Final blog :(

Wow it has been 16 weeks already?! That went by so fast. This class was challenging for me and to tell you the truth, I was ready to give in half way through the semester. Now that it is said and done, I’m glad I didn’t and I really hope my grade shows it. This class, even though it was online, with the other four classes this semester did me in. I’m exhausted. If there was one thing I would have changed about this semester, it would have been to take fewer classes with this one. I really don’t think I got enough out of this class, or at least what I thought I should of. Although, I do hope I pass this class so I don’t have to take it again. This was my first online class, I think I have told you all that before, and it was definitely more challenging than I thought. I chose to take an online course because I needed to see if I would want to take any others for my masters. I had mentioned that to Jennifer and she said that you can’t really decide that based on one class because every instructor is different in the work load. I guess that makes sense because not all instructors are the same in class. I guess my logic was a little irrational. Oh well. So with that said, I am taking another online class, cognitive psychology, for CSUB in January. Wish me luck! Getting back to this class, sorry got side tracked. I did enjoy the knowledge of different styles of writing, or purposes. Even though I did enjoy it, it was a little challenging to redirect my focus then how I usually write. In writing this, I would like to thank our professor for her kind words and the ability to explain to me about certain assignments. I wouldn’t have done all my assignment if you didn’t show some faith in me. I hope all of you got the chance to see our professor this semester! I think I would have rather taken her class in class rather than online, but I think I’d rather take any class in class. I like the interaction and I think I learn better too that way. This class has definitely helped me with my time management skills, well kind of. With having so many classes I had to plan my day with what subject I needed to concentrate on. I hope everyone has had a rewarding experience with this class. I would like to thank all of you for your responses to my blog postings, they were really encouraging. My last blog is coming to a close and I am almost sad to go, yet I am so excited the end another semester! I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope you all continue with your education and make lots of money in the future. And don’t forget to have lots of children so we will have social security in the future! Sorry, just took my sociology final; it’s fresh in my mind. I think Dr. Shey might have emphasized that too much…LOL.

Research project

This research assignment has been pretty interesting as far as information goes and I am glad that I wasn’t born in Iran. The struggles that women there are disturbing but I am glad that they are fighting for so rights and have made some progress with it. Researching and writing this paper is like stepping into a new world and trying to imagine yourself there. The writing process is a little hard for me because I have a bad outlook on how Iran treats their women and I am trying to be fair for the paper. I did a similar paper on Egypt and their traditions and the way they treat their women are about the same. I just can’t imagine being treated as property and having to cover myself all the time in public. The direction of my paper, of course, is about how awful women are treated in Iran at the mercy of men. I was kind of shock to hear the marrying age is 13. That is way too young; the poor girl is traumatized and repeatedly raped most of the time. It makes me sad to read the stories and statistics of teenagers killed in honor killings by their own father or grandfather. I read one story that a woman wanted a divorce from her abusive husband and her mother called her to meet her at the lawyer’s office and a male companion of the mother’s shot her. The mother’s reasoning was that her daughter brought shame to the family by wanted a divorce.  The mother and the shooter were not punished legally. Honor killings are a family issue not a judicial matter. For that reason alone, I would be scared to live there. Can you imagine how the women must feel there? I bet they are always looking behind their backs and making sure that all their family members are happy with them. Well I think the most important thing that I learned from this paper is that everyone and every place is different and moves in their own pace. Iran has moved forward and backwards in the issue of women rights. I don’t think every place should be like us in America, westernized, but I do think it is very extremely important for everyone and everyplace to have human rights, not necessarily gender based. The right to be treated fairly as a human being, the idea that human life is valued and not taken for granted or abused. Although I was late getting started on this project and I encountered a lot of headaches, I am glad it was assigned because it opened my eyes to a different kind of world, in a way put it right in my doorstep. It brought to me a new perspective on life and how sometimes I take for granted what I have and how I was raised. It is great to be living in America and cherish the ones you love. Hope you all learned something also from this project!

Project?

As the semester comes to a close I really have my hands full with homework and studying. Unfortunately this research project hasn’t taken priority too much over my Statistics, Philosophy, or Sociology but I’m thankful that I have done my readings over the last couple of weeks. Not to mention the revision I need to do on essay three on Doublespeak and Bullshit. This was a very hard paper for me to write. Now I just need to sit a write, hopefully. I have chosen to do research on women rights in Iran since it is an interest to me. I did a similar project on Egypt’s women rights and found it very interesting. Yet it was very sad to learn of how mistreated and abused women were and still is in Egypt. Women first need to learn that not all women are treated badly and from there on it continues in battle. This is what I appreciate in the topic of women right’s; it is a sense of empowerment and that women have it. I don’t think it is just a story of women power but of humanity itself. Stories of people defending what they believe are right, even if it is going against the cultural norm that makes it intriguing. It makes me very proud to live in America. So this project on Iran and women rights is not only an assignment but an passion for me to write, even though I haven’t started yet, but I feel like it will flow out of  me when I get some time to just sit and write. I really hope that is soon. I think it is very fascinating that with all the forwards and backwardness in the rights of women, they still continued to fight in some way. I have printed article spread all over my desk with highlighted sentences and paragraphs so I will once again be pulling all nighters this weekend after work. There seems to not be enough time in the day for everything I need to do. Therefore, I am very thankful that this semester is ending. It has been a long treacherous semester for me and I don’t feel like I am doing all that well in this class but that was my mistake in trying to cram fourteen units of hard classes into one semester. My hopes are that it will pay off and I will attend CSUB in January with my AA and continue with my education. I sit here and think of all the assignments I need to conquer. I almost feel like I need a list to make sure they all get done. This is really depressing me but in the same instance it is motivating me. I have a shorten amount of time but tons of things to do…….hmmm? 5 hour energy here I come!  The wonders of college life! Good luck to everyone with their papers and the rest of your classes. Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends!

Communication Style?

Evaluate your own communication style. Umm? I haven’t really thought about having a writing style at all online. But I guess I do. I am a very personable person so I would assume that that comes out in my writing, especially towards close friends. I like to use a lot of smiley and exclamation marks! My texts always have smiley’s somewhere in them. Online messages are usually somewhat personal, depends who I’m typing to. I am not up to date on all the abbreviations and lingo of texting so I am sure that is seen in my writing, and I also prefer to get the correct meaning out of my words so I don’t think I’d use it even if I did know it.  Younger people that I text, like my cousins, probably realize that. My youngest sister is 18 so she uses more lingo then I, and I learn most of it from her and my younger cousins. When writing, I feel like I can write a story and I do, so it is never to just get the point across. Writing for me is much more, it’s an expression itself and it is free. My online writing, emails, texting, this blog, is just random thoughts yet somehow organized. I try not to write when I am mad, well online anyways. If I do my word choice is very blunt and I seem to cause more problems for myself then my original anger. My closest friends have found this out and notices when my communication changes. It is almost like putting my foot in my mouth when I read my messages after I have cooled down. That is one of the reasons I avoid typing when I’m mad, it gets me into trouble. There is a sense of freedom to express ANYTHING and everything through my computer, it doesn’t talk back to tell me that I’m overreacting. The power of words!

My different styles of writing depend on the mood I’m in at the moment I am writing and to whom I’m writing to. My writing style is pretty much the same I think even when I’m mad. A lot of the reading material in chapter four is new to me. I never realized how many words are shortened. I just spell them out. In some of the messages I have read, I remember thinking, “they are being lazy today not spelling the word out.” I never realized that it had its own language. I know the basics like, LOL, TTYL, LMAO, L8R, and btw (which took me awhile to figure out). I’m just not into shortening words I guess. I rather write it out then use symbolisms. I do, however, catch myself writing papers for class and write “u” instead of “you.” I do catch myself though, that’s the important thing. It is the only word I shortening a lot. There might be more but I can’t think of any now.  Hopefully my style of writing is interesting and not boring, that’s all I can hope for!

Cartoons

Editorial cartoon are a way to lighten the subjects of America and make issues more tolerable. I do not read comics very much so I don’t get a lot from them but humor always makes things less complicated in our minds, I think. Cartoons are entertaining but they are only that way because we can relate and understand from experiences that make it funny. Comics joke about their wives, which is mean, yet the joke is stereotypical of women so we laugh. Jokes are based on what we know; blonde jokes, for instance, are funny but why? Stereotypically blonde women are dumb so when a blonde joke is told and it is funny, we can draw from this reasoning to make sense of it. All blonde women aren’t dumb and biologically it has no connection so we logically know it is not true. Of course, funny might be going out of style now that we seem to take everything so literally. People can’t voice their own opinion about an issue without the fear of being sued or jumped. Being “politically correct” to some extent I think is good but the concept of it cannot include humor and that is a huge problem in we interpret the world around us.  People are critical and offended easily so the cartoons may be helpful or cause more retaliation on a subject. Comics also help display what is going on in the world. The issues that are drawn in some cartoons are the latest on ongoing problem in America. Captain America is a comic book that portrays America pride through issues that America is dealing with, such as, drugs, war, and crime. Through this comic book people can get an idea of what issues the country is facing. Not everyone likes the newspapers or television, especially nowadays, so this comedy alternative is a great way to still be informed with the world. Comedy has a way to communicate in a more casual and informal way which is more comfortable to do about tough issues such as race, segregation, and disabilities. Comics have to be careful though in today’s society. Cartoonist, John Callahan, writes cartoons in a reflection of his reality of being handicapped and he does this to open people’s eyes to his reality. Callahan is trying to show people acceptance to what is real in the world. I’m looking at Callahan’s cartoon in the EL on page 364, the posse and the empty wheelchair. The text says, “Don’t worry. He won’t get far on foot.” The posse is evidentially looking for the guy in the wheelchair, no doubt. Who is the posse? Society, maybe? Cartoons are perceived from your point of view so it can easily be said that every cartoon you read is to your liking but it also can make your beliefs stronger in disagreeing. Editorial cartoonists are the same as any other media, if you don’t like what they are saying then read or watch something else; this is what we call freedom of speech.

Improvement?

Writing has always been an issue for me, especially organized essays. Blogs and responses to other blogs are decently easy for me and I would guess they would be easy for everyone. I really enjoy writing what is on my mind on an issue and then reading the comments from others. It gives me confidence that somebody finds my writing interesting or debatable. Blogs are a great way to exercise your mind and even create better writing skills. My mom even created her own blog after I told her about my assignment in this class. She has been out of school for a couple of years and she sometimes forgets how to spell certain words, so I suggested to her to set up a writing blog. She now writes about her adventures in the desert with her horse, Cheyenne. Writing her blogs is helping her a lot, plus she shares her accomplishments with other horse friends so it’s rewarding for her.

Critical reading I am still having issues with so trying to write based on information in the text is really hard for me and takes a lot of my time. Those Critically Thinking questions have helped me the most in trying to understand what I read. I didn’t do so great on my second essay so I really don’t think I am really doing that well in this class and the timed writing essay confirmed it. My writing skills I don’t think have changed that much except now I get a lot more practice with it. I think I might have done better in an actual class rather than online.

My reading skills have changed a little; I now can read more effectively and know what I am reading for the most part. Frankfurt’s, “On Bullshit” confused me a lot and I had to read the book three times to get the just of he was saying absolutely nothing, which was my first impression about his book. I guess that I came to this conclusion tells me something, but is that something correct is my question? I guess that may be another issue I have in this class, self doubt!

I have had a lot of practice with my writing so far and I guess that helps me organize my thoughts better. Practice makes perfect, right? If I have to take this class over again I would definitely take it in a class, like I said above, and I would also take less classes with it so I would be able to concentrate on improving my skills more. These weeks have gone so quickly and I really not have a clue on how my writing and reading skills have improved at all. The best I could say is that is has been a challenge and there are a couple things I would have liked to feel more confident in by now. Let’s hope that I am able to gain better skills in these last couple weeks and am able to write a killer research paper!

News?

You can count on the media to find the depressing occurring events within our society; the shootings, who is on death row, the corrupt politicians, the high speed chases. Is there so much negatives that it no longer compares with what good people are doing for our humanity? You can’t turn on the news channels without hearing how bad our society is getting. Heck, you can’t even turn on the television right now without hearing politicians bash the integrities of another politician. Today I received a postcard in the mail regarding not to vote for Jerry Brown. I didn’t live in California when Brown was in office before so I had no idea of his previous actions, but the endorsers made sure I knew. It’s the same with media, television airs these hideous campaign ads degrading their opponents, and they expect us to vote for them by doing since a childish thing? The sad thing is that we fall right into their trap, they tell us what to believe and what not to. The even sadder thing is that we take this for the truth. Shows like CNN, Hannity, and The O’Reilly Factor debate and share one sided arguments or news. I am very guilty for watching this kind of news and most of my political ideas or opinion comes greatly from this source. I am not a very political person, and honestly it frustrates me the more I learn how corrupt politicians are. Seriously, why do we feel the need to bash each? What happen to doing what we promised to do? What happened to morals? Do we really need to know that a politician is having an affair with his secretary? I feel for the wife for having all that publicity. Will she stay, will she go? It’s like a soap opera. It is pure nonsense but that is what we want to hear as a whole, so the dirt will be laundered. So some of my knowledge comes from news shows but I would have to say most of my information about what is going on around the world comes for discussions with others and school.

Being in college has opened my eyes, and has made me get involved in current issues by projects and/or assignments, plus my major in sociology so I do need a little bit of curiosity, right?

I was actually at work when 9-11 happened. The residents at work had the news on and it was definitely the talk of the day. I believed we were all glued to the television sets that day. When big events happen there really is no getting away from hearing something about it. It’s always the top story no matter what you do; front page news, news break bulletin during your favorite television shows, top story on Yahoo, etc., etc.. The media I think does a pretty good job of informing us of the BIG stuff, don’t you think? The internet has a lot to offer too but I am cautious about what is true or not.

The Media

The growth of prejudice, in general, can definitely be related to the media, especially from movies and television. If you look on the cover of the movie Lethal Weapon, you will see the white guy in front with a gun and the black guy behind in the distance. The way the media portrays images, intentionally or not, unconsciously gives of a racist mind set. I think it is safe to say that we get our ideas on how society should be by the media. I have taken a lot of communication classes and the issues of ethnic, sexist and racial differences in the media have always come up. Maybe it was because I preferred the same professor for all my classes, but I do think that the media, in part, becomes an influence on how we see the outside world. Another example I can give you relates to Disney movies, Shrek. This movie is really funny but if you look at the racist context of it, it is pretty disturbing. Why does Eddie Murphy play the Donkey’s voice? If you really think about it, this movie has a lot of sexist stereotyping. Prince Charming seems a little flamboyant and it is hilarious because our knowledge tells us, he acts “gay.” Is it really that funny, do all gay men act that way? By giving you theses examples, I would hope that you would see some logic in why I say the media plays a big role in how we see people.

Since media influences us as a society, we can say that if also affects our language use. I would say, in general, that we are a materialistic society and we look up to certain celebrities for their wealth or famousness. We want to be like them. So if that person starts a new fashion or uses a new word, won’t we be influenced by it? Music is a good example or this, songs that used words like “slut” or “ho” are degrading to women yet if a popular artist uses it in a not so insulting way, is it now acceptable? I would say there is a good case that is would be, and maybe it has already happened. I agree with Geis on this issue, if certain language is used then it should be acceptable for the use of everyone, not just specific people of race or sex. If not, it should be banned from use by everyone. Rappers, especially, have a big influence on their audience and if words are just blurted out of their mouths, does it make it acceptable? We are such an influential society that when one person or a group of people start doing one thing or saying one thing, it becomes like a chain reaction throughout society; therefore, making it somewhat tolerable overall. The question should be, should it be? Song of the rap genre speak of hate towards police and the beating of women, why do we find this tolerable if this affects the views of society as a whole?

Self-respect is A Must Have!

Choosing between what is more important, happiness or self-respect, is a hard choice but I think I would have to choose self-respect. I believe that when you have self-respect you can have happiness, at least inside your own thoughts. Self-respect is a great characteristic to have, I think. With self-respect you can accomplish many of things, more than someone that lacks the characteristic. People can be happy without having much self-respect for themselves, but they are not truly happy. A happy person in public is fun to be around, talk to, laugh with, but they may not be the same in a room with themselves only. My point is that happiness is a mood and a mood comes and goes but self-respect is a value. It’s a value that makes other people have respect for you, take you seriously and even put trust in. Happiness comes with self-respect, but self-respect doesn’t necessarily come with happiness. You could have all the riches of the world, the handsomest man, the best-behaved children that exist, the biggest house, the longest limo, etc., but will that make you love yourself? Will you exist as yourself without the luxuries? I often think of the well off, money wise, people and wonder, do those materialistic things truly make them happy?

Self-respect didn’t come naturally to me, I have struggled with it for many years, and still dealing with it. It is a hard concept for me, but I believe you really can’t be truly happy with yourself unless you have self-respect. For many years I lived not really having to think for myself, never made a crucial decision on my own and when I did, it was always the wrong one.  I lost my self-respect; it was easier to lose it then to fight for it, which obviously was the wrong choice for me. I had to make a choice, some type of happiness or my own self worth. I chose me and that is why I am here writing this blog for you to read.

Can you imagine not having any kind of self-respect, how could you really be happy? Could you be happy for someone who had no self-respect? If you had no self-respect, you couldn’t respect anyone else. It’s kind of like the saying, “you can’t truly love anyone else unless you love yourself first.” The same principle applies. You can’t respect anyone else unless you respect yourself first. Respect is important, more important than happiness, more important than love, kindness, and all the other emotions.

Happiness comes in all shapes and sizes, but respect is a solid form. People that attend college and want to better themselves have self-respect. Accomplishing your goals in life shows self-respect to others and having respect for yourself will in return be shown back to you. Respect is a powerful thing. It is more than just an emotion or feeling, like happiness, it has capabilities to change to world. It is a value and a characteristic that will make you shine.

Power of Conversations

Communication plays a vital role in our society, and I have just recently realized how important it really is to be able to function in life. Without conversations how would we get anything done that required more than what we ourselves can do? The idea of good communication didn’t really show its importance to me until a couple years ago when I got a divorce and then last year when my ex-husband decided to tell me what a lousy wife I was. Even though this hurt my ego quite a bit (don’t worry ladies, he got an ear full too. It takes two to tango!), I decided that it wasn’t worth it to get all huffy puffy about it and not learn from his stated agreements. I didn’t agree with some of them, of course, but he made some good points on areas I needed to work on, and without him talking to me about those issues I would still have the same mentality. I have a friend, my best friend, that tells me, no matter what, his opinion and without that, I cannot improve my thinking and challenges me to think “outside the box.” This friend also teaches me and helps me understand things, for example, history, current events, why some men act like idiots. I was told numerous times by my ex-husband that communication was the key to a relationship but until I experienced the necessity of it, it was something I did with no purpose at all. I really enjoyed Wheatley’s statements, “Sometimes we hesitate to listen for what’s different because we don’t want to change. We’re comfortable with our lives, and if we listened to anyone who raised questions, we might feel compelled to engage in new activities and ways of thinking.” This is so true; if we are ignorant to change then we cannot learn from anyone. Conversations are how we grow individually and closer together. Wheatley’s essay describes how I see communication these days; I wish I had read this essay earlier in my life. Other people are our life teachers, encouragers and challenge us to do better as a person. Wheatley mentions a conversation that took place with a Canadian woman and from that, lives were saved. The power of conversation is more powerful than people realize, I think. When I have a topic paper due for my classes, I like to get other peoples opinion on it even though they may have a different idea on it. This helps me think of new ideas and more information that I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t talk about it. No matter what you talk about, whether it be politics or just about your day, the person you are talking to will gain something personally. So my advice to you all who read my blog is to keep talking and teach each other something new! Oh, and don’t forget to listen with an open heart and mind because change is only good when you can accept it.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is really important to me when I'm talking to someone; it helps me understand their words better for some reason. For example, I have found that sympathy is only taken sincerely from people if i can see how they physically respond, not just verbally. It's like the saying, "actions speak louder than words." I do think gender has something to do with it, yet on the other hand, some men are more better than women when it comes to expressive nonverbal communication. Women tend to be more emotional, and according with EL, more observant of nonverbal communication. Culturally, communication varies so greatly throughout the world that I wouldn't be surprised if the was the number one factor of nonverbal communication. Countries with great populations and minimum spaces are always in tight spaces with other people so naturally when they come to American we feel invaded, misunderstand their intentions, when they stand really close in the line at Walmart. I have had that happen to me way too many times. I have to remind myself when i start to get annoyed, that they may have different cultural background. When I do speak about something that I feel strongly about, negatively that is, I really have to watch my tone and my word choices because I really get myself into some sticky situations if I don't. My mom knows me too well and she calls me on my word choices, making me explain exactly what I mean. I guess you could say, I'm carelessly about my words sometimes, not really thinking about the effects of them. If I get really busy at work my patients ask me all the time if I'm having a bad day or if I'm mad, apparently I don't smile and look pretty mean. I'm working of that really hard, I can't have my patients thinking I don't like my job (I might not continue to have a job). I have taken three communication classes and nonverbal communication is a must-have skill to succeed. You don't really realize how essential it is until you make a conscious decision to be aware of it, you depend on it from other people. Nonverbal communication has even been tested to make significant differences in babies. Babies that spend most of their time in cribs versus babies that have human connections by touch were far better off. It is proven that touch can change lives. Non verbal communication in relationships are very important, especially male-female relationships. You always hear of men misunderstanding women. It is portrayed in the media all the time so comically because it's the truth. I don't think the opposite sex can fully understand one another, however, who says anyone can fully understand another being, according to "Bullshit"?  

English.....Globalized!

Did you ever think that one language would have so much power internationally? I for sure didn’t even know that English existed in all nations. I am amazed that English has been the main way for communication throughout all of our countries. I am not a techie or into business so that probably explains so of my naiveness.

The English language is global; so many people are adapting this language and will no doubt make it the “lingua franca,” or the universal language. What does this mean to our language, in general?  If everyone is speaking it, will it all be the same English language? Is a native born speaker from California going to speak and understand English the same as an English speaking man from Japan? The answer is, most likely, NO. So how is this globalization of English going to change our language? There is no doubt that there is an impact on English as a language, but how much of an impact is the question. English has already different ways of speaking it, right? In the states, we basically have variations ranging from the north and south; New Yorkers, Texans, even California has our own a style of the English language. Slang was not part of the English language when our nation started speaking it. Some slang words, I remember, you couldn’t even find in the dictionary. (I never did like SCRABBLE that much after I found that truth out.) So my point is that the English language has not been original for a long time, and yes, we still have our rules and structure, but hasn’t the necessary of that even depleted a little through time? I do think we need this structure in our English language, and without it, are we going to understand it the same way? As we learn about English, our primary goal is the get our English structures correct so we can effectively portray what we want to say, either in speech or writing. Proper English is essential in writing, and I think it always will be. Speaking, on the other hand, is a challenge for both natives and non-natives to communicate with each other. Different body languages have multiple meanings across the globe, so what there to say that English words won’t have different meanings or multiple meanings in other countries. It’s no longer American’s language, it’s everyone’s now. Every country makes the language their own; interpreting it in their own fitting ways. English may be the way of science, computers, business, politics, and the way of the world, yet, who’s English is it? The evolution of the English language is a constant change, but I think English may be the best way of building a stronger nation. It is exciting to see so many people and cultures wanting to embrace into one main language, but I wonder if later in time, are languages like Spanish and Latin still exist? Language evolution creates problems and misunderstanding, obviously, so I think both natives and foreigners will have to tolerate and learn the ever-changing, English.

Author's Good Advice!!

Writing has always been somewhat difficult for me, until now. In the past, I don’t even recall some of these tips mentioned to me regarding the writing process.  A couple of essays that I have read recently will hopefully help with my writing technique in the future.  When it comes to the writing process, the first thing I think of is that I could do better at paying attention to my reader’s needs and wants. Linda Flower’s essay, “Writing for an Audience”, really makes me realize that I do have an audience, the reader. Flower writes, “The goal of a writer is to create a momentary common ground between the reader and the writer.” Honestly, I don’t think I have ever written for my reader; I mostly write for the purpose of looking and sounding good. Wow, what a lesson. Thinking about it now, readers do need to be interested in what their reading or it’s boring, right? (Memo to self: Work on this!)

Another essay I found enlightening was Patricia T. O’Conner’s, “Saying Is Believing”. She addresses thirteen principles or rules to follow while writing, and I’m totally guilty of disobeying a couple of them; maybe even more than I’d like to admit. For the sake of this blog, I will advise you of my common mistakes. The first and second rule in this essay intertwines, I think. In the first rule she states not to cushion your point, “the reader is ready. So get to it.” I think she makes a great point. I often feel like I need an introduction for my point to come across clearly, but evidently, I don’t. The other point she makes in rule two is to stop when you’ve said it, in other words, don’t beat around the bush, so to speak. Guilty! This creates more words and fills the paper up faster, right? Well, so I guess this is a great tip for me for my future writing projects. In some cases, like personal intro and opinion papers, it is really hard not to use the words “I”, “me”, or “my” too much. (By the way, I have been really trying not to use them in this blog.) It’s very difficult not to write this way, yet I do think it’s consciously possible. O’Conner titles this rule,” Don’t make yourself the center of the universe”.

I’ve save the most beneficial essay to me for last. Tips from this essay, I think, will help me a lot.  Anne Lamott writes about getting started on the writing process and gives helpful tips on how to stay on track in your writing. She has it right when she comments that the “biggest challenge is simply getting started” with writing. Her tip is to sit down at the same time every day and write; this supposedly trains your brain better. It’s worth trying, in my opinion. Distractions are the worst; it disrupts my creative vibe, especially when I’m on a roll. Now it’s really hard to get started when you have “Nurse Ratched” on your mind, so Lamott suggests that you clear your mind and focus. She suggests that you hold an imaginary gun to your head and make yourself stay at your desk in order to accomplish this. In past times of writing, I wish I had that piece of advice to consider. Now I know some tricks of the trade, so future papers watch out, I will now write you better (I will try anyways)!

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor                                                                                                                            May 1851


I have just witnessed an amazing sight at the women’s convention in Akron, Ohio yesterday, and I am writing you to share the wonderful outlook on women suffrage in the eyes of Sojourner Truth. My eyes were in disbelief when I saw a woman of color approach the podium standing at least six feet with arms that look that they belong to a man. She kept asking, “Aren’t I a woman?”She made some pretty good points, you know? Why are we treated so differently? Do we really need men to help us through puddles; are we that weak that we can’t do it on our own? Women rights and the rights of colored have been an issue always but Truth has lifted up her voice to be known that she too is a woman, and that takes guts. It is true that this could have gotten her killed, yet the cheering and clapping was powerful. And why are men superior to women? A man tries to explain this notion by telling Truth that “Christ wasn’t a man.” Her brilliant comment back to him was, “Where did your Christ come from?” She preceded telling that man had nothing to do with Christ; he came from woman and God. You should have seen his face; it was a victory for the eyes of women everywhere. At the ending of her speech, Truth made a great comparison and observation about the world as it has been at the beginning. She states that “if the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down, all alone, these together (we women in the crowd) ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again…” My favorite part of it is when she concluded it with, “now they are asking to do it, the men better let them.” What a great day for women, and hopefully the days are near that women like Truth can join us women in the fight for equality! It was a day of encouragement and rejoices, for we have seen the power that one woman was able to give. We now have a voice and we will stop for nothing but pure equality.

There is a possibly that all I’ve written to you, you may still not understand the feeling of pride I found in this courageous woman. After seeing her stand up there in front of all those people, and so confident asking for respect, it was amazing and just what we women needed. So I give you this to contemplate, whether you are for us or against us, we are coming strong to fight for equality. So when you lay next to your wife, think of her happiness when she has the choice of her own destiny. Your daughters could grow in a new age of equality and choices due to the truth and voice of Sojourner Truth. I write this comment to inform you of a new wave that is going to sweep the nation! Thank you for your valuable time.

Sincerely,

Ms. Butterfield

Communication issues

When I was in sixth grade I can remember having to be excused from English class once a week to go to the speech office. I had speech therapy for a couple months during that year; evidentially my English teacher was tired of correcting my speech impediment. Well come to find out, I slurred and couldn’t pronoun certain letters correctly. My letter S and Z were slurred and were cut off in some words, for example, the word “specific” was pacific to me, and “zebra” was pronounced sebra. I’m not really sure if the therapy helped or not because I still have a awful time saying “specific,” but I think I do have the “z” words down! As I got into high school, things got a little more complicated. I recall a lot of people asking me where I came from, and I still get asked that frequently by my patients. I grew up in California but evidentially I had an accent. This “accent” gave me a lot trouble due to having to repeat or talk slower to either my classmate or just people listening to me. I don’t really remember that issue with my parents, but they were around me constantly so they were used to it. It wasn’t until then, that my communication issues were quite noticeable and inconvenient. I had always known in the back of my head that it was a problem, but as a teenager I was against doing anything about it. As a baby I had yellow jaundice, and as a result of it, my hearing was severely damage; well, so I’ve been told. Throughout my childhood I’m sure I missed out on a lot of things, like the correct ways of pronouncing things, and my so called “accent” is not an accent at all. Communication is a little easier now that I am older and, thanks to my ex husband, I now wear a hearing aid. Even though I can hear better now, I can still recall the feeling of confusion and displacement as a child trying to be involved in classroom activities. I can recall many recesses that I was made fun of and picked on, called “dummy” or “retard.” Now that I have been trying to look into my past, I don’t even think my teachers liked me. I clapped erasers a few times after class and I read out loud a lot, more than my fair share; I think that might have been my English class, that teacher gave me a hard time. I was told later in life by people that knew me well, that I act snobbish to other. People would ask me a question without getting my full attention and I would not reply or answer their questions; so to say the least I never really had too many friends. I now am very aware of my communication obstacles so I try to be very conscious of what is going on around me, yet that doesn’t change the emotional and silent scaring of my unheard communication as a child.

Critical thinking?

How do I feel about critical thinking? Well, I can say that critical thinking is one of my biggest and most challenging weakness when reading, and in general. I can't seem to read something only once and have an instant understanding of what I'm reading. I used to read and write a lot in high school; I was probably better at it then, then I am now. My reading habits, like I had mentioned above, have included reading the sentence or paragraph over and over until it "clicks", so to say. I do find that I think more critically if I am reading or discussing something that is more personable or about someones view on an issue or topic. I am not much of a reader these days but I do enjoy authors like, Mary Higgins Clark. Her books draw questions out of me like no other book so far. I enjoy good books and am amazed by the creativity of some authors. As far as the media and politics goes, I am somewhat consciously blinded. I do not like read newspapers that often nor do I really follow politics other than the presidential elections every couple years. I find the nature of reading the newspapers is somewhat the same every day. It's most always bad or depressing news these days and always the same issues, murders or lies. Although, the more time I spend in my education I am realizing that to be an educated person you need to know what is going on around you! My goal in taking this class is to help me on my weakness of critical thinking and reading. I would hope to learn to analyze my readings in a more efficient and challenging way. In some of my classes we have to read, and then discuss the readings out loud in class. I am often impressed of some of the in dept responses that some students say. I feel that in some readings I don't get the full concept of the material I am reading. I believe that taking this class may help me understand and be more involved in what I'm reading. My major in college is sociology with a minor is psychology so I think this class will help me focus on my analyzing and reading skills needed for my future. I am not much of a deep thinker nor am I very good at it, which is also goal of mine throughout this class. I would also like to improve my reading skills in general. Overall , I would like the skills and knowledge to be able to view the world through more questioning and accurate eyes!