Simply the Beginning

Although this English class is almost over, what I have learned from it will continue through the course of my education and even afterwards, maybe. Throughout this semester, I have learned a lot from how to develop an essay, how to organize an essay and how to find sources that will support my writing to my make my essays more credible. I was never really into writing essays and everything, but I learned to overcome a lot of my struggles as if it was just another obstacle that I had to jump over. As this being the last class that I had to complete in order to earn my Associates degree, I made sure that I put my all in what I did because basically this was a make it, or break it course. I found myself wrapped up in a lot being in this class, and even though I could not see all of the people that I shared the class with physically, I know they can agree with me when I say this was a very interesting experience. Taking a class online was never an option for me because I thought I could never endure one, but here I am 16 weeks within an online class and I did it! There is no better feeling than this. A feeling of winning, a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling of making it happen. Like the title of this post says, this is only simply the beginning for me and there is more to achieve.

WHY COLLEGE BECAME SOMETHING FOR ME

College was never something I dreamed about when I was growing up, and it was definitely not a choice of mine. Through the times when I began hustling and selling drugs, I never seen a future for myself that I could benefit from in the long run that dealt with me going to college, but all of that changed when I decided to change the person in me. I came to college to make a better future for myself. I wanted my family to be proud of me because all the decisions I made weren't exactly the wisest, and they would pray that I would become a better person. Most people go to college to get more education, and to better themselves, but I came because it was something that I knew if I didn't I wouldn't be the Rodney who I am today. Honestly without football in my life, I wouldn't have gone. I was not the brightest kid in high school and football gave me a chance to do something better with my life. It was not just expected of me because nobody seen Rodney as a college kid, I didn't even see me as one. I didn't expect to go to college but what it has done for me is open a lot of opportunities that I am forever greatful that I have. If I didn't go to college, I would have considered being a barber because I learned through  my grandfather, but then football turned everything around for me. College makes way to relax my mind, it helps me forget about a lot of things that I went through. This class honestly helped me a lot with overcoming a lot of my circumstances, so I guess by going to college, I got more than what I actually intended on getting and that always works for me!

My Research Writing Process

 When it comes to research, if there isn't a topic given, I try my hardest to come up with a topic that I will be intrigued to write about and what I think my readers would enjoy reading or won't have any problems understanding it. I look either online for some topics, or I ask around to see what is something that I can write about that is interesting enough. After I have done that, I do some research on that certain topic, and try to get some ideas on what point I will potentially make throughout my paper. I look to see if I would have enough to talk about, or if it'll sound like I don't know what I am talking about, which can be totally obvious. Once I know what my topic is and I find a good amount of research that'll keep my paper up to par, I write out some things on a piece of paper. Random things that corralate with my topic that I will use somewhere down the line in my paper. My greatest thoughts come out of no where. When I am in the car going to the grocery store, or the bank, or just waking up from bed, and those greatest thoughts are the ones that always seem to work when I draft my paper. The topic in which I selected has to do with the death penalty, and if it is an effective one. I am passionate about this because I have experienced lost loved ones that have died by the gun and other circumstances, but I don not believe by killing that person whether it was in cold blood, intentional, unintentional or anything should be able to be sentenced to execution. There is no morale in that. Why sentence somebody in their death because of their mistake? Yea, it may have been ignorant or they did it for the heck of it, but the outcome shows this:
It just doesn't make any sense to me.

Logical Fallacies

There were and are many times I would use fallacies when I am arguing, especially with my girlfriend. We seem to argue because of these "logical fallacies". I can talk about something with her, and then I stop because I can see the confused look on her face. I then say, "babe, you won't understand what I am saying if I tell you, so just leave it alone." And without any hesitation at all, she will blurt, "so you trying to say I am stupid and that I don't comprehend very well?" In no way shape or form did I intend to call her stupid, but the way she interpreted it was as if I was trying to call her that. The logical fallacy in this predicament is the misinterpretation one. It always get in the way of our relationship, but sometimes it gets funny and we just work it out.

Fallacies I know that have worked on t.v. are the many things I see on commercials and stuff. Some commercials that say things on the lines of, "if you use this product, you will lose weight fast!" Fast acting diet pills that you will take and allows you to eat anything you want, and lose the pounds you want! The thing about this is, is that in fact you will not lose the pounds you want in certain areas that you want to target. The commercials work because people do allow themselves to get lured by the persuasion of the product and totally look over the fact that "this product is not made for everyone." Or, it is "for certain body types only." It always seem to work and then when they announce that "if you call between the next so and so minutes that we will add in an extra bottle of the product" or "if you do not like this product, we will give you your money back guaranteed!" With listening to all of that, one wouldn't think that they would be losing, but they are. Commercials like that are very ineffective to me.

In some ways, logical fallcies work, and many ways they don't. The big giveaways to some is they contradict itself. Everyday there are logical fallacies being used in everybody, every commercial, every political campaign, every argument. Honestly, what would the world be like without any?

Stand Your Ground

In Florida, we have a law called the Stand Your Ground Law that was established in 2005, and it simply states that, "a person may use force in self defense when there is a reasonable belief of a threat, without obligation to retreat first." I can totally understand this if it was actually used effectively. In a lot of cases in Florida, there were many lives taken, and because of this "law" many killers have been able to walk away freely without a trial, without booking, without questions being asked. There was an incident that happened in February, approximately 41 days ago that involved an innocent 17-year old boy walking home to his gated community from a nearby 7-Eleven store. He had on a hoodie and in one hand a bag of skittles, and the other, a can of Iced Tea. A community watchman thought this young man looked suspicious and began to call 911, and immediately proceeded to follow him which he was not ordered to do by the police, or anybody for that matter. As he began to get closer and closer, the 17-year old boy feared for his life, and began to scream "Help, help me!" A person, a neighbor or someone nearby called the police and to report what they were hearing and in the 911 call, you can hear the little boy cry out, whining for help and then a sudden shot being fired. The crying finally stopped for that night the little boy was killed. Police in my opinion have not done enough to ensure that this man was prosecuted for what he has done. They took the watchman's word over anything else that they failed to investigate. The watchman said that he shot the boy in self defense, and because of that, the man walks free. What I do not understand is how are you defending yourself, if the boy that he killed did not have a concealed weapon on him and you go after him intentionally even though orders did not permit him to do so. This is really brought to my attention as a matter of injustice. This is very sad. There is a killer around that the police freed after killing a young man that appeared to have on a hoodie, a bag of skiitles and a can of Iced Tea. Something isn't right, something doesn't add up. Some people believe that the law should be repealed and I believe this as well for it gives killers a right to kill and get immunity for it. In this case, it was not a Stand Your Ground and they are taking action as if it were. I fear this law because it could have easily been me, my younger brother, or anybody. I wear a hoodie at times, I like skittles and I love Iced Tea, so will I be a victim and my killer be set free due to an unjust law?

The Glass Castle Review

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a very moving book. It provides intriguing phases of her life that made me as the reader feel as if at times, I was a part of her family because I could relate to so many of her situations. Though very dysfunctional, the Walls' has a lot of their family values that reached out to me. There were oftentimes where I did not agree with the parenting methods, but all in all found to understand them and made this fascinating book, a page turner. My favorite character was the main character, Jeannette. Throughout the book, there were phases in her life as a child that made her a strong individual. It was almost as if she had no choice but to because everything that she endured. The Glass Castle is definetly a book that I would recommend to anybody that find reading personally about the life of the author something worth reading. Get ready to head on a journey as if you were living her life through her---amazing novel!

On Teenagers and Tattoos

I react to body markings such as tattoos to be a way of expressing one self. The cReAtIvItY, the FREEDOM, the reminders, the motivational sketches and many other positive aspects that makes tattoos a working piece of art on a person. (a walking masterpiece).

Many people find having tattoos as being a sin, and or ridiculous, but to me I just find it as another way of escaping to another dimension in imaginative artistry. I have a lot of tattoos myself; more than 10 of them. My tattoos aren't just pictures I thought were cool, or words I thought would look good on a certain part of my body, but my tattoos are my inspiration. My tattoos depict my ambition, my life, my future. What motivated me to have them done was because I found tattoos to not only portray originality, but also vision. The tattoos I have are markings of certain phases of my life I thought were significant enough to have inked on my body. It is still in progress because I feel as if I am unfinished. I am still transforming, and my life still has meaning that I have yet discovered fully and I have yet accomplished everything that I have set for myself.

Enough about what I think about tattoos, there are many other people who believe tattoos are useful and expressive .

Tattoos are like stories, they're symbolic of the important moments in your life. ~ Pamela Anderson

My body is a journal in a way. It's like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist. ~ Johnny Depp

A tattoo is a true poetic creation, and is always more than meets the eye. As a tattoo is grounded on living skin, so its essence emotes a poignancy unique to the mortal human condition. ~ V. Vale and Andrea Juno

Other than having a negative outlook on tattoos, they are oftentimes a piece of something that can make a person sane within themselves; a reason to have a specific meaning. As for me, my tattoos are merely what makes Rodney, a striking piece of walking art.

The Glass Castle

What makes a functional family:

Being able to spend time with family, and enjoying the presence of everybody. Not having to argue about every little thing and having to disagree about much either. Being functional is what any family wants to be that many families fall short in.

What makes a dysfunctional family:

A dysfunctional family, is a broken home, not even feeling comfortable around people you grew up with or around all your life. A lot of name calling and always having a feeling like you want to run away from it all. Felling low and not even wanting to figure out why. Always angry for no apparent reason. Being in a dysfunctional family hurts, it bothers, it strays a person away. A lot of families can be dysfunctional at times.

A lot of families have a tendency of being both functional and dysfunctional. My family isn't the best family and there are a lot of times where we weren't the happiest and there were times where the love could not be broken by anybody. What family doesn't argue, doesn't diagree. I believe every family can be a bit of both aspects.

The family in The Glass Castle I wouldn't say is dysfunctional or functional. The way there are are comfortable for them. That is the way they lived, and I believe it just all depends on how a person lived in their certain family. What one may think is dysfunctional, may very much be as functional as just having a family dinner or something. Dysfunctional or functional; at the end of the day there is still a family in it.

The 3 Main Points Of My Life

If anybody has faith, it is me. I've been considered a lost cause for so long, a dead end and a will with no way. I have faith because it helped me believe in the things I never thought could happen to and for me. It allowed me to believe in the fact that I had a future awaiting for me.

The more I know, the more I grow. I have set a lot of standards for myself this past year, and I plan to stay FOCUSED while accomplishing them. I am more aware of different opportunities and I plan to take advantage of them. As long as I am focused and have the desire and the will to keep moving toward destiny, I will be fascinated with what I am going to gain through my experiences.

I've changed for the better. I am not the person I was 2 years ago, and don't ever plan to look back. I wondered back then what my life looked like in the future and I could never see one. Things are crazy for me now. I see things differently and more meaningful. I was helpless, I was torn, I was a lost young man, until I opened my eyes and realized the plans God has for me. I am happy, I laugh more, I love hard, and I am full of life.

I love these three words because they aren't just words for me, they are what I possessed in my life that made me who I am today, and what I am no longer from yesterday. I look at many of my peers that I grew up with make poor decisions in their life, and continue to make those same mistakes. I am no perfect person, but if there is a way for me to transition into a better Rodney, by all means that is what I going to do. I've gotten tired with set backs and failing that I have decided to make things right with myself and continue. I don't want to be a person that had a past, and had no future because of it. I want to make a difference in my life, and maybe differences in the lives of others along the way. I have a little brother that looks up to me, and I will be a role model to that young man in the making. I refuse to let him fall in the same traps I deliberately fell into when I was his age. My past was not the best of me, it took the best in me and turned it into something better for me.

The Fakebook Generation

I have a Facebook but only for entertainment purposes. At first, when I first knew about Facebook, I was hooked on it almost instantly. I would always log on just to see who said what, and what was going on in other people lives just to be a bit nosy, but now I am totally not a fan because of how it doesn't benefit me any. When I was in school in Minnesota before I moved back to Florida, I would only be on Facebook to keep in touch with my family and friends back home. As soon as I moved back, I deactivated it. (Only to find out that it was temporary). There is nothing for me to actually do on Facebook, and it actually absorbs the minds of many who has a Facebook account that go on just to type a status that reads..."Just finished eating breakfast, I am going to work out now." And instantly people begin to like it. Really? What is there to like about reading that? Yes, it is a social network and you have access to what anybody says from here and there, but the actual specific purpose of this network is solely designed for networking.

In the reading, the author says "I've always thought Facebook as online community theater." I could not agree with this statement enough. Everyone you know has an account, and they only use it for some sort of gratification. Facebook is not what it was intended for but yet, to post pictures and get pleasure from the many ideas, emotions and upcomings in a persons life.  A person has no idea how many hours they waste each day, to each week to each month on updating their statuses. Uploading current pictures, searching people and reading about themselves, chatting about the deats for the weekend, and ultimately approving a friend request from a person that they do not even know. Many people who has had a Facebook can attest to doing that.

It is amazing to me how consuming this popular invention has gotten and will always seem to be. As long as it is still here and people are still no matter what going to participate in such, the minds of many will always be desensitized.

LIFE

Sometimes I go outside and sit on my balcony and think about my life. Am I really satisfied with the way I'm living? I may spend all day just trying to figure out what my future ahead looks like. I am faced with all these decisions, and I never seem to be going the right way. I thank a lot of people that I have in my life that encouraged me to do what I do. If it wasn't for them, I honestly would not know where I would be right now. I try to stay focused, but it seem like the Devil always find its way to screw things up! Some days, I want to cry, some days I want to give up, but I know that there is much more for me to accomplish in this life than to give everything up I worked hard to get. I always tell myself though: When times get tough and it feels like the devil is crushing on you, just know God has greatness waiting on you. If I didn't have this faith and this belief that I will obtain success one day, I wouldn't even try to pursue my studies. I know I am destined to be great, I just take a few detours in my journey. But all in all I will be okay.

Bernard Mohorn: A Great Man of His Time

Bernard Mohorn was one of a kind. My only great-grandfather and my best friend. The talks that we used to share, I can remember them as if he still told them today. One of the most memorable stories that he used to share was when he was in the Vietnam War. Everytime he would begin to reminisce on his past he would say, "you wanna hear somethin boy?" After I heard that, I knew that there was a story going to be told.

Whenever he told his stories, I would be able to see vivdly what he was saying. For instance, the still bodies that laid on the battle ground either dead, or badly wounded by their enemies, or even by their same army. I remember when he told me about seeing his best friend die right in front of his eyes. Barely being able to identify him from the dust mixed with sweat that almost covered all of his face, and the blood that took over half of his army uniform.

As he would revive the war from his past, I would always try to relate to the distinctive sounds he must have heard. I began to concentrate on the sounds of the bombs being fired, and everyone loading up their weapons for attack. The winds that whirled against the sounds of bullets being punctured into the chests, and heads of these soldiers. The frantic chaos that were yelled by both sides, and even the pounding of their feet on the battle ground as they charged at their opponent.

Oftentimes, my great- grandfather wasn't able to finish his stories about the war because of how many of them affected him. When it got to that point, I would try to comfort him by reminding him of how great he was for being able to fight for his country and be able to stand tall and say so. The feelings I felt inside when I was with him can never be described entirely, but will always be memorialized because I never anticipated the day he wouldn't be able to share another one of his stories with me again. Until this day, a piece of him remains in my mind, soul and spirit.

Education Metaphor

My writing metaphor would be like a painter, trying to make a beautiful painting appear on a blank canvas. Painting requires a lot of thinking, planning, and precision.  The painter knows that he is going to be judged on the quality of his work; therefore he puts a lot of time and effort into the painting.  With the first stroke of the brush, it is clear to the artist where he wants the painting to go.  Once, the painting is done there’s the perfect picture.

The Importance of Education

EDUCATION IS............


First and foremost, I have to say that before anything education is everything. My mother always told me that "without education, I won't have nothing." I mean to explain that further, she means that without education, I will never be able to have the knowledge I would need to succeed in life. Education gives a person the courage to take on many aspects in life that one desires to. Actually, education makes a person who they are. If I wasn't forced to attend school by my mother, I probably wouldn't have the right mindset towards education today. Without it, it actually encompasses me in a tight space; with it, I am sure to obtain the many opportunities that are there for me to take advantage of.

A person can never stop learning something new. With the accumulated knowledge that never seems to seize, learning can never be an issue; it is up to that individual though. Everyone has the same brain, and the same ability to retain information that one is able to perceive. Education is power, it is life, and without life I am without breath. It lives within me, I walk by its beat, and I will continue until I become satisfied. Though, I will never be satisfied, so education shall be apart of me until death calls my name.