Thursday, January 28, 2016

Potential Storybook Topics

1.  Possible Topic: Native Americans.
I think the first thing that interested me in this topic was probably a Native American history class I took when I was a freshmen. I love how they tell stories and the morals that they weave into them. I am really interested in reading some from the Pacific Northwest. I really like that area of the country and would love to hear about the Native Americans that lived there. I also would like to learn more about Native American stories from Michigan and the central part of the north. Michigan is where I am from and I think it is always fun learning more about where one is from.
Research so far.
One thing I love about Native Americans is their style of art so some of the images have really caught my attention thus far. I am also finding the book from the Iroquois about the origin of medicine interesting because I am a science major wanting to be in a medical field. I found the title Canadian Wonder Tales to be intriguing especially because I have spent some time in Canada growing up.

2.  Possible Topic: Urban Legends.
For whatever reason urban legends have been enticing to me. I think it is a unique way to get to know a community on a level that not many people typical try to understand. From the ones I have heard they seem to be really creative while being believable enough to make me say, "what if". I didn't realize there are so many different urban legends. There are definitely enough topics within urban legends to keep me occupied for a long time.
Research so far.
I think the website Snopes.com is incredible. Their archives of urban legends is massive and I was immediately interested in their college section. There is one about exam scams that has a ton of stories that look like they might be funny and interesting to read. I am a sucker for conspiracy theories so the section on September 11th also really caught my eye. I have heard some weird stuff about September 11th so it would be interesting to hear more about it.

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3. Possible Topic: Pirates.
I think this would be a really fun topic to read about but it is hard to decide between doing a storybook on one pirate or to do it on four different pirates. Growing up my favorite movie was Hook with Robin Williams. I thought it would be so cool to be a lost boy because they lived in a tree and it looked like they just had fun every day. If I could pick one pirate it would probably be Captain Hook. It might also be interesting to do one on Blackbeard or some lady pirates. 
Research so far.
After looking at some of the previous projects I think it might be more fun to do a storybook on multiple pirates. I am really interested in doing one on a girl pirate. I didn't even really think that there were girl pirates back in the day. The girl pirates all have such awesome names too. However, researching and finding stories about pirates does not seem to be exactly easy so it might not be the best topic.

4. Possible Topic: Historical Legends.
I really enjoy studying history and in high school it was probably my favorite class to take. Actually, my favorite class in college so far has been a history class called Origins of Christianity taught by Kyle Harper. If anyone gets a chance to take it I would because he is such a great teacher. My roommate for most of college was a history major and so having conversations with him about different things definitely showed me the importance for studying it. I think it is really cool when you look back at history and see situations or events that I can relate to in some way today. 
Research so far.
I have liked learning about philosophy and I have a friend who is majoring in it so I think the story about the lives of philosophers looks really interesting. I have also enjoyed learning Roman history so the story about Roman history is intriguing. I have heard multiple people referencing Joan of Ark in different things and I have never read a story about her and I don't really know who she is so I would be interested in reading the story about her. 

Joan of Ark
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Monday, January 25, 2016

Storytelling for Week 2: Benji and Claud

Benjamin had reached his last straw. The seniors had done enough pranks on him to leave a serious dent in his self perception and confidence. If that wasn't enough, his girlfriend Ricki decided, "she needed to find out who she was on her own" and broke up with him. This seemed ironic when Benji saw her making out with another guy in the hall the next week. 

It was at this time that Benji decided to get a pet. He thought about getting a lizard but decided against it since their food could be a source of insomnia. He saw a video of a baby pig and thought it was cute but they turned out to be too expensive. When he went to the pet store and browsed through the stacked cages of artificial environments he noticed a rather odd looking animal. He sat there looking at its sad eyes and wondered if he felt dejected and lonely like him. It turned out to be a fennec fox and because he was not selling the store gave him to Benji for nearly nothing. Benji named him Claud because he thought it would be a funny name to yell. 


He was a great listener.
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Benji grew close to Claud during high school and people knew that if they saw Benji Claud was most likely to be following behind diligently like a faithful friend. They had fun together and Claud actually made Benji a happier person. As a senior Benji and Claud were voted most likely to get married, which was actually supposed to be a prank but Benji thought it was actually pretty funny. It also made Benji sad because he knew he would have to leave Claud at home when he went to college a few hours away because they didn't allow pets, especially foxes, in the dorms or surrounding apartment complexes. 

Their last night together they did all of their favorite things. They went to the river to swim and cool off before eating dinner at Red Robin as that was Claud's favorite bird to eat. Then they went and made fun of the fishes in the aquarium and played peek-a-boo with the dolphins. Then they went home to relax on the couch and watch Meerkat Manor on animal planet. Benji was about to crash when Claud sat up and looked him straight in the eye balls and said, "Please don't be alarmed, Benji I think you are a great friend and because you have treated me so well I need to tell you something". Benji sat there motionless with his jaw touching the floor. Claud said rather calmly, "I am a unique fox not because I can talk but because I have the power to grant wishes for humans". After Benji regained his composure he explained to Claud, "Since I am going to college it would be nice if I could be part of the popular crowd and to have more friends". Claud agreed he could help him with that and it came true once Benji got to college. 

Him and his friends sat front row at the football games.
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Benji and Claud started to become more distant as Benji grew up and experienced school in a different way then he had ever imagined. When Benji would come home to visit family and Claud he seemed to only do because he knew if he treated Claud well he could get him to grant him a wish. At first Benji asked for things like a girlfriend and a photographic memory. Eventually he started asking for things like the trendiest clothes, the most unique house right on campus, a vehicle that could also be used to go camping with, and to get set up with a job right out of college that paid big and required little effort. 

Claud began to see what was going on but as a pet he was not allowed to intervene, he was only allowed to support his owner to the best of his abilities. Once Benji became an adult he continued this process of exploiting Claud for his wishes and seeking out whatever new pleasure he could dream up. It wasn't until Benji began to suffer from anxiety and extreme sadness again that he realized how he had been living. He realized he had been wasting his life on things and selfish desires that were without true meaning and purpose. He felt sick to his stomach as he thought about all the wasted time. It was at the age of 45 that Benji finally realized what he valued the most in his life. The people he had the deepest relationships with and his fox Claud were what really made him happy. He told Claud what he had been thinking about and Claud smiled as tears rolled down his cheeks. It was the happiest day in Claud's life and he got to spend it with his best friend again. 

Benjamin at age 70.
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Author's Note: 

The story that inspired this story was called "The Fairy Frog". In the original story a man's parents are about to die and their dying wish is to have their son go to the market after they die and buy the first thing someone asks him to buy. They told him that if he does he will find good fortune from that purchase and that no price should stop him. He does as he is told and he ends up getting a frog. The frog is unique because it eats so much and gets so big it becomes a giant frog. The frog eats so much that the man and his wife have barely any food to eat themselves and are struggling to survive but they stay diligent. Due tot their loving nature the frog reveals to them that he is actually a fairy and because of them treating him so well they can both be granted one wish. In my story I wanted to make it a little bit more realistic and relatable for college students. I believe there is this illusion of success in our world and it has a lot to do with our world's capitalistic mindset. People believe they can feel happy and find purpose in being the most unique person or being the best at something. I think it is easy for people to be mislead and I hope this story makes people think about what success is to them and about relationships. I didn't know that you could have a pet fox, especially one as cute as that, so I made him the animal in the story and gave him human characteristics. 

Bibliography:
The Fairy Frog, Jewish Fairy Tales and Legends, Gertrude Landa, 1919.





Week 2 Reading Diary, Continued: Jewish Fairy Tales

These are some more notes that were inspired from reading Jewish Fairy Tales by Gertrude Landa.

The title of the first story I read makes me want to write a story where the main character is asleep the whole time and dreaming but the reader doesn't realize this until the end of the story. I think I probably got the idea from the movie Shutter Island, which is a great movie if you haven't seen it.

Another story had some funny words that rhymed, which makes me want to create a story that rhymes the whole time. It could be something like spoken poetry that tells the story of a character or maybe a place. I think it would be interesting to tell a story about something a redwood tree saw because I feel like they could probably tell some good stories if they could talk.

Look at those giants!
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I once heard a pretty powerful song about a guy who wanted to be in a gang and in order to do so there was a induction task that had to be done first. He was told he would have to kill someone in order to become a part of the crew. At the end of the song it is revealed to him that he unintentional killed his own mother. After reading about Jews being persecuted I think it would be interesting to make a story about someone who thinks he is killing in the name of something comical like Captain Crunch. The person could notice some secret writing on the back of a cereal box that leads him to believe he needs to kill something or someone. It could kind of be a comedic play on something that the reader could recognize as something that is happening in our world today, but with a slight spin.

It is funny to see my brain go to different places when reading some of these fairy tales. Sometimes my thoughts will seem so far away from what I was actually looking at yet I can still trace back the origin of the thought process.


Week 2 Reading Diary: Jewish Fairy Tales

My inspiration for this post comes from my first week of reading Jewish Fairy Tales by Gertrude Landa.

Right away as I start reading and a unicorn enters into the story I notice myself thinking something interesting. Does this fairy tale inadvertently discredit the bible in a way? The reason I am thinking this is because I am a Christian. It is frustrating to think that a non-believer might come across something like this and link it together with the bible because it has an important bible character in it, Noah. I am not an in your face bible beating Christian but it does make me wonder if this is an unfortunate distraction for some readers. In my future writings and stories on this blog I have made a mental note not to create stories that mix bible characters and extreme make-believe.

I think it would be worthwhile to try and make a story that demonstrates how success is not found in money and things but instead in love and helping others. I was recently listening to an interview someone did with J. Cole (hip hop artist) and he was speaking about how our capitalist system has developed this illusion of success that focuses on money and selfishness and less on helping each other as people.

What is Success?
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Another possible story idea that I think would be fun to work in would be a story where dogs represent only females and cats represent only males. Both the cats and dogs could go through a story where then eventually realize they needs each other to live in this world even though they are so different and have a hard time understanding each other. It could also be cool to make a story where cats and dogs are talking to each other and making fun of humans. I have seen some funny movies that involve making pets more human and I think they are pretty funny.

I think one of the most debilitating things in this world that people deal with every day is fear. I think it would be fun to make a story that shows fear as the name of a person, maybe a child. There could be a kid that at first is scared to go talk to fear for numerous reasons but as he gets to know fear he becomes more comfortable with him and even learns to love him as a friend. 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

My Learning Challenges

The first video that we watched with the jelly beans representing the days of our lives is such a great visual representation. When I first saw it it made me realize what I spend the majority of my time doing. A lot of the tasks they talk about that take away from "free time" seemed mundane and ordinary to me at first but then I decided I needed to shift my mindset. Instead or craving free time and worrying about capitalizing on free time in order to feel good or happy I wanted to focus on finding what I think is great about those mundane tasks. By looking at what I love about the mundane tasks I was able to flip my mindset and I found more joy each day. It takes continual effort to do so though and it is a skill I am trying to hone more and more each day. There are days I can do this really well and days I struggle with it so consistentcy is also something I am working on. Some tasks that have given me more happiness have been things like folding laundry, cleaning my room, taking showers, driving in a car, and even having to study. 

Time is a confusing concept
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One of the areas I would like to work on as part of the HEART system is attention. As I have gotten older my ability to not become distracted sometimes seems weakened. There are so many things that battle for my attention on a daily basis and sometimes it is really overwhelming. I want to get better at setting myself up for success when I need to focus on something by making sure to eliminate any possible distractions before beginning a task. I also want to get better at deciding what needs my attention first. In a way I want to become smart with my attention so that I am efficient and not inadvertently spending more time on a task than need be. 

I thought the procrastination ad we watched was really creative and definitely made me think about what I might have stopped pursuing that I should revisit. However, when it comes to procrastination I would say that I might need to use it more. I tend to be a person who will work on something or began worrying about something earlier than necessary. I will have friends tell me to relax a little and not put so much pressure on myself. Over my undergraduate career I feel as though I have gotten better at it but it was really hard when I was younger and wasn't good at working smart. I have gotten better because I am better at knowing what classes and other tasks will take in terms of time and effort. Now that I am older I realize my relationships are just as important as school and I don't want to be a poor friend to someone. So I am actually going to work on my procrastination skills.

 

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Tapping into a Growth Mindset

I feel like I have heard the saying "the beauty is in the process" a lot over the years so it is great to hear someone like Carol Dweck give significant meaning to this phrase. I have never heard of a Growth Mindset as coined by her, but I feel as though I have thought about learning in a similar light at points. I would have to agree that when things are too easy and come without challenge that doesn't do much for growth. Often times I feel as though I grow the most when I make the most mistakes because they inevidably lead to learning different things associated with that mistake. I am glad someone like Carol Dweck is trying to create awareness about the Growth Mindset because I think it could help or education system a lot. I think it could end up developing people that are more resiliant and I think that will prove to be important throughout life.

After thinking about the Growth Mindset and how it relates to collegiate education I do see some issues. One of the biggest complaints I have about college thus far is the lack of one on one help a student can get with someone who can explain a topic to them. College professors do try to go to some lengths to try an give students some resources but I think they are extremely inadequate. I feel like professors are always playing hide the ball with me and trying to weed me out rather than helping contribute to my growth of knowledge. I feel like one of my biggest challenges in college has been trying to figure where I can find the extra help I need to do well in a class. Although, I think the biggest enemy here is TIME. Students who want to have a Growth Mindset in each of their classes I think will have a hard time doing so. Mainly because it seems to me that having a Growth Mindset requires someone to be able to give guidance to the student. Finding someone who is available to guide me in my learning process here in college is no easy task and often times requires a lot of money if that person ends up being a tutor. I think what Carol Dweck is saying is accurate but it  is also extremely frustrating because it feels especially hard to execute a good Growth Mindset at the college level.

I hope this doesn't come off as me sounding like the group that only wants things the easy way, because that is definitely not the case. I just think are education system at the college level is flawed. I also realize that there is probably a huge portion of the student body that would not use extra resources if given. I am applying to physical therapy school right now and I can say I am more excited about that learning process than the undergraduate one. The people I have talked to all say that they finally feel like the professors and staff want to help you try to succeed in your classes. I am both glad and angry to hear that. I am glad because I have something to look forward to now knowing I won't have to run on this same hamster wheel I have been. I am angry because I don't see why undergraduate classes have to be so different!

I admire Carol Dweck and the work she is doing because I think it has a lot of potential to benefit students in the future. I will also try and see where I can afford to spend some time to practice having a Growth Mindset this semester. Last semester I got a tutor for my physics class and approached it in a Growth Mindset way and felt like I did better on the tests because of it. It did however cost me a great deal of money and time. I am not sure yet if I will have enough time to do something similar this semester because I will have a very busy schedule but I am hoping there will be some ways.

I apologize for the rant and I hope I don't come off as a negative nancy. I think Carol Dweck is definitely on to something here and I hope to see her ideas spread like wildfire. I will be praying that professors will join in her efforts to improve education.



This is my mantra most days.
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Some of my Favorite Storybooks

The first storybook that caught my attention was LSD in a Yellow Submarine. I assumed it had something to do with The Beatles and that made me want to know more because the first CD I bought was a Beatles greatest hits album. The two stories on in the storybook seem to be two adventures taken using a yellow submarine bicycle as transportation. It seemed goofy and intriguing and also different from what I usually read. The introduction ends on a cliff hanger and makes me want to keep on reading. The author does a really good job captivating the reader's attention. I also like the design of the blog especially the background. It is eye catching and goes along with a Beatles underlying theme.

The next story that really caught my interest was Peter Pan. As I was scrolling through the list I was hoping there would be one on Peter Pan. Growing up one of my favorite movies to watch was Hook. I think I wanted to be like a lost boy and live in a tree and try to play pranks and upset the pirates. It was a movie that encouraged imagination and that gave me inspiration and creativity. I like this storybook because the introduction brings up something I haven't really thought about with Peter Pan. The author talks about love and how Peter is oblivious to what it is and to the girls that have had feelings for him over the years. All the stories I have heard about Peter Pan in the past have never really dealt with love so I am curious to see where it may go. I like the pictures that are used in the storybook but I think the font is a little hard to read at times.

The last storybook I looked at involves more characters I was familiar with growing up. The Unanswered Questions of Pooh and Friends is a title that makes you want to know more already. The introduction is well written and makes you want to definitely read more. I think it is kind of funny how the author created somewhat of a more real world scenario where Pooh and his friends are talking about their problems with a doctor. It is comical to me to think that Pooh had a therapist he needed to visit with on a regular basis. I remember growing up and loving to watch Pooh and I think I still have a Pooh teddy bear in my room back home. I thought the design of the storybook was good and eye catching. Also, the font was interesting and still legible so maybe I can figure what it is to use in the future.

Christopher Robin enjoying time with Pooh.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Untextbook Overview

I have chosen to read Jewish Fairy Tales for week 2, which is part of the biblical texts. I didn't know that Jewish people had there own fairy tales that involve characters in the bible. I think it will be interesting to hear stories of characters that I already know to a certain sense. I figure it will be really interesting to learn something, whether true or not, that I wouldn't see reading the bible.

A new take on Noah
For week 3 I think I will do a classical piece to switch things up a little. Ovid's Metamorphoses looks interesting to me and since it is an important part of Greek mythology I think I will read it. I haven't read much poetry so I think it would be interesting to see what it is like in this book. 

Through the Looking Glass
I recently watched the newest Alice in Wonderland movie and it influenced how I named some of my characters in the story I made up for this class. I was not aware there was a sequel to Alice in Wonderland so I am hoping it is as good as the first.

Beowulf
I know that there is a movie made based on this story and I have not watched it so I think it would be cool to read the story and then watch the movie after. Also, I visited Sweden in 5th grade for a hockey tournament and thought Scandanavia was beautiful and the people were great.

Czech Folktales
My mom's side of the family is Czech but I have never really heard any folktales to my knowledge so I think it would be interesting to learn some. Maybe I have heard some and will realize I have through reading these stories. 

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Introduction to a Michigander



Hello everyone! My name is Steve Behm and I am a fifth year senior hear at the wonderful University of Oklahoma. I started out unsure of what major I wanted to do but finally decided on a degree in health and exercise science and I actually just got accepted into physical therapy school at the University of Michigan, which will begin this upcoming fall.


I am originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan but I have been able to move around a bit playing hockey over the years. After high school instead of going to college I played hockey for a junior hockey team in Frisco, Texas. While playing there I was able to visit the University of Oklahoma and was able to realize its beauty and uniqueness. A year later a former teammate of mine and I decided we would apply to come to OU. In retrospect it was somewhat of a hasty choice but it turned out to be such a great decision. I was even able to continue to play hockey here at the university, which taught me a lot of life lessons along with being an awesome competitive outlet for me. My younger brother and sister now both go to OU as well so it has been really fun getting to have the opportunity to go to school together. I am the oldest of my siblings, however, both my sister and I will be graduating at the same time. My brother is a freshmen and he has been playing hockey here too.

Here is me playing at OU.

As far as hobbies and interests go I have a few. I have been snowboarding for a long time and have spent a lot of spring breaks in Colorado and Montana with my family and friends. I like all water sports and always feel at home in the water. I grew up spending a lot of time on lakes in Michigan and especially Lake Michigan. Lately, I would say my favorite water sport has been wake surfing where you surf the wake behind a boat, the bigger the wake the better. I also consider myself a doodler and enjoy drawing as a source of creative expression and stress relief. I enjoy playing most sports, lately I have been trying to get into tennis and racquet ball. If anyone has ever played platform tennis I was able to do that over winter break for the first time and thought it was a lot of fun. I would consider myself somewhat of a bookworm, although it can prove to be difficult to read for pleasure while in school. I am not really a music snob but I would say I don't listen to country music often. My favorite two articles of clothing to wear are socks and sweatshirts. I think its weird when people wear socks to bed.


Since it is my senior year I was hoping it would be a little bit more relaxed academically. However, last semester I would say was my hardest semester thus far in college. I took the GRE and was also applying to physical therapy school so I can relate to all of you that are trying to go to some sort of graduate school. Even though it has been a harder year so far it has still been great and I have gotten to meet a lot of new people that are in a similar boat. It is a lot easier to spend hours in the library when you have some friends doing it with you.


I am involved with Younglife here in Norman and became a leader two years ago. This past summer I was able to work at one of the summer camps in British Columbia, Canada. I was one of the boat drivers so I got to teach high school aged kids how to wakeboard and waterski, and we also got to take them on those banana tube rides. It was one of the best months of my life and I am really grateful to have gotten to spend it in the place I did. The best part about it was getting to volunteer with a whole crew of college aged people and get to know each other while making sure high schoolers had a good time at camp. This is a picture I took after we hiked up here one morning.

This is known as "Inspiration Point" and Malibu Club Camp is below.




                                          
This is one of the inlets we drove the boats in.

If anyone ever gets a chance to visit British Columbia I would highly recommend doing so. It was one of the most beautiful places I have been to. The camp was right on the ocean on the west coast and the mountains and wilderness are breathtaking.

I also have a dog Bo but he lives back at home in Michigan with my parents. He is an awesome guy and actually has quite the personality. He is not a big dog but he thinks he is huge. We have a big backyard at home and he just patrols it most days trying to kill squirrels and woodchucks.

Bo as a young pup.




Monday, January 18, 2016

Week 1 Storytelling: Lunch with Professor Snodgrass

A DILLER, a dollar,
A ten o'clock scholar,
What makes you come so soon?
You used to come at ten o'clock,
But now you come at noon.

(Traditional Nursery Rhyme)

***

There once was a famous teacher called Professor Snodgrass. One of the rather random things he was famous for was always eating lunch at noon. No matter what he was doing he always made time for lunch at noon and people admired his dedication to make time for himself. One of his fellow scholars, Professor Twindleness, was conducting an experiment and asked Professor Snodgrass for his help since he was such a profound academic. Professor Snodgrass agreed on meeting once a week at 10pm and Professor Twindleness was quite excited. Also, Professor Twindleness was to pay Professor Snodgrass with one dill pickle and one dollar each visit. 

A DILLER, a dollar,
A ten o'clock scholar.

***

Professor Twindleness was grateful to meet at 10pm because after school each day he helped teach a swing dance class. His daughter was in the class so it was a great time for them to spend quality time. After 6 months of meeting with Professor Snodgrass the experiment was still not working right and both professors were extremely frustrated. Professor Twindleness was on the verge of giving up when his daughter asked if he would teach another dance class at 10pm for her and some other friends. He decided to take on teaching the class and give up on his experiment. He thought, “at least this way I can spend some more time with my daughter.”
Professor Twindleness

The weeks went by and Professor Twindleness thought often about his experiment and whether or not it was the right decision to give up. In his soul something felt off and it proved to be quite a distraction in his life. He didn’t know if he even had time to work on the experiment if he wanted to because his only break during the day was from noon to 1pm.



Eventually, the pit in Professor Twindleness’ gut grew wide and deep enough that he could ignore it no longer. He stormed outside at noon where Professor Snodgrass was eating lunch and exclaimed, “Sir, I want to do this experiment the right way and I need your help and the only time I can do it is right now, please, help me, this could change the future!” Professor Snodgrass was shocked and these words took some time to sink in and awaken his mind from its noon lunch haze. He considered his options and after a very pregnant pause said, “I will help you, but I am bringing my sandwich with me.”
Professor Snodgrass' lunch spot

As fate would have it one of the key components to the experiment’s eventual success was sunlight. It is easy to see how this factor was overlooked when both professors had only been able meet in the evenings. However, it is much harder to tell if this was a product of mere coincidence or not.

***

Author's Note.  After reading the original nursery rhyme I had no clue what the author might actually be talking about. I did a little research that suggested the phrase "A diller, A dollar" meant someone that dilly dallies around. The nursery rhyme might be a lesson on being punctual. Regardless, I thought something more abstract like this nursery rhyme might be a fun challenge and give me more creative freedom. Throughout the story I can see my own interests influence the story I created. I would like to learn how to swing dance, I enjoy eating pickles and the movie Little Rascals, I am a science major so I have done my fair share of experiments, and I think discussions on coincidence vs. fate are interesting and meaningful. I think I chose the characters I did probably because of the environment I find myself in here at college. I tried to create an underlying moral in the story. Also, I wanted to have the reader wonder whether this type of scenario could have happened due to chance or due to some preconceived plan or even karma. I will leave it up to the reader to decide on the answer to that question and what the moral of the story might be. 

Bibliography.  This story is based on the nursery rhyme "A Diller, A Dollar" in The Nursery Rhyme Book, edited by Andrew Lang (1897). 

Friday, January 15, 2016

My Favorite Place: Ski/Snowboarding Paradise


I grew up visiting Big Sky Resort in Montana ever since I was two years old. I learned how to ski first at that age and eventually learned how to snowboard when I was eight and have been doing that ever since. Secretly, I sometimes wish I had stuck to skiing because it can prove to be easier to access uncharted terrain with skis rather than a snowboard. However, snowboarding is too much fun to totally dismiss.  Big Sky has a lot of special memories in my life and I am lucky to have gotten to make those memories with my family in such a beautiful place. My favorite part about going to Big Sky is that it is never too crowded or plagued with long lines, sometimes it feels like there is only a handful of people there. It doesn't get as much attention as places in Colorado and it is slightly more difficult to get to than some of those resorts but I think that has turned out to be a good thing. I haven't been back since I was a freshman in high school due to conflicting family schedules but when I do I need to make sure to get to the top of the peak because I never have before.


Lone Peak, which is the top of Big Sky Resort. Wikipedia.




Comment Wall

Here is a place that you can communicate with me more directly. I look forward to your comments and opinions. Thanks for visiting.

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This is a band that I have really grown to like over the past two years and I recently got to see them in Tulsa. Let me know what you think!


Auditotree Live is a great youtube channel to watch acoustic songs from a lot of different artists. They always seem to have someone on there I didn't think they would.


Mic check

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