Blog Experience Reflection

19 July 2012

If there is one thing that makes me happy about writing this reflection it is that I do not have to think of something to write about. Finding a topic or subject to base my writings on in my blog posts definitely proved to be the biggest struggle for me. This was mostly due to the fact that I was not trying to give a daily journal through the blog but rather I was trying to describe myself to the reader and help them get to know me better. Overall though I think this assignment is a great one to help students improve on their writing. As I was writing I realized that I had a desire to get more creative and to make my compositions as interesting and dynamic as possible. The one thing I hated was having the stress of remembering to make a post every day and of course the chore of finding something to write about. Honestly I would want the instructor of this course to know that I believe this assignment is great and that I would personally recommend always keeping it around. Another thing I noticed about my writing is that I wrote best when I was passionate about the subject. I never realized it before but the 300 words went by so much faster when the topic of the piece was something that I actually cared about and wanted to share with others. The problems I saw with this is that it put too much stress on my writing, writing everyday can be difficult and I feel like if the assignment was changed to having three posts by the end of the week it might prove to have better results. On the flip side this could lead people to procrastinate so there may not be any way to win with the situation. Overall though I think that I made important changes to myself as a writer. Realizing that the subject I was writing about could make the difference on a well written piece I decided that I need to choose subjects that I can be passionate about. Also I came to the conclusion that editing your paper while you go is not the best and that it is more time efficient and will prove better results if you just type away and then edit at the end.

The Ultimate Breakfast

18 July 2012

I love to run and I especially love the people that I run with. Today I partook in a six mile run with some guys from the team. After the run we spent a few hours talking and discussing some things in our lives. Nothing monumental was brought up, just funny memories and crazy people. The most amazing part of the day was not out at the high school though. Shortly after I got home one of the friends came over to pick up his bike from my house. With another friend already over we decided that we should create a monstrously huge and delicious tasting breakfast. With a few potatoes and eggs retrieved from my house we wandered over to one of my friends homes. It was a rush of excitement to get tall the food out. A burst of cheer erupted when we discovered, much to our surprise, the giant package of Canadian bacon in his fridge. We each set out to work on our separate task. I took the responsibility of chopping up the potatoes and developing the most loved portion of the feast, the hash browns. With a little oil and salt I created a wonderful batch of delectable and crunchy hash browns. My friend, with a tad bit of help, sautéed some vegetables in butter as a touch for the scrambled eggs which were being put together by the last member of the Iron Chef team. The breakfast was magnificent, and with the accompaniment of a last member who showed up near the end to help, we devoured the feast in no time at all. A whole half day later, and my stomach is still full and the taste of the blue Gatorade that washed it all down is fresh on my taste buds. I may not have room to say this, but that was the best breakfast that has ever been made.

Stressed

17 July 2012

So when you get caught up in life I guess you end up missing a blog post. I am being completely honest when I say that these summer classes are stressing me out. With work, running, and an attempt to spend time with my family it can be difficult to get all of my work done. I do my best always but sometimes a person just gets caught up in the events of the day and something skips their mind. School is of the upmost importance to me and when I miss due dates it really frustrates me and puts me in a less than pleasant mood for those that I come into contact with. In fact I would say that school contributes in some fashion to around ninety percent of my stressors. I love the success that I achieve in school and I am extremely grateful for the knowledge I have but sometimes frustration creeps on me before I even realize it. There is no excuse that can justify why I missed this blog post but moving on and forgetting about it would probably be a good step for me.  My prayers are that there are other people in this class who have been busy and forgotten to make a post on a day or two. So to all the people out there reading this who have missed a blog post, let your worries be subdued, even the great and all hard working Brady Shanklin gets caught up in fun activities and loses track of himself. My advice to everyone out there, take classes during school when everyone else is doing homework too. These summer classes are going to pay off and I love the teacher and the material, but believe me when I say it can be brutally stressful.

Prewrite-Practice Description

Free Writing

As I walk into the doorway the smell of the door creeps onto me and I know that I am close to walking in. I smell the wreath that hangs on the door; the aroma clearly lets the sniffer know that it is artificial. Upon walking in and receiving a hug the smell of girl becomes clear. Not perfume but rather a natural smell of a simple girl. Then the breath of the hugger is clear, there has been food and it can be smelt with each breath they take. Some sort of candy or treat, definitely not homemade. Then the smell of the clean house mixes with the different body scents and a beautiful musk of smells fills the air.

The knock on the door is loud and clear, it echoes because of the expensive hollow door. The sound of footsteps come pounding up the stairs and a slight murmur is heard as one person speaks to another. A greeting is exchanged and the sweet voice of the girl inside warms the others ears. The moms greeting is also heard and the sound of the clock ticking is ever so audible.

The door of the house is beautifully made and the steps up to the archway are very short. The decorative glass blurs the people inside. There are two of them and one is coming towards the door fast as the other smiles and watches. A girl answers the door, she has long blonde hair and the dull lighting of the house is small in comparison to the smile on her face. There are two giant couches, not leather, but some other material whose name is unknown to the beholder. Everything is beautifully set up and nothing is out of place. It seems perfect when looked at.

As the knuckles tap against the door it is definitely hard, but also very smooth at the same time. The ground is solid beneath him and the inside of his jean pockets are rough against his hand due to their small size. The girl answers his knock with a hug. She is warm and her clothes are soft to the touch. Her hair is rubbing up against his face but has clearly been washed thoroughly because of the silky texture. Her hands have been recently rubbed with lotion as she guides him through the house. His shoes uncomfortably rub against his ankles as he struggles to take them off.

Story

A young man walks up to the door and knocks his knuckles against the hollow wood door. His hands are placed in his super small pockets as he awaits the girl to come answer the door. He can barely catch a glimpse of her through the decorative glass as she answers the door. She smiles a brilliant smile and tells him how glad she is to see him. They hug and he can feel her warmth along with the soft fabric of her shirt. Her long blonde hair is silky smooth and shines no matter what. The mom also extends a greeting as he plops down to rip off his shoe against his ankle. It is an uncomfortable feeling but the beautifully arranged house draws his attention more. The house smells of different people with a mixture of the order and cleanliness it presents. Everything is in order and the girl proceeds to lead him on as she grabs his hand. He is happy to be at his best friend’s house.

Prewrite-Brainstorming

List of places
-My bedroom
-The pool
-High school
-Kansas City Temple
-Seminary class room
-Olivias house
-Ians house
-Old house in New Orleans
-The James River
-Springfiled Lake
-Trails at Springfield Lake
-Practice football field
-Football field
-Mcdonalds
-Neighbors house
-Tatums house
-Bridge behind Tatums house
-Wilsons Creek
-McBride frisbee course
-Prom plaza
-Chesterfield park
-Cave at Lake Springfiled
-Backyard
-Ditch by the pool

The Mail Man

16 July 2012
Day after day the topics of which I want to center my blog posts around are getting harder to discover. I think about my life day by day and what happens and who I am and I am shortly running out of things to say. Considering I still have two weeks of school left and multiple days of blogging I am quite scared. My life has been full of adventurous and fun things so it should not be hard to come up with a story to tell or an event to recall in the most vivid fashion. With creative and diverse word choice I could possibly even tell about how I went and picked up the mail in the required 300 words. Imagine this: He took step by step and pace after pace towards the shiny silver mailbox. Encased in bricks the mailbox stood no more than five feet tall and four feet wide. The width is due to the mailboxes companions that accompany him across the road. The four containers stand glued together in a homely fashion. The retriever glares at them with hatred, the task thrust upon him by his mother has interrupted another captivating episode of Criminal Minds. The pavement is hot and dangerous to his fragile toes. He dances across the lava-like material so quick that one might mistake him for the roadrunner off of the ever popular Loony Tunes. He flings the hinge open and grasps the wad of mailings, almost forgetting to slam the thin metal container shut. Faster than the trip there he embarks back towards the door unsure if the episode inside remains paused. With a Tom Brady throw he launches the mail to his wide open mother and dashes down the stairs. All before plopping down onto the soft leather sofa and barely missing the ice cold glass of water at his feet. He checks the timer, 28 seconds; not too bad for a kid who checked the street before crossing, not too bad.
And to think that you thought a story about getting the mail could not be exciting.

Sunday

15 July 2012
Today my blog post is going to be just an everyday journal entry. My day started off when I woke up at about 11:30 and headed upstairs. The night before, I had begun a fast in order to receive strength during a challenging time in my life. Thus abstaining from breakfast, I plopped myself down on the couch and began reading through the Sunday comics. My whole family got a kick that the newspaper had printed the same comic strip twice and left one out in return. Sadly however, the comic that was left out was one of our favorites, but we managed to move on. With nothing to do I decided that I would scamper on down the stairs and freshen up for church. I got dressed in my slacks with a cardigan and a nice lavender tie I received on behalf of my birthday. The cardigan made me feel like my own little version of Agent Reid off of Criminal Minds. Please refer to my other blog posts if that did not make you giggle a little bit. I decided to get a little kick out of church today by slicking back my hair in a seventies style. The people at church loved it and while it took half a bottle of hairspray and the beginning of World War 3, it was definitely worth it. After church we came home to meet my Aunt and Uncle who had flown in from Utah. They are visiting for the week and I am extremely excited to have them in town. My Uncle got me a job out at BYU this fall with one of his coworker professors. Thanks to him I no longer have the stress of finding a way to pay for my dates and classes. We spent the evening eating snacks and yapping away with funny stories. It was not until just a few moments ago that my mom reminded me I had some homework to finish. Sometimes these summer classes are a burden, but in the end I know they will be worth it. Today was just another typical day in the life of Brady Shanklin, just another Sunday.

An Obsession

14 July 2012
So it has only been a couple days since I first wrote a post about Criminal Minds. At the time I would have told you that I was in love with the show and that I found so much joy in packing a snack and heading downstairs for a three hour marathon. Well I can safely say that at this point I am well beyond love, it is clear that at this point I am now at obsession. I average about three episodes a day and spend the time I am bored thinking about what life would be like if I was actually an FBI agent. In only a few weeks time I have grown to love the show so much that today I almost cried during a tragic event during one of the episodes. I have grown on the characters and while this may sound completely absurd they are almost like family. Ok not really but I still think they are awesome and am considering buying a shirt and or poster, most likely both. My parents do not think that my Criminal Mind watching is healthy or good for the family but at this point I just do not care. I am so fascinated by what goes on that when I sit down to watch an episode there is no stopping me for the next hour. Trouble is on the distant horizon though because eventually my 35 recorded episodes will run out and YouTube will as well. While this may not seem blog post appropriate I am begging anyone that knows of a free site to watch episodes on, that does not cost or require downloads, to please let me know. To clear things up I do have a job and I spend time with family and friends so I still have my priorities. But besides my job, family, and friends, Criminal Minds might be a close third. I recommend this show to anyone who loves intense crime related scenarios and lots of suspense.

Dangerous Job

13 July 2012

So how do you begin to describe my job? By this point I am sure that any person reading this post is well aware to the fact that I am a lifeguard. At Prairie View Heights, the pool at which I work, this would also be known as a full time babysitter. Kids come and go all day long and most of them are straight up turds, for a lack of a better word. Today for example, a girl in the pool insists the girl friends I bring to the pool are completely ugly. She said to me, “Oh goodness they are so ugly I do not even know what you’re looking at.” Another girl proceeds to tell her that she is just jealous and that my friends are beautiful. This all occurs while a fit kid is battling for their attention through a belly dance to a Katy Perry song. Now as much as I enjoy a tan overweight boy shaking his gut to express how he is “a California girl,” sometimes my job is just plain weird. Most of the time I am forced to just sit back and ignore the comments that fly by me every day because I feel as though each one is a potential danger to my brain cells. As a lifeguard I not only save lives, but I now have to be careful and guard my own wisdom with the childish stupidities that aim to overtake my subconscious every day. On the flip side there probably is not another job I would rather have; and not just for the hilarious tweet worthy scenarios that occur on a daily basis. I love the people and my coworkers daily and though they can be a real pain in the butt, I really do appreciate the wonderful job that I have.

I also just realized that I spent ten minutes thinking about what I could possibly tell my audience that would interest them, when today so happens to be Friday the thirteenth. I am sure my views on superstitions would have been far more interesting than a bunch of rowdy kids. Maybe the stupidty is hitting me harder than I thought.

The Weird Kid

12 July 2012

Tonight’s blog subject came from the always prepared mind of my mother. Ever since I was little I was different than most kids. When I was about eighteen months old I started to get really sick. Throw up came from my mouth like a fire hose and it looked as though someone had shoved a basketball into my stomach. My parents took me into the doctors for testing and no specific result came back. My parents were warned that cancer was highly possible and that at this point they should be prepared for anything. Luckily for them the results came back slightly different. Instead of cancer I was diagnosed with a condition known as celiac disease. This meant that for the rest of my life, pending a cure, I would be stuck eating foods without wheat, rye, oats, barley, or malt. To answer the question many of you are thinking, yes there are still foods on earth that I can eat. It is difficult though and I always despise parties or large events in which I will not be able to take part in most of the foods. Declining pizza and avoiding the brownies is always hard. People will try to accommodate and make foods I can have, which is very thoughtful, but I have never liked the attention. I do not like being "weird" and that is what I feel like a lot of people classify me as. I pray every day for a cure to this terrible disease but in the end I know it could have been a lot worse. I could have been stuck with cancer, battling every day for my life with nothing to do but sit back and hope for the best. I never pity myself and I always do my best to fit right in. I embrace who I am and understand that a lot people have it worse off than I do. I guess in a different light, I am pretty luck to just have Celiac Disease.

Becoming A Runner

12 July 2012

When I was a freshman in high school I played football, and one day during the morning workouts I was confronted by three larger guys. All three were shirtless and all three had on the tinniest little shorts, something that I up in till then had thought to be a crime to wear in public. They were sweaty and nasty; the hard work was glossed over them like a film of oil across a neighborhood pool. It was almost unnoticeable until they moved one way or the other and the light hit it just right. The larger boy proceeded to pick me and throw me over his shoulder, the whole time telling me that I should run cross country. I did not listen, that was until my sophomore year. I realized after a long hard year on the freezing cold bench that football was not for me. I gave up the dream I once had and decided that maybe I could to cross country, or at least give it a shot. A Senior named Clayton Sippy was very welcoming and it was because of him that I decided to fully enlist as a member of the team. A lot of athletes who train hard will hate me for this, but I instantly was successful. As a sophomore I was the sixth man on a team of seven that was one of the best in the state. I went on to recieve All-District honors twice in cross and twice in track; I also recieved All-Sectional honors twice in cross country. It took no time at all to develop a love for running. People will always laugh and make jokes at us. They say, "How could you run for fun?" At this point though the mockery is like a ceiling fan at night, all you do is smile and let it happen because in the end, it really is not a big deal. To me running is a brotherhood, the people I run with are close to my heart and I would take a bullet for almost all of them. Some of my closest friends and greatest challenges have come from running. When I look back on the decisions I have made, there is one that I will never regret, becoming a runner.

Criminal Minds

10 July 2012
One of my favorite shows on all of television is Criminal Minds. The first time I ever watched a crime investigation show was about a year ago and it was the show, NCIS. This show was my favorite for a long time and I was always fascinated with the way that a group of individuals could come together and link their knowledge in order to solve a problem. I still love NCIS and it really proves no different from Criminal Minds except for the characters, and it so happens I like the Criminal Minds characters much more. For those of you who do not know, the show usually begins by showing a murder, or a scenario of some sort. This is usually the starting point where the team works from. The team consists of a group of people including a technician as support, who work to link clues and develop profiles in order to find the killer. I cannot lie; there have been multiple episodes where I am on the brink of hiding under my soft covers. However, I am quick to escape the warmth of them when I remember that good prevails. The one thing I love about this show is that 99 percent of the time the good guys win. This always brings me a sense of peace as I watch. On another note many people cannot stand watching some episodes because they deal with rape or sexual torture aspects. While I will admit this is disturbing and atrocious I cannot help but feel as though I learn to better appreciate the FBI and other groups that work to ensure our safety. People are working day in and day out to prevent a continuing occurrence of these terrible events and I cannot thank them enough. I find this show very interesting and while it may be partially because Detective Morgan kicks butt, I also find the forming profiles and linking clues aspect very interesting. I am by no means brave or smart enough to do this kind of job, but I am thankful for the people who are.

Happy Ever After

9 July 2012
As I look towards my future I can honestly say that I am terrified. There is so much that is right around the  corner that I find it impossible not to be constantly worried about what will unfold. In a few short months I will be headed back out west in a search for knowledge and experience. A short year after beginning college I will recieve a call to serve a church mission in a an area that is yet to be known. These two life changing events are around a year away and I am completely terrified. These two milestones are events taht I have looked forward to since I was a little kid. I can imagine sitting on the old leather couches talking to my parents about how I would one day go to BYU just like they did. It was only a few months ago that my dream became reality as I got an email that proclaimed my acceptance to the prestigious university. My worries are lightened because my best friend also got accepted and I am excited to be able to spend time with her and get to know her better out at BYU. I cannot wait to meet knew people and go on tons of different journies, but when it all comes down to it I am still completely scared of my future. There is so much I want to accomplish and at this point I feel as though I am in a constant battle with time. It just hit me the other day that there is no more prom, there will not be another Fourth of July in America, and my next report card won't be from high school. I know that it is just the beginning but I truly feel as though I have hit the end. Any advice would be readily accepted because it this point I am tightening the chin strap and getting ready for whatever hits me next. There are so many choices to make that will directly impact my future. And at this point I just want to make the decisions that will lead me towards my happy ever after.

A Vacations End

8 July 2012
So my fabulous journey to the state of California is coming to its close. Tomorrow I will wake up and pack the bags to head back to my lovely home in Springfield Missouri. It has been a trip to remember and it will leave me with many memories. I love my Grandparents dearly and being able to spend time with them was something that I will cheerish. While I could not leave my friends completely, keeping my iPhone close at my hip, I still very much felt as though I took a little vacation from life to get away from the stress. Yes, my wonderful English 101 class did not completely allow a stress free vacation but I was able to manage. Recieving a banged up knee and a week of terrible nights sleep was the cost for such a wonderful trip. For weeks previous to this vacation our family had joked what a burden and horrific experience this would be. I mean, who can blame us, family reunions are notorious for the crazy and unexpected. However I found myself very comfortable, so comfortable in fact that I found myself at the mic on kareokee night singing "Drops of Jupiter" by Train. Ask anybody who knows me and they can confirm that this was most indeed something out of the ordinary. I love my family very much, and while I may not be able to handle going every year, I would definatley love to come back and catch up with some long lost relatives again. Seeing some elk and hiking along the ocean does not make for a bad trip either. A vacation is amazing every now and then but the sad part is that it all comes to an end at one point. So for now I will head back to the lovely state of Missouri and anticipate the results of my best friends trip to Italy. A vacation that most likely will not even come close in comparison to mine, although if she gets lucky it might. Who does not love a good family vacation?

Smoking

7 July 2012
This blog entry is going to be nothing but a solid emotional thrashing of smokers world-wide. From the time I was a middle school kid there has been nothing that bothers me more than the people of this world who smoke. My first point is that the action in itself is prolonged suicide. My second point is that in no way does this action make you look cool. While it may have been the cool thing when it first happened, the only people who think it might be cool are the same guys who are going down with them. My last point (that I will share) is that it hurts others. I hate how I cannot go anywhere or even walk through town without having to worry about the smokers around me. I am a runner and while it may sound selfish, I do not want people contaminating the air and my lungs with what I see as a toxin. I have trained my body and many people like me work hard to keep themselves healthy. Second hand smoke is not only disgusting but dangerous. I am doing my best to keep my body in the best shape I can so that I can live a long healthy life, I do not enjoy when people choose to ruin that for me with their own unhealthy habits. Smoking is atrocious and I hate it with my whole heart. Maybe it is simply because I do not understand or face it on a daily basis. If you smoke then consider this my own personal message to you, “STOP." Smoking is disgusting and it does nothing but kill people. I know that each of us has a choice and that we have the power within each of us to quit a habit such as this. I truthfully believe that it is the obligation of us to do our best to help others quit this nasty habit. Personally I do not want to be attending any love ones funeral. This may not be the most well written blog post but I hope that my view point is clearly made. Smoking will not be tolerated by Brady Shanklin in this world or the next. Nothing is pretty about it and my opinion will never change. Our bodies are amazing creations and we need to respect them.

The Amazing Spiderman

July 6, 2012

For as long as I can remember people have had to debate of what could be done with a single wish. One wish and all the difference on earth could be made. Some might wish for world peace and others might wish for money beyond their wildest imaginations. Imagine this though, instead of bathing in money and buying the house of your dreams, you spend your days and nights spinning webs as you dive through skyscrapers. The walls of New York welcome you as artistically perfected webs are spun to create your own personal Tarzan adventure. Imagine if instead of wishing for selfish riches and money, that instead you spent that same wish on something that could change lives.  With a single granted wish you could spend your nights as a masked vigilante protecting the streets from crime while millions of adoring fans praise your name. The most beautiful girl in your life would sit at home and do anything for you, including risking her own life against the relentless villains who use her as bait. Yes as of today July 6^th my one wish, pending it is granted, would be to live every day as Spiderman. Having been inspired by the recent film “The Amazing Spiderman,” I am now thoroughly convinced that a life as Spiderman would be extremely difficult but most certainly worthwhile. The thrill of being blessed with the abilities to stop crime would be out of this universe. I have thought over and over again to myself of anything that could replace this and I can find none. Being Spiderman himself would be a dream come to life in a magical fashion. Like hitting a brick wall I have come full circle and realized that this dream will spend its days as a mere hope and splendor of thought. However, if for some reason Aladdin wants to lend me his genie, I will ready to fight crime.

Family Reunion

5 July 2012

There is a lot that can be said about family reunions. They are notorious for some of the most outrageous and crazy events and relatives that can be found. My family reunion is no different. This is the first time that we have attended a family reunion in over 12 years. I can honestly say that it is pretty much everything that the stereotypes would hold it to be. From the kids playing zombie hunter on their laptops, to the Wildman uncle who cannot get enough alcohol it simply lives up to every single stereotype. Surprisingly though I am having a pretty good time and have enjoyed playing in the river and meeting some of my less wild long lost relatives. It also helps to have my grandparents with me by my side who I love dearly. Today was the first day of the reunion and a lot of the day was spent simply getting to know one another. Lots of different people have come from lots of different places to be a part of this get together and it is pretty exciting. More exciting than the people could possibly be the weather. I left my comfy home in Springfield Missouri to journey out here to California. The 100 degree temperature in the show-me state does is not as lovely as the cool seventy degrees that make their home in northern California and southern Oregon. Not to mention that at night a sweatshirt, two blankets and a sleeping bag barely keep you warm in the cool tents. Overall though I cannot be more pleased with how things have gone as of now and due to the requirement of having a daily blog post you can be sure that as a reader you will be hearing more of the reunion situation in the very near future. I hope that everyone had a safe Fourth of July. Sadly mine did not include fireworks due to the strict rules of our family reunions campground. It was the first Fourth that I had spent in a long time without fireworks. It’s just one of the many things that we do for our family right?

Kevin Durant

 4 July 2012
Most days as I sit down to write my three hundred words worth of journal entry I am quick to figure out what I want to write about and the words come with ease. Today I struggled for a little bit to figure out exactly what I wanted to share with my audience. I figured since I have mentioned him a couple times already that I should explain more my love for the professional basketball player Kevin Durant. For those of you who do not know he is a basketball player for the NBA team The Oklahoma City Thunder. They are a recently developed team that formed from the Seattle Supersonics when the team decided to relocate. I honestly have no real reason that can back up why I like him so much but I can also not find a reason that I would not like him. He is extremely talented and unlike a lot of athletes is also very humble. He plays with his team and is not selfish but still managed to lead the NBA in scoring for three straight years. This year the Thunder made it to the NBA finals and were on fire but Lebron James throttled them in five games in the championship series. It was rather disappointing but with a very young and talented Kevin Durant and an average team age of only 24, they looked poised to develop and form into a championship caliber team in years to come. As i think about it I probably should have wrote about the Fourth of July and all of that stuff in this post but oh well. I do love this country but I guess today Kevin Durant was the guy that stood in the forefront of my mind. Anyways, happy Fourth of July to everyone and I hope that you have a safe holiday.

This I Belive-Credo

Impossible is Nothing. Some may see this as three simple words but when put together this statement can drive groups of individuals to do great things. Where would the world be if individuals simply gave up when a challenging time arose? Would we still be a racially segregated nation, would we have cars and trucks to drive around? Many of the world’s greatest inventions have come about because individuals chose to grab their inner strength and refuse to accept anything less than their best. The outstanding track and field athlete Steve Prefontaine once said, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." We have all been blessed with unique talents and with them we can truly do the impossible. Another common creed that drives a lot of Christian faiths that I would like to tie into my own is, "I can do all things through God who strengthens me." Most of us believe in God and I believe that the main reason that we as individuals can push the limits and do things that we would never have imagined being able to do is because we have strength from another world. I cannot claim the statement 'Impossible is Nothing' as my credo or Adidas might come hunt me down. But my credo does follow in the same lines because I believe that we have all been blessed, and with these blessings we would be wasteful not to push ourselves to our maximum potential.

The Amazing iPhone

3 July 2012
It's sad to say that one of the most important things of my life that I feel completely empty without, is my phone. About four months ago I finally convinced my parents to get me an iPhone. It had been a challenging and very difficult debate but finally I convinced them it was time to upgrade from the phone that my fifty year old neighbor also had. I had my iPhone for no less than a couple months when a tragey struck. I was out lifeguarding at the neighborhood pool, the clock hit the top of the hour and I went inside for my ten minute break. It took no more than a couple seconds to realize that my prized iPhone was gone. After frantic searching and scrambling it was clear that someone had stole my most prized possession. I called my parents who then called the phone company and we came to the saddening conclusion that there was nothing that could be done to replace the stolen iPhone. My heart sank and I knew that the only way I would be able to get another is if I dug deep, and I mean very deep, into my own pocket. Three hundred dollars later I now have an iPhone again and you better believe that it is under much better protection now. It is sad that I felt it necessary to need this phone and that I could not live with a much simpler and less expensive one. However, I challenge anyone who has had an iPhone to try and switch to a non-smart phone. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook practically define us as individuals and sadly many of us spend hours in our day updating statuses and posting pictures. The iPhone is a miraculous invention and it truly has changed technology as we know it. Be warned however that once you get one, there's no going back.

Fear

2 July 2012
Being an eighteen year old recent high school graduate I think many people could take a stab in the dark about what my biggest fear is. Some may guess snakes, others spiders and the most common answer would probably be heights. Surprisingly I fear none of these and my real fear lurks within the saltwater oceans around the world. These creatures that I fear are massive beasts of prey with flesh shredding teeth and a dagger like fin. They spend their lives making dinner of baby seals and poor little children. If you have not guessed by now then you may be surprised to find out that my biggest fear is sharks. There is no detour or way around this fact.Whether it is a Lemon, Hammerhead, or even the monstrous Great White I hate them and fear them with all my heart. I absolutely am terrified of sharks and if I was to vacation to a coastal city, chances are that I would not go into the ocean or sea water past my knees. These creatures scare me to death and even though I am completely aware that dying of lightning is thirty times more common than being attacked by a shark, I would way rather walk through an open field during a thunderstorm. Whenever I think of the ocean I can never enjoy the peace or beauty because what contaminates my mind are the vivid pictures of blood and gore as a man eating great white makes dinner of hunky surfer guys. So please, friends and readers, go enjoy your time out in the ocean and sea waters. But when you have to spend the rest of your life clapping with a nub instead of an arm, or running with an artificial leg, do not come crying to me. So have fun and enjoy the beautiful California beach, but I am staying right here on the sand.

Walking Among Giants

1 July 2012

One of the first things that people say to me upon first appearance usually has a correlation to my height in some way. Whether it is the typical, "Wow you never stop growing do you" or my favorite, "I can't believe that someone so tall could look so handsome as well." Yes you caught me, the first one I hardly ever get, and the second is much more common. The actual premise of this post is not about my good looks and height but about something else that lives as a giant in others eyes. Today I was blessed with the opportunity to see some of the giant redwoods that make home in the beautiful state of California. The peace of the woods cannot be described by any nature of words. I truly felt close to myself and to things I hold close to my heart as I walked around and beheld the majesty of these creations from God. The beauty was something of another world and I would recommend that anyone who gets the opportunity readily accept. To be able to experience this with my family was truly amazing and I love being out in the open with such amazing spectacles. These giants were truly spectacular and I have spent most of my day in awe of the opportunity I had to experience such peace and beauty. To put it into a real life sense for the readers, at some points I could not even see the top of these trees because they reached so high up into the sky and the sun began to block out their highest points.  Some of these beasts were reaching hundreds of feet into the air and it took almost five of my family members linked arm to arm to wrap around their bases. The trails that wove in and out of the trees were walks of much recollection and thought. I felt like a monk with all of the peace and positive energy that I felt circulating through me. Overall this was a great way to start my vacation and an even better way to spend my Sunday. I have never felt so much satisfaction as I did today walking among these giants.