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“It's a lot easier to be lost than found. It's the reason we're always searching and rarely discovered--so many locks not enough keys.”
-Sarah Dessen

"Happiness doesn't come from doing what you like, but rather, loving what you do."
-Becca & Scott (JC & AC)


Thursday, September 27, 2012

This is Me

Author's Note: This is my personal memoir from language arts reflecting on a very life changing event a few years ago. Please interpret the lesson from this story and comment! :D


"This is me."
As the song fades to an end, I ease into my final pose, breathing heavily through the smile that is plastered on my face-- not that it needs to be, I am fairly certain that if I hammered the cement grin off my face, I would still be smiling ear to ear. Although the crowd has no more than thirty five people, the audience roars in applause. My jaw really hurts; I just can't seem to wipe this beaming expression away. I gracefully stand up from the floor and politely curtsy before running "backstage" (which really wasn't backstage considering that I was dancing in a fish hatchery...) to greet my mother's embrace.
"Great job," she whispers and the moisture of her breath sticks in my hair. Maybe it will wash away some of this rock-hard hairspray and gel.
Now, I wait full of anticipation through the other dances, and finally, I hear, "Will all the performers please make their way up to the stage. Thank you."
Then.
"The winner of the 6 year old age group...."
The.
"The winner of the 7 year old age group..."
Moment.
"The winner of the 8 year old age group..."
Comes.
"Waukesha County's Favorite Dancer is.... Erika Ziolkowski age nine!"
 Ecstatic. On cloud nine. Can't wrap my brain around the fact that.... I am supposed to be taking my trophy and award! I force my feet in the direction of the judges. 
"Congratulations."
Running my fingers over the intricate designs of the dancer on top of the trophy, I promise myself to always live life to its fullest--give 103% effort. Spectacular things always come from the extra push.
I will always live that dance.

Retelling

Author's Note: As an assignment we had to write a retelling piece for the Reading Lab. This piece is retelling "What Happened to Goodbye" by Sarah Dessen.


Once her parents divorce, McLean becomes engaged with her ever changing personalities-- from cheerleader to geek, from New York to Lakeview, McLean is convinced that by inventing identities from place to place, it won't hurt to say goodbye. This 17-year-old is taken on a journey of reality, acceptance, and trust. Will this young girl ever find peace in one place?

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The Meaning of Words


"Half of the world of is composed of those who have something to say, but can't; and the other half is of those who have nothing to say but keep on saying it." (Robert Frost)
There must be millions. Tens of millions of people that hold their voice inside of them. They have ideas that can change their community, their nation, our world.  These are the people that can impact, inspire, spark a revolution in the being of our people. But they are held back by the cage that entraps their expression, the wall too high for them to climb, or from fear of being put down by negativity. There must be another million people, the exact opposite of these.  Tens of millions of people that don't hold back.  Does that mean though, that they really have something to say? We as a community have to question whether or not our "leaders" of today really have ideas that can positively influence  us as a whole.
"Half of the world is composed of those who have something to say, but can't; and the other half is of those who have nothing to say but keep on saying it."
As many if not all of Robert Frost's pieces do, this particular quote from him left me thinking. Hard. I came to the conclusion that I agree with his statement… I just think that there should be additional information. Robert Frost first states "half of the world is composed of those who have something to say, but can't," and I completely agree.  He then says, "and the other half is of those who have nothing to say but keep on saying it," and I also agree here. Where is it then that I put up an argument? To be honest, I don't know. All I know is that while some people in this world are fighting the urge to speak, and others are repetitively stating their knowledge of nothingness, there are people who do have a voice, and put it to good use. They take a group of people with a common goal and help them to achieve or to move them towards that goal. Who are these people? Leaders. True leaders. While half of the world is fighting the urge to speak, and other half is repetitively stating their knowledge of nothingness, there is a small handful of people beyond the two halves, beyond the separation.
"Half of the world is composed of those who have something to say, but can't; and the other half is of those who have nothing to say but keep on saying it."
I distinctly remember a few summers ago, when I went to my first year at WASC leadership camp. So many new, exciting emotions, so many new experiences just waiting to be found, and so many new faces just waiting to build into everlasting friendships. I particularly recall doing a project-- having to make up a school and a flag for the school. It was interesting to see all of the different personalities in people as they shared (or didn't share,) ideas with the group.  Some people would keep stating their ideas over and over and over, while others didn't even want to speak. Eventually, our leader, Scott, stopped us and told us to look at how well we were really communicating in that situation. We all realized then that we should all get the chance to speak. We started a system where one person would start sharing their ideas, and when they were done, call on someone to share theirs, even if they didn't particularly want to be called on.  It was very fascinating to find that some of the best ideas came from those people that really didn't want to speak in front of the group. It just goes to show that true geniuses can come from even the shiest of people.
"Half of the world is composed of those who have something to say, but can't; and the other half is of those who have nothing to say but keep on saying it."

Twists and Turns

 Author's Note: This piece is what I used for my Writing Assessment. Please comment!

 
Life. A strange, peculiar, phenomenal gift; full of love, friendships, smiles, laughter… decisions. Life.  A web of lies, a quilt of regret, a book of tragedy. Life. A maze of right and wrong, left and right, yes and no’s. Life… a maze.

Questions fill every minute of every day. What should I wear tomorrow? Should I go to basketball practice tonight? Can I stay home from school today? You think so? Should I date him? Should I ask her out? Are you sure? Should I do drugs? Is this safe? What college should I go to? Will you marry me? Should we take her off life support? Should I risk others’ lives to save mine? Every question has an answer. These answers are what make up your maze. These are the paths of yes and no, sure and whatever, I do and  I don’t. These questions are the foundation of your maze.

Every decision we make in life leads us to a consequence. Every decision we make in life elongates our maze, complicates our maze. Every decision we make in life determines the future. If you come to a crossed road, you’ve got two choices. Left or right. Theoretically, a fifty percent chance of choosing the right path. Theoretically, a fifty percent chance of choosing the wrong path.  The thing is, even if we make the wrong decision, and we realize our mistake before further progressing, we can backtrack and try to undo what has been done. We can start over on the right trail. If you have the attitude of “Oh, I’m perfect and I don’t make mistakes,” well, good luck getting to the end of your maze.  Good luck getting past that dead end just in front of you that you fail to see.

Whether or not you choose wisely, it is important that you learn from your experiences. That you are able to say; “Alright, drinking when I am fifteen isn’t such a good idea, I should have said ‘no.’” Not only is it vital to learn something from these encounters, it is necessary for a successful trip through the maze to put that newly found knowledge to use. Next time you run into a similar situation, you can say “No way, not again,” instead of trying it “just one more time.”

Through the road of surprises, death, enchantment, mistakes, fluttery throats, flopping stomachs, loving hearts, it is important that we realize where we are heading in our maze. Learn from your experiences. Question the future. Live life to its fullest. Life. A web of lies, a quilt of regret, a book of tragedy.
Life.
A maze.