Fluency Blog

Aristotle said " The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." I hope this to mean that as we strive to constantly improve upon ourselves through learning, we can only enjoy being better. We have to push ourselves to work through the trials of being taught and retaining that knowledge. The learning must sometimes feel as if it is being beat into us. But at the end of it all, a person can know that because of their work, we are better as people.

Editing Others

In ENG 101, we are currently critiquing other student's work. I have a hard time doing this because I find myself struggling to be objective. It is easier since I don't personally know anyone in the class, but I find myself trying hold them to the same standard I hold myself to. I try to keep my personal bars high and not every person is the same. I can only work on me and hope that being objective is something I will garner from this class. Things seem to be progressing smoothly so far, and the learning continues as planned.

Fluency Blog Tick Tock

Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... The sound of the pendulum swinging is nearly hypnotic. Tick... Almost zen like. Tock... I can almost feel myself drifting away. The cares of the day seem to melt from me. Tick... No more worries today. Tock... Tomorrow is another day full of wonder. Tick... I feel as if each of my limbs are being weighted down. Tock... Chimes! Discordant, awful ringing. Alarming and jolting me from my reverie. The striking of the clock signals time for bed.

I rise to complete my nightly routine. I have to finish everything before I retire. I change into night clothes and brush my teeth. I turn down the bed and crawl in. The covers are so warm and toasty. I start to let my mind wander and feel the fuzziness of sleep start to creep over me. I listen to the clock and relax. Tick... Tock...

Fluency Blog Candle

The smoked curled away from the wick slowly, almost lazily. It wound through the crisp morning air like a tongue from a serpent, tasting the area. The after scent of the candle was that of cedar wood. Crisp and clean, a mind clearing scent. The aroma evoked images of great expanses of evergreen forests. Pine needles and pine cones covering the ground. The odor smells like home.

This candle is but one of many that was ordered by his wife. She likes to change the scent almost daily sometimes. He never quite knows what odor will greet him as he walks in the door after a long day at work. It would seem that this would make for an argument, but it is actually one of the many charming qualities of his wonderful wife. Always staying ahead of her husband in all her endeavours.

Fluency Blog Concentration

I'm sitting on my couch. I'm staring at the blank white page, trying to decide where to start with my fluency blog. Seems like I struggle with this every day. As I'm looking at the white page, I remember a chapter from one of my favorite books that actually helps to concentrate. Although it is a work of fiction, it has helped me since I read the novel.

In the books by Terry Goodkind, he speaks of concentration. One of the main characters tells another to picture in your mind a field of black. On this field picture a border of white. In the center of the field, picture something that is close to your heart. Concentrate. Keep the borders in place. Now, focus on the details of the item. every detail, top to bottom. Keep the borders in place! Continue focusing on details. Imagine the textures of the item. The smell. The taste, if it applies.

This works for me almost like meditation. So far, not many people follow or read this blog, but maybe this trick will work for others.

Mandatory Military Service

I found a writing prompt today on military service. It posed the question as to whether on not the U.S. should ever institute a mandatory policy for spending at least one year in a branch of the military after high school. This poses a very interesting conflict within me.

I, myself, served in the military and honestly believe I am a better person for it. I learned things about myself that I would never have discovered otherwise. Certain attributes were brought out in me that I will carry forever. Attributes like integrity, loyalty, faith in a team. Just based on personal experience I think a mandatory service could be a positive thing.

However, many younger soldiers enter conflict without little to no life experiences. They come right from high school and enter a life of armed combat. Many don't survive the battles that are fought on foreign soil. Although I believe battles will always be fought by those who must, teenagers should not be forced to blindly enter this world.

After having weighed this argument, I think that if the U.S. ever institutes a mandatory service it should be more along the lines of a JROTC or ROTC program. They would still get the indoctrination into a team life with all of the values instilled without the risk of loss of life. After the program ends, the individual would have a free choice to enter the service or not, as they see fit. I think this would give all Americans a glimpse at exactly what an American soldier goes through to defend and uphold the rights and freedoms of our great country. Appreciation would increase exponentially.

Idiot Test

This evening I find myself staying up late to do homework. On the television is Idiotest. This has to be the craziest show I have ever watched. The people are not all that intelligent, for starters. And then to add insult to injury, they really do ask idiot type questions. I believe this might be the last time I watch this show.

Voice of an Inner Child

A few days ago I wrote a blog on the appearance of my inner child. A fellow student responded, and gave a rebuttal. What would your inner child say to you today? That is an interesting question that I will try to answer in today's post.

My inner child would talk very quickly, bouncing from topic to topic so quickly one can barely understand him. He is excited about the differences in GI Joe and He-man. And who is this She-ra person? And why do I have to wear corduroy? I hate corduroy. Bouncing and bouncing. The sky is blue today. I like blue. It's my favorite color.

Fluency Blog

This is my week end fluency blog. It is also the first heavy attempt at writing on my new laptop. So far this week I have read more than I can imagine. It has been a heavy week for reading in class, and at work. I constantly struggle to reach a number of words appropriate for a good entry. I think it's because I struggle to find what I feel is a good topic.

Reader Response

For some reason I have lost 2 of my blogs. Anyways, today I'm going to do a reader response to an essay titled "The Maker's Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts."

I had somewhat of a hard time following this essay. It is very technically written. My biggest issue with writing is the reviewing myself. I'm the type of person to ask forgiveness instead of permission. I don't like second guessing myself because it feels like I'm editing my thoughts. This is a silly notion, I know, but there it is. I do understand revising for clarification. And for teaching purposes. All in all, I'm fairly sure I will have an issue editing.

Inner Child Appearance

I was driving to work this morning and trying to think of a good discussion question to post about in my blog. It seems like every day I rant or spin out random thoughts. This morning I came upon a very good question for myself and my classmates. If you could describe your inner child, what would he/she look like?

My inner child is young, around 5 or 6. He is of slight build with an infamous 70's bowl cut. He is wearing the ugliest pair of corduroy pants you've ever seen. They are light colored brown with grass stains on the knees that no amount of washing will ever remove. He is wearing a rough looking red sweater that is frayed at the wrists. On his feet are a pair of worn and faded tennis shoes with a small zipper pocket on the side. There is a perpetual smile on his face that is a steady mix of trouble and innocence. This is my inner child.

Fluency Journal

I'm not exactly sure how fluent I can be but this evening I would like to touch on some of our more negative feelings. The first one I want to talk about is frustration. Although, in and of itself, frustration isn't necessarily a bad thing, it can lead into a downward spiral directly towards anger. It is usually caused by something that a person may or may not have any control over. When we find ourselves caught up in a web with no escape it can be very frustrating. This will lead to anger which in turn can lead to conflict.

I personally think conflict is a wonderful thing when treated with the proper respect. It can be a very powerful learning tool that can bring different personalities together towards a mutually beneficial goal. The resolution can benefit the many much more than the few. However, when not treated carefully, conflict can quickly breed anger and strife. This in turn causes parties on all sides to not gain anything, really.

So I guess the question of the day is, "How does one resolve a conflict to the mutual benefit of all involved without alienating any single party?"

Fluency Journal/Blog

I'm not sure what to post tonight. I don't believe that I have an actual assignment for this particular post. With that in mind, I believe I will keep this short this evening.

The only thing that comes to mind is the uncharacteristic absence of our teacher. I have spoken to some of her former students and to the department head and it is unlike her to be away from a class like this. Personally, I enjoy the work at my own pace but I know some of my classmates are struggling. I do agree with the contention over posting grades, though. I don't feel as if I am a struggling writer but I wish I could get some feedback on recent assignments. Hopefully things will sort themselves out and our teacher will work through whatever is ailing her.

Knowing My Audience

I think that we have a wide and varied audience in this class. I’m sure that it’s the same way every semester. My audience is one that has many interests. I’ve noticed from the answers in the forum that there are many age groups. I can tell that some of the students in this class are fresh from high school. It also seems that some others are middle aged and have grown children. We have parents. We have full time students and part time students. I have also noticed that the majority of the people that respond to other’s posts are female. Nothing against the guys in the class, but speaking for myself, we’re lazy. 

There is a very large majority of people that have already spent there imaginary lottery winnings. Glad to see I’m not the only one who does that. 

The musical appreciation of this class seems to be on the high side. It is varied, I think, but there. There are a number of people in this class that can actually play an instrument. One person has actually been to numerous competitions and won awards for their musicality and skill.

I also believe that I have a well-read audience. Most everyone in this class has a personal favorite for reading styles. We also have a couple of people that seem to have a sort of reading Tourette’s. They just spout random quotes and characters from a multitude of genres. 

All in all, I think that I have a wonderfully open and receptive audience. I think that I may not be able to captivate each and every person, but I can in some way appeal to the senses of all of them. I will be readily familiar with the experiences and memories of some. I will also have a hard time appreciating others. All in all, I think it is a wonderful audience to write for.

Free Write Response to This I Believe

This will be a freewrite.

So considering how tired I am and the amount of work I out into reading the articles I hope it is presentable. The first essay I read was "A Grown-Up Barbie. I thought it was very commendable how she worked in the fashion industry but had no care for fashion, really. She only wanted to make nice clothes for how they made people feel and not for the money or fame involved. She actually cared very little for the industry, but liked to travel. The next one was "Leaving Identity Issues To Other Folks". It was an interesting essay, and it held my attention. It seemed that she worked hard to stereotype herself. But only because others told her what to be. It seemed to me that she didn't find herself until later in her life. She wasn't quite who she wanted to be. The next essay was Always go to the funeral. It was an interesting piece because I can't see my self as being a person to always go. I uderstand paying your last respects but it seems a little much to go to every funeral.I guess the point the auther was trying to maske is that you should pay respect. The next essay was be cool to the pizza dude. I liked this article. It kind of goes in with the whole Karma trip. I tend to live that way, so it makes since.On the this Takes Practice article I had a hard time not dozing off. It just seems like a teacher essay. Nothing fancy but not to bad I guess...Hopefully I can make it t

Personal Credo Skeleton

I believe that all good things in life come to those who work for them. Nothing is ever free except for trouble. If you want something in this world you must earn it. But, do not let others tell you whether or not these things have been earned. Every person knows in their heart if they deserve something. You make life your own with every decision. With that, you will pay a consequence for every action, good or bad. Ill consequences come back quickly but karma will bring the good ones eventually.

Creed/credo Research

I've done some research into many creeds and credos over the last week. I haven't had a whole lot of time, but I have discovered that nearly every organization in the history of the written language uses some sort of motto. Some are rather benign like in the instance of my place of work. Commercial Metals uses the credo "Commitment you can count on." That is rather simple statement that simply explains the root of all we do.

Assignment 4.1 Fluency Journal/Blog

This week in English 101 we were informed that part of our latest assignment is to enter into our blog seven times per week. I know, without an inkling of a doubt that this is going to be a very rough assignment for me. I work approximately fifty to seventy hours per week before I even consider school. This week alone we are having a quarterly inventory and I am looking at about sixty plus hours. I chose to start my assignment with a general rant about my life and how “woe is me”. I know I’m not the only person trying to go to school and still live a day to day life. I’m not that naive. I can only hope to gather what knowledge I can and press on. I gather some encouragement from my fellow students and in the knowledge that they are also facing the trials and tribulations of adult learning. All I can continue to do is do. They taught us in the U.S. Army to “adapt and overcome”. That has become one of my life mottos, and I’m actually considering on whether or not to use part of that for my essay we are working on. I also know how this almost reads like a free-write, but it is my experiment in learning. I can only do my best and hope that with a little luck, tenacity, and perseverance I will “overcome” this obstacle also. I’ve also printed off most of the reading portions of this lesson and am hoping to peruse them during down-time at work. It amazes me how much I loved reading in my teenage years and yet can’t seem to find the time for it now. I remember actually using the phrase “who needs sleep”. Is that a sign of age that you can rant and rave about trivial things incoherently for ten minutes and then miss your childhood? Makes one wonder.

Assingment 3.3 This I Believe Freewriting

So, for the second part of my assignment this week, I have to post a free writing exercise based upon my "this I believe" statements. Here you go.

Free writing about “This I Believe”

So we are supposed to pick one of our this I believe statements to expound on for ten minutes without stopping in a freewrite. This is going to be difficult for me but I choose the statement “I believe that there is something fundamentally more natural about writing with a pencil and paper.” This is true in my heart because with a pencil and paper you actually feel kind of what the writer does. You get to see in the strokes and curves of their handwriting how they feel on a subject. Typing is a very cold medium. There is no differences between one person’s typing and another’s. They aal come out the same, regardless of the author. If you are using a pencil, it is much warmer to me. Also, there is something about the shine of graphite on parchment that just gets to me. It strikes a chord inside of me. This is very difficult to do with the television going in the background. It is also difficult for me not to back up and make corrections and such. I tend to try to be a very coreect speller. Speller? Is that a word? Back to subject. Handwriting. It is actually much easier to read into a person if they write versus type something. There is actually whole sciences dedicated to studying the ins and outs of the different nuances of a persons writing. This is a difficult assignment. It’s hard to expound much more on this subject, but I have to continue typing without stopping until the timer goes off. I don’t know how much time is left because my phone has went blank. I hope it goes off soon. SO, pencil and paper versus typing. Also I’m not that fast at typing. It feels that my thoughts tend to flow more readily if I’m using a pencil and paper… Maybe it’s just me b……

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