Stranger Than Fiction

Every summer I stay for two weeks in Bloomfield, Indiana. I spend the majority of these days at Shawnee Theatre. For the past six years, I have actively participated in a theatre program here. While participating in these plays, I have met many strange people. These people come from all over Indiana. Most of them are homeschooled. For some, Shawnee Theatre is one of the few social experiences they participate in. A few years ago, we were playing a theatre game where two people had to go out the the hall while the rest of the cast picked a scene to act out. A girl named Lori and I volunteered to go out to the hall. Since this was my Lori's first day, I decided to try to be friendly and strike up a good conversation. I started by asking, "Is your name Lori or Lauren?" To this she replied, "Oh, it doesn't matter, you can call me either one. It's a lot easier to pronounce than any of my elf names." Thinking she was kidding, I replied jokingly, "Elves? Oh, you mean like the kind that make cookies?" Then she said in an extremely serious, non-joking way, "No, I mean like the real kind." Hearing this really shocked me. It seemed like something a character might say in a movie. I had no idea that people were really this odd. This memory has remained clearer than any other memory from Shawnee just because it was so strange.

It's not always what it seems

As a junior high kid, nothing seemed scarier than approaching high school. The junior high teachers had been warning us for years about how cruel and harsh these future high school teachers would be. The threats of being piled down with homework helped to keep me tossing and turning in the night. To me, it seemed as though there was no way I would be able to keep up in high school. I feared that I would be an abandoned fish in a giant sea. Soon enough, however, the time to start high school came around. I quickly realized that it really was not as bad as everyone had made it seem. High school offered a lot more freedom and class options. The truth was, I began liking high school far more than I liked junior high. Although I was scared and worried, high school ended up being some of the most memorable years of my life.

Counting My Blessings

Whenever I was younger, I used to live in Bloomington, Indiana. I lived nearby my grandparent's house, and I went to visit them quite often. Next door to them lived a man by the name of George. George was a friendly fellow who loved the outdoors. He was a friend to all of nature and always saw the beauty in all wildlife. His entire yard was one giant garden booming with life and every color of the rainbow. He planted plants for the birds, the butterflies and even the bunnies. George always smoked a pipe and lived alone. He still managed to stay a happy, upbeat kind of guy. George always let me go into his garden and pick all the mint plant I wanted and let me chew it all the time. Whenever I moved out of Bloomingon and into my new house, he got me my very own mint plant. Time progressed and he became quite ill and eventually passed. I never really thought about how much of a friend he was and how much he meant to me until he was gone. George was like a member of the family, and really did care about me. No matter how old I may be, I will always remember the countless summers I spent admiring George's garden.

Sacrifice

A few weekends ago, my father needed my help. Although I had made other plans, I decided to sacrifice my time. I had to work about twelve hours at a motorcycle race. As most people know, I am not the kind of person who is interested in sports of any kind. Spending an entire day in the hot sun scoring a filthy, disgusting race was definately my idea of a great afternoon. I had to wake up at six in the morning and sit in a freezing trailor in the morning. As the day progressed, however, the race started getting more fun. The weather started warming up, and all of us workers got free food. Then we all got to sit in the warm sun and score the race. Somehow, having something to do the entire time made the day go by super fast. Along with having a nice tan afterwards, I also got paid by my father. This sacrifice of twelve hours of my time ended up being a pretty fun experience after all.

The 3rd Poem

Funeral Blues
by: W.H. Auden
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let airplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good

In this poem, clearly W.H. Auden is mourning the death of a love one. Although this poem seems quite obvious, there is much more depth to it than what one may notice at first. Through further inspection, I noticed that when Auden says, "I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong," that he is somewhat bitter about the loss of this loved one. In the beginning the tone is somewhat sad, but yet content. Then, however, the tone changes to a more bitter and pessimistic stance. Auden seems to feel like that without this loved one, nothing really matters anymore and that the world may as well just give up. This poem has many different underlying tones and emotions in it, plus a very classic rhyme scheme that adds to its simplistic facade.

My Second Poem

Desert Places
by Robert Frost
Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast
In a field I looked into going past,
And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,
But a few weeds and stubble showing last.

The woods around it have it - it is theirs.
All animals are smothered in their lairs.
I am too absent-spirited to count;
The loneliness includes me unawares.

And lonely as it is, that loneliness
Will be more lonely ere it will be less-
A blanker whiteness of benighted snow
With no expression, nothing to express.

They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars - on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places

In this poem, Frost refers to his intense loneliness. He compares his loneliness with other pieces of nature such as when he says, "The woods around it have it - it is theirs. All animals are smothered in their lairs." In these lines he is referring to feeling of emptiness, such as the spaces between the trees in the woods. Because he himself is feeling lonely, he uses personification to bring pieces of nature to life. He, in a sense, transfers his emotions and the way he is feeling to these creatures of nature. This poem has a unique rhyme scheme that help to bring it to life.

My First Poem

The Impact of a Dollar Upon the Heart
By: Stephen Crane
The impact of a dollar upon the heart
Smiles warm red light,
Sweeping from the hearth rosily upon the white table,
With the hanging cool velvet shadows
Moving softly upon the door.
The impact of a million dollars
Is a crash of flunkys,
And yawning emblems of Persia
Cheeked against oak, France and a sabre,
The outcry of old beauty
Whored by pimping merchants
To submission before wine and chatter.
Silly rich peasants stamp the carpets of men,
Dead men who dreamed fragrance and light
Into their woof, their lives;
The rug of an honest bear
Under the feet of a cryptic slave
Who speaks always of baubles,
Forgetting state, multitude, work, and state,
Champing and mouthing of hats,
Making ratful squeak of hats,
Hats.

Most of this poem consists of symbolism making it somewhat hard to decipher. Stephen Crane refers to all the wicked tasks people participate in in order to get money. He shows that people completely disregard moral standards whenever money is put in the picture. Perhaps the most meaningful line to me is when Crane states these words, "The outcry of old beauty, whored by pimping merchants." This speaks to me most out of all the other words written. Crane is stating how people have changed the way people see beauty. he states that people are so easily swayed into believing something that is not beautiful or commendable is perfectly acceptable, such as prostitution. In this way, the poem takes on great meaning.

More Than Words

Over my life, my music style has changed dramatically. At this particular point in time, I am enamored with indie style bands and music. Indie is a type of music that is a branch of alternative, but less hard core than screamo or punk rock. Indie is the kind of music you can just visualize someone playing with an acoustic guitar at a local coffee shop. Most of the bands I listen to are not very well known. Some of my favorite bands include The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Taking Back Sunday, Death Cab for Cutie, Parachute, and A Fine Frenzy. I like these bands because their lyrics are deep and meaningful. When I listen to them, I can tell that these lyrics are from the heart and are based on true events. Some of my favorite lyrics are "So build me up bridges, build me the moon. Tell me you love me, tell me you love me soon," by Charlotte Sometimes. Recently, these lyrics have been more relatable to my lifestyle. These bands and music style have influenced my life in many ways. As I progress throughout life, I predict that these musical tastes and opinions will change. However, at the present moment, these bands and songs help to get me through the seemingly silent days.

Reality is Real

Over the past several years, reality shows have been sweeping the pop culture scene. Shows consist of everything from to modeling competitions to true life counseling shows. In my opinion, many of these shows are quite helpful. They show real-life people with real-life struggles. People can relate to others' problems and ways of thinking. This helps encourage others to know that there is hope and help for fixing their problems. Some of these types of television shows can be quite shallow, but many can be useful. Shows such as Dr. Phil and The Doctors can be helpful in treating and discovering health and family problems. People like to see people that they can relate to so seeing families on Dr. Phil helps encourage others to reach out. Also, shows like Oprah and The Tyra Show shed light on common issues of today and help people to overcome these challenges. Although many of these shows are useful, some shows are completely dispensable. Shows about partying teens and relationship drama often give false images on the way teenagers should behave. Overall though, I find reality television to be quite entertaining. I hope that these shows are around for many years to come.

Lights, Camera, Action

The movie I find to be the best is called Where the Wild Things Are. This movie is based on the book by Maurice Sendak. Although it is based on a children's book, the movie is really for all ages. Where the Wild Things Are consists of the story of a young boy with attention and anger isssues. He is caught in a world where his mother is dating new men and his sister is a teenager and is far to busy for him. The boy, Max, decides that he has had enough. Max runs away and fines a sail boat. He sails far away to a new land and meets many new beastly pals. These friends soon make him their kinga nd Max decides to stay. Everything goes well at first because Max can relate to these eccentric characters and they think he will make things better for him. Soon though, conflicts errupt whenever they discover Max really is not a king. Max makes ammends though and realizes that he needs to go back home and be part of his family again. This movie is inspirational and truly one of a kind. I highly recommend this movie for anyone with children or that can relate to not feeling like they belong.

A Canadian Wonderland

Although most people's ideal vacation consists of laying on a tranquil beach, hiking up Mount Everest, or riding the most insane roller coasters on Earth, mine is quite different. I would start my ideal journey on the back of a large brown moose. This moose would carry me all the way to a small little cabin in Manitoba, Canada. Inside would be a large pile of freshly chopped wood and next to it a scruffily young lumberjack, wearing plaid of course. He and I would make delicious pancakes together with a pitcher of smooth maple syrup. Then afterwards we would walk a few blocks to a huge mall. We of course would partake in numerous hours of shopping. Then we would go back to the cabin. We would spread out a large comforter on the roof, lay on it, and look up at the stars. The Aurora Borealis would be clearly visible. Since I am interested in astronomy, I would be able to talk for hours about the legends of the stars. After our star-gazing, I would board the moose yet again and head for the nearest hotel. Obviously I was not going to be sleeping in a smelly old cabin. The next morning, I would board a train and ride peacefully all the way back home. I would also get some delicious complimentary peanuts, and I would cherish this memory for forever.

Holiday Hooblah

Every Thanksgiving my family gets together at my great grandmother's house. Although for most people the excitement of the holiday is during Thanksgiving day, but for me and my family, it starts the day after. The day after is called "Black Friday." Every year, my family and I fight the crowds for the best deals on merchandise. Even though most people dread crowded shopping, it is my favorite way to shop. Shopping is far more thrilling when there are a lot of people to mingle with. To me it is worth it to shop on Black Friday, not only does it stimulate the economy, but also the savings are immense. No matter how old we all get and how our health fluctuates, we somehow always make it a necessity to go after Thanksgiving shopping. Hopefully, as time progresses, we will be able to keep up this tradition. In conclusion, going Black Friday shopping is a tradition I enjoy that I hope to continue.

Big City Dreams

Linton, most people have never heard of it, yet for me, it is a place I call home. As soon as you approach this town, you see sign after sign with our famous logo, "You'll Like Linton." I suppose we put these signs as almost a sort of brain washing mechanism trying to convince visitors that they will enjoy their stay here. Although Linton seems small, it is actually the largest city in the county (Greene County to be exact). The summer is when all the excitement really starts to get going. We put on our traditional Fourth of July parade which is actually the biggest in the state. This draws in many tourists. Also throughout the week of the Fourth of July, Linton's carnival comes into town. Later in the year over Labor Day weekend, Linton hosts the annual Linton Music Festival at the park. Bands from all over Indiana and the rest of the country come and perform music of all genres. It is almost like Greene County Woodstock. The people here are a different story. Unlike most big cities, Linton does not contain the same amounts of racial, cultural, and religious minorities. Many of the people here partake in a small town mindset, and almost everyone knows everyone else and their families. This can be a good thing, but can also be quite annoying. All in all, Linton is a pleasant little town for raising families,which is causing more and more expansion here every year.

Hole in Two

When I was three years old, my mother finally decided I was old enough to get my ears pierced. I had waited for this day since I could remember. My mother took me to the mall in Bloomington to a store called Claires. As much as I wanted to get my ears pierced, when it came time I started getting really nervous. All I could imagine was the scene on the movie, "The Parent Trap," when the girl gets her ears pierced with a needle and a lemon wedge. To this day I still wonder why on earth they would put that on a childrens' movie, seems like it would cause kids to never get their ears pierced. When we finally arrived at Claires, I was near tears before I even sat down in the chair. However, the clever lady who worked their told me that if I did not cry, I could pick out what color sucker I wanted. Seeing as how pink was my favorite color, and there was only one pink sucker left, I toughed it out. I held back my tears and she and another lady on another side pierced both ears at once. To my surprise it did not even hurt, and I learned not to stress myself out over something before it even happens.

A Trip to Remember

Over spring break a few years back, my mother and I had gotten into a fight. Since she was so mad at me, she sent me to stay with my grandparents as punishment. However, I absolutely love staying with my grandparents so, to me, it was not really punishment at all. My grandparents decided to take me on a small trip to the French Lick Resort and Casino. This was my first time ever going there, so I had no idea what to even expect. I knew my grandma loved to gamble so I figured that it was probably just some trashy old casino infested with retired old geezers. When I arrived though, my perception of the place was modified. The hotel was colossal with ornate detail in every square inch. The decorating was sophisticated and reminiscent of the 1920's. I marveled at the beauty and magnificence of the immaculate hotel. Over the course of the next few days, I enjoyed a luxurious life-style. I went shopping at the stores within the hotel, swam at the pool, and even went bowling inside the hotel itself! What had started out as a punishment soon transformed into one of the most memorable weeks of my life.

Little White Lies

Although I often tell many joking lies, most are not really serious. Usually I just say nothing rather than make up something obscure. I recall one particular lie that I got in serious trouble for. My younger brother was about four years old, meaning I was approximately fourteen. He was really frustrating me by asking me nonsense questions and intentionally trying to pester me. Instead of answering regularly I decided I had had enough and made up a lie. I told him that he was my least favorite brother, to which he replied that he was my only brother. However, did you think that stopped me and my quick-witted thinking? Of course it did not. I made up a fabricated story about me having little tiny little brothers that lived in our cabinets. These little cretins I told him were called "Greeeeemlins" and that he was required to say it just in that very manner. I told him that these gremlins were vicious and stealthy, but only around people they do not like. Obviously, I told him that the gremlins absolutely loathed him and that if he was mean to me they would scamper into his room and feast on his flesh in the night. This severly frightened my brother and made it so he had trouble sleeping. In the end, my parents were furious with me and I ended up getting grounded all for a simple little made up story.