Procrastination First Hand

In high school we read many stories about tragic heroes and their downfalls. These stories teach us how to avoid the same problems they ran into such as betrayal and love. However, though these are important life lessons, none of these stories manage to teach high school students about what is perhaps the greatest downfall for many of them. Procrastination, a word which every high school student has their own definition for, knows all too well, and yet continues to ignore. Someone needs to step up and remind everyone why it is that when report cards come out they already know they are grounded. And who better to remind them and forewarn everyone than a kid who has already gone through the experience, me.

                Procrastination and I go way back and we know each other all too well. However, so far this year has been by far the worst. Procrastination has reached a whole new level and my grades have hit a whole new low. Everyone knows that it would be so much better to go home and get all their homework done right away, but as soon as their computer turns on the battle is already lost. Sure, we start off on Microsoft word, but slowly and surely we find our way to the internet for a source. Then from there another tab opens and YouTube appears. Then another tab, and another, and another, until the paper due tomorrow is pushed back to the very far reaches of the brain. Eventually three hours tick by and as we close down, tab by tab, we come back to Microsoft word and find only our name and date. Technology should have made doing homework easier, but instead it has only provided us with more distractions.

                Right now it is 11:25 and I am just getting done with this blog post which was supposed to be in at 10:00. I’d like to say that procrastination has nothing to do with the post being late, however, I could have done this blog yesterday or even the day before. Then today comes and I find myself finally getting home at ten and I still have a blog post to accomplish. Procrastination is avoidable, but very few people realize this until it is already too late. Procrastination is a losing battle.

First Blood Vs. A Call to War

In David Morrell's novel, First Blood, a young Vietnam War veteran, Rambo, is back from war, and is trying to merge back into American society. He encounters trouble when a small town sheriff gives him trouble for passing through the town. Because Teasle, the sheriff, does not understand what Rambo has gone through, he threatens him, and tries to force him out of town. All Rambo is trying to do is get something to eat, but sheriff Teasle refuses to try and understand Rambo's situation. He arrests Rambo triggering a series of events. In jail Rambo has flashbacks of his time spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Rambo escapes into the mountain and hides from Teasle and the National Guard. Rather than trying to communicate and help Rambo, Teasle, organizes a manhunt to take out Rambo. Teasle refuses to stop and look at the situation from another light, and his narrow minded view causes most of the problems. Rambo was simply trying to merge back into society the best he could, but that was not good enough for Teasle, and in the end it did not end well for either of them.

                This mentor story was pretty helpful for my story, and gave me a lot of ideas to consider. I think subconsciously, the Rambo movies helped influence my story choice in the first place, and First Blood confirmed that. The main theme behind my story is going to be how the veterans of Vietnam had trouble merging into society because of the narrow mindedness of people. The people back in America had no idea what people went through in Vietnam, and just like the novel, First Blood, I want to show how being narrow minded is dangerous to society.

Waking up to Music

                If there is one thing that the multiple differences between cultures proves, it is that people have very little in common. The differences, however, also makes it easier to see what every person in the world has in common, music. Music is something that everyone can relate to no matter who they are or how they are feeling. It can rejuvenate, express, excite, and take the place of love if need be. Music is the unsung hero of the emotional world.

                Lately music has gotten nothing but a bad reputation, and has been blamed for the faults of people. New music is all about who can spit out the most words in two minutes and thirty seconds, or who can make themselves sound the coolest. Close your eyes and pick a song that was released in the last year out of a hat. Chances are that song is about one of three things: Drugs, sex, or how much money they have. People these days, especially the newer generation, listen to these songs and wish they could be the person singing. And that’s all they do, wish. On the other hand you have the music that inspires. Music that makes people want to go out and be a better person, and to be the person that everyone said you can be when you were a kid.

                 I wanted to try and keep this blog proper and in third person, but the best way to show the power of music is to share my own personal experience. Last year as I was watching play-off hockey with my Dad a commercial came on. The commercial showed the greatest moments in the play offs with a song. The song was, “Meant to Live,” by Switchfoot. Hearing the lyrics to that song combined with the greatest hockey moments clarified my life. I knew as the thirty second commercial ended, that if I did not put one hundred percent into baseball, I would regret not knowing what could have been. Since then I have worked to create a playlist of more inspiring songs. Now I am waking up at four-forty-five nearly every morning to get my run in. I do something every day after school to improve my baseball skills, and if it hadn’t been for that song I would still be sitting on my couch watching cartoons.

                Music is a powerful tool, and one that is underused. It has the power to not only waste time, but to inspire. Everyone has a song that will motivate them to be a better person; they just have to find it. I found mine; maybe you will find yours too.

Comments for english week 5

http://ncarter-morality.blogspot.com/2011/10/success-of-man.html?showComment=1317988479513#c4599245427685032007

http://morality-hmatthews.blogspot.com/2011/10/every-word-for-word-forward.html?showComment=1317988869759#c7296682869298358810

http://nathanefuller.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/this-i-believe-essay-nanas-hugs/#comment-29

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http://007themoraldilema.blogspot.com/2011/10/this-is-what-i-believe.html?showComment=1318294712253#c849733183456009467

Yeah, Animals Talk in my Book

                Animal Farm is often used as the epitome of a utopia story. It is a unique story and one that I find reluctant to compare my own story to. However, due to the likeness of the use of animals there are some similarities. Both stories refer to real life events in an indirect way, and make use of the different personalities of animals to serve as the different types of people.

                In my story, A Rooster’s call to War, a metaphor is made to the struggle that Vietnam veterans had coming back home. They often found themselves on the outside of society, and were looked down upon. The sheep, which represent the people, often use tricky maneuvers to get power over the veterans. The sheep are very similar to the pigs in Animal Farm, who use their superior intellect to gain an advantage over the other animals.  The sheep are going to work to convince the rooster, as well as the other animals, that they are better than the rooster because he went off to fight for a cause.

                In my story I am going to have the two sides. One side will blindly follow the sheep because they do not understand the rooster’s reason for fighting. While the other side is not so sure the sheep are right. There will be power struggles and what not similar to the power struggle of Snowball and Napoleon.

                While, Animal Farm, is a utopia, my story will not be. My story is not about trying to make a perfect society, but rather how society was flawed at one point. It is more about how people did what society told them to do, and then were treated as villains by that same society. References to the government will most likely be included, as well as major political figures, similar to the way Napoleon resembles Stalin.

                To be quite honest it is very hard to compare such a complex book with such a generic story outline. No words have been put down on paper for my own story and nothing is set in stone. I will continue to change things as I get more involved in my story, so ask me again when my story is finished and I am sure I can give you some great comparisons.

A New Path

I believe that cheaters never win. I believe that the road to perfection is paved in pain and mistakes. I believe that the short path, while easy, is the quickest way to defeat. And I believe that by cheating you only cheat yourself.

                This story begins with a seven year old kid, a boy, sitting in his seat with his head down and salt flavored tears resting on his cheeks. Any words he attempted to speak choked him until he gave up and resigned to quiet shame. Buried in the crook of his arm he hid burning red eyes and cheeks that could only be caused by failed attempts to hold back tears. Though he wished to act by doing anything to distract himself from the turmoil boiling up inside, the boy was trapped in his seat, stilled with disappointment and disgust. Back and forth he contemplated  what could have been, and what the next few hours will bring. Around him the students silently pitied him not understanding his plight and not sure whether the wanted to bring his burden unto themselves.

                Ten years ago the boy in that seat was me. For the first time in my young life I had been caught cheating. Even as a young, innocent child I understood that what I had attempted, and failed to do, was wrong in every way. I was in second grade and was on my way to becoming the perfect student. With nineteen out of twenty spelling tests completed with a perfect score, only one more stood in my way. The spelling was simple enough, but the series of words included the three versions of ‘there’: There, their, and they’re. The spelling was simple enough, but the different variations and their different uses confused my seven year old mindset. Unwilling to let my perfect score slip I decided to do the only thing I could come up with.

                So, the test came and went, and like I said I was caught. The specifics of me being caught aren’t important, the fact remains that I was, in the end, caught. Being caught devastated me at the time, and I tried to forget it to the best of my abilities. However, my own conscience would not and will not let me forget it, even to this day.

                At various points in my life I have looked back on that experience for advice. I strive for perfection, and failing, I consider not to be an option. But, no matter how great perfection seems to be in the eyes of others, I have learned that nothing is worse than failing myself. By cheating you are doing nothing except leaning on a crutch. By cheating I gained nothing except for a disappointment in my own eyes. And although the teacher still decided to let me retake it and continue my perfect score, in reality I was the furthest thing away from perfection.  Today I have learned that perfection only comes with mistakes, and mistakes, no matter how bad, are repairable.

                I believe that cheating is a path of failure. I believe that the only way to earn respect in yourself is to achieve perfection in your own eyes. I believe that mistakes are just a stepping stone for perfection. And I believe that no matter the mistake there is always a chance for redemption.

The Evolution of Morality

“A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality” (Winston Churchill). A person’s morality stems from the natural instinct to survive. After all if something helps a person to continue living then how could it be wrong, right? However, that is only the base for morality, and as a person progresses through life they change their moralities to fit their own needs. If a man did not change his morality to fit his actions then he would go insane believing he is evil. In, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak the dilemma of morality and how people twist its meaning is present. Among the characters Liesel, max, and the people in general all have moral compasses that guide them.

In 1939, Germany’s morality took a plunge for the worse. The ideas of right and wrong went from white and black to gray and black. Everyone thought Germany was evil, except for Germany. Even the young and innocent were not safe from the change in morality that Germany went through. As a young child, Liesel, clearly sees the difference between what is good and bad. When she steals her first book she feels bad about taking it from another person who will most likely be looking for it. Liesel understands that what she did is bad, and it is this reason that she is nervous to show the book to Hans. After Liesel steals her first book, and does not receive punishment, she begins to question what exactly is good or bad. Eventually, Liesel manages to twist her morality to fit to her new lifestyle. When she is hungry Liesel steals to help herself. Instead of continuing to suffer by believing stealing is wrong, Liesel does what is only natural, she changes her morality to continue living.

Changing morals to survive is natural and is usually done without conscious thought, however when someone is told something enough times they begin to believe. As a young kid, Max, is never afraid to back up his moral beliefs physically. He says that he is willing to die fighting what he believes in rather than let the Nazis tell him what to do. This moral value leads him through most of his young life. However, when Max is forced to hide in a small basement within his own country he is completely demoralized. Between being told he is a villain by Nazi propaganda and feeling like one by leaving his family, Max starts to believe that he is completely inferior. His moral belief that everyone is equal slips away and he is left with nearly nothing left to guide him in life.

It has been determined over time by many of the greatest thinkers that morality is not decided by any one person but by society as a whole. In, The Book Thief the people generally accept that killing is bad, however they also agree that war is necessary. Where Morality is concerned the difference between these two things is a very thin line. However, for some reason the people see a difference in the two types of killing. Killing outside of war is completely evil, while killing in a war is morally acceptable. Death, the narrator, points out the flaw in this reasoning. Killing is still killing and to say otherwise is almost comedic: “When I glanced back at the plane, the pilot’s open mouth appeared to be smiling. A final dirty joke. Another human punch line” (The Book Thief). When it comes to war, the morals of society change and they accept death almost as a joke.

The concept of morality is ever changing to fit the needs of the people in order to keep them sane. In, The Book Thief, three different people with different moralities are shown adapting their moral beliefs to suit their needs. Whether it be stealing, equality, or death each moral belief is bound to change.



Morality Comments

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http://ncarter-morality.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-moral-compass-path-to-happiness.html

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Does Your Moral Compass Point North?

On my moral compass I have put the four most important things that have helped me to make decisions throughout my life. The points of my moral compass include my family, my friends, loyalty, and baseball. Of these four things my family is the most important to me. Friends can get angry and leave or leave you behind as they go on to further their own life. Your family on the other hand will always be there when you need them. I can always be confident in the fact that when I get lost my family will be there to point me north. From the time you are born you spend more time with your family than anyone else and because of this the morals I have formed are based heavily on those of my family.

Though I know friends will come and go I know they play a large role in my life. They are there to help me make the good decisions as well as some of the bad ones. Whether good or bad for you, they are there to support and help you progress through life, and their input weighs heavily on all decisions you make. Whether or not your friends are as loyal as you believe, loyalty is one of the most important qualities a person can possess.

 When making a decision that will affect other people I always want to make sure my loyalty stays intact. If you are without loyalty, then you might as well consider yourself immoral as well. For if you are willing to betray the trust of another then in very few circumstances can you be right.

 Lastly I consider baseball as something that guides me in my decision making. I have played baseball my entire life and I love it second only to my family. To play baseball my entire life would be a dream come true, and that dream has kept me working hard my entire life. Instead of going out to have fun, I went to the baseball diamond and worked on my hitting. I practice six days a week so that I can be the best. When people ask me why, I love to recite my favorite quote: “No one can stop a home run. No one can understand what it really is, unless you have felt it in your own hands and body.... As the ball makes its high, long arc beyond the playing field, the diamond and the stands suddenly belong to one man. In that brief, brief time, you are free of all demands and complications” (Sadaharu Oh). Anyone who says baseball is boring has never experienced the feeling you get of hitting a homerun off of your rival to tie the game, jogging the bases as your team rushes to greet you. It is that feeling that keeps me making good decisions.

Together it is these four values that have lead me on what I would consider a moral path. I do what I love and I try to help out others along the way. The four values are all linked as well. My loyalty to my family is what reminds me to listen to them, and it is them who keep me working hard at baseball. Along the way my friends have helped to show me my mistakes and keep me on the right path. Well now I have shared everything that has helped me to find my moral path, and to end my blog I will leave you with a quote because someone has already summed up my paper better than I can myself: “If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control” (Marin Luther King Jr.).

Re: Morality copy

What is right or wrong? This is a question that has plagued humanity throughout its entire history and one that continues to be a question today. The truth is that no one can tell you what morality is as every person develops their own sense of morality over time, which is ever changing. Due to this the only way we can determine what morality truly is, is by taking the collective decision of society. What society says is what morality becomes. Today things have become so much more complicated when it comes to what is right and what is wrong. If you travel back five hundred years to the Roman Empire, then a person who kills or steals would, without any doubt, be considered a bad person and be subject to punishment. However, now society’s idea of what morality is, is more than just the actions of the person. Now rather than immediately condemning these trespassers of the law as sinners, we try and understand their reasoning’s for their crimes. Why did that man kill or steal from another human? Was he protecting his family? Or was he desperate just to feel something, anything? Sure the action of killing or stealing in its self is actually immoral, but if he was protecting himself or his family was that not a moral act? The difference between the two train of  thoughts, however, is a very thin line to traverse. That is why for all intents and purposes we have created a body of law to remind us of right and wrong. In turn this same body of power is controlled by society, hence the idea that it is society that decides what is right and what is wrong, which is morality. However, as stated before morality is ever changing and everyone has their own idea of what the true meaning is. For the past two centuries psychologist have studied vigorously to see why there is a difference on the subject of morality. Many argue that it is the environment that influences our ideas, and many others argue that it may actually be genetics. With so many other theories in existence, each with proof of being right, it is impossible to say what causes the change in peoples moral compass. Every country has their own set of morals today because each society differs vastly. Travel back five hundred years to the Roman Empire or travel five hundred years into the future to the golden city of New York, and in each place you will find a new set of morals developed by that times society. Maybe one day mankind will find the true meaning of what is right and wrong, but for now the only morals we have are the ones we set for ourselves.