The New Kid by Murray Heyert

Dear younger Marty,

           As I write to you today, I recount a memory that I simply cannot forget. I have several mixed emotions about this event, so I must tell. One afternoon, I raced past the dentist's office, past the new paint smell, the place where the new kid lived, the garlic smell from an Italian movie. I reached the door, waited for mother, and threw on my white sneakers. I then ran past all of the familiar scents again, but reached the ball game too late. All the players were out on the field, ready for the game and waiting for Eddie Deakes to chalk a base against the curb. I felt defeated; there was no way I was going to play ball. If I had made it on time, maybe I would have fit in.
          I begged and begged to be chosen, but not one person would take a chance on me. I racked my mind for ways to play. That's when I saw the kid, and the whole day changed. I thought that if another would join the game, then the teams would be equal. The new kid sat on his steps, eating rye bread covered in apple sauce, wearing boy scout pants. "He'll do good enough," I thought, and I raced over to his porch. At first he was dismissive, saying he had to go to the store, but he eventually caved in. It took some convincing to make Gelberg and Eddie take in the new kid and I. I ended up on Gelberg's team, but neither really wanted me. When it came my time to catch, I missed the ball and screwed up the play. I wished to fit in, to feel wanted, but I had messed up, and that was it. When it came time for the new kid to catch, he ran from the ball, and I took it as a chance to feel better about myself. I said "he's scared of the ball!" and "he's a yellow belly!" over and over again, feeling better about my mistakes as I yelled. My intentions looked great in my mind, but my words made the biggest mistake. The new kid slumped, and felt miserable. I took this as a chance to beat him up, and I can only say how much I regret doing that. For a young boy like you, fitting in was my goal. I wanted to be seen as a 'cool person,' but I never knew how. When the new kid came along, I took my chance to pick on him as the others had picked on me. Looking back on that day, I can only regret those things I said.
           I can only hope that when my son hears this story, he learns that bullying can only lead to harm. Being a popular person shouldn't define who one is, its the personality that really matters. I hope that my mistakes will teach my son to be the better person, and to always rise above. If I could go back, I would have never done what I did. It was nice writing to you, and I wish you a great childhood.

Sincerely, 

Older Marty.

General Lee's Horse - Life on the Battlefield

Hey! Today our class is working on a RAFT Civil War Letter.

Dear General Lee,

Today is April 9th, 1865, which marks the last day of the war. Life on the battle field surely hasn't been easy, but I will continue to be with the South. With you as my rider, I have protected you, and kept you safe. The sounds around me boomed like falling mountains, but I learned to block them out and keep persisting. I must say, watching you lead the South has been a great experience. Despite the fallen soldiers and gore on the battlefield, I have enjoyed prancing around with you as orders are barked out. I have definitely learned that together we make a great team, and I wouldn't be the same without you.
We have seen a great deal, and witnessed a few courageous wins. I do miss my lady friend, Travelerella, but luckily we will be reunited soon. Perhaps my favorite battle we fought was the First Battle of Lexington, which truly set the tone for the war. With a fresh win, I happily galloped to where you led me. I will miss being your main homie, and I hope that you will take me out often so we can remain close. A bond like ours is irreplaceable, please don't leave me in the barn forever.
I can't thank you enough for the experiences we both have endured, and I hope to go on another journey with you another time.

The Holocaust, Tolerence, and Japanese American Museum

Hey there readers! Yesterday my class visited the Holocaust/Tolerance and the Japanese American Museum. We learned several things, along with the meaning of being a witness. 

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What does being a witness mean to you? How, if at all, were you transformed by your experience in LA?

For me, being a witness means that I've experienced a (usually bad) situation. I might not have taken part in the particular event on that day, but I've been told and "seen" what the situation was like. By going through the Holocaust museum, I have experienced in a way, what it was like. With this new found knowledge (as in new information to me), I can share with others, and make them aware of the horrific past that has happened. Being in LA was definitely emotionally exhausting. Witnessing all of the genocide the took place was extremely hard to swallow, and seeing the short clips of movies made me way more aware of what really happened. My point of view on being a witness has changed since we went through the museums. I now know that witnessing a crime isn't only seeing something. When you see something horrific, I feel that its your duty to share with others what you experienced, and to make them more aware as to what shouldn't happen in the future.

Description and meaning of Identity items

Hey there bloggers and readers! Today I will be discussing the items that I would present as a way to identify myself. 

What would go in your time capsule if you could only pick four things: (1) family/childhood, (2) heritage/culture roots, (3) accomplishments/achievements, and (4) legacy left behind? And what kind of container would you put it all in?

If I could only choose four things, it would be extremely difficult to narrow down my legacy to so few possessions. If it were up to me, I would bury a treasure chest the size of Russia and hide my whole life in it, but since I'm left with no choice, I must decide on four. As for my family, I might leave behind a map of where each of use came from, so that later generations could identify with our roots. If not a map, I would leave behind a hammer. This may seem like an odd object, but it shows the hard work and persistence to preserve and to try harder instilled in each family member. As for heritage/culture/roots, I would leave behind a charm of Nantucket Island, because it is a place where my siblings and I grew up (for the most part), and generations of my family return there annually. It is truly a special place, where so many cherish-able memories have been made, and for that, I am truly grateful for the life that I have been given to live in such wonderful places. When generations down the road look at this island, I hope that they can remeber that it is a place of connection, a place where family will always be. As for accomplishments, I would leave behind a special medal or ribbon that signifies all of my hard work as a rider. I pour my heart and soul into this sport, so I feel that it is very important to leave behind part of my legacy as an equestrian. Lastly, for my legacy, I would leave behind my first dollar earned from one of the companies that I hope to create one day. This bill would represent hard work paying off (literally). It shows others that dreams can become a reality, as long as you work for what you want, and work for yourself and what makes you happy. For the container, it would be a silver plated wooden box, carefully handcrafted. Since my dad is an architect and my mom is a fine interior designer, I feel that I should leave behind their masterful skills in the form of a beautifully made box, which holds the essence of my life. 

The Bottle Imp

Hey there Readers! Today I'll be writing about the Short Story, The Bottle Imp, that I read in English class. 

       The protagonist, Keawe, in the short story "The Bottle Imp" by Robert Louis Stevenson, is faced with making two important decisions. One of these includes the choice to buy the bottle, as there are a few risks associated with it: depression when the luck runs out, going to hell if one dies while in ownership, and abusing its powers, only to turn into a greedy person. Along with this, when Keawe discovers that he has the disease of Leprosy, he must also choose to buy back the bottle so that he can marry his love, Kokua. 
      
       When Keawe sees a gorgeous house atop a hill, he falls in love, wishing he could have his very own. His decision to commit himself to the bottle not only once, but twice, shows that he has a drive to live a joyful, comfortable life. Although he wishes to get rid of the bottle and its powers, he pushes the risks aside, not only achieving happiness for himself, but also for others. I feel that my biggest past decision that I have made was moving barns when I was a younger child. Although I was happy enough, I wanted to succeed more, to get better. I loved the sport, and I wasn't willing to stay at a mediocre level where I wasn't improving. The only downfall to this was that once I moved, I would never have a reason to stop, and the thought of horses forever to my parents wasn't completely pleasing. Over time, I believe that this choice reflects my drive to constantly improve and get better at whatever I do. I feel that giving all of one's effort in whatever one does is extremely important, and I believe that the sport that I've fallen in love with has driven me to be more successful.

Child of the West

Hey readers! Today I'll be talking about what it means to be a child of the west, and how I feel identifying with that group.

What are two ways you do or do not identify as a “child of the West”? 

As an American, I feel that I am apart of the more developed world. I am not stating this in a condescending way, but saying this in a way that I am part of a culture that is constantly advancing and finding new terms of technology. As an American, I feel that I wake up everyday in a safe and secure environment. Not all people in this world have this feeling, and I think that part of our culture is having this kind of setting. Although many Americans are hungry and on the streets, which is the harsh reality, much of our country is flourished and constantly improving in terms of infrastructure and at times, government. Not all people have nice cars and sturdy houses, but in the overall scheme of things, I find that America is a relatively stable and somewhat wealthy country. As I take part in education, I often realize that this is a right I am born with as someone of the west. Education is one of the greatest luxuries that one can receive, and I am extremely lucky to have the right to learn and be educated. "Child of the West" is a term that kind of confuses me, but I believe that it has to do with living in a structured part of the world. I am born with certain rights that allow me to live a normal life, which many other countries around the world don't allow people to have. I identify as an American, someone who lives in a modernized part of the world, and it's something that I don't take for granted.

Outside Identification, Inside Realization

Hello fellow readers! Today I am blogging about an identity mask that I have created, and why I incorporated everything that I did.

The front of my mask is made up of a series of colors. I added a blue ribbon from one of my winnings to represent my love for riding, and gems to show how I am unique. On the side, I have decorated my mask with black & white striped and pink tape, which brings out the creativity I love to show. Here I have placed sea glass, to represent the place I came from, Nantucket Island. Along with the glass is a penny, which is the luck in my life that has enabled me to do what I have. The logo of Instagram is placed in the middle of my mask.  I chose to do this because the app has really influenced my ability to know what is going on in the world, and to share what I love with it. With some 4.2K followers, my influence in the photography world has flourished, and its something I'm very proud of. I chose to use bright colors on the front, as brightness allows for creativity, which is something very important to me. While I may be sarcastic at times, I find that always being positive is a saying to live by.

On the back, my mask is more reserved, but still somewhat colorful. The black and white tape wraps around to this side, but does not completely cover over every open space. I intentionally did this because on the inside, I'm a person who needs to have an open area in order to create. A crammed area never leaves room for exploration. Along with the tape, I have placed pictures of people who I admire. These people would include musicians such as Shawn Mendes, Zedd, Harry Styles, and Liam Payne. I look up to these people because they have truly carved themselves a path into an incredible career. On the bottom, I placed a flower, because few know my love for nature. More than most things, I love to find a new place (with my camera intact) and document it. My sister always says to put the camera down and enjoy the moment, and shes probably right, but I feel that a picture is a memory you can look back on, no matter what happens in life.