There is Always 2 Sides 2 the Story

          I wrote a previous post with a more modest opinion, so I may or may not regret writing an opinion like this, but as I always like to play devil's advocate, I'll give it a try anyways! Recently there have been incidents where police officers have killed or beaten innocent people for no apparent reason. I'm going to keep this as simple as possible. There is always a reason. Whether it be obvious or not, whether is be conscience or subconscious, it may even be the stupidest reason in the world, but there is always a reason. I'm nothing near a police officer which makes me wonder how they handle the pressure and fear of their jobs. I feel as if, back in the day, being a police officer was about helping an elderly lady cross the road or getting a cat out of a tree. It was more about simply being a good citizen, and to be frank, it was somewhat romanticized. Now an officer's job seems to go from 0 to 100km/h in 10 seconds flat; find the serial killer, jump from buildings, make your car fly... it's been distorted by the media to look easy, cool, and even enjoyable. What I'm trying to say is that from the officer's point of view, it's a scary job. I don't condone what has happened or having officers shoot people just because they're scared, but to be brutally honest, everyone, when it comes to safety and life, are just watching out for themselves at the end of the day. When it comes down to it, we all just want to make it home every night. When we cross a street, we look both ways. When we drive, we wear seat belts. We just want to be alive and well.

Operation Train Insane or Remain the Same

          If you've been watching TV lately, you've probably seen multiple number of innocent people shot down or beaten to death by apparently well trained police officers. Many people have very passionate opinions about these incidents where as I for some reason really don't. I'm glad I am behind a screen because if I had said that in front of anyone, I'd probably be beaten to death myself. It's not that I don't care, because I do. My heart goes out to the people that have lost a son or daughter, brother or sister, or a friend in these incidents. It is bothersome that a force that is supposed to protect and help people is doing the exact opposite.

         
          So, for the sake of arguing, I will throw in the already-burning-fire is that the way police officers are trained should be revised. Whatever old dusty pamphlet is being used needs be thrown in this fire too, because obviously it has same major mistakes. Not only does the way officers are trained need to be revised, but how much leeway is given by the 'trainer' needs to be set strict. If an officer doesn't meet regulations or standards, he or she should not be in the field until they do meet the appropriate expectations.

School vs. Education

           Samuel Langhorne Clemens also known by his pen name, Mark Twain was born November 30, 1835 and passed away April 21, 1910. He was an American an author as well as a humorist. He wrote the American classics, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

“Don't let schooling interfere with your education.”

~Mark Twain

Seeing as school and education are playing a big part in my future right now, I thought this quote would be appropriate. With filling in university applications, and choosing programs, it's a busy time of year that makes me question the influence of school and education on my future. The quote itself resonates with me because often school and education get put together when in reality they are very different. People assume you need school to have an education. School is a building, an institution, somewhere you go.  Education is something you can attain. You can’t go to education. You can get an education. I don’t always particularly like going to school, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want an education. I love to learn, I really genuinely love to learn. When I make mistakes, I want to clarify the problem and learn how to do it correctly. The thing that a lot of people don’t realize is that you don’t have to be in a school setting to be smart or gain an education.  A teacher can teach a class in the middle of a field if they have to. Their knowledge or education does not leave their mind if they are not in a classroom. School is not the factor that determines your overall education. The education you gain doesn’t leave you when you exit a school. It’s not like you leave your brain at school and put it back on every morning when you arrive; it stays with you, follows you around. Another point that I want to try to get across is that rather than school determining how much education or knowledge one has, sometimes curiousity is what can determine it. If you’re curious about something or simply have a general curiousity, you’ll push yourself to learn and find opportunities. Again, one does not have to be in a school setting to be curious.

Check this video out, it’s in the form of spoken word!

 



Why only 2 minutes of silence?

A Pittance of Time

by Terry Kelly

 

They fought and some died for their homeland.
They fought and some died, now it's our land.
Look at his little child; there's no fear in her eyes.
Could he not show respect for other dads who have died?

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It's a pittance of time,
For the boys and the girls who went over.
In peace may they rest, may we never
Forget why they died.
It's a pittance of time.

God forgive me for wanting to strike him.
Give me strength so as not to be like him.
My heart pounds in my breast, fingers pressed to my lips,
My throat wants to fall out, my tongue barely resists.

But two minutes I will bide.
It's a pittance of time,
For the boys and the girls who went over.
In peace may they rest.
May we never forget why they died.
It's a pittance of time.

Read the letters and poems of the heroes at home.
They have casualties, battles, and fears of their own.
There's a price to be paid if you go, if you stay.
Freedom's fought for and won in numerous ways.

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It's a pittance of time,
For the boys and the girls all over.
May we never forget, our young become vets.
At the end of the line,
It's a pittance of time.

It takes courage to fight in your own war.
It takes courage to fight someone else's war.
Our peacekeepers tell of their own living hell.
They bring hope to foreign lands that hate mongers can't kill.

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It's a pittance of time,
For the boys and the girls who go over.
In peacetime our best still don battle dress
And lay their lives on the line.
It's a pittance of time

In peace may they rest,
Lest we forget why they died,
Take a pittance of time.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kX_3y3u5Uo

 

        One post just was not enough in respect to Remembrance Day, so I decided to write another one. As I kept re-reading my first post, I realized there was more I wanted to address. When I began thinking of how I wanted to start this second post, I remembered this song I had heard once, the one above, A Pittance of Time. After listening to the song and watching the video, I went to talk to my dad, which I usually do not do voluntarily. I simply asked him, "On Remembrance Day, did you stop working at 11 o'clock?" He responded, "No we didn't, we should have, but we didn't." I wasn't surprised that he and his coworkers hadn't stopped, they work in construction. Of course that’s not really an excuse, but I understood why they kept working in some layering of reasoning. What I was surprised with though, was that my dad didn't actually give me that excuse, he just simply owned up to the fact that he and his coworkers kept working through those two minutes. I thought he would have brushed it off, accuse me of such an "obscure" idea. "Why would we ever stop working?" I thought he would say. Despite the fact that I was impressed, the anecdote I explained to you, further highlights the message in the song. It is only two minutes, it is a pittance of time; two minutes for a whole war our brave soldiers fought, for a lifetime of damage and suffering for the families of soldier that couldn't take the pain any longer. We are to stop at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, for just two minutes, that's it, and some of us can't even do that.



Why do we stop wearing poppies?

         When the months finally transition into November, a sea of crisp red poppies flood the stores, gas stations and coffee shops as they shop, fill their cars and chat with friends. As the sun shines through eye lids on the morning of November 12th, poppies are rapidly picked off jackets, sweaters and scarves. If there is such a grand concern with the lives of soldiers and veterans after trudging through war, why do we wear poppies for only a few days? Well that’s because November 11^th  signifies the end of the war! That’s right, but what everyone is worried about, is life after the war, not during or at the end. That's a whole lifetime after war. The poppy is something the raises awareness of the wars, the brave soldiers, and the personal and political battles they courageously fought. So why do we appear to stop caring after November 11^th ? We wear poppies as a sign of respect, but if we take them off right after Remembrance Day, doesn’t that imply we stop respecting our soldiers? What, are we too busy to keep something pinned on our jacket? I mean no disrespect what so ever, it was just an opinion, a point of view that I wanted to try to shine some light on. Please correct me if I am wrong or missed something when formulating my views and opinions.

Check out this short article, I found it to be very interesting and eye opening.

        http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/11/09/remembrance-day-poppies_n_1084137.html

Halloween, Christmas, whatever... I like decorations!

Despite the fact that I didn't get a chance to embellish anything this year, Halloween is all about the decorations for me! Every Halloween, there is a family on my street that plasters every exterior surface of their house in decorations... and it's amazing! I really liked their decor style this particular year. Instead of their usually haunted house theme, the owners went for something more cheery. At their front door, were beautiful pumpkins that made pumpkin carving look like a legitimate art form. The roof edges were piped with orange, green, and purple lights. The front yard was transformed into a cute pumpkin patch and cornfield, compete with miniature hay barrels, a Wizard of Oz inspired scare crow and piles of gold and auburn leaves. Trees were draped in cotton and string made spider webs, sprinkled with glittered black crows. Around the perimeter of the property, they owners installed vintage brass fencing and dangled additional lights. On the driveway was a tent, made to look like a classic red barn. Inside were multitudes of costumes to choose from and try on if you chose to take a picture in a photo booth that was set up. If you didn't want to dress up, they provided a more causal backdrop in front of their other garage with a sign that read, "How tall are you this fall?" With permission from a parent or proof of legal age, the family invited kids to make their own candy apples to take home. The home's front windows were stickered with fun animated Halloween characters such as laughing ghosts and jack-o'-lanterns. On the roof they played out a funny scene having the feet of a witch stick out from the chimney. The overall decor was nice and cheery as I said before, and I personally adored it, but it was an interesting contrast between holidays. Typically Christmas is when people haul out lights and have Santa stuck in the chimney. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the decor.

In Words Not So Poetic

What is Poetry?

        Poetry is either really difficult or really easy, there is no in between.  When I say poetry, I mean, everything there is to do with poetry. It is either easy or difficult to read. It is either easy or difficult to write. It is either easy or difficult to understand, to translate, to interpret, to teach, to edit, or to like. I specifically said, “or” rather than, “and”, because even though I believe there is no in between of poetry being either easy or difficult, a person can strive in one aspect of poetry such as writing, but struggle with a different aspect such as understanding them.  This is not to say, that a person can’t get better at writing or reading poems, or gain more of an affinity towards poetry, but from when a person is first exposed to poetry, it is either loved or hated, either easy or difficult.

What have I learned from writing poetry?
        I’ve learned a lot writing poetry, and still have lot more to discover, but the number one thing I’ve learned, through writing poetry, is that the process is like water, and in more than one way.  Water takes the shape of whatever it is poured into. More often than not, when I write a poem, it starts as having one message, but as I think about it more, it morphs and takes different shapes to how I am thinking, and I end up with a completely different message than I originally planned. Water can be in different states; frozen solid or liquefied, but it is still just water, H₂O. The same poem can be interrupted in different ways, by different people, but it is still the same poem.  

A Poem About Poetry: I'm sure it's been done before...

Poetry?

It is not a simple thing, poetry

It occupies more than a singular definition

The poetic experience is complex indeed

 

The words have to flow like smooth steady streams

Be sure the words fit together like intricate puzzle pieces

Spelling has to be perfect like the foundation of a house

Oh, and grammar, don't forget about that

 

The thoughts you have are sometimes scary

The ideas often come too quickly

Emotions get poured onto pages

With feeling that have boiled for ages

 

There's no need to rhyme

But sometimes I try

I'm not always successful

It gets to be stressful

 

Once you're finished writing

If you are oh so lucky

Sharing becomes an opportunity

Gaining insight becomes an experience

 

Twist and Risk

        There’s always the task of finding the right balance between, meeting requirements and doing what you want, especially in writing! In one of my previous posts, Listen then Talk, I explained, “If you don’t want to do something then, most likely, you won’t.” This logic applies here. If you’re not interested in something, you won’t want to do it, therefore it won’t get done. From personal experience, the solution to both, making sure that you like what you’re doing and still meeting the expectations of your teacher, is to take a bit of a risk. Make sure that you stay interested in finishing your assignment by putting your one personal twist on it. Don’t be afraid to be a little different from everyone else in the way your assignment is complete. Pay attention to small details even if they may seem unimportant. Meet the requirements, but in an atypical way. I’m not saying this is a fool proof plan, but most teachers appreciate when students go above-and-beyond mediocre expectations or try to think outside of the box.

Writers are actors with stage fright….

          Truman Capote was an American author, screenwriter and play writer. He was born on September 30, 1924 and passed away on August 25, 1984. As he chased his fame in later years, he struggled with a drug addiction. He is noted for his works, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a novella or novelette that was published in 1958 and his book, In Cold Blood, which was published in 1966.

“You can't blame a writer for what the characters say.”
― Truman Capote 

          I have searched through countless quotes to find the one above.  I have saved countless quotes in hopes to discuss them at a later date. I have read countless quotes that shed light on forgotten truths.  Most importantly, I have related to countless quotes; that’s why it was so difficult to commit to just one. When it comes to writing, there are endless things I could relate to. In solving my problem, I decided to stop scavenging for something perfect and infinite that would capture the essence of all those topics. Rather, something that related to just one singular subject.  “You can't blame a writer for what the characters say.” As a writer, or someone who enjoys writing, I should say, if I am ever writing dialogue for a character or developing the characters morals and opinions through how he or she thinks, reacts to, and perceives things, I find myself struggling to find a line where something may be taken the wrong way, whether it be racially, spiritually, religiously, etc. As time went on with this struggle, I realized that a given character and I as the writer are two separate people. As crazy as that may sound, I do believe that there is a truth to that. Think about it like this; an actor is a separate person from the character he or she is playing, yet I always feel as if I’ll be accused wrongfully for writing something that’s actually coming from a character. Of course I write what the character says, but that doesn’t mean I think and believe as the character does, it means I want the character to sound realistic and authentic. Just as an actor has to get in the mindset of their character to look and sound the part, as does a writer.  In a way, a writer has to be an actor. You can't blame a writer for what a character says, because it's not the writer saying it.

It's About Graditude

Dear Elliot,

          I was asked to write a note of gratitude to someone that has had influence on my life, so I chose you. You'll probably argue that it's the other way around; that I've had more influence on you, because that's just the way you are. You're nice and you're generous and you underestimate the effects you have on people. You have no idea how much you've influenced me. I'm not one to share my problems very openly, but whenever I am willing to share, you drop everything and just listen. You have always supported me and pushed me to do my best. I rely on you more than I'd like to admit, but you know what? I'm alright with that because I know with you, I have a solid shoulder to lean on. You've helped me through so much and I can't thank you enough! I could go on for pages, but I'll save that for when I get a chance to talk to you in person. I hope I'm at least as half of a good friend to you, as you are to me.

          Your friend, Nadia

Banning Writing: Why bother?

          While searching on YouTube, I stumbled upon a simple video about how banning books is unethical and unnecessary.  I wanted to comment on this issue because I generally agree with the message in the video. I say, “Generally” because in certain circumstances, I feel as there should be a line left uncrossed. As humans, we have general and mutual morals and ways of nature. Such as, if something bad is going to happen, we try to prevent it, or if something good is going to happen, we let it be. So if a book that is known to a wide public audience with a capturing and persuasive negative message, I feel as there should be some filtration of that book. Whether it be that it gets banned or copies stop being printed, there should be something put in place. For example, if there is a book out there that is sending a message to all Catholics, to go out and harm all Jews, and manages to actually persuade people to do so, it should be filtered out in some way as I said previously. This example now brings me to my next point.

          Being a writer is about sharing a message or opinion, and being a reader, should be about deciding whether you agree or not.  So if a writer's opinion, happens to be that one religion is better than another,  it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to agree with it or have the writers written thought, be shunned.  It is not the writers’ job to create something that everyone agrees with.  Now some may argue that there are different forms of writing, like being a journalist or writing about research, which then makes being a writer about how informative and correct he or she is. Well, what I have to say about that is, on a grand scale, everything has a biased influence or point of view. It will always lean towards one side verses another and from there, everyone also has a slightly different opinion; no two people will ever feel exactly the same about a given topic. I will repeat; everything has a biased influence. Even in science, there are biases. Whether it be, actual human opinion on research that has been collected or human error in the collected research, there is a form of biases, which also affects everyone else’s outlook. Also, in journalism, although it may be an informative means in media, most articles that are read, don’t share every detail of what actually happen, therefore it is biased.

          I have one last thought I’d like to share. First I want you as reader, to stop and just think. Now, think about what you’ve read, here, in the past, all of it. All of it, exactly, all of “it”; as in what you’ve read, has an opinion. I mean, again, stop and think, would you really have read it, if it didn’t. Could you imagine how boring would it be to read something, everything, if it didn’t have an opinion. Like I said before, isn’t that point, the relationship between writer and reader. It wouldn’t be any fun if you couldn’t agree or disagree.

Listen then Talk

        It was suggested recently, that I watch a TED talk titled, “Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit.”  As I was listening to what was said in the video, I came up with the following list of things that caught my attention and that I would like to talk about a little more.

 1.     The key to success is grit.

        I think this statement is true. You have to have grit, motivation to succeed, or to even want to try to succeed. If you don’t want to do something then, most likely, you won’t. It’ll just be left undone. You can have everything going for you, but if you don’t have the motivation to do it, it simply won’t happen, or at least it won’t be done as well as if you were motivated to do whatever it is you want to do. In the case of this video it was learning, which is something, that I think a fair amount of people struggle with from time to time.

2.     Talented doesn’t mean successful.
        This is another statement that was said in the video, which I also happen to agree with. As I said before in my last point, “you can have everything going for you” but that doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. You can be good at something, you can be good at multiple things, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be successful. You can be a good player and still lose the game. You can be good at anything, but it doesn’t mean you want to pursue it, or keep up with it. Personally for me, it’s the thought that if I’d try, I’d be good at it , and if I kept doing it, I’d have some overall, lasting success.

Who am I? Beyond my name and age?

        So what is there to know beyond my name and age? Who am I and what am I about?   Frankly, I’m about the arts; I like a wide variety of the arts and have had a lot of experience with different art forms! I’m about the visual arts, painting, drawing, sketching, sculpting, etc. I say, “I’m about the (insert type of art here)” because not only do I like the art form that I’ve named, but I’ve also experienced it. I’ve either taken a class, or I’ve been part of some sort of project or production that I’ve used it in.  I’m about media arts, photography, editing, advertising. I’m also about the art of music/preforming arts such as singing and playing instruments. I’m about the language arts; the writing, reading, editing, listening and learning about different languages. The last two art forms I’m about are the culinary arts, baking, sculpting, decorating, and in the art of fashion, designing, sewing, creating.  Some other arts that I like, but don’t necessarily participate in, are the preforming arts of acting or dance for example.

Who am I? Wait, you want me to introduce myself?

         First off, good luck to me because as simple as one may think it is to introduce themselves, I feel as it can be a daunting task. First impressions sometimes like to last longer than you’d like and I don’t really know how to put into words anything other than the typical introduction of name, age and where I may go to school. For example, my name is Nadia, I’m sixteen, soon to be seventeen and I’m a grade twelve student. Wait, let me reread that! I think I just got the typical introduction I was talking about, out of the way, yes? Well, we’re going to say I did!