Hey again, I know I haven't written in a while so here's my first blog of the month. Well, to begin, this blog is in response to "Doughnut-Hole Country". In this, I'm supposed to categorize myself in one of four types of high school graduates. I've been instructed to picture myself where I'd like to end up settling down for the rest of my life. Personally, I'm 17, I feel that maybe it's a bit early for that, but I digress. The categories I have available to choose from follow as such. Achiever, someone who leaves the town or area. Stayer, someone who decides to stay either in the same town or area, or a similar setting. Seeker, someone who wants to travel or join the military. Last but not least comes the Returner. A returner is someone who leaves but decides to come back and settle down. I feel that I'm going to be a Stayer. I don't want to stay in this exact place, but I like the way it is. I'm happy in this small town, rural, back-woodsy section of Maine. Yes, I complain about the weather and how my town has close to nothing do, but I'm absolutely in love with the way the country-side looks when I'm out for a drive with family or friends. Winter, if it weren't so gosh darn cold, would be my favorite time of the year. Personally, I would love it if it could snow, but be 60-69 degrees without it melting. I love to snowboard, have snowball fights, and take my lovely little niece sledding. I may almost be an adult, but I'm a sucker for a good snowball war. If I could choose any place to live, Virginia or North Carolina would be among my top five choices. I've been to Virginia multiple times, mainly to Alexandria and the area that surrounds the town, and each time I fall more in love with the state. If I could choose anywhere to live, I'd most likely choose Virginia. I'd love to be able to walk around in shorts and a t-shirt during Winter. Maybe, just maybe, someday I'll be able to move away from Maine. Hopefully, someday soon.

Reasonably
Understated
Everyday.

Deadly
Invisibility
Striking
True.
Realizing
Instantly,
Crying
Timorously.

Even
Living
Everyday,
Vixen-like
Energy
No more.

Topics

I think that we should cover more topics like poetry. We should be able to improve upon our poetry talents further by both reading, and writing, about different topics. Also, we should cover music a bit more. There are so many hidden messages in any song you listen to. Doesn't matter what artist or the song. You'll find so many hidden ideas and feelings if analyze a song, word for word. Currently, I'm listening to music and writing this at the same time. I'm paying attention to the lyrics. On the surface, they're about love and honesty, but when you look into them, they are actually about pain and betrayal. It's amazing what you can figure out when you pay enough attention. I also want to cover some more Shakespeare and other plays of his time.

Writing improvement

I feel that I've improved upon my writing this year, due to the fact that my vocabulary is much larger than when we began this year. The structure of my writing has also improved, I suppose. I write in a more formal way than I used to. I've learned how to cover a wider range of topics than I used to be able to, anything from animal testing to topless coffee shops. Which, by the way, I'm not sure how I feel about. I feel they might just be objectifying women. However, that's not what this is about. This is about improving, not the deceleration of society. If I were to post a piece of work I wrote sophomore year in comparison with the first piece I posted on here, you would see a vast change in the vocabulary, the pattern of the words, and the flow of feelings in the pieces. I think I would like to improve upon my writing further next year by covering a broader spectrum of topics.

The Crucible

Wow, junior year is over. I can hardly believe it. We covered so many things in English this year. My favorite would have to be 'The Crucible' by Arthur Miller. This play takes place during the time of the Salem Witch Trials. I think it's my favorite piece of work that we covered due to the fact that I can relate to it. Being falsely accused of something and not being able to prove yourself innocent The only way to get out of it is by 'repenting' and asking forgiveness. It truly isn't fair. I feel that if I were one of those young women accused of witchcraft, I would hold steady to the fact that I know that I'm innocent, so it shouldn't matter that they think I'm guilty. Even though that decision would cost me my life, I would die with my morals intact. I wouldn't compromise myself and my honor just so that I may be able to live for a few more months or years. Yes, it would mean that my life would be over, that my friends and family wouldn't be able to see me, to talk to me. They would soon heal, however. Yes, it would take time, but as the saying goes, "time heals all wounds". Some just take a bit longer than others.

Reflections on the year

I feel that so many things went right this year. If I had to choose what I liked the most, I wouldn't be able to. Not really, anyway. I enjoyed the vast majority of subjects that we covered. However, a few were a bit boring. Such as, Animal Farm by George Orwell. It was interesting in the way it was set up and written, but it took too much time to get to the points of the story, in my opinion. I feel that the works of Shakespeare that we covered, were by far the best we've done yet. If I could choose, I would most certainly want us to cover them again. I think they're what I'm going to remember most about this year.

Censorship Quote

"I'm seventeen and I'm crazy. My uncle says the two always go together. When people ask your age, he said, always say seventeen and insane." - Clarisse from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Personally, I agree with this quote. I just turned 17 and I am considered crazy by my family. I, however, feel I'm quite sane. I've heard that insane people find themselves sane, and sane people find themselves crazy though. Therefore, if that logic is correct, I'm quite nutty. Well, half nutty, I suppose. With friends, I'm sane, by the logic just stated. When with family, I'm insane by the same logic. Personally, that logic seems a bit insane. Who am I to argue with it though.

Favorite Opinion Piece

During his presidency, Bill Clinton passed a bill stating that states could choose whether or not they wanted to legalize same-sex marriages. There are six states, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, that have legalized gay marriage. Proponents of gay marriage claim that this is a civil rights issue because there are over one thousand federal rights that gay couples are excluded from because their marriages are not legally binding. Also, those in civil unions do not have the same rights as "married" couples. Opponents of this issue feel that marriage can, and should be, defined as a relationship between a man and a woman. I'm writing this in order to share my opinion on this topic.

To begin, I feel that marriage does not have to be just between a man and a woman. I myself am bisexual and I feel that if I fall in love with a woman, I should be able to show that through marriage. Marriage isn't about gender and sexuality. It's about two people who are in love. Nothing else should matter. Marriage is a symbol of love, trust, honesty, and freedom. If someone isn't able to be married because of their sexuality, they aren't truly free. To those of you with children, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, wouldn't you want them to be happy, no matter what? I would. Even if it meant that they were with someone of the same sex.

Secondly, as I said, gender and sexuality shouldn't matter when two people are in love. It shouldn't matter if the couple consists of two females, two males, or a male and a female. I've noticed that if you walk down the street and ask a complete stranger their opinion on a couple consisting of two females, they will say that nothing is wrong with that. However, if you ask the same person how they feel about a couple consisting of two males, they will say that it is 'unnatural'. What's the difference? Are women seen as innocent, while males are seen as corrupt? I feel that this is unfair to both genders, despite the fact that I fall into the category of 'innocent'. It is unfair because it is sexist. In my opinion, it is innocent either way, male or female. Love and marriage are sacred and should be treated as such. Love doesn't discriminate, and neither should we.