the best that you can be and do not let anything stop you. You are both great in your own ways and you need to make that world see that. I will always be proud of you.

                                                                                                       Forever with love,

                                                                                                                     Amanda

Who I Look Up To

   The person who I look up to the most is my mother. She has done so much for so many people that I want to be as good a person as she is. She takes care of her own family as well as he grandfather and grandchildren. She puts everybody before herself and makes sure they have everything they need. She has more responsibility than most people yet she takes it without a complaint. There are things that she could do better and she admits that. That is what i admire about her, she knows that she is only human yet she accomplishes amazing things. While there are things that I would not want to become that she is, there is so much that I would. Many people say that they would not want to become their parents and I agree with them. What I want to be is a good person and my mother had been a great role model in that area.

To Be Able To Live Anywhere

   If I could live anywhere, at any time I would live in 19^th century Scotland. I have always loved the 19^th century for what all occurred. Many advancements were made in medicine and woman’s rights and it would be amazing to be a part of. To be able to say that I was part of changing the world would be priceless. Scotland itself is a beautiful place and to live there would be an amazing thing. Both the lowlands and highlands are strewn with rolling green hills and waterways and it adds something special. The weather can be unpredictable though, sending storms that last weeks, but that does not deter me. Lastly, I have always been interested in legends, and Scotland has plenty. Between the Loch Ness Monster and the Callanish Standing Stones there would be enough to keep my curiosity satisfied. To understand both our ancestors better and the things that are mysteries to us would be clear to those who lived through them. So between the beautiful landscape, the time period and the legends that they provide, to live in this place would be more than a dream.

If Money Was No Object...

   I had a project that asked "What would you do with your life if money was not an object?". This question made me think and I learned a lot about myself. I am proud to say that my dream career is the same as my realistic career and that I have always loved what I wanted to do. Not everybody can say that as many people in my family have lived their lives asking themselves that question and never finding the answer. Doing this project I have learned a lot about the dreams of my family and what they would do to help society. Some, like my aunt and sister, have the same mindset as I and would go into the medical field to do as much as they can for people around the world. Others would use what they love to do to help the community with literature and even furniture building. They shared with me their greatest hopes and I feel that I understand them better. I hope that they get to do what they dream about even if it seems out of their reach. In making themselves happy they want to make others feel the same and I think it is a wonderful thing.

The thing I would miss most

   Music is an escape for me, any emotion that I feel there is a song for. I love to read and it would be a nuisance to have to light a candle every time I wanted to read after five o'clock, but it would not be impossible. The thing I would miss most with not having electricity is not having music at my fingertips when I need it. Music can be used in any situation and not having it around constantly would make life dull and depressing. There would be nothing in the morning to keep me awake though there are mostly just people talking in the morning anyway. Just trying to imagine a life without music readily available is nearly impossible. I would never be able to get through a day without having a panic attack. Granted, I could always hire an orchestra, but that would not due as my house is crowded enough and an orchestra is a lot less mobile than and mp3 player.

Not my favorite, but a very good book

   There are far to many books that I am in love with to choose just one, so I will go with my most recent. I am currently reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and have enjoyed it so far. This is a well known book by this author and I chose well because it is an amazing piece of literature. It follows Elizabeth Bennett, a girl in a large family who has five sisters, this includes Jane the oldest. Mr. Bingley moves into the area and Jane and Mr. Bingley get along very well. Along with Mr. Bingley comes Mr. Darcy who is a quiet and prideful man that very often comes across rude and arrogant. Unbeknownst to Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy has been taken by her. Conflict ensues and it is a wonderful story.
   I chose the book because I had heard of the author and it was from a time period that I enjoyed. Jane Austen uses a very precise writing style that is refreshing. She tells it how it is and her characters never disappoint. This is a time period where women are supposed to be poised and gracious, but she does not follow this mold. She lets her characters be free and lively while still being lady like. It brings a different point of view coming from somebody like Elizabeth, who is from and abnormal family and is not the average woman.

Choosing a Path in LIfe

            Why do people do what they do? Is it for the money, the fame, or is it because they love what they are doing? Everybody has their own motivations, whether they are good or bad. The character in “After Apple Picking” may have loved his job in the beginning but now longs for something more. By using hyperbole and metaphors, Robert Frost conveys the message of choices that people can make in their lives.

            Through the use of hyperbole Frost shows that there are many paths to choose from. There are countless jobs in the world that people can choose to do. Some do it for the money, others because it is what they love. Frost says “There are ten thousand fruit to touch” (L. 30). Some may be rotten, there will always be that chance, but that is life. In life there will be risks but it is worth it for happiness. There is no saying that another path can not be taken if the one that is currently being followed does not work anymore. The important thing is to follow one’s dreams.

            Metaphors have a strong importance in “After Apple Picking” because they give a path to follow. Frost states “And I could tell / What form my dreaming was about to take” (L. 16-17). In the poem, this is referring to a nightmare because he is stuck in a job that does not please him. However, this could take on another characteristic. What happens in a dream may be able to translate into life. If something is strong enough to be a dream, then it is important. If it is a pleasant dream that brings joy, make it real and live a life that is fulfilling.

            There are many paths that can be chosen in life. Paths can change, like in the poem when he is no longer satisfied. Since there are thousands of jobs, there is bound to be one that brings joy, so my advice is to go and find it.

What would I change in my life and would it really be worth it?

     This is a really hard topic because there are so many things that I wish I could have redone in my life. I think that one that would not just affect me but others in a positive way is not to have let my sister move back in. This sounds harsh and I do not mean to be cruel, but it would benefit everybody in so many ways. My sister married and had a child while she was living elsewhere. They fell on hard times and now they live with us and my sister had another child. I love my niece and my nephew but living with them is a pain. They are loud and disruptive and I am constantly watching them so they do not kill each other, not just my niece and nephew I might add. My sister is the main problem because she does not take care of her children and that adds so much stress to everybody else because we have to pick up her slack. She barely pays rent so we are in some serious debt and I am the one my mom talks to about everything. I have enough in my life and my mom adds to it, I do not complain though because she has to let it out to somebody or she will explode. Had my sister not moved back in life would be so different, so much easier. My mom would not be as stressed and could go back to work so we could get caught up. My dad wouldn’t have to pay for three extra people under his roof as he does now. My aunt would go home to her own house because she does not have to help with the kids and life would be so much better. Not only for them and myself, but it would help my sister as well. She does not have a very good bond with her children because she is never there for them, had we not been there, they would have had that bond. That and my sister would have more responsibility, I would hope. Last, I would be able to focus on my future. Having screaming children, and adults, around me constantly really grates on me. I have to worry about so many things other than what I should have to and it is a mess.

A family actually getting along

Reality

What I like to do...

            My favorite hobby is to read. I read everything and anything for the most part and I enjoy it immensely. I prefer realistic fiction for pleasure, non-fiction for concentrating, and fiction when I want to get away. My life is not always something that I enjoy living and sometimes I need to get away. Reading is my escape. When I read I can be anybody, anywhere, at any time and for a while and not have to worry about the stresses of life. When I am angry, happy, or just need to get away, books will always be there for me and will either make me forget or make everything that much better. I read all of the time and my mom makes fun of me when I go to the library and can not find anything that I want to read. Unbeknownst to her, that is when I start writing instead of reading.

    My favorite band is Florence and the Machine. The group is an Indie rock band from England. They are my favorite because they are different in their style and the instruments that they use. They incorporate many styles to make their own, so they have some classical, gospel, rock, and pop included. The end result is a smash of of bass, piano, and the harp, a a better combination could not be made. Florence Welch is a unique person and she translates that into her music. She writes what she feels at any given moment, and albeit a little strange, to me it makes much more sense than what others write. Whether it is guilt, remembrance, or dreams, there is always so much meaning and feeling in her songs that it is impossible not to relate in some way. That is the most important thing to me. It also inspires me because most artists me because most artists now use so much editing that they are never being themselves. With Florence and the Machine, when they perform live it sounds even better than what it does on a record and that is something special.

"Whenever I get depressed, I listen to this song. When I'm happy, I listen to this song. When I'm angry, I listen to this song. When I'm sad, I listen to this song. Whenever I can, I listen to this song, because Florence puts so many emotions into it, that I can relate to it at any time, and get blown away."

XiarraZ

My Views On Government Provided Daycare

    I think the government should provide daycare for the children of working parents. There are people that work all day everyday yet they are still scraping by. Their children are at a disadvantage because they do not have the supervision that they need when the parents are at work. It would benefit the children, the parents, and the nation in general if daycare was provided. The parents will not have to worry about where their children are and they may have more money for other necessities. The children get the benefit of having time with other children and perhaps learning something while they are with others. The nation would benefit from this because in the future there will be a better workforce. I know there will be the people who will take advantage of the free daycare but there are far more that really need it. So even though it may be misused, I do believe that it will be a good thing in the long run.

The Thing That I Value Most

I would have to say that the thing that I value the most is my upbringing. I am from a large family and I got to grow up watching them make mistakes and learning, which made me all the better because I did not have to make the same mistakes. Even though they antagonize me I must say that they helped me a lot. I got to experience how it is to have a family and how to live when that family was not always together, and still are not. My oldest sister is now grown and has children, and my other sister lives in Washington and I never get to see her. I have never been close to them, as they lived with their mother for much of my younger years, but I owe them.
My parents always put their children first and made sure that we had what we needed, though not always what we wanted. Times were always hard and jobs were lost, but we had to push through to make it happen. Somehow my parents never complained though, maybe I just do not know it considering my father keeps a very long day and I never see him. Although the way was not always easy going, I came through mostly unscathed, I have many people to thank for that. Becasue of them, I know how to live in a stressful world, how to work the hardest I can for what I want, and what it is to value family even though it may be hard at times. Had I not grown up the way I did, with the experiences that I had, I know I would not be the same person that I am today. I think that would be a shame because I would not want to be anything else.

Something that I did this summer...

This summer, unlike most, has been very educational since I was at the college five days a week. I made a choice to do something different and it turned out to be a lot of fun, even though I had to get up earlier. I took a class called TCMN 171 and learned about broadcasting since I had no idea about it. I learned how to work in a studio and how to set up shows, though I do not intend to go into the broadcasting field. Another thing I did was work as an early scientist in a micro biology lab. Five in our class were given the chance to work in a lab and do research. I took this opportunity because I want to be a surgeon and this would help me in the future. Along with working on a project we also did a presentation for the college. In the presentation our lab group talked about how we came to be, and what we have worked on. I will continue this work and I believe what I started this summer will be a long term commitment and will help me in the future.

My Name

Amanda Michelle

         

My mom chose my name years in advance,

I wonder how she picked,

I think she was tricked.

My name means lovable,

I am anything but,

I have a temper that sometimes cuts.

The asperities,

I am only one of the many who turn to see,

If it is somebody who calls to me.

My name is so rudimentary that it is difficult,

Nobody remembers it, I don’t mind

It just means that they are blind.

I really don’t worry,

Maybe my mom knew what she was doing,

Like the sky, it is worth viewing.

There are six,

You can not change one letter,

I suppose it could not be better.

Then comes my middle name,

I sometimes doubt

What it’s about.

It sounds good together,

A match made well,

Flowing like water past a shell.

I know my name now,

She chose true,

It is unremitting yet always new.

My number 1 rule

     To me, the number one rule is to show consideration for others. People may have things in their lives that they have to deal with and it would be a great help not to make it worse for them. I know I find myself in these situations far more often than is comfortable, but I know how to deal with it if the people around me are considerate. I have Misophonia, which just means that some everyday sounds literally drive me insane. I know how to live this way but it would be nice if when I am bothered by something that people would respect my needs. To me this may be important., to others too, so I try to keep this rule with me everywhere I go.