What I've Learned

I learned alot about myself this semester. I had never really written

papers like this before, and it was not too bad. I learned alot about

how easy it is to put your real feelings down on paper. I could say

alot of things that I may not have been able to say in person. Then

I would look back at it and realize that those were really my feelings.

I also learned alot about doing research. Sometimes it was hard to find

exactly what I wanted but when I did it was rewarding. I didn't like that

there seemed to be alot of work for this class. Towards the end it got

easier because I understood more of what was expected of me. But

in the beginning it was a little overwhelming. I think it was good and

it taught me how to manage my time better. Overall I think as the

semester went on my work got alot better.

 

Modest Proposal

My "Modest Proposal" list:

Poverty

Unemployment

Crime on the rise

Gangs

Drugs

War

Racism

Homelessness

Home foreclosures on the rise

Many without health insurance

Nothing like a list of all the horrible things in our society today.

Thankful

People often are thankful for recieving a gift or given the chance to participate in a certian activity. I am thankful for all of those as well, but the thing I am most thankful for is must greater than any of those. I am thankful for my mother. She has been through so much for me and I am thankful to have her.
When I was a young child my father was not always the most helpful person in my life. He was always gone partying or working. My mom gave all the time she had to support me. She would work all day and care for me all night. Whenever my dad was around he was usually drunk. My mother did not want me to be around him if he was going to be like that, so they split up. The only way they would get back together is if he got his stuff straightened out. He eventually did and came back into our lives. I always looked up to my mom because she knew how to makethe right decisions and even if she was in a bad mood she would hide that from me and be in a good mood.This is where it all started and I was looking up to my mom.
Later in life I started playing sports and going to school. My mom would drive me to school every morning and pick me up at day care after she was done with work. She would also take me to all my sporting events and cheer me on. Having support from parents at this age in sports is very helpful. I have always felt that all her support and help has led me to become the athlete and leader I am today.
Now that I am living on my own and becoming an adult, I do not see nor speak to my mom as much as I used to. She still plays a major role in my life, but is not always there for me. About three years ago my mom went through breast cancer and that was very hard for me to deal with. I was with her through the whole processand would often stay over in the hospital with her. This made our connection that much stronger. Ever since then I have been able to talk to her about anythign and everything. When I have stressful stiuations, she always calls me and we have a talk. We have a very strong relationship and she is my best friend. We go out to eat about once a week together and talk about our problems.
The thing I am most thankful for in life could easily be being able to play college baseball or having great friends, but it is none of these. It is having a great mother who would do anything for me.

Criminals

People tend to see people in jail or prison as bad people for life. Yes they may have committed a very serious and horrible crime, but does that mean they are going to be that type of person forever? Well under logical fallacies, people think they are.
Committing a crime to end up in jail or prison is a very bad act. Criminals get years to think about what they did wrong. During this time it helps them think about what they need to do to change into a better person and not do any harm again. This doesnt happen with everyone in prison, but their are people who do change their life around and are not criminals for life. Even though it is always on their record, they can become better people. Labels are almost always put on criminals backs though.
Committing the crime in the first place can make a person bad, but you don't really know what their life is like unless you live in their shoes. That person may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol which impaired their judgement and did not mean to commit that crime. I have seen in many cases that the suspect was using illegal drugs and they do not even remember committing the crime. It is kind of sad in a way because they do not even remember what happened but yet they have to serve the time for their mistakes. I know that if I committed a serious crime that I would take my punishment time to that about what I did wrong and how to change my life to make myself a better person.
Sttereotyping people who commit a serious crime as being a criminal for life is a common logical fallacy. Even though some people do go off and commit more crimes in their future, their are those people out there who devote their time to changes their life around and become better than who they were before.

College Experience

Now that we are two months into to school year and the semester is slowly creeping up, I would like to share my college experience so far. College has gone by so fast, but it has been a lot fo fun. Many great people have entered my life and I have gotten to experience things that most people will not in their lives.This is my college experience.
Meeting new people has always been a scary concept for me. I have always been a very shy person and have a hard time starting conversations with people. Well I have made many great friends and they are very accepting. Playing sports, asking them questions in class, or even meeting people at parties. All of these ways have helped me meet people and make friends. I am living in an apartment with two other guys that I have never met before this year as well. One of them is one of my good friends now. It is very reassuring meeting new friends and hanging out with all of them. Making new friends has been a great experience in my college life so far.
The greatest part about my college experience so far has definitely been making the baseball team and being a part of that group. Not many people get to play a sport after high school, and I am thankful enough to be one of those people that get to. Even though it has already been a lot of time and hard work, it has been a great experience. We are a very close group of teammates and always hang out together. We help each other on and off the field. This has been the greatest part of my college life for sure. I will never forget this experience and never want it to end.
College definitely has given me some great times. Even though the homework and long hours of studying are not always the most fun, everything outside of that makes up for it and encourage everyone who is having second thoughts of college to definitely go to college. It is a great life experience, and helps you out in the long run.

Functional or Dysfunctional

Their are many different styles families live in the world today. Everybody does their own separate little thing which sets them apart from everyone else.Their style of living can also make their family functional or dysfunctional. Not every family is classified in just functional or disfunctional, they could be both as well.
A functional family is one that
Their are many different aspects that can be put together to make a functional family. They include being trusthworthy, honest, respectful, open, and positive. They are always willing to help each other and not have any problems or confrontations.Their always willing to work things out and always be happy. Functional families are so much more happy people and much more helpful.
A dysfunctional family is a family with a lot of conflict, misbehavior, and sometimes abuse. They do not communicate well and often become violent or abuse illegal substances.Parents in dysfunctional families are often users of drugs or substances which can make them violent.They have a hard time getting along and trying to figure out things between themselves.
Their are also families out there that an be a little of both. They can know how to communicate at certian times, but can also fight and be very difficult as well. I feel like I have a family that is both. We often get along very well, but we have our times where we fight and do not get along.I feel every family is a little bit of both. They all have their moments where they get along and where they fight.
Functional or disfunctional families are part of our everyday life. Not every family is classified in one or the other. Many families are both. These were jsut a few ways to tell a functional family from a dysfunctional family.

Halloween

With the leaves falling and Haloween coming up, I would like to get into the spirit a little early. Kids dressing up going door to door for candy and seeing all of the creative costumesis what makes Halloween one of my favorite holidays. I am going to tell you a little about how Halloween got started and its tradition.
 A holiday is a special day recognized by a group of people, which holds a special meaning for each. In the past a holiday was established to recognize a holy person or saint. Halloween is a national holiday and is the focus of my paper. Halloween is thought about in different ways and most people get confused about the concept of Halloween. This process paper will tell of my travel throughout the research of the topic, Halloween. While researching this topic I learned a lot about Halloween and I learned what people have forgotten or never knew about Halloween.
The creativity of Halloween makes this holiday very enjoyable. The pumpkin has become a symbol of Halloween. People empty a pumpkin, cut a face in to the side, and put a candle inside to make a lamp. It's known as a Jack O'Lantern, from a story about a man Jack, who made a deal with the devil. Im getting a little old to be getting as excited as I did when I was younger, but driving around and seeing all of the carved pumpkins is very fun. Kids think they are cool when they go around smashing them though. This makes me very mad because people spend their own money and time to have fun adn people go off and destroy their property.
My favorite part of Halloween would definitely have to be the candy. When I was younger my mom would get off of work early and take me to as many houses as my legs would let me. I would usually come home with a pillow case full of candy. I would dump it out on the floor and eat a ton. My mom would set a limit on how much candy I could eat though. Now that im older I usually do not get as much candy, but it is still fun seeing all of the little kids get so excited over candy.
Halloween has many tales and myths of how it started. Well even if it is a holiday for the devil, it is still my favorite due to the candy, pumpkin carvings, and creative costumes.I am slowly starting to get more and more excited for Halloween to arrive because it is not too far away.