Winter slowly creeps into my soul and settles into my skin,
just like a bear cuddled up in his den, hidden during the cold winter season.
What is winter?
It is the covering of the summer’s canvas with white paint
It is the joy of the bright sunrise on the horizon, magnifying the light on the white.
It is the warmth of a close friend when you are feeling cold.
I remember doing a project in the eleventh grade on love. I remember our question being, is love the most important factor in life? In our project my group and I stated that yes love is the most important factor in life whether it be love towards your family, an object or your significant other. This article states otherwise. It’s interesting to read another point of view on love when I think strongly that love is one of the most important factors in life. The article does make sense and I could see as to why the author would say that “love is not enough”. Obviously, love cannot be the only thing that matters in life but it is important. Love is not going to cure all things bad in life, but it is going to help. Love is supposed to make people realize what they’re fighting for and if it’s worth to fight for. Love has the power to change people for the better. If a person loves someone, they have the power to do so many things for each other and it keeps the people motivated. I’m not saying love is the answer to everything, but it does bring out another side to people. Other factors are needed in life than love, but in my opinion, love is one of the most important factors.
https://markmanson.net/stop-trying-to-be-happy
After I read this article, I had a bit of an epiphany. I realized that so many people in todays world try so hard to be happy, but can’t because just like the author said happiness “is not something you obtain, but rather something you inhabit.” I would have to completely agree with what the author says in his article. Happiness is so much more than pleasure from things. To be happy one should feel it at all times, people should feel it naturally rather than to have to buy it. When I say buy happiness, I mean buy objects, vacations and friends to make yourself feel happy. Once you can’t buy it anymore the happiness fades. It can be difficult to actually feel happiness, but it’s a matter of trying new things and living a life that isn’t pressuring. I could vouch for this article, whenever I am upset and force myself to be happy, it’s not real happiness. When I don’t think about happiness just go about a good day, I simply feel it. Many people should read this article, I feel as if people would also have a realization that happiness is not something you force upon yourself, but instead come naturally.
“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” – Gandalf
” I’m not going to change anything. But I believe it matters in some infinitesimal way that people like the Venda women, and the dozens of people who may walk alongside me on any given day, know that I’m there.” – Alison Howard
People tend to assume that little changes mean almost no change. The thesis in the essay “South African Storm” by Alison Howard and the quote “Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” from Gandalf, both represent that starting off with little deeds can make a huge impact in the long run. Alison wants to end convectional racism by doing small deeds, she knows that she’s “not going to change anything.” but she believes “it matters in some infinitesimal way”. She stands up to racism by being a part of their culture, “In black South African culture it is polite to greet every person you pass. That’s what they do, so I do it, too.”; she is doing “small acts of kindness and love”. Alison Howard wants to get rid of racism but she says “I’m not going to change anything” because she knows she can’t be the only one to change it, but she could make a difference by trying.
http://www.alive.com/lifestyle/happy-healthy-single/
This article I read was very amusing. I found it quite humouring reading the authors point of view on being single, because it was the complete opposite of me. It’s interesting reading about other peoples opinions because it opens your mind up a bit and make you more open about other opinions. The author used a few metaphors and similes describing how “wanting to get married was like getting bitten by a bug” he describes it as if he hadn’t been bitten by the bug and always wants to stay single. I have an uncle that lives in Poland that refuses to get married or let alone date, he loves being single and sticks to it. I believe that you have to choose whats right for you and what makes you happy. I know for a fact that I would want to get married when im older, whereas someone else dreads the thought of marriage. People want different things and this article made me realize that each person is different and want different things whether it pleases you or not.
https://childmind.org/article/how-using-social-media-affects-teenagers/
This article links to many kids these days, I could even say I relate to what the author says about teenagers. I’ve always been interested in all sorts of topics about social media because it plays such a big role in peoples lives today. Wherever you go, there are advertisements about it. I liked how the author made the reader connect to what they were writing about. The author uses a few literary devices, but one I noticed the most, was parallelism; The author uses it to make the reader notice what kids do online that affects them negatively. All kids sit on their phones texting, sharing, trolling, scrolling, you name it.” I always wondered if it affected us in a good or bad way. The author managed to lure me into reading plenty more articles about technology today and how it affects us. I always wished I lived in a time where there was minimal technology, I imagine life to be more simple without it. I noticed that kids these days only care about their phones and the likes they receive per photo they post, instead of focusing on more important topics other than themselves. This article makes me realize how dependant we are on social media that if it were ever taken away, people wouldn’t know what to do with themselves.
Throughout the short story Miss Brill, I realized that everyone perceives you differently than you think. Many people tend to judge other around them based on their looks, instead of getting to know the person and their story, how they became who they are. Miss Brill would go out every Sunday and sit on a bench to observe the people around her, it was a bit ironic though because when she was sitting there judging people based on their looks and what they would say when they walked past her, she was being judged unknowingly. Miss Brill didn’t realize she was being judged until one couple made a rude comment about her. People don’t realize how much of an effect it could make on someone if they have been judged, especially if they found out what they were thinking. I know the feeling of being judged for something thats not true. It hurts especially if people don’t know what has happened to them or know the complete story. I learned that if you don’t know a person, before you get any bad thoughts, get to know the person because they could end up being a great friend.