Memorable Passage

Although cliché, Harry Potter is one of my favorite book series I have ever read. When I was 15, my grandpa sent me all of his copies of the Harry Potter books, and this was fantastic to me because I have been obsessed with the movies since I was little. As I grew up with the movies, it was easier for me to understand things because every movie got a little more complicated-- but I got a little bit smarter each time. At one point, in the last movie/book, Dumbledore said something that kind of stuck with me through the years.  

“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.” 

I realized after I read this that dying was not one of my fears. This quote made me feel a million different emotions all at once. It made it clear to me that love was easily the most important thing anyone can have in their life. Whether it be from a friend, a romance, or a family member—everyone needs love. When reading this quote, it hit me that there are some people out there who do not know what this feels like. There are people who bottle up hatred and people who have had lifestyles that I could not even imagine. At this moment, I promised myself that I would try to avoid ever hating anybody, and that I would try to project some kind of positivity every day. I feel like even a small gesture can show somebody love, and that  anybody who rejects it or does not know how to project it to anybody else should most definitely be pitied.

Who's Line is it Anyway?

“This is the saddest story I have ever heard.”

This line is from the novel A Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion, which was published in the year 1915 by the author Ford Madox Ford, who lived from 1873 to 1939. This author is also known for other works, including the Parades End Triology and The Fifth Queen.

This novel is basically about a soldier that describes different parts of his life in no particular order. He talks about his wife and their friends, and a lot of what he says is very ironic. For example, he says things like, “That man is a man you know you can trust with your wife.” This is ironic, because the character he says this about is actually very dishonest.

Personally, I would maybe like to read this book because it just seems a little cooky and oddly written, which is something I think I would like. I like that many of the things he says are ironic, and also the fact that it is written in a way to keep the reader confused and always wondering what is going on. 

“…you must go on, I can’t go on, I’ll go on.” 

 

This line is from the novel Unnamable, which was published in the year 1953 by the author Samuel Beckett, who lived from 1906 to 1989. This author is also known for other works, including Murphy and How it is. 

Unnamable is a book that has no plot and no storyline. It is even unclear if there are real characters, or if they were imagined. The ‘characters’ are believed to be a facet of the author. This book is the third in a trilogy, and it ends with the famous line listed above. 

I do not think I would like to read this book, because I need a book that picks up and has action and has something you can actually follow. I have read books that have no plot before, and they are hard for me to read simply because nothing ever picks up, so there is really no reason to read it in the first place.

Famous Lines Story

(Shout out to the guy that inspired this story-- Trevor Cobb!)

This is the saddest story I have ever heard.

It all started on a dark and gloomy day in September. As Jen sat on the couch, hunched over in pain, she stares at her phone waiting for the text that will give her relief or bring her more misery. Finally the bright light of her brand new iPhone 5 causes her to jump up with excitement. She reads the text from her mom, "Yes, I can take you to the chocolate store." Her mom tends to sympathize with her around this time every month. Jen runs upstairs to put jeans on and a t-shirt, going insane thinking about the delicious dark chocolate melting in her mouth. As soon as her mom arrives, Jen starts to feel nauseous. Jen realizes her impending doom. Her mom comes into the room only to see Jen curled up in a ball on her bed. "Do you need me to go to the store and get it for you?" Jen, still in pain, can only give her mom a look and say,

 "...you must go on, I can't go on, I'll go on."

Writers as Readers

1.  When I read, I do not require many things. For the most part, all I need is a book. I can sit in almost any chair, any couch, or lay in any bed and be comfortable as long as I have a book that can hold my attention. Preferably, I love to be in a big comfy recliner with my feet up, a blanket on my lap, hot cocoa on a table next to me, and silence. I like to have just enough light for me to see my book without straining, but I do not like it to be incredibly bright.


2. My favorite genre of writing is a book with a lot of action, but still a romantic back story. I love the book Delirium, and I also loved All These Things I've Done. Both of these books had a plot that was not entirely about romance, but it did have romance in it. I think I like these books because
e they seem more realistic when it comes to romance. In real life, your whole life does not revolve around falling in love- you still have other things to deal with. So when a book is written that captures both romance and life, then it is much easier to relate to and make a connection with.


4. One of my best memories connected to reading comes from 11th grade, when my best friend Trevor and I would choose books to race-read. We were in the same English 3H class, so we had to read books for presentations at the same time. We would read the same books, and race to see who could finish first. We are both incredibly competitive people, so we took it very seriously. There were no prizes involved, just the satisfaction of beating one another. I have never had a friend I could 'nerd-out' with before I met Trevor, and after doing little competitions like this, I realized just how lucky I was to have a friend I could rely on to help make me smarter, and have fun memories with that I can look back on and not regret-- which isn't something many Seniors in high-school can say.


5. I have read many books that I simply could not put down after reading the first few pages. One of the first books I ever remember doing this with is Generation Dead, by Daniel Waters. Looking back on it, I do not know if I would have the same reaction to it now as I did in 7th grade- even though it is technically a young-adult novel. I remember staying up almost all night reading on a school night, and I lucked out because there happened to be a storm that night that the school cancelled school the next day. I just remember looking at the clock, putting the book down, turning off the light, shutting my eyes- only to continuously think about the book and getting up so I could continue reading.


9. When I finished reading Delirium, by Lauren Oliver, I was angry because I fell completely in love with the book. At the time, Trevor and I were race reading this book, and i remember flipping page after page after page with strong excitement and I just couldn't get to the end fast enough. I fell in love with the characters, and I just cannot remember the last time I read a book that made me FEEL as much as that book did. I cried, I laughed- I actually felt apart of the book. So, you may be wondering what made me angry? The end of this book, although I will not go into detail, basically tore my heart out of my chest. I just could not believe what had happened, and I was actually angry and bitter about reading for the next few days. I read the sequel, and even that just made me more angry. To this day I have not been able to pick up the third book in the series, Requim. (Do not get me wrong though, this was still one of my favorite books I have ever read. I recommend it completely. Just be prepared.)

Writers Dreaming

3. I agree with Angelou when she says that talking about bad things, such as bad dreams, gives them too much power. Talking about negative things fills our mind with bad thoughts, and in turn can cause us to be depressed or just give us a negative outlook on life. When you are feeding into negative energy like that, it does not matter if you are the happiest person on earth you will start to develop negative thoughts. Personally, when I feed in to drama or if I focus on nightmares too long, it starts to take a toll on my everyday life. I start to become afraid of sleeping, and I stress all the time because of the drama. In the end, I think it is just a better idea to avoid negative thoughts, and focus on all the good things in life! J

5. How Angelou decided to stop talking for five years, I will never know. I am a talker to an extreme. Your everyday chatty-Kathy. I recognize that I talk too much sometimes, especially when my ADHD acts up. I enjoy learning and talking about what I learn or talking about new experiences. If I spent more time listening and less time talking I am sure I would learn how to communicate better and altogether more efficiently. If I spoke more, I might be able to stand up for what I believe in more often, although it really isn’t a problem now. I would not be able to give up talking for five years because I like to have debates and discussions over many things. I tell many stories, so it would also be hard to give up that too. In the end, I think I could benefit from talking less but not from not talking at all.

7. In my life I would say I have a really fuzzy memory. My noggin is not to reliable when it comes to remembering stories or events from the past. I think it is better to be able to recall everything, instead of nothing, because at least you could learn from events that are awful instead of not learning from them and having to go through them again and again. The easiest things for me to remember are things I have done in the past year, but even those can get kind of fuzzy. It is nearly impossible to remember many things from my childhood. I remember the happy things better and more often than I remember bad, although I would say they are almost equally remembered. Almost.

8. When Angelou said, “There is a world of difference between truth and fact.” I believe it is a completely correct statement. I am taking college statistics, so I know it is incredibly easy to manipulate data or facts to make people believe something other than the truth. I was taught at a young age that letting people believe a lie without actually telling them one is still considered lying. So I believe it is completely possible to know all the facts and still have no idea as to what the truth really is.

Dream Threads

 Life in the Fast Lane

 

 

 

I'm standing in place and I'm watching my whole life fly by.

 

One moment and I am with my mom, sitting on the floor of the living room on my 6th birthday. Next thing I know and I am 9, moving into my new home- a new addition to create a family. I knew that at this speed my life would come to an end much too quickly. I blink and suddenly it's my 16th birthday, surrounded by family and friends. One blink more and I am 27, getting ready to have my first child. Suddenly im 50, preparing myself to be a grandparent. Desparately, I try to hold my eyes open, trying to take hold of the moment. In the distance I see a white casket, with large, colorful boquets and people all around. I try to run the opposite direction,

 

but it just keeps getting closer and closer.

What Causes Dreams?

If the theory is true—that we all dream, regardless of whether or not we remember them—then what makes them happen? What inspires, creates, or influences the pictures that run through our head when we close our eyes? Well I believe that it has to do with what is going on in our lives. For example, last Thursday night I had a dream that I was trying to drive from the backseat of my grandma’s car. Why was this? Well, I did find out earlier that day that I would be getting my license on Friday. So, unsurprisingly, the topic that had been on my mind all night followed through into my dreams.  I also believe that certain objects or scenarios that happen in your dreams can be created due to things you think about in life. For example, someone who dreams of a key may be going through a stage in their life where they have opportunities, control, secrets, freedom, knowledge, or responsibility.  Your dreams have a way of showing you things you may not otherwise know about yourself, so writing them down and reading key points through a dream interpreter could help you to make a decision in your life. My favorite dream interpreter is dreammoods.com, and when I have dreams that scare me or make me happy you can bet that the first thing I will do in the morning is use my phone to get on and check.  Dreaming is one of my favorite things to do, and even when I have nightmares I just remember that I can learn from them. In the end, our waking life is what causes us to dream.