Soph Journal #5--Writing a Conceit
I'm driving 65 mph on I-495, cars whizzing by me like I'm standing still. Two guys darting in and out of traffic like it's some video game chase--I can only imagine how fast they're going. I'm on the gas just to keep up with the flow, the left foot covering the pedal (yeah, that's old-school bi-pedal technique), just in case . . . momentarily reverting to what Mr. Shaw instructed back in my tenth grade driver's ed class.
Then comes the inevitable question from the backseat driver, who actually occupies the other seat in the front. You know what I mean?
"Are you using cruise control?"
"No," I answer curtly.
"Why not? Doesn't your foot get tired?" the passenger harps.
It is at that point that I begin my rant on the dangers of cruise control.
Clicking on the cruise control does prevent tired, cramping feet, I say. However, it has its problems, too. For one, it lulls you into a false sense of security, and the feet usually get further and further away for both the gas AND the brake pedals. At that point, how much control do I really have?
Like my car, I don't like to put my life in "cruise control." I want to be the one in charge as much as I can be, without being a "control freak." I'm no risk-taker, so most of the time I travel the "road more taken." And that's OK with me. I like to know where I'm going, traveling at my own speed. I haven't driven further north than New York City or more south than Augusta, Georgia, but that doesn't mean I've led a boring, provincial life, either. I can make a Saturday night trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond an adventure by taking some of the back roads to see the Belted Galloway cows on Center Meeting Road (click to enjoy).
How are you navigating through life?
Do you gas up first, and then check the oil, wipers, and air pressure before a big trip?
Do you have the "pedal to the metal" or are you driving more cautiously with "both hands on the wheel at 10 before 2?"
Do you prefer major roadways like the Kirkwood Highway or would you rather take the more scenic route?
When you drive, are you easily lured into the local McDonald's at the sight of the golden arches, or can you get from point A to point B without making a single stop?
Do you use your cell phone while driving, chatting and texting away instead of paying attention to the road? It's against the law, you know.
Obviously, all of these driving situations can be applied metaphorically to situations in our lives.
For instance, the guy who gases up and checks out his car before a trip is the man who begins all his endeavors in life with preparation and a plan.
The "pedal to the metal" driver travels recklessly through life, hellbent on getting things done in a hurry without concern for safety for himself or anyone else.
The guy who stops at McDonald's, well, he needs a little bit more self-control, doesn't he? Can't he wait a few minutes to get home to snack on last night's leftovers?
Hopefully, you have the idea of what makes a CONCEIT, an elaborate (sometimes far-fetched) extended metaphor. Two things that are essentially unalike, like driving a car and living one's life, are compared. The "extended" part of the metaphor means that different parts of each procedure are compared, like the examples that I've given above comparing driving a car to living one's life.
So now it's your turn.
Think of an area in which you have some knowledge and expertise. Maybe it's a hobby (reading) or activity (playing a sport, dancing, fishing etc.).
Think of a metaphor, and then extend it by breaking it down into parts.
For instance, reading a book is like developing a strong friendship.
How might choosing a book to read be like finding a friend? Examine its cover, its prologue, the reviews on the cover. How might this be similar to entering into a friendship? You can go on from here, and talk about opening the book the first time, feeling the stiffness of the book's bindings, maybe reading a few uneventful pages and then putting it down. How might this be like the beginning of a friendship, too?
Choose between one of these two assignments:
1. Make a conceit comparing two dissimilar but similar processes, like reading a book and making a friend.
Hopefully, you have the idea of what makes a CONCEIT, an elaborate (sometimes far-fetched) extended metaphor. Two things that are essentially unalike, like driving a car and living one's life, are compared. The "extended" part of the metaphor means that different parts of each procedure are compared, like the examples that I've given above comparing driving a car to living one's life.
So now it's your turn.
Think of an area in which you have some knowledge and expertise. Maybe it's a hobby (reading) or activity (playing a sport, dancing, fishing etc.).
Think of a metaphor, and then extend it by breaking it down into parts.
For instance, reading a book is like developing a strong friendship.
How might choosing a book to read be like finding a friend? Examine its cover, its prologue, the reviews on the cover. How might this be similar to entering into a friendship? You can go on from here, and talk about opening the book the first time, feeling the stiffness of the book's bindings, maybe reading a few uneventful pages and then putting it down. How might this be like the beginning of a friendship, too?
Choose between one of these two assignments:
1. Make a conceit comparing two dissimilar but similar processes, like reading a book and making a friend.
2. Tell me what your LIFE is like. Let's avoid the commonly used "roller coaster" or "box of chocolates" metaphors.
For either choice, make sure you extend your general comparison with at least five specific comparisons. You'll probably find yourself doing many more.
Write and post your own conceit before Thursday, October 13.
posted by JTF @ 8:02 AM
49 comments
49 Comments:
My life is like a monstrous labyrinth, a book of mazes (you know, like the book you buy at Happy Harry’s and do when you’re bored). I start off making all the right turns, no mistakes so far, but then I come to a dead end. Of course, I decided to use a pen, so I can’t erase my path and start over. I have to backtrack and leave a huge blob of black ink on the page reminding me that I messed up. This is what happens in my life. I mess up sometimes, and the mistakes I make cannot be taken back. Sometimes my mistakes have serious consequences and are always in the back of my mind, haunting me like that blob of black ink. But just like the book of mazes, I have to continue until I get to the end. I’m continuing my maze, and I think I’ve finally found the route to the end. But then all of a sudden, another dead end comes along. I messed up again; another blob of black ink on my paper. This situation reminds me of how whenever things are going well, something ALWAYS comes along to ruin it. Everything is going my way then all of a sudden, something bad comes along to ruin my happiness. This happens to me all the time and I know for a fact that it happens to every other teenager out there. Again, I pick the pen back up and continue to complete the maze. At this point I’m ready to rip the page out and forget it was even there. This is the point in life when I reach my “breaking point.” I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve said that line in my short 15 years. Obviously I am an overdramatic teenager, but for us teens, sometimes it really does feel like the end of the world. We feel like we’ve hit rock bottom sometimes. Somehow I find the strength and courage to pick that pen up just once more; I give it just one more try. This situation in my life represents the time when I finally realize that it really isn’t the end of the world. I know that in the end, things will work out for the best. A good friend once told me “in the end, everything will be okay, if it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.” These words have helped me realize that everything happens for a reason and everything will truly be okay in the end. So, back to what I was saying. I pick the pen back up and continue with the maze. I’m feeling pretty confident that I can finish this without making another mistake. I finally reach the end of the maze; I’m thrilled. Then I realize I still have 159 more pages until the end of the book. I become slightly discouraged, but then I realize that I made it through the first page so I can mostly certainly finish the book! This is the point where I finally overcome my “end of the world” obstacle. Sadly, that was only one small hill that I’ll have to climb in my life. The climb up the hill is tough, but the feeling I get when I reach the top and see the view… indescribable. In the distance I can see many more hills, some much bigger than the one I just climbed. I’m not scared though. I conquered the first hill and there is nothing holding me back from conquering the next one, the one after, and the one after that.
Shadows fill my lightless nights. The shadows are dark and frightening. They hide within me. The shadows live in secret chambers only I can see. They creep out when no one is there to save me. They bring the saltwater sea that slams against me with them, and I am trapped beneath its harsh waves. I scream, but no one can hear. I drown into a dreamless sleep that is too brief.
Suddenly I am awake.
My salvation rescues me.
Light pours out of the golden sun. It warms and dries me. It strengthens me. I push the shadows back into their chamber. I lock their doors with smiles.
I do not talk about the shadows with anyone.
No one needs to know about them.
No one would listen.
And no one would believe me.
I am surrounded by flurrying. By shallow worries. By time-consuming responsibilities. I push the shadows back further with the more preoccupations and distractions I have.
My refuge, the sun, drops too quickly in the sky. I need it to save me from night. But the sun doesn’t care. It leaves me.
And the shadows return.
This is a very dark metaphorical story which is a basically a metaphor for the events in my life. The “shadows” are metaphors for the things I could never dream of telling anyone about: my worries, my troubles, my sorrows, my emotions, the things I hate, and the things I wish I could change, but I can’t. The “sea” represents tears and the “sun” represents the day, the time that I spend with others. “Flurrying” (which literally means flustering), “shallow worries,” and “time-consuming responsibilities” are metaphors for the distractions from the “shadows” that fill my day. As the sun drops in the sky, so drops my resistance to the shadows. When “the sun doesn’t care,” and “it leaves me,” so do all the people in my life, and I am left alone. And the cycle repeats.
Please note: I write when I feel emotional. Obviously I was upset when I wrote this. I don’t want people to think I’m depressed, because I don’t feel like this all the time, this short story just “came out” and happened to be perfect for this writing assignment.
My conceit is between swimming and going to high school. In swimming, there are several strokes, types of swimmers, and levels of endurance. The aspects of this sport also apply to high school considering all of the different types of people with their varied personalities and social groups. Fast paced free-style swimmers correlate with the type of student who understands how to be cool and accepted, but also someone who can do most things with relative ease. Free-style is a stroke that most can swim but the ones who really do it well are usually well balanced in their ability to do the other strokes. This would go along with the type of high school student who is good at almost everything and fits into almost any group. Strong butterfly swimmers represent the people at the top of the social pyramid and those whom have worked hard to get there. Butterfly is undeniably the most physically demanding stroke and the best always have a sense of confidence and importance. In high school, the most popular people usually have worked hard to maintain that reputation and they also tend to be above most other people in physical standards. Breaststroke swimmers would connect the most with relaxed and compassionate people who are liked by everyone for their kindness. Breaststroke requires there to an artful ease of moving through the water that simply comes naturally to many of the best. For those in high school whom are known to be genuinely compassionate people, their personalities are always seen as genuine and down-to-earth. Backstroke swimmers are required to concentrate on what they are doing and have great sense of direction, which would go with the type of student who takes school very seriously. During backstroke, swimmers must be able to keep their body at a good position in the water without much help of their eyes. A serious student tends to regard their classes with heightened importance and usually will worry less about the other aspects of school, similar to backstroke in terms of concentrating on one thing. Finally, divers have to be able to live in the moment and make the best of their seconds in the air before reaching the water, similar to optimistic people who try to make every moment a successful one. When you are diving, the short time you have after your jump has to be pushed to the limit with flips and positions. A high school student who treats every day like it is hir or her last will do the best they can to accomplish great things during school.
Preparing for a marching band game is like my normal, after school daily routine. When you are first getting to school to meet the rest of the band members and board the bus, you have this slight feeling of freedom once you leave the car and your parent behind, not having to see them until at least three hours later when they pick you up again. You seem to get that same feeling when the last bell rings at 2:41, signaling that school is ending. You have time to socialize as you get your books from your locker and pack up, just like the time you have to socialize after you are dropped off by a loving parent and before loading you and all your belongings on to the bus. Once home, I usually indulge in my after school snack, whatever that may be. Parallel to this, is the same type of indulgence while talking to your friends once boarding the bus. Unfortunately, in both situations, you are interrupted for a brief while. Whether it be by a parent to ask you how your day at school was, or it be Mr. Bookout calling roll, this excruciating, and what seems to be painstakingly slow process is over soon enough and allows you to go back to your snack or previous conversations. After finishing that fun, congenial bus ride, you step outside and face the harsh reality of the temperature, usually freezing, but in the beginning of the season, unbearably hot, this is just something you’ll have to adjust to. Just like adjusting to the temperature, every time I go to do my homework, I have to adjust to my work environment. Now, that doesn’t always relate to temperature, while on the occasion it might, usually it’s having to block out the taunting smells of whatever my mother is cooking up on the stove, or even worse, having to block out my dad’s work calls. Once I start that deathly homework of mine, I seem to get on a roll, and just can’t stop in the middle of the workload. Just like getting on a roll with my homework, once into the first quarter of the game, we don’t stop performing and dancing until our third quarter break, much like the seventh inning stretch in baseball. Once third quarter rolls around, you can bet to find me relaxing and eating some sort of yummy treat. Just like that beloved break between written homework and studying, also better known as dinnertime! Although there are several more elements that you could compare with marching band and a normal after school routine, I’ve decided to accept your challenge and prove to you why a marching band isn’t quite like a blender, but is still easily compared to other things.
I think that becoming a better runner is like repairing an old car. When you first start to run, you feel like an old rusty car. You probably won’t be able to go that fast, or you might just break down. It may seem hopeless and that you belong in the junk pile, but like almost anything, you can fix yourself and be able to run better. The first things you will need to help yourself are a new pair of running shoes. Your shoes are the tires of the car, which help you get around on rough roads and have a smooth ride. The old shoes you have now are old deflated tires that are deflated and worn out. The new shoes will give you a better base to start on, and will continue to help you with your training.
Now when you begin to train, you need to start out slow and then put on the finishing touches. Getting your running base down is like replacing the old belts and cleaning out the gunk and debris in the engine. You will be able to go farther without breaking down, but the outside and interior of the car still looks terrible. As you continue to run and get better, the rust starts to go away and the cobwebs on the inside clear out. Now the outside and interior are clean, but they are completely blank. You start to run faster on your work outs and you begin to compete in races. You feel great and you use you experiences to continue building up you endurance. Now the car is getting a nice paint job, and the interior is being replaced. Now you just have to dig a little deeper and you will be at your prime. Finally the car gets an engine upgrade with a finale push and you are running like never before. Your engine is roaring loud and you are speeding down the track. Becoming a better runner and repairing an old car are almost the same thing. You have to put time and effort in, and in the end, you will get something you could never have imagined could be possible when you started out.
Fire is a force of rage and destruction, but symbolizes strength of passion and life.
Relationships are essential to life, salutary and baneful, worth both waxing and waning.
However, they can both be drawn to the same roots, making sense and similarities.
Abuse, murder, and adultery exhume feelings of fervent hatred or malcontent to the two involved.
Flames rip wildly within its range, engulfing all it crosses. The victims feel remorse and anger in the form of ashes.
A darkened room, alit by one minuscule candle guides, inspires, and warms the soul.
The bondage of camaraderie supports an ally even through the hardships of war.
Candelabra burned so high in esteem, how could a flame be seen with such class?
A marriage of a royal few causes some to bow head to shoe; can one relationship be respected above the mass?
You hope for the best, last ditch efforts, just to make her smile, to see that you two deserve to be together.
A long night in the pouring rain, a stick, no flame; with hope to start a small fire to fight back this weather.
A relationship can be viewed differently from two people’s eyes. We are just friends. I like her a lot more than ever.
Fire consumes sight of all who gleam at it. He says it warms but she says its just there as a result of last night’s storms.
A child is born from mother and father, life passed from one generation to the next.
The flaming torch is given from runner to runner, carrying on the same quest.
Hope is the foundation of the bondage of love. Seeing the glimmer in a wanderer’s eye could be true fate.
So many things are needed for the flames to singe. The one tool you need is the will to persist and simply wait.
Two felons joined together to conduct their crimes, as they work to please their mastermind.
The strike of a match, in the proximity of wood, ignites the house, setting it on fire.
Friends, with a broken bond of trust, so close once, but now drift away day by day.
The fire of passion in the revolutionary dimmed, he no longer sung his people’s hymn.
With spirituality comes an eternal bond with God, One like no other.
With such ferocity does the sun scorch, never failing to be the sky’s torch.
He watches over his child day and night, protecting him from spooky fright.
Flame cloistered in the lantern pushes away the shadows, putting insecurities out of sight.
Two powerful images have changed the course of our life as we know it and are similar on some grounds. Fire harnessed to provide warmth, light, and food and relationships, bonds that are made to withstand the test of time, the backbone of families, government, and friendship. Both in some sense come to represent or be built upon passion, as they can both prove to malign or be malignant. It is still up to your interpretation and how you choose to “kindle” your fire of reasoning.
Espresso
St. Marks High School is a lot like preparing coffee. First off, the fresh coffee grinds added to the filter represent the new freshmen. These grinds are the key to the coffee just like freshmen are so “loved” here at St. Marks. Each drip of coffee dripping from the pot represents all these new students uniting with the rest of the Spartans. Events such as school masses bring all the students together as one just as the coffee combines. The steam coming from the pot represents students’ hard work throughout the year. Just like the pot is hard at work doing its job, students are challenged in academics and become frustrated which is shown by the steam. Once the coffee is ready and poured into the mug, all the extras are added. Adding half & half represent the diversity at St. Marks. Even though we are a Roman Catholic school, students who attend are of all different religions and ethnicities. Adding the sugar can represent more than one thing at SMHS. Since sugar is sweet, it can represent all those students who are so happy to be at school even though most of us are not. Sugar can also represent success at St. Marks since we are a school who strives for excellence. Stirring combines everything but still keeps the balance of flavor. At St. Marks, stirring combines all of our students and activities such as the jocks with sports, clubs with volunteers, and the academically gifted with academics. Finally, the coffee grinds left in the filter represent the seniors. Our seniors, who have been through everything, have to leave our St. Marks community to be “thrown away” and leave for college.
What is dubstep? It is a hybrid genre of electronic music that was started in London in the late 90’s. It blends together the two completely opposite genres of music known as grime and reggae. The anatomy of a basic dubstep song starts off with a repetitive and catchy snare beat. After this comes the “drop.” The drop is the part of the song that the gut-wrenching bass comes in and provides an either catchy beat or pure chaos. The outro to this drop is usually the same as the beginning snare beat, yet, instead of speeding up, the beat fades off into silence.
What is a sandwich? It is a delectable treat that is created by putting any type of food in between two pieces of bread. You can indulge in meatball sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, and the original peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In my opinion, sandwiches are the greatest form of sustenance.
What do dubstep and sandwiches have in common? For the purposes of comparison, you will be eating a ham and cheese sandwich and listening to a dubstep track called “New World Disorder” by a producer named “Arkasia.” When you “bite” into this dubstep tune, you are first met with the intro. The snares and hats of the beat are crisp and tasty; just like the top piece of rye bread that pairs up with the bottom piece of bread to create the ham sandwich that you hold so dear.
As your teeth meet this bread, they do not stop. They accelerate through with great force as to sever the grainy particles. Likewise, as the intro of this dubstep melody progresses, the beat speeds up. This is to provide you with the artist’s desired degree of tension.
The next level of the sandwich that you will taste is the spicy and savory mustard. In correspondence, the lyrics of “New World Disorder” provide a piquant interjection into the sometimes repetitive beat of the song.
The next part in the song is the “drop.” The “drop” is the point of the song that the artist introduces the use of synthesizers and other effects over top of a beat to create a bass-heavy orchestra of chaos. The first of two parts that makes up this section is the beat. Though, it may sound like the beat of the intro, the beat of the “drop” is much slower and serene. Just like in a dubstep song, the cheese in a sandwich provides you with a calming, yet essential, flavor.
The second and most anticipated part of the sandwich is the layer of golden, honey-roasted ham. The flavor that the ham bestows upon you is the sweet and delicious taste that you’ve been looking forward to all along. This is very much like the second part of the “drop” that includes the bass producing synthesizers. In comparison, the ham and the synthesizers are alike because it is the best part of a sandwich, as well as the best part of “New World Disorder.”
The last section of “New World Disorder” is the outro. The outro is like the calm after the storm. It is after the “drop” and it consists of the same beat of the intro. Though, instead of speeding up, the beat slowly fades away and returns you to a peaceful state of mind. Likewise, the taste of the rye bread returns your taste buds to somewhere that they have been before.
Though, dubstep and a sandwich are two completely different things, they both also have a lot in common. They are both are delicious and satisfying to the mind and stomach. In my opinion, they are two of man’s greatest creations and I cannot fathom the thought of eating a sandwich while listening to dubstep.
The first day of school is comparable to a trip to the library. Just as you begin your day by walking through the hallway and reporting to homeroom, you initiate your search at a library by quickly browsing the shelves of books and locating a computer to use for reference. In homeroom you try to make a quick decision on where to sit down and whom you would like to commute with. In the library, you enter a search for whatever books you may desire and try to decide which books to get. Finding out where each of the books you require are located is like receiving your schedule in homeroom, and picking up a basket to carry them in is like receiving a locker.
Then begins your hunt throughout the library to acquire every book that you are in need of. This is comparable to a student’s search for their different classes on the first day of school. Each time you find a new book in the library, you browse over it to learn what it is about and prepare to read the book. This is like listening in each class on the first day of school, getting an idea of what each teacher is like and what each class demands of you. After finding some or all of your books at the library, you may sit down at various stations at the library that are designated for reading and studying. This is comparable to your downtime at school, such as study hall and lunch. Just as you must decide where to sit at lunch on the first day, you must decide what book to read first at the library. If you do not like the first book you choose, you may stop reading it and try out another. On the first day of school, you use study hall and lunch as opportunities to get to know people. You look over your books at the library in advance to get a feel for what they are like and how much you will like them.
Getting in line at the library’s counter is like going to your locker at the end of the day at school. At the library, you look over your choices one last time to make sure you have what you need. At the end of the first day of school, you make sure you have all the materials you need to complete any homework you may have been assigned and reflect on your day. Just as you drive home from the library, with all the books you need, you ride home from school after the first day of school having received all the information you need to know what the rest of the school year will probably be like. While the first day of school and a trip to the library are two completely different experiences, they can be compared through deeper interpretation of the events that usually transpire during each.
I think that high school is comparable to a party (not because people party in high school). All week you are anticipating this certain Saturday night to go to the party everyone is talking about. You cannot wait to know what it’s like, if it will be fun, and who will be there. All summer you are excited but nervous for the first day that you have heard about your entire life. It’s the first day of high school. You put on your new shirt you bought from the mall, and get ready for the best night of your life. The big doors of high school await you as you are ready to walk into school as a freshman. When you get to the party, you search the crowd for your friends just like you are trying to find some familiar faces in the large pool of new faces that have come from your rival middle schools. Finally, you spot your friend across the living room and you sit with them at lunch. At the party, your friends are with some people you don’t know, and you introduce yourself just like you meet new people in your classes. As the party goes on, it starts to get more exciting. This is like your sophomore and junior year. You’re starting to play all games at the party like Dodge ball and Pin the Tail on the Donkey, just like you start getting more involved in school, with clubs and sports. You dance at the party, just like you dance at homecoming and prom. Sometimes at the party, you run into people you aren’t the best of friends with. In high school, you always have some people you do not get along with. All of a sudden you look at the time and it’s almost time to go home; your senior year. You had so much fun you don’t know where the time has gone. You say goodbye to all your friends and go home, looking forward to the next party since you had so much fun. You look forward to college.
My life is like a game of poker. If something good or bad happens to me,it's usually because of the hand I am dealt. Sometimes, I get a three of a kind, or a straight and something awesome happens. Other times, I'm dealt a bad hand like a Jack-high, and something bad might happen in my life. Most of the time, however, I get an average hand, usually a pair, and just coast through life with nothing good or bad happening. Sometimes, I have to bluff when it seem like everything is better. And other times, I hit the jackpot. Everyone goes all in, and I have the best hand and I go straight to the top. Nothing can drag me down, and I feel amazing. All of this happens at random, and I can't control the hand that I'm dealt. I just hope for the best.
My conceit is about a baseball game and classes. Each player and base has their own special part, just like each part of a class. The pitcher is the teacher who aims towards the student. The batter is the student. Whether or not the batter hits the ball shows whether or not he understood the concept. Then there’s the catcher. This is the student who is a distraction and never stops talking. Now we move onto the actual class. The run to first base is the learning, the listening, understanding, and class work. The run to second base is homework and making sure the answers are correct. Running from second to third base is the time when you study and ask the few last minute questions. The base stealers are the students who sort of understand the topic but don’t stop and questions but rather just slide by and hope they get the test right. The home stretch from third to home is the test. This is always the hardest part of the game. This is very hit or miss. When you were running you had to make sure you made it around every obstacle while still touching every base. You to avoid defense, the major distractions that you can’t always avoid. But you have to make sure you find a way to get around the bases safely. This is the same as when you were studying you had to make sure you stayed focused and blocked out distractions that made you miss assignments. And you don’t want to give up all your hard work at the end. All that’s left is getting home, or doing well on the test. You can’t let the confusing questions stop, just like you avoid the defense at all costs, even if that means going back to third and asking questions. Two cases that everyone hopes for is the out of the park and the grand slam. The out of the park hit is the time when you personally understand the concept as soon as you are first taught. And the grand slam is when one by one the whole class understands and everyone does well one the test.
Painting is like a thunder storm
Because before it begins, all that’s there is a blank, gray sky
Devoid of any color or inspiration or magnificence
This is the blank canvas
There is nothing there but the hint that something is coming
That something more awaits this clean slate
This is the spark of an idea
Then the first few raindrops fall
Gently touching the earth
Lighting up the world with movement
These are the first, tentative brush strokes
As the idea grows and grows, the rain picks up just as rapidly
Until the rain is as steady as the hand that holds the brush
There are long brush strokes
Like the rain that pools and flows down the curbs
And short, quick strokes
Like sudden hail upon your rooftop
Grabbing your attention and barely letting go until
Suddenly
Lightening strikes
Inspiration lighting the sky for a fraction of a second
And it’s gone just as quickly
The storm is on the horizon
Counting the seconds between thunder and lightning
Until not one second sits between the roaring of thunder mixing with light
The brush picks up the pace
The steady hand working hard to keep up with the vibrant mind
That is pouring out pure emotion at a record rate
And just as suddenly as it came
The storm is subdued
Until it is no more than a faint pattering on the windowpane
The final touches of what is to be a great work of art
Sky clearing, a rainbow appears
The signature of the greatest artist the world has ever known
Just as any other artist would sign his work
The sun shines over the fresh landscape
Painting complete
As many of my friends know, I make cookies, cupcakes, cakes, etc. all the time. When given the assignment to write a conceit, I realized that baking can be compared to high school. In baking, there are different desserts that you can make such as cupcakes, brownies, cakes, pies, and the classic chocolate chip cookie. Like baking, you have a giant melting pot of personalities that fill our school.
The first and most basic thing that you learn when you start baking is the chocolate chip cookie. It’s almost always a dessert at every party and everyone loves a chocolate chip cookie! There are people in high school who are the ones that will be there no matter what. They’re the ones who help you out when you need an extra hand, are there when you need a shoulder to lean on, and who stick up for you in a fight. Like the chocolate chip cookie, they’re always going to be there.
When you feel like you know your way around the kitchen, you start to expand to bigger and better things like brownies. Brownies are the dessert that chocoholics love. People also eat them knowing that they aren’t good for you, but eat them anyway because they’re just too good to pass up. Like the dessert that people like to risk having, there are people in high school who like to live life on the “wild” side; getting to homeroom just before the bell rings, chewing gum to see if they get caught, or wearing the wrong shoe to see if anyone notices. It has been said that living “dangerously” is more fun, so do people regret eating brownies like they do regretting wearing the wrong uniform shoe for extra comfort? I don’t think so.
The next baked good that you add to your forte is the classic cupcake. The cupcake usually is made in batches, with about a dozen per batch. You follow the same step for each cupcake: same batter, same frosting style, and same sprinkles. It’s a very repetitive process, doing the same thing over and over again. Cupcakes can represent the people in high school who stick with “pop culture.” They follow all the trends with clothes and music, and social status is everything. They’re like cupcakes because everyone does the same thing, repeating itself over and over again. But straying away from judging someone by appearances, like a cupcake the people are almost always sweet once you get to know who they are on the inside.
After making the little version of cupcakes, it’s time to step up into the big leagues and start making cakes. A cake can be all shapes and sizes, but in the end it’s about looking great, appetizing, and overall just flat out amazing. The baking, the frosting, and the intricate decorating all add to the endless time it takes to make a great looking cake. There are people in high school that could be compared to a cake because they’re the ones who some call “over achievers.” They go above and beyond on projects, essays, and aim for that 110%. These people do their best and like cakes, put a lot of time into making it happen.
The final treat that one learns when mastering the kitchen is the pie. You have your apple, pumpkin, key lime, pecan and many more, but pies are that treat that you aren’t totally sure about in the beginning. They look different, taste different, but end up being sometimes the greatest thing ever. Like pies, there are people in high school who don’t necessarily seem like the person we’d want to hang out with. After getting to know the person though, you realize that they’re the nicest, coolest, or most interesting person you’ve ever met.
Life is like a river. It’s constantly moving forward, but sometimes obstacles like rocks can seem to stop the river altogether. In time, though, the river pushes over or through the obstacles, returning once again to its fast, forward pace. Soon, the river comes to a set of different channels and must follow one of the paths. If the path is a dead end, the water slowly fills up and flows through a new channel, leaving behind a pond that’s only a memory of a wrong turn. Then the river meets other rivers. With each new river it meets, it’s strengthened and can overcome more obstacles. Eventually, the river finally finds the ocean and can slow down, coming to a calm stop where it can inspire other rivers onto their journey of life.
When I need new shoes, I like to visit the mall and go inside a shoe store like Champ’s or Footlocker. I usually walk into the store without any clue of what type of shoe I am interested in buying. This scenario strongly resembles when I first started attending St. Mark’s High School, or even my first day at my previous school. I walked through the door having no idea what to expect and was given many different options, including who I would become close friends with. People and shoes are actually quite similar in comparison, being that they are so diverse. It is a difficult task choosing the select pair of shoes or group of people you would like to be associated with.
While in the store, there are some shoes that I dislike right away. I never rule out these shoes and I still might take a closer look at them, but they just don’t initially attract me. Also, I don’t really prefer a specific brand, color, or model of shoe over another. There are some people in life that don’t share the same values or qualities I appreciate. However, if somehow we get to know each other better, sometimes these people can be just the friend I have been looking for.
I continue looking at the shoes on the shelves and I spot some very attractive, flamboyant Reebok shoes that have different textures. Right next to these shoes I see all white plain-leather Nike shoes that look just like my old shoes. I enjoyed my old shoes very much so it would be reasonable to just buy a new, cleaner version, but the first pair I saw also sparks my interest. I probably would have been content to try to replace my friends from my old school with similar ones at Saint Mark’s, but It was even better to expand my interests and meet different people with colorful personalities.
My mind could not set on deciding between these two options, so I continued searching. I turned around and in the exact center of the whole store, on a pedestal all by itself, was one of the most shiny, fanciest Air Jordan shoes I have ever seen. I awed in the presence of this shoe, until I saw the price tag. This wonderful shoe also happened to be the most expensive shoe I have ever seen, and I just couldn’t spend that much. There are always those people in school who have to be the center of attention. They seem great, but in the end it is just too much of a cost to be their friend.
I am growing tired and weary of walking around the store and it seems like I will never find the right show. As I sit down on a chair to take a break, I look up to the highest rack and see a low-cut adidas shoe that is the perfect blend of style and class. I jumped up instantaneously to grab the shoes to see them up close. As I visioned in my head wearing these shoes, I realized I could just try them on at that very moment. I went to slip the shoe on my left foot and had trouble getting it to fit. I looked at the size and started to freak out because they were too small. I went to an employee working there and asked if they had any other sizes. My heart almost dropped when he gave me the news I did not want to hear. Every once in a while there is a possibility you will find that one person who seems to be your twin. You have the same hobbies, believe in the same morals, and just enjoy being around each other. This person and you seem to be inseparable. Unfortunately, there happens to be one small quality that each of you find out you despise in another, and just barely do not fit together. This kind of relationships hurts the most when it doesn’t work out.
I give up on my expedition at the mall and am pleased just to go home. Later, I find myself relaxing on the couch with my computer. I find a website where I can customize my own shoe. It lets me change the laces, the color, the heel, the sole, and anything else I want and allows me to purchase this creation for a reasonable price. Now, if only you could build your own friends like you can build your own shoes. However, then I would never have met the wonderful people I know today.
High school is a huge milestone in your life. Although it can be intimidating at first it will turn out to be some of the greatest years of your life. A high school community is extremely vast and its members are very diverse. Since there are so many different interactions in this one community, his complex and unique habitat strongly resembles that of an ocean habitat.
Before, during, and after school, the hallways are always packed with people. They are at their lockers, walking around, or talking together. See so many people crammed together is overwhelming. All of the students in the hallway are like the fish in the ocean. Wherever you look in the ocean you can always see a couple of fish swimming around, the same thing is true when in the halls of a high school.
In high school there are four different species or classes of students. The different classes represent all the different species of fish in the ocean. Each species of fish has a characteristic in common; likewise all of the students in a certain species have at least one characteristic in common: their age. Through the school you can see even more defined groups of people. These small groups of are a close circle of friends. You can find the friends doing almost everything together. They work in a group and you can never see one without another. These small groups of close friends are everywhere and they represent the small schools of fish. In the ocean the schools of fish rely on each other to live and are constantly interacting with each other.
Although it is unfortunate it is also very true, bullies are vicious and every school has them. They travel around the halls sometimes alone and sometimes in a pack. They search through the halls trying to find a smaller or weaker kid they can pick on. They harass kids to build themselves up as if they lived off of it. The bullies of high school that prey on weaker kids in the halls are like the sharks in the ocean that hunt fish. Just like the bullies, sharks swim around preying on weaker fish as its source of energy.
One of the very first things you’ll encounter in high school is peer pressure. The most commonly known for is the bad peer pressure and we all know what that is but there are also many forms of good peer pressure. An example of good peer pressure is when a friend persuades you to work harder or to try something new. These many different pressures in high school resemble the ocean currents. These forces have the power to push and guide the fish either in the right direction or the wrong direction.
All of these factors are what blend the two completely different worlds of high school and the ocean together. Although these two atmospheres are so unique, they also have several characteristics that are parallel to each one another.
The game of soccer is a very exciting, fast paced game that can be really unpredictable at times. You could even say soccer is like driving a car. In fact, soccer is really like driving a car. You start out by picking out a car. There are so many different kinds to choose from. Do you want a small car, a big car, an off road car, a sports car, a truck? Now you might say, how does this relate to soccer? Because in soccer, you pick out cleats, shin guards, and a ball. There are tons of cleats to choose from, and lots of different shin guards and soccer balls. Do you want Nike cleats, or Adidas, or Puma, or Under Armor? Do you want small shin guards, shin guards with a strap, big shin guards, shin guards with an ankle brace, or shin guards you just slip in and out? Do you want a small ball, a rubber ball, a hard ball? Whatever you choose, you can customize what you wear for soccer, just like you can pick your own car.
Next there is starting the car. You put the key in and turn it, feeling the smooth rumble of the engines whirring to life. All the lights come on, and you feel in control. This is like the start of the soccer game. When it starts, you get an adrenaline rush and feel excited. Everyone cheers, and you feel exhilarated and ready to go.
Now you are ready to get the ball and start driving. When you start driving, you edge out into traffic and then get into the rhythm of the trip. You feel powerful, controlling such an advanced machine. In soccer, driving is like getting the ball. When you first get it, you are careful not to lose it, just like you are careful when you back up so you don’t hit something. Then you start taking the ball up field, doing your best to make sure it isn’t stolen. When you find some space, you accelerate and feel in control of the ball, and you get a big adrenaline rush. The direction and speed of the ball is entirely up to you. Also, you can choose to pass or keep it, just like you can choose to pass a slower driver.
Then, there are the obstacles. When you drive, many things can get in your way; trees, other cars, animals, fire hydrants, curbs, and debris in the road to name a few. Avoiding these obstacles is a lot like avoiding defenders. Faking a defender out it is like swerving to avoid the obstacle. However, losing the ball is kind of like getting into an accident. Immediately after you get into an accident, you feel really scared and upset, sometimes angry. When you lose the ball, you feel really upset because you lost the ball and you are angry at the other player for taking it. After you get into an accident, you quickly get out of the car to inspect the damage and make sure everyone is ok. This is kind of like scrambling to get the ball back. You immediately turn and chase the defender to get the ball back, and if the defender passes the ball to a teammate it’s like finding that your car is damaged, if you catch the defender your car is ok. If the defender gets the ball to another teammate, your pride is damaged (like your car) and you feel angry at yourself or the defender, just like you get mad at the other driver. If you catch the defender, you feel relieved and thankful that you avoided a potentially big problem, just like you feel relieved if your car isn’t damaged so you don’t have to pay a lot of money to fix it.
Finally, if you get past the defense, you can shoot, and if you make a goal, it is like arriving at your destination. You feel very proud that you made it to wherever you were going and accomplished your goal, and in soccer you feel great because you can win or help win the game with that goal. It is a great feeling to know that you made it past their whole team and goalie to get that goal, just like you made it past all the obstacles and made it to your destination safely.
My life is like playing the piano. Sometimes I hit some sour notes. The hardships I must overcome and the melancholy experiences that leave an imprint in my everyday life are the sharps and flats on a piano. My life can be burdensome and at times it seems like even little, everyday tasks are hard to overcome. When I'm learning to play a tough song, I don't just sit down and play the piece of music immediately. It takes effort. I have to learn the notes, and practice until I complete the song and move on to the next piece of music. My life is surprising. Everyday something unexpected happens whether it be good or bad. But to be successful in life I have to learn how to work around these things because no matter how hard I try I can't control them. This is like when I'm in the middle of playing a song and everything is in perfect harmony and then the key changes. I'm playing in front of a group of people and I didn't really have time to look at the music. Everything was in the key of C and then on the last page it changes to F. I have to think quick on my toes or I mess up everything. Sometimes in my life I go down the wrong road because everything is going wrong or I just can't seem to figure out what I'm doing anymore. I feel like an out of tune piano. I'm all beat up and so when I play a note it's wrong. But someway or another I always find my way again. My friends cheer me up and my family is there for me just like there's always a piano repair man that can fix a piano so it sounds new again. My life is rewarding. All the tasks that were so difficult to accomplish in the end are all worth while. If I'm working on a song, I always contemplate giving up when I get frustrated, but when I keep with it, I'm rewarded because then I can play the song my whole life. Though my life has moments that are both unbearable and manageable, awful and wonderful, surprising and winding, altogether my life is just worthwhile. My piano piece contains sharps and flats, unexpected pages, and here and there I play the wrong note, but when it's all said and done my piece is melodious and beautiful. My whole life is a piano recital, but when I play my last note in my performance, I know that it's followed with a standing ovation.
As we drove by the Glen Willow Orchards for possibly the thousandth time, I wondered why my family had never gone there. Consequently last Sunday, I asked my parents if we could go to the orchards and they said yes because it is only five minutes away. Walking through the orchard's store, I was greeted by smells of the apples and peanut butter creme cake we soon bought Next, I picked out my pumpkin and was reminded of friends. It took some time to pick out the just-right pumpkin, just like it takes a while to find that trust-worthy friend. As I walked, crunching the newly fallen leaves beneath my feet, I came across dirty, soft, and some pumpkins that were too rough. These pumpkins will sit there, unappealing to any customer, until an orchard worker comes them and makes discount pumpkin pie or another festive treat. I thought of all the comparisons between the pumpkins and friends. The rough pumpkins reminded me of the people who used to be your friend but turn into bullies and back stab you. The pumpkins that are too soft compare to the people that only act like your friends. Dirty pumpkins are metaphorically like the friends who have an inappropriate image. Every pumpkin looks different on the outside, but we all know that they have the same taste and filling component when it comes to our grandmother’s signature pumpkin pie, served on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Friends are that way too. They all have different looks and styles but true friends have the same loyalty to you. Looking at the pumpkins lined up side by side, I could tell that there were big ones and super tiny ones. Besides physical height differences, friends can have big egos and small egos. We usually lose our friendships due to big egos because of the friend’s conceited attitude. For pumpkin painting, we pick the smaller pumpkins. Likewise, when we “pick” our friends, we prefer the faithful friends who have small egos. Next time I go to the “Friend Patch”, I might look for a squash, instead.
A pointe shoe, also called a toe shoe, is a type of ballet shoe for the more experienced ballet dancer. Pointe shoes are very stiff at first so you must “break them in” so you can dance in them. It may take a couple weeks or a couple classes to break them in. Breaking in pointe shoes results in shoes that you can dance in comfortably. An essay is generally five paragraphs written about a certain topic or theme. First you have to find the right pointe shoes. This is not always easy as there are many different kinds that may or may not be right for your feet depending on experience, strength, and flexibility. If you do not have the right shoe it might hold back your ability to dance as best as you can. With an essay you must first find a topic. There are hundreds of things to write an essay on, even if it is narrowed down to one specific area. Your topic must be on something you are interested in and actually like, otherwise it won’t be as good as possible. Then you have to buy the pointe shoes, just like you have to sign up for your essay. After you own the pointe shoes you have to prepare them to be danced in. This involves the sewing of the elastics and the ribbons onto the shoe. Before you sew these essential materials on you must place them in the right spot, pin them, and try the shoes on to make sure they are correct. With an essay you must start preparing the essay by brainstorming ideas and figuring out what each paragraph will focus on. This relates to the pinning and sewing of the elastics and ribbons. Also with an essay you write several rough drafts. The rough drafts are like the first few classes with your new pointe shoes. You do the same moves over and over to try to loosen the shoes up and break them in. For a rough draft you may have to write some of the paragraphs several times before you get it just right. Then you type it up, print it out, and get your friends or teachers to correct it. You can tell the shoes are broken in when they fit your feet perfectly, they aren’t uncomfortable, they are movable and flexible, and when they aren’t as hard as rocks anymore. Broken in pointe shoes allow you to dance more freely and skillfully. They allow you to improve your technique. This is the end of the breaking in your pointe shoes process. Then as you start typing your final draft, you change a few things here and there until you get to the end. You proofread your essay and you know its finished when all the corrections are made, the paragraphs blend together, the meaning of the essay is clear, and you are satisfied with your work. One last comparison is that breaking in your pointe shoes and writing an essay both make you stronger in that area, give you more experience, and increase your skills and abilities for the next time.
As I boarded the bus to go back to school, I thought about that meet. Winning isn’t everything, although it would have been nice to be state champions. What I remember most was my races. The rush of water against my skin, the cheers of teammates and coaches, the knowledge that even though it was tough, I finished the race.
I remember walking to the ready-bench, how nervous I was. The way my coach told me that as long as I did my best, nothing else mattered. I put on my cap, my name written in bold black script across my head, DANBERG. Stepping up onto those blocks, I can’t hear anyone or see anyone but my coach telling me to just relax and swim. Right before the gun goes off the crowd is silent; then “bang!” the crowd erupts and I am enveloped in water. This has always been my favorite part of a race. The screaming of the crowd lingers in my ear for a millisecond more before everything is silent. The water feels like ice at first, but after the first lap, I no longer feel the cold. As the initial shock wears off, I remember my goal and begin to race. I pace myself and push harder and harder, always striving for that wall. Three laps to go; two; one. This is the breaking point: the hardest part of a race. My whole body aches for me to stop, but I can’t. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. Adrenaline and the pure love for swimming keeps me going. I can almost touch it. My legs are kicking as hard as they possibly can without falling off. Right when I am about to give up, I get that last surge of energy and burst right through that wall. I did it. I stand up and smile because, even though I didn’t win, that was the best race I could have pulled off and I did it. My coach smiles at me, and I feel like I just won. I raced with all of my heart.
Swim meets are like life. Each race is a major milestone in a meet just as high school, college, marriage, and your first child are major milestones in life. Before a race, nerves kick in as I face new challenges in life. The coach represents my parents. My parents are always there for me before the start of a journey or “race,” supporting me, making me feel safe. The first plunge into the water is the beginning of a new challenge, such as the first day of school. Just like that gun going off, I am thrown into the unknown and fueled by adrenaline. Being enveloped in water represents being surrounded by all new people, teachers, or colleagues and not knowing what to expect; at first everyone is nervous and “cold” to each other. As the “race” goes on, they become warmer, everyone becomes adjusted to each other, and bonds are formed. As in a race, everyone has his or her own wall in life: goals and dreams to strive for everyday. The rough last lap is the point in life when we are so close to our goals but are tired and feel like giving up (the breaking point). I keep pushing because my goal is in reach, even though it is hard. Hitting the wall represents not only accomplishment of my goals, but going above and beyond my expectations. That feeling of victory is when I realize that I have surpassed my goal. As in a race, winning is not the most important thing; Racing every race with everything that I have is what defines me and my accomplishments.
Being a philadelphia eagles fan is a lot like playing the lottery. Every single game that you watch you just hope and hope and hope that they can pull it out. every single year you force yourself to believe that this is the year! this is our year! the eagles are winning the superbowl! and it just comes down to that final game, that final quarter, that final play...and you are always let down, whether its by a bad game and a loss, or just another season full of what ifs, and what could have beens. but just like the year before that, youre back to watching and following intently and hoping and wishing. every week you watch the new game, and you make yourself believe they will win, and when they lose, you just shake it off and say next week...next game. It WILL happen. all you have to do is remain faithful, and then you will be a part of all the happiness and joy and have that amazing feeling as Andy reid holds up the trophy. It is the same thing with playing the lottery. every time you buy a ticket, you believe in it. you say, this is it, ill finally be able to move and retire and live off the coast of Bora Bora and not do anything for the rest of my life. Every time you watch the lottery winning numbers, you say yes yes yes this is my time! i got this! then when the last digit is off, you toss your ticket away and say next time. its gonna happen. next time im winnng the lottery and all of my dreams will come true! every week and every year and every game and every day and every ticket are the same. eagles fans and lotto players fill their hearts and heads with false hope and pray and believe that the eagles will win it all, that you will win 100 million dollars, that everything will work out, all you gotta do is keep believing, keep playing, keep hoping. and every single day, every single season season after season, day after day, you are let down. until that one fateful ticket,and until that one faithful year...
GOBIRDS.
Water is Life
It ebbs, it flows, it’s not up to you.
Despite what you try, you cannot control.
You have to accept, we’re just passing through,
And this journey we’re on, it’s just a brisk stroll.
From black, to purple, to gray, to blue;
It’s ever-changing from calm to brooding.
The emotions are clear, they are tide and true.
Always in motion, never concluding.
It’s massive and miniscule all at the same time,
From a tiny drop to an endless sea.
Waves grow higher, to the sky they climb.
Reaching up, an example to me.
It can be contained or let loose to run wild.
In a glass it is stable, definite, and crystal clear.
In the sea it is murky, infinite, and riled.
From different perspectives, new possibilities appear.
We all need it yet fear it; just like human lives.
It can save lives or take them in the blink of an eye.
A gentle tide coming in or rain piercing like knives,
Water is life and without it we’ll die.
Over the years, I have attended several business and charity meetings. These meetings weren’t really for me, but something my mom felt obligated to help with. When I was a kid, these meetings were just another opportunity to dig into a coloring book, but as I’ve grown older, I occasionally started to pay attention to what was being discussed. Unfortunately, most of the subject matter is, mildly stated, quite dry. In the end, I would get distracted, but I always remembered the logistics of how the meetings went.
Something I do not find boring at all is volleyball, especially the inner workings of one play. Although business meetings and volleyball seem to be in two different worlds, they actually have many similarities. This game is really one of anticipation, predicting to whom the ball will go to next and what moves should be made. This anticipation starts with the first move, typically a bump. This move is like a bold idea; you muster up the courage and try to lob it towards the front, or the audience. If the bump isn’t done with the right technique, the ball can go the opposite direction in which it was intended. Many times while in these meetings, people would pitch ideas in a manner in which no one understood, so the idea was tossed away for the next one. If the bump was right, another player soon aids with a set. This move is considered key, and for beginners can seem difficult. The whole purpose of the set is to console the difference between the player who bumped and the spiker. If the middle man didn’t make this compromise, the play would not work. Although their move is short, it can make or break a play. Next comes the spiker. This is a person who can deliver the point directly and conclude the idea, wrapping it up before the other team has much time to think. As passionate as many of these people were to their jobs, these meetings can seem to go on forever. They do not really want to deal with opposition, so a leader often rushes to a conclusion as to sweep it under the rug and go on to the next task at hand. Overall, every person in the team is vital for each play. Even one mistake and the other team has a point. In volleyball, until the right amount of points has been stacked up, no one can win, regardless of time. Every topic must be addressed, even if it might take what seems like half of a lifetime to deliver it all. Regardless, when you walk away from the game, just like when getting out of a meeting, a sense of accomplishment comes over you, as if something important came out of all the madness.
My life is like an onion. As you cut into an onion your eyes begin to water, and you can almost feel the tears beginning to form in the crevices of your eyes. You see the small layers that you can easily peel away one by one. My life is just like an onion. Each layer is so individual but part of the whole. You peel it one layer at a time and sometimes you cry. I peel one layer of my life at a time, sometimes not knowing what lies beneath. Each layer is as important as the one above it or below it. An onion is different than other vegetables. Most vegetables centre is the juiciest part, but every part of the onion is juicy. I’m not saying my life is juicy, I’m saying my whole life is full of emotion and excitement, just like the juiciness throughout the whole onion. Each layer seems similar to others but it’s not the same. One layer of my life is full joy and happiness; like when I’m surrounded by my whole entire family. Sadly that layer has to go sometimes, and you face the next one. That layer could bring pure stress; like when I’m cramming for three tests in one night and just overwhelmed with work. Life is full of layers; layers of time, of place, and of person. Living through these layers sometimes causes tears. These tears can be small, or they can be big, fat, and salty tears that drip down and dry up. Crying is a great way to just make yourself feel better, but it can’t stop you from living. You have to keep moving on to the next layers; the next layers of your life.
After eighth grade graduation I peeled a layer of onion away from my life. This layer was the transition from grade school to high school. Yes, I wept because it was hard to leave a small school where I knew everyone and enter into high school where I was the new “fresh meat.” Now in high school I have peeled so many layers. I’ve grown as a student, an athlete, a sister, a friend, and a daughter. Each layer has brought consequences that have helped me learn more about myself. Some of these consequences are big, while others are small, but in the end they all matter. Each layer has its own emotion, its own consequences, and its own affect on my life. Life can be so complicated, and sometimes that’s why I peel away a layer and just start over. It’s almost like when you get in a fight with your best friend, and you don’t talk for days. Then you realize that it’s stupid that you aren’t friends, so you peel away that layer, and start over. You apologize and you’re back to normal. Life has so many layers; from an infant to an elder. You peel away a layer after your potty- trained or even after you learn to ride a bicycle without any training wheels. Those layers help you mature and grow up in our society. There are so many layers that I have yet to see, and so many that I have peeled away. Right now as sit here writing this, I know I have so many more layers to peel away, layers to cry over, and layers to enjoy. These layers won’t come easy, they will challenge me. Next year I have to start looking at colleges and preparing for the SAT’s and it will be another layer of my life that I have to peel. Then in a couple years college will be here and I’ll move out and it will be another layer that I will cry over, but at the same time be so excited for. Basically, anyone’s life can be like an onion, we all probably have thousands or maybe even millions of layers that we will peel away in our lifetime, each layer though we will never forget.
Life is very much like a campfire. A campfire requires a lot of care and nurturing to get started. A new born baby also requires large amounts of care the only real difference is the time it takes for the baby to grow. Both of them do require though that small initial spark of energy to begin their life. When a fire first starts you need to put on small sticks, twigs, and leaves for it to get going. A baby also needs to start out with mushy foods and easy to digest nourishment for it to grow. Later on they can both start to take on more and more things. This is when both the campfire and the young adult really reach their peak. The campfire can soon start to burn logs, branches, and trunks. And the now young adults’ physique reaches their maximum. And after that they both slowly start slow down and wither. The once mighty campfire slowly starts to die down and char the remains of the logs. Slowly but surely the campfire turns to embers that can still manage to kindle a small flame. The young adult also starts to show the same signs of aging his skin start to sag and his body and mind don’t work as fast as they once did. And slowly his inner flame starts to die down as well and loses the energy of vigor of days past. This is what makes campfires very similar to life.
Mathematics and life may seem like two very different things, but are actually very similar. Some people can do math problems with the utmost ease, while others have to work hard at it. This is the same with life; some people have everything handed to them on a silver platter and live an easy life, while others have to work hard just to pay the bills. Another thing that life and math have in common is that as you get older both get more complicated. When you’re a little kid, all you have to learn is that two plus two equals four, but when you get older you have to learn more complicated things like algebra and calculus. In life when you are young life is simple, and all you have to worry about is getting potty trained, then when you get older life gets more complicated and you have much more to worry about than using the bathroom. Math has rules and laws about what can and cannot be done and so does life. For example, in math you cannot add then multiply, you must follow the order of operations and multiply then add, and in life you cannot kill someone, it’s against the law. In math when you are dealing with things like fractions you can have complex fractions that you can make easier to use if you simplify. It’s the same in life; people have a tendency to make things more complicated than they have to be. In math there are positive numbers and there are negative numbers. In life there are positive things that are good and negative things that aren’t so good. Life and math may seem different in reality they are extremely similar.
Mathematics and life may seem like two very different things, but are actually very similar. Some people can do math problems with the utmost ease, while others have to work hard at it. This is the same with life; some people have everything handed to them on a silver platter and live an easy life, while others have to work hard just to pay the bills. Another thing that life and math have in common is that as you get older both get more complicated. When you’re a little kid, all you have to learn is that two plus two equals four, but when you get older you have to learn more complicated things like algebra and calculus. In life when you are young life is simple, and all you have to worry about is getting potty trained, then when you get older life gets more complicated and you have much more to worry about than using the bathroom. Math has rules and laws about what can and cannot be done and so does life. For example, in math you cannot add then multiply, you must follow the order of operations and multiply then add, and in life you cannot kill someone, it’s against the law. In math when you are dealing with things like fractions you can have complex fractions that you can make easier to use if you simplify. It’s the same in life; people have a tendency to make things more complicated than they have to be. In math there are positive numbers and there are negative numbers. In life there are positive things that are good and negative things that aren’t so good. Life and math may seem different in reality they are extremely similar.
As you stand on the shore, waves crash gently at your feet. In front of you lies the endlessly moving ocean. You know that if you ever want to ride that perfect wave ashore, you have to venture into deeper waters. But the adventure is a difficult one, and so, too, is chasing your dream. Finding the strength to paddle out and face what the ocean throws at you, you collect the courage to follow your dreams. On your way out, however, waves may knock you off your board and pull you under. Sometimes in life, your plan to reach your dreams may be interrupted and you feel knocked down and powerless. But you have to swim back to the surface. You have to get back up because if you never make your way out to deeper water, you’ll never ride the perfect wave. Even after you’ve made it out into the ocean, you have to wait for the wave to come along that will bring you a promising ride. The only way you will ever achieve your dream is by living in the moment and making the best of what life sticks you with next. You have to wait for the right opportunity to come along; the opportunity that will lead you to your goal. Riding the first wave you see, nothing more than a weak and powerless swell of water, will not take you far. You’ll be stuck trying to paddle back out to where you already were and, chances are, you’ll miss a wave worth riding while you watch from a distance. Rushing life and taking every opportunity given to you can set you off track. You may lose sight of your dream and your plan to get there. At the same time, sitting back and waiting for the utopian wave that will never come, will cause you to miss all of the waves that could have produced a promising ride ashore. Passing up opportunities that are truly once-in-a-lifetime chances, will leave you waiting for a chance to chase your dream that will most likely end up not meeting your standards. You will set yourself back further and further from reaching your goal. As you wait for your wave, you slowly drift along with the tide, which incessantly pulls you in its direction. You can choose to either float along or fight the current and dive beneath the waves into the cool water to keep yourself in the same place. Trying to achieve your dreams is often affected by those around you, who push you to be just like everyone else. They urge you to follow the crowds and latest trends. But fighting against the uniformity of everyone else and expressing your own individuality will allow you to keep in mind your dream and your plan to reach it. As you wait patiently for ‘the wave’ and fight the current, you see it. It’s in the distance now, but it’s coming, and so you prepare yourself. You turn around, paddle forward, and brace yourself to stand. Your arms keep you balanced as you ride in the wave. Once you find the opportunity you’ve been looking for, you do everything you can to make sure that you don’t miss it. It’s important to keep focused so that this chance you’ve taken will really lead you to your dream. Paddling out and facing the uncertainty of the ocean just to sit and wait for a chance that may never come may seem hopeless. But when that one wave you have been waiting for finally arrives, an indescribable feeling forms deep inside you and, in that moment, you know you would risk it all again just to surf another perfect wave.
High School is trip. It's a journey, and you find yourself and friends and make some pretty amazing memories along the way, but it really is a trip. Every day you pack up your backpack like that suitcas you load your closet into for a 2 vacation. You bring all the essentials; everything you'd "die without". Hopefully you're hardbacks and the T-I 84 that never seems to have batteries. But then you lose your luggage. It gets stolen, or lost, or sent to Tokyo instead of the city you're headed to; much like the days you forget your homework at home and leave your gym uniform in the dryer. When you finally arrive at the bus stop or airport its question time. Where do you sit, in the front? In the back? Will there be turbulelence or smooth sailing? And most importantly, who else will be taking this ride with you? You get to school-your destination. Most likely you're traveling for business and there're a million other places you'd rather be, but might as well make the best of it. In some ways it is a foreign country. New rules, new laws, and nobody speaks your language! Especially if they're on the faculty. Your student i.d. is your passport in this new nation. It gets you the most important thing. FOOD. At lunch you can take time off of that busy time table and go see the sights of your destination with your friends...the true meaning of any trip and the best part of any day in highschool !
A Cross Country race is like a relationship. You’re standing at the starting line, adrenaline pumping, waiting for the gun to go off. Even though you just raced last weekend, once again your nervousness comes back to you. Every time you see him you get butterflies, it’s even more special than when you saw him yesterday, or the day before. The gunman shouts: “on your marks” *bam!*, and you’re off trying to get out fast and keep up with the rest of the pack. Your first kiss is like fireworks. Every day after that you realize that he’s really yours. Now you’re speeding through the first mile, you have your position in the race but you plan to keep moving up. You’re in the swing of your relationship; you know how to make him smile, what makes him sad, and all his secrets. You still plan on growing closer to him than you already are. You hit the second mile; this is the toughest part of your race. Your mind starts to break down even more than your body already has, you’re tired. You think you can’t finish but you don’t stop; you can push through this. You’re starting to think he’s “not the one” and maybe you shouldn’t be together. You don’t make any decisions yet, because you know you and him can work this out together. You hit the third mile marker, so happy because you know you’re almost done. This has been hard work but you know you can push a little longer. You’ve solved all your problems that were negatively affecting your relationship. You talked things out and, even though things still sting a little, you’re so thankful he’s still there. You turn the corner and you’re in the straight away; now it’s time to sprint. You can see the finish line and you give it everything you have left. One day you realize all your troubles are behind you. You can see the guy you fell for right in front of you; he’s waiting with open arms. You cross the finish line in 22:40,10th place, not bad for today. The only thing you care about is that you didn’t give up. You knew you could do it and now you’re proud of yourself for persevering. You knew your relationship was strong enough to endure. He’s the one and he’s always going to be there at your ‘finish line’.
My life is like a trip to the shopping mall. To be more specific, the Christiana Mall. Whenever I go to the mall, there are my likes and interests and then there is also the shops that I avoid at all costs because of the boring and tedious process.
On the ride to the mall, I am preoccupied by working on my iPad. This work consists of getting the high score on the “Where’s My Water” app or actually completing homework that I have procrastinated on. Sometimes when I leave the device at home, I talk to my parents and brothers or just stare out at the window. This trip is a lot like my general life, always surrounded by my family or consumed in the modern media.
When we get to the mall, the broad walkways and stores a plenty attract many visitors every day, but the store that always welcomes me is the Apple Store. As I walk through the plexiglass wall and under the bright and shining apple above, I feel comfortable and calm because of the simple layout of the store and the friendly and tech savvy “geniuses.” Like my real life, I am always most comfortable with this type of environment, one that is simple yet packed with the latest technology and the newest and most advanced gizmos.
There are downsides of going to the mall as well. When we head to the mall on the weekends, I must be accompanied by a parent after 5 p.m. This means sticking with my mom who seems to pop in and out of every store, slowly perusing each one to see if there is a nice looking shirt or sweater that is a must have. Then, when I am asked to try on new clothes, my only thought is how to get this over in the least amount of time or convincing my mom that I do not need new clothes. My decisions show in my attire, always behind in the fashion world. When you see me at a social gathering, I will always be the one wearing a plain polo shirt and not some fancy brand with a clever logo or colors galore. My clothing reflects my life, only one color meaning not that exciting but not boring or loud.
After a long day at the mall, I end up at the food court. I always have the Chinese food of Suki Hana with the same order, honey grilled chicken with rice and potatoes. I watch as Suki Hana crushes its competitors in the mall cuisine race by always having the longest line to eat, but I do not mind the wait. I would not have a meal at the mall any other way. Ever since I was a little boy, I was notorious for being a picky eater. Since then I have branched out a bit but my old habits still show, if anything looks discolored, I do not eat it.
Trips to the mall are frequent now and years ago as well. Eight or nine years ago, however, the Christiana Mall was very different. The mall was scattered with majestic water fountains inside and a clock tower at the entrance that intrigued me for some reason. I enjoyed pitching pennies into the fountains every time I went the mall. The majestic clock tower with its bright analog face and obelisk shape was like a monument that I adored. Then, time went on and the mall began to change into a more modern one. The fountains were plugged and paved over and the once majestic clock tower was torn down and replaced with space for a parking lot. I was always afraid of change and still am. I was afraid when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and was scared that my entire lifestyle would be scrambled. As time passes on, I learned to accept my changes and realized that there will not be a new clock tower erected or a cure for Crohn’s anytime soon. I am now finding that change and accepting it is what makes me stronger and more mature and helps me progress in life.
A trip to the mall is like me: a family person who is a sometimes exciting, sometimes boring but always changing and maturing as I face new obstacles in life. Also, my life is like a trip to the mall is because I like them both and would not want them any other way.
The one thing every year that I almost always dread is…School. It almost feels like we are forced to go and the only upside at all would be reuniting with friends. No one really wants to go, but they know that a good education is necessary in going places with life. One way I like to think about the school year is like a long journey on a ship. Some of the thoughts when you think about a journey on a ship are about the captain, the crew, the compass, the weather, and how much fun the trip could be.
First, we can find the captain. He commands his ship. He is in charge of directing his crew and keeping his passengers safe. If the people don’t listen to him then they are putting themselves in danger. The captain of the school year would be the principle and the teachers. They are also in charge of their crew’s safety. They lay down the rules and regulations that their crew must follow.
Next, we have the crew. The crew is responsible for maintaining the ship and doing the work that they are told. The crew may be a “team”, but each member has their own responsibilities. A crew of a school year would be the students of the school. They need to get good grades and listen to their teacher. Also, each student is responsible for their own grades. In both situations, if you slack off and not listen then you will get in trouble by your captain.
Next, there is the compass. This device is an essential tool in the captain’s arsenal. Without the compass, not even the captain would really know in which direction that his ship and he are heading. The compass that aids the teachers is the textbook. This helps the teacher teach the students in an orderly way throughout the school year. Without this tool, the teacher might mix up information from different parts of the book and confuse themselves as well as their students.
Another thought would be how the weather is. The weather affects everyone on the ship. If the weather is sunny and breezy then it’s going to be a nice, smooth ride. On the other side, if it’s stormy and windy, then you’re going to have rough and bumpy ride. The weather of the school year can affect everyone in the school as well. If the students are all getting good grades then the school year would go along fast but if everyone is getting bad grades then that means it’s going to be a long year.
Last but not least in the eyes of the passengers is how the ship can be a fun adventure. If you go out and make friends on the journey than you can have a good time compared to if you stay in your room and just watch TV. If you do that then you’re going to be bored on the whole trip. Likewise, if you make new friends and hang out with you old ones during the school year then you can have fun while doing your work. But if you just go through the year just keeping to yourself and doing your work then you won’t experience new things or have any fun.
The school year has many parts that make it happen and so does a long journey on a ship. You would think both events would be dreadful and that you would want to just get them over with; however both can be fun only if you allow them to be.
Think of your last math class. What did you accomplish in that seemingly everlasting period of torture? Maybe you read a chapter, worked with some fractions, solved a problem or two. But that was what your body was absent-mindedly doing, unless you are crazy about algebra. What about your brain? Were you really concentrating on solving x? I know I never am. As human beings, we are given the incredibly beautiful gift of imagination. That means that even in math class, I can go anywhere, do anything, and be anyone. Imagination knows no bounds, unless you decide to stop dreaming.
Why stop when you don’t have a reason? Is there a bright red stop sign in front of you, taking the form of a talkative friend or an assignment where focus is a must? Imagination can in this way be compared to a busy highway. There have to be stop signs, rude pedestrians, exits, and the occasional bridge. The stop signs are the most agitating, especially when they interrupt a good dream. My alarm clock is a prime example of the stop signs in my life. Rude pedestrians can be anyone. Lost in the clouds, I can be walking down the hall, and all of the sudden screeechhh. Oh, hello best friend who wants to reprimand me for wearing my hair up today. How thoughtful of you to scold me out of my awesome mood and daydream. Sigh, turn left, and exit into AP American History. Amongst all of these “wonderful” disturbances, there is the bright, shining promise of a bridge. It supports your car, enveloping it with strong metal cords tied to a strip of black pavement leading you to a new place. The best part of the bridge is that you decide where to go. You make the choice to zoom into a new fantasy, and surrounded by metal shafts, you are safe to finally complete whatever adventure you have mindfully embarked upon. Speed limit is also an important factor. If you drive slowly, you might as well be following your average schedule instead of “imagining”. Your reverie will be nothing more than a dressed-up version of your life. You can’t be afraid to rev your engine, blow past the speed limit, and let your mind take you to another world. I believe that my imagination is truly the only thing that keeps me going through mundane school days, rainy weekend days, and sleepless nights. It gives my life spice and lets me look forward to the things that could be.
Running is like farming. The two acts might seem incredibly dissimilar (Do you think farmers run?), but if you dig a little deeper, you will find that they are fundamentally alike. One of the hardest things to accept in life is delayed gratification, but this is necessary to be either a runner or a farmer. As a competitive runner I complete grueling workouts each week, most ending with my hands on my knees and my heart racing. After doing these for several weeks, my times start to drop and my personal records are broken. Those gut-wrenching repeats prove worthwhile when I reap the benefits of increased fitness. Likewise, farmers spend countless hours plowing, sowing, and planting, but they reap the benefits come harvest time. Needless to say, both wake up early to get the job done. Scorching summer days call for early runs before the sun has reached its peak. During the racing season, our team can board the bus for out-of-state meets so early that, undoubtedly, some people have yet to go to bed. There’s more to running than just running. In order to stay healthy and injury-free, a runner should stretch and do drills. These can become tedious, but they are necessary to keep the body running smoothly. On a farm there’s more to do than simply plant and harvest. Livestock must be fed, stables and pens must be cleaned, and equipment must be tended to. These tasks may not be glamorous, but they are important nonetheless. Running itself is a group effort, though not necessarily on the part of people. All the bones and muscles in the feet and legs work together to propel the runner forward, while the core muscles keep the body upright. Several elements must come together to create a successful farm; people, animals, the earth, and the seasons work in unison to create a working enterprise. Both running and farming have helped mankind continue and flourish. Thinking back into the stone age, what could have distinguished those who survived from those who starved but speed? Quite simply, you caught your food, or your food caught you. Fast-forward hundreds of years and our ability to farm has established us as a people who will survive. Learning to cultivate the land and grow food is indisputably one of the greatest accomplishments of the human race.
In life, there is constant conflict that once overcome, with the help of others and perhaps a drive within yourself, is invigorating and very rewarding. My team and I live these struggles and the feelings brought by how, if, and when they defeated on the field. Life is like a field hockey game.
In field hockey, there is a common goal, a universal endeavor shared by the team. We all strive for success: to get the ball in the goal in order to win by dodging and blocking out whatever might come in our way or try to slow us down. We aspire to becoming a better player in the process, knowing that doing so will get us that much closer, and that much farther. In life, we are always trying to better ourselves in all we do, and our willing to do whatever it takes to be successful in reaching a goal that is held close to our heart.
In a game, there are so many decisions to be made, just as in life. Imagine the scene: the ball is passed to you. Your team, although there for you, has faith in you to protect it and bring it closer to the goal. There is an immense amount of pressure and expectation brought on by others and yourself. It is such a crucial, precious moment, and yet it happens so often in a game. If we take a look at the bigger picture, we would see that this depicts our everyday lives. Before we make decisions, we find ourselves in a similar situation. It can be applied to almost any situation: from doing the right thing to saving someone’s life. With a goal in mind, we must make important decisions for the sake of others and ourselves under pressure, constraint, and opposition.
In a field hockey game, we must then make risky decisions of what our next move on the field will be. We’ll have to dodge what is in the way, just like how in life we constantly are brought in to conflict with hardship. How you handle it, in life and on the field, is part of what defines you.
Your team is your support system: the people that you live these fights through, and the people that never leave your side. If you slip and make bad pass, a teammate will cover for you, and help you get back on your feet when you fall. If you make a good move, a teammate will be there waiting to congratulate. Just like there are moments relatable to life in which your team has faith in you, you have faith in your team. Your team is the most important people in your life, and the ones that encourage and push you. They are the people you would go to the ends of the earth for, and are those you know would do the same for them. In life, they are the people that support you in those times of pressure, and back you up no matter what. Just like in life, you would never be able to reach score, and win, without your team.
Everything in a field hockey game is applicable to that of life. Your team is everyone out there that has your back makes you a better person, such as family and friends. The opposing team is the people we constantly come into contact with that try to knock us down. The ball represents power, which is often put in our hands. The goal is like a dream in life, both of which are aspired for. Scoring is reaching it, and being successful, and the incredible feeling you get when you score is how proud you are when you become that much closer to success.
Life is a struggle, and so is a field hockey game. In order to get what is desired in each you need to give one hundred percent heart and perseverance in both. Yes, we will make bad decisions, bad passes, that sometimes will allow the other team to gain control. Life is defined by what we choose to do about it, just like working as one with your teammates to defeat the other team to win a game.
All the experiences in life I have encountered and observed so far in life can be likened to when you first learn how to swim. As a child you’re in constant need of your parents, you couldn’t get through a whole day without them there helping you. The first time you get into the pool you need wear the little arm floaties. Although they may look silly sometimes, they’re always there to keep you afloat, just like you’re parent’s were and still are always there to pick you up when you fall or even just help you do your homework. As you grow up you start needing your parents less and less and you become somewhat independent. When you learn to float by yourself above the water, you can take the floaties off. You may not be able to go very far, but you’re still doing it on your own. As time goes by you start learning all the different strokes and you’re able to swim with more ease. As life goes on you learn more about everything thats offered in the world. Not only the good, but the bad. Now you can swim really well, your going along easily and accidentally you inhale some water through your nose. You don’t start drowning or anything, but you have to jerk your head up and get some air. Sometimes in life you get a wake up call or something you weren’t expecting. It can happen at anytime, things could be going great and then it hits you or things could be bad and they just keep getting worse, but no matter what you lift up your head and move forward. Sometimes when you swim you may be going too fast or too slow for the people around you, but you can’t worry about what everyone else is going. You have to swim at your own pace and enjoy the water as it flows around you.
For me, life is generally smooth, rhythmic. Everything settles into a quiet routine, nothing too remarkable, just plain chords repeating themselves, until, of course, something changes for the better. The tempo picks up speed; the music livens, adding quick, happy eighth notes climbing up and down the scales in a glorious melody. Inevitably, the accidental notes will start to appear, random flats and sharps that make absolutely no sense, just as things in life sometimes make no sense. As the melody declines, we wonder, “What happened? Things were so great, and now, they just aren’t.” The minor key and slow tempo match the stormy depression life has sunk into. The people that once played happy, trilling woodwinds have suddenly stooped, leaving the low, brooding notes of the brass to carry the melody. The violin plays a series of high notes, in sharp contrast to the deepness of the other instruments, a desperate cry for things for return to the way they were. And, just as things seem past the point of no return, the drums, subtly at first, increasing the tempo, until life is no longer the depressing song it once was, but the random, incredibly unpredictable song we come love. There aren’t any rules, just simple facts. As the energy and the flow of the music pick up, we‘re left to marvel at just how quickly the music, and life, can change.
High school is like rowing. It is the process of trial and error that allows this accurate comparison to be made. Your novice year of rowing is like your freshman year in high school. It is uncertain and confusing, and definitely unstable. You feel tippy at times in the boat, as if it is going to flip at any second, and the cold water will rush in and overpower you. I feel like I was just barely staying in the boat freshman year, struggling to keep my grades out of the dark water, and at the same time balance myself above. You take a few strokes that are shaky, but keep getting better. As the year progresses, my grades got a bit better, and I knew now what to expect. The more I practice and the mores strokes I take, the more comfortable I feel in my surroundings. The year was progressing and I felt that it was easier to take tests, manage time, and of course I was more comfortable around the other people. Practice every day is a strain, and sometimes it is hard to hold on to. But it gets better, and easier, just like my first year of high school. The year ends, and I finish the tests, finish the races. I tried my hardest, and I did well. The summer is here. No practice no worrying just three wonderful months to sleep in and eat what I want, when I want. Relaxation. The summer speeds by and then it’s the fall again. Hard work. Training for hours. It feels like I can’t hold on much longer. I just want this first month of pain to be over, so I can get a grip on my work. Just when I thought I had a handle on everything I was now on varsity. It was the big leagues. Grades really matter. The effort I put in is crucial now. I’ve got to get everything together. I get back in the boat and start where I left off. It feels shaky but I’ve got it under control. I no longer worry about the water beneath; I just worry about staying on the surface. The boat feels well set; under control. I take a deep breath as the fog clears on the river at the six a.m. practice. I can do this, I tell myself.
Playing the piano is like a relationship,
more complicated than it appears.
To some it's simply hitting the white and black keys, easy hellos and detachable goodbyes, nothing more to say to elaborate your life.
To others it's a compilation of tunes and harmonies binding together to form a prolific sound, a dedicated relationship, a best friend.
At recitals, nervousness hits you faster unexpectedly, your eyes fixated on the enchanting cameras recording your every blink and swift movement of your playing, similar to attending an important occasion, such as an interview or maybe even a date.
Certain songs are harder ,more advanced, and takes time and effort to practice them repeatedly until your so close to perfection,
like a serious relationship that you want to last, you stay and talk longer and longer, and you care about them, whereas your feelings become stronger.
Some pianos have harder keys than others,meaning the keys aren't easy to push down all the way, making it harder to play. It's harder to relate with certain people than it is with others.
Hitting the wrong notes, and making mistakes happen every once in awhile. In all relationships, there's bound to be a mistake somewhere along the way.
Each key doesn't sound the same, every one of them has a different sound and pitch.It all depends on the pianist his or herself,whether they play loud or soft. Similar to people's personalities, others are more higher, more different than the rest.
Eventually songs comes to a magnificent end that you'll remember, like making a friend that doesn't last forever, but leaves a permanent mark on your heart.
Living your life is like watching one of your favorite TV shows. The first time the show or a new episode of that show airs is the time that you just want to enjoy it to the fullest. Early childhood is just like that; all you want to do is enjoy life as much as possible. At some points, there is a scene or to that don’t seem quite as funny or exciting. That is like those moments of youth when you might be hurt or don’t get what you want. But either way, infancy is probably the best part of life, and the first time you see a new episode of your favorite show is the best as well. As you get older and move out of infanthood, you start to mature and get an education, and you see that life isn’t really all fun and games. As you see that new episode more and more, you start to get an understanding of some of the details and the episode might start to become a little bland. Still, you seem to enjoy life and the show no matter how much you get older. That is until you reach puberty. At this point, the show and episode is old and you don’t want to watch it any more. When puberty strikes, you switch from Nickelodeon to MTV. Basically, you think, “I’m done with all that childish stuff; I want to see more mature and sophisticated shows.” But, even though you might think that, you’ll go back to your old favorite just for kicks. Just as in life, you’ll mature and get smarter, but you’ll want to go back to those old days and become a kid again because you want to have a bit of fun before you go back to being a serious, grown-up person. When you become 21, finish college, and turn into a full-fledged adult, your responsibilities are greater, but you’ll have more time to have some fun. At this point, you are ready for rated mature- yes, rated MA- shows, but you will want to reminisce and watch that show you liked as a kid. In life, that’s like playing and acting as a kid when you don’t have to worry about your responsibilities. This is especially true when you get married and have kids. Finally, at the end of your life, that show will probably be yesterday’s news and no one but you will remember it. You’ll still want to watch it for old times’ sake, and you happen to look back at your life while watching it. When you’re at the end of your rope, you no longer have any worries and you can rest in peace. During those elderly ages, you watch all those old documentaries and the news but you want to go back to the old days when you were still young and carefree, so you watch your favorite kids’ show and let those memories come back like the tide of the ocean. Living your life really is like watching one of your favorite shows. You watch the show as a kid, keep your distance from it as an adult, and still watch it when you have the time; it’s just like childhood.
My family is a curious group of people. I guess that is where I get my oddities. I often sit back at weddings and just look around and there is only one way I can describe them. My family is essentially a deck of cards. What do you think of when you think of a deck? Fifty-two cards? Four suits? These are all possible metaphors for my family and they all fit into them very well. A deck has four suits as you know. Diamonds, clubs, spades, and hearts. Who is who in my family or rather who is what? Clearly, my grandparents are the hearts. They get you what ever you want and are generally considered the most valuable. This is actually a logical cliché except in the game Hearts. Clubs represent all the cousins. They are so frequent, are basically pennies when it comes to cards, and you have so many of them. Often times I find myself wishing for a family tree to go to a gathering so I have some idea who I just talked to a minute ago! Spades are the bad streaks of the family. Now I love my family dearly but I have to admit, even in my family, there are those people who do not fit into the “high moral standards” set by society. The diamonds are the valuable aunts and uncles who spoil their nieces and nephews rotten and do it quite well I might add. Suits however are not the only way you can arrange a deck. What about number order? Youngest to eldest perhaps with the patriarch as the king? How about the back design? How many card backs have you seen? I personally have probably seen well over 300 in my travels. My family is multiple decks combined. There was probably an original deck but as families combined and new decks were made, we are all connected and yet all separated at the same time. My father could be a yellow deck and my mom could be a blue deck. That could make me a green deck. It is all perspective. Name me five card games. Poker, rummy, gin, hearts, and crazy eights probably pop into your mind. There are an infinite number of games you can play and that is just like your family. You can do anything and everything with them. All you need is a full deck. I can imagine a get together for my family as a bunch of people sitting around a table playing a card game with a mix-match deck that is unique in every way and yet still has those standard common elements. It is the same way with any deck of cards whether it be my family or not. They all have the same basic parts: a suit symbol, a card number, etc but they also are all unique and different. That is how my family is a deck of cards. Care to play a game?
1) Luke D Blue!!!!-relationships and fire
2)Carin P Blue-relationships and running cross country
3)Krystina C Yellow-highschool and parties
1) Luke D Blue- relationships and fire
2) Carin P Blue- relationships and running cross country
3) Krystina C Yellow-high school and parties
1. Bridget R Blue - Painting is like a thunderstorm
2. Luke D Blue - Fire is like a relationship
3. Carin p Blue - a cross country meet is like a relationship
The internet is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
There's sites for games, and milk chocolate pieces - they're plain, but good.
There's those little ones with the nuts inside. They're like YouTube - a lot of variety within their own little category, but not that great, & there's no explaining why they're so popular.
Music sites and those little peanut butter pieces that always get crushed that always get crushed by more popular, bigger pieces. Always refreshing, when you can find them.Those big coconut pieces are like the pop-up ads - they look nice, but you have got to get them out of the way to get the good stuff.
There's dark chocolate pieces - small nuggets of heaven, just like the rare funny or even smart post on, say, Facebook.
White chocolate pieces aren't even in every box. These are the awesome, fun people you meet on the internet, somehow. Through games, chat rooms, or shared YouTube "favorites," not even appreciates their intelligence and overall uniqueness, but for those of us who do, it's the best thing ever.
Then there's sites that fall under "totally crazy." These are the exotic miscellanies, the spiced pumpkin choco-muffin extremes, the unexpected - entertaining in small doses, but any more's unbearable.
Thinking about what my conceit should be about is like what the first day for a president of a company I imagine would be. The new president must be a little bit worried because although he seems to be qualified to do this job, he isn’t sure of himself and what he should do. I have no idea what my conceit will be about, and I also don’t know if I can come up with any good or new ideas. He would show up, and realize he doesn’t really know what or where he should start, just like me reading the instructions to this blog post. He would look to his advisers for what to do, just like I looked at the three suggestions at the bottom of the post. Next, the president would look back most likely and see how other past presidents of his company have done, just like I looked around at the other blog posts to get some inspiration. Maybe he should try to imitate what the president before himself did or do what a president that he admires once did. Maybe I should copy another person’s blog post and reword it and make it appear to be an accident that the two are very similar. Maybe the president should do nothing and suffer the consequences of his poor efforts. Maybe I shouldn’t do this assignment at all and also suffer the consequences and bad grade. Of course these are all wrong. Maybe he should do a half-bake job and let his company slowly slip. Maybe I should do something very generic, boring, and uncreative like “my life is like a roller coaster. I have ups and downs.” These are also wrong. Or, the president should do what he believes is right and try to do what he believes will help his company the most. Or, maybe I should write what I believe will be best and what shows my best ideas and creativity. These two examples are what I believe we should do. Either way, I still have no idea what I’m going to write about.
Going through life is like driving on an unfamiliar and confusing road. At first the road starts out interesting. You have never been on this road before and you are excited. As a child, everything is new and exciting. You continue on the road, enjoying the view in the daylight. Then the turns begin. One moment you are happy, driving straight, barely paying attention to where you’re going. Then you see that the road splits ahead, and you must frantically make a choice as to which road to take. You barely make the turn, almost hitting the tree ahead. The tough decisions in life have started. Everything is going great, and then you get older. You get more responsibility and must make more decisions. Then on the road, it begins to get dark. Have you made a wrong turn? Sometimes in life we make wrong decisions. But sure enough, the light comes back the next morning. The repercussions from your decision have calmed down, and you are feeling better. You come to another turn, and this time you make the correct one. But even though you have made a correct turn, there are still bumps in the road. Everyone has tough moments in their life, no matter what decisions they make. You find smooth road again and continue to travel on your way. You have been traveling for a while and you begin to see familiar things up ahead. You see your house at he end of the road. You have come to a point in your life when you have accepted your decisions. You have had a good journey through life, and now you are ready to return home. You finally reach your house and go inside to relax. Your journey is over, and you are now home with God, where there are no worries or bumps in the road.
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