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Speech! Speech! Speech!

Mar 17th, 2011 by

Who hates public speaking? “I do!” I have only done a speech without a script once, in my 8th grade English class. Now I’m in High School and they are expecting us to write a speech and actually speak it in front of the whole class! The up side to this terror is that we get to choose the topic of our speech. Most people think picking a topic is easy, well I guess they aren’t in my class. I had my topic within three to five minutes of getting the assignment, but for my friend, Grace, it took most of the class and me screaming ideas into her head like a mad woman. “Movies, Games, Sports, PICK SOMETHING!!!!!” Thankfully all was well in the end, I picked reading and she picked clown fish (don’t ask me how she came to that conclusion from the ideas I gave her, I don’t know).

So our teacher had given us a sheet to fill out 12 things about our topic (the sheet looked like a spider diagram). I felt like I didn’t even need the sheet, I had my whole presentation planned out. I’m going to bring books that I have read into class and display them while I speak. I will also have blog posts that I have done about reading up on the Smartboard as I present. The only hard part was going to be actually doing it in front of the whole class and talk.

Don’t get me wrong I like to talk. If you ask my friends, like Grace, I like to talk a little too much. Oops. It’s the whole doing it in front of the class and having a topic I have to stick to. In 8th grade I had to write a speech about a word or using a word (I am pretty sure I put the speech on my blog and I could find it, but I just don’t want to) and present it in class without looking at what I wrote. I couldn’t breath, think or even move. Words just came out of my mouth that I don’t remember. The only thing I remember is that my face started to burn, I because as stiff as a board, I used the word I was suppose to and I walked back to my seat. Not exactly an award winning performance, right? I hope I’m better now because I have to do a speech in front of my parents at the end of the year.

But I think I will be all right because so far in high school I’ve sung down the main hallway and voiced my opinion quite often. So to who ever is reading this that has speech-phobia, make sure you breath, act confident (it looks good on your grade and eventually you will be confident) and know that if your heart is in it you can’t go wrong. Good luck!

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Injured

Jan 15th, 2011 by

I can’t play now.
But I still put on the uniform
And I still step on the court.
Because one time I’ll put on the uniform
And step on the court
And play again.

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Grow Up Summer

Sep 11th, 2010 by

You know that time of Summer when you slip on you favorite pair of jeans, your denim jacket and one of your baseball caps?  The week before Fall when the leaves are still green but the cold it threatening a change in scenery?  The week before the end of Summer.

I’ve had a great Summer vacation.  I traveled to France, Vermont and around my own state with friends and family.  I’ve swam in my Little Island Pond down the Cape and tubed in the Mediterranean Sea.  My family has shared time with distant relatives and close friends by the light of a camp fire.  Stories were shared and stories were made this Summer, but it has to end.  And then it will be even more special next year and the years to come.

Last week I started high school and spent time with my cousins for the last time in our Cape home.  This week-end my family is down here alone.  I remember old times when I was younger and parent’s issues stayed parent issues.  Kids rolled in the sand and now we only watch our past in their present.

The week before the end of Summer is one of my favorite times of Summer.  It’s the week of reflection and thankfulness.  I think their is only one bad side to this week.  I grow up.

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End of Summer

Sep 6th, 2010 by

School’s started, high school teams have been made for the fall and Labor Day week-end is underway.  As I sit on the bottom bunk in my Cape home I can’t help but be sad.  Sad because of all the things and people that will go away like the warm weather.  And the thought of the word summer used like a fond memory makes my heart ache.  Faces and voices turned in a kaleidoscope of summer memories.

The best thing about the end of summer is that it will start again with new faces and a new Earth.

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Super Powers

Sep 1st, 2010 by

“With great power comes great responsibility,” is the famous quote of the incredible Spiderman.  Every kid knows these words and have dreamed of saying their own catch phrase while showing off their own super abilities.  It’s always the same, but always different, one day we can turn invisible and the next we can fly.  Honestly if I could pick I would choose every power, but there are unwritten rules that can’t be broken.  If I had to choose one I would pick shape-shifting.  It’s an unusual power, not one people think of, but it’s the most important to me.

I want to be a shape-shifter for so many reasons.  One is that it goes against the personality quizzes on line that tells me I’m meant to be super strong.  More importantly then Internet tests is that I can handle change, which is key to be a shape-shifter.  I like the idea of being anyone or anything I want when I want.  Not only can I change my voice and change into other humans, but I could change into inanimate objects and animals.  The only negative to this power is that I might lose myself in all those faces.

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Expectations

Sep 1st, 2010 by

There are a lot of expectations in High School.  Most are teacher’s expectations of the students.  But what about the student’s expectations of the teachers?  This year, along with the expectations for myself and my peers, I also will have expectations for my teachers.  I want to learn, for teachers to do their jobs, to be fair and respectful.

When I walk into a classroom, the first thing I think of is learning.  Helping teach me is the teacher’s job and responsibility to me as it is my responsibility to learn from them.  I expect to walk into a classroom and have my teacher ready to wrap me in knowledge.

Nobody likes a mean or unfair teacher.  When I picture a teacher, I picture a person that will treat me with the respect I deserve as a student.  I also expect to be graded for my hard work and not by my appearance, actions or opinions.

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School Starts, Summer Ends

Aug 22nd, 2010 by

Hi world!  School’s starting up soon.  Or at least it is in my town.  Hope we’re all ready for new experiences and people and a whole lot of other stuff.  Well good luck everyone.

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Twenty-one, the Highest Honor

Jun 7th, 2010 by

My classmates placing a wreath in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

My classmates placing a wreath in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

“19, 20, 21, stop.  Turn right, click shoes and count.”

A worn black mat under his shiny black shoes.

A sparkling wooden rifle over his shoulder.

Twenty-one seconds left,

Twenty-one seconds forward,

Twenty-one steps across the black mat.

Another soldier will take his place in the night.

But he will not be alone,

Three soldiers only known to God lie before him.

The white stone turned brown

In places shiny black shoes stood at attention.

Always guarded are the souls of the unknown.

Twenty-one seconds right,

Twenty-one seconds forward,

Twenty-one steps across the black mat.

The Sargent appears with a replacement,

But the soldier keeps walking.

Only when an other steps in with him will he lower his weapon.

Three soldiers only known to God lie before him.

Always guarded are the souls of the unknown.

Only when an other steps in with him will he lower his weapon.

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What has Inspired Me

May 24th, 2010 by

What does it take to be inspired?  Traveling to an ancient place in Mexico or Africa?  No, the furthest you might have to go is your state’s border.  You can find inspiration inside yourself, inside others and inside your own community.  All you have to do is open your mind to new ideas.  Here are some of my examples of finding ideas close by.

From my life: “Cookies“  was inspired by something that I do with my family when I visit my Meme.  I created a post by looking back at the things I do with my Meme, brother and cousins.

Other people’s lives: In “I can’t even explain how bad” I used one of my classmates quotes to create her feelings in my writing.

My geneology: In my post “Wegener’s Lack of It” I used some skill that my brother had with Sudoku and my lack of talent.  I connected my brother with my writing by adding something about him.

Looking around Me: In my post “My PLace in Reading” I looked around me and found a place that ment a lot to me and wrote about it.

Mothers and Fathers: In the post “The End of the Cold” I mentioned a way my mom felt when she was young and going to visit the pond at the beginning of spring.

Vacations: In the post “Snow Comes to Vermont” I wrote about  one of my Christmas vacations up in Vermont.

History: In the post “Is the Pen Mightier than the Sword” I wrote about something that interested  me from history.  This post is about segregation and what people did to stop it so they could make lives for themselves.

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Pages to Your Heart

May 23rd, 2010 by

On Friday, May 21 an author named Kathleen Benner Duble, the writer of “The Sacrifice”, visited my school.  Her presentation had many key points but not all of them helped us, the students, become better writers.  Kathleen intrigued young writers like myself with personal experiences and many other ways of finding a story.  The main point of her talk was “you don’t have to go far to find a story.”

To help find our story Kathleen Duble gave us close places to look.  One was look at your own personal experiences and write a story about it, just change the characters and a few minor details.  Another idea was “steal” from your friends,  idols, or any other person.  Ask them questions about their life and experiences and make their story your story.  Or you could look to your past.  Ask about your parent’s or grandparent’s childhood, what trouble did they get into when they were young.  You could also look even further into your ancestry, like Kathleen did in “The Sacrifice.” Go on vacation, research things that you enjoy, learn about your town, go to the movies or take a look at the objects in your own house.  Your story is everywhere you just have to open your eyes.

How is this important?  Maybe Kathleen Duble wants you to save money on gas mileage looking for a story.  Nope!  This is important because it helps you look inside yourself.  Looking close to or inside yourself isn’t always easy, but it’s good for you.  Looking around opens your eyes to things other than your T.V. or computer screen.  Finding a story close to your heart might be one of the most important thing you ever do.  I have tried it and I truly know who I am and I will continue writing my story and so should you.

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