hello talent

I have learned over the years that everyone has their own special talents and that everyone has some value. Well, lately, my three little sisters have become superstars at life, and they are killing my whole originality thing. one sister just made straight A's and won a gymnastics meet, one sister is an amazing singer and shows me up every time those notes come out of her mouth..... and the other sister is only 8 years old and is competing in UIL story telling. two of them compete in showing rabbits, and they just made big money from selling their show rabbits. they are killing me!! I am not jealous by any means. I am thrilled for them! but goodness gracious, I am the oldest kid. I should be good at at least one thing. haha. oh well, I guess I am just setting the path for them to follow. next thing I know, they are gonna go to IV league schools and leave me in the dust here too. I think i would be OK with that though. I want them to do the best they can and be the best they can. nothing thrills me more than that.

I am missing it!!

so reading has always been an escape for me. I guess that is why I am an English major. but, I have not been able to read a book for pleasure since I left home!!
It is pretty sad, and my mom loves to rub it in every chance she gets. she reads like it is going out of style though, so i do not compare myself to her. ever. haha
sooo, I have decided to compile a list of books that i am going to attempt to read this summer. I just miss being able to sit down and get wrapped up in someone elses life rather than having to deal with my own. does anyone have any suggestions for what I should read???

Author Spotlights

I think I am in love with these spotlights. yes they are work, and they are a little nerve racking and stressful, but they are awesome. I love literature, which is one of the reasons I want to teach English, so these presentations are opening me up to so many new authors that I kind of want to read something from all of them. If only I had the time!! I have learned so much about authors that I have never even heard of. I love that!! So, I just wanted to say keep up the great presentations, and I am pretty sure when I start teaching that I am going to steal parts of this project and assign it to those kids. It is evil, i know, but Sister Steadman has got me hooked.

STRESS

ok, so I am oober stressed out right now getting ready for finals and finishing everything up for all my classes. Along with that normal stuff, I am going home for my sister's baptism.... 2 days before classes end. I am so excited, but holy cow I am worried about it. My car just broke too. haha. I kinda want to curl up in the fetal position and rock myself to sleep. I was wondering if you guys had any ideas for stress relief. so far my roommates and I have turned to basketball, chick flicks, and a whole lot of ice cream. just wondering if you guys have any great stress relievers that you would be willing to share.

A modest proposal

So, I am in a British lit class right now, and we just read A Modest Proposal by Swift for class. May I just say that it was gorgeous! The satire that Swift uses is fantastic. I love this piece. For those unfamiliar with the work, it is a proposed solution to feeding the poor in Ireland...... eat the babies. it is as simple as that. Swift is much more graphic and candid then me, but that is the gist of the story. The commentary in this piece is great. Let me explain. It is a commentary both to Ireland, and to England, its ruling country. To England, Swift is saying basically, hey, we might as well eat the babies because that would be better for them then having to grow up under your rule and live in this impoverished and sad state. to Ireland, Swift is saying, well, you are not doing anything about your state, so, why not eat the babies to make life a little better. The work is sick, sadistic, and hilarious in my opinion. But, maybe i just have a sick mind. Go check it out and tell me what you think.

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson scares the snot out of me. I am not a poet, and I am not one to read poetry. One of the poems that we read though, The Bustle in the House, struck a special chord with me. For those who don't remember it, here it is again...
The Bustle in a House
The Morning after Death
Is solemnest of industries
Enacted opon Earth –
The Sweeping up the Heart
And putting Love away
We shall not want to use again
Until Eternity –

This poem holds very special meaning to me because I understand what Emily is talking about 100 percent. Between my Sophomore and Senior years of high school, four of my family members died. I was only able to attend two funerals. After the second death, the death of my grandpa Rocky, there was bustle in my grandma Rama's house. The family cleaned her small house out and as it was being done, Grandma sat on the couch in a state of shock and desperation. All of the clutter we cleaned were her memories of her and Grandpa. we were sweeping up her heart. And in turn, she swept up her broken heart and put it away. She no longer has the life in her eyes and the sarcasm that she once had. she does not smile the same way, and she does not hug the same way. My Grandma put her love away, and I know that she has put it away for my Grandpa, and will not retrieve it again in this life. She tries to be happy, and there are moments when she is, but it is different. Emily Dickinson's poem rang clear and true for my life, and I think that it might be the poem I have best understood in all poetry I have read. So, no matter how much Emily Dickinson scares me, I have a great appreciation for her and her work now.

poetry analysis

The Tyger versus The Lamb was a very interesting contrast to me. The Lamb has a sweet reverential tone that is very "pastel". It is the light side of the human experience, and goes through the different representations of the Lamb. the lamb can be a representation of Christ, the sacrificial lamb, as well as the fact that we are lambs to be saved. The Tyger, in contrast, represents the dark side of human experience. The Tyger is bright and loud. it is abrupt and powerful and represents the fact that sometimes we can be too hard on ourselves.
These two poems, after analysis, give a good contrast and i appreciate them much more now that i understand what they mean. they are poems that i believe are a very good representation of the two sides of human experience, and i believe that we all experience both sides at some point.