4.09.2008
1st is the worst, 2nd is the best
I believe in second chances. Anyone can say that but I truly believe in it. Personal experiences have told me that you can start over, not every person will be mean, not every teacher excludes extra credit, not every sport will hurt you. Ok, so I'm making generalizations here, but in life don't we have to do that every now and then? [fallacies? probably]. Anyway...ever heard the saying "first is the worst, second is the best?" Well that's something I believe in. Sometimes things don't work out the first time because one piece of the puzzle was missing, something didn't fit quite right. Sometimes you need to take a step back and think about what could be fixed. Friendships, problems, relationships, they can all be evaluated and given a second chance.
There was one year that I simply could not stand to be around one of my friends. We never really talked about it but we could both tell that we weren't getting along very well. I knew that we needed to spend some time apart and I think she knew it as well. Luckily for us, the schedule makers at the middle school were on the ball and knew that we needed this break. They put us in different classes and we only saw each other in the hallways. Perfect, I remember thinking. After a while of this "separation" we realized how silly we both were being by getting on each other's nerves. After that year we were in classes together again, on and off for a few years. To this day we are still just as close as we were that first time. This rekindled friendship was our second chance, and we've both taken advantage of it. She's once again one of my best friends, the shoulder to cry on, the first person I would call if I needed something.
Other times I've given people second chances, and third, fourth, fifth, but after a while there's a limit to how many chances you can give a person. Many years ago I had a fight with one of my friends that indirectly put me into a fight with another one of my friends. This was the spark that ignited the fire of the end of a friendship that was never really rekindled. I will always have the countless memories of trips to the mall, swim meets, the pool, and the giant box of goldfish crackers. I've tried to give this person the second chance he deserves, but respect is a two way street. It's like this, I've built the fire pit, set up the wood, gotten the water bucket just in case, because my dad's a firefighter ya know. Now all that's left is to rekindle the fire. The matches are set out on the picnic table, now it's your turn. It's your job to light that fire, because I'm done trying. I've given you the second chance that I think you deserve. Just know that the door will always be open, the matches will always be left out, even in the rain.
Sometimes you aren't given a second chance and that's when you really start to regret things that have happened. After a loved one passes, there's always guilt to be felt. Unfortunately it usually falls on the ones who don't deserve it. I've only ever said this out loud once, but after my grandma died I seriously thought it was my fault. I was in 7th grade so I still didn't understand everything, as I still don't. Even years later I can still think of things that I know I wanted to tell her but I never got the chance to. I missed out on my second chance to tell her things, but the more I think about it, I really haven't. I believe that she's still here. My guardian angel.
Which leads me to my next example of second chances. [ok so it might be a little random but in my head it makes sense]. Freshman year was a bad year for me. After two accidents on horseback, or rather being thrown off horseback, I was terrified by horses. I could be around them but ask me to hold the rope or even get on one, and I was outta there. Until I was given my second chance. I moved to a new barn where I was taught a new way or riding and loving horses. And let me tell you, it was a great feeling. I was given that second chance and I took advantage of it.
Second chances don't always come around so when you're given one you should take full advantage of it. Before you know it, time will fly by and chances will be gone. From past experiences I've learned that every bad occurrence can be turned into a good one. That every cloud really does have a silver lining. And that second chances don't always come around and even though the first may be the worst, sometimes the second truly is the best.
3.08.2008
Mail order babies? What is this world coming to...?
In reading Brave New World, the reader can glimpse into the future and see what could happen if society continues in the direction it is headed. "Until a few years ago, making a baby boy or a baby girl was pretty much a hit-or-miss affair. Not anymore," (Lemonick). What a true statement. With new developments in science it is becoming easier and easier to create children rather than leave it all up to chance. One critic commented that it will soon become like choosing a car with a checklist of options on a couple's new "designer baby." Although genetically engineering children has its positives in the medical world, flaws exist because the individual personality has the potential to override these advances.
With these new advances we need to ask the question: where should we draw the line? "As medicine redraws the map of what's possible when it comes to making children, we all have an interest in asking how far we should be allowed to go," (Gibbs). In Brave New World, everything about each individual person is carefully controlled when they are constructed. They are 'born' into a caste system society where everyone knows their place, or their ranking, in life. Everything is controlled from what a person will look like to their mental capacity. No one thinks for themselves, but only believes what they are told over and over again through Hypnopadia. One thing that is not taken into account is individual personality.
Scientists are probably jumping for joy that they can now identify in the earliest stages of development about a dozen of the most serious genetic diseases. This will greatly help in the medical field, but there are so many other variables to consider. Personality of each individual person, as of right now, cannot be created. "The gene or combination of genes responsible for most of our physical and mental attributes hasn't even been identified yet, making the moot the idea of engineering genes in or out of a fetus," (Lemonick). Personality, attitude, opinions, these are all mental capacities and this cannot be controlled by genetics. Parents may select their ideal traits for their child but the human mind is a complicated place. It has the potential to do anything, to think anyway it wants, to override any 'programing' it wants.
Someone once noted how extraordinary it is, that scientists know more about the surface of the moon than they do the surface of the human brain. The complex workings of this vital organ are still a very big mystery to us all. It is, however, the switchboard that controls the body, and therefore has the ability to create a personality to override any advances in science. In the foreword to the 1946 edition of Brave New World, Aldous Huxley said "...Great is truth, but even greater from a practical point of view is silence about truth..." The truth is, flaws exist in every society no matter how perfect it may seem on paper. The same can be said about a person.
Parents may pick out the 'perfect' traits for their child. Blond or brown hair, blue or green eyes, tall or short, tan in the sun or burn, all these options, too many options. These advances in science will have its benefits such as ruling out various genetic diseases and helping children have a healthier life, but that is where the line should be drawn. Parents shouldn't go around thinking they can create a child any way they want it. A computer can be created from a checklist with things like screen size, memory, processor speed. New software can be installed on a computer that can override its previous programming. Children are far from computers, but individual personality has the potential to override all the predetermined factors and show the flaws that are present in any system.
Lemonick, Michael D. "Designer Babies." Time 11 January 1999. 7 March 2008. http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,989987,00.html
With these new advances we need to ask the question: where should we draw the line? "As medicine redraws the map of what's possible when it comes to making children, we all have an interest in asking how far we should be allowed to go," (Gibbs). In Brave New World, everything about each individual person is carefully controlled when they are constructed. They are 'born' into a caste system society where everyone knows their place, or their ranking, in life. Everything is controlled from what a person will look like to their mental capacity. No one thinks for themselves, but only believes what they are told over and over again through Hypnopadia. One thing that is not taken into account is individual personality.
Scientists are probably jumping for joy that they can now identify in the earliest stages of development about a dozen of the most serious genetic diseases. This will greatly help in the medical field, but there are so many other variables to consider. Personality of each individual person, as of right now, cannot be created. "The gene or combination of genes responsible for most of our physical and mental attributes hasn't even been identified yet, making the moot the idea of engineering genes in or out of a fetus," (Lemonick). Personality, attitude, opinions, these are all mental capacities and this cannot be controlled by genetics. Parents may select their ideal traits for their child but the human mind is a complicated place. It has the potential to do anything, to think anyway it wants, to override any 'programing' it wants.
Someone once noted how extraordinary it is, that scientists know more about the surface of the moon than they do the surface of the human brain. The complex workings of this vital organ are still a very big mystery to us all. It is, however, the switchboard that controls the body, and therefore has the ability to create a personality to override any advances in science. In the foreword to the 1946 edition of Brave New World, Aldous Huxley said "...Great is truth, but even greater from a practical point of view is silence about truth..." The truth is, flaws exist in every society no matter how perfect it may seem on paper. The same can be said about a person.
Parents may pick out the 'perfect' traits for their child. Blond or brown hair, blue or green eyes, tall or short, tan in the sun or burn, all these options, too many options. These advances in science will have its benefits such as ruling out various genetic diseases and helping children have a healthier life, but that is where the line should be drawn. Parents shouldn't go around thinking they can create a child any way they want it. A computer can be created from a checklist with things like screen size, memory, processor speed. New software can be installed on a computer that can override its previous programming. Children are far from computers, but individual personality has the potential to override all the predetermined factors and show the flaws that are present in any system.
what's wrong with this picture??
Works Cited
Gibbs, Nancy. "Wanted: Someone to Play God." Time 3 March 2008: 68.
http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/jgr/lowres/jgrn482l.jpg
http://www.eugenics.net/papers/quotes.html
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 2006.
Lemonick, Michael D. "Designer Babies." Time 11 January 1999. 7 March 2008. http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,989987,00.html
12.20.2007
Excited much!?
I guess I am starting to take after my cousin and am using my blog for my ramblings and all. things that I feel I need to tell someone about, so whoever is reading this, I thank you. Leaving for vacation and I could not be more excited! So far this week has been primarily good. Between watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas in health, to the awesome Mock Trial scrimmage today. [which we utterly and completely won, by the way.] Way to go fellow mockers!!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
12.05.2007
So I just thought I should let everyone out there know...when I get nervous, I ramble. And I talk extremely fast. Not just "I need to tell you this because it's urgent" fast, but so fast that I don't even realize I'm talking so fast and someone has to tell me to slow down. And to make matters worse, I start rambling about things that don't even make sense. So yeah, that's pretty much it. Oh, and it's usually only in front of large groups of people. [Large being 10+] Since this happened twice today, I think it's becoming a pattern. No public speaking in the future for me, oh well.
Happy 2nd night of Hanukah!!
Happy 2nd night of Hanukah!!
11.20.2007
Thanksgiving
Ok, well let's start with a list of things that I'm thankful for. Generic things, but I'll expand, don't worry. I'm thankful for my family, the friends, for being free and living in a free country, my horse, my car, and I'm sure that I'll think of more as I go along.
So I'm thankful for my family. But more importantly, I'm thankful that I get along with my family. My mom and I get along and I can relate to my dad easily because we are both the youngest child in our families. My brother and I act like siblings, annoying and bickering when we are together but caring and respectful when it really matters. He's always the first person taking pictures at a special time like the NHS induction or my 8th grade graduation.
My family is not limited to just my parents and brother, but extends to all aspects of my family. I have members of my family who aren't even blood related, but are more a part of my life than actual cousins or aunts and uncles. I'm thankful for these members of my family as well.
I'm thankful for my friends. I have the type of friends that can call each other losers and nerds and stuff like that, but you know that they love you anyway. They're the type of people that would pull your chair away as you go to sit down, laugh, then make sure that you're ok. And I know that I can always talk to them about anything. They're also the type of friends where we can not see each other for weeks at a time, like over the summer, but when we start hanging out it's like a day hasn't gone by.
On a different note, I'm thankful that my parents decided to raise their family in the country. I love being able to see the sky at night and the stars. My mom always tells me about how she loved working in the city for a few years. Her family had a small apartment in the city and she told me how she used to live there part time in the summer. But seriously, I don't like the city. [referring to NYC of course.] It's too big, too busy, too loud, too polluted. I love being able to breath in fresh air, see cows in the fields near my house no matter where I go. [Thank you Erin for proof reading this!]
As cheesy as it sounds, I'm thankful for my horse, Joseph. He's like a best friend that never complains because obviously he can't talk back. I'm sure almost every little girl has dreamed of owning a pony and riding around their neighborhood. Some of us are lucky enough to grow up and get a horse of their own. Now he's not exactly mine, but for the most part he is. My name is on the nameplate on his stall door as the owner. And that makes me smile more than anything. I heard someone say that "horse girls" [as we are affectionately called sometimes] know what they want. They take control of almost every situation and they do what they have to get what they want. I guess that's true, and I guess I've never realized why I like to be the leader in a group. I guess there's something to be said for the fact that as a sport I like to ride a 2,000 lbs. animal. Ok, so maybe Joseph isn't that big, but Oliver is, and I've ridden him.
I think here is where I should add that I'm thankful for my riding instructor who has shown me a whole new way of riding and loving horses. Between March and May of Freshman year I was thrown off two horses and got hurt pretty bad. The first time I didn't think anything of it, but the second time was quite different. I call it the "Shorty Incident" but I don't expect anyone else to understand that. This horse I was riding, Shorty, took off with me on him. He ran out of the ring and kept on running for about 2 miles until he decided to stop and visit with a random pony he saw in a field on a road near by. I, needless to say, bailed out pretty quickly, jumping off the horse as he ran into my mom's car and kept going. Ok, anyway, I'm thankful that I wasn't hurt too seriously, just a lot of bruises,[well actually I didn't even bruise that time. Weird since I fell into a gravel parking lot] a trip to the hospital, A LOT of x-rays, and a crazy x-ray technician who made racecar sounds as he pushed my bed through the building into the x-ray room. Let me get more specific about the number of x-rays. The first time I got thrown off I suffered a fracture in my back and a whole bunch more x-rays. After that, the orthopedist [the bone doctor] discovered that I had a slight case of scoliosis and said I needed even more x-rays.
Ok, I'm definitely rambling now so I'll stop. But really I'm thankful for second chances. I guess the main second chance I'm thankful is the second chance I've gotten to love horses and to love riding. And I'm pretty sure I've reached my "I'm not afraid of anything anymore" point, my "just get over it" point, and I'm grateful for that. Because now I can enjoy riding even more. Right, I'm rambling. Ok the next thing I'm grateful for....
I'm thankful for my car, or uh, truck rather. My parents kind of spoil me so they helped me pay for my vehicle. I'm thankful that they trust me enough to let me drive around on my own. I'm thankful that they understand the demands of where we live and made sure that I got a vehicle with 4-wheel drive. I know 4-wheel drive will not protect me from everything, but it gives me the confidence to drive carefully and safely in bad weather. I must be a decent driver if my friend trusted me enough to drive her to school on Monday when it was snowing.
I know most of the things on my list are pretty generic and apply to most people. But other things on my list are different and specific to me. I guess I'll just sum up the things on my list. My family, My friends and the friendships I've created throughout the years, my past and my future, my country and where I live, my horse, new opportunities, second chances, and my car. I'm sure I could go on and on for a pretty long time but I won't bore anyone who's going to read this.
So I'm thankful for my family. But more importantly, I'm thankful that I get along with my family. My mom and I get along and I can relate to my dad easily because we are both the youngest child in our families. My brother and I act like siblings, annoying and bickering when we are together but caring and respectful when it really matters. He's always the first person taking pictures at a special time like the NHS induction or my 8th grade graduation.
My family is not limited to just my parents and brother, but extends to all aspects of my family. I have members of my family who aren't even blood related, but are more a part of my life than actual cousins or aunts and uncles. I'm thankful for these members of my family as well.
I'm thankful for my friends. I have the type of friends that can call each other losers and nerds and stuff like that, but you know that they love you anyway. They're the type of people that would pull your chair away as you go to sit down, laugh, then make sure that you're ok. And I know that I can always talk to them about anything. They're also the type of friends where we can not see each other for weeks at a time, like over the summer, but when we start hanging out it's like a day hasn't gone by.
I think I have to say here that I'm thankful for my past and my future to come. Everything that I've done in my past has helped mold me into the person I am today. Sometimes I don't like this person that I've become, but I think I'm a pretty good version of what I am. Sorry if that sounds confusing. Even though I hated the big fight I had with two of my friends in 8th grade, it really helped me see what matters. And see who is really going to stay friends with you or just fizzle out. Why boys really aren't a good thing to fight about. Sorry, again, if that offends anyone.
We started talking about this next topic in Psychology last week. Being thankful for being free. We live in a country where you can pretty much do whatever you want, but with limits. I'm not saying that I can go rob a bank and get away with it, but as far as school goes, I am not required to say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. I mean, yes, I have to stand up and be respectful, but I don't have to say it. And I'm thankful for that.
On a different note, I'm thankful that my parents decided to raise their family in the country. I love being able to see the sky at night and the stars. My mom always tells me about how she loved working in the city for a few years. Her family had a small apartment in the city and she told me how she used to live there part time in the summer. But seriously, I don't like the city. [referring to NYC of course.] It's too big, too busy, too loud, too polluted. I love being able to breath in fresh air, see cows in the fields near my house no matter where I go. [Thank you Erin for proof reading this!]
As cheesy as it sounds, I'm thankful for my horse, Joseph. He's like a best friend that never complains because obviously he can't talk back. I'm sure almost every little girl has dreamed of owning a pony and riding around their neighborhood. Some of us are lucky enough to grow up and get a horse of their own. Now he's not exactly mine, but for the most part he is. My name is on the nameplate on his stall door as the owner. And that makes me smile more than anything. I heard someone say that "horse girls" [as we are affectionately called sometimes] know what they want. They take control of almost every situation and they do what they have to get what they want. I guess that's true, and I guess I've never realized why I like to be the leader in a group. I guess there's something to be said for the fact that as a sport I like to ride a 2,000 lbs. animal. Ok, so maybe Joseph isn't that big, but Oliver is, and I've ridden him.
I think here is where I should add that I'm thankful for my riding instructor who has shown me a whole new way of riding and loving horses. Between March and May of Freshman year I was thrown off two horses and got hurt pretty bad. The first time I didn't think anything of it, but the second time was quite different. I call it the "Shorty Incident" but I don't expect anyone else to understand that. This horse I was riding, Shorty, took off with me on him. He ran out of the ring and kept on running for about 2 miles until he decided to stop and visit with a random pony he saw in a field on a road near by. I, needless to say, bailed out pretty quickly, jumping off the horse as he ran into my mom's car and kept going. Ok, anyway, I'm thankful that I wasn't hurt too seriously, just a lot of bruises,[well actually I didn't even bruise that time. Weird since I fell into a gravel parking lot] a trip to the hospital, A LOT of x-rays, and a crazy x-ray technician who made racecar sounds as he pushed my bed through the building into the x-ray room. Let me get more specific about the number of x-rays. The first time I got thrown off I suffered a fracture in my back and a whole bunch more x-rays. After that, the orthopedist [the bone doctor] discovered that I had a slight case of scoliosis and said I needed even more x-rays.
Ok, I'm definitely rambling now so I'll stop. But really I'm thankful for second chances. I guess the main second chance I'm thankful is the second chance I've gotten to love horses and to love riding. And I'm pretty sure I've reached my "I'm not afraid of anything anymore" point, my "just get over it" point, and I'm grateful for that. Because now I can enjoy riding even more. Right, I'm rambling. Ok the next thing I'm grateful for....
I'm thankful for my car, or uh, truck rather. My parents kind of spoil me so they helped me pay for my vehicle. I'm thankful that they trust me enough to let me drive around on my own. I'm thankful that they understand the demands of where we live and made sure that I got a vehicle with 4-wheel drive. I know 4-wheel drive will not protect me from everything, but it gives me the confidence to drive carefully and safely in bad weather. I must be a decent driver if my friend trusted me enough to drive her to school on Monday when it was snowing.
I know most of the things on my list are pretty generic and apply to most people. But other things on my list are different and specific to me. I guess I'll just sum up the things on my list. My family, My friends and the friendships I've created throughout the years, my past and my future, my country and where I live, my horse, new opportunities, second chances, and my car. I'm sure I could go on and on for a pretty long time but I won't bore anyone who's going to read this.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!!
11.09.2007
Social Issues in The Glass Castle
There were so many social issues presented in The Glass Castle but I'd like to focus on one. Education, or the lack of. Jeannette and her siblings were denied a proper education because of her parents' life style. They were constantly moving around because of her father and don't even get me started on their Bi Polar mother. It just wasn't fair to these kids the way their parents moved around so much that they never got a proper education.
I think parents involvement in their children's education has a big influence on the outcome. If a parent is involved, asks about their child's homework, how their day was, etc., the child will do better in school because their parent actually cares. On the flip side, if a parent never shows interest in their child's school work, the child may feel that they don't have to try as hard because the parent won't care about the outcome. But this can also work the other way. A child may feel driven to make a better life for themselves despite what their parents care about.
Another negative affect on the Walls children is what would happen to them if they had to take a Standardized Test? They have been moved around so much that they are learning different things and for a very short amount of time. I'm sure there were even places that they lived when their parents didn't even sign them up for school. It's lucky for the Walls children that they were all smart for their ages. They were able to help their mother grade papers when she didn't want to and got into one of her moods when she hated being a teacher and didn't want to do anything.
One of the times that the Walls children suffer in school because of their constant moving around is when their mom takes Jeannette and Brian to sign them up for school and she tells the principal how smart her children are, but they can't understand what he is saying because of his accent. He puts them into the slow classes because he feels that they are dumb, but really they just can't understand him. How unfair is that? Because the parents are moving around all the time their children are denied a proper education.
I'm so glad that Jeannette and her siblings are able to escape their past and turn their lives into something good. Yes, she does sometimes feel guilty that she lives in a fancy apartment while her parents lived on the street, but those are the lives they have all chosen for themselves. Jeannette was able to overcome her past and her lack of education as a child to become successful. That should be the result of children whose parents don't care about their education, but unfortunately many children fall into a routine of falling in their parents' footsteps.
I think parents involvement in their children's education has a big influence on the outcome. If a parent is involved, asks about their child's homework, how their day was, etc., the child will do better in school because their parent actually cares. On the flip side, if a parent never shows interest in their child's school work, the child may feel that they don't have to try as hard because the parent won't care about the outcome. But this can also work the other way. A child may feel driven to make a better life for themselves despite what their parents care about.
Another negative affect on the Walls children is what would happen to them if they had to take a Standardized Test? They have been moved around so much that they are learning different things and for a very short amount of time. I'm sure there were even places that they lived when their parents didn't even sign them up for school. It's lucky for the Walls children that they were all smart for their ages. They were able to help their mother grade papers when she didn't want to and got into one of her moods when she hated being a teacher and didn't want to do anything.
One of the times that the Walls children suffer in school because of their constant moving around is when their mom takes Jeannette and Brian to sign them up for school and she tells the principal how smart her children are, but they can't understand what he is saying because of his accent. He puts them into the slow classes because he feels that they are dumb, but really they just can't understand him. How unfair is that? Because the parents are moving around all the time their children are denied a proper education.
I'm so glad that Jeannette and her siblings are able to escape their past and turn their lives into something good. Yes, she does sometimes feel guilty that she lives in a fancy apartment while her parents lived on the street, but those are the lives they have all chosen for themselves. Jeannette was able to overcome her past and her lack of education as a child to become successful. That should be the result of children whose parents don't care about their education, but unfortunately many children fall into a routine of falling in their parents' footsteps.
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