Assignment: Pg. 41; "A Writing Exercise"

A Writing Exercise: Once you have read both stories, write brief responses to each.

Orientation response:
It took me a moment to understand how the story was being told; that made the story interesting. While reading it, I got a little overwhelmed with all of the information being presented to the new worker. I can only imagine how that worker felt, having all of this information being presented all at once. I'd break a sweat and have to swallow all my fear as I was walking around with the person training me. The story was written in a list form, which could be monotonous, but it was well written enough to want me to keep reading. All the people were described in great detail, which made the story more interesting. It sounds like that office is quite the place to work. When I got to the very end, after reading about all of the people and rooms and duties, I thought the photocopy room was really interesting. It was interesting how the building reflected, making a copy of whoever was looking at it, as it is when you photocopy something. I think that's a cool analogy. Overall, this story was a good read. Although, I cannot say I relate, but it was a good read all the same.

Girl response:
I don't think I would want to be told how to do every little single thing like this girl. Talk about controlling. There are so many rules to follow, like in the other story, Orientation. The poor girl in the story couldn't get but two sentences to try and defend herself. It seems that she is being judged while being given many directions. I would find that unfair. They are trying to tell her who to be also. Shouldn't that be the girl's freedom to decide? Once again, I think a long list of telling me what to do would be overwhelming and tedious. I would not write something as this. I'd stress myself out while writing it.

Season

Today I woke up extremely tired. Honestly, you'd think I'd learn not to stay up until two in the morning when I had to get up at eight o'clock the next morning. Yet, I still repeatedly do it. I can't say I remember why I was up so late. I was probably online or something, wasting brain cells. Anyway, yeah, I was really tired this morning as I was getting ready for church, which was awesome. And wow, the weather these past few days! Talk about perfect. There's a lovely breeze that makes it so pleasurable outside. That's so rare to say it was "pleasurable outside" in August in Texas. Texas weather is, well... Texas weather. Anybody that lives here knows what I'm talking about. Although, it's becoming Fall, which is my favorite season! The leaves turn red and orange and yellow. The winds blow more and more. There's pumpkins and turkeys and scarves. Such a wonderful season.

Hm. I've gone from feeling tired, to talking about the internet, to the weather, and finally to my favorite season. What a train of thought I have.

Cluttered

I think that I should get more organized. For example, sometimes my desk is so cluttered I can't even see the wood surface it's made of. There's all this stuff in the way, most if it not important. There's papers, glasses, post-its, notebooks, cd's, a clock, a laptop, a lamp, and many many other items that perhaps should be put away and not just thrown on the top of the mess. When my desk is clean, I find that I am very much so less stressed out. I guess a cluttered, messy desk can relate to my mind. Sometimes it's so cluttered with pointless information I can't even think. So in my opinion, a clean work space, in this case the desk in my room, really does affect everything. It's important to keep it clear. Kind of like our minds.

That analogy worked, right? Sometimes I can't really get my point across in a way that works. I get that a lot; people not understanding what I mean. I have a hard time explaining. I wonder how that could be fixed... Maybe break down what I'm thinking into parts. Yeah. That could work.

My mind is quite cluttered. Like my desk.

TI-84

It's funny when you look an object for school, like a graphing calculator, and think, "Nah, I don't think I'll need that today, I'll just leave it on my desk...", only to find out that you actually do need it in class that day. Then, when you're sitting in class you're thinking bitterly, "How hard would it have been to grab that calculator really quickly off my desk?" That's happened a lot. I guess it goes along with the saying, "Better safe than sorry," or, "Always be prepared." I'm staring at that graphing calculator now, and I swear it's mocking me. It's okay, lesson learned, right? I'll take the calculator next time. And honestly, how much more weight could it have been in my purple backpack anyways? It's conveniently travel size, that TI-84.

Silly me. I'm sorry, graphing calculator.

Assignment: Pg. 14; #2

#2: Sometimes a literary work matters to you in one way when you first read it and in another way when you read it again. Write a brief essay in which you discuss a work that you interpreted differently when you reread it. What significance did it have for you at the time? What was its significance later? What about your life changed between the two readings?

There is a book I read when I was a young child called The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I consider this to be Children's literature. Back in the day when I read it, I remember thinking it was a nice story and a tree, and that's it. I did not really take a deep meaning away from it. It was just the book with the green cover and a tree; the "tree" book. However, reading it now, I of course perceive it much different. I understand the story and the point it is trying to get across. The story personally means something to me now as well. I see myself relating to the tree, always giving to someone, despite the fact they may not treat me well or appreciate what I have done. What I think has made me interpret the book differently is simply a sense of natural maturity. Just like the boy in the story, I grew older, with more of an understanding of everything in the world, as well as relationships with others. Children's literature are so interesting to read later in life to discover the deeper meaning we missed as a child. Or at least, what I missed. It is sort of like life itself; understanding certain things later through experience if you didn't understand it the first time.

First Day

It was half-past 8, and I was freaking out. My alarm that I thought I set the night before didn't go off. It was the first day of school! I couldn't be late! It was not an option. I scrambled out of bed, threw on my clothes, and ran out the front door with a notebook and a pencil. I had to make it to my nine o'clock class on time. I drove out the neighborhood, meeting traffic. That did not improve my mood. I sped up past the cars, made a left, another left, a right, and a left, and made it to the school parking lot, only to find there were no parking spots. None. I let out a long sigh, trying to control my emotions. Feebly, I turned into the farthest parking lot, finding one of the last spots in sight. I turned the key to kill the engine and sat there. I was torn between relief and irritation. Happy first day of school, welcome to Collin College.