Moments. Blog Week 6!

When I think of an important moment in my writing experience, I think of the first fictional story I ever wrote which was when I was in 7th grade. I had no idea how to write something like this and I just remember sitting in my computer room in our old house and having my mom sitting next to me. I had all of my ideas but I didn’t know how to put them together so she provided me with some assistance. Once I got started though, I was on a roll. It was a story about a little girl named Baylee and she was missing her dad around Christmas time because he was off to war and he couldn’t come home. Then he shows up at their Christmas Eve service at Church. It was a really short story but my teacher loved it. I remember that I included a very large amount of detail and that really made the story come to life. I wrote about the smells of the church with the candles burning and the sound of Baylee’s father’s shoes as they clicked against the floor when he walked in the church. I went through a couple revisions but my teacher was very helpful. The focus for this was not so much on the topic but on the form of the paper and the grammar. This is very different compared to my writing now. I understand how to form the grammar and sentence structure but instead I aim my attention so much more on what I am writing about. For my first short story, this was a great experience. I know that after this, writing became something that I loved and was encouraged to do. It wasn’t a bother but more something that I could express myself in. I really owe it to my 7th grade English teacher to opening this door for me.

Creationism vs. Evolution Week 5!

I know this is a topic that so many people disagree over so I thought to myself as I was thinking of things to write about this week that this would be a good topic to discuss with others in the class. In my personal opinion, I think that if teachers can teach evolution that they should teach creationism as well. They are both faith positions and I think that if one is taught, then the other should be or even that neither should be taught. I don’t believe in evolution but rather I believe in creationism and that God created all living things in seven days. At my high school, many of my science teachers thought the whole evolution thing was not right so they didn’t really touch on it very much or at all. Some just made the comment that they weren’t going to teach that so they moved onto something else. To me, when I see how all organisms are made and how everything works so perfectly, it shows me God’s design of things which is amazing and perfect. I think that creationism helps us to understand how everything is under His authority. I just don’t think that these things happened by chance and that we evolved. We are each made special and with a purpose. To think that we have descended from a monkey totally denies the specialness of humanity and how we were created in the image of God. We are simply...apes with less hair. I was taught as a child that I was made in God’s image and I believe that He has the power to make everything and that He made humans. I know that religion is separated from school but I guess that I think scientific creationism is a legitimate science and I don’t know what it would hurt if it was also covered in schools.

Temperament or Character. Week #4!

My writing process reflects me totally and completely. When I think about how I write , what I write about, and my process of writing, I can say that how I am feeling and the way that I act is displayed throughout. My friends have read some of my work and many times they comment and say, "That sounds so much like you." I usually respond with, "That's because I wrote it!" :) For example, last year I wrote a short fictional story called Life is a Gift in my Creative Writing class. This really helped me to put myself and my voice into my writing. When my teacher finished reading it, she told me that she could see me and hear me writing that paper. “I breathe a sigh of relief and thank God. I take Lily out of there and on the drive home I explain to her what happened to me and my mother.” -Life is a Gift. By the style that I wrote and through how I went about writing it, my opinions and character were expressed. I have a "hurry and get things done" temperament mixed with a "go with the flow" temperament. Many times when I write, I hurry to get the writing done and I usually just let my fingers go to see what I can come up with. I let my mind flow. This comes out in what I am writing about as well. I write how I feel and I feel what I write. They are very interchangeable for me personally. Since writing is something that I love to do, I hope that those who read what I write can see that.

Should parents be able to choose the gender or genetics of a child? Blog 3

Should a mother and father be allowed to go to somewhere and pick out the gender or genetics of their future child? In my eyes, I don't think so. I have been raised that everything happens for a reason and that a couple will have the child they are supposed to have. I believe that choosing the gender or even genetics of a baby are a way for humans to try to play the role of God. I think that they need to allow nature to take its course. I mean, what is the excitement of having a child when you know exactly what it is going to be and how it's going to act.

This reminds me of the book and movie, "My Sister's Keeper." This was about a couple who had a little girl diagnosed with Leukemia at 2 years old and the best way to get a donor was to find an exact match in the family. It just so happened that her older brother was not a match so the mother and father decided that they should design their next daughter to be a perfect match to save their other daughter. I did not agree with this. I though it was unfair to the designed daughter to be put in the position that she was made to save her sister. It sounds like her parents only wanted her to save their other daughter. I know I would not want to have been designed and picked out to be the perfect child.

So many people think that this set-up of being able to design their children is so wonderful. I just think that messes with something that should not be messed with. I also don't know why people just can't be happy with what they have. Some moms and dads can't even have children in the first place and to me, this is just selfish and picky. We don't always get what we want but we should be thankful for what we have.

Fiesta del Rio! Cultural Opportunity #2!!

It was time to dance last night at the Fiesta del Rio on Peoria's Riverfront! I was invited by my friend last night to go out Salsa dancing with a group out on the Riverfront. I went with my boyfriend, Justin Hagan, since we are both taking Ballroom dancing lessons. We know how to Waltz, Foxtrot, Swing, Rumba, Tango, and Samba... but we had no clue how to Salsa. We thought we might learn or attempt for the cultural experience. We waited for a while until the live Mexican/Latino Band was ready and they spoke in Spanish and some English so it was a little confusing to figure out what kind of song they were going to play. We had to guess and follow what everyone around us was doing. The first dance was one that Justin and I did not know. Thankfully we were surrounded by our friends who actually had a clue so we followed them and it was very interesting. We figured out how to do some of these steps by watching and it was funny at first! In between songs, the speakers would announce the next song and type of dance. I know that there was a lot of Salsa which was good for Justin and I. Honestly, to dance to this, as long as you know your few basic steps, the rest you can make up and it looks awesome! As we danced, since the style is so smooth, it felt like we were floating. I also got the courage to go up on stage with all my friends and we danced with a really good Latino dancer. Oh man.... we looked so bad and uncoordinated compared to her. It came so natural to her because of her culture and since she was taught how to do this as such a young age. It was amazing! I have danced all my life but to try all these new kinds of dances and experience a culture like this was so eye-opening! I had an amazing time and I am so thankful I was able to go and have fun doing something new! :)

Here are a few pictures!!

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Lakeview Museum Cultural Opportunity #1

This weekend on Saturday I went to Lakeview Museum. I saw the art gallery and the Memory Exhibit. I actually needed to see the Memory Exhibit for my Psychology class and so I thought it was a great opportunity to see the art gallery at well. When I got there, I asked the receptionist what the theme of the gallery was. Her reaction was quite funny. She looked at me and said that she wasn’t sure but what she did come up with was that the collection of items that was out was all owned by Lakeview. That was the only commonality she was able to discover. I went ahead and looked around and the items I found actually caught my attention. The center piece that was in the Museum was about 5 chairs. Each of them was different and some looked more modern and others were more old-fashioned. There was 1 painting that stuck out in my mind and it was one of an astronaut. It was so lifelike and detailed. The space shuttle in the background was really neat! Another piece that was my favorite was a photograph and it was taken in a forest. The light was coming through the trees in an amazing pattern and I think what caught my attention so much was that it was black and white. Then there were a couple of paintings that were just abstract designs and those were okay. My favorite part was probably the chairs because they were something that I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t think that something as simple as a chair to be known as a piece of art. It was nice that the gallery wasn’t themed because I was able to see a variety of things. What I saw, I actually enjoyed and it was really neat to go visit and do something new!

My Kinds of Writing-Expressing Me (Case Study Week 2)

For as long as I can remember, I have been writing. I love to write and it is something that I have a passion for! In the past, I have gotten the chance to write in so many different ways whether it was for school or simply expressing myself and my views. I used to write things very formally and don’t get me wrong, formal is good but sometime something different is a good thing.

I am definitely the type of girl who lives by making a “To Do List”. I would be lost with out having something like that. Something that says: "Saturday: 1. Wake up around 9. 2. Get homework done. 3. Go to Lakeview Museum with Lauren for Memory Exhibit around 10:30. 4. Eat lunch and go to the Blend with Kaiti. 5. Work on more homework. 6. Go to Rachel's around 5:30--Girl's Night!"

Through my art I have expressed my writing because my favorite kind of art includes using letters and quotes mixed into a picture. A picture says a thousand words but to have a picture with words in a poetic form means so much more. I write a great deal of poems as well which influence my art. One poem I wrote was called Solo: "He leads my steps and the music is soft. It's not a dream anymore. It's reality...it's my life. With Him there, it's possible."

Besides writing in my artwork, I tend to write quotes on post-its and stick them everywhere. I have them in books, my journal, my Bible, and pretty much all over the house. "Life isn't about waiting for storms to pass, it's learning to dance in the rain." Facebook is another place in which I write. Through email and blog posts or even a simple text message, I write all of the time.

Each type of writing has allowed a different experience. When I need to relax and truly express my feelings, my journal is my best friend. This is where my writing gets deep and I let go. "Sometimes I feel like a screw-up... I don't set out to be like this but sometimes I focus too much on what I want, who I am, what's important to me, or what I do." My artwork conveys my inmost feelings and breakthroughs. I can write my life in a journal but I can see my life in art. My other forms of writing such as texting, emails, or Facebook, is just for communication. Then there’s the required writing in school. To me, this is for learning something. It has helped me learn how to write--not on what to write or style of writing. The style of writing is unique for every person.

Writing is something that I really love to do and it is one of my favorite ways to show the world who I am and how I feel. I can always find the kind of writing I need and I am never scared to write on what I am about.