Despair

You never know how hard it is
Until life gets hard
Just when you think something good is actually going to happen
Life takes it away
Unkind and unfair
It has ruined your life before
And now once again
Despair and sickness hidden inside
Under your shell
This is how it really feels
Frightened to love and protect
Because everyone goes
Not caring to know
How you feel

Starry Night

Covered by the hidden trees
Amongst the howling
We lived
Sounds with no words
Through the night sky
Traveled in waves of sorrow
For there was never any one to follow

Janitor

Stiff and rigid
Frozen with fear
Appalled stares
Drowned in sorrow
Overwhelmed from work
That's what got me here
Now propped up against the wall

Bullying

Another ordinary day at Merryweather High changed in seconds; as I entered in from the side entrance of the cafeteria I noticed that things were eerily quiet. Not a day nor even a second nor perhaps a millisecond goes by that any high school would ever be this soundless. I sat in the corner alone like always, the Outcast. It wasn’t quiet any longer, almost as if it was me they were waiting for. Imaginary hands crawled like spiders across my skin, snaking around my neck trying to suffocate me, all I wanted to do was scream, yell, yonder any form of communication to get through to my peers. But I just couldn’t speak. In the novel "Speak", Laurie Halse Anderson plays the role of a victim abused by bullying,
 through her times at school we find her struggling to get a grasp at her ever fading life.
 
High school is a scary place, you have to fend for yourself without having parents to protect and guide you. Melinda was thrown into the world of high school without any emphasis on just how vulnerable she is; a shy and unspoken girl, never really participating in any activity during school or at her house because of a tragic accident during the previous summer. However if she would have spoken out about her rape and the fear that associated with it may have changed the way she lived her first year of high school; troubled with hostile treats and relentless teasing. An example of what Melinda went through is exactly like the many people in high school who are put as outcasts, through recent news we have found out that this leads to suicide or other forms of harm. Overwhelmed by the amount of teasing that they get, it makes everything better just to be gone. Or does it? Does becoming a statistic really prove anything? What it does prove is making the bully know that they are the people who are strong, that they will keep doing the same thing to others, because you couldn’t stand up for yourself. Teen Ink.com shows that 60 percent of teenagers have at one point thought of committing suicide; these thoughts may have occurred because they have recently broken up with some one, are failing multiple classes, arguments with parent or a bad family situation. One of the largest reasons this number has drastically increased is due to bullying. There are many forms of bullying such as cyber and verbal. Definitions are a vast range of tempers or behaviors with intentions that can impact social status, reputation, emotions and property. Also it is intentionally meant to be hurtful persistently. We can all say that at one point in time we have been in some type of bullying situation, now if we keep letting things escalate to points where lives are on the line every minute.

When entering high school it is a very frightful place, you can either make the best of it or you can hide in sorrow and become the person that you never would have thought that you would become due to other people's actions. Our life is your own, live it the way you want, not the way others do.

Friday Night Lights and Protecting the Blind Side

"One, Two, Three, BREAK." The play is called, and when the ball is snapped, you run down the field at lightning fast speed. Breaking a hard right, as you look from the corner of your eye the oval shaped ball is spiraling towards your general direction. Lights, some of the brightest you have ever seen, glare right into your eyes as you use all your power to jump. People stand on their feet and cheer before you can even comprehend what is happening. The adrenaline kicks in and takes over your whole body. Sprinting the few short yards that are left and finally you leap into the end zone. Much like scoring a goal in football, life can give you obstacles that are difficult to overcome. In 'The Blind Side', Michael Lewis proves that tackling these obstacles might be challenging but can be immensely rewarding.

"We were wondering if you would like to become a part of this family." Sean Tuhoy asked Michael, but it was when Big Mike replied that had shocked the Tuhoy family. Michael said, "I kinda thought that I already was." One of the most rewarding things that has affected the life of Michael Oher was the appearance of the Tuhoy family. He was one out of thirteen children that never knew his father, birthday or even his name. This wasn’t all, inexplicable acts of his mother caused him to go through a meaningless life. But all the hope of ever making the National Football League seemed to be slipping out of his fingers. That was until this blind side linemen would soon become one of the most spoken about players to have come from one of the toughest places. We have been told that 'once you fall get back up and brush yourself off' or 'if at first you don’t succeed try and try again'. What if you have fallen so far that there is no way to get up? This was true for Big Mike but with the help of Sean and Leigh Anne they landed himself in unknown territory. If Michael hadn't been found he would never have gotten where he was, which means that in turn he couldn’t help other people in situations such as his.

Helping others may not have always been what he had thought that he was going to do until he got to school, "You should really get to know your players. Michael scored in the 98th percentile in protective instincts." But could this be because he was the only person to protect him? The Blind Side symbols just more the simple title that we all thought, the blind side can mean many different things to anyone you ask. But most football fanatics know that you must shield the quarterbacks, the offensive and defensive linemen opposite of his strong hand must act for his 'blind side'. This is the position that Micheal Oher played; it may just be pure coincidence that his defensive impulse is heightened but this seem like perfect position.

Many felt that Michael Oher was incompetent to his hopes and dreams but his determination and perseverance reigned true and was he was able to overcome challenging obstacles. Meticulous work along with a loving and caring family has proved that going through all this work can be rewarding and not just fun and games

Patriotism

Defining patriotism isn’t a difficult task in the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is a challenge to believe that many would question if patriotism still matters. If it doesn’t then why do the symbolic colors of red, white and blue mean as much as they do? White stars each one a part of the fifty states that is made up of our country, meaning purity and innocence. The blue back drop represents perseverance; we should stand up for our country and what we believe in. Valour, we are determined to have success in everything we do, shows in the color red. 

But just because there is an American flag around just about every corner street in the United States doesn’t mean that we are all patriotic. One reason that we know nationalism hasn’t lost its connotation is because heroes and heroine alike are determined to show their true colors. Parting with their lives at home at the drop of a pin to travel halfway across the world into unknown territory; these American citizens leaving it all on the line.

Patriotism isn’t just define by living in your country, you have to have pride for your country.

"Let's Roll! Ordinary People, Extraodinary Courage

Awakening at sunrise after endless hours of jet lag the night before, in the back of your mind you know that you have one of the earliest flights out of Newark International Airport in Terminal A, at eight o’clock on September 11^th, 2001. Immensely tired, boarding on the Boeing 757 aircraft, heading to find your seat, settling into the comfortable chair. Not bothering to notice the four men of Al-Qaeda, who are about to alter the lives of thousands of people, when you are gently closing your eyes. Even if you did see them, you couldn’t change what was going to happen only some hours later. As Lisa Beamer describes in her novel, “Let’s Roll! Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage” let God guide you and let your existence take the path of its course and roll with it.

People take courage from their faith to in God get them trough difficult situations, one person has showed us that just believing can get you through nearly impossible, this is Todd Beamer. He is the hero of United flight 93 one of the planes that were hijacked on September 11th, 2001, your typical American husband, providing a vast quantity of his life devoting his time to reviving the presence of God in people. Many have lost faith in recent years because of chaotic life styles of the working American now, but both Todd and Lisa have never doubted that meaningfulness behind why God made this particular choice. It was because he knew that that was the utmost decision. At times any families worry that the will be unwelcome or shunned if the are new to the church, but the it is exactly the opposite. Churches are open to any that welcome the presence of God within their lives. Reasons why many go to seek guidance when they have going through problematic hoping that God will help to counsel them. Putting faith in God to offer aid to all who seek it. During these particular times when we do inquire help from others, we are tested to be able to handle whatever curve ball life throws at us. With or without help.  
One reason to hold a strong faith in God is to keep from growing further and further away from him. If you keep separating yourself, you'll end up losing most sense of happiness which will sometimes lead to you causing someone hurt or sorrow. Or in some cases other religions believe it is doing good by destroying others, one case was the terrorists of 9/11. Al-Qaeda focuses their suicide attacks mostly on America and its citizens because they believe that we are evil and the way that our country is run is godless. So by creating these massive killings it is thought that they are doing a favor to God. At a nationwide state of panic such as September 11^th many would turn to God for guidance, while some would lose their deviation. With questions like 'why' or 'how', but the fact is that even God can't do everything to help everybody. Most everyone is all together that was the most antagonizing it is the fact that when it was time to attack they were “to clench their teeth and shout, Allahu akbar” translating into ‘God is great’ in Arabic. A belief that people has turned into such a chaotic nightmare to a point where they were crashing planes into the heart and soul of our country was true showing of how much they believed in the wrongs that we were doing. Many thought why would God let such a tragedy strike without taking any actions, but this is where some people are wrong. We should all know that God can't solve every issue that everyone has, but some have thought that God did help in the acts of 9/11. Flight 93, for instance, was brought down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania rather than hitting the White House like planned. He also helped many cope with their loses. He also guided people towards those looking for a companion for moral support. This goes along the line of an inspiring quote by Gandhi this quote is, “No act of kindness no matter how small will ever be wasted.” So if kindness will never be wasted, use this to your best power, always treating people the way you wish to be treated. God created us all equal, so that no one is better than each other, we are all the same person.

In Lisa’s novel, “Let’s Roll! Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage” you are provided the encouragement to have faith in God steering you in the right direction, as many have already done. The only person that will never taunt, the one person that will never harm, and the person that will never judge because he acknowledges the fact that everyone is different, even though we are all human is God. A lesson to be learned from this novel is never be afraid to be who you are because God is right there by your side cheering you on.

Mama

Mama, Mama I can’t find you. Always whenever you rarely come to see me, you tell me these people aren’t my mom’s they are just people and that I need to respect them, these people. But they aren’t my mother, you are, you tell me that you will come back soon. How soon is soon? Mama, where do you go? Where are you? These people, mama, their mean haggy and old, no one really cares about me. Do you even care, mama?

The worst day of my life was the day that they stole mama from me, these big people just took me away not telling me anything. The worst part was mama didn’t even seem sad she just waved and smiled goodbye like she would when I get on the bus in the morning.

The second worst day was the day that I faced foster home. I cried and cried but there was nothing that I could do about it, I was alone. All alone with nobody that I know. I remember mommy she is young and pretty, with dark hair and pretty green eyes. The picture, the only picture of my mama is the one that I have saved in my head. My only memory.

Mama, she was the kindest lady you’d ever met, she had a wonderful personality that mama did. These ladies that were my foster mom’s never had anything on mama, sleeping in the tiny attic of the rickety old house, just like that stupid old wrinkly lady. Lovely pretty mama that doesn’t know me. That never comes to visit me. That never cares about me. That will never ever love me.  My mama won’t.

It’s been 10 years since you saw me, mama. I have given up on you; you will never come to see me. I know this now. I have not treated those mean people like what you said years and years ago, but I would rather have that you would come back and be my mama again. But I guess that I am not that important any more, why don’t you love me mama? 

                                                                                                                                              

Even after all this time mama doesn’t love me. I thought that maybe someday she would remember me and come to save me. But no mama leaves me all alone. I am just a lonely person, I have never had any people that ever love or that have ever cared about me. Nor will any other people will look at me with loving eyes or caring eyes and not even sympathetic eyes. Eyes of nothingness.

Mama because no one will ever love me why should I be alive even. I have thought about this many of the sleepless nights that I lay awake thinking about you, mama.  So I have decided that I shouldn’t be around anymore.  Goodbye, mama. I love you. It’s just such a shame that you don’t love me mama. Our world would be such a greater place, I never knew what a good world this could have been.  

The Unmistakable Confusion

On a day like any other the streets of New York filled with the scuttling people off to work. You couldn't help but to think what a wonderful day it was going to be. But we were soon to find out how wrong we could be.  I had planned meeting  with my friend at the North Tower of the World Trade Center for the day since we both didn't have any other work priorities first.  We had planned to stay there on the 34th floor  all day. I loved being at the World Trade Center it was just so breathtakingly beautiful inside and out.

It was now 9:09, when my cell phone went off into the crazy ringtone only my best friend would pick. She had called to tell me that we should meet at Starbucks instead because she ran out of coffee. I turned and walked down to the street where the Starbucks is. Sharon and I went into the crowded store.

By the time that we actually got back to the World Trade Center buildings it was 9:55, walking up the street to the I was momentarily distracted by a small plane that was flying nearly overhead. It was quite low, too low. I asked Sharon if she thought that that was quite low, she agreed with me. We keep talking about the plane, until I looked up and saw something that I could never forget. That same small plane that I was just talking about had crashed right into the side of the South Tower. Plumes of smog and smoke exploded out of each side of the building. Could this be a tragic accident? I saw objects of color falling from the buildings but it was all to soon to realize that these objects weren't objects they were bodies.