Ian's thoughts

[raberi-blog-blog]

Research and Writing 3

Well I think I just finished my annotations (even though they are probably all wrong). I'm now going to start looking for more in depth background sources. Finding out more about my Authors life should be interesting and I think I have already found a couple. First, the river he lived by as a child, and second the fact that his parents were always traveling seems like an excellent comparison. We will see what happens though. I hope these go fast!!

[raberi-blog-blog]

Research and Writing 2

So after finally getting all of the criticism I need at the library. I have finally started my annotations. Yep I've been to lazy to read anything else this week besides our lovely assignment over break. So I've stated the annotations. I have no idea what I am doing and this is super hard. Kreinbring here I come.

[raberi-blog-blog]

Research and Writing 1

So I went to the library yesterday and, well, it was horrible. I took 45 minutes to find the freaking library.Once I got there and went in, I asked the librarian for literary criticism, she had NO IDEA what I was talking about so she basically directed me to look for it myself on the computer. It sucked I was there for at least 3 hours looking for crap. I found 1 book and 2 online sources, one of which I can't use. But, oh well, looks like I'm going back before this trip.

[raberi-blog-blog]

Reading the Work Five

Well I've finished the book and I have to say it really changed my outlook on life. I now see why many of my mentors read it and how it humbled them.  The connectivity  of the world is interesting yet frightening. I can now see why I needed to read this book. The metaphors and symbolism was also beautiful and even made the book more interesting and time grasping.

[raberi-blog-blog]

Reading The Work 4

I think I may have found one of my passages for my annotations. The passage is very interesting, comparing life to a spinning wheel and how materialism slows the turning of your life and your soul, very interesting.  Also, I have reached the point in the book where the mirror becomes a huge metaphor for a journey, a way of life, and the combination of all things.

[raberi-blog-blog]

Siddhartha 3

I am now more than 25% through my book. I am beginning to notice a distinct difference in the description between good and evil. I am also seeing the use of ego and looking past yourself as well. It seems that Siddhartha believes that teaching cannot show you how to look into yourself and only you can do this on your own.

[raberi-blog-blog]

Reading the Work 2

I am about 1/5 of the way through the work and I have noticed a lot of conflicting repetition such as burning and freezing. I have also noticed the symbolism of thirst as it pertains to the river, life and the soul. How water is seen as the connector of life.

[raberi-blog-blog]

Starting Siddhartha

I'm excited to be starting Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse tonight as I have heard so much about it from my former coach and trainer and how it changed their lives for the better. I hope that I can gain some good insights into the novel and why it has been seen as so amazing my so many people I know.

[raberi-blog-blog]

Picking the Work 2

I have decided to go with Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse because it seems much more insightful, interesting, and older than fist stick knife gun. I think there will be a lot more research on it and that it will be much more interesting.

[raberi-blog-blog]

Picking the Work 1

So far I am trying to choose between Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse and Fist Stick Knife Gun by Geoffry Canada. I decided to get an early start to this project and look for books I have heard of or already find interesting. I am leaning towards reading Siddhartha because of the interesting ideas on materialism and other life problems that are expressed in the novel.

[raberi-blog-blog]

My Backpack:

Weight 15-35 Pounds

Metaphorical weight: 1,000 Pounds

My backpack contains the weight of my school work on my future. It contains the weight of my expectations as well as my parent’s expectations of me. Although everyone has one, the weight placed upon them is different based on classes and expectations.

My Wallet:

Actual Weight: Probably about 6 ounces.

 Metaphorical Weight: 100 Pounds

My wallet represents who I am and contains the weight of my identity. By looking at it you can see who I am, what I have and possibly what I care about.

My Car Key:

Weight: About an ounce

Metaphorical Weight: 50 pounds

My car key represents the weight of responsibility. It is the way to freedom that can be easily taken away.  

My iPhone:

Weight: 8 ounces or so

Metaphorical Weight: 10 pounds

My iPhone contains the weight of my social life, which is not very crazy. It also carries my method of communication and by looking at its contents you can see who I am.   

My Accident

Literal Weight: None

Metaphorical Weight: 1,000,000 pounds

My accident weighs so heavily upon me because of how people see me after. They see me as someone who has overcome many challenges, but, this makes me somewhat of a role model. This becomes a weighted task because I am see as someone who persevered and fought my way out of a crippling injury. I’m still not done. I go to physical therapy, doctors, and workouts constantly to try to repair my body (mostly my left side) and my spirit to keep fighting.

Allison:

Physical weight: None on my shoulders

Metaphorical Weight: -10,000 pounds

Allison makes my life so much less stressful. She doesn’t ever worry me and we talk about everything. She truly makes me happy and we constantly help each other stop stressing, lifting weight from each other’s shoulders.

My future:

Literal Weight: None

Metaphorical weight: 50,000 pounds

The weight of my future is very confusing and riddled with outside influence. I need to be able to figure out why I’m here and what I want to and need to do with my life.

[raberi-blog-blog]

The song Hero of war by Rise Against is a complete anti war song because it shows the perception versus the reality of war. The soldier thinks that war is going to be glorious and that everyone they are going to liberate will love him. But, he is horrified to find out he has to torture and kill innocent people who did nothing to the men in the war effort. The song finishes with a completely different view on war by the soldier as the cycle repeats itself over and over when he says "a hero of war, is that what they see? Just Medals and Scars so damn proud of me. I brought home that flag. Now it gathers dust. But it's a flag that i love, the only flag I trust".

[raberi-blog-blog]

Favorite Poem

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black And the dark street winds and bends. Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And watch where the chalk-white arrows go To the place where the sidewalk ends. Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow, And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go, For the children, they mark, and the children, they know The place where the sidewalk ends.

[raberi-blog-blog]

My Moral

My true moral belief is to value people who are not fake. To me this means that I value people who are their true self around their friends, their peers, their family etc. I am striving to be like this within the next few years because I know that I am better off being my true self all the time than only being parts of myself around people with which I am uncomfortable. Keeping this goal in mind will also help me weed out people who are my true friends. They will stick with me as I make this transition and become my crazy self in public. I know that I will be judged as a result of this transition, however, being my true self will allow me to be unafraid of this judgement.

[raberi-blog-blog]

Talk With Parents

When I talked with my parents my mom said that teens are portrayed as always getting in trouble with drugs and alcohol. They are usually getting into trouble. My Dad said they were portrayed mostly as rotten. My Mom also said she thought it was a true portrayal because the teen yeas are the rebellious years where they are willing to do anything to prove their parents wrong. They even have a lot of peer pressure on them. My Dad said some are the same as they are portrayed, but you can't make sweeping generalizations on groups of teens in the movies. I feel that the way teens are portrayed in movies has had an effect on my parents. 

[raberi-blog-blog]

This movie trailer from Clueless shows off the idiocy of many teen movies. As usual a blond girl leads the "popular" clique at a high school and reeks all sorts of havoc. However, nothing like this happens at Avondale. While there still are cliques, there are many floaters who go back and forth between many cliques. It almost feels like everyone knows everyone in our school. Our diverse culture make everyone have interactions with others that they would never have at other schools. I believe that my stereotype at Avondale has evolved over the past few years in the High School. Freshman year people would have called me a nerd. Sophmore year I was involved. Now, I am probably seen as a leadership nerd.

[raberi-blog-blog]

This is a picture of me when I was a baby. Obviously it doesn't show anything to who I am today. I don't remember ever having this picture taken, or what it was taken for. You would never know that this innocent little kid now plays hockey or is grown up. I miss these old days but I know that my past has helped me to become a better person and in the long haul my perseverance in my life will pay off. This picture could never say the entirety of who I am with just one moment.