Beauty isn't Always Recognized as it Should Be

Journal Entry: October 7, 2010

Katelyn Hardin

Beauty isn't Always Recognized as it Should Be.

With his vivid use of color and shadowing as representation of the beauty of the world around us, Dale Chihuly demonstrates how the world seems to pass by in a blur without ever truly being noticed. People live day to day life as routinely as possible without really caring about anything outside of their everyday comfort zone.

One may walk by a bush of beautiful yellow, pink, white, and red roses and not even notice anymore because everyone is always in a rush to get somewhere. If people could stop and take the time to appreciate the beauty of the world, they would see things with a new eye, and learn to appreciate the world around them even more. Life would be far more fun, and each day would be far greater. People tend to be far less stressed when they take the time to go out into the world and look at the beauty around them.

Chihuly expresses his ideas by painting the people as faint and clear, and the flowers and sky in bright beautiful colors. Beauty needs to be appreciated, taken in and thought about, and enjoyed as much as possible. If only people would take the time to enjoy nature, they would find that life is so much better than before.

Beauty is an amazing aspect of this world. If people weren't so distracted by work, money, trying to survive as well as they possibly can, they could take the time to enjoy the wonders of this amazing planet as they should.

Chihuly, Dale. "Imagine a Chihuly Exhibition at Seattle Center!" Dale Chihuly - Artist. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. <http://www.chihuly.com/>.

thINK assignment: Journey Through Life

Journey Through Life

Journal Entry: September 23, 2010

Katelyn Hardin

Journey Through Life

Life, long lasting, yet so short; full of sadness, yet extremely invigorating; through trial and error, fights, rough times and good times, life goes on. Never give up hope! Never lose the will to live! The journey through life is a rough one, but of all journeys, it is the one worth it all. All eyes, at some point during life, will be open to the beauty, the wonder, the smallest details of the world around them.



The fisherman, having reeled in an old, rough, tough, war veteran began realizing the details of the world around him. The fish, full of old fishing line, "like medals with their ribbons frayed and wavering," "didn't fight" at all. He hung there. Seeing his life finally coming to an end, the fish gave up hope, but the fisherman, he didn't. His eyes, after seeing the poor, helpless fish "breathing in the terrible oxygen," his face "sullen," were opened to the not so simplicit world around him. He admired everything, his boat, his catch, until all he saw was "rainbow, rainbow, rainbow."



He aparently felt remorse for the helpless fish, for he let it go. The fish had been through so much, and possibly, in a way, it reflected the life of the fisherman.

Bishop, Elizabeth. "The Fish." PoemHunter.Com - Thousands of Poems and Poets.. Poetry Search Engine. Web. 23 Sept. 2010. .

AP English 12.... reading response

Response to question number 13:

The pond, deep, dark, devastatingly amazing, never moving, but always on the mind, symbolizes the loss as well as the dawning of a better time. The pond reals in its prey slow and steady and as it's "clasped dead cold round" its prey, its victim morphs into something new. The pond takes "in the hideous cold element" hiding within its prisoner, and opens the eyes of its captive. The pond is like the cocoon of a measly caterpillar, which protects the insect inside and slowly allows it to transform into a beautiful butterfly.



The pond is like the lake in The Awakening by Kate Chopin. They both symbolize an escape from a world so strict your voice will never be heard. While in the lake, Edna escapes pain and heartache by finally being set free on her own to swim alone and do as she pleases. In both stories, the pond, the lake, they both represent an awakening to a new light, but they are also harmful. The lake consumes Edna, and she is finally free of all her troubles, brought down by the water she loved so much. Mabel, she is also consumed by the water. She gets lucky though, and has a saviour who comes to her rescue. In other words, the pond seems to symbolize the same thing whenever used, but it may take on different form.



As Mabel slowly walks into the midst of her death, she begins to let go, not caring that she is going to die. She tries to drownd herself. The doctor sees her and slowly wades in, he trips, he falls, but he doesn't give up. He feels for her, and when he finally finds her, he slowly carries her back to land and revives her. In the pond, Mabel is dying. The doctor himself almost drownds as well while trying to save her. He regains control though, and gets himself and Mabel back to shore safely.

Writing...

When I was younger, I used to write stories all the time. I even sent them in to competitions. I never won, but I always received a certificate saying that I had done well. Getting those certificates in the mail always made me smile. I loved being rewarded for what I had done, I felt as if I had achieved greatness!

I still write today, but I don't ever finish my stories. I have about 3000 beginnings of stories that I more than likely will never finish. I always feel like writing at the most random moments, and every time I write, I write about something different. I tend to write stories with the same emotions I am feeling at that time, and for some reason, I never feel exactly the same way again, so I can't finish my stories.

I don't like being made to write in school. Research papers are the worst, (sorry Mr. Qualls and Mrs. Huff), and essays aren't too fantastic either. I do like to write though, I just never seem to be able to finish the stories I begin.

randomness i guess

I seem to never use this blog anymore, but I though that I might use it to vent this one time. Ill see how it works. No one reads it anyway, but at least it may help

So, as a child, playing in the sandbox and swimming in the pool were the funnest times of my life. My only worry, the thought that I might get put in the "time out" chair. Remember the "time out" chair? I spent a fair part of my life sitting in time out wandering: "What did I do to deserve this? You only put me here to make me mad!" Looking back, I realize that the time out chair never really helped. It got me thinking, but not about what I had done. I always plotted about what I was going to do next. Who's drink would I mess with? Should I freeze my brothers' underwear? I miss those days when nothing seemed to matter, when I had no care in the world except what I was going to play with that day.

As I've grown up, I realize that those WERE the best times of my life. I had my papa, I had my toys, I had my friends. But just because I had so much, and just because I may miss it, does not mean that those days have to be the best days of my life, I still have many more to come! I miss not having any worries or responsibilities, but with responsibility come greatness. I get to hang out with my friends, drive my own car, and just do my own thing. Worries, there isn't anything good about them, not that I can find at least.

I have so many worries now. Sometimes it's hard to escape them. My friends betray me, they stab me in the back, but I try to forgive and forget. I give them a second chance. Sometimes though, they really hurt me... and I know for a fact that they do it on purpose. They know what gets to me and tears me down, so they do it. Why? I don't have a clue, but it's only high school, so I'm hoping things will change. I'd rather not linger on this though, no good can come from it.

I do so much now that I used to never do. I play softball, even though I always get injured, I sing in choir, or at least I used to until my schedule got messed up, I get to hang out with my friends, as long as my mom knows where I'm at and when I'm coming home, and I get to do so much more. I don't know why I worry sometimes, I just let the stress of being a Junior i high school get to me I guess.

Well I hope everyone reading this has a fantastic day! And thanks for taking the time to read this, I really wasn't expecting anyone too. It is just a bunch of randomness. (is 'randomness' a word)?

Too Many Hate Crimes? Not Anymore!!

The vicious acts that are carried out on people because they are different are wrong. No one person is the same as another, our individuality is what makes this world so great. So why are people being beaten, burned, and even murdered for being different? It is all because of the bias feelings that people harbour inside themselves. They feel that certain people, the ones who live their lives the "right" way and are the same as themselves, deserve to live, and the other people in the world, the majority of all people, do not.

A way has finally come to put a stop to all the hate crimes being committed by the world's ravenous inhabitants! The Matthew Shepard and James Boyd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was signed by President Obama in the hopes of stopping, or at least trying to prevent, all of the terrible hate crimes. According to Kathi Wolfe's article Obama deserves praise for signing hate crimes law from The Progressive, the act protects people from hate crimes based on bias feelings about disability, gender, and sexuality. The act also allows the Justice Department to assist in prosecution of hate crimes.

Not all people are for the act though. They feel that the act inhibits their freedom of speech, and that they can be prosecuted for what they say. The act does not inhibit a person's freedom of speech, even though it should in this case. A person can still say whatever he/she wants no matter how crude or how wrong his/ her words may be. Sad as it may seem, the act only protects against violent acts, such as murder or beating someone, based on bias.

This act may take time to sink in on some of the predators out there in the U. S., but it should eventually start to scare them from doing anything they might regret. The government is finally buckling down on the offenders as they should have done years ago. If nothing else, this hate crime prevention act will at least make the pray of the offenders feel safer while walking down the street.

President Obama Deserving of Nobel Peace Prize?

"Congratulations! You really deserve this prize!" These are a couple responses that President Obama probably heard when he was excepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. But did Obama truly deserve such an amazing honor? No. He was awarded the prize for what he said he might do. How does anyone know he will actually do what he says? President Bush wanted to make the world more peaceful, but he wound up making the fighting worse. Who says that President Obama won't do the same?

Our new president was nominated for the Nobel Prize after a mere four weeks in office. After only four weeks in office, President Obama's goals as president weren't even clear to himself much less anyone else. He was still new in office, and like a bully in a new school he didn't know who to pick on yet. How could he have won over anyone with plans that were not set in stone?

Before he was even elected as president, Obama said that he wanted to end the ongoing war overseas. All he has done so far is make the war worse. He hasn't pulled the American troops out of Iraq or Afghanistan like he said he would; actually, he has actually escalated the number of troops. President Obama says he wants to send even more troops overseas. How does he think he is going to bring peace by sending more men and women away from their families? As far as doing anything to bring about peace, and deserve the peace prize, President Obama hasn't done a thing.

For many years the people who have won the Nobel Peace Prize have strived their whole lives to make the world a more peaceful place to live. They are the ones who have actually helped people out, face to face, and maybe even been the ones needing help from time to time. Those people have fought their whole lives against abuse, war, hatred, hunger.

So why did President Obama truly get nominated for the Peace Prize? Maybe he received the award as motivation, so he wouldn't destroy the country. Maybe someone thought the honor might actually make our president follow through with what he says he will do.