Major in?

Well what field would I like to go into? I'm not going to lie and say I’m absolutely sure, but the two main fields that come to mind when I think about this sort of thing are Law and Medical. Both are enticing for different reasons, but each has its drawbacks as well. I like the thought of majoring in pre-med studies and biology because I find those subjects very interesting and also necessary for going into a medical career, say as a surgeon. Biology has also been a strong suit for me, ever since that first course in 8th grade, and now AP Bio in 11th. I think focusing on anatomy would be the pretty obvious choice, simply because that type of biology would be most influential and necessary in the scheme of things. These are just thoughts though; I think I would enjoy working as a doctor. It would be challenging as well as interesting, something that definitely suits my personality. Anatomy is also a favorite of mine because it is very empirical rather than theoretical. I like not only knowing about something and how it works, but also why it works. Now this all may lead to a career as a surgeon, but the drawbacks are quite obvious: tough hours and the stress of having someone else's life in your hands. Tough factors to consider. Conversely, a career as a lawyer is also enticing to me. In order to go into that field, I would probably major in history and political science, to follow what my father had done. History would be a good major for me simply because I love history. It is essential to understand history in order to understand how things came to be as they are today. I have taken the advanced classes (up until this year due to some scheduling errors) and have always seen the importance behind knowing the beginning. Although a law career doesn't necessarily necessitate a specific field of study, I still feel that majoring in history would benefit me overall because it would give good context to later law studies in law school.

Where do I see myself 10 years from now? Well it changes constantly, but I’m currently leaning toward the thought of being a relatively new doctor or surgeon. I think I would do well in this type of field (as described above) and it is interesting for me. I think I would do well in this career path due to my tenacity and ability to succeed in things I find intriguing, such as architectural design (that was another thought that I had for a career path but I decided only to include the two foremost in my mind). I am a hard worker and medical studies is a hard field, but surely worth it. I would have to work well under pressure, but this is something I’m accustomed to with all of the sports and such that I participate in. This leads me to believe that in 10 years I will have a strong position as a surgeon that will benefit me as a career well into my life.

The Should-Worry Generation / Happy Endings

The Why-Worry Generation article in the NY Times displays surprising truths and thought provoking ideas. I completely agree with Judith Warner, the journalist who wrote the article, that the generation born between 1982 and 2002 is not the hyped up "next great generation," but rather a generation hyped up on arrogance and ego. Many of the people born within this time period exhibit the qualities necessary to succeed in the economically down turned world and help fix the problem, yet these are also the same people creating the problem. They, through their inability to fore look an off-perfect job, have helped cause the economic problem: such as less hiring and jobs going overseas to people more willing to accept such a job. I'm not saying these people need to do something they hate; it might just be more beneficial to find a middle ground.
I also agree that the generation has been far too babied in terms of accomplishment. Nowadays it seems everyone, regardless of skill level, can acquire some sort of trophy or award for their accomplishments, however minor they may be. This just reduces the overall meaning of awards. The same is true of many of the grades and A's that people are getting in school. While it may be nice to make everyone happy, applauding mediocrity is an overall detrimental process. It raises confidence, yes, but does not adequately prepare future workers. When done in moderation though, it can be beneficial. An example of this is when a sports team may play a worse team in order to raise their confidence. If this was done over and over again, it would degrade the teams’ ability to succeed because the team would not be ready for higher level of play. Proactivity is the best solution, but that’s just my thought on the subject.

Another comment can be said for Margaret Atwood's "Happy Endings." Her 6 so called 'happy endings' allow for several things to happen. One person may die, they may live happily, both (or all three?) can die, and so on and so forth. Atwood seems to believe that unless one lives a happy life where both parents are committed, have kids, a nice home, and such ('A'), the ending will be sad and mournful. I don’t necessarily agree with this view, I believe that happy endings don’t always come in the form of a stereotypical 'perfect family.' I do agree with Atwood's final thought about death being the only authentic end, though. One cannot escape death nor outrun it; I believe that one can simply enjoy the in-between and be grateful for what comes, and perhaps change what needs to be changed in order to make things better (very optimistic I know). And to return to the point above, the best 'in-between' comes from the hard work put into it.

Inspirational Reading

(Post #4 sorry its a little late I have been tied down with very important track meets and such) Reading has been a big part of my life, and has led to many beneficial occurences in my life. In the wee years of my literacy, at the dawn of my time here on Earth, my mother and father would read such stories as Dinosaur Tales and Where the Wild Things Are. These wholesome experiences brought my family and myself closer together, and provided priceless and fond memories. One such memory that I have was when I was on vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The power was out and all we had was candle light, and being that there was no tv or music occuring, my mom read to me for 2 hours. This was one of my most fond early reading experiences, though far from the only one. A similar story invloves my sister helping teach me how to read when I was a young lad. I had to read passages out of a book, which if my memory serves me well, was the novel Dune by Frank Herbert. I would read the passage and my sister would correct what i mispronunciated or could not sound out. This experience brought me great reading skills, though the more important lesson was the value of my sister to me. Another that comes to mind (or rather a few times) was all of the vacation trips to Grand Cayman Island where the main activities include swimming, sleeping, and reading. The books i read include Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Eragon by Christopher Paolini, and Artemis Fowl novels by Eoin Colfer. While these were not exactly the most difficult reads, I very much enjoyed them for their fantasy and science fictiony adventures. I hold these types of stories (ones that presents an uncommon or impossible situation) as the most interesting. Rarely will you find me entranced by some realistic fiction or love novel or something of that nature. But to return to my beach trip story, i read the aforementioned novels in record-time (for me at least) and enjoyed the futuristic/fantastic adventures from the comfortability of a beach chair. These are but a few experiences that have brought me closer to my family, greatly enhanced my literacy, and increased my knowledge.

Current Reading

My current reading is not seeing its best days but i plan on changing that for the summer. The first book i would like to read is Jurassic Park. I have heard it was good and I have seen the movies, so this seemed like the next logical step. Also, dinosaurs are probably the coolest thing ever, especially the great Liopluerodon. Anyone who has read the book feel free to tell me your thoughts on the book, and also any other books you have read and enjoyed.

Another book i am interested in reading is The Kite Runner, which i have also heard is very good. I was reading Fayem's blog and he mentioned the literary merit behind the book, and so that swayed me to become interested in it. Hopefully the reading will resume sooner than later.

The Best Book

The best book to my knowledge is The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. This is my favorite book for many reasons, including the interesting point of view, and the way McCarthy tells of a deep, yet eerily not too distant future. The novel's focus on the unnamed father and son create characters that are up for interpretation by the reader. Not only are the characters never named, they are never fully described, yet are familiar nonetheless. This is an odd concept, but through their adventures the reader comes to know the father and son. This is one of the reasons that I enjoy the book so much, you feel that you know a lot about these characters, though you don't even learn their names.

Another reason this is the best book i have read is because the world that the father and son inhabit is frighteningly possible. Their entire adventure doesn't focus on a single goal (except perhaps to survive) and thus leave the sense of wandering. The various events that take place also show the desperation possible of any human. This not only provided an interesting read but also a thought provoking scenario.

History of Literacy: Chapter 1

The history and start of my literacal adventures began at the fresh-faced age of 3. My mother and father were avid storytellers, and wouldnt hesitate to relinquish the grand childbook stories of the time upon my youthful mind. I soon garnered the ability to accuratly read and understand the english language, catapulting me into the immersive world of literature. The adventure didnt end there; i was soon reading books such as The Road, by Cormack McCarthy (not Clive Owen as may have been included on the AP test). These readings were complemented by other works; the epic The Odyssey, by Homer, was a good addition to the repitoir. Indeed the tide of literature was stemmed mearly by the onslaught of motion pictures, and the interesting tale included in that type of entertainment. I have to admit i prefer the ability to sit back and watch a movie nowadays more so than reading a book and attempting to understand the meaning, yet entertainment in the form of books has undeniable advantages to movies: they can be much, much longer, allow the reader to form a picture of characters and scenes for themselves, and can include more minute details and scenes that would not be able to be included in a movie.
Now as a student of AP literature, i have been reading more so than i have been for months or perhaps years. this has in turn benefitted my vocabulary and cognative powers, resulting in quicker thinking and increased imagination. My history of reading has been one of hills and knolls, i reach crests and then decline to read for periods of time. As for the future, it depends how good the movies are from here on out (like Castaway)