Battlefield Nurse

As I scrolled through the interviews of soldiers, I ended up coming back to the first one I read. Elizabeth A. Allen’s interview stood out to me because of the incredible hardships she was put through and her perseverance despite undoubtedly being the underdog. Her interview included her account of the war in Vietnam and the race war back in America. She had wanted to be an engineer, but ended up being a nurse. Like her family before her, she also entered a war and fought by being a nurse. What I think is the most inspiring thing about her is that she was an African American woman that participated in a war that the country either hated or chose to ignore. She was a captain, yet chose to work on the front line. After serving the maximum time -a year- she still tried to stay and serve longer.

What really hit me the hardest is that despite having to work more than 12 hours each day, she still did not want to come home because of the way she would be treated there. Upset by this knowledge, she tried again and again to receive an extension. I find myself most sympathetic for her when I think about how she was fully aware of how the social conditions back home would affect her. Martin Luther King Jr. had just been shot, and the battle for social equality was still in full swing. America was fighting many battles- segregation versus integration, women’s rights versus inequality, America versus Vietnam. Unfortunately for Allen, she fitted into every single category. She had some sort of social standing in the war and respect, yet at home there would be none. How could you call a place your home if you’re afraid of those who live there? Allen wanted respect, and I wish with all of me that she got some. If not when she came home, then after. She was brave, resilient, and a role model for so many people. Her story inspires me to push past people’s low expectations and strive to become a harder working person that commands respect.

Comments 

My first comment was on Brett’s blog. His was on the “This Day in History” website that we researched. 

Brett is cool! See my comment HERE

I don’t know who was the owner of the second blog I commented on. I have a feeling that it’s David Gan. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong! Anyway, his was over our first blog prompt of the school year: our writing. 

If you want to see my comment you might want to click HERE

My very last comment was on Ellen’s blog. Honestly, if you haven’t read any of her posts go check them out. I read through a couple of them and she really has interesting things to say. The one I chose to comment on was her blog post on zen pencils. She picked the Frida Kahlo one, and honestly has some really awesome things to say. 

Check it out HERE!

July 15

On my birthday in history, President Nixon announced that during the following year he would be visitting China. He had planned to make a relationship with the communist country to help end the Vietnam war, which was still being fought to our nation’s dismay. What had confused many, was the fact that Nixon had built his entire presidency on the fact that he was anti communist: he was a large figure during the infamous “Red Scare”. However, President Nixon had promised that America would have “peace with honor” with Vietnam two years prior, and the USA was still deep in the war as ever.

This historical date is one that we actually learned about in US History last year, but it never had caught my attention that it was actually on my birthday. Some things that I remembered that I had learned was that Nixon -despite his scandal- was a president that was very involved in foreign affairs. Nixon was actually known to be better with foreign affairs than issues in our own nation. Something else that made me laugh a bit reading this was a reminder of Forest Gump, and how he left to play ping pong in China to help us become allies. Though I am uncertain if Ping Pong Diplomacy was under Nixon, I do know that it was one of the reasons why we stopped being such bitter enemies.

The route Nixon took to try to find common ground with China did not work as well as planned. He had hoped for realtions with their ally Vietnam; peace agreements; trade. When Nixon actually did go to China, he did not quite get what he wanted. There was no large impact from his trip or sudden end to the Vietnam war. However, his trip made it possible for others to make our relationship with China better and ended up helping him find himself with a second term in office. Future possibilities of a relationship with China were opened with Nixon’s trip to the large country. So, maybe something cool happened on my birthday after all- besides me being born, of course. Watch Nixon’s address here

Comic Relief

Finding a comic to write about was actually hard for me. There is a lot of great illustrations on the website; usually I don’t get a message from inspirational quotes, but pairing them with a story I could see made them really hit home. The one I chose was 148 “Stanley Kubrick Answers A Question”. It really confused me at first, but with a second (or third…or fourth) read, I pulled out a good message that I could really relate to.

At first it was really depressing. Kubrick started off by saying life is pointless; however, he then goes farther into it by saying that the very meaninglessness of it causes us to find a meaning. This quote hit home for me because it’s something that I’ve realized as I’ve grown older. Quite frankly, sometimes the world just sucks -people kill others, humans are selfish by nature, and hard work is often overlooked- and there seems to be no meaning. As a child, though, the world was an amazing and beautiful place. There was a period of time where I honestly did not believe there was much of a meaning to life, but I’ve found ways to revert to the childish wonder and love of life the way Kubrick did: I made my own meaning to life. See comic here

He’s a Pop[e]ular Guy

Many Catholics have known for quite a while that Pope Francis is very different from the past popes: he serves as an advocate for young Catholics and is working to bring the church further into the 21st century. He has led the church through the topic of gay marriage by advocating love to those who are different, denies that having many children is what “good Catholic couples” do, and now is even reaching out to women who have had abortions. Many people seem to only talk about women who are considering abortions, or even just the act itself; however, Pope Francis has decided to address the women who have previously had this medical procedure performed on them. Instead of condeming them for what the church considers a sin, he has offered what he calls a “Year of Mercy” for women seeking forgiveness and help. By doing so, he has continued his trend of furthering the mercy and love the church will spread. This Year of Mercy gives preists the ability to forgive women of their sin of abortion, which usually a Bishop would have to do.

(Note: Before anyone reading this get up in arms about how women’s rights, put yourself in the view of someone within the faith.)

Pope Francis is an amazing guy. He knows that many women believe that abortion is their only option when they are pregnant, and that they may regret this choice or feel bad about it later. Even though abortion is a sin, many Catholics do get the procedure. I have always loved confession and being able to get my sins forgiven- leaving the church knowing that every sin I’ve made is forgiven and my slate is wiped clean is one of the best feelings I could have. I could not imagine leaving confession without that feeling. As a women, I feel like even if you did not want the baby you would feel some sort of emotional damage after an abortion. There is a motherly instinct in all of us (even if kids terrify you, like they do with me), and that would probably kick in a little bit some time after. Even though I am sure many Catholics are up in arms about this, I approve. I do not believe this will make women feel as though it’s “okay” to get an abortion; It only spreads the word that the Catholic faith is one made out of love. Pope Francis is leading Catholics around the world by his example. He has often told people that the doors of the church will always be open to anyone, regardless of how they sin and what they do. This is such a beautiful thing that isn’t always said in this time. Many believe Christians hate those that have different ideals, but the newest Pope is spreading the word that is really is okay. Regardless of what you are like everyone is a sinner; therefore we must always show love and compassion to everyone. I’m happy to say that this man is trying to change what the world believes of our faith, and he is once again headed a step in the right direction.

Article here: http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/01/europe/pope-francis-abortion/index.html

At The Write Time

Writing is something that tends to take over my life throughout the school year. Between history projects, yearbook, and essays for English I have very little time to write for myself; however, I usually find time at night.

I’ve always had issues sleeping. Whether it was falling asleep or staying asleep, I’ve always been groggy and disgruntled in the mornings. By blogging, tweeting, and texting, though, I’ve found my mind at ease when I put my thoughts in words. Since that realization, I’ve started to journal. It’s not an everyday thing where I recall events of the day. Instead, I write when I can’t sleep- while putting what’s troubling me into words, my thoughts become clearer and I become less stressed. If I’m going to be awake in the wee hours of the morning then I might as well try and do something that’s productive.

When I’m crazy tired and very stressed or upset, sometimes I’ll try to write poetry. Most of what I write is laughable at least, but about once every twenty times sometimes I make something that I can be proud of. Mostly, however, I just write when there is something happening in my life that I just don’t understand. Writing is something I use to take the squiggles in my mind and turn them into straight lines. So, basically I end up going to a therapist for no reason- I work it out in my spiral.

AP English III has taught me a lot this year, however I think the most it has taught me about is writing. Now, I’m not about to make you mad Lindner and talk about synthesis prompts and all that jazz. I’m talking about just writing in general. So far, what I have learned is that I love writing.

Throughtout the many timed writings, essays, and blog posts I’ve noticed that my nerves calm and my mind gets less frantic with a pen in hand or fingers on keys. I enjoy giving my thoughts a physical shape and form by putting them in words; no longer are they jumbling in my head, instead they are aligned neatly and have some order to them. When I’m stressed it write what I’m stressed about down on a piece of paper. I think about it, and think of all the reasons why I’m stressed about that and I can figure out what I need to change.

I fell in love with books and movies when I wrote essays about them. I couldn’t quite comprehend what was really going on or what the meaning of the text was until I put it in words. Words make sense. They change the way I think about things. All the essays we were assigned I originally thought were dumb, but as time went on I began to like them because they untraveled my mind and made me think in new ways about new subjects.

English has taught me a lot about myself as a student, but most importantly it’s taught me a lot about myself as a person. Perhaps this will be what I take with me into college and life.  Maybe one day I’ll have a job where I can use my love of writing, or maybe I’ll just write when I feel the need. Whatever I’ll do with it, I’ll go with a new appreciation for it.

Transcendentalism

If a random stranger asked what that super long word is, I couldn’t make a dictionary definition. Transcendentalism is that point when it’s 3 a.m. and your conversation with your friends turns from Grey’s Anatomy to what you want your life to be like to what your life should be like. It’s that point when you start thinking about all the giant questions that the universe presents to you. A person might start to transcend when they’re getting home from work late one night and look up at the sky and realize that you are tiny; the world is tiny, while space is just so huge. One might start to transcend when they think about how one of their small actions will completely alter the course of their life and others; how everything seems to be connected in the oddest of ways.

I suppose you could use a dictionary to explain what transcendentalism is, however it just isn’t adequate. The feeling of transcending is something that feels bigger than life and doesn’t happen often. I’m sure people would refer to it as what a stoner might feel when they hit the blunt and start their trip. It could also be the feeling a mother feels when she looks at her child, a product of her love. Transcendentalism is a feeling that every person has to define for themselves. Every person has felt it as some point of their life; however, it’s different for every person.

Everything has an “e”

I cannot work on a fruit farm. Is anything as boring as that? Fruit will spoil and rot, turning into a gross stack of mush. I could possibly work at a banana farm; a banana is a nut. Additionally, a squash is not a fruit- it is a gourd. Gourds will fill my farms, fruit will not join the rows of dirt. If dirt is not good for gourds, I could plant rows with a vast amount of variations of a bush. Such a bush could blossom and stay short, tight to my land. Or it could grow giant and tall, straining its limbs to a vibrant sky.

Will my lack of intimacy towards fruit root sad notions in the minds of my companions? Fruit cannot fill my soul with happy notions and joy. Such joy will flow if a giant plant burrows its roots in dark soil and possibly asks for my thoughts. Such thoughts will spring up and pour to this plant, knowing fully of its frank caring towards humans such as I. Should I find various plants for it to join limbs with? Companionship is a gift that many should worship.