Novel Journal Entry

"Kate has acute promyelocytic leukemia." pg.33

The book "My Sisters Keeper" by Jodi Picoult connects to me because i have had a friend die of cancer. Shelly died four months ago. It was the beginning of the summer, and school had gotten out a couple of weeks prior. The stress was just starting to lift off my shoulders, and I was starting to relax. Everybody knew it was coming. Shelly had been sick for as long as i can remember, but she would always hide it. Making everything look okay. Her and her son had gone on many final vacations together throughout the school year. The kemo therapy had had its last few trials.

Shelly never wanted us visiting after kemo. She didn't like us to see her sick. Shelly would always have BBQ's and pool parties acting like nothing was wrong. But you could see it. Kate from the novel only ever wanted to be treated equally. During thanksgiving Kate and her family were playing football. Her brother had forgotten that Kate was so fragile and tackled her to the ground. Her mother yelled at her brother and asked if Kate was alright. All Kate every wanted was to be treated like nothing was wrong, like she wasn't sick. By her brother forgetting about the cancer, Kate was feeling "awesome".

Every time she looked at her son she knew soon there would be a last. Soon she would have to check into hospice house. Shelly still did not want us to visit her. She had accepted it though, and the summer continued as it would have. It was a festival of life. A celebration of everything Shelly stood for and what we remembered her by.

Assignment #3

1. In the story "The Perils of Indifference" by Elie Wiesel it is demonstrated that standing by and watching injustice happen and not raising concern is an everyday action that human kind partakes in.

2. In the story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson the townspeople believe sacrifice in return for good crops is acceptable because they have always know this way. If somebody is willing to teach a way and people are willing to learn it they will follow. The Rwanda Genocide is a good example of how can a nation can believe in one thing even though it is clearly not right to the rest of the world. The Hutu's and Tootsies had a disagreement and thought the best way to end it was to commit countless acts of murder. It is easy when your way of life or culture of people support the decisions, no matter how bad, to fall into a pattern and think it is okay to commit crimes.

3. The connection between Elie Wiesel's "The Perils of Indifference" and "The Lottery" is that people do not go out of their way to help others if it means endangering themselves. We watch everyday others get harmed and ridiculed. But if it means putting ourselves or our family in danger we will standby and watch it happen. Elie, with the story "The Perils of Indifference" was attempting to show how humankind does not care until it happens to them. In "The Lottery" no one in the town people could care less about the vulgar murders until they were the one who got put into the possession of the black dot. Greed and ignorance fulfills all of us. There is no control over the way the human brain divides these situations.

#2 Cliche

Love at First Sight
     The Sunshine was bright in the sky, The birds were singing, A new day had sprung. Then I saw him. Innocent as the day he was born. He was angelic and melancholy. Like a rose with no thorns. The moment our eyes locked I knew he was the one, the only. Nothing in the world could break this, it was meant to be. His eyes peered deep into my soul. As pure as pure can be. Our arms reached out, then our hands touched. A spark ignited the fire in my heart. This fire could never be put out. This feeling is as light a air. I knew at this moment if I were to fall he would catch me with arms wide open. Just as I would fight with the heart of a thousand armies. He suddenly looked to the right. A women stood in the doorway, as Beautiful as the day is young, much more than I. Turning back we locked eyes once again, but this time he was not as true. Love is blind, but will God please stop showing me the truth to that?
Love is a funny thing. As they say, every rose has its thorns. I feel the pedals shriveling, dying. Though the fire in my heart refuses to die, it holds no argument to staying alive on coals. It's all fair in love and war, but maybe my army should surrender. From this day forward every day will feel like Monday. A new day will come, but not as long as the previous. The sun will shine again, but not as bright as it used to. And so I have learned it is better to love and lost, then to have not loved at all.

Assignment #1 - Super Power

If I could have any super power in the world it would be to fly. Flying is far more superior than any other super power in the world. Flying saves gas as well as saves time. You can save a cat from a tree or save people from a burning high rise. A Reason why my super power is better than any other in the world is you get to have a really cool costume. To get good air time you cannot have baggy clothing dragging you down. You need a bright sparkly spandex suit! Along with the colorful suit you can also have a cape. Every other super hero has no use of a cape or spandex suit. It only makes sense to have a cape if you are flying. Along with the totally awesome outfit, I get a nickname that has something to do with birds. Another reason why flying would be the best is because I would be the only superhero able to catch up to Peter Pan, and find Never Never Land. While taking a break from your super hero life you can take a trip around the world, and take a loved one with you. Now i know that super strength, or invisibility sound pretty awesome but can they see the world in under a minute? didn't think so.   =]