Reflection on Other Blogs

After reading and analyzing other classes blog posts, I have realized that many students have contrasting views about love and what it means to them. Reading other peoples blogs gave me new insight to the abstract meaning of love. I was able to see different perspectives of the concept. I was able to agree with some which furthered my defiance of love and also disagree with some.

Interview

Me: Hi mom. Can I ask you a few questions on parenting for my English class?
Mom: Of course you can.
Me: How did you decide that living in Mansfield is the best place to grow up?
Mom: It was a good community and it had lots of children and we liked the location and we found a nice neighborhood we thought would be great to bring our children up in.
Me: How did your upbringing influence mine?
Mom: I was brought up in a family that had a lot of love and that's how I chose to raise my children.
Me: How did the environment you grew up in differ from mine? And why?
Mom: It didn't differ all that much. The environment I grew up in was a small town with lots of children and that was the community I was looking for to live in for our kids. And Mansfield was very similar.
Me: How did the similarities of the environment you grew up in influence mine?
Mom: I grew up in a similar environment.. a small town... you already asked me that question.
Me: Oh.
Me: When we were younger and we moved to Mansfield from West Roxbury, why did we move?
Mom: I didn't like living in the city. I didn't want to bring my children up in the city, I wanted to bring them up in a similar environment I had been brought up in.
Me: At any point in time, did you regret or have any doubts about moving to Mansfield?
Mom: None whats so ever.
Me: Alright. What got you to have children?
Mom: I've always wanted children.
Me: Before having children of your own, what was your view of children?
Mom: I've always loved children but I wanted to make sure I was ready to make the commitment to have children. Children are always a good thing and I think they build a family.
Me: If you could change anything would you?
Mom: There is nothing I would change about my children. I think they are wonderful children and I can't wait to see the people they grow up to be.
Me: Did you have any challenges raising my brothers and me?
Mom: Yes there was lots of challenges in raising three kids.
Me: Like?
Mom: You know like sometimes things would be hard in school and you need to make sure they had extra support. Hectic schedules. Making sure everyone had what they needed for school, for activities. Those were all challenges.
Me: What were your goals for raising kids?
Mom: My goals for my children to be raised happy, healthy, and honest children.
Me: What were your disappointments?
Mom: Thankfully I haven't had many disappointments in my children. They are all great kids and really couldn't ask for any better children.
Me: Did you have any disappointments as a parent?
Mom: Sometimes we always doubt some choices that we make for them. We hope that they are the right choices that we make for them.
Me: Okay. That's it.

To Love or Not to Love

Whether it's loving a person or loving your pet, everyone should have something in their life that makes their life worth living. Even though love may cause heartbreak, the ultimate sadness, hate, depression, or anger, love can also cause happiness, completion, reason, answers, comfort and much more. Love is a risk in which you cannot determine the odds but love is not something you can buy. Love is an indefinable bond that can control your life. Love can cause you to live a life for a reason. You will do anything for someone you love. Why would you want to live a life that has no reason to it? If you think about it, everything you do is for a reason. Love can make your life worth living. Without love what is the value? Love can shape who you are and make you stronger whether it was because of a good or bad cause. If love ruins you, you become a stronger person once you are able to get up and start living again. If love makes you, you become a stronger person with the person you love. They build your happiness to the point where it is extremely difficult for someone to tear it down. Also they protect your happiness making you two times stronger. They will not let anyone hurt you and they will protect you no matter what. From the say, "Blood is thicker than water", refers to the bond of a family. It is saying your relationship with your loved ones, family, is stronger than any other relationship. Friends come and go but no matter what your family are always your family. Your family is what made you who you are. They are the reason for your life. When you are sad, your family is always there to comfort you and put you back on to your feet. Your family watches you grow as a person and they know you better than anyone else. They teach you lessons that will help you out in life and make you become the best person you can possibly be. They know your weaknesses and they know your strength and they still love you with your flaws. Love does not always have to be between people. Love can also be for an animal or something else. A lot of people can love their pets as if they are people. Pets can never hurt you but rather brighten your day with their adorable face. Love is an indescribable feeling. Whether is causing heart break or happiness, it is essential to have a reason to make your life worth living.

New Thoughts

In the story crops video, "Sundays at Rocco's", made me see a point I had not realized. My  Nona always tells me stories of when she was younger and how she used to live with her grandmother, grandfather, mother, and other relatives all in one house in Dorchester. Her grandmother and grandfather had came to America from Italy and in her house all they spoke was Italian. This story corp immediately reminded me of my Nona and how times have changed. I live in Mansfield with just my parents and my brothers. All my relatives live in different towns and some different states. When I do have Sunday dinner it is just with my parents and brothers. I only have one big dinner with my entire family including my relatives is holidays. It is sad to think that when my Nona was my age, and even though she was an only child, she a house full of family members that she would consider her immediate family who she would see everyday whereas now you see your grandparents once a month and relatives every so often.

Different Perspective- Dog

I see in black and white
But I can see when your home and when you leave..

I do not speak a language.
But I know what you are saying.

I can not tell you how I feel.
But I can show you when I'm happy,
I can show you when I'm sad.

I am not a person,
But I can be your best friend.

Enthusiasm

If a teacher is just telling a lesson and lecturing the students on what they are "suppose" to be learning, chances are 90% of the class is struggling to keep their eyes open and head off the desk. In order for a teacher to create an enthusiastic learning environment, they must appeal to all learning types such as visual learners, auditory learners, and physical learners. They must be able to engage each student into the lesson individually by speaking the lesson, showing the lesson, and having students participate in the lesson. Also if the teacher is covering a lesson on a subject irrelevant to the students life today, the student will not be able to grasp the full understanding of the matter. The teacher should find a way to connect the topic to the modern generation so the students will be able to relate and connect.

None is Enough

I can't say I necessarily liked this article but only because I did not like the way it portrayed the motherhood life. Don't get me wrong, if you do not want to have kids then it is your full human right to do as you please and live as your own individual and there is nothing wrong with that. I am not against people deciding to live childless lives but I feel like this article almost made it seem like a burden and restraint of success to have children. I think nothing is more important than starting or being apart of a family of your own. Everyone came from someone. The most successful people had parents. The person who finds the cure for cancer will come/have come from parents. But also having a kid is your own decision. If you feel it is your destiny to have children and you are willing to make the completely life altering commitment to parenthood then so be it. If you believe it is not your life mission to be a parent then you should not be a parent. The life of a child is precious. It requires life long devotion and love. Its a woman's right to decide whether she wants a child or not and her decision should be respected.  There should be no discrimination of a woman who is childless. Parenting may not be for everyone considering the amount of time, money, commitment, and love they are responsible. Also parenthood takes a lot of sacrifice. Your life will no longer solely revolve around yourself it will revolve around your children. Parenthood sacrifices your career. Raising kids provide little to no time for yourself. It would be extremely hard to focus on your career and your prosperity if you could not be fully devoted. Your life is your life and how you chose to live it is your choice. Its important to keep in mind that children are our future. If you do not have the desire to have children then its not meant to be. The future is fragile and is determined by the children we raise. Everyone has their own right on how they want to contribute to the future.

Love

Flifferhuzza

In desperate need of a new pair of moccasins because mine had worn out, I went to the store to get new ones. After I bought my new moccasins, I eagerly tried them on and the first/only word that came out of my mouth was "flifferhuzza". My neighbor looked at me with confusion. I returned the look with shock. Did she really not know what flifferhuzza meant? She asked what it meant. In disappointment that her sense of vocabulary is lacked, I explained to her what it means, "Flifferhuzza means something that is really fluffy and cozy. For example, A warm, fuzzy blanket is flifferhuzza. My moccasins are flifferhuzza because of the fur in them and they are very warm." My neighbor was clearly embarrassed at her absent knowledge of the obvious term. 

Difficult Conversation

Characters: Angela (babysitter), Grace (kid), Nick (kid)

*scene takes place in December right before Christmas. Angela is watching Christmas movies with the kids she babysits, Grace(2nd grade) and Nick(4th grade).*
Angela: Are you excited for Santa to come?
Grace: (quickly answers with great excitement) Yes!
Angela: What do you want to get for Christmas?
Grace: The new American Girl Doll.(shows Angela a picture of doll in magazine)
Angela: That's so cool. I'm sure you'll get it.
Grace: What do you think you'll get for Christmas?
Angela: Hopefully these new boots that I showed my mom to get me. (Angela immediately realizes her mistake, gasps, and covers her mouth in shock of her minute but obvious mistake.)
Grace: What do you mean your mom......?
Angela: Ummm...I.I-(Stutters trying to quickly think of an explanation to cover up her mistake.)
Grace: Do you not believe in Santa Clause? Is he not real? (Grace is overwhelmed with confusion.)
Nick: Clearly he isn't real Grace. You're so stupid for believing in him. (Nick tries to prove his 4th grade "wisdom and maturity" by degraded Grace and her innocent Christmas spirit.)
Grace: WHAT! (Grace starts to get emotional and looks at Angela for a desperate explanation.)
Angela: (struggling to cover up her damage.) What I meant to say was that...Umm... I showed my mom to see if she liked them to make sure I definitely want to put them on my Christmas list to send to Santa. (Anxious to see if Grace believes her explanation.)
Grace: Oh good. (Angela smiles, relieved at Grace's reaction.) See Nick! Your the dumb one! He is real! (Nick rolls his eyes and loses interest in the conversation.)
*scene ends. Angela, Grace, and Nick continue watching the Christmas movie.*

Adora Svitak

I agree with Adora Svitak and her claim that children should be taken more seriously and not underestimated. Children are the next generation and if they are just being taught to be "clones" of the adults now then there will be no growth to society, they should be taught and given the opportunity to be better than the adults now. Also children's abilities to create ideas are often underestimated when in fact children have a more expanded and creative imagination which adults are lacking. This allows children to come up with more original ideas or plans rather than what they have experienced or been taught.

New Best Friend Ad

I am looking for a new best friend. In order to be my best friend you must fit my standards and qualifications a friend must obtain. They must be kind, considerate, trustworthy, loyal, honest, outgoing, and funny. They must be kind and considerate because I do not want a friend who will be pessimistic and put me down instead I would prefer to enjoy their genuine presence. Also its required for my friend to be trustworthy, loyal, and honest because I need to be able to trust and depend on my best friend when I need to. They must be honest because if they lie I can't trust or depend on them and it will cause conflict. Lastly, I am looking for a friend who is outgoing and funny because I tend to be more reserved if I don't know someone that well and if they are outgoing it will be easier to be comfortable around them. Also if they are funny I will always look forward to spending time with them to have a good laugh.

Courage

An experience I have had with courage is the first day of highschool. On my first day of freshman I was really nervous and did not know what to expect. My biggest fear was the upperclassman and the "rumors" told about what happens to freshman that I soon found out clearly weren't true. As the first day approached I got over my fears and realize that highschool wasn't as scary as its made out to be.