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

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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.