Journal #22

The thing I love that most about snow is that it means winter is here. With winter comes hot chocolate, sweaters, and Christmas. As a kid, snow was the most exciting thing in the world. The little crystals of water, drifting down from the sky just made us want to go out and play. Making snowmen, snow angles, and forts should be a part of every kid's childhood. Then when we brought in out red-nosed, frozen bodies,our mothers would wrap us in a blanket and make us hot chocolate. That was the way it was for me anyway. As we grow older, snow becomes more a nuisance than a joyous occasion. In our teen years, snow means the hope of getting out of school and scraping the ice of your car. We lose the essence of the wonder of the little snowflakes falling into our open mouths. Snow is no longer that happy feeling, but more of a feeling of work. Shoveling driveways and sidewalks are now a part of our winter routines. Going around the neighborhood making money, with every shovel filled, more money to spend. We stay indoors more now, wrapping ourselves up and watching a movie, with the hot chocolate we make. In a way the snow is a symbol of growing up. The more independent we are from our mothers and fathers, and the less we seem to rely on them. For them though, the snow, although seeming like a major inconvenience for work and errands,  is really a reminder and sweet memory of the kids that they raised and dealing with the fact that they are older now and do not want to go out and play in the snow.Snow is a memory for all, and the childhoods we have finished. Snow way seem like a bad thing, but if we stop and think about it, we will think of the great memories and events of winters past. We can all remember if we try.

Journal #21

      To me this quote means that every person at some point in their life must accept themselves for who they are. "envy is ignorance" means that being jealous of other people is being ignorant, because you have qualities that make up you. Other people have the qualities that make up them, so they have theirs and you have yours. Being jealous of them just means you are insecure, and Emerson is saying that in order to accept yourself, you cannot be envious and insecure. "imitation is suicide" corresponds with the previous quote because it is saying that if you copy others you are once again insecure and envious, meaning you are not confident in the person you are and want to be other people. "that he must take himself for better, for worse, and his portion." This part means that in order to accept oneself, you must like the best parts of you and your personality, and also accept the worst parts of yourself. All of these parts make up yourself and make you you. "that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till." To me, this last quote means that even though the world is full of amazing things, easy to get, the best things in the world are the ones that we work for and put effort into. This correlates with the rest of the story, because we must work hard for the things we believe in and stand up for what is right. This kind of strength makes us realize what kind of person that we are, and if we truly believe in who we are. When we are confident in who we are, we can accomplish anything we set our mind to. Being confident is the key to being successful in life and it is also one of the hardest things to do.

Journal #20

Where do we begin? A small thought in our mother's head, one day hoping to become real. After time and love. As we grow in our mother's stomach, gradually, physically expending it, we get bigger and bigger. We feed from or mother's body, feeling the great love she gives, but after time, we must leave. As our journey to life begins, we start as a young, naive child, viewing the world as a magical place, full of surprises and mystery. Slowly as our legs and arms grow longer, and our minds get bigger, we view the world as a new place. A place full of people to meet and sights to see, we come to realize it is not that magical, but just where we have been dropped upon to go on and live our life. As adults we become, we feel the wisdom and experience set in. Our skin is not the youthful, clean skin it once was, but a canvas of the past we have had. We then see our children go through the same things we once did, and wish for it again. Our close relationships stay strong, and the distant ones fall, as we realize our true fiends. Then we get to the state of elderly, where we have finally realized we are not the young child running to our parents when they return from a long day at work, but the grandparents that get visited every so often. Our bodies to longer fit, but aching along, showing years of life and past events. Our children now come to us and ask for advice they expect to be knowledge and wisdom filled. Then as the curtain of our life begins to fall we get slower and slower, realizing it is the end. As we silently pass and are buried in the ground, we begin to become one with the earth, its dirt emerging us and its animals making a home. Our bodies remain but our spirit lives on, joining our parents and doing as they have done since they have completed the cycle of life also.

Journal #19

Waving and standing tall above the ground,
The American flag easily found.
Many bright colors lighted the dark night,
As we remembered the soldiers hard fight.
The stars framing the fireworks up high,
As families and friends parted with bye.
Parades and festivals early that day,
have now been abandoned, no more have stayed.

On this day each year we think of the sound,
of Americans rejoicing around.
1776 was the height
of the Independence Day,  its first site.
Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin had sighed
As "Freedom from England!" the people cried.
But what makes this day worthy of such pray?
The release from England's ruling decay.

How do we celebrate a day profound?
With games, reunions, going to fairgrounds,
are all ways to celebrate with great might.
Sometimes airliners even take a flight,
High up above in the crystal blue sky.
To get along with all is what we try.
"The land of the free" is what we all say,
As we commemorate this holiday.

Journal #18

      As I pondered the multitude of eyes beaming at me from the magnificent creature, I gazed beyond it to the rolling meadows, burnt from the hot summer sun. I leaned back as the creature buzzed around my head, resting on the hard ground beneath me. The creature settled on my nose. As I got a closer look at the creature, I noticed its deep purple, scaly skin, its wings so thin they were translucent. I scrunched my nose and the small creature took off from my nose and into the stark summer air. I rolled myself off the ground and continued to walk through the dry meadow. As i walked, the creatures below me startled and flew around my legs as the cut through the tall grass. When I arrived at the river, the deep blue water glistened in the bright sun. I dipped the very end of my toe in, feeling the temperature. The cool water soothed my warm, sun kissed skin. I gradually walked further and further into the river. Finally all the way in, I leaned back and closed my eyes, taking in the cool breeze, coming from the water, and the fresh smell of the forest. I swam further and further down the river, when I heard a pouring of water nearby. As i continued on, I felt mist getting thicker. The water settled into a deeper cool, colliding with a thirty foot water fall. Large, slick rocks surrounded the area, framing the waterfall. Beyond it I could see an opening. I swam to the cave, and stepped onto the rock, careful not to slip. Looking up, I saw the dark, musty cave walls, covered in old pictures. I looked around in amazement, studying the clay covered walls and dripping crystals hanging above. The sound of the drops hitting the ground and the waterfall rushing behind me were the only sound I could hear. I rested my eyes shut and took a deep breath in.

Journal #17

As the light blue fuzz feathered through the warm current of air purring from the heating vent, the amber kitten rubbed his moist nose against the frozen window. The brisk air outside kept all at home, and in the comfortable, warm heat. The girl twisted herself into the rugged, over sized chair, attempting to conserve her warmth. She stretched slowly towards the wood table that sat aside from the large chair. Slowly she picked up the rose colored mug which sat upon the table, overflowing with steam from from the boiling hot chocolate that was inside. As she carefully took a sip, the light blue fuzz landed slowly on her leg. She sighed as she wiped it off, thinking of being confined in the small old house on a cold winter's day as this one. She kissed lovingly at the young kitten, who had settled into a curled up position on the window sill. He looked up attentively, as his small fragile legs melted from the tall window sill to the paisley rug below. As she picked up the kitten, the silky new fur felt warm in her chilly hands. As she cuddled the newborn kitten, its wet, sticky tongue licked her rosy cheek. They awaited in the warmth of the chair for her husband to arrive home after his treacherous dive through the thick, white snow. The dim yellow lights shown through the frosted window,signaling his arrival. Both the kitten and the girl got up from the comfort of the old chair to greet him. As the front door swung open, the brisk air poured into the house surrounding the girl. She quickly shut the door to save as much of the warm heat as possible. He unwrapped the thick knitted scarf and his snow covered jacket. She hugged tightly as she showed him into the living room. He sat down on the old recliner as she settled in next to him, taking in his warmth.

Journal #16

       I do not remember a specific time when a person dressed differently. I do know that it has happened before. When someone wears something different than what people are used to, they tend to make fun of that person or talk about it behind their back. I think that this tends to happen in smaller schools, or with people that are with the same smaller group of people. This usually happens in small groups because they get into this comfortable little rut that they only except what fits into that rut. When something makes them feel out of their comfort zone, it makes them thrown off and they feel like they have to call it out and not like it. In a bigger group of people, this does not really happen at all, or at least nearly as much as with small groups. The more people, the bigger the diversity. If you are around all kinds of people all the time, you probably get used to it and do not think much of it if someone changes their style or dresses differently.This also most likely happens more in teenagers and young adults, than someone like our parents. We both do it, just in different ways. The styles we find different can be drastically opposites, which make us find some things okay, and some things just plain odd. I think that unless the clothes are inappropriate,too revealing or vulgar, then people should not make fun or call people out for wearing something different. Clothes are a part of self expression, and if people are made fun of for this, they will never find who they truly are and be just another ordinary, boring person. If anything, we should encourage people to dress however they please. When we do this, we are bound to be more accepting of anything, and in turn more well likes than someone who does not accept people who choose to dress differently.