Monday, November 14, 2011

A Changed Life

Author's Note: I wrote this short story as one of my goals for language Arts. My goal was to use good word choice and figurative language. 

During your middle school years you are told you need to have friends only from your clique. You are told not to express yourself and not to talk to anyone but your clique. It only takes one person to break this -- to stop the segregation between students. You can watch someone do this or you can stand up and do it yourself.

There is always one person who doesn’t seem to fit in, who is very shy and doesn’t have friends. They sit by themselves at lunch, reading or listening to music. You always wonder what their story is, what they come from but never have the courage to ask. You are afraid of what your friends would say if you talked to them. Would they stop being your friend?

At Franklin Middle School her name was Alice. She went through the day without saying a word to anyone. She always looked down in the hallways, never showing her face. A classmate, Lauren, who was affiliated in her school, she was the basketball team captain and the class president. She was also in a group of exclusive friends. You had to be accepted into the group by the Cheerleading captain before you could talk to anyone in the group. It was hard to get into the group. There were many rules that came with being in the group including, not talking to any outsiders.

Lauren worked really hard to get into the group but once she was in, realized it wasn’t what she wanted, but she didn’t have any friends to fall back on. When she saw Alice sitting alone in the lunchroom her heart broke like glass, but she didn’t have the guts to talk to her. When the courage finally came she went over and sat by Alice. Alice was extremely shocked and nervous. Lauren started with a simple hello and introduced herself. Alice did the same just a little bit more meekly. Alice took a leap of faith herself and thanked Lauren for coming over she also asked if she could talk to her again. Lauren said yes, of course, and invited her over after school.  

After school Lauren listened to Alice’s whole story from the day she was born until now. She has gone through more than average person has gone through their entire life, and she is only 14! When she was born her dad left and her mother raised her as a single mom. Her mom was killed in a car accident when she was 10. She didn’t have any relatives to take care of her, so she has been an orphanage ever since. Even when her mother was alive she never took care of her the way a mother should.  Her one dream in life is to be a part of a loving family.

After Alice went home Lauren thought about how her parents had always said they wanted a second child. Alice would be a perfect addition to their family. She brought the idea up to her parents during dinner that night. They both thought it was an admirable idea and that they would consider it. Later that night right before Lauren went to bed her parents told her they had an answer. They said that they would love for Alice to be a part of their family.

Alice was completely astonished and thankful for what Lauren’s family had done for. She knew her life would be changed for the better. Their love toward her was bigger than the universe.  Lauren now had a new sister and best friend. She didn’t have to worry about what her old friends thought of her because she had a new best friend.

What's the Real Meaning?

Author’s Note: I wrote this piece because Thanksgiving is coming up and I believe the true meaning is sometimes lost. In this piece I used AB transition technique.

 When you think of Thanksgiving is the first word that pops in your head, Turkey? It seems as if the feast, and preparation is the most important part of Thanksgiving. Has the real meaning of Thanksgiving completely slipped away?

We get caught up thinking that Thanksgiving is about making the biggest turkey, but it’s really about showing your thanks. The idea of giving thanks started with the Pilgrims. The pilgrims came to America for one reason -- to build a community where they could worship God. They went through many struggles including; not producing enough crops, and many deaths throughout the first year. This did not stop them they continued to work hard and it paid off. There land became plentiful.  They were very grateful to God for all he blessed them with.

I am very blessed for what I have been given in my life. I have a family that loves me and a house to live in. I am also blessed with friends, a good school, and the ability to participate in many activities. During the time of Thanksgiving I reflect on the past year and give thanks for everything that has been given to me.

I believe we should celebrate Thanksgiving as the Indians did. We should take time to give thanks to God for everything he has blessed us with. This thought sometimes slips our mind and we focus more on the preparation of Thanksgiving then the real meaning. For me, Thanksgiving is a time to take a step back from my everyday life and give thanks for every blessing I have. It is a time to give thanks for the present but also for all the memories you have shared.


Farah, Joseph. "The Real Meaning of Thanksgiving." WND HOME PAGE. 2 Nov. 2001. Web. 02 Nov. 2011. <http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=25419>

Monday, November 7, 2011

Response to Life of Pi

Authors Note: This piece is a response to a quote of the author of The LIfe of Pi "a lifeboat with a wild animal struck me as a perfect metaphor for the human condition. Humans aspire to really high things, right, like religion, justice, democracy. At the same time, we're rooted in our human, animal condition. And so, all of those brought together in a lifeboat struck me as being... as a perfect metaphor."

In the book the Life of Pi the tiger, Richard Parker wants to aspire to be much more. Though, he is being held back by the boundaries of the life boat. This relates to the human condition because everyone wants to aspire and become more. Humans don’t always do amazing things because just like the tiger we have things stopping us.