Blog Reflection: SUCCESS.

As previously stated, I have taken part in this type of activity before. I think it is definitely beneficial for beginning or intermediate writers. Freewriting gets the mind pumping and therefore, jumps starts the writing process. In school, I liked freewriting because it helped me to come up with what to say more easily for my next writing assignments. I mostly liked freewriting because it was a free 10-15 minute break from hearing my teacher talk. She let us write quietly so we could clear our mind and focus.

          However, this exercise is only beneficial if you cooperate. Just like anything in life, "it is what you make it to be." Thankfully, I chose to let this assignment be helpful to me and my writing. Like any kid, I didn't like actually doing the work because I was sort of lazy through high school. I am trying to rid that laziness. Anyway, once I finally bucked up and dealt with the fact that I needed to get over being a lazy teenager, the more I got into freewriting, the better it helped me. Even if I drew lines on my paper, it didn't matter as long as the pencil never stopped touching the paper. That forces your mind to think and write about your next thought and triggers the sequential thoughts until you don't even notice it anymore. 

          On the other hand, back to my old ways, I did not like this assignment because of the fact that we had to blog every single day for three weeks. I went for a couple of days where I was unable to create a post therefore causing me to have to make up those posts on other days and the work was piling and piling. I still find it hard to buckle down and just DO IT. That's partially why it is 11:03 p.m. and I am just now doing this reflection post. I am glad this project was assigned but I don't believe it was as beneficial as it would have been had we done the activity on paper.

          I encountered a few successes and challenges with this project as well. When we were still doing our This I Believe essays, the freewriting came in handy to kick start our thoughts. However, after the assignment, I felt as though we were jump starting our brains for writing ideas for no reason. My biggest challenge was mustering up the gumption to sit down and type 300+ words each day. Stated earlier, I believe it would have been better if I wrote my thoughts on paper. I suppose I could have done that and just typed what I hand wrote. But that thought didn't occur to me until just now. Oops.

          I cannot tell any noticeable change in my writing but I think as time goes on and the writing assignments resurface, I will find that I gained a new strength over the course of free-blogging.

            I look forward to seeing how we all can grow as writers together and talk about how we can continue growing! After all, there is ALWAYS room for growth. :)

Have a great week, everyone!

Favorite: I Believe We Are All Different

This post is my favorite because I believe interaction is insanely important. I think it is important for humans to realize each other's potential. When you see someone doing something "better" than you, don't you get the slightest bit intimidated and strive to do better yourself? I will answer honestly. Yes, I am definitely aware that I am a little inferior. However, I am still confident in my ways and the way God made me. We should never try to change ourselves. We should want to grow and learn and strive to be different. As long as we are not pretending to be something we are not, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with being different. I believe that it helps us all grow together as humans and children of the Lord. We learn from each other.
I also think it is important we are all different because it would be way too boring if we were all alike. That is something I did not understand about high school girls. They all wanted to wear the same things and dress like everyone else. Not to mention they acted like each other, too. There is no excitement in that. They were totally predictable and there was not anything special about them. These are the people that I would admire from afar, for lack of better words. I observed that they were like complete robots. I'm sorry, but who would, in their right mind, want to be like that!? I love that I am different from every single woman in this world. God made me ME and I would not change that for anything. I would rather be "popular" for being eccentric than being "popular" for following what it cool at the time. But hey, that is just ME.

Have a great week, everyone!

When the Leaves Start to Fall

At this time of the year last year, I was wearing pants, a scarf, a jacket, and warm shoes. Now, I am wearing shorts and a tee shirt. Yes, it definitely is that warm still in Missouri. I find it especially strange. My birthday marked the first day of Autumn, where the weather turns chilly and you switch from A/C to heat. Nope, not yet. This week and a few weeks prior, the weather has been mid 70s-80s with full sunshine. It is absolutely beautiful. I love that I still wake up to the sun beaming in my bedroom window and heating the wood floors upstairs for my cat to bask in its light. However, I am definitely ready to get this season started. I am so over being hot and sweaty. I am ready to put on the warm comfortable clothes and prepare for winter, even though Fall is my favorite season. Also, at this time last year, my mom and I were making frequent trips to Texas. If you have read my previous blog posts, you have learned that my grandfather was incredibly sick around this time last year. She and I were driving up to stay with him at the Dallas Veteran's Affairs Hospital. This time of year, I was planning out my schedule for school and collecting future assignments and making up tests due to my absence I would be approaching. Like any kid, I was excited not to go to school for a few days. However, I changed that opinion for two reasons: One, I would be behind on a lot of material that was to be covered while I was gone. Two, my Opa was very ill. After the third trip to Texas, my mom and aunt brought my Opa back to our house to live with us. We planned on him staying for a few months so he could regain his health and be prepared for bypass surgery. He died a week after he moved in.
This time of the year will always remind me of the sadness that has seeped into my home. The time of the year will also remind me of the happiness there is to feel because Opa is not left on this Earth suffering any longer. He is pain-free and riding his Harley with the angels. RIP Peter Verhaagen.

I Believe We Are All Different

I think it is incredible how different every human being is. We all believe different ideas. We all desire different things. How God created us that way just blows my mind. There is not a person in this world that is exactly like another person. They may be similar but we are all incredibly unique. For example, not even identical twins can be the same. They do not even have the same fingerprints. They have sometimes completely different personalities and characteristics. My brother and sister are fraternal twins. They are from the same womb but they not only differ in gender, they differ in just about everything else. My sister is a total girly-girl who loves dress up and dolls. My brother is a definite man's man who loves the outdoors and dead animals. It is kind of a random example but I believe this is definitely a true example of how different people can be.
I love observing people because I get to see how different we all are. When I walk through the mall or the parking lot of my college campus, these traits are unquestionably noticed. The way a woman walks versus the way a man walks is an example of difference. Most women carry themselves in a reserved manner while most men carry themselves in an arrogant manner. This is obviously based on a general opinion. Women feel they have a certain status to maintain whereas men have a carefree attitude. This, too blows my mind. How can people from the same place be so incredibly different? God absolutely had a specific plan for each human on this Earth. Otherwise, we would all be the same and there is no way we could learn from each other. I am so thankful He made life this way because I feel that I am the person I am today because of the differences in so many of my acquaintances, causing me to learn.

Clean, Clean, Clean.

Is it a chore or a responsibility? I believe it is a little mix of the two. My parents provide pretty much all my necessities. Therefore, the littlest thing to repay them would be to help out around the house, right? Right. However, it is easier said than done. I'm still sitting in the up stairs part of my house and I am looking at my surroundings. The couch is almost buried with the weekend's laundry. Some is folded. Some is still in the pile fresh out of the dryer. On the table in front of the couch is my cereal bowl from breakfast this morning. Come to think of it, Lucky Charms is not a substantial breakfast. The sugars break down too fast and my appetite is back. I have yet to place my bowl and spoon in the dishwasher. For now, the bowl is just admiring the scenery until I muster up the drive to get up and put it away. Next to my bowl, there is a strange book. Its title is "Cornish Rex Cats." I apologize if my fellow readers are cat-lovers but the cats in this book are hideous. My sister is lover of all animals therefore she brought the book home. My mom and I were looking through the book just scoffing at the looks of the poor creatures. As soon as my sister hears us making fun of the cats, she bows up and exclaims "UHHHH YOU GUYS ARE SO MEAN! THESE KITTIES ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!" She was genuinely hurt at my mom's and my laughter. Every time I see this book, that is what I am reminded of. Back to the messy house, I suddenly glance at the kitchen. It's not in too bad of shape. The dishes of breakfast are the only things that linger. What immediately caught my eye just now was an immense hairball. Gross. I have not vacuumed since last week sometime and it is starting to show. Needless to say, I am shutting down the computer and going to help out my parents by fixing this mess. Have a great fall day, all! :)

The Entry of a Home

I am in a different room. It is the up stairs of my house, instead of my own private den. I'm sitting in the love seat in my living room. In front of me, I see my laptop screen. I also see the red edges of my front door. My mom decided that painting our entry way orange would really liven up the space. It sure did. There is the table adjacent to the front door that has a large mirror on it. When I would leave for school, I would use that mirror and take a final look at my attire and hair before heading out. On the table, there is also a 8x10 picture of yours truly. Instead of paying out the wazoo for professional senior pictures, we just decided to use the ones our school took. They turned out pretty good in my opinion. Right next to my picture is a picture of my brother and sister when they were in preschool. Boy, were they cute! They still are. When I go around and do the monthly dusting, I just marvel at that photo. It was taken so long ago and it looks amazing. They are posing so sweetly. They are sitting back to back with a huge mischievous smile upon their faces. Twins; they're always at each other about something. While posting this, I'm frequently glancing at their little faces in the picture. I have not been the best big sister. That makes me have so many regrets on the way I have treated them. They should not feel any resentment towards me but they do because of the way I spoke to them. I have long since learned that how I treated them was incredibly wrong but that does not change the way they feel still. I am working harder and harder each day to gain their affection. I hope my honesty is appreciated. Anyways, like any hallway, there is a closet, a door, and a coat hanger with rods, etc. However, I think the most incredible thing about our entry way (I am admiring it at this moment) is the sign above the door. As you are on your way out, you have no choice but to look up and read the piece of art, compliments of Hobby Lobby, that says "There's no place like home." It is such a cliche, but just think about. I apply that to my life and I cannot explain how true that is. No matter what I'm going through or where I am at, there is absolutely no place like home.

Past-Times

Past-times. Times of the past. Times of my past. They may be baseball for some Americans. My favorite past-time is going to the Air Shows with my papa. As one can see, I am extremely close to my family. They are something I hold closer than anything else in this world. Therefore, their influence on me is great. When I was younger, my grandma and grandpa would pack up and head to Harrison, AR to the air shows. For those who don't know or who have horrible common sense like me, an air show consists of airplanes, jets, jet fighters, and all types of monumental aircraft from the war days. It is my favorite because of the loud roar of the engines starting up. It is truly breathtaking. Some people think loud is annoying and bothersome. For example, on the highway you hear the little trucks with the loud exhaust. No, that is not the roar I appreciate. Sometimes it is entertaining but it does not compare to the genuine blast of the airplane firing up. I do not even like to wear the ear muffs. I like the all-natural, full-on, ear-blasting ROAR of the engine. The sound almost makes my heart skip a beat. I am not saying that to be overly sentimental; that really is what happens due to the volume of the engine start-up. It is my past-time also because it is something super special my grandparents and I took part of. Remember how my Papa and I love PBR? It is the same concept. Family is involved so it makes it that much better. Nothing can compare to this experience. Every person has their special memory of childhood but mine just so happened to carry over through my adolescence, teenage years, and now, through my young adult years. Tomorrow morning, I will (God forbid any freak accident or illness) be heading to Fort Smith, AR to experience yet another air show. I am so excited. I will try to post pictures and provide an update. If this type of activity interests you, I highly encourage a family trip to an air show. They are all over and it is definitely family-friendly. However, I advise to bring your own drinks because they are insanely expensive at the event!