Essence

Existence Gains Essence:
Mersault finally realizes his destiny once he knows he is going to die. He realizes that you cannot escape death. Mersault knows that whether its now or later in his life, he is going to die. He believes that we cannot reach total freedom until death. A part of me believes this is true as well, but a part of me also believes that life is what you make it, and you can reach freedom and happiness if you try. Before he is to be executed Mersault thinks about his life and at this point realizes that there is nothing you can do to escape death. He finally comes to terms with the world and accepts his life, and that is when he gains essence.

Whitman Quote

"I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise,

Regardless of others, ever regardful of others,

Maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man,"

The first line in this poem states he is young and he is old. I think this means that no matter how old you are, you might still have the mind of a teenager. It also means no matter how young you are, you can still be as wise as someone 20 years older than you. I once watched a TV show and there was an old man in it staring as a young model... The daughter of this old man questioned why, and he said "I might be 75 but I still have the same mind as I did 50 years ago." This quote reminded me of that show because it shows that age is just a number. No matter how old or young you are, people can surprise you. In the 3rd line when it says, "a child as well as a man" I think means that no matter if you are 15 years old, you can be wiser than someone who is 30 years old. The mind works in mysterious ways, and it's the young ones with goals and ambitions whose names your going to see in the big world one day. 

July 10th 2014

On July 10, 2014, my friends and I boarded a red, double-decker Skyline bus for a 16th birthday party. After a long day of being tourists, we headed home. There were no seatbelts, nor instructions to sit down. Within ten minutes, we were all on the upper deck, enjoying the ride. We were about three exits from home and I remember watching an overpass go right over my head, missing me by a foot. The next thing I knew, Mason was on the ground. Quickly, two of my friends picked him up and carried him downstairs. The bus pulled over, and minutes later an ambulance arrived along with many police.

I watched the paramedics put Mason on the stretcher and into the back of the ambulance. My mind ran blank and at that moment I was in complete shock and confusion. After two days of early mornings and late nights in the hospital, I had to say goodbye to Mason. Having spent every day for the past six years with him, losing him was very hard for me to grasp. For months I was consumed with feelings of guilt and loss.

Just over a year has passed since Mason's death, and I'm starting to move on. With the help of old friends coming together, school taking over my thoughts, the day of the accident is now a blur.

This incident has taught me a lot and has made me a much more dedicated, focused student. I now know life can be taken away in an instant. I now know that it's important to appreciate every day, and to value and respect those around me. I know that I am not invincible, and I know I cannot take school and my education for granted. Amongst my friends, I have become the one to stay in to study, and the one to remind everyone else to be careful.

This past year has been incredibly difficult, but I have persevered. I've grown and changed this past year--there is no going back to my childhood. But I'm stronger than I've ever been in my life, and I am ready and determined to make the most for the rest of my life

Socratic Seminar Overview

During the socratic seminar there was a lot of discussion about animals and whether they have the same thoughts as humans. There was a lot of controversy on if animals are just as smart as us humans. Humans are indeed animals and I think that we are all equal. I think that we are just more advanced and have the body parts and brain to make all the things we have today. There was also a lot of controversy on whether animals are evil or not. And what evil actually is? Evil is just a word humans made up. What makes something evil? I do believe and evil, and I think someone can be evil. I think that bad things such as murder are looked at as evil. But we also discussed why killing someone is considered so bad? I remember Franky stated, why is it considered bad if someone kills someone else? Did someone so long ago just say "Oh thats bad" and now we just think its bad? I don't know if thats why we consider murder to be bad, but I think killing someone else is a terrible thing even if society didn't have an opinion. Taking someone else's life is a terrible thing. We live until we die, and no one should be able to chose your path for you.

Marcus Aurelius

"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not a truth." -Marcus Aurelius.
I think this is true. How are things proven? That makes everything an opinion. No one can prove whether it's true or not. For the second part of this quote, "everything we see is a perspective, not a truth", obviously everything we see is in our own perspective of things, but does that make it true? Everyone see's things differently, so who is right? Who is true? It is not true, it is just your own perspective. 

Senior Year

Senior year; the year we have all been waiting for. The year out lives go in different directions. This is the year about making memories and making the best out of every moment. The key to life is happiness, and you create your own happiness.
Throughout my life I've been through many ups and downs, but I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. Even through some of my toughest times I've managed to always look at the bright side of things with a smile across my face. It has always been my goal to make other people happy, not just myself. By what does it mean to be happy? To me, happiness does not only mean a smile on my face, but also a warm tingly feeling in my body. I achieve happiness everyday by surrounding myself with friends and family. As senior year continues on, I strive to spend everyday living life to the fullest.