Thursday, August 29, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Final Coming of Age Essay
Tap, tap, tap. I couldn't stop fidgeting as my family and I sat in the waiting room. My mom had been pregnant for 5 months, and we were at the doctor's to find out the gender of my new sibling. I've always been a daddy's girl, and hated the idea of having to share my dad's attention, so one part of me was extremely excited in finding out whether I had a brother or sister, and the other, not so much. "Amalia Maestro?" the receptionist called. I stood up and walked as slowly as I could, being the last person to walk into the room. I looked at my dad, who smiled sheepishly at me, looking as nervous and excited as the rest of my family did. Here we go, I thought to myself as the doctor walked in.
After about twenty minutes, the doctor was able to get a clear picture of my sibling. "It looks like it's a girl!" she gushed. And at that moment, every pair of eyes were on me. I couldn't exactly be angry with anyone, because I obviously had no control over the gender of the baby, so, being the amazing child I am, I smiled and went along with the conversation. I knew that I had to keep an open mind about my sister, because I couldn't exactly ignore her, like I do with most of my problems. I mean, she wasn't a problem, mind you. However, I was the only daughter in the family, and sharing was never a part of my vocabulary, so I sulked, and already felt jealous of my unborn sister.
Throughout the rest of my mom's pregnancy, many jokes revolved around my sister stealing my dad's attention, but I tried my best to remain positive and keep an open mind. One morning, I walked into my living room and found out that my mom was giving birth, so I spent a night with my grandmother and cousins. The next day, my brother, cousin, and I visited the hospital. It was impossible to get rid of my anxiety while being surrounded by white walls and cold, sterile air. When I walked into the room, I, at first, saw my mom, who looked extremely tired, carrying my baby sister, Sophia. I reached out to take her in my arms, and at first I was extremely scared of dropping her, so I quickly sat down. I looked at her and saw a bright red, sleeping face; a face that knew of no troubles in the world. And I immediately knew, it wasn't going to be as horrible as I thought.
The night Sophia was born was an extremely nerve-wracking night for me. I couldn't stop imagining the changes she would make in the family, but I soon found out that those changes were positive. She created moments we would never have created if it wan't for her. Moments that tied the entire family together. And as Sophia grew older, I'll admit, we did have our horrible moments. I mean, what do you expect from a crazed 2-year-old? But through those ups and downs, she and I became very close to each other. I even think it's safe to say that she likes me more than my brother.
What did I learn from all this? Well, first of all, not everything is as it seems. I learned to be much more open minded to changes. My sister caused me to be much more caring; to provide to those around me. I do admit, I have my selfish moments, and I still do put myself before anyone else, but since Sophia was born, I became more hospitable and cared more about the needs of other people, because having a sister who doesn't take no for an answer leads you to pay less attention to yourself. I've learned to make the most of the smallest moments, because they're never repeated again, and to take on more responsibility, because I know that sometimes, my parents do need a break. Also, she turned out to prefer my mom over my dad, so, I still remain the apple of my dad's eye, and everyone is happy. I mean, except for my brother, who now has to vie for the attention of my mother.
After about twenty minutes, the doctor was able to get a clear picture of my sibling. "It looks like it's a girl!" she gushed. And at that moment, every pair of eyes were on me. I couldn't exactly be angry with anyone, because I obviously had no control over the gender of the baby, so, being the amazing child I am, I smiled and went along with the conversation. I knew that I had to keep an open mind about my sister, because I couldn't exactly ignore her, like I do with most of my problems. I mean, she wasn't a problem, mind you. However, I was the only daughter in the family, and sharing was never a part of my vocabulary, so I sulked, and already felt jealous of my unborn sister.
Throughout the rest of my mom's pregnancy, many jokes revolved around my sister stealing my dad's attention, but I tried my best to remain positive and keep an open mind. One morning, I walked into my living room and found out that my mom was giving birth, so I spent a night with my grandmother and cousins. The next day, my brother, cousin, and I visited the hospital. It was impossible to get rid of my anxiety while being surrounded by white walls and cold, sterile air. When I walked into the room, I, at first, saw my mom, who looked extremely tired, carrying my baby sister, Sophia. I reached out to take her in my arms, and at first I was extremely scared of dropping her, so I quickly sat down. I looked at her and saw a bright red, sleeping face; a face that knew of no troubles in the world. And I immediately knew, it wasn't going to be as horrible as I thought.
The night Sophia was born was an extremely nerve-wracking night for me. I couldn't stop imagining the changes she would make in the family, but I soon found out that those changes were positive. She created moments we would never have created if it wan't for her. Moments that tied the entire family together. And as Sophia grew older, I'll admit, we did have our horrible moments. I mean, what do you expect from a crazed 2-year-old? But through those ups and downs, she and I became very close to each other. I even think it's safe to say that she likes me more than my brother.
What did I learn from all this? Well, first of all, not everything is as it seems. I learned to be much more open minded to changes. My sister caused me to be much more caring; to provide to those around me. I do admit, I have my selfish moments, and I still do put myself before anyone else, but since Sophia was born, I became more hospitable and cared more about the needs of other people, because having a sister who doesn't take no for an answer leads you to pay less attention to yourself. I've learned to make the most of the smallest moments, because they're never repeated again, and to take on more responsibility, because I know that sometimes, my parents do need a break. Also, she turned out to prefer my mom over my dad, so, I still remain the apple of my dad's eye, and everyone is happy. I mean, except for my brother, who now has to vie for the attention of my mother.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Coming of Age Essay: Draft
Tap, tap, tap. I couldn't stop fidgeting as my family and I sat in the waiting room. One part of me was extremely excited in finding out whether I had a brother or sister, and the other, not so much. I've always been a daddy's girl, and hated the idea of having to share my dad's attention. "Amalia Maestro?" the receptionist called. I stood up and walked as slowly as I could, being the last person to walk into the room. Here we go, I thought to myself as the doctor walked in.
After about twenty minutes, the doctor was able to get a clear picture of my sibling. "It looks like it's a girl!" she gushed. And at that moment, every pair of eyes were on me. I couldn't exactly be angry with anyone, obviously, because I have no control over the gender of the baby, so, being the amazing child I am, I smiled and went along with the conversation. There was nothing wrong with having a sister. But I've always been the favorite to my dad, and I was afraid that the title would go to her.
I tried to remain positive over the next few months, And one morning, I walked into my living room and found out that my mom was giving birth, so I spent a night with my grandmother and cousins. The next day, my brother, cousin, and I visited the hospital, and when I walked into the room, I, at first, saw my mom, who looked extremely tired, carrying my baby sister. I reached out to take her in my arms, and at first I was extremely scared of dropping her, so I quickly sat down, and I knew, it wasn't going to be as horrible as I thought.
After about twenty minutes, the doctor was able to get a clear picture of my sibling. "It looks like it's a girl!" she gushed. And at that moment, every pair of eyes were on me. I couldn't exactly be angry with anyone, obviously, because I have no control over the gender of the baby, so, being the amazing child I am, I smiled and went along with the conversation. There was nothing wrong with having a sister. But I've always been the favorite to my dad, and I was afraid that the title would go to her.
I tried to remain positive over the next few months, And one morning, I walked into my living room and found out that my mom was giving birth, so I spent a night with my grandmother and cousins. The next day, my brother, cousin, and I visited the hospital, and when I walked into the room, I, at first, saw my mom, who looked extremely tired, carrying my baby sister. I reached out to take her in my arms, and at first I was extremely scared of dropping her, so I quickly sat down, and I knew, it wasn't going to be as horrible as I thought.
The night Sophia was born was an extremely nerve-wracking night for me. I couldn't stop imagining the changes she would make in the family, but I soon found out that those changes were positive. She created moments that tied the family closer together. And as Sophia grew older, I'll admit, we did have our horrible moments. I mean, what do you expect from a crazed 2-year-old? But, she and I eventually became very close to each other. I even think it's safe to say that she likes me more than my brother.
What did I learn from all this? Well, first of all, not everything is as it seems. I learned to be much more open minded to changes. No to mention, more older-sister instincts kicked in. I became a wiser, more responsible person, and I could say that it's all thanks to my sister. She was a huge change to my life. Oh, and she prefers my mom over my dad, so, I still remain the apple of my dad's eye, and everyone is happy, I mean, except for my brother, who now has to vie for the attention of my mother.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Group Position Statements: Mini Essay
1. First off, the people who got into accidents got involved themselves into activities
• For example, Daniel Dick, who was an 18-year-old, was lifted 3-5 feet after straddling a blowhole.
• David Potts fell into a blowhole after dancing around it. Even more surprising was the fact that he was 44.
• Paula Ramirez, 29, and Elizabeth Brem, 35, apparently walked off of a steep cliff near Opaekaa Falls, in Kauai.
2. Most, if not all, locations have warnings of the dangers in the area. The people who didn't heed the warnings were basically asking for it.
3. Naturally, adults have a better understanding of the consequences of their actions. Also, these people should have known better than to do weird things in a place they didn't know properly. Your conscience should be able to keep you from straddling a blowhole.
• For example, Daniel Dick, who was an 18-year-old, was lifted 3-5 feet after straddling a blowhole.
• David Potts fell into a blowhole after dancing around it. Even more surprising was the fact that he was 44.
• Paula Ramirez, 29, and Elizabeth Brem, 35, apparently walked off of a steep cliff near Opaekaa Falls, in Kauai.
2. Most, if not all, locations have warnings of the dangers in the area. The people who didn't heed the warnings were basically asking for it.
3. Naturally, adults have a better understanding of the consequences of their actions. Also, these people should have known better than to do weird things in a place they didn't know properly. Your conscience should be able to keep you from straddling a blowhole.
Naturally, adults have a better understanding of the consequences of their actions. Also, these people should have known better than to do weird things in a place they didn't know properly. Your conscience should be able to keep you from straddling a blowhole. The government should not be responsible for what these people do; their attention can't be given to these people alone.
The people who were involved in the accidents were obviously very reckless. David Potts fell into a blowhole after dancing around it. Even more surprising was the fact that he was 44. The only warning the site had provided was hand painted on a rock, however neither the Maui VIsitors Bureau nor Maui County had promoted the area as an attraction. 18-year-old Daniel Dick straddled a blowhole, was lifted 3-5 feet, and landed head first onto a rocky crevice, which led to his death. First off, what does someone expect when straddling a blowhole? Even though the warning sign was far from the actual site, some common sense would have been able to keep Daniel from doing what he did. There have been a lack of warnings in the two cases, however the accidents could have been avoided if the two men had been more cautious.
Even though the government hadn't put up many warnings, most of these accidents had involved adults, who should know more than anyone else. People, instinctively, shouldn't risking their lives so carelessly, especially in a place they're unfamiliar with.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Group Position Statements
Group Position Statements: Sage, Christian, Tyler S.
1. First off, the people who got into accidents got involved themselves into activities
• For example, Daniel Dick, who was an 18-year-old, was lifted 3-5 feet after straddling a blowhole.
• David Potts fell into a blowhole after dancing around it. Even more surprising was the fact that he was 44.
• Paula Ramirez, 29, and Elizabeth Brem, 35, apparently walked off of a steep cliff near Opaekaa Falls, in Kauai.
2. Most, if not all, locations have warnings of the dangers in the area. The people who didn't heed the warnings were basically asking for it.
3. Naturally, adults have a better understanding of the consequences of their actions. Also, these people should have known better than to do weird things in a place they didn't know properly. Your conscience should be able to keep you from straddling a blowhole.
1. First off, the people who got into accidents got involved themselves into activities
• For example, Daniel Dick, who was an 18-year-old, was lifted 3-5 feet after straddling a blowhole.
• David Potts fell into a blowhole after dancing around it. Even more surprising was the fact that he was 44.
• Paula Ramirez, 29, and Elizabeth Brem, 35, apparently walked off of a steep cliff near Opaekaa Falls, in Kauai.
2. Most, if not all, locations have warnings of the dangers in the area. The people who didn't heed the warnings were basically asking for it.
3. Naturally, adults have a better understanding of the consequences of their actions. Also, these people should have known better than to do weird things in a place they didn't know properly. Your conscience should be able to keep you from straddling a blowhole.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Revision Process
My blog is based on the quote, "Sic Itur Ad Astra," or, "Thus, you shall go to the stars." This phrase comes from book IV of Aeneid, a Latin poem written by Virgil. Originally, the phrase means, "thus is immortality gained," however I see it as a way of gaining hope for the future. Stars symbolize many things: hopes, wishes, success, the list goes on. In this particular phrase, however, I think that the stars are my dreams. This phrase, to me, is encouraging because it shows me that as I'm growing older, I'm getting closer and closer to those stars.
Other changes include a new background, color palette, and header. I really jumped onto the whole, "stars," theme, and if you notice the girl at the bottom of the picture, I felt that she suited the feel of the theme itself. Also, if you look onto your right side, you'll find the archive, which goes from the newest to the oldest posts.
Other changes include a new background, color palette, and header. I really jumped onto the whole, "stars," theme, and if you notice the girl at the bottom of the picture, I felt that she suited the feel of the theme itself. Also, if you look onto your right side, you'll find the archive, which goes from the newest to the oldest posts.
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