Thursday, October 15, 2009

what matters most

What matters most


Time and time again, the human race has constantly changed values. Our values today are different then those of the past, or what they will be in the future. Will we change your values when our life changes? Will we stay the same? Will events in your life cause you to see differently than we do now? Life throws unexpected things at us, will we take the punch?
will we focus on the futere, or will you wewhat matters today? in a world crying about 21012, global warming, and the wrath of a displeased god, we cry and cower at the shadow of days to come. However, if we value the moment, and we comit to ourselves. we can light a candle to shine in the darkness.

As I drive through the bleak, cold mountains on the lonely road, a brief back story is in order. One day, we had a geography bee contest in our class. I was the won easily, and was told to go to the school finals the next week. I didn’t study once, for I didn’t care for winning. I enter the school and sit next to my friend Jairo, and waited to begin. Jairo got knocked out first on two bad questions, which was disappointing; I breathed a sigh of relief, as he was my only real threat. I won easily. I didn’t even want to win, I just answered what I knew. As a reward, I got to skip Ms Speckies class to take a test to qualify for the states. I finished in the top 10% of all students.

As I slouch in my car, I look down at my Ipod. I scroll down to bat country. “he who makes a beast out of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man” the lines rattle in my ear. The words come to my mind are, “we cant stop here this is bat country”, truer know then ever before. I look down at my ipod again.
I switch it up to some master of puppets. The sound of James Hetfeild blasting in my ear. The black cover over it mutes some of the sound. The screen dirty with finger marks. My most valuable item, I treat it like no other ( I actually treat it well). I whisk through my video game, piloting the space ship “MASTER, MASTER” the only thing I hear. I search the internet and wind up on 4chan . My parents wondering what I’m laughing at. The thing practically is the source of my emotion

I pull up to the college. The rain is pounding at my hair, me not caring one bit. I miss a Friday with mcas at my school, so its all good. I walk in, seeing nothing but seas of children. Some older, some younger. Almost all have suits or dresses on. All they serve was apple juice and gram crackers. It is like a formal party for children. I walk in leather jacket and aviators on, coke in one hand, hair bushed down over my face the sound of “two weeks” ringing in my ear. My parents ask” are you ready”
I look at them, expression never changing “yeah, lets go kick some ass int the next time zone (geography pun)”
I sit down at my seat. 25 of the 100 people who made it are here. I look around me seeing kids pushing through textbooks, franticly studying. I hear parents yelling at there children “this is mommy’s big day” apparently living there lives through their children, forcing them to compete. The host walks in. after an introduction, a go through of the rules, and some formal, unfunny jokes it was time to begin.

I groan. Time goes by slowly. Some kids choke, some kids start crying at their mistakes. I never smile, never make eye contact. I was acting like this was a chore to do, and it really was. I am angered to this day that the kid next to me, who went to the finals, got the question “where is the Panama Canal?”, while I got the “ in what small island in the south china sea, famous for its fruit, taken over by the Burmese?’ I finish with two wrong answers, not putting me in the top 10, but in the top 25%.

Where is my values in that, you may ask. You might thought you have just read a story about me being a asshole at something I should take as a honor. Well you’d be wrong. I value individuality, and I express my self through that. I do things my way, and i do it well. No, I don’t study for the geography bee, I don’t need to. I don’t wear a suit and act like a ritzy person. I don’t cry and complain when I loose. I am who I am and im the best at what i do, even if what i do aint pretty. This story, and my Ipod, represents that, in all of its glory.

4 comments:

  1. 1.I didnt really see anything that was saying what was truly valuable. He sort of says that as humans we constantly are trying to advance and we get caught up in that.
    2.I thought the ipod was the best described. He described how he was selecting songs and how the ipod looked.
    3. I thought the organization was a strength. The way it was planned out. I thought some of the vocabulary was good.
    4 As a tip you could maybe chill with the swearing its a value essay. You could also make it more desciptively.

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  2. my god, your amazing. you writing may be the the cure for desise and the end to world hunger, and bat country? very nice. you should get bonus points for the Hunter S. Thompson referance. your writing made me cry.

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  3. and to the above, they were tears of gold.

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  4. 1. I don't know what PJ was trying to say about value. He doesn't really state what he thinks value is. What he does do is that we might save ourselves if we value the moment.
    2. I think that the ipod was more vividly described. He tells more about the ipod and what it feels like to use it."The words come to my mind are, “we cant stop here this is bat country”, truer know then ever before." While for the priceless moment we don't know what the priceless moment is.
    3. In general I think that PJ did a good job at organizing his essay. Another thing i like is that he showed in his writing that he does things his own way. For example he used some vaulger language in here, knowing too that MR. B-G would read this.
    4. One thing i would tell PJ to work on is to get a different pricless moment. Not to be mean but i don't think that individuality is a pricless moment. What you did is explain one time you were individual and i don't think that that can be seen as a moment.

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