The Little Things

      There are moments in life that remind us of what it means to be human.  We are born to die according to Shakespeare.  We are born, and then well, we die.  It is cliche to say it is what we do in the in between time; however, it is true.  Zac Brown writes in "Chicken Fried,"...it's the little things in life that mean the most."  I tend to agree with him.  It is the little things: the first kiss, the smell of my babies after a bath, the gentle paw of my new puppy, the laughter of my daughters when they do not know I can hear them, the smell of pepperoni rolls baking, a kind word from another person, a hug when it is needed... I could go on for a long time about all of the little things I appreciate.
      We often don't know how those little things can add up and mean so much to another.  This week's blog is a challenge.  I want you to do little things for others.  You do not need money or even anything material in nature.  All you need is the desire.  I challenge you to do one little thing for another person for seven consecutive days.  Now, each little thing does not have to be done for the same person.  It could be a new little thing for seven different people.  Or, you could pick one person and do something little for them each day.  The following is a list of possible ways to do something little: write a thank you note; do the dishes without being asked or another chore without being asked; take dinner to someone who needs it; offer a seat to someone who does not have one;  make someone some cookies or another type of food.  The options abound.  
      Once you have done your nice things, I want you to post about a nice thing done for you and how it made you feel.  Don't blog about what you did.  This is about how others made you feel.  
             My example:  When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, my husband and I moved to a new neighborhood.   We did not know any of our neighbors since we moved in December and the cold weather kept everyone indoors.  By the time summer came, we still did not know many.  I knew that my next door neighbor had given birth to twins in April so she was very busy with taking care of her young ones.  I never met her until I had my youngest.  After I came home from the hospital, I was exhausted.  Two children is a different story all together after having only one.  I remember I was vacuuming the house when the door bell rang.  It was my neighbor and she had her arms full.  She came into my house bringing me two lasagnas, loaves of bread, salad, and dessert.  I was not sure what to say.  She just looked at me and said, "I thought you could use this." (or something like that.)  
             I have never told her this, but that day meant a great deal to me.  She is currently one of my best friends and it all started with a kind gesture.  
   

Stairs

We have been looking at metaphors in class and in last week's blog.  We use metaphors all the time to make our points, to persuade others, and to explain how things function.  This week's blog is asking you to think about  this week's music Monday song and to explain the song using the image on this page.

First, describe what you see in the picture.  Once you have described the picture, describe the song.  What is happening in the song? Finally, explain how they are similar.  How can this picture apply to a song by Bon Jovi?

Your answer must be detailed and well thought out.

Metaphors

We have looked at several texts this year.  Between the summer reading, the essay "My Father's Noose," Stephen King's book--On Writing, and the songs we have listened to and analyzed, we have been exposed to much.  Each one of these texts provide the reader with some type of conflict, or idea.  Through these, connections are made.  

Look at the photo on this page.  Examine what is happening in the picture.  What is it?  What is it doing?  How is this different than what we would expect?  In examining this photo, determine how it is a metaphor.

Once you have determined how the image is a metaphor, connect it to one of the pieces we have read thus far.  In your post, explain the metaphor and then explain how this metaphor and image connects to one of our previously read pieces.  

What Nourishes Us

      I love food.  Like most people, I see food as being more than just what is put in front of me.  My choices of restaurant, my choices of meal, my clothing choice for the meal, and the atmosphere all are linked together.  For me, food is more than just physical nourishment.  It is about the nourishment of the mind and the soul.  It is an experience.  I made the comment the other day that I wondered when I would start to eat like a grown up.  I keep expecting myself to suddenly love salads or want to eat a well balanced meal at each sitting.  Sadly, that is not the case.  There are some days when I wake up and think, "I really would like a nice big Santa Fe salad."  On other days, I feel like Homemade Chicken noodle soup or pork loin with baby red potatoes and asparagus.  The thing is, all of these are about how I am "feeling" at the moment.  

      Our sense of smell, and our meals are all attached to our memories.  Sometimes, we think of how we felt when we ate a certain food and want to reclaim that feeling so we try to recreate that through a meal.  Other times, we tried a meal because the person who made it for us asked, and because of our affection for them, we push ourselves.  Then, when we no longer have that person with us, we make the food to feel closer to them.  
      This week, think about food.  What is your favorite food/meal?  Why is it your favorite food/meal?  Who made it for you?  How do you feel when you eat it?  These all help us to think about what connects us to each other.  
      For example: As a child, my mother would always make cornbread and beans.  The stove would house a huge pot filled with the beans boiling steeped in onions and a ham bone.  In the oven, cornbread would be baking.  The kitchen smelled so good.  The air was full and warm.  Whenever I smell cornbread baking, I am reminded of my mother making this.  I have asked my mother many times about this meal.  We had it often growing up and I wondered why.  Her response:  "It was cheap.  I could feed the entire family for little money."  She went on to tell me that when my dad lost his job when I was little, this was an affordable meal for a family of seven.  When I look back on this time in my life, I don't see it as cheap.  I remember it as a moment rich in family and tradition.

   Your assignment: Write about a food that is rich in memory for you.  Who is involved?  Why is it special.  A very full paragraph should do it.  Enjoy!!!!

Stories

    Stephen King posits that stories are what saved him as a child.  He found solace in reading and writing.  As members of the human race, we all are exposed to stories.  The stories we hear each day on the bus, at lunch, from our teachers, the media, and from ourselves allow us to see our place in society.  We live in a world where stories are one of our ways of communicating.     
    I grew up in a household of story tellers.  My mother would brush, braid, or design our hair each day and in the process of this act, she would tell us stories.  These stories helped to define my childhood, helped my understanding of family and allowed me to see myself in the world.  One such story was of when my mother wrecked her bike.  
   --She was racing her friend to school.  In her haste, she flipped her bike and landed hard on the concrete.  Her bike came down on top of her.  Some men who were on their way to a family member's funeral saw my mom laying on the ground.  They pulled over and got out of their black limousine to check on the young girl pinned under her bike.  At the same time as the men got out to check on my mom, the school bus passed her.  The men drove my mother home so she could get her injuries checked out.  Meanwhile, the kids on the bus saw the men put my mother into their "funeral car" and drive her away.  Those same kids who were on the bus went to school and told my mother's sister that her sister was dead and put in the "funeral car."  My aunt was so upset that she went to the office to call home.  It was then that my grandmother revealed that my aunt's sister/my mother was not dead, just hurt.  

This story may not seem like much.  But as a family, we would often find ourselves laughing at this mistaken information.  My mother is so competitive that she ended up scarring her sister.  This story lets me see this same nature in myself. Being a little competitive is a good thing, but when it causes others/or the self harm, perhaps reflection is needed.  

Your assignment:
Tell a family story.  A very full paragraph should be enough.  Once you have told the story, explain what this story helps you to understand about yourself.  

Mindset

We have been looking at Mindset in class and how Mindset looks, sounds, works in the world we live.  We have listened to a TED Talk, read an article, and watched it in a speech.  This week, I want you to examine how Mindset appears in your world.  

Choose a scenario: a classroom conversation; a television show/movie; an interview with an athlete, writer, artist; a conversation with a family member; or anther situation you find yourself present for.  Examine the scenario and record how you see Mindset. 

Here is an example for you to follow:The movie Remember the Titans:

Coach Boone: This is where they fought the battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fighting the same fight that we are still fighting among ourselves today. This green field right here, painted red, bubblin' with the blood of young boys. Smoke and hot lead pouring right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men. I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family. You listen, and you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together right now on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed, just like they were. I don't care if you like each other of not, but you will respect each other. And maybe... I don't know, maybe we'll learn to play this game like men.


Here Coach Boone is trying to help his players change their mindset on how they see others and how they interact with each other. They came to camp a town divided by race, and in the end they have begun to demonstrate the growth mindset. They allowed their views of others to change--to grow. As a result, they won games, worked hard for each other, and formed lasting relationships with their teammates. Those who were unable to change, the fixed mindset, found themselves unable to perform as athletes and form the friendships on the team.

New Beginning

       School starts every August.  This is one thing we can be sure of as students in America.  We begin to see the advertisements for school supplies and back to school clothing sales each July.  For many, a feeling of excitement and dread comes about at this time.  The best thing about beginnings, though, is that each time we get a "do over."  We get to start the year off fresh.
      Fresh starts are like a clean chalkboard.  We are free to write our story.  The teachers do not know us, our work habits get to be reborn, our outlook is our responsibility.  Like all beginnings, this one is important for you.  You get to choose who you will be and the actions you will take.  Ironically, this beginning of twelfth grade is also your last high school beginning.  Look back at all of your beginnings and decide how this one will be different.  
      For this week's post, I am asking you to set three goals for your senior year. I want them to be academic goals.  These are not social goals or generic goals.  I want them to be specific to you.  An example of an academic goal would be as follows:  I want to turn in all of my work knowing it is the best I have to offer.  Make your goals reasonable and attainable.  Goals are what we strive for.  They give us hope, and they give us incentive.  Make your goals, and let's work toward these goals all year long!