8 Lessons I Live By

• Enjoy Every Moment - I have learned that it is very important to pay attention to every moment in your life and live your life to its fullest. I don't believe in wasting moments.
• Surround Yourself with Positive People - Surrounding yourself with people who put you in a positive mood and a better place defiantly have an impact on your life. Therefore it's important to have good relationships with friends and family. 
• It's OK To Be Different - I believe judging people for what their personalities are like are completely unfair. I have learned this year that standing out from everyone else is not a bad thing. 
• Appreciate EVERYTHING - It's so important to be thankful for everything you have in your life and it's important to stop and really appreciate everything. 
• Believe In Yourself - I am typically not a person who self-doubts myself and I really believe that I can exceed my limits most of the time which is very important. 
• Self-Image - What you think of yourself and how you see yourself means so much more than others opinions of you. Never let anyone doubt you.
• Don't Trust - I really do not trust others opinions or perceptions of things.
• Stop Comparing- EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. Comparing people is pointless and in my opinion really selfish and dumb.

"The Erne From the Coast" by T.O. Beachcroft

Harry is ordered by his father, who does not rely on Harry, to watch over the sheep and the lamb. One day, an eagle kills the lamp and Mr. Thorburn is very disappointed in Harry. Harry wants to prove to his father that he can be relied on and that he is responsible enough to take care of the sheep. He then searches for the eagle, takes it on himself, and kills it and proves to his father that he is trustworthy, courageous, and brave.

Harry is transformed by the end of the story because he builds up the bravery to impress his father. He always wanted to show his father that he can accomplish hard tasks and he was pushed intro doing something courageous by the doubt his father gave him. I have also been in similar positions as Harry. Throughout my life, a lot of people have doubted me and I have always wanted to prove them wrong and show them their beliefs are false. When I tested to attend Laguna, people around me did not believe I would make it in and I showed them that their assumptions were wrong. This has transformed me because I now assume I can exceed my limits when other people do not think I can. I am also transformed because I am now a lot more courageous and braver in the past when I listened to the people doubting me.

My parents have played very important roles in my life which I sometimes do not realize. I take my parents' presence for granted a lot of the time. Sometimes I forget how much they have done for me and how important they are in my life. I have slowly forgotten over the years that many kids do not have parents they can rely on. I am extremely thankful that I do have them, but most of the time I don't realize how much of an impact they have on my life. I also take for granting the amount of work they do to support me. I overlook everyday that they have to work to raise money, buy food, and pay for bills and I have realized that what they do really reflects my life. They have also made me realize that working hard does pay off. They have raised me and supported me for fourteen years and have never failed. They have taught me and showed me that support from your family members does really mean everything. I tend to forget the amount of work they do. As I have grown older, I have grown a distance between them. I do not talk to them as much and I don't give them the thanks they deserve. I most of the time shut them out which is most defiantly something they do not deserve. Overall, I really do appreciate the amount of effort they give into caring for me and the support they give me.

I share many of the traits with my parents, some that are very similar and some that are very different. I share similar looks as well as hobbies. I am very similar to my dad because we both love to blast music throughout our house and not care about others opinions. We both can be very introvert as well as extrovert whenever we want to. My father and I also love the outdoors and always want to be exploring or trying new things. We are also different is several ways. I deal with my emotions and feeling by being silent and trying to ignore the problem while my dad faces it head on and wants to fix the problem. I tend to put things off most of the time while he wants to get everything done as efficiently and as fast as he possibly can. I also share similar traits with my mother. We are both very outgoing people who love to achieve more than we think we can. If we both think we can do something, we take it one step further and try to aim higher and do something better. My mom and I also share the same passion and love for animals.We have always had a connection with animals and always loved being around them. We both are also very different and have different opinions or love for things. Out ideas and takes on scenarios tend to not be similar at all. Generally, I believe I am pretty similar to my parents and that I share similar traits.

One Innovation That Transformed the World

I believe one innovation that has changed the world is internet. Internet has become such an important thing for people today to communicate with people, find answers to questions, and etc. I believe this is a very important innovation because without internet a lot would be different. Many schools would not use online programs, a lot of work today is revolved around internet which would be changed, and communication with people around the world would be different without emailing, text messages, and phone calls. Also, without internet researching information would not be available. This could include looking up the weather, asking a question into Google and instantly getting an answer, or even entertainment. People can easily have access to any movie they want in the matter of seconds. This is why I believe internet has tremendously changed the world and is therefore the most important innovation that changed the world.

Three Pressing Issues

Three issues that I think are the most pressing today are environmental protection, child labor protections and women's rights. Environmental protection issues are still a problem today because trees are still being cut down in jurassic amounts and wildlife are being parted from their home. Environmental changes are also happening. Like in 1867 industries are growing and urbanization is taking place, people are polluting water and air, and species are going extinct. Children are also being put to work due to industry growth. Young children are usually being put to work to support their family all around the world. They usually work in factories for as much as twelve hours a day. Kids are also forced to work at home in farms. Around 1900 women could only vote in a few states and women weren't overall treated with the kind of respect men would receive. Although today women do have the right to vote, they are still treated with some amounts of disrespect and are not acted towards with equal regards. Men are still thought of today as being on a higher scale then women and they are thought to do more or work harder then a lot of women. It's also still a natural instinct to choose men over women in work circumstances.

What I Want To Transform In the World.

What do I want to transform in this world? I want to change people's view on equality. Gender equality or even racial equality.  People may not think or look at this as a huge issue in todays society, but I defiantly do. When you think about genders, its a natural instinct to think the man has more power over a girl or is stronger or has the upper hand. I want to change that instinct. I believe that genders should and must be treated equally. Racial equality as well. I believe racial discrimination is common in our world today even if it has improved over years. I want to make people believe and have a natural instinct that everyone is equal no matter if you are female or male, black or white.

"The Fog Horn" by Ray Bradbury

“The Fog Horn” by Ray Bradbury

It was a very cold night. I saw a bright light in the distance through miles of fog. I started to swim towards the light to figure out what it was as curiosity and fear rushed through my body. I approached the tower, stood up and towered over it. When I looked through the glass, I could see them talking. Two men were whispering and screaming. I figured it was about me. I figured this because I could see the fear in their eyes. I looked then in the eyes and was shocked by a bright light that blinded me and a loud noise that sounded like an animal. Confused, I screamed out mimicking the loud noise.

They stopped talking and stopped moving. They just stared at me. The tower’s blinding light beam shined out at me and the loud noise roared out again and I cried out again. It happened over and over, until it stopped. The loud roar stopped. The bright light was only moving. I froze. I was angry and confused. I ran towards the tower and started to try and knock it down. The tower roared and so did I. They disappeared down the tower and I continued to shake and scratch at the tower. I took one last hit and the tower fell. There was a wave of silence. There was only miles of fog and darkness left. I was upset. There was no more light and no more noise. I left and never wanted to return.

I don't go back to the tower because I loved that tower and I destroyed it. I figured out that I can't love something too much in this world. That's why I don't return. I don't want to fall in love with the new tower and have it be destroyed again. Now I stay down in the depths of the sea, just waiting. I wait for something new.

Civil War Raft Letter

Dear Husband,

I have volunteered to become a nurse. I take care/tend to sick wounded soldiers. I currently work in a military hospital. I spent some time following the military and tending to soldiers where they would fall. When I worked following the military, the sight was horrible. There were bodies everywhere, whether they were injured or dead. In the hospitals the death rate is high and not many are often cured. I am glad that I am helping soldiers and curing the injured and saving lives, but it is hard to watch the people who don't survive. Infections are also very common which takes a high tole on the deaths and some don't even seek for medical care. Its nice to know I am helping lives, but it is a hard job.

Sincerely,
Sarah

What does being a witness mean to you?

To me, a witness is a person or a bystander who watches an event take place. This event typically could be a illegal act/crime. A witness sees an incident happing and does not participate in the act, but is still a part of it. Typically like a bystander.

How, if at all, were you transformed by your experience in LA?

I was transformed because I was introduced to more information about The Holocaust and The Japanese-Americans. After going to the museums, I realized even more how terrible these events were. When we went through the two museums,  I learned about the experience they had while living through World War II. My mind opened up and still makes me think about how anything like this could ever happen.

Sixty Acres by Raymond Carver

The protagonist Lee Waite in the short story "Sixty Acres" by Raymond Carver is faced with making two important decisions, leasing his settlement or not. Lee Waite was offered a thousand dollars to lease his land, but he is confused and contemplating what he wants to do. He is unsure and believes its better to not lease his land even though it will still be his.

These decisions that Lee Waite has to make express his emotions by showing his brave side while another decision represents his fearful cautious side. By leasing his land, Lee Waite shows how he wants to take a risk and how his curiosity comes into play, but by Lee Waite not leasing his land it shows his protective and cautious side because he could not want to leave his land or let any damage happen to it. The biggest decision I have ever made was deciding in fourth grade if I wanted to transfer schools. At my old school, I was faced with picking between staying where I was or leaving to come to Laguna. At the time it was very hard for me because I had been in the same environment for about five years and leaving really terrified me as a fourth grader. I decided that a change was good even when I felt like I was making a wrong decision.

What Would Go into My Time Capsule?

The first thing I would put into my capsule is many pictures of the family vacations I went on with my family. While I was younger, traveling around California would be a very fun tradition that would make our family closer. 
The second thing I would put into my time capsule is my fourth grade graduation paper. My elementary school was a memorable and exceptional time of my life. 
The third thing I would put would be a small dove ornament that is always hung on our Christmas tree. This dove has been passed down through many family generations is significant and special to our family.    
The fourth and final thing I would put to remember myself would be the CD for Kidz Bop 2. Me and my sister when we were really young would rock out to it on the daily. 
My capsule would be made out of a box covered in the many flags of my nationalities.