Tuesday Journals
Where I Stand
I am a miracle child who lives every day to its full potential. When my mother was pregnant with me, I was not supposed to live past birth for multiple reasons. The doctors said it would be best to abort me, but my parents could not make that decision and live the rest of their live wondering “What if?” Instead, they trusted in the Lord and He provided. I am fifteen years old and still living strong. I am a reliable and great friend to others around me. Whenever anyone needs help, I always try to be there for them anyway I can be. I am in marching band and I am one of sixteen saxophone players. It can get very loud in the saxophone section very quickly. I am the “timekeeper” in third period gifted english and I notify the teacher when there is five minutes left of class. I am a quiet person who has a very sociable older brother named Jacob. He and I look and act nothing alike.
I like to eat food. All my life, I have liked to eat. Even if I was not hungry. Due to this eating lifestyle, I was pretty fat my whole life. One week before starting ninth grade at McIntosh High School, I joined Weight Watchers. Since then, I have lost thirty four pounds. I like to play the saxophone in band and in The Spirit of McIntosh Marching Band. When I am not playing my saxophone, I like hanging out with my friends. I like driving the golf cart everywhere in Peachtree City, especially to school. It is very nice not depended on someone else to take you home every day. I like to watch television and to go on walks. I like listening to all sorts of music, but not rock.
I believe that anything is possible. I have a condition called arthrogryposis, which causes me to find different ways to do things. An example of this is walking. I was never supposed to walk or run, but after many months of physical therapy, I was able to. Not only was this a miracle from God, but it also proves that nothing is impossible. Audrey Hepburn once said,“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!” With this kind of mindset, I believe that you can conquer any obstacle that life throws at you. Whether it is figuring out how to fly, walk, or speak a different language, it is all possible.
I am tired of hearing about high school drama. Everyone knows most of it is made up anyway. Even If it is not made up, whoever is telling it to you is twisting it so that it sounds better coming from them than anyone else, so it might as well be fake. Plus, who cares if Sally went to Sprouts to get some coconut water? It is just a drink, not a story. High school drama usually stirs up even more drama when it is told. It is a domino effect, except the dominoes get bigger as they tip over. Telling someone about drama is like playing the game “Telephone.” You tell one person “John got an 89 on his essay,” and then a few days later, someone tells you “John bullied someone into writing his essay for him.” It happens all the time where people change the story into something totally different.
I do not care for seafood. The smell makes me gag and the sight of it disgusts me. Even if I plug my nose, I still cannot swallow it. I do not care for school even though people always say that school is something to be thankful for. School is important, yes, but it doesn't appeal to me. I like meeting people at school and becoming friends with them. I am even a relatively good student overall. I really do not care for rock music. It is always too loud and in your face and you can barely understand what the singers are singing about. I am very thankful I did not grow up in a time when rock music was popular. I do not care for political boundaries. I think that people should vote based on the facts, not which party they reside with.
I am in favor of schools cooking real food for lunch instead of store bought, frozen chicken nuggets. People keep wanting to improve the healthiness of school lunch, but having all of this frozen junk is not helping at all. Schools need to use the cafeterias that they were provided to cook food, not heat it up in an over-sized microwave. I am in favor of taking school field trips to the beach. Every student and teacher needs a time to relax by the ocean and enjoy the Sun. These field trips would take a lot of stress off of teachers and students which, in turn, would help students do better in school. I am also strongly in favor of the Lord. He has done so much for me and I love Him with my all. Without Him, I would not be where I am today. This is where I stand.
Teen versus Toddler
Whether there is a cranky teenager or a whiny toddler in the room, some might ask: “How can one tell the difference between them?” In terms of toddlers, they have no independence; they must remain in the care of their parents constantly. In contrast, teenagers have more freedom and do not rely on their parents as much. While both can be moody, they display their emotions in different ways. Furthermore, teenagers and toddlers have similar aspects such as exhibiting rebellious behavior, but displaying it in their own way. These two groups have many differences, but also share several commonalities.
To begin, toddlers have little to no independence or freedom. Every day, their parents must feed, entertain, and change dirty diapers for them. They also rely on their parents to take them everywhere. During the toddler years, the child has no choice on what they get to do because their parents are constantly dragging them along to run errands. Teenagers, on the other hand, are less dependent on their parents and can get around and do stuff for themselves. Teenagers also have more freedom than toddlers because of their maturity level. As age progresses, so does maturity. In toddlers, the maturity level is often low. Due to this, they are limited on what they can do. Once a teenager has reached a level of maturity that their parents will accept, they can stay out late with friends and even drive golf carts by themselves. At this point in their life, teenagers do not have to rely solely on their parents, while toddlers do.
While both toddlers and teenagers can be moody, they display their emotions in different ways. Everybody gets moody, but it is most noticeable in toddlers and teenagers. Taking a pacifier from a toddler is like taking a cell phone away from a teenager. They will both become angry and begin to express that anger towards others. In a toddler, this anger is almost always displayed by crying, whining, and throwing stuff. It can be difficult for a parent to calm them down, but a common strategy is to use a distraction to help the toddler refocus. In a teenager however, once their phone is gone, they will yell, storm off, and slam their bedroom door. After that, they might even give the parent the “silent treatment.” While toddlers and teenagers handle their emotions differently, they are both difficult to manage.
Finally, teenagers and toddlers both exhibit rebellious behavior. When telling a toddler not to do something, they will always try to test authority. For example, when a parent is cooking dinner, they might tell their toddler not to touch the stove because it is hot. Even though this is said, the toddler will test the parent and touch the hot stove anyway. Because the toddler did not listen to their parent, they burn their hand. Only then, when pain is introduced, will they listen to the parent’s orders. When a teenager is told they cannot do something, they usually will do it out of spite for their parents. An example of this is if a parent tells a teenager that he/she cannot drive the golf cart, but the teenager drives anyway. Instead of learning from their mistakes, they continue to rebel and get into worse trouble.
In conclusion, toddlers and teenagers have many differences, but also share several commonalities. While a toddler may have less freedom, they learn quickly and become obedient. On the other hand, teenagers have more freedom, but are more rebellious and cause much more trouble. Whether there is a cranky teenager or a whiny toddler in the room, there are always ways to tell them apart. Toddlers and teenagers are similar in many ways, but also have distinct differences such as their actions, emotions, and how they handle day-to-day situations.
Creation Myths
Since the beginning of human life, creation myths have been a staple in every society. For many years, people have pondered on these creation myths wondering if there was some truth to them. Two myths people have pondered over is the Iroquois myth titled “The World on the Turtle’s Back” and the Kono people’s myth titled “Death, and Life and Death.” In “The World on the Turtle’s Back,” the beginning starts with nothing. No world, land, or present-day creatures. The Kono myth also starts with the beginning being nothing. No matter or light existed. In addition, both the Iroquois and Kono believe that the world was created by a spiritual being. On the contrary, the Iroquois myth relates darkness to malady, while the Kono do not worry about color.
In the beginning, there was nothing. Both the Iroquois and Kono people believe this. In “The World on the Turtle’s Back,” the world began by being nonexistent. The Iroquois myth explains that “In the beginning there was no world, no land, no creatures of the kind that are around us now, and there were no men” (Iroquois 1). The beginning of the world, through the eyes of the Iroquois, started with no world. There was no land or present-day creatures. Similarly, the Kono myth also begins with nonbeing. The myth states: “In the beginning there was nothing: neither matter nor light existed” (Kono 1). Because there was no matter or light, the beginning began as an empty void. As many creation myths do, “The World on the Turtle’s Back” and “Death, and Life and Death” begin with nothingness.
Furthermore, these two myths inform readers that after there was nonexistence, there was a spiritual being who created the world. In the Kono myth, it says “[...] Death, whose name is Sa [...] Sa eventually used his magical powers to create a vast sea of mud” (Kono 1). Sa was Death and he created a world for his wife and daughter to live in. The first thing created, according to the Kono people, was a sea of mud. In like manner, “The World on the Turtle’s Back” was created by the “Grandmother,” a goddess who fell into the world below. In the Iroquois myth, the goddess “[...] took the tiny clod of dirt and placed it on the middle of the great sea turtle’s back. Then the woman began to walk in a circle around it, moving in the direction that the sun goes. The earth began to grow” (Iroquois 1). Although the goddess had to work in order for the earth to grow, she caused it to grow. In both myths, a spiritual being created the planet. Later in the Iroquois myth, the goddess creates plants: “When the earth was big enough, she planted the roots she had clutched between her fingers when she fell from the Sky World. Thus the plants grew on the earth” (Iroquois 1). After the woman created the earth, she continued further and grew plants on the newly made earth. This differs from the Kono myth due to the fact that in the Kono myth, the plants were created by another god; they were not made by the same god. In “The World on the Turtle’s Back,” the plants were created by Alatangana: “[...] Alatangana first consolidated the mud into solid earth. [...] he made the plants to cover the new earth [...]” (Kono 2). Alatangana did not create the original mud that was the start of creation. The god only made the mud into dry earth and then put plants on it. In this myth, it took two gods to make the world. In contrast, the Iroquois myth only took one goddess.
Although the Iroquois view darkness as malady, the Kono people see darkness no different than light. In the Iroquois myth, darkness is referred to as “[...] the devious one, the one covered with boils. [...] He is stubborn. He is thought of as being dark in color” (Iroquois 3). Darkness is described as being “covered with boils,” which is to have spots all over the skin of the body. Darkness is also related to being stubborn and devious. No person would want to be “dark” because if they are, they presume that they will be diseased, devious, and stubborn. On the contrary, in “Death, and Life and Death,” it says “[Alatangana and his wife] They had fourteen children. Seven were girls and seven were boys, and each four had light skin and three had dark. This did not distress Alatangana [...]” (Kono 4). Even though six of his children had dark skin, it did not matter to Alatangana. He and his wife did not see any difference between their light and dark skinned children. All in all, darkness exists in both myths, but it is perceived in opposite ways.
In conclusion, “The World on the Turtle’s Back” and “Death, and Life and Death” begin similarly, but as their stories progress, their views oppose each other. In the beginning, the world started as nothing; they both agree on this. As creation continues, the world was created in different ways. Lastly, their view of darkness opposes the other’s. Since the beginning of human life, creation myths have been a staple in every society. For many years, people have pondered on these creation myths wondering if there was some truth to them. People have told many creation myths; even though they share many commonalities, their core beliefs are different.
Works Cited
Iroquois. “The World on the Turtle’s Back.” Creation Stories from around the World, Fourth Edition, University of Georgia, July 2000, Online.
Ulli Beier, 1966, The Origin of Life and DeathÐAfrican Creation Myths: London, Heinemann Educational Books Ltd., 65 p. (GR355.B4). Rpt. in Creation Stories from around the World, Fourth Edition, University of Georgia, July 2000, Online.
The Maker: Thematic Analysis
In the video “The Maker,” Zealous Creative explains how the bunnies were made. In this video, the male bunny must figure out how to make the female bunny before the hourglass runs out. Throughout “The Maker,” the male bunny tries many times to bring the female to life, but nothing seemed to work. After many attempts, music was the only thing that could bring her to life. Zealous Creative uses music to symbolizes a life giving trait. Not only is the music what brings her to life, it also is a part of her very existence. Music tends to bring joy to it’s listeners, just as in “The Maker.” Music is constantly seen throughout the video in different forms representing the essence of life.
According to “The Maker,” music is a life giving trait. After multiple failed attempts to bring the female bunny to life, the male succeeds by playing a certain song. So often in life, music metaphorically brings the life back into people. Throughout life, music is very impressionable. It can be used mold emotions, keep focus, and bring out the creativity in an individual. In the video, the music brought joy to the male and life to the female. Just as music brings life, it also brings death. At the end of the video, the music stops playing and the male bunny disappears into nothingness. The end of the song marked the end of the male bunny’s life. In life, the end of a song marks the end of an event. While Zealous Creative uses music to represent a life giving trait, it also uses it to represent the death of the male bunny.
In continuation, “The Maker” displays music on the bunnies themselves. On their forehead, the bunnies each have the mark of a violin. From a violin, music is made. By having the mark of a violin on their heads, it symbolizes the importance of music in the bunnies’ lives. As discussed earlier, music brings life. Because the bunnies create music, they therefore create life. Furthermore, music surrounds the bunnies in their workshop. Each scene from “The Maker” has multiple forms of music. During the creation scenes, music is always playing in the background. It is also displayed in their written language. The symbols used in their alphabet are a derivative of a musical symbol. This language is presented in the book, on the shelves, and on the sheet music. Zealous Creative expresses the fact that music is the very essence of life by adding music of different forms into almost every scene of the video.
In conclusion, music represents the essence of life. In “The Maker,” music brings joy and life to the two bunnies. This is evident when the male bunny tried to show her a movie, read to her, and teach her the language of music. It was not until she heard the music that she came alive. It is also a part of their bodies and represented all around them in different forms. Without music, the bunnies would not be able to create or live; the cycle of creation would not continue. Music keeps life in balance and when the song ends, so will the bunnies.