My Uncle Jeff

Ever since I was a child, I have always looked up to My Uncle Jeff.
We have had a lot of memorable times together, that I will remember for my lifetime.
One memory in particular that stands out to me the most, was when we went out sailing on his  Hobie cat.
It was a cool mid-day summer afternoon in late august, and we had been sailing for a considerable distance.
My Uncle Jeff gave me the responsibility of changing the sail to face the wind.
As we were cruising along we came upon an island, and as we maneuvered around the island out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that our bow was beginning to tip.
I remember mentioning this to Jeff, but in a very monotone voice "Jeff were tipping", and I had figured that he had heard me, and that everything was fine.
Unfortunately he did not hear me, and when the bow was half way out of the water, I mentioned what I had said before, but this time louder, and when he realized what was happening, we had to scramble to the other side before we would fall in.
Luckily, we were able to get the other side in time, and we avoided getting wet.
Afterwards, we laughed it off, and both agreed that next time something like that happens, that I need to speak up.
Another memory that stands out to me, was when I went on my very first ATV ride.
I remember how initially, I was nervous, but as soon as we got moving I started having fun, and before I knew it we were cruising down the trails at 30 mph, and we were having a blast.
Once we had been driving for awhile, I asked Jeff if I could drive.
When we started moving, I was taking it nice and slow, but as soon as I became comfortable enough with the ATV, I began to speed up.
Driving the ATV, was one of the most exhilarating experiences I have had in my life, and I would not have missed that opportunity for anything else.
Ultimately it is the sense of adventure, that I like the most about My Uncle Jeff, I never know what is beyond the horizon, or were our adventures will take us.

Patience is A Virtue

We can not always expect something in our lives to happen right away.
Certain things take time to set into stone, and we must have the patience to allow them to happen.
Patience, is a judgement of our character.
Those who intervene, will cause whatever their waiting for to take longer.
Those who have patience , will amass good fortune.
Patience is like a flower; water the flower to much, and the seed will drown; water the flower not enough, the flower will not grow; water the flower just right, and your flower will blossom.

Forgiveness

Throughout our lives, our well being is affected by whether or not, we can learn to forgive those around us.
There comes a point in our lives, that we must draw the line between what we can forgive, and what we can not.
We must accept that no one is perfect, and that we all make mistakes, and even those who may slander us deserve a second chance.

2013 The Year of Dreams

2013 is the year that our dreams will become a reality.

Dreams are like domino's, once you give them a little push, everything else will fall into place.
Never let go of your dreams, even if you have to twist left and right, just to hold onto them.

Dreams are what define us, and keep us motivated to shoot for the stars.
We must go that extra distance to ensure that our dreams come true.

 If we simply wait around hoping that our dreams will come true, then we will not get anywhere.
Instead we must make steps towards accomplishing our dreams.
Dreams take time, but if we work towards them now, we are one step closer to living our dreams.  

Voice

Often times those around us say hurtful words to those who are perceived to be an "easy target"; Even though we may not feel comfortable with what these people might be saying or doing, we go along with what the group is doing.
Otherwise we might get persecuted for what we say.
In away the person who is getting bullied voice is constrained, anything they say or do could result in mockery from their peers.
It's up to you to be their voice speak up for them, and stop the situation before it gets any worse.
When you stand up for them you must believe in what your saying, because the person who is being bullied is counting on you to stay true to your word.
If you decide to stand up for that person, just know that your making an impact on that persons life and by the end you should feel proud of what you did.

So Far Away, Yet So Close

No matter where you are in the world, whether it be a thousand miles away from home, or just in the town over, home never leaves your side.
Home is a place that never disappears, it is always with you when you need it most.
It's a place where you are always welcomed, no matter what is going on in your life.
For it is within your heart that home lies, never to be forgotten nor lost.

 

The Speed of time

Before my school day begins there is a lot that I have to get done in the morning to prepare for the day. Each morning I help set up flyer news, which at times can be tedious but never boring. Whether it be setting up the cameras or working in the control room my mornings are usually busy. I often times work in the control room on the technical director’s board. The technical director is in charge of changing the shots. I have the script out in front of me and I have to be constantly aware of what’s going on so I know the appropriate time to change the shots. Often times due to the earliest of the show I feel drowsy which has an impact on my performance, but most of the time I am able to focus and get out a consistent product.  I also feel responsible for the product of the show if it does not come out right I feel guilty because I messed up a shot. When I am doing this position I have a huge responsibility put upon my shoulders if I do not perform my tasks up to speed the show will be affected, but if I’m constantly paying attention and switching the shots when appropriate than the show will not be effected. Ultimately by  the end day all it comes down to is a learning curve and all I know is that if I tried my hardest and still made a mistake, I will learn from them and try harder next time.

The constant echo of a ticking clock makes my math class seem like an eternity. Each echo reminds me of a heartbeat, gradually getting louder as the class goes by. At the beginning of each class we get a warm up and by the time I finish the warm up I think that it took me five minutes to complete when in reality it’s only been two.  There is a sense of anticipation that builds up inside of me. It’s almost like an inner self wanting to escape and roam free. Do not get me wrong it’s not that I do not like the class it’s just this sense of longing for something that is more interesting and elusive. After the warm up we precede to go over the homework. By this point it feels like it’s been a long time when it’s only been ten minutes. When we finally go over all the homework we either practice problems or take notes. If we are taking notes class seems to go by much faster and the class is not that bad. It is when we practice that time seems endless. I often find that I can finish the problems in a timely manner; the only problem is when I have a question it seems like it takes a while for the teacher to come over. I will finish all the other problems and raise my hand once again but the teacher is still preoccupied by the same student, I will sit there and listen to the sound of the ticking clock until the teacher comes.  Over the course of the year we have been given so many worksheets that to a point it becomes overwhelming.  The physical weight of each worksheet is not heavy it is the number of worksheets that I accumulate over time. Although I have a binder and I am able to keep everything relatively organized. I often feel over loaded with material, and I have trouble keeping track of everything.  Often times when I take out my math binder from my back pack, I feel as if it is the heaviest item that I haul around. It is only when I do not have math class that I consolidate and do not bring my binder.

            Following math class I have U.S. History which is my favorite class of the day. The reason being Mr. Coleman is always effervescent when it comes to history. He has a dogmatic way of being concise when presenting new ideas. He makes the class enjoyable for everyone connecting history to the students and making sure everyone is out of their seats experiencing what history has to offer. Most days, time seems to slip by and class is over in a flash. No longer do I hear the constant ticking of a clock or the need for challenge. Rather I feel a sense of connection that I do not feel in any of my other classes. Mr. Coleman brings us back in time and shows us the perspective of the people, almost as if we were there with them experiencing their world. For in class activities Mr. Coleman gives a wide variety of projects that allows all of the students to shine. Sometimes we have creative assignments were we have to do some research about the time period, and using the knowledge we gathered we have debates about certain issues of the time period. Other times we do a project that are straight to the point that is factual. But regardless of the project Mr. Coleman always makes the class enjoyable for everyone.  In this class all the physical items that I carry have an impact on me during class. Well they are not as much of a burden the emotional weight I carry they are always there. Whenever I have history my back pack never feels as heavy as it does during math class. In history my back pack is like an accumulation of knowledge, it contains all of my subjects that are divided up into folders and binders. I know that I can always reference my folders from my back pack; it’s an easy way of organizing all of my subjects.  During class I always look forward to learning more about history and the way it has shaped us as human beings.  Mr. Coleman always keeps everyone engaged, and even though there are times when he gives lectures they are ephemeral and before you know it were up and out of our seats. Ultimately by the end of each class, Mr. Coleman always leaves us on the edge of our seats wanting more, and there is never a day that were not up and out of our seats experiencing history through the eyes of those who came before us.