Creative

They left you here, didn’t they?

I left myself here.

He turned and went limping down the stairs and opened the front door and went out into the street backward watching the house. When he got to the cart he pulled it upright and piled their things back in. Stay close, he whispered. Stay close.

Are you sure you are really ok poppa

Yes, I'm fine

Ok

The two stood there for a brief moment. Standing in the cold of the harsh winter. For just a moment, he wished that he could die. This was not an option though, he was no longer living for himself. These thoughts running through his head seemed to leave a remnant of bitterness in his heart. But he knew it was not the fault of the boy so he tried not to take his anger out on him. The man could see that the boy did not understand life yet. He thought the only way he would feel better is if the boy understood his actions.

Did you notice how I never asked for his name?

Whoose?

The robber

Yes poppa

That's just in case I had to use the pistol

But poppa we’re the good guys, and the good guys don’t hurt people

The man knew he had done nothing wrong, but wished the boy could see that too. They began to walk, slowly down the road not knowing what the future had in store. The boy was not settled, he seemed to be preparing for the worse.

They put up in a store building at the end of the town. He wheeled the cart through and into a room at the rear and shut the door and pushed the cart against it sideways. He dug out the burner and the tank of gas and lit the burner and set it in the floor and then he unbuckled his belt and took off his bloodstained trousers.

Narrative

The things they carried were what was needed to survive. Carrying them around made the soldiers feel safe, secure, and in some cases comfortable. This shows that there are two types of soldiers. Ones who carry keepsakes and things with meaning to them, and ones who strictly carry weapons to be brought onto the battlefield.  Each individual soldier had to decide if protection or comfort was more important. Each was given basic weapons, but some decided that extra was needed. Pocket knives, steel helmets, fatigue jackets, flack jackets, .45-caliber pistols, and M-60’s were carried for protection. The ones carrying these may have been viewed as brave and war ready, but in reality were the ones who were likely the most scared. People who carry around weapons don’t do it to fight with them, but instead to intimidate their opponent. Soldiers who do this lack courage, and eventually are the ones who become paranoid on and off the battlefield.

Other soldiers decided to carry other things on their journeys. Carrying love letters and Bibles gave the soldiers the motivation to make it back home. It reminded the soldiers that there was more to live for in life. Love and religion are just two of the many things that gave the soldiers hope. This motivation and hope eventually turns into courage. When enough courage is built up a soldier is now able to make it through the war. "They were tough. They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing--these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight. They carried shameful memories . Soldiers in the armed forces are taught and trained to believe fear is a weakness. If fear is spotted in the heart of a soldier, they are considered cowards and have to live on with this reputation forever. In battle, if a soldier sees fear in the eyes of his opponent they are almost certain that they will be victorious. Fear is not something soldiers will admit to, but it is a feeling that is inside of them. This shows that soldiers covered there true feelings by acting brave and heroic, when in actuality they were scared.  These men were put in a situation where they were most likely to die. This would put fear in the heart of anyone. The courageous and confident soldiers were the ones who survived. The determination kept them mentally able to handle the situation and survive the war.  

Courage can be the best weapon on the battlefield if it is used correctly. This is why it is that that It's not the size of the dog in the fight; but the size of the fight in the dog. Courage and determination are stronger than any weapon that can be used on the battlefield. I survived, but it's not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war." This quote shows that when in war, you must not show any emotions of fear towards your opposition. This also proves that having courage and not being afraid are two separate things.  

Soldiers who carry around things inspirational to them are more likely to survive than those who don't. This is because they have spunk. Courage is a soldiers best friend. It’s not always easy to have courage though, thats why imagination is needed to keep sanity.

Citations - 

Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction. New York: Broadway, 1998. Print.

Analytical

I would sit and stare at my plate for as long I can remember making sure I did not accidentally touch a piece of one of the slimy beans on my plate. My mom would start off by telling me that they were good for me, and I needed to eat them, but as the night progressed she would find herself telling me I couldn’t leave the table without eating them or that if I got up it would be my dinner for tomorrow. I would sit there for hours and eventually begin to poke at my food hoping somehow this would make it disappear. Some nights, after an hour of sitting I would just begin to doze off.

I used this time to imagine. I would think of floating in space on a N.A.S.A spaceship, or being a knight in a jousting tournament. I would block out everything else that was going on around me and focus on my daydreams. It was like I had my own little world, one where I did not have to eat vegetables. In these worlds, I could be whatever I wanted to be, and had no one who could stop me. Those times seemed like the best in the world. I was i my happy place and did not want to leave.

On nights when I would be given spinach, I would daydream about eating it and becoming Popeye the Sailor. Often times, I would enjoy doing this and would end up eating my vegetables. Not because I liked the way it tasted, but because I my imagination overpowered my reality. It was like I would eat the leaves of of impulse. While chewing the leaves, I would taste a sugary flavor and begin to enjoy the food. I think my imagination made me think that spinach wasn’t all that bad after all. My mom would come downstairs and say “see, that wasn’t bad at all. You could have been done hour ago”. Most times, I would ignore her and try to get back to my imagination. It was better than anything else around, and unlike TV the episodes were always new and original.

Now that I look back, I see that mind over matter actually works. This all comes from imagination. Tricking your brain into thinking something is actually happening. When you do this you may be able to do things you never thought were possible. If you try it one day it might work out for you.

No one likes being bored, this is the reason the entertainment industry makes so much money every year. Every week professional athletes put their bodies on the line to entertain the public. But the question is do sports fans value entertainment more than safety? Sports such as football, boxing, and bull riding are very physically demanding jobs, everyday people are seriously injured from doing these activities. People keep supporting the sports industry even though it is dangerous to the players just because it is entertaining.

In recent years, the NFL has been doing research to see the long term effect of football on its players. These studies are the result of former players now starting lawsuits against the NFL for hiding the long term consequences of the sport, even though they knew the risk. Neurologists have determined that football can lead to many brain diseases, a major one being CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Some people who suffer from this have been known to have very short memories and others have even taken their own lives to try to cope with the pain the disease comes with. CTE includes symptoms such as memory loss, impaired judgement, anxiety, depression, and suicidality just to name a few. CTE also leads to Alzheimer's disease or worse ALS. Fans are very well aware of the consequences of playing professionally. This still does not stop them from encouraging huge hits and dangerous contact. Some players receive blows to the helmet and fans cheer for the collision. These same fans then turn to say that they would not allow their children to play the sport. Hall of fame quarterback Brett Farve said in an interview that even though he loves the sport is and glad he played, he would not allow his son to play a sport that violent. This shows that the safety of others is not important to them as long as they are entertained in the process. When injuries happen people even mock the player who has been injured, This is horrible and inhumane in every way possible.

The NFL is now involved in many lawsuits from former players for negligence and fraud because of head traumas found after their playing careers. An example of this is former NFL cornerback Paul Oliver. His repetitive head traumas led him to become moody, have memory loss, and anger issues. As a result of this, he shot himself in the head in front of his wife and children.His family and neurologist claim the suicide was a "direct result of the injuries, depression and emotional suffering caused by repetitive head trauma and concussions suffered as a result of playing football, not properly appreciating football's risks with respect to head trauma"   They say the NFL knew the long term risk of the sport but hid them.

Unlike football, the intent in boxing is to physically beat an opponent. The whole concept of the sport is violent. Fighters come into the match expecting to knock their opponent unconscious. Some doctors will call the process a severe concussion because of the similar trauma experienced. Muhammad Ali now suffers from Parkinson's disease because of the many blows taken to the head in his career. This has essentially left him paralyzed for the rest of his life.  The list of boxing injuries goes on and on.  The sport is so violent that some have even been brutally beaten to death in the ring. Spectators care in absolutely no way. They instead come up with sayings like if you cant take the beating stay out of the ring. Boxing has generated a lot of its money through bets placed by fans. This is something they can do to entertain themselves while the fighters spend months training for a fight. People then throw parties to watch the fight. The whole time they cheer for a certain fighter to knock the other out.

Unlike football and boxing bull riding does not have as many fans, but still has a reputable amount of fans. These fans come to rodeos to see if their favorite cowboy can stay on a bull for 8 seconds. The fans in this sport don’t necessarily cheer for violence but do support it in one way or another. Some fans cheer hoping their cowboys make it the 8 seconds to qualify and others stand hoping they fall off. When a rider falls off the bull, he is in more danger than most people will ever be in. Unlike a head to head collision in football or a strong uppercut in boxing, when hit by a 2,000 pound angry animal most people may not get up. Fans never want to see this happen but do support the idea of the sport. They love the thrill and anticipation of every ride knowing inside what could happen if those 8 seconds are not reached. Fans are entertained by the idea of not knowing what could happen in the run.

No one likes being bored, this is the reason the entertainment industry makes so much money every year. Every week professional athletes put their bodies on the line to entertain the public. But the question is do sports fans value entertainment more than safety? Sports such as football, boxing, and bull riding are very physically demanding jobs, everyday people are seriously injured from doing these activities. People keep supporting the sports industry even though it is dangerous to the players just because it is entertaining.

In recent years, the NFL has been doing research to see the long term effect of football on its players. These studies are the result of former players now starting lawsuits against the NFL for hiding the long term consequences of the sport, even though they knew the risk. Neurologists have determined that football can lead to many brain diseases, a major one being CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Some people who suffer from this have been known to have very short memories and others have even taken their own lives to try to cope with the pain the disease comes with. CTE includes symptoms such as memory loss, impaired judgement, anxiety, depression, and suicidality just to name a few. CTE also leads to Alzheimer's disease or worse ALS. Fans are very well aware of the consequences of playing professionally. This still does not stop them from encouraging huge hits and dangerous contact. Some players receive blows to the helmet and fans cheer for the collision. These same fans then turn to say that they would not allow their children to play the sport. Hall of fame quarterback Brett Farve said in an interview that even though he loves the sport is and glad he played, he would not allow his son to play a sport that violent. This shows that the safety of others is not important to them as long as they are entertained in the process. When injuries happen people even mock the player who has been injured, This is horrible and inhumane in every way possible.

The NFL is now involved in many lawsuits from former players for negligence and fraud because of head traumas found after their playing careers. An example of this is former NFL cornerback Paul Oliver. His repetitive head traumas led him to become moody, have memory loss, and anger issues. As a result of this, he shot himself in the head in front of his wife and children.His family and neurologist claim the suicide was a "direct result of the injuries, depression and emotional suffering caused by repetitive head trauma and concussions suffered as a result of playing football, not properly appreciating football's risks with respect to head trauma"   They say the NFL knew the long term risk of the sport but hid them.

Unlike football, the intent in boxing is to physically beat an opponent. The whole concept of the sport is violent. Fighters come into the match expecting to knock their opponent unconscious. Some doctors will call the process a severe concussion because of the similar trauma experienced. Muhammad Ali now suffers from Parkinson's disease because of the many blows taken to the head in his career. This has essentially left him paralyzed for the rest of his life.  The list of boxing injuries goes on and on.  The sport is so violent that some have even been brutally beaten to death in the ring. Spectators care in absolutely no way. They instead come up with sayings like if you cant take the beating stay out of the ring. Boxing has generated a lot of its money through bets placed by fans. This is something they can do to entertain themselves while the fighters spend months training for a fight. People then throw parties to watch the fight. The whole time they cheer for a certain fighter to knock the other out.

Unlike football and boxing bull riding does not have as many fans, but still has a reputable amount of fans. These fans come to rodeos to see if their favorite cowboy can stay on a bull for 8 seconds. The fans in this sport don’t necessarily cheer for violence but do support it in one way or another. Some fans cheer hoping their cowboys make it the 8 seconds to qualify and others stand hoping they fall off. When a rider falls off the bull, he is in more danger than most people will ever be in. Unlike a head to head collision in football or a strong uppercut in boxing, when hit by a 2,000 pound angry animal most people may not get up. Fans never want to see this happen but do support the idea of the sport. They love the thrill and anticipation of every ride knowing inside what could happen if those 8 seconds are not reached. Fans are entertained by the idea of not knowing what could happen in the run.

Final Portfolio

This year in World History, I learned about different countries throughout the world. If I was asked to give a theme about my history class this year, I would say the main idea was change. People all over the world have been fighting oppressors for their rights since the beginning of time. Earlier in the year during our revolution unit, we focused a lot on Ukraine. The people were trying to start a revolution to change the government. They read books and studied different revolution tactics. They took a lot of strategies from Egypt's revolution a few years earlier. The key thing they learned is that the point of a revolution is too see change, and in no circumstance should you leave before you see drastic improvements. I learned that strategies in revolutions evolve over time due to trial and error.

Majority  of the countries we learned about this year are not considered first world countries so I did not learn a lot about them previously. One thing a number of these countries had in common is that they started off wealthy. When I found this out, I spent the first three marking periods wondering how they went from these amazing dynasties to the state they are in today. When the fourth quarter began, I learned how this decline was possible. The explanation behind it is colonization. And another thing these countries had in common is how they were colonized. The countries acknowledged that the land was not theirs but everyones. Western civilizations had a different opinion on the land and felt that they should claim everything for the name of their lords. I find it fascinating that every group of natives accepted the explorers and welcomed them into their land. In some cases the natives even seemed to help and aid the explorers in taking over their land.

Alot of people have problems with the way society is today, but they seem to forget you don't have to sit back and wait for an epidemic, you can start one yourself. In the beginning of the year, we learned about the Keystone XL Pipeline. We talked about the pros and cons to extending the pipeline. Alot of people in the classroom had different ideas and views and opinions on what should be done. We didn’t realize it, but we ourselves can really get involved and make a difference in our communities. Petitions are a great way to create awareness about problems and issues in our communities. This may not be the biggest way to create a change, but it is a great start.

Presidents Speech

Were set to go live in 30 seconds and i still don't have my water.   (Clears throat ) 5 years ago, a friend came to me and asked me to read something over for him. SO I told him sure and kept on with my day. About a month later my schedule allotted me some time to read over this document presented to me from my northern friends in Alberta, ( Quickly Clears throat ). It was a proposed document to extend a pipeline that runs through the great plains of our majestic country and you know what I did. ( quick sarcastic laugh ). Well when I got back to him a couple of months later I told him its plausible. I mean why not right, creates jobs for our depriving economy. Why not, if it brings in millions of dollars more in tax money. I don't see a problem with that I stated. But being the democracy this is, I figured before I made any big decision I would talk it over with the people. And when I mentioned the idea of the pipeline expanding, I got mixed reactions. Reactions of joy and reactions of sadness, reactions of hatred and of approval. So I got back to this friend again and told him that we as a group of united people will talk over the proposal another time and as soon as we came to a definite decision I would let him know. Here we are 4 years later and still have not made up our minds. Maybe because we have been focusing on bigger things such as the war and funding the troops, but I feel we have waited long enough. We as a people need to decide, make a decision. Weigh the benefits and consequences of our choice. Should we go with the benefits we see beforehand. Or should we take a chance with the environment. Well personally I’d love to call my friend back and say sure, you can start building tomorrow, but I’m not sure that can happen. I am not sure we want to damage the environment beyond repair by taking a risk a chance a leap of faith. I don't think thats what we should do America, but at this point its not up to me its up to you.        

The Alberta News

“Hi, my name is Jeff Hankrich and I am reporting to you live at the building of the Keystone Pipeline XL. (walks around trying to get a better idea of what's going on) Here at the scene, there are hundreds of people, from corporate executives to angry mobs blocking the construction site. I mean it’s just ridiculous out here. To get a better view, we’ll go inside the crowd to find out exactly why all of these people are here. ( whispers “pss come on” for the camera man to follow ). Here with me today is Ms. Cindy Lou who traveled all the way from right here in our beloved city of Alberta, Canada to tell us exactly what is happening here. ( Says I see every now and then ). Well folks this is just in, Ms. Cindy Lou told us that the oil executives have lied to us and don't care about the safety of the pipes, they just want the money. Wow, I don't know who to trust anymore. Lets go inside enemy lines and get there take on the statement made by American Cindy Lou. Ok folks were here with Russ Girling to get his views on the matter. Hello Russ, I would like to know what you think on the whole pipeline idea.... Well you heard it here first on Alberta's number one news station Transcanada CEO Russ Girling feels these reports are outrageous and says we need to keep our oil out the middle east. Well I don't know about you but that idea sounds pretty good to me. We’ll keep you updated on the situation happening here but remember, protecting the environment is key to being able to live here for years to come.

The Protest

Hello chief,

Sargent Buchanan told me that I was supposed to come here to fill out a report on the surveillance of the protest.. Thank you sir... do you have a pen I can borrow... I appreciate it... Ok so here is what happened today, the construction workers came to the sight as planned. And protesters threw themselves on the ground the the vehicles were supposed to be working. ( Sighs ). I just don't stand the inconsideration of those people. Just not too much goes on in this here. Where was I sir,... thanks, so like I was saying, the trucks were there as planned and these protestors just threw themselves on the ground ground making sure the workers could not get through. At this point Sargent Buchanan called in for back up but since its such a small town he found out we were the only troopers in the state of Nebraska. So he pulled out his megaphone and started shouting orders, (takes a sip of tea) and by that point every last one of them put there hands in front of them as if they were saying arrest me. But as we both knew there was not enough prison vacancies in the state to arrest these people. So we thought starting the truck would surely scare them away. But we were wrong. Its like they were fighting to save something. It was deeper than just some pipe being built. It brought all different types people throughout the state together. Its like this all had a meaning now. They were fighting for what they call home. They didn't want to see the land destroyed by the chemicals running through that pipe. Now I see why they did it, I understand how they felt. After all they need food and shelter just like the rest of us. So you see chief, I feel we should let them protest them fight, they are standing up for themselves.. ( takes pause ) they are protecting the only thing they know as home.

Presidents Speech

Were set to go live in 30 seconds and i still don't have my water.   (Clears throat ) 5 years ago, a friend came to me and asked me to read something over for him. SO I told him sure and kept on with my day. About a month later my schedule allotted me some time to read over this document presented to me from my northern friends in Alberta, ( Quickly Clears throat ). It was a proposed document to extend a pipeline that runs through the great plains of our majestic country and you know what I did. ( quick sarcastic laugh ). Well when I got back to him a couple of months later I told him its plausible. I mean why not right, creates jobs for our depriving economy. Why not, if it brings in millions of dollars more in tax money. I don't see a problem with that I stated. But being the democracy this is, I figured before I made any big decision I would talk it over with the people. And when I mentioned the idea of the pipeline expanding, I got mixed reactions. Reactions of joy and reactions of sadness, reactions of hatred and of approval. So I got back to this friend again and told him that we as a group of united people will talk over the proposal another time and as soon as we came to a definite decision I would let him know. Here we are 4 years later and still have not made up our minds. Maybe because we have been focusing on bigger things such as the war and funding the troops, but I feel we have waited long enough. We as a people need to decide, make a decision. Weigh the benefits and consequences of our choice. Should we go with the benefits we see beforehand. Or should we take a chance with the environment. Well personally I’d love to call my friend back and say sure, you can start building tomorrow, but I’m not sure that can happen. I am not sure we want to damage the environment beyond repair by taking a risk a chance a leap of faith. I don't think thats what we should do America, but at this point its not up to me its up to you.        

The Alberta News

“Hi, my name is Jeff Hankrich and I am reporting to you live at the building of the Keystone Pipeline XL. (walks around trying to get a better idea of what's going on) Here at the scene, there are hundreds of people, from corporate executives to angry mobs blocking the construction site. I mean it’s just ridiculous out here. To get a better view, we’ll go inside the crowd to find out exactly why all of these people are here. ( whispers “pss come on” for the camera man to follow ). Here with me today is Ms. Cindy Lou who traveled all the way from right here in our beloved city of Alberta, Canada to tell us exactly what is happening here. ( Says I see every now and then ). Well folks this is just in, Ms. Cindy Lou told us that the oil executives have lied to us and don't care about the safety of the pipes, they just want the money. Wow, I don't know who to trust anymore. Lets go inside enemy lines and get there take on the statement made by American Cindy Lou. Ok folks were here with Russ Girling to get his views on the matter. Hello Russ, I would like to know what you think on the whole pipeline idea.... Well you heard it here first on Alberta's number one news station Transcanada CEO Russ Girling feels these reports are outrageous and says we need to keep our oil out the middle east. Well I don't know about you but that idea sounds pretty good to me. We’ll keep you updated on the situation happening here but remember, protecting the environment is key to being able to live here for years to come.

The Protest

Hello chief,

Sargent Buchanan told me that I was supposed to come here to fill out a report on the surveillance of the protest.. Thank you sir... do you have a pen I can borrow... I appreciate it... Ok so here is what happened today, the construction workers came to the sight as planned. And protesters threw themselves on the ground the the vehicles were supposed to be working. ( Sighs ). I just don't stand the inconsideration of those people. Just not too much goes on in this here. Where was I sir,... thanks, so like I was saying, the trucks were there as planned and these protestors just threw themselves on the ground ground making sure the workers could not get through. At this point Sargent Buchanan called in for back up but since its such a small town he found out we were the only troopers in the state of Nebraska. So he pulled out his megaphone and started shouting orders, (takes a sip of tea) and by that point every last one of them put there hands in front of them as if they were saying arrest me. But as we both knew there was not enough prison vacancies in the state to arrest these people. So we thought starting the truck would surely scare them away. But we were wrong. Its like they were fighting to save something. It was deeper than just some pipe being built. It brought all different types people throughout the state together. Its like this all had a meaning now. They were fighting for what they call home. They didn't want to see the land destroyed by the chemicals running through that pipe. Now I see why they did it, I understand how they felt. After all they need food and shelter just like the rest of us. So you see chief, I feel we should let them protest them fight, they are standing up for themselves.. ( takes pause ) they are protecting the only thing they know as home.