comments week 24

DJ

Savannah- Anticipating our next book 

Anticipating Our Next Book

If you are in a position of power you are happy- This statement stood out to me because I at first I was like no, you usually are not happy. But then I began to think about it more and decided that there is not a black or white answer to this statement. I would agree and disagree. I think that the process of power strongly plays a role in the happinness factor. Usually when someone wins a postion of power they are thrilled, but as the process gies on harships can pop up and the happiness can subside. I also think that the person plays a major role in whether or not they will be happy. I know that for me, because I am pretty shy, I don't usually like being in a postion of power. Someone who is very outgoing may feel otherwise. Many different situations have different feelings for the person who is in power and all different types of facotrs go into decided if that person will be happy.

Ambition is a positive, desirable trait in a person- I would agree with this statement. Yes, there are a few situations in which the ambition could be bad if it was overpowering or too much. But, for the most part ambition is a great trait. Ambition is what gets people out of bed in the morning and brings them to try their best in things whuch may not be very exciting. I know that without my ambition I would probably not want to sudy and try as hard as I do. I also like seeing ambition in my friends and my peers. I like to people who are strongly passionate and motivated in the things which they do. This ambition inspires others and it usually brings good outcomes.

Hits and Misses

           I feel like overall I have been successful this year in english. I would definately say that I had an easier experience with a few things, and a more challenging one with a couple others. My favorite peice of writing this year was my "The Stained Wedding Dress" peice which I wrote as my quarter personal narrative. Although this may not be the best in terms of conventional parts I feel like my voice was very strong and I was submerged in the true feelings which come out in this peice. I also learned a lot from writing this. I now know that I like writing about real situations and personal topics which I can put a lot of meaning into. This year I also got a experiment with other types of writing such as the personal narrative. This was challening at first and I had no idea what I was doing. But in the end  I feel like it turned out to be good and I was proud of myself for being successful with something new.

        Writing has always been something that I have enjoyed and this year the blog posts have beneffited me in many ways. To be honest, every week when the time comes around to write the posts I am reluctant to get started. But once I start writing I have a completely positive reaction. Depending on the topic, for the most part blog posts are more of an escape rather than homework. I can be free with my writing and I enjoy writing about all different things. I don't really have anything this year that I completely didn't get anything out of. I would say that a few of the really long processes like the research paper and all of the peices that went with that were stressful. But overall I have learned a lot from my wiritng and I have had happy results from all challenges.

comments week 23

Savannah- New York Times Prompt 

Laura- NY times 

Purple Hibiscus

Purple Hibiscus is a challenging book to read on a few different aspects. First of all, there is a lot that we can discuss and a lot that needs some thinking on to really determine how it came into place or how it contributes to the story in an important way. Another challennging aspect of the book is the emotional impact that it leaves on the reader. There are some very hard parts to read; parts where you want to jump in the story and save the characters. But, there are ways to read which help me navigate these challenges. 

When I read, I annotate and these annotations help me think about what im reading and comment on it a beneficial and important way. I also sometimes stop to think about what it going on so I can succesfully understand and move on with my reading. I have found that marking my questions and then having them answered in class has been the most helpful way to really undertstand and go deeper into the reading. I have really enjoyed reading Purple Hibiscus and I think that the reading strategies that I have been using will be beneificial to me not only with this book but with reading in the future. 

What Makes Me Happy; responding to NY times prompt

Happiness; a word which I seem to look up to, I seek to be happy. My instagram bio is even "choose happiness". But the real question is What makes me happy? Well, there is not just one answer to that broad question. A lot of things make me happy, a few of which I will tell you about. I am happy when I am with my friends and we play a song which we can all get into. The loud music and the sounds of our voices singing along to the song makes me feel free and in the moment. I am happy when I see a new issue of W magazine in my mailbox and I sit down on my bed and can appreiate the beauty of fashion and design. Then, there's the gushy things, like when someone gives me a hug, or when someone says "I love you." Theres also the things which can not be seen, like laughter, my music, and the voices of my favorite people. I am happy when I am taking a hike in the mountains and I look down to the brilliant colors of wild flowers. And I am happy when I see other people being happy. Happiness is contagious and it's a wonderfull thing.

Of course, we can't all be happy all the time. But we can choose to see the beauty in the small things and to appreciate the things which bring a smile to our faces. Happiness is such an abstract theme and evreryone has different interpretations of what makes them happy and what it means to them. I like to "choose happiness" whenever I can and even when I am not happy I like to think about the things that make me feel good. By doing this I know that happiness is always around the corner.