Dreams

Author's note: This is a piece on the DIsney movie Tangled.  We watched it in Language Arts and had to discuss a topic in the movie.    In the movie they are always talking about following your dream, so that is what I talked about in this piece.

Tangled was a funny, light story that is also about following your dreams.  Throughout the entire story they are talking about dreams and following them.  Rapunzel wants to see her magical floating lights in the sky in person.  Flynn Rider is a funny criminal that just wants money in the beginning.  Of course he wants money like most people, but he finds a new dream; which is Rapunzel.  In the end, they both follow their hearts to fulfill their dreams fully in this sweet, humorous movie.

Both of the main characters are different, but both have different dreams.  Rapunzel  is a sweet, funny girl that only dreams of the outside world.   When she escapes from her tower and is with Flynn Rider, he takes her against his will to see her dream.  Then, Flynn is a different kind of person who wants to be powerful and wealthy.  That’s his dream, until he meets Rapunzel and everything changes.  He has a change of heart and gives up his treasure in the end, which was the one thing he wanted all along.  This really shows his character on how he really cared for Rapunzel much more than money.  He really seemed like a selfish guy, but he really was a romantic, nice person on the inside.  The two characters really had different dreams, but they both in the end turn out to have one dream; which was each other.

Flynn and Rapunzel both had big dreams that were determined to follow.  Flynn wanted possessions, while Rapunzel had sweet dreams of the outside world and of the floating lights.  They both were told that they would never be able to do it, or just had things and people in the way of it.  Flynn had a change, and his dreams were of Rapunzel.  That dream became Rapunzel's and in the end it came true and their new dreams were for each other.  These two characters both had dreams, and followed new ones together.

Author's note: For this piece we had to start it off with someone going off a bridge to an abandoned country.  You may notice throughout this, there are some strange words put in.  That is because we had to randomly put words in to make it work.  Please read this even though it is kind of long(sorry about that).  Comment and tell me what I should change!

I was sick and tired of people telling me what to do and who I see.  Everything I did and saw was controlled.  Not a single thing I wore or even said was chosen.  The world had turned into a place where I could not say or do what I wanted.  In fact, no one could.  There was no free will in my world, well everyone was like this.  Maybe if I dove off this bridge into the next country I could escape to.  Would they catch me?  Would I live?  I would risk it. The cool waters called to me, I knew I could do this. 

I threw off my sweater that was assigned to me and jumped into the water into the next country over.  As I landed in the water, I spotted  land.  Maybe it was closer than I thought. Right away I spotted an anteater on the dry, black earth trying to find ants from it to feed on.  In school I had only seen pictures of these, I had never seen one in real life.

  There were many homes along the river with shattered widows and broken off doors.  The only life present was the anteater, me and the wind.  It blew violently against my body and on the homes.  One shook and crumbled right next to me as I stepped out of the way. 

Strange objects littered the dirt.  I picked something up and studied it.  Not in my whole life had I seen anything like this.  People many years ago would cook with these before we had assigned meals brought to us.  This must be a..barbeque something..I forgot what it was called.  My parents would have known, or if I had an older sibling they might have known this from their childhood. 

Then I realized I was hungry and parched from today.  I pushed past a door and walked into a home.  This must have been a majestic house back in the days.  A rusty remains of a chandelier sat on the ground smashed into tiny shards of glass.  Maybe it must be in the..I also did not know what this was called.  Maybe a kitchen?  Yes that is what they had called it.  So, I ran into the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets.  The only thing I found was a well-preserved carrot.  Biting into it I was ready to grimace from the taste.  It really wasn't too bad with its crisp, fresh taste gushing through my mouth in a single bite.  After I finished it, I took off out of the kitchen and saw a bunch of stairs.  Could they hold my  weight without me falling through?  I was doubtful, but put half of my weight on them.  Some rusty nails moved around, but I believed it could hold.  Quickly, I half ran up the stairs and into the upstairs hall.  Did people have their rooms here or was this just for nothing?  Ahead of me I saw a light from a strange source.  It was from a little glass bulb on the ceiling.  I only saw these in the storage rooms because they were scarce and expensive.  No one could ever find them because the material to make them was gone.  Only the eccentric leaders and some lucky people could own enough to light a home. 

The light cast long shadows across the dusty floor and the old curtains.  Nothing even had color here, the earth was black, the homes were grey and the dust was grey too.  The sky was even a hazy gray blue with a hint of black swirled across the clouds.  Even the people had black personalities as dark as coal.  Especially my teacher Mrs. Floofy had been a wicked soul.  If a child got an answer incorrect in the front of the room, she would beat their hands until they were bloody and blistered.  All the children were greatly scared of her authority and respected her in constant fear.  Everyone was a perfect student or you would pay the price.  Everyone with authority here was dark, but a few.

None of them were kind or thought of others.  Everyone had to go to school no matter what every day for ten hours.  Then after do designated chores and go to bed when the bells rung.  If  you didn't, these people of power would control your life even more.

My life was so..how could you say it?  To describe my life would be trying to say something about a rock. It isn't interesting and no one would care about it.  Every day of my life I daydreamed of other places and what I would do.  Someday I wanted to do to the Galapagos and do what I pleased.  Not what these evil people expected me to. 

Lost in thought, the wind blew through the window and shattered it inside a little.  Blinded for a second the whole window came out and crashed on the ground in front of me.  I dove down and held onto a pillow to cover me.  When it was done, I got up and looked around at the mess.  I guess it matched the creepy abandoned look going on here.   This place was no safe at all, and I needed to get out before the whole house was destroyed.  Walking through the door I looked back at the window one last time and hopped downstairs to the yard.

An old train station was a few hundred feet away from the edge of the yard. How did I miss that?  I shook out my thoughts and went to the tracks.  It seemed almost normal with the train parked right on the tracks and the booths inside.  

"Of course it wasn't normal,  I thought as I looked up to the the roof and saw a shadow cast across the gravel road.

Author's note: This is just about the jungle and how some people just destroy it.  In this piece I tell about my feelings on it and the scenery.  I really haven't been to the rain forest, but this is how I think it looks like.  It isn't that long, but has a lot of emotion. Please comment on your thoughts and how I should change it! Thank you!


The moon beams touched down on the earth, gliding off the tears of water on the leaves onto the earth of the jungle. Many strange unnoticed animals and creatures called out into the night forgotten about in the tangled mess of time littered with vines, leaves, trees and bushes. No body saw them in my group as they impatiently moved on ripping apart everything in their path to get through. They didn’t notice the simple beauty of the jungle that nourished us so well. Earth needed the trees to cover the animals for shelter. Humans needed it to have oxygen to survive. All the animals needed it as their habitat to hide themselves from us. Humans destroyed the trees and plants trying to save their own or to take the precious life from it to make things of our benefit. It made me sad to see that even they didn’t see this as anything but trees and bushes. As I looked forward, the man in front led us on occasionally telling us about the trees or different species of animals. Usually he just looked forward on with an iron mask of unfeeling thoughts keeping silent. Most of the rest picked at the trees or even kicked at the flowers and bugs. In the far back I walked slowly ,breathing in the foreign smells, all of them strange to me. At the same time I loved it all. Why would you destroy this? They thought they all had power over everything, which I did not understand. Sighing deep in thought , the jungle sounds lulled me on in as I walked on with the group that night.

Protected

Author's note:This is just a post that I turned into a poem.   Hope you like it!

The gentle waves flowed from the rocks with simplicity and great power

It all pooled up at the bottom forming intricate rivers and lakes extending from it

Willow trees lined the area guarding me from my enemy

Running for my life

I found this place

I thought it protected me

It kept my safe 
The world’s ashy hands couldn’t grab me to burn me

No one could take me from the life I was bound to live

Except me now

Looking around the paradise the beauty seemed to take up all of my thoughts

Flowers were just in the bloom and the life was ready to show through the petals having the scent fill the air and trees

Grass trimmed the dirt like a delicate green lace

Crystal dew drops were beaded on the leaves and plants having my feet grow wet

The beauty seemed so natural

It took my breath away

It seemed too perfect

Secrets stirred here

I felt it in the wet spring air

It seemed perfect, but something dark was leaking out from the flawless beauty plastered on top

 Like a dark black charcoal smeared upon a canvas and having light beautiful colors on top to try to cover it to make something perfect

I sat on the granite rocks formed and curved perfectly matching the essence of beauty here

Coming through the cracks of the rock was a single flower squeezing itself out and trying to grow

Reach for the sun’s light

Carefully, I picked it up through the crack and out of the soil then brought it out by the water

The soil was easy to pick through

It was coming up loose and easy at the touch

All of the roots of the flower were wilting and curling up at the edges like an ancient document

A few petals were turning a light brown color already

I precisely put the roots in the middle of the hole and put soil on top of it

This flower was dying here

For now I was alive but the flower was too until it was being choked

It wasn’t surviving here

Soon I would be choked like the flower

I didn’t know how or when

No one knew what their lives would bring to them

Something moved in the bushes

I spun around just to see something dark and tall run away

Whispered sounds came to my ears

Hushed words were in the air

It frightened me

Fog filled the open air blocking the sun

Something was very wrong

So I picked myself up and ran as if it were the only thing I knew how to do

Away from here

 Away from my very own life

yUm.....

It's cute and looks good at the same time.....

BABY SEALS! STOP THE HUNT!!

STOP THE SEAL HUNT!  

PROTECT THE SEALS!

THEY ARE INNOCENT ANIMALS THAT NEED TO BE PROTECTED!

PLEASE DO SOMETHING...........

<3

The gentle waves flowed from the rocks with simplicity and great power.  It all pooled up at the bottom forming intricate rivers and lakes extending from it.  Willow trees lined the area guarding me from my enemy.  Running from my home to find somewhere,  I found this place.  All I could say was that is was absolutely beautiful.    Flowers were just in the bloom and the life was ready to show through the petals having the scent fill the air and trees.  Secrets stirred here.  It seemed perfect, but something dark was leaking out from the flawless beauty plastered on top.  Like a dark black charcoal smeared upon a canvas and having light beautiful colors on top to try to cover it to make something perfect. 

I sat on the granite rocks formed and curved perfectly matching the essence of beauty here.  Coming through the cracks of the rock was a single flower squeezing itself out  trying to grow and reach for the sun.  Carefully, I picked it up through the crack and out of the soil then brought it out by the water.  The soil was easy to pick through.  It was coming up loose and easy at the touch.  All of the roots of the flower were wilting and curling up at the edges like an ancient document.  A few petals were turning a light brown color already.  Quickly, I precisely put the roots in the middle of the hole and put soil on top of it.  This flower was dying here.  Now I was alive but the flower was too until it was being choked.   It wasn't safe here or anywhere to be exact. 

Something moved in the bushes.  I spun around just to see something dark and tall run away.

 "Was it an animal?"  I thought.  Whispered sounds came to my ears. Hushed words were in the air.  It frightened me.  Fog filled the open air blocking the sun.  Something was very wrong. 

So I picked myself up and ran as if it were the only thing I knew how to do.  Away from here and my very own life.

The New Leaders

Life at the farm was simple and no one questioned anything.   Every animal did their share of work and got a share of some of the crops and food. Mr. and Mrs. Jones were the humans that ran the farm and controlled the animals to do what they pleased.  Then took what the animals worked for.  This wasn’t a fair cycle, but this was never questioned ever. An animal’s life was just like this and all of them never thought that they could be in control.  Major inspires them all to rebel and take over what is rightfully theirs.  Animals could roam free and do whatever they wanted, not bound by the humans to labor for their own wants and pleasures.  Soon Old Major is dead.  The animals were truly inspired by his living idea of rebellion.  That truly wasn’t dead in their minds so new leaders step up to make that reality.  All of them were harsh and persuasive, as mean spirited and cold as Jones.  Now a simple life was in the far past now when the pigs wiped away those thoughts and dreams.

In the beginning Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer were all normal, powerless pigs under the authority of Jones.  It seemed like they just wanted to be free as the other animals and thought they were better than them, so they took the job.  As time progressed, they all became hungry.  The three had tasted the power they had and wanted to gorge it all down to consume it all for them.  Since the beginning of the rebellion, they have thirsted for the power.  A lot of it was in their hands and so they kicked a member out of the group to have more control.  Meanwhile, the rest of the animals just followed their every command to do their will.  They didn’t get to choose what they wanted.  Power was more immense and prominent in the trio of pigs.  Rights were taken away from them.  No more meetings to discuss what they all wanted, no choice and the leaders sneaked in what they wanted so the rest couldn’t even see it.  This is a lot more than leadership among them.  The power has grown into dictatorship.  Soon enough the animals won’t even be able to go where they want when they want to and no one will be able to have anything if the leaders don’t give it to them.  Power has grown from a spark of inspiration, to this mess of leaders once powerless.

Power is a main problem among these animals.  It’s like an unstable balance being tilted favorably toward the pigs and the animals are way up high not being able to make their own choices with no weight on their side.  How can a community like this work if the power is not divided as once promised?  The pigs say something and all of the animals work trying to please their leaders once like them all.  All of the animals were once humble and with no power.  The authority was Jones, and once he was gone they could do what they pleased.  All the animals were unsure what to do with themselves and the pigs all promised them assurance that they would make through it all together.  Lies were filled in those very words.  No equality is present in these “great” leaders just thirsting for what they never could have.

Final Speak Essay

Speak was just an ordinary book.  Honestly it was just a normal book that I read from cover to cover, through the chapters and took in all of the words in black ink across the pages.  It was fairly short and unordinary from anything else.  It didn’t stand out, nothing bright or spectacular looking. What truly I thought was extraordinary about it was the characters and events scrawled across the pages telling the amazing story of an ordinary girl that did a very powerful thing.   She had this dirty secret that was binding her to it and didn’t want to get help or talk to anyone.  But, against the odds she stood up and wasn’t afraid to speak out.  She told her friend that didn’t have one love or passion in the world but herself and let her down.  Even though that friend left her once again, she didn’t back down.  If no one cared about her life then she was going to do this herself. Then no one could leave her alone in the dark again, but herself. 

Life can be depressing. It is so realistic that it stings because it is what it is.  We can sit in the dark and just complain about how horrible life is.  For a while Melinda just sat in the shadows like that isolating herself from others and not stepping out and getting help.  Eventually she figured out that she can’t always rely on other people all the time for her security.  So she stood up and spoke.  I believe that the theme was to speak out when you are hurting.  Standing up for yourself when everyone fails to meet your needs and secure you so you feel safe in your own little world.  During the whole book I thought that the author was just pretty much telling this depressing story of a lonely, misunderstood girl.  Not only is it about that, but it has a deeper meaning of strength and courage.  Life may be dark, but Melinda stood up against the odds.

“Write about the emotions you fear the most."  Honesty that is true and Melinda had to speak about what she feared most.  Throughout this book the author gives you this pinch of reality that says to you that this is real.  It is realistic and that is frightening.  This ironic book starts out bad then twists and turns into darker, deeper things and you think that nothing could go right.  Then the plot seems to rise up and light shines onto the characters and things seem to be okay in the end.  The author is trying to say that things may be bad but if you do something about it, then it may turn out alright.  If you fear emotions and then your voice comes through and write about them, then it won’t be as frightening.

Fear, strength and reality are the things that the author addresses throughout the story.  The author also wrote other books and they are all the same type as this book. All of them are ironic, truth based and dark.  I guess she doesn’t want us to get caught up in a colorful, happy book that we can escape to.  No, she wants us to say that we understand what the characters are going through or that our life isn’t that bad.  Fear teaches us things and makes us understand the world a little through character’s mind and hear t before we do.

Have you ever felt that something simple was amazing?  I did when I picked up this book.  Honestly I didn’t really want to read it.  Someone said that it was an amazing book and wanted me to read it. Now I understand this.  Speak was a book that really touched me.  The characters seemed to reach out and tell a story so different yet realistic. Melinda had an extremely lonely year and everyone feels alone at least once, or out of place and maybe even unwanted.   Personally I have never had to deal with the situation that she was in.  But, many have and the author is just reflecting on other people’s lives and secrets making up characters just to line the story to make it fit together.  The author weaved this story together making it so complex, yet simple and sweet making the story something I have never read in my entire life.

Bound by Silence

Author's note: This is just a poem I wrote inspired by the book I am reading right now.

The world is a dark place with my many shadows and sorrows piling up on me

No one cared

No one loved

There was no one for me

And I was no one

A dark hole clutched me

Consuming  me

Controlling me

Bounding me with the steel chains of the night

Standing up I didn’t care

The chains cluttered beside me

I was free

Nothing was in my way

The darkness and rain parted leaving a fresh meadow for me to live in

Grow

Passion and love swept up like a great wind

The cherry tree beside me swayed in the wind as I ran through the meadow

A smile reached my face and cries of joy erupted through me

Nothing could stop me

No one controlled me

No one kept me silent

I was free

V2

Author's note: This was from a stream of consciousness.  We had to look at a picture of a Ferris Wheel and write a piece about it.  I wanted to write about how I went to a park and went on rides with my friend.  Actually this is based on true events that really happened! What happened on both rides actually happened to me and my friend on the same day!



The squeaky rusted ride slowly stopped to a halt.  Getting off I felt dizzy and got off the gray walkway down to the concrete ground.  My best friend hobbled over to me to discuss the next ride we were going to go on. 
"Let's go on that!"  I exclaimed pointing up to the giant drop ride.
"Ok, " She sighed a little nervously and walked over to the long line twisting around the fences to the ride.  There we sat for a while impatiently leaning up against the rusting peeling paint of the ancient poles holding up the fence from collapsing.  All of a sudden I heard screaming.  Looking around I spotted that the car to the drop ride was stuck up on top, not coming down.  My friend looked at it wide eyed and staring at the people's dangling limbs off the ride.  People started to part from the line frightened and amazed that the people were stuck on top of the ride.  Without a word we departed from the line side by side still shocked.  

"Those poor people..." I muttered as we came across a bright sign.  Inscribed in the sign, it only said V2 on it.
"OMG that sounds like fun!!!! "  my friend screamed.
"Wow that does look awesome!! " I yelled.  Talking we went up to the line and waited forever to get to the front.  Finally we were second in line.  Excited we waited until the cars came for the people in front of me.  Mumbling my friend nudged me.  
"WHAT? "  I asked because it was so loud I couldn't even hear her when she was standing right beside me. Then she pointed her finger at the line next to us for the other cars in the ride.  A kid that looked to be about a fifth grader was standing there hunched down and looked like he was spraying a water bottle through the gates.  But what I soon realized was that it wasn't water!!  Some workers  just stood there and looked at him with eyes filled with disgust and just disbelief. The station went quiet wondering what was happening.  Some other workers came and quickly tossed some nasty yellow powder at the ground and had the others scoop it up cleaning up the mess.  Everybody was shocked and didn't even know what to say. 
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!  THEY ARE SHUTTING DOWN THE RIDE!"  my friend angrily cried.
"Why are they shutting it down??"  I cried.
"It is a bio-hazard so they have to shut it down for like twenty minutes, "  she sadly answered. 
 "Aww...well we can wait, " I sighed.

There we stood for twenty minutes waiting to finally go on the ride.
"THIS IS TAKING FOREVERRR!!! " She exclaimed leaning up against the bars of the gate.
"THE RIDE IS CURRENTLY UP AND RUNNING.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME." the speakers crackled down to us.  The crowd sighed, shifted around,chattering and cheering.  Clanking the ride stopped in front of us. Silently the gates opened up releasing the people at last and had them hurrying to get on.  Both of us go into the seats and pulled the metal harnesses over us.  But neither of us were prepared for what was about to happen.  We were pulled forward having gravity taking over and pressing us up.  Then giving in and bringing us back down to the ground and pulling us up once again. After a few more times we halted to a stop at the station.
"WOW that was awesome!!"  we both smiled.
"But freaky in a way."my friend pointed out as she steadied herself on a post.
"I want to go again!" I cheered.
"The line is so long..." she answered looking at the long curling line.
"Yeah.. maybe we can go on that?" I questioned pointing to another.
"OK!" she laughed as we got into another line waiting for what was next.

Alone and Hurt

Author's note:  You might not think that this has to do with a scene in the book that relates to real life. But the entire book is reality and people have to deal with others not being there for them when they are going through a dark time and that is what I am saying in this piece.  People are unreliable and being lonely and rejected by some people is reality and Melinda is dealing with that in the book.

Everyone feels alone once in their life.  Alone.  Lost, rejected and unloved.  This isn't an uncommon or strange emotion for anyone.  It happens all the time all around us, even if we don't realize it.  Melinda was  all alone and people didn't even seem aware of it, maybe even taking advantage of it.  Both of her parents were blinded of the situation having not a clue what was happening in Melinda's life.  Her friend's hearts were filled with hate not caring what really happened to her.  They don't want to be there for her at all.   I could honestly pick a lot of scenes in the book that can relate to real life because this whole book is reality.  Nothing is made up, fake or flawless  Every single person has dealt with these same feelings and situations being alone and rejected as Melinda did.

It's the first day of school and Melinda is all alone. Not one person to hang out with.  Knowing she won't be accepted by anyone but her best friend, Rachel she looks to her.  Without a word they eye each other and Rachel silently screams,

 "I hate you."

  A strong emotion with so much hatred and dark feelings.  Melinda was just standing up for herself and trying to do something to help a situation.  It only made it worse just because her so called friends didn't support her and later on didn't even believe her when she told them the truth!!  Friends are supposed to be there for you.  But the thing is in real life the people you love most can take advantage of you and hurt you the most.  She knew them so well so it hurt her even more in her heart when they left her all alone.  Everyone knows this also.  Friends can take advantage of you or in Melinda's case really hurt you by leaving you all by yourself.  For standing up for yourself and being strong her friends leave her alone..who deserves that?

Sad, alone and hurting in an lonely solitary cell of your heart and mind trying to be strong but having no one their to support you if you fall down.  Melinda is living in that without a friend to be their beneath her to support her from falls.  She is falling down faster and faster going darker and deeper making it harder to hop back up to the light.  Ex-friends, situations, teachers and parents are pushing her deeper not doing anything about it to help her.  Every single person has dealt with a dark time being alone.  It is a hard time and may feel like no on is there.       People don't always help you or build you up.  They can use you, abuse you, hurt you or leave you all alone to fend for yourself.  People think that Melinda is a freak and can't seem to step out and care for her.  She stand up for herself not relying completely and surely on someone but climbing up and reaching toward the justice and light of the dark silence and speaking out clearly.  Many have dealt with these dark problems but can't stand up and do the same that Melinda did.

The High School in Speak

The scary part of this book is not just that Melinda is suffering or the kids in it are horrible.  This isn't a fictional story, this is true to life and that is the horror of it.  High school is a true thing, a real place that you have to attend to have a good future.  Its like you are trapped and Melinda feels like that, too.  It isn't like this fairytale world that no matter what you do everything is fine. This inspiring story is all reality.  The events and everything could happen.  It could happen to you and honestly that is frightening.  There isn’t the comfort of this being a fantasy world and it's a made up thing.  People act this way, do these things and this has happened in the past.  It will keep happening in the far future as well.  Reality is a chilling, scary thing and Melinda is living right in the middle of it.

Melinda is standing in the lunch room awkwardly waiting to see if anyone will accept her.  She finds one person who even later on fails to be there for her.  People are unreliable.  They can be cruel and not accepting of others for their own twisted reasons.  Some people just don't fit their standards in high school and don't even have a friend to count on because no one wants anything to do with them.  The setting is the perfect place for this story and the characters because either you are accepted in high school or you are just not.  She isn’t and people aren't very reliable to be your sturdy foundation to make mistakes with.  Whatever she does no one even wants to look at her.  As I said the setting is the only place that would work for this and embraces the story well.  High school is not always as grim but the author made it a very dark thing.  High school can sometimes be the start of a young adult life but the author made the characters misunderstanding and had the high school a dark, dead place.  If the plot and characters had a different past then maybe Melinda would have had a place to sit at lunch and friends.

Reality is the shadowy thing we live in and it has always just been.  Melinda goes to a high school that fits that very description.  The high school was made into a scary thing to fit the book.  She is a lonely girl in a dark high school with misunderstood people that don't want to be kind or reaching out.  Her story and the characters would be very different if the setting was different. It is essential and a main piece of the book. Change one thing and you have a completely different story.  Make it happy and nothing would have happened the way it did.  The setting was chosen because of the reality clinging to it making it a real thing with realistic characters with normal human actions and emotions.  High school is as real as it could be which makes it frightening.

Let me tell you about it....

Me:  "Let me tell you about it."

 Melinda is a girl with many thoughts and emotions running through her mind, but doesn't express it.  This quote is significant in this book.  It is fairly short, but it is powerful and has a lot of emotion.  Those words aren't significant or even special, but the character is talking and telling her feelings to others.   It's like color is being painted on her as if she is a lifeless, emotionless canvas.  The truth is coming out and Melinda's voice is being heard. Not a small whisper, but a strong voice that has colors and inspiration.  Strong, true and wise.  Suffering through so much in silence, she speaks and that is what everyone is trying to make her do through the entire book; To simply speak.    Then finally, she is and it’s a golden moment of truth and strength for her.  If that one little piece of the  story wasn't in there, it would have turned out so differently. It is, and makes everything different for her.  If Melinda didn't have this moment of her speaking, she would have died inside of her and suffered through it the rest of her life not expressing anything to a single person. 

The streets were covered in quivering light being reflected off the carlights.  It smelled like gasoline and smoke as I walked out of Starbucks.  People walked quickly from all directions bunching up at corners waiting to cross the busy street.  I heard shouts from behind me, but I was used to it and pushed it out of my head.  Water sloshed around me seeping into storm drains being carried away from people's sight.  Looking around I slipped off the curb and tripped into a murky puddle.  Wincing I got up and silently looked around casually to see if anyone had saw me slip.  Everyone was hurrying to get out of the rain.  When I didn't want to be noticed no one saw, and when I wanted so badly to be seen I was looked past.  Zoning out an impatient person shoved me out of the way and onto the concrete again.  Sighing I got up and dragged myself home to my grubby little apartment and just sat there in the dark not rising to turn on the lights....(to be continued....)

The Setting of Speak

Speak is a story of different people, a regular town with a painfully dark high school.  Melinda is an ordinary high school girl with a dark secret wrapped in her brain, printing itself on her,leaving a dark smudged spot covering up parts of her life.  She finds a friend to count on, going to her house and in silence hanging out with her.  But, at school, she doesn’t talk to anyone except to herself or maybe to Heather.  Even then Heather does most of the talking.  Then, at home, Melinda’s parents are usually spending their time obsessing over their job or yelling at Melinda to get her grades up or to just simply speak.  Every place she peaks in at or goes into she is frightened and doesn’t want to talk to anyone.  If the world was a frightening, unfriendly place every single day you live and everywhere you go, would you want to even look into the eyes of the people you come across?  No.  You wouldn’t.  This is a  story is a normal book with pages and chapters about the characters living sadly everyday lives in an everyday place.  This isn’t one of those pretty books with pictures and a perfect world with flawless, happy people;it is a scary, dark reality of what life can throw at you.

Speak

           Speak is a book of many emotions, people and memories.  Dark, memories festering in Melinda’s mind driving people away from her.  This secret keeps her from sleeping at night, causing her emotional pain scaring her heart and physical pain to her.  She is always in a deep, depressed pain every day.  The hole ripped through her heart is unraveling from the edges and widening every day.  Her mind keeps her in a closed in little world all alone in a solitude jail of her own secret wrapping around her, tightening and keeping her captive.  High school is hard already, and her dark secret occupying her mind makes it even harder.  No one wants to be her friend, yet even look into her eyes processing the truth of the lies spreading and being turned into darker things against her.  The Ironic emotions of this book are depressing. Nothing is expected or good in this book. The memories of Melinda and the people filled with hate and lies just get worse and worse throughout the book no matter what is happening then and in the memories of the past.

Youth

Author's Note:I wrote this on the theme of Tom Sawyer enjoying his youth.

Sometimes, I think that kids take for granted being young and blow it off.  But, adults may miss being young and innocent, being able to make mistakes and correct it without the consciences in the world of reality.  So, adults always are telling you memories of their childhood.  Their minds are filled with memories of their distant past disappearing and wearing away as the reality of adulthood creeps into their life.  They tell you stories of their past friends and want to be in your life to relive the life of a child.  As they tell you the stories or think of the past, there is a distant look in their eyes reflecting back on you giving you a glimpse of what adults are really thinking.  Shouldn’t we enjoy not having the responsibilities of an adult when we still have the opportunity to be able to make mistakes in a friendly environment and figure out the world?  Tom Sawyer appreciates being young in the story, being a pirate, playing and figuring things out for himself with some guidance still.  He knows that his time of being of kid is running out, the timer of childhood is running out catching up going faster.  Knowing this in his heart, he lives up to being one for as long as he possibly can.Tom Sawyer is still a kid, but thinks that he has the freedom to do whatever he pleases, which is true.  Yet, if he does something horrible, he may get a small punishment or slip out of its clutches.

Tom Sawyer definitely acts like a kid.  He doesn’t try to act older or definitely more mature than his age.  When he beat up the wealthy stuck up boy that was bothering him, he didn’t think of the consequences he would receive if he was an adult.  If he was older and had responsibilities of acting mature, he would have to deal with the police or even worse.  As a young boy he can grasp what is right and wrong to figure out what he should do in the real world.

Of course Tom Sawyer, being a normal child, likes some girls.  Amy Lawrence, was his first crush in the book.  Then, he sees blond Becky Thatcher and since he is a kid and doesn’t have a true commitment to one person, he “breaks” Amy’s heart and flirts with Becky.  Since, again he is a child he has the freedom to be able to make mistakes with relationships like that and not ruin his life if he was truly married.

Tom also as a child has the gift of imagination.  With his friends he escapes to the world of pirates or even Robin Hood.  Almost every adult has to be contained in the lifeless world of work.  They always have to be doing something that is worth the time and take all the extra time they can to relax.  As they grew up, their imagination grew weary, weakening in their brains.  They don’t play robbers or escape to their dream world during play.  Adults don’t have that luxury.  Children of course do.  Why don’t they use it when they can?  They just want to grow up too fast.

Tom Sawyer is a boy that likes to have fun and embraces his youth.  He doesn’t try to act like he is an adult, either.  Why would he?  Throughout the book he tries different things and figures out how to act and what to do in the real world.  He is in the perfect environment of friends and family to experiment in.  How could he not take that chance and grasp it? Childhood is the shortest part of your life, after all.   So don’t blow of the blessed gift of youth like some people did and they regretted it.

Chapter 27-Treasure

 Tom Sawyer did and saw many things throughout the book, which were very exciting, even a bit mischievous and dangerous.  Yet, he manages to escape and wriggle out of whatever danger or punishment coming his way.  Isn’t that a kid’s dream to never get caught for anything and do whatever you want whenever you please?  That is what the world of Tom Sawyer is.  This is the world of a young boy who “falls in love”, discovers treasure, is a pirate, is at his own funeral, is Robin Hood, a great friend and is even truly a hero.  Tom is noticed and loved throughout the book by his friends and the adults.  Some kids don’t get that so Tom has the perfect life.   He has anything and everything a kid could ever dream about.  Sometimes I wish my life was as perfectly laid out and thrilling as Tom’s.  Even though Tom has a perfect life, many things go wrong and unexpected for him, even though they turn out.  Isn’t that what anyone has to go through in the life of a pirate?

            Chapter twenty-seven is one of my favorite chapters because that is when Huck and Tom are in the creepy haunted house looking for treasure.  Wouldn’t anyone love to find treasure?  When the two boys go to the haunted house they don’t just find gold, but Injun Joe!  I mean what boy wouldn’t be amazed to have found a treasure, but also two men convicted of murder?  This is a great discovery for the boys to have found the two men, but they are dangerous and violent so they hide under a bed.  With their hearts pounding, in suspense and hoping not to be discovered, the two men reveal their plan of hiding their stolen newly found treasure.  The boys know this is serious, but they excited to be “real pirates” in a racing battle for treasure.

This chapter is a bit Tragic because the treasure is lost to the criminals.  Yet, I think that it’s romantic because every kid at least dreams once about helping to find a criminal, find treasure or do something important or amazing like that.  The boys are wild about finding this treasure and getting back the treasure, which is what every kid would want to do.  As the story unravels itself a few of the modes are mixed in unexpectedly in different ways.  It is a strong, interesting chapter that unfolds and completes some questions and answers making the book unravel and continue in an unexpected way.

So True

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

A Walk to Remember is about how two people's different worlds collide in an unexpected and bitter sweet way.  Jamie Sullivan is a religious girl that carries a bible in her hand every day, wears her beautiful brown hair in a formal bun and wears a brown cardigan.  People don't give a second look to her.  If she doesn't scare them away, her father definitely does.  Hegbert is Jamie's protective father that is also a pastor for a church.  Then Landon Carter is a boy who likes to have fun with his friends and has a wealthy powerful father in Congress. He has anything he could possibly need.  When Jamie asks Landon to play the character of Tom Thornton in the play at her church, both of their lives are changed forever.  They both realize their love for each other, but it doesn't last long enough.  Sadly, Jamie was diagnosed with Leukemia in Autumn.  This deeply wounds both of their hearts as she is suffering through her disease.  In the very end Landon gives Jamie what she has been aching and dreaming for, her dream wedding.  With the support of her father, she is walked down the aisle to Landon in a church full of people. 


I think that A Walk to Remember is the closest to Tragedy even though in the beginning it is normal.  But, it has a rise to power when their relationship is going well.  The tragic flaw is when the Leukemia is really starting to have some effects. Then the tragic fall is when she is late in her sickness.  In the very end, Jamie dies.

EPIC FAILL

This is sooo funnyy!!

On a dock on the river.....

On a dock on the river.........

There I was, sitting on the dock on a foggy day on the river. Rain soaked through my hair dripping silently onto the cracked, old pier. Tears streaked my pained, pale face. I tried not to remember what had just happened. But, I couldn't bear it. Just the thought of it made me sick with dread. Then I just suddenly threw off my coat in a sorrowful rage. This was too much for me. For a moment I stared into the dark but familiar distance. Suddenly I got up and walked forward to the very edge of the dock looking down at the ancient, rotting wood layered on top of one another. Without much of a thought I dropped myself into the dense river. My shoes were coated with mud sitting on the river's bottom. I liked the feeling of the rocking river stirring and tossing from the storm. It was somehow soothing to me. But suddenly a flash of a memory hit me. I held my arms tight to my chest. Somehow I had to make this right. Not now though, but hopefully not ever.

A clearing in the woods......

A clearing in the woods was coming overhead. My legs were pumping and moving as fast as they could carry me. I swung my arms back and forth to keep my pace, to keep going. The back of my legs screamed in protest, but I just ran against them as hard as I could. Blood was pounding through my ears and in my head. A bead of sweat dripped down my forehead along my hairline. There was a group of people swarming around the runners screaming encouraging words to keep us running and to not stop . Behind me I could hear deep heavy breathing wheezing in and out constantly. Hearing her and now knowing how close she was behind me, this made me run up and go faster. Screams were echoing through the grassy ground and trees all around me. I just had to keep going, to not give up. Then I stepped across the line and was finished, I was done. All of the girls around me were bending down and trying to catch their breath. Little puffs of hard labored breaths escaped my mouth making me go to a nearby bench and sit down to wait.

Heyy people.

i need invites from a lot of people because i can't get to a lot of blogs ritee now.

THANKSS!

hehe

My Veterans Essay

Does Patriotism Still Matter?

Many courageous people through the history of this country have an important calling to fight for the freedom and safety of this country.   People of the United States must honor and not forget them because sometimes these men and women don’t even make it home to live in their own freedom.  Then there are normal people like you and I basking in safety and freedom formed over blood and time.  We don’t even think about how these people made our country what it is now.  A lot of citizens overlook what was done in the past and don’t think about the thousands of men and women slaughtered for the rights and safety of this country before our constitution or government was established.

 Every day, everyone goes silent in the dim light of the morning and we all look to the flag with our hand placed over our hearts.    In rhythm with all the other students we state the pledge of allegiance.   We can’t just ignore the sacrifice people have made for our country.  These groups of people symbolize the colors of our national American Flag.  These colors stand for their enduring perseverance, purity, strength and the devotion for their country.  They sacrifice their comfort and even their lives, but you don’t even think about why and who they are fighting this battle for?   How can they not think about these people??  Shouldn’t you be grateful for your rights and safe homeland?  Not every individual person in this cruel world has to opportunity to vote, or go to school.  Around the world some get brutally killed if they practice their own religion or speak their opinion.  Everyone  should be thankful that you have these opportunities and rights, just because men and women risked their lives for their beloved country and all of the people living in it.

Waves rolling up a shore, over rocks........

Author's note: I took this picture at Lake Michigan. This piece is just about the scenery there.  Hope you like this piece!

  I smelled the aroma of salt and water.  The water licked at my toes giving a chill through my body.  My skin felt warm at the touch from the blazing sun.  Nearby a few children were picking up seashells and examining them with their tiny little hands.  I looked up and admired the sky.  I saw the sun just in the middle of the sky.  Dreamy blue clouds rolled past.  I bent down and felt the soft sand between my fingers.   I closed my eyes a moment and forced myself to remember everything I had seen.  A memory so precious to me, it wouldn't leave my heart ever.  As this would be my last moment right here and right now.

:-D

I sprinted past dark trees leaving a trailing shadow on the forest ground.  A gnarled tree branch twisted with age sweaped me off my feet leaving on the dirty ground trying to catch my breath.  I saw another shadow lurking behind me.  I tried to scream but nothing came out.   Just warm breath.  A howl came from the distant mountains making a chilling finger slide through my spine.  Even more frightened, I got up and ran through dead bushes and around thick grey boulders.  Then I came across a willow tree.  It's dreamy branches blowing with the wind.   For a moment I felt at peace by its romantic dancing sways.  Another howl shreiked and echoed through the forest.  Now I had to keep going.   So again I ran thinking , pondering for answers.   But there was no answer for me.  There couldn't possibly be, and there never would be.

The icy wind bit at my exposed face. A sharp,quiet crack came from behind me.  I whirled around and looked for a short period of time. Shrill screams bellowed from behind me.  It felt like the cold had seaped from outside to my bones.  I couldn't run,the cold had concealed my body. Shadows darted around me.  This couldn't be the end for me.  But I didn't have a choice.

Pretty cool pic I took one day because I was bored. 

I took this when I was at Pewaukee Lake

Lying on your back on the beach of a deserted tropical island.

I was sitting on a sand dune laying there thinking.  The dark ominous night sky stretched out with stars glittering and shining next to the moon.  The wind picked up with some sand and it danced for me.  It swirled shining of the rays of the moon shaping gliding through the air free and spirited.   Wild. Over the peak of the sand dunes light emerged.  Orange splashed over the edge like paint.  It rose followed closely by blues and red growing stronger and brighter.  Staring at it hurt my eyes making them sting. But, it was beautiful, natural.  No artist could recreate this.  This was a new day beginning with the birth of dawn finishing the darkness of night.  In the blaze of the sun the sand glittered with gold and silver glittering being still in the morning hours.  Blue spread through the sky showing the clouds lining the sky.  Under me the calm lake waves licked at my bare ankles as I stared into the radiant sunset just visible now over the treetops.   Damp sand clung to my legs. I inhaled the sweet smell hanging in the frigid morning air. Emerging from my daydream I tore myself from the beach and walked away on the sidewalk not looking back.

 

Heyy. This is my blog.

This is my blog.. I hope you like it!!!!  :-D