A Letter to my Little Brother

Dear Chris,
You always complained and asked why I was so picky with near everything you did. You always claimed I was mean, and did it only for that reason. I did get harsh, but I had good reason. You were, and still are, a stubborn butthead much like me. If you hating me for a little while was what it took, I accepted that. I did not want you to do dumb, annoying things or to give people anything to use against you. Those bullies use anything they can find. While still allowing you to be yourself, I had to stop, warn, or at least make you think about doing certain things. I felt it was my job to guide you. Dad allowed me to do this because he figured you'd listen to me the best. Mom got mad at me for upsetting you so much, but you just took things to heart too much. I am not really sorry, as I see how you turned out alright. I hope you realize, too, that I was right and it worked.
Love,
Michael

Who do I look to?

I try not to look up to any one person too much. No one person is a perfect example. However, my friends do inspire me. It is their fault that I am who I am today. If they have a beneficial habit, I try to mimic it. If my friends have a bad habit, I will learn from it and try my hardest to avoid it. If it were not for my friends, I would be completely happy with Bs in school. Now that is not the case. I have smart friends, so now As are all I can get and still be satisfied. I am very competitive when it comes to grades now. In grades six through eight, my friends Andrew and Michael competed and I soon joined. I have carried that competitiveness with me ever since. My friends do not even have to compete with me. I just want to do better for myself. In a way, I guess I could say that my friends inspired me to be so driven towards As and I just continued.

Mountains and Fog

If I could live anywhere in the world I wanted, I would live on a mountain. The mountains are quiet and peaceful. I would not need to worry about what other people do because hopefully, I would be alone. The only problems being so far away from people would be long trips to stores and the possibility of poor Internet service, if any at all. I would not want to be completely cut off from all people either. I also like the mornings I have experienced in the mountains. It seems that no matter what season I would wake up to cool, brisk air and fog. I love the fog! I think fog looks pretty when it covers the lower trees in the valley and the sun hits it. I would not mind waking up to that every day. I would really like to live in the mountains because my house could be bigger, I would not have to worry about what my neighbors are doing, and I like the mild weather. The best vacations I have taken were somewhere in the mountains.

Money is Not Everything

        I took from this project that teaching myself how to use video editing software did prove to be useful, that I need more than five friends, and that money is not everything. The video itself was relatively easy to put together after I got enough people lined up and in order. Friends are nice to have, but they do not always listen when you tell them how things need to be done. There proved to be something better than money too, happyness. Most of what people would do to be happy, does not require much money.  I saw the results of a study on the news today that stated kids from age 12 to adulthood are more happy if their parents had money. I believe that. Kids are spoiled with money! Chances are pretty good that they claim to be happy, but do not know what true happyness feels like because they think money causes happyness. It does not. True happyness come from doing good in society while enjoying it.

Project joined with the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness"

 

Hear That??

        If we lost all electricity, I would miss the sounds that fill my house from the electric appliances. The loss of that quiet, barely noticeable hum would be mourned. I would not be able to sleep. That is not even an exaggeration. I need to hear something at all times. Silence could just drive me insane. Usually when I go to sleep at night, I turn the timer on my TV on to turn it off right after I fall asleep. I need the sound in order to sleep. The ceiling fan in my bedroom is on every night, whether I am cold or not. I could lay there and complain about being cold, and sleep eventually, but if that hum is missing I am not sleeping at all. I cannot even sit in the living room in complete silence. Luckily, in my house there is always something running, and it is dead quiet. At all times, a variety of sounds are there from the washer, refrigerator, furnace, TV, air conditioner, radio, dishwasher, or fans. I do like to have quiet time, but there is such a thing as too quiet and no electricity would cause that much too often. 

I would not last very long in this room   http://www.theblaze.com/stories/how-long-could-you-last-in-the-worlds-quietest-room-the-record-is-only-45-minutes/

It Just Stands Out

        My favorite book is one that I was originally forced to read. “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” is one of the very few books that I have finished, and then did not immediately think was a waste of time. I very much enjoyed that book. The main character, Eddie, dies attempting to save a young girl from a malfunctioning amusement park ride. On his way to heaven, Eddie is visited by five people from his life that had gone before him. These people are there to teach him five lessons he should take from his life. The only question Eddie has that none of the people will answer is if he did in fact save the girl he gave his life for. This book is special to me because I can see no better way to go than to save another, specifically a young child. It does a great job of painting the pictures of the events after death also. An odd little incident I had with this book is that after I finished it, I told my mother and others to read it because I liked it so much. I did not tell my grandpa however, but when he died over the summer I found the book on the table next to his chair half read. I could not believe the book showed up there! I think I have some sort of bond with this book. Ever since I finished it, I have seen it many times. 

Forget The Money

          What could be done in the time life allows if money were no object? People get so caught up in making a living that requires money that they forget to live. The time allowed by life should be spent doing what one enjoys, rather than mindless work that is not satisfying. Robert Frost’s poem “After Apple Picking” brings a version of this question to mind. The poem uses the apples that the subject did not pick to represent the regrets left behind in life while distracted by a menial task. Through the use of his metaphors, Frost conveys a message of the end of life approaching and the regrets left behind to haunt afterwards.

            Frost’s metaphors leave the feeling of the conclusion of life nearing. Frost states, “It melted, and I let it fall and break” (L 13). The melting is slow and represents the long time life gave to accomplish set goals. When he states that he let it fall and break, that is the end death brings after the melting, or time, has passed. Death comes after time has been given and melted away possibly leaving behind regrets of goals that were not accomplished in that time.

            Frost’s metaphors continue to leave that concluding feeling, but darker in the end of the poem. In his poem Frost states, “his / Long sleep, as I describe its coming on, / Or just some human sleep” (L 39-41). Laying down at night for rest is the simple human sleep. After the long days life brings, one can become exhausted and fall into a deep sleep. The long sleep that Frost refers to is the lengthy slumber of death. The long sleep is complete rest from the menial tasks of life that distract from important goals.

            Frost’s message of life ending and not leaving regrets to linger is conveyed through the use of his metaphors. Life should not be spent on a repetitive task that does not bring about satisfaction, even when you are completely burned out. People waste their life in a sense and teach proceeding generations to do the same. This cycle needs to be broken. A short life of doing what brings joy is much better than a long life doing what brings about misery and no satisfaction. If I had my choice of anything, I would like to live in one of the many National Parks. I could not see myself as one of those extreme tree huggers, but I do want to help protect the only land safe to remain in its natural state unharmed by mining, loggers, and hunters. I realized just how important these areas of our nation are to me while watching a presidential debate turn to the subject of their future. When one candidate supported opening them up to oil drilling I did not warm up to that idea one bit.  If I could live in the parks, I could speak on behalf of them with more force. I have always loved camping and have gone with my family my whole life. Nature is what brings my joy in life. The conservation and protection of these sacred pure lands is a very important topic to me personally, and is one of the few issues I will speak out against without hesitation. 

Maybe We Should Not Have

         If I could change one thing I did in my life, it would be the outcome of that football game in the house. My mom told my brother and I to stop playing in the house and go outside with our energy. She went down to the basement to do laundry, and was not around to keep yelling at us, so we continued. I’m not exactly the lightest person, so when I fall, it can be heard downstairs. The floor shakes a bit. Mom starts yelling at us again, but we do not care, we are young kids and she is not in front of us. Football continues even in the worst of conditions. I decided to run as fast as I could around my brother, and he pushed me. Although I am much bigger, I lost my footing on the carpet and slid into a coffee table. Sitting on that coffee table were those faceless figurines that creep most people out, me included. It turned out that even though they are wood, if they are hit hard enough, they did break. Now there are no more faceless people to make fun of, and I miss them. My mom really did not care as much as most would think. My dad and I are the only ones who miss those faceless creeps because we could make fun of them and people that came over found it funny. I am really upset with the absence of them, but playing football in the house was totally worth it.

"Let Me Out!"

Camping is what I love to do. I like to be outside doing anything other than sitting in the house. While I am camping, I am outdoors all day long. I usually stay out until I am too tired to move at all. During the daytime, I am either carving something in wood, exploring the woods, or playing basketball or football. I will stay out longer than usual at night while out at the campground, even if it is raining. I do not care if I get soaked and cold. Entertainment is usually provided every Friday and Saturday night, but since I last longer than the activities, I have to find my own. Sneaking around through the woods to the back of random peoples’ campsites is high on my list of favorites. People are much friendlier and know how to take a joke better out there. I have actually made many friends by this method. They think it is pretty cool and already have a good idea that I am a fun person. I feel I am a much different and happier person while at the campground. It is my “happy place” and I try not to worry about a thing.

I Believe in Better Days...

        I have a special tie to country music. It is what I grew up with. It tells reasonable life stories, and most people do not appreciate it, which means I do. It is not all depressing as many label it. That is a false stereotype. Country music has evolved over time to include ALL types of music and their elements, not just depressing guitar strumming love songs. If anybody feels the need to argue with me about my music, I’m willing and ready to support it! That’s how strongly I feel about it. 

         For the sake of time and words, Big & Rich is one of my favorite bands. There is one particular song of theirs that is currently my favorite. “That’s Why I Pray” is a song about the problems and corruption of today’s society. The song lists many issues we face daily including neighbors losing their houses because they can’t find jobs, stupid media found on the internet ruining ones reputation, the lack of stable family environments, and religious disagreements. The song eventually offers hope that we can all make a difference by doing our own small part and letting go of the past to better days to come. The main point is that the belief that better days are out there and are very possible should be kept. Usually, when a new song comes out, it takes me a while to warm up to it, if I haven’t already labeled it as annoying. This song was quite different. It grew on me instantly, most likely due to the message it contained. 

I do not understand the video completely, but the song itself is great.

What to Do With The Kids

         I think the government should not provide free day care for parents. I think a major issue with families today is that the kids never see their parents. I see many parents that will take any and every chance to pawn their kids off on another person. They should not even have kids if they are not going to be the ones to take care of them. Having children means more than just providing for them financial. It also means being there and supporting them as they grow. Parents could miss milestones in life because they were under the care of another who may not care as if it were their own child. I understand that in many cases this cannot be helped, but leaving kids in the care of another person so often should not be encouraged. If it must be done, another family member would be best. Even better than another family member or a day care is manipulating work schedules so that one parent is always home, if possible. That means one parent could work days, and the other works nights. As I was growing up my mom was always home with me. She quit her job to be home to take care of my brother and I. I believe having parents take care of and raise their children has a major impact on how the child will turn out, their morals and values, and who they are as a person.

A Gift of Immeasurable Value

         It cannot be received without first being given. One must be trusting in order to be trusted themselves. How can someone trust another if it’s not mutual? However, trust is not just handed out, it must be earned. I used to trust just about everybody, until they gave me a reason not to. I still usually give anyone the benefit of the doubt. More recently I have realized that that may not be the best idea. Trusting a person is a huge deal and should be handled as such. Now I am much more cautious about who I talk to, what I tell them, and what they know about me. Trust is rarer, and because of that, it is more special and valuable. The value of a trusted friend is an immeasurable gift and should be held close as a personal treasure.

BOOM!

“This is how stupid people end up on the news, you know that, right?” “Nah... it shouldn’t do anything.” Those were words I soon had to rethink.
A few weeks ago my dad and I were doing a small fireworks display for a group in the back of the campground with us. We set up while the sun was out, so we could go to a party in the evening. Unfortunately, nature decided to let loose and rain all over everything we set out. Most of it was ruined for sure, since the powder inside caked together. We just threw many of them in the fire pit there, but put the “big one” in a plastic bag to take home where we had more space. We were still a bit leery of its report, having never had one before.
This last weekend we started a fire with heat to the point of white flames. Thinking this would be the ideal time to dispose of the firecracker, we threw it in the heart of the flame and placed wood over it. Because we were all about safety, we stood behind our massive wood pile. Five minutes pass and all I get is a huge flash of light. I was disappointed. My dad told me to go to the garage and get some more boxes and he’d get more drinks. Halfway to the front yard, we are startled by a massive explosion and a flash of light that lit up surrounding yards. How that paper and powder lasted ten minutes in that inferno was beyond me. I had to run back there and assess the awesomeness of the event. Into the wood pile, throughout the backyard, and across the crick I found red hot coals. The fire had been blown apart!
From this, we saw firsthand what people that show up on the news do and what they are thinking. Although it was an awesome sight, I don’t think we’ll be doing it again anytime soon.

Michael

The most frequent time I hear my name is when somebody is yelling at me for a poorly thought out or “bad” joke. My “cruel” sense of humor has only a tinge of sarcasm, or so I’m told. I believe that the unremitting sarcasm comes from the background of my name. The biblical meaning of the name Michael is “Who is like God?” which is a rhetorical question itself. Rhetorical questions are a key element of sarcasm. People may see my humor as malicious and uncaring, but if they can see past the asperity, they’ll realize it’s all as good natured as a forest fire.  The name Michael is also at a high level in the biblical hierarchy. Michael was a mighty warrior, protector and promoter of righteousness. I like to think that I stand for the right principles and am capable of being a qualified leader. Being as big as I am, with proper morals, allows me to instigate and pester like a mosquito without the fear of paying dearly for it. SMACK! 


Where I got my name...

#1 Rule (Keep it Positive)

        My most important rule is to keep things positive. One negative attitude or influence can bring down many. From my experiences in many years of playing team sports, I have seen it to be true that it only takes that one sour person. We did not need that influence, so they sat on the bench away from the rest of us. Positive attitudes should be allowed to flourish and produce free from all negative influences.
The same should be true of critism. Helpful critism is much more affective than pointing out everything that went wrong. Again, in sports, I would get tired of hearing what I did wrong. It was embarrassing enough to do it, let alone hear all about it. It would have been nice to hear something good that I did at the same time. Hearing all the negativity nearly caused me to quit. It becomes discouraging if that is all you hear about. I think that harsh critism is needed sometimes, and not everything should be sugar coated, but positive or constructive critism works best.