Monika

I Believe…

I believe Giraffes are Awesome I believe my parents are doing a fine job I believe the only reliable person is yourself I believe time is everything I believe true beauty comes from within I believe a lie is the feeling of guilt I believe in ideas I believe trust is the truest bond between people I believe violence isn’t needed I believe in hope and faith I believe in art I believe in making music I believe in night and day I believe in Myself



I know what it’s like to listen. People trust me, they tell me things no one c <span style="font-family: 'High Tower Text','serif'; font-size: 16px;">ould hear. Everyone needs a person who won’t judge, but just to listen to what they have to say. Sure you could just sit there and hear what they’re saying. But listening is to put yourself in their shoes and understanding what they mean.

<span style="font-family: 'High Tower Text','serif'; font-size: 16px;">You could understand things they don’t even have to mention by the simple tone of their voice. Like the time my friend told me something she has never mentions to anyone. I could tell she was hesitant by the shaky tone in her voice. But when she got the courage to say the whole story you could tell she was nervous. The look in her eyes like she was scared someone was going to hear. The way she fiddled with her hands when she told me what had happened.

<span style="font-family: 'High Tower Text','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The words she used to describe how she felt and they certain way she put them. I knew with her not even having to mention that she wasn’t proud of what had happened. I’m no one to tell her story, even though I knew it wasn’t rite. I had to put everything she was telling me into perspective, I was no one to judge or turn her away. Instead I listened and put myself in her shoes.

<span style="font-family: 'High Tower Text','serif'; font-size: 16px;">She needed to be herd, her cry for help was hidden behind the smile she tried to put on her face so well. So I tried to help her the best I could, give her the advise I had. Even thought she might have not wanted to hear what I had to say she still listened. It’s on her whether she wanted to take my help or not. It’s nice to hear what people have to say.

<span style="font-family: 'High Tower Text','serif'; font-size: 16px;">When you listen to someone it’s like you get to hear what they think. I like listening to the opinions other people have, even though I might disagree on what they have to say. But what they say might be useful for something you could use in the future. I learn from the stories I’m told and the advise I get. In the end it’s my choice whether I want to take it in or not.

<span style="font-family: 'High Tower Text','serif'; font-size: 16px;">It’s nice to hear what people have to say. Everyone has something different to say about different things there are to talk about. The different ways u could use a simple word or the new vocabularies you get to learn. Even the many words use to describe something so simple with such detail. It’s nice to listen, but as much as I like to listen I like to be herd.

<span style="font-family: 'Corbel','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Who is to blame for the death of Larry King? I believe everyone has their own fault in blaming for this situation. Not only is Brandon or Larry to blame, but the parents and the school administration played a role in this too.

<span style="font-family: 'Corbel','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Sure Brandon shot the gun. But could you blame him, look at the kind of role models he had to look up too. His dad was an alcoholic and his mom was a meth addict, plus his dad shot his wife in the arm because he was angry. Brandon was never taught how to control his anger with examples he was given when he was younger. I’m not saying he is innocent either, he had is big fault in this too.

<span style="font-family: 'Corbel','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">He should have punched a wall or went to go talk to someone about the situation and how he felt about it. Everyone has problems and not every straight person that gets hit on by a gay goes and shoots them. He is old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, or just know how to even think things through. Instead he decided to take things into his hands and take the easy way out and just shot Larry. Everyone gets mad and has their moments but you just get over it, in time of course but still.

<span style="font-family: 'Corbel','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">But that still doesn’t make what Larry did okay. Yeah his background was messed up, and living the way he did didn’t make things any better. I’m still pre tty sure he knew what he was doing and the intentions he had when going to school. If he was going to be that open about being gay he should have taken consideration about how other people were going to feel about it. Or even just toned down the way he dressed and acted at school. He should have got the hint when they had to take him out of P.E. because he was harassing boys in the locker room.

<span style="font-family: 'Corbel','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Clearly; the school administration seen what a huge distraction he was to the school. Yeah he has the freedom to dress how he wants and be who he wants to be, but the school should have taken things more into their hand instead of letting him do what he wants. Joy Epstein should have sat down with him and just asked him to calm down on his wardrobe. She had to have known what was going on if her relationship was that close with Larry. If she was that close with him she could have told him in a way he would understand. She made is seem like she was protecting Larry because they were both gay.

<span style="font-family: 'Corbel','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">So who was really to blame? I think everyone played their own part in the killing of Larry King. We will never fully know who was truly to blame. Or the intentions anyone had while this was going on.

On February 12, 2008 at E.O. Green middle school in Oxnard, a young boy was shot and killed by a fellow class mate. Brandon Mclnerney the following student who killed his class mate Larry King. This may seem as if it is an “Adult” situation and should be treated as so. But Brandon was still just a minor, and 8th grade boy who made the wrong choice. Sure what he did can’t be excused and he deserves to be punished, but not as an adult. He was a boy who got sexually harassed and was not left alone by the freak of the school. Yeah that doesn’t make it okay for him to go shoot someone, but he was still a juvenile and not fully developed. He was still a child who’s brain wasn’t fully developed to think this situation through. Brandon was still trying to find himself just like Larry was. I think it is harsh to charge Brandon as an adult because of the dumb choice he made as a kid. It’s a tuff choice weather Brandon could be helped or not but we will never know unless we try. I believe he could be helped, his actions were hardly thought through. Brandon was hardly developed and not fully mature, he acted more with the way he felt then thinking about the right choice to be made. Clearly he didn’t know what he was getting himself into. Considering the examples that where set for him when he was a boy, he couldn’t have really know what was a better choice to make. It was valentine’s day when Larry decided to pushed Brandon to the limit and asked him to be his valentine. While all of Brandon’s friends teased Brandon and told him that he was going to have gay baby’s with Larry, he had enough. Then he committed a very serious crime when he was only 14, and shot Larry. But that doesn’t excuse what he did, and I believe he should still be punished for it as a juvenile. Brandon was just a kid that got caught up in the heat of the moment and made the wrong choice. So I believe Brandon should have a second chance and be charged as a juvenile. He made a dumb choice and hopefully he learns from the punishment he gets.

Photos are everywhere, everyone has them. But what good is a photo without the full story behind them. I slightly agree with Sontag, she has a point you never understand a photo to its full extent. But I think photos help open your mind up to seeing reality. I agree with Sontag about photos hide more then it shows. Photos don’t show you the whole story and what is going on around. They limit our understanding of a certain moment to a point. We never get to see what happens before and after the picture was taken. Or even the thoughts or emotions that went to the peoples minds. But photos help us see what is going on in the world and gives us hints about what is going on around us. They show us things we will never get to witness in our lives and even take us back to seeing what things look like in our past. But they show you the look in the peoples eyes and how they feel through the looks on there faces. They show you the effects of things and the detail of the background only a picture can show you. Like for example the child labor photos that Lewis Hines took. Although text can describe in very fine detail the thoughts running through someone’s mine. Or even the emotions that there feeling and what had happened from beginning to end. For example in the book “To Kill a Mocking Bird” it describes in detail everyone mentioned and what there known for. Plus the description Scout gives on how she feels about certain situations and the thoughts that ran through her mind. It was very well written that it had me imagine in my mind what everything looked like and the faces of the people. Text expands the mind in more ways than you can see. All in all, I think text and photos have there own purpose and can expand the mind in many different ways. Photos show the truth of reality and the photographer’s interest in life. Text gives you something to imagine and shows the interest in thought.

In a way I disagree that love, sadness, pain, and grief are just chemicals. I believe that science can’t explain the full truth about why we feel. Chemicals may play a part but not the only reason we feel the way we do. The other side of this could also be mentally and spiritually, chemicals have to be off by something and it could just be something you think of thought to set if off. The thoughts you get when you see a person might be the mental or spiritual reason you may feel any emotion, such as “love”.

People may be led by two main chemicals such as testosterone and estrogen. Testosterone is the male hormone for his main sex drive. Estrogen is the females main sex drive. Dopamine is the main chemical in making you excited to see your beloved one, like when you feel your heart beating faster and faster the moment you see them walking towards you. Serotonin is what makes you feel good when your with this person or holding them it just makes you happy. Oxcytocin is what bonds the both of you together, what makes you feel mutual and comfortable around each other.

On the other hand evolutionary process is what a male and female have to offer. A female looks for a man that is fit and able to protect her and their child. He has to have a strong body structure; such as broad shoulders, and strong jaw lining. A male looks for a fertile women with curves; such as big breast, tiny waist, and wide hips for conceiving a child. For millions of ways we have been living this way, even if it doesn’t cross our mind it’s just instincts.

But love, it’s the passion you feel for one another. I believe love might just be the trigger for the chemical reaction our body holds, but it doesn’t define why we feel. I really don’t know what to think about love or what it is, but for me it’s like an addiction. Once you have it you don’t want to let go, it’s like an obsession in a way. Everyone wants it but not everyone can have it. It’s like the thought of living without your significant other is impossible, and the pain it might bring when one of you just doesn’t feel it anymore is heart breaking. Love can’t be described by chemicals, it’s the feeling of dropping everything when your loved one is in need. Or doing anything for them in a heartbeat just to stay by their side. Everyone has their own perspective of love and I’m still trying to find a way to describe mine. It’s hard to say what it is when you can’t see it, but only feel it. Like when people get married for love, not everyone believes in getting married. For example my mom doesn’t want to get married because she thinks the bond of love is enough to keep them together. Love is something I’m still trying to put my finger on but it’s there.

So in conclusion, I believe the chemicals in our body don’t describe everything. It might just describe what makes the way we feel stronger and more put out there. Or it could be the state of mind we are put in when see something and how we feel about certain things. The mind could play a role in what we spiritually feel about “love”.

My one important thing has to be my drawings. I like to look at my other drawings sometimes and see how my style has changed. Or look at how much better I have gotten.

I cherish my drawings because they are a symbol of me, plus they make me want to get better. Each one of my drawings are special, they all have their different qualities. In a way they represent me and who I am, and what I like. I have had this passion for drawing since I was 9. Every since then I have loved the flow of my pencil.

All the flow of the lines are different. My pictures are my thoughts going to work. Drawing is what I love to do; it’s like a part of me. When I draw it’s like going into a whole new world and I just stop caring, and go with it. Sometimes in the end they come out pretty awesome. I can’t really say I have a favorite.

I love when I’m done with a picture and get to add shading. It’s like taking it to a whole new level. Or even adding color, like choosing the colors that go together in it could change the perspective of it. It’s like when I’m drawing I have control of every line and every detail. When I show people my drawings imp round to say I did that. It’s actually one of the only things I’m good at.

Drawing is pretty important to me; to get really good at it is my goal. Finishing a drawing, and getting complimented on it feels really good. It makes me feel like I’m awesome. Drawing is what I do best.

I personally think a little of both traditional and modern marriage is best. You don’t want to marry someone for just their physical appearance because they could have the worst personality ever, then you will eventually come to dislike them. I think that making a choice with more your mind and a bit of your heart could make you less venerable to making the wrong choice.

I think traditional arranged marriage could be tuff because you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Sure your parents may know what’s best for you, but you should have a say too. Like to think about it your parents may want someone way different then what you’re expecting. Then when you meet the guy, will you really get along with this other person you’re stuck with? But I could be wrong. Your parents may choose your “dream guy”. He could have a nice personality and have a nice steady job that could support you. Still your parents probably won’t know what you really want in a person and they could just chose him because he has money or something.

In other words, modern romantic marriage could be the way to go for you. I believe we all have the choice to chose for ourselves. I think not only should you get along with this person and be compatible, but you should also e physically attracted to them. Maybe there personality makes them physically attracted in your eyes. But no one should have to cut themselves short just because there physically attracted to someone. You should like them for who they are and not just what they have to offer.

I don’t really know if you could say there is a better. Considering how you look at both of them, they both have their strengths and weaknesses. There will always be that “what if”, so chose what you think is best for yourself. But asking what your parents think of this other person you may so call “love” could help you on the long run too. Your parents may be wiser in giving you advise but you have to take into consideration what we want. We all make mistakes and it’s better to think things through with your head then your heart.

In conclusion thinking more with your mind then your heart in the way to go. Following your heart could be risky, your heart is to venerable to make choices for itself. Even thought you might not like what your head has to say it could end up being for the better