Dialectical Journal! (Pages 1-20) Walden

Paraphrase: "I should not talk so much about myself if there were any body else whom I knew as well" (Pages1/2)
This quote comes from "Walden"'s introduction. Thoreau is directly addressing his audience, and using humour explains why he will be talking about himself (After all it is his life that he is writing about) , not some third person character. At this instance he could also be making a joke/comment about other writers, particularly Biographers. He is saying that they write about other people and characters and stick their noses into other's lives when they in fact know hardly anything about the others lives and instead should be self reflecting.

"Perhaps these pages are more particularly addressed to poor students." (page 2)  - Thoreau establishes who he believes that his audience will be. Now that we know that he is addressing the poorer half of America we (the readers) can establish the tone and put his piece in context.

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation" (Page 7)

First of all "quiet desperation"? is juxtaposition. Generally when I think of someone desperate they are not quite. Secondly, this basically sums up the entire chapter Economy. This is Thoreau's thesis statement: that humans strive so hard to achieve their life goal, and never reach it because they are trying too hard. People are blindly following the "bandwagon" on what to do with their life. They are told that they must have a job and save money, so tat's what they do, even if they don't necessarily believe in it.

OTHER INTERESTING QUOTES 

"but I could never see that these men slew or captured any monster or finished any labor" (Page 3)

"But men labor under a mistake" (Page 3)

"Most men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake , are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them" (Page 5)



"The necessaries of life for man in this climate may, accurately enough, be distributed under the several heads of Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel." (Page 12)

"thus have forged their own golden or silver fetters" (Page 16)

Comparison between Zora Neale Hurston and James Baldwin

Both of these essay are primary sources dealing with how racial segregation affects the author. Baldwin begins with a burning hatred that he learned at a young age for the White population. This is in a stark contrast to Hurston, whom since a very young age, has always seen the opposite race as interesting nice folk (in fact they would give her rides from spot to spot or money to dance). Zora never once believes that she wa unfortunate to be a colored person, and she believes that any man or woman whom wouldn't accept her company because she is colored is simply losing out on an amazing opportunity of meeting her. In contrast Baldwin has to deal with the anxiety and crushing feeling of low self esteem. Although these essays are both from a colored person's point of view, one deals with it optimistically, and the other pessimistically. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Vs. David Thoreau

Both Martin Luther King Jr. and David Thoreau argue that citizens should fight, in a peaceful manner, for what they think is right. Martin Luther King Jr. advocates for non-violent protest. This is much like Thoreau’s idea that you should never support a law that you do not believe in. Both of these statements are not demanding people to throw rocks at windows, but rather “civil disobedience”. Both men spent time in jail for their beliefs. One way that they are not simple, however, is that Thoreau disassociates himself from the American Government where as Martin Luther King Jr. wants to change and be a part of the government.

Sean Parnell for Governor (Draft 3)

''But obviously, we've got to stand with our North Korean allies.''

—Sarah Palin, on how she would handle the current hostilities between the two Koreas, radio interview with Glenn Beck, Nov. 24, 2010 

HOW CAN SHE BE THIS RIDICULOUS????????

October 28th Deadline DUN DUN DUN

''Only dead fish go with the flow.'' spoken on July 3rd, 2009, by our beloved former governor, Sarah Palin, whom also gave an important history lesson on Paul Revere's midnight ride- apparently he was actually warning the British, not the Americans. ''He who warned, uh, the British that they weren't gonna be takin' away our arms, uh, by ringing those bells, and um, makin' sure as he's riding his horse through town to send those warning shots and bells that we were going to be sure and we were going to be free, and we were going to be armed.''(June 3rd, 2011) Luckily, the Sarah Palin jokes are starting to diminish. Who do you have to thank for the cease in "wisecracks" that consist of "can you see russia from your house?" Sean Parnell is your answer. If you don’t know, our current governor is republican Sean Parnell. He took over Sarah Palin's run in 2009 and was formally elected in 2010 for a full five years of governorship. In his recent years of office, Parnell has made advancements toward public safety through the Choose Respect program as well as increasing Village Public Safety Officers' ability to serve rural Alaska, and promoting Alaskan's education through the Alaska Performance Scholarship and Alaska Education Opportunity Act. Also, the deficit that Alaska faces was not created by Parnell's governorship, but will be combated, in fact he already has a plan to attack the deficit using the More Alaska Production Act otherwise known as Senate Bill 21. If Sean Parnell were to stay in office then he could further these advancements and provide a much needed stability to the governor position.

As parents or high school students we can all relate to the upcoming doom of college. Picking the right one, dealing with costs, applications, and scholarship essays are among the fun that await the college bound student and their family. According to bloomberg.com, the cost of college since 1985 has surged 500%. This has brought us up to a whopping twenty three thousand dollars for one year of public college. (college board)  For upperclassmen senioritis and the impactful decision of choosing a college is well upon us and one of the factors that we must consider is the Alaska Performance Scholarship. After all, we must restore our reputation as smart Alaskans after what happened in the Palin era. (say correctly) The Alaska Performance scholarship was created by Governor Sean Parnell to help Alaskan student's afford an education instate. As the cost of education prices sky rocket, check books often become tight- but with up to $4,755 a year in scholarship money the scholarship will help pay the average seventeen thousand dollars it costs to attend University of Alaska Southeast. The Alaska Performance Scholarship benefits Alaskan’s education, and Alaskan jobs. Further, Parnell not only backs immediate college bound students, but he also supports career technical fields. The Alaska Education Opportunity Act provides for a way in which you as a student could take classes, for example, welding and receive dual credit towards both your high school graduation and certification. By the end of your four long (say this correctly) high school years you could be completely certified in a career and and begin collecting pay checks right away.

Public safety has been another of Sean Parnell's key priorities. For the past few years we, as students of Skagway, have all participated in the Choose Respect March. You know the day when we get to skip half of the school to march from the National Park Service building to the Elks. Just like Paul Revere's self sacrificing ride to warn the "british" we march in the freezing cold, with wind blowing against us all the way to the Elks. There we listen to guest speakers on domestic violence and a messege from the governor. The small tromp that we are involved in is a state-wide movement created by Sean Parnell. He has taken it upon himself to raise the awareness of domestic violence. Another bill, House Bill 199 passed by Sean Parnell supported Village Public Safety Officers ability to carry firearms. We are fortunate enough to have a Police Office Department, but many rural communities in Alaska are not; the only form of law enforcement that they have are state troopers, whom often take a long time to respond, and Village Public Safety Officers. VPSO officers are often the first to respond to any volatile situation, therefore, they must be prepared for any possible situation. The ability to carry firearms allows the Village Public Safety Officers to perform their job better by providing the necessary protection from the men and women that they must confront.

One of Alaska's major economic influences is natural resources, primarily, oil. "New Money" also stimulates the economy. Eight billion dollars has been committed by publicly traded companies to extract oil from Alaska. The Alaska Production Act stimulates and supports the new money coming into our economy by providing a tax incentive for outside companies to spend their money here in Alaska to extract oil rather than somewhere foreign, such as our close neighbor Russia (after all we can see it from Alaska right?) , where we would not reap the benefits. Oil production has been declining at a rate of 6 to 8 % a year; this past year, for the first time in 10 years oil production declined by only .13% practically flat lining. Sean Parnell's plan is to rely on new production and new revenue. He will also reduce spending. The spending was at eight billion dollars in 2012 and then was reduced to 5.9 billion this year. They did this by addressing the unfunded pension liability. It was at a debt of 12 billion dollars; Parnell payed down that debt by taking 3 billion dollars from our Federal savings into paying off that debt.

Sean Parnell already has the experience, motivation, and plans to help further Alaska's future. You do not want another Sarah Palin in office. In this time of economic downfall for the entire nation, Alaska needs stability and control, not a new, unpracticed face. You, as an Alaskan resident, want someone that is a concerned Alaskan, someone who will stand up for Alaska, and someone who will stand up for you, and that someone is named Sean Parnell.

Websites:

http://juneauempire.com/state/2014-10-10/parnell-walker-joust-soldotna-forum#.VDtWd7xg7lR

http://vimeo.com/alaskagov/videos

http://www.adn.com/article/20131212/deficit-spending-forecast-jumps-past-3-billion-parnell-lays-out-2015-budget

http://juneauempire.com/opinion/2014-04-08/my-turn-budget-deficit-different#.VDtWd7xg7lR

http://www.alaskabudget.com/fiscal-gap/

http://www.oildecline.com/

http://www.adn.com/article/20140818/alaska-oil-production-continue-decline-company-officials-testify

http://vimeo.com/101380085

http://www.adn.com/article/20141011/sean-parnell-answers-questions-about-issues-2014-election-alaska-governor

http://www.adn.com/article/20130821/re-examining-alaska-domestic-violence-crime-and-punishment

http://www.adn.com/article/20140816/gov-parnell-vote-no-one-alaska-s-future

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-26/college-costs-surge-500-in-u-s-since-1985-chart-of-the-day.html

Sean Parnell for Governor (Draft 2)

November 28th Deadline DUN DUN DUN
(REVIEW HOOK) 
I am running for governor and you should vote for me because I am an awesome AP English student. No, not really, but Sean Parnell is running for governor. 
Politics. One of the topics that you are supposed to do everything possible to avoid when talking to three types of people: your grandparents, _________________, and __________________.


If you don’t know, our current governor is republican Sean Parnell. He took over Sarah Palin's run in 2009 and was formally elected in 2010 for a full five years of governorship. In his recent years of office, Parnell has made advancements toward public safety through the Choose Respect program as well as increasing Village Public Safety Officers' ability to serve rural Alaska, and promoting Alaskan's education through the Alaska Performance Scholarship and Alaska Education Opportunity Act. Also, the deficit that Alaska faces was not created by Parnell's governorship, but will be combated, in fact he already has a plan to attack the deficit using the More Alaska Production Act otherwise known as Senate Bill 21. If Sean Parnell were to stay in office then he could further these advancements and provide a much needed stability to the governor position.

As high school or middle school students we can all relate to the upcoming doom of college. (STATE TUITION/CHOOSE WHAT YA WANNA DO) (EDUCATION PRICES HAVE RISEN) For upperclassmen senioritis and the impactful decision of choosing a college is well upon us and one of the factors that we must consider is the Alaska Performance Scholarship. (PERIODIC SENTENCE) This scholarship was created by Governor Sean Parnell to help Alaskan student's afford an education instate. As the cost of education prices sky rocket, check books often become tight- but with up to $4,755 a year in scholarship money this scholarship will help pay for most of the costs of instate college. It promotes (use the word: BENEFITS) Alaskan’s education, and Alaskan jobs. Further, Parnell not only backs immediate college bound students, but he also supports career technical fields. The Alaska Education Opportunity Act provides for a way in which you as a student could take classes for example welding and receive dual credit towards both your high school graduation and certification for welding. By the end of your four long high school years you could be completely certified in a career and and begin collecting pay checks right away. 

Public safety has been another of Sean Parnell's key priorities. For the past few years we, as students of Skagway, have all participated in the Choose Respect March. You know the day when we get to skip half of the school to march from the National Park Service building to the Elks. It is generally freezing cold and blowing wind, but we march. (COMBINE ELOQUENTLY) We march all the way to the Elks (a whole four blocks!) to listen to guest speakers on domestic violence, and generally a messenger from the governor or some other state official.  The small tromp that we are involved in is a state-wide movement created by Sean Parnell. He has taken it upon himself to raise the awareness of domestic violence. Another bill, House Bill 199 passed by Sean Parnell supported Village Public Safety Officers ability to carry firearms. This provides necessary protection for the officers from the men and women that they must confront during their job. (ADD TO THIS) (NO POLICEMEN)
One of Alaska's major economic influences is natural resources, primarily, oil. "New Money" also stimulates the economy. Eight billion dollars has been committed by publicly traded companies to extract the oil from Alaska. The Alaska Production Act stimulates and supports the new money coming into our economy by providing a tax incentive for outside companies to spend their money here in Alaska to extract oil rather than somewhere foreign where we would not reap the benefits.  Oil production has been declining at a rate of 6 to 8 % a year; this past year, for the first time in 10 years oil production declined by only .13%  practically flat lining. Sean Parnell's plan is to rely on new production and new revenue. He will also reduce spending. The spending was at eight billion dollars in 2012 and then was reduced to 5.9 billion this year. They did this by addressing the unfunded pension liability. It was at a debt of 12 billion dollars; Parnell payed down that debt by taking 3 billion dollars from our Federal savings into paying off that debt. (WRITE ABOUT BILL WALKER) 
Conclusion


Websites:
http://juneauempire.com/state/2014-10-10/parnell-walker-joust-soldotna-forum#.VDtWd7xg7lR
http://vimeo.com/alaskagov/videos
http://www.adn.com/article/20131212/deficit-spending-forecast-jumps-past-3-billion-parnell-lays-out-2015-budget
http://juneauempire.com/opinion/2014-04-08/my-turn-budget-deficit-different#.VDtWd7xg7lR
http://www.alaskabudget.com/fiscal-gap/
http://www.oildecline.com/
http://www.adn.com/article/20140818/alaska-oil-production-continue-decline-company-officials-testify
http://vimeo.com/101380085
http://www.adn.com/article/20141011/sean-parnell-answers-questions-about-issues-2014-election-alaska-governor
http://www.adn.com/article/20130821/re-examining-alaska-domestic-violence-crime-and-punishment
http://www.adn.com/article/20140816/gov-parnell-vote-no-one-alaska-s-future

Sean Parnell for Governor (Draft 1)

I am running for governor and you should vote for me because I am an awesome AP English student. No, not really, but Sean Parnell is running for governor. If you don’t know, our current governor is republican Sean Parnell. He took over Sarah Palin's run in 2009 and was formally elected in 2010 for a full five years of governorship. In his recent years of office, Parnell has made advancements toward public safety through the Choose Respect program as well as increasing Village Public Safety Officers' ability to serve rural Alaska, and promoting Alaskan's education through the Alaska Performance Scholarship and Alaska Education Opportunity Act. Also, the deficit that Alaska faces was not created by Parnell's governorship, but will be combated, in fact he already has a plan to attack the deficit using the More Alaska Production Act otherwise known as Senate Bill 21. If Sean Parnell were to stay in office then he could further these advancements and provide a much needed stability to the governor position.

As high school or middle school students we can all relate to the upcoming doom of college. For upperclassmen senioritis and the impactful decision of choosing a college is well upon us and one of the factors that we must consider is the Alaska Performance Scholarship. This scholarship was created by Governor Sean Parnell to help us get an education instate. As the cost of education prices sky rocket, check books often become tight- but with up to $4,755 a year in scholarship money this scholarship will help take you to college. It promotes Alaskan’s education, and Alaskan jobs. Further, Parnell not only backs immediate college bound students, but he also supports career technical fields. The Alaska Education Opportunity Act provides for a way in which you as a student could take classes on for example welding and receive dual credit; so that by the end of your four long high school years you could be completely certified in a career and begin working, and collecting pay checks right away. 

Public safety has been one of Sean Parnell's key priorities that he has gone after during his five years of governorship. For the past few years we have all participated in the Choose Respect March. You know the day when we get to skip half of the school day to unload in front of the National Park Service Building. It is generally freezing cold and blowing wind, but we march. We march all the way to the Elks (a whole four blocks!) to listen to guest speakers on domestic violence, and generally a messenger from the governor or some other state official.  The small tromp that we are involved in is a state-wide movement created by Sean Parnell. He has taken it upon himself to raise domestic violence abuse awareness. Another bill, house bill 199 passed by Sean Parnell supported Village Public Safety Officers ability to carry firearms. This provides necessary protection for the officers from the men and women that they must confront during their job.
Economy. One of Alaska's major economic influences is natural resources, primarily, oil. "New Money" also stimulates the economy. Eight billion dollars has been committed by publicly traded companies to extract the oil from Alaska. The Alaska Production Act stimulates and supports the new money coming into our economy by providing a tax incentive for outside companies to spend their money here in Alaska to extract oil rather than somewhere foreign where we would not reap the benefits.  Oil production has been declining at a rate of 6 to 8 % a year, this past year; for the first time in 10 years oil production declined by only .13%  practically flat lining. Sean Parnell's plan is to rely on new production and new revenue. He will also reduce spending eight billion dollars in 2012 then reduced it to 5.9 billion this year. They did this by addressing the unfunded pension liability. It was at a debt of 12 billion dollars; Parnell payed down that debt by taking 3 billion dollars from our Federal savings into paying off that debt.
Conclusion


Websites:
http://juneauempire.com/state/2014-10-10/parnell-walker-joust-soldotna-forum#.VDtWd7xg7lR
http://vimeo.com/alaskagov/videos
http://www.adn.com/article/20131212/deficit-spending-forecast-jumps-past-3-billion-parnell-lays-out-2015-budget
http://juneauempire.com/opinion/2014-04-08/my-turn-budget-deficit-different#.VDtWd7xg7lR
http://www.alaskabudget.com/fiscal-gap/
http://www.oildecline.com/
http://www.adn.com/article/20140818/alaska-oil-production-continue-decline-company-officials-testify
http://vimeo.com/101380085
http://www.adn.com/article/20141011/sean-parnell-answers-questions-about-issues-2014-election-alaska-governor
http://www.adn.com/article/20130821/re-examining-alaska-domestic-violence-crime-and-punishment
http://www.adn.com/article/20140816/gov-parnell-vote-no-one-alaska-s-future

Sean Parnell on the Budget

Sean Parnell... he has actually done stuff

Link here

Sean Parnell for Governor (VERY SIMPLE DRAFT 1)

I am running for governor and you should vote for me because I am an awesome AP English student. No, not really, but Sean Parnell is running for governor. He already has past experience and also cares about our education and public safety.

If you don’t know, our current governor is republican Sean Parnell. In his recent years of office Parnell has made advancements toward public safety, infrastructure and education. If he were to stay in office then he could further these advancements and provide a much needed stability to the governor position.

As of November 3^rd 2014, 27% of Alaskans were registered Republican voters. This is the largest voting population. As a Republican, Sean Parnell would most likely encompass those party beliefs such as: education, pro small business, and supporting entrepreneurship.

As high school or middle school students we can all relate to the upcoming doom of college. For upperclassmen senioritis and the impactful decision of choosing a college is well upon us and one of the factors that we must consider is the Alaska Performance Scholarship. This scholarship was created by Governor Sean Parnell to help us get an education instate. It promotes Alaskan’s education, and Alaskan jobs.

·      Public Safety

·  Choose Respect

·  Anti bullying

·  We have all participated in Choose Respect

·  Choose Respect is about…

·  Domestic Violence

·  Fire Prevention Month

Budget Deficit

·      REFUTATION

·         Bill Walker …don’t slander

Budget Defecit

http://www.imperfectparent.com/resources/government/political_party_platforms.php

Personal Narrative (Draft 2)

Personal Narrative: River Trip

I don’t know what I want to be; though I do know who I want to be. This past week my father, mother, a family friend, and I canoed down the Nsutlin River. In the Yukon wilderness, nobody cares how your hair looks, how you smile at the lunch table or how many weeks you have actually worn those jeans. What matters are the fundamentals: food, warmth, and to survive without hitting your boat mates over the head (believe me, sometimes you want to). On the river if you are prepared for any type of weather or conflict that will come your way the likelihood of having a better experience increases: just like in life. The core principles that I would like to achieve in life that will affect my person are: influential people, positive mental attitude, the ability to listen, and passion for whatever I eventually “choose to become”.

Before we could start our adventure preparation was essential. “Another layer”, became my Dad’s mantra as we stuffed our bags full of equipment. "Another layer" He set out all of our cold weather gear in the living room: clothes sleeping bags, ziplock bags full of peanuts; our house looked like a nest made by a pack of squirrels on steroids. Each person chose their own layers. “Another layer” The first layer: Long Johns are the base layer; they are super warm and fundamental for river trips. “Another layer”, then came the fleece and wind-breaker these two could be switched out and, although important, weren’t nearly as crucial as the long johns or the next layer: the rain coat. My old trusty rain coat is neon orang and delaminating at the cuff, but it kept me good and dry on the river. Last, but certainly not least was the life jacket. Although I never fell into the water, despite my bad steering, if I had the, life jacket would have saved me. Just like on the river, I surround myself and will continue to surround myself with good “layers”; these layers may not necessarily be clothes, but rather positive influences that affect my performance. These layers are my support system, the things, people or pets that I fall onto in order to keep the cold brutal world at bay. “Another layer” the long johns are my family. They will always be the closest to me. My friends, the windbreaker and fleece, because it is important to not rely on any one friend to heavily. "Another layer” The rain coat is my closest friend whom, although, they have their faults, is always there for me to support me. Everyone whom I come into contact with, between the nice lady at the grocery store, or my coworker who knows just the right time to give me a smile, they are my life jacket. It is important to know your support systems, don’t be afraid to rely on them, because one day, they will need you in turn.

           

After all that preparation it was finally time to load up and move out. The First day paddling consisted of no major life threatening or changing moments, there was no riding a moose, or tipping the canoe, it was simply a beautiful day with a slight chill. The sun occasionally peaked out from the overcast sky, but the air temperature remained at thirty degrees. The second day, however, I was allowed to steer. This proved to be a mistake; not only did I manage to spin us in a circle three times; but I also hit a record of nine trees. Needless to say, by lunch time I got moved out of the Captain’s spot.  All throughout this experience though I kept getting down on myself and apologizing to Candace, our family friend whom had to endure the brunt of the tree impacts. Candace reminded me half way through my brutally humiliating driving day to not get down on myself because it only hurt me and would only add to my anxiety. USE QUOTATIONS Going down the river whenever one of us got cold or grumpy (usually one came with the other) the person’s paddling would weaken causing the day to be a longer more painful haul to camp. (SHORTEN SENTENCE) P.M.A (Positive Mental Attitude) provides energy in a way that no kitkat bar, cup of black coffee, or 5 hour energy can, without P.M.A your path towards success will be a slow and agonizing crawl. (.P.M.A.: INCORPORATE EARLIER INTO PARAGRAPH) 

On the fourth day I was paddling with my father, and my mom and Candace were up ahead when they quietly signaled to us with  a flurry of arms to look at the east bank of the river. A Moose! It was a beautiful cow moose and I, of course, just simply had to state in my loudest voice “DAD THERE IS A MOOSE!” This promptly scared the moose back into hiding. Disappointed, and slightly embarrassed I kept paddling on when we came across a beaver dam. This time I was determined not to scare the wild animals away so I put my paddle up and we were able to float serenely past the two beavers who were chomping away and a fish. Knowing when to be quiet is important not only on the river, but also in real life. It allows you to listen to your friends and furthers your relationship.

No matter what you do or who you become, you should always have passion for something in your life. On the last night on the river I had just gotten out of the canoe, slightly chilled and slightly grumpy, my father commented, “you know it is a good river trip when you don’t want to go back to civilization.”, I think he was the only one that had that attitude at that particular time, but I could see his passion, not simply for the river trip, but for living in and with nature and recognizing the beauty of the outdoors.

Back in Kindergarten when I was asked what I wanted to be I said I wanted to be a veterinarian -then a doctor- then a mechanic. I never had it figured out, but now I do, I will: be surrounded by friends and family, have a good attitude no matter where life takes me, have the ability to listen, and I will be passionate. I know who I will be when I grow up, do you?


CHANGE HOOK? CHANGE CONCLUSION? SOPHISTICAMATE IT: 

Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative: River Trip

I don’t know what I “want to be” when I grow up; I do know who I want to be though. This past week my father, mother, a family friend, and I canoed down the Nsutlin River for one week. In the Yukon wilderness, nobody cares how your hair looks, or how you smile at the lunch table. What matters are the fundamentals: warmth, food, and surviving without hitting your boat mates over the head (believe me, sometimes you wanted to). If you are prepared for anything then the likelihood of happiness and success increases: just like in life. The core principles that I would like to achieve in life that will affect my person are: outstanding influences, positive mental attitude, the ability to listen, and passion for whatever I eventually “choose to be” when I grow up.

“Another layer” This was my Dad’s mantra as we began to stuff our bags full of what we would need in order to be prepared for the river trip. He set out all of our cold weather gear in the living room. “Another layer”, our house looked like a next made by a pack of squirrels on steroids. Clothes, sleeping bags, and zip lock bags full of peanuts were everywhere. Each person picked their own layers to bring on the trip with them.  “Another layer” The first layer: Long Johns are the base layer; they are super warm and fundamental for river trips. “Another layer”, then came the fleece and wind-breaker these two could be switched out and, although important, weren’t nearly as crucial as the long johns or the next layer: the rain coat.

Be careful of negative layers…  it feels great but “cotton kills”.  My old trusty rain coat is neon orang and delaminating at the cuff, but it kept me good and dry on the river. Last, but certainly not least was the life jacket. Although I never fell into the water, despite my bad steering, if I had the life jacket would have saved me. Just like on the river, I surround myself and will continue to surround myself be good “layers”; these layers may not necessarily be clothes, but rather positive influences that affect my performance. These layers are my support system, the things, people or pets that I fall onto in order to keep the cold brutal world at bay. “Another layer” the long johns are my family. They will always be the closest to me. My friends, the windbreaker and fleece, because it is important to not rely on any one friend to heavily. "Another layer” The rain coat is my closest friend whom, although, they have their faults, is always there for me to support me. Everyone whom I come into contact with, between the nice lady at the grocery store, or my coworker who knows just the right time to give me a smile, they are my life jacket. It is important to know your support systems, don’t be afraid to rely on them, because one day, they will need you in turn.

           

After all that preparation it was finally time to load up and move out. The First day paddling consisted of no major life threatening or changing moments, there was no riding a moose, or tipping the canoe, it was simply a beautiful day with a slight chill. The second day, however, I was allowed to steer. This should never be done. Not Only did I manage to spin us in a circle three times; but I also hit a record of nine trees. Needless to say, by lunch time I got moved out of the Captain’s spot.  All through out this experience though I kept getting down on myself and apologizing to Candace, our family friend whom had to endure the brunt of the tree impacts. Candace reminded me half way through my brutally humiliating driving day to not get down on myself because it only hurt me and would only add to my anxiety. Going down the river whenever one of us got cold or grumpy (usually one came with the other) the affected person’s paddling would weaken causing it to be a longer more painful haul to camp. P.M.A (Positive Mental Attitude) provides energy in a way that no kitkat bar, cup of black coffee, or 5 hour energy can, without P.M.A your path towards success will be a slow and agonizing crawl.

On the fourth day I was paddling with my father and my mom and Candace were up ahead when they signaled to us with a flurry of quiet arms to look at the east bank of the river. A Moose! It was a beautiful cow moose and I, of course, just simply had to state in my loudest voice “DAD THERE IS A MOOSE!” This promptly scared the moose back into hiding. Disappointed, and slightly embarrassed I kept paddling on when we came across a beaver dam. This time I was determined not to scare the wild animal away so I put my paddle up and we were able to float serenely past the two beavers who were chomping away and a fish. Knowing when to be quiet is important not only on the river, but also in real life. It allows you to listen to your friends and furthers your relationship.

No matter what you do or who you become, you should always have passion for something in your life. On the last night on the river I had just gotten out of the canoe, slightly chilled and slightly grumpy, my father commented, “you know it is a good river trip when you don’t want to go back to civilization.”, I think he was the only one that had that attitude at that particular time, but I could see his passion, not simply for the river trip, but for living in and with nature and recognizing the beauty of the outdoors.

Back in Kindergarten when I was asked what I wanted to be I said I wanted to be a veterinarian -then a doctor- then a mechanic. I never had it figured out, but now I do, I will: be surrounded by friends and family, have a good attitude no matter where life takes me, have the ability to listen, and I will be passionate. I know who I will be when I grow up, do you?