Author: Marcus (Page 4 of 5)

The blog that I like the most of what I wrote previously this semester is for chapter 6. It talks about relationship frames, and which ones I found important in my life. I talk about how the frames parent/child and coach/athlete. Both have turned me into the young man that I am today. My parents taught me the most important characteristics for a person to have, and my coaches helped expand on those characteristics, and even taught me some new ones. I can’t think of ways to expand or improve on what I’ve written. I still feel that every one of the qualities that were instilled in me by my parents and coaches is a vital piece of who I am, and what makes me me. I wouldn’t change anything that has happened to me over the years, because I don’t know who I would be, or if I would like the outcome of those changed experiences.

There are a lot of relationship frames that have influenced my life, but I’d have to say that the two most important ones would be parent/child, and coach/athlete.

The first frame is important, because my parents taught me respect, honesty, compassion, and several other qualities that make a decent human being. Without having learned these things from my parents I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. I’m not saying that everything I learned from my parents was good, and I’m not saying that I always got along with my parents, but I did learn how to get around those things. My mother taught me to be patient with others, even if you don’t get along with them. My father taught me that in certain circumstances it is perfectly acceptable for a grown man to cry; when his sibling dies, when he thinks he might lose his father. Most importantly, they taught me that there are certain circumstances where it is okay to quit.

The second frame is important, because there were some things my parents didn’t–or weren’t able–to teach me. I learned a lot from my coaches over the years as well. Humility, the strive for greatness, hard work, sportsmanship, obedience and the ability to take orders. Some might ask why obedience and being able to take orders is a good thing. They are important because with out them, nothing would ever get done. Someone always comes up with an idea, but then there needs to be someone who will do it. I learned from all of my coaches how to go out and give whatever sport I was in at the time my all, but only a few taught me how to handle the unexpected. Being sidelined by sickness, losing a game that you should have won, and winning a game that nobody but you, your coach and your team thought that you would win. One coach stands out to me the most. He was like family to me, and he taught me not only how to be a great athlete, but a great man as well. For that I will be forever thankful.

There are several things that can help you get through life, but one thing that any person who is going to turn out right needs, is love. To be loved my those around them, and to love those around them. I was lucky enough to get that in sports and my personal life.

Everybody knows what it’s like to have a discussion with a child. They ask what something is, does, how it works, why it does what it does, etc, etc. They want to know everything, and they won’t stop until you are thoroughly annoyed. As long as they don’t know about something, you can bet that anytime you go somewhere there will be questions when you get there, and even on the way there.

Children also have an innate ability to ask some of the darnedest questions right when they need to be asked. Having a bad day? That’s when a random child asks you something about the jacket you’re wearing. While you are telling them about it, you remember that it’s your favorite jacket, and then all the history that comes with the jacket comes rushing in, and you aren’t in a bad mood anymore. You could be arguing with a friend, and a kid will ask why you two are fighting. You tell them, and they reply with, “Well that’s a stupid reason to be fighting.” And you realize that they’re right.

Besides being able to ask the right question at the right time, and asking the most annoying questions, children also ask some of the funniest things that you’ll ever hear. I remember a kindergartner at my old school asking my friend if she could have her hair. I also remember several other things that were asked by the elementary students, and ended up being answered by the high schoolers. There was a lot of laughing when some of the questions were asked, and sometimes the laughing came with the answer to the question.

One of the major problems in today’s society is gun related violence. Or rather, that’s what the media would like you to think. In fact, gun related violence isn’t really that big of a deal in everyday life, but the media coverage of it is. Since the 1990’s, gun violence has gone down. In fact, right now it’s at the lowest point it has been at in decades. On the other hand, media coverage of gun related crimes has sky rocketed by about 600%!

One of the major ways the government it fighting this so called “gun problem” is by creating stricter, and more severe laws surrounding the ability to own and possess firearms.While this might help them monitor those who obtain guns legally and lawfully, it will not stop criminals from getting firearms. In fact, it will make the jobs of criminals easier, because less and less people will want to go through the hassle of getting a permit to have a firearm.

Something that the government can do to help the people? Make it easier for law abiding citizens to get firearms to protect themselves. While you might question why this would be helpful, it truly would be. Think about it. If you are confronted by an armed robber, would you feel better being able to pull your own gun to try and protect yourself? Or would you feel better handing over your purse, or wallet, and being scared to death they might just shoot you anyway?

Just remember, when you need it in seconds, help is only a few minutes away.

I have faced barriers before. I started doing individual speech events my freshman year of high school. Many of my friends were able to win at the district level and move on to state, but I struggled to get close to going. I tried and tried, but was unable to get the rating I needed to move on.

I got so frustrated that I wanted to quit, but I just kept going. My sophomore year I ended up messing up my performance. I had to much written down to get it read in the amount of time given. With thirty seconds left, I had five paragraphs to read, and I had to make last a last minute edit. I finished just as the timer went off, and bowed by head. Afterwards I felt like I could get it, but again, fell just short of the rating I needed.

Junior year I went to a classic author, instead of a newer one, and chose to preform Edgar Allen Poe’s The Sphinx. The Wednesday before districts we went to our conference tournament. I preformed extremely well, and won the category. I just knew after that that I would get it that year. We went to districts and I again preformed well, but again, fell just short of going to state. I was devastated. I’d worked so hard to get there, and it just slipped through my fingers once more.

Finally, in my senior year, I decided that no matter what, I was going to go to state. I practiced much longer than anyone else did, and started before I even needed to. We hosted conference tournament that year, and I ended up getting third in the category, so I became a little wary. But all of the hours of hard work that I put in paid off, because at districts, I blew the judge away with my performance. And you know what? I finally got to go to state competition.

I was in tenth grade when my world history teacher asked the class a question. We were going over the Roman Empire, which I liked studying about, so I knew the answer. The question was, “What did the Roman motto SPQR stand for?” A few people made guesses that were wrong, and after that it got quiet. After a minute or two I realized that we weren’t moving on until someone answered the question correctly, and that I was the only one who knew what the answer was. So I raised my hand, and the teacher asked me if I knew what it was. I told him, “SPQR was Latin for Senatus Populusque Romanus, and it meant The Senate and People of Rome.” He said that I was correct, and then we went on with class.

I remember my classmates just looking at me and I swore I could hear them all thinking the same two things. First, “How did he know that?” And, “Of course he would know that.” At first I felt embarrassed because I had shown everyone up, including the other two of the three smartest people in class. But then I realized I had nothing to be embarrassed about. I had answered the question correctly, and helped get the class going smoothly once again so that we could continue to learn. Thinking back on it, I realize that what I did was the right thing, because we needed to hurry the class up so that we could get through the subject and work on the next topic.