I am the Messenger reflection

At first, I thought the cards would be awkward to perform because they made me step out of my comfort zone. However, after the first card, I realized how easy it was. Not only how easy it is to step out of my comfort zone, but also how easy it is to help someone. From this experience I learned that the smallest thing or even lending a hand can really affect a person. I was also very humbled by the reactions I saw from people and how happy they were just to know that someone was thinking about them. I want to continue doing little deeds for others because I have now seen the tremendous impact they can make on a person. Something else I learned from this great experience is that when people do good, they rub off on other people and start a chain reaction. That is how Ed, an ordinary person, did extraordinary things and in doing so, he created a cycle. Now it is up to all of us to continue that cycle.

I am the Messenger Ace of Clubs

At first, I was a little stumped and didn't know what I should do, let alone for who. I know all the elderly neighbors on my block, so I couldn't do anything for them. Then, when I was coming home from school, I saw a man that lives on my block. A few years ago he had an accident that left him in a wheelchair. In the summer, he always tries to walk up and down the block with his crutches. But when it gets cold, he stops. I saw him riding his motorized scooter in the street with his young daughter on his lap. He was picking her up from school and I thought it was so sweet. I knew I wanted to do something for him. But what? Maybe, write a note, encouraging him to not give up trying to walk. But then it snowed yesterday, and I knew what to do.
The man lives across the street with his wife and two young daughters. I thought to myself, he can't shovel and his daughters are too young to be out in the cold. When it snows, he is probably locked inside because the ramp is too slippery to get down. So I decided to go shovel in front of their house.
None of them saw me when I shoveled, and I haven't seen any of them since yesterday. I'm sure they were surprised and very thankful when they saw their front was clear. I decided that I will keep shoveling the rest of this winter and the winters to come.
I fulfilled the Marist Mark: Marist students serve. I fulfilled this one because I lent my service to a family on my block that really needed and deserved it.

I am the Messenger Ace of Clubs

After finding out that the next card is to do something for someone in my family, I immediately knew I should pick my mother.She does so much not only for me, but for my whole family. She had to work on Thanksgiving, but she also had to make stuffing, California vegetables, and crescent rolls for the gathering at my grandma's house. Originally, my sisters and I were going to help my grandma and grandpa all morning because they are getting too old for all the work; however, I convinced my eldest sister that we should stay home and cook while Missy goes to grandma's. As soon as my mom left for work my sister and I started cooking and were finished by the time my mom got home. My mom was so surprised that we cooked. Then she was able to get ready and go to the party with us on time. She was very thankful that we helped her out.
It felt good to help my mom out because she goes over and beyond for my sisters and I. The Marist mark I fulfilled was: Marist students serve. Since, my mom is always serving me and doing things for me, I gave up time for myself in order to do something for her.

I am the Messenger Ace of Diamonds

The person I received was Coach Bromberek. The only prior information I knew is that she is the softball coach. So I started with Lizzie, who wrote Bromberek's name, and she suggested a Sport's Authority gift card for equipment. However, I thought about it and decided I wanted to do something that had more meaning and thought behind it. So I kept asking around until I came to Vanessa Villasenor, who suggested that I do something for her and her kids.
During the weekend I went through a box off little gifts that my mother adds to and I found some children's books and a stuffed football. I thought that would be perfect for her kids. Then I found a copy of my favorite childhood book, I'll Love You Forever, and immediately knew it would be the absolute perfect book for her to share with her children. The book describes how a mother unconditionally loves her child and throughout his life, as he grows, she still recognizes him as her baby. In the end, when the mother is old, he then goes to the mother and sings the same song she ritually sang to him. This is a very touching book that every mother can appreciate and love and I hoped it would be the same for her. I also wrote a beautiful quote about mothers on a softball.
Today, November 25, 2013, I gave the bag to someone in her gym class. The people in her gym class said she became emotional and almost cried. They said she was so happy and thankful. They also said she loved the book I'll Love You Forever, and that she has a copy now but it's her sister's and she just had to give it back. She was very happy to now have a copy of her own that she could cherish with her children. The people said that Coach Bromberek wanted to know who did it to return the favor, but no one told.
I felt really happy to do this deed, especially after finding the book I'll Love You Forever because it is such an important book to me and I wanted to share the love. I was nervous and anxious to know her reaction and happy to hear she absolutely loved it. Going out of my comfort zone was different, but like Ed, it made me feel good about my self to know that I helped a person. I fulfilled the Marist marks: Marist students serve and Marist students love. By letting Coach Bromberek know she is a good mother, I helped her gain confidence and feel good about herself. Starting with my love of the book, I handed it onto her so she can now share that mother's love with her children.

Modern Genre

Today people read stories of teenage vampires falling in love, witches and wizards battling evil, and a dystopian/post-apocalyptic world with a fight to the death. What do all three genres have in common? They are all fantasy or adventure, in other words, something that people read in order to escape from their monotonous, boring lives of the real world. If Chaucer were writing today, he would definitely include the genres: thriller, adventure, fantasy and sci-fi. Romance is another genre involved in almost all genres today, because you can't have a good story without a little love and heartbreak. Chaucer would include all of the genres in order to create an outrageous story, that still conveys his theme.

Most interesting person

The most interesting person I know is my grandma. What makes her interesting is that she had sixteen children and handled all the finances of their household, which was unlikely in her time. But the most interesting part is that she still keeps my grandpa wrapped around her finger because of how great she is. After properly raising sixteen children, she still involves herself in the lives of her sixty-six grandchildren. If that isn't enough, she is also able to buy a $25 gift for every single grandchild on Christmas and birthdays, even the married ones. Chaucer would describe my grandmother as a sweet old woman, with kind eyes, a soft, angel-like voice, and strong hands. Chaucer would point out that she is completely self-less, genuine, loving, hardworking, and optimistic. In Chaucer's eyes, my grandmother would be described as morally good because she does not have a scent of evil about her and is always giving to others without expecting something in return.

Upper class

The stereotypical upper class in our society today, is to have a lot of money, a big house, expensive cars, and name brand clothes. Some people get to be upper class by good old hard work; however, others steal  their fortune by cheating. But a majority of people get to where they are by the people they know. Upper class people are usually doctors, lawyers, businessmen/businesswoman, and politicians. Our society feels that the upper class accumulates their wealth from the pockets of the middle class. Upper class people are usually disliked by the rest of society due to a burning jealousy of the luxurious lives they are able to live. Chaucer also believes that the upper class cheats the lower class, but like society today, he also believes there are genuinely good people out there who fairly earn their extraordinary livings.

Baba Brinkman

Although Baba Brinkman raps, which is the vulgar tongue of our time, I think that educators should feel the same way about him as Chaucer, because the message is the same. Brinkman utilizes his special talent with words to deliver messages of classical literature to today's society, in a way that most people can understand. In the same way, Chaucer sends a message to the society of his time, in a way that they can understand. I think that educators accept Brinkman's unique works more than the rest of society, because many teens that listen to rap, are not looking for important messages that Brinkman points out. I'm sure Chaucer got laughed at just as much as Brinkman because they are different, and even though they are from different times; society then and now still tends to shy away from "not normal". However, Brinkman may follow the same path as Chaucer and become even more famous and significant after his death.

entertainment

I would have enjoyed scop performances because they were one of the only few forms of entertainment. The scop performance we watched in class was very intense and the music mixed with his emotion, eye contact, and pauses, really delivered a powerful punch. I don't think most people would like that type of performance, especially people my age, because we are used to very action packed and Hollywood style performances. I think Beowulf loses meaning when it is performed, because parts have to be added to make it lengthier, while parts have to be taken out if they are decided as unimportant. However, the message in Beowulf is best expressed in a simple way, a man or woman who uses their voice, body language, and eye contact to survey the message of Beowulf. That was the original way it was meant to be performed in the first place.

Beowulf Good King

After Beowulf slays Grendel and Grendel's mother, he returns home to Geatland where he becomes king. I think Beowulf was a good king because he ruled Geatland for fifty years; so, if he wasn't a good king he would have been overthrown by the Geats. Another reason that points to him being a good king, is that he fearlessly goes to battle the dragon, even in his old age, for the safety of his people. "I remember how we sat in the mead-hall,drinking and boasting of how brave we'd be when Beowulf needed us, he who gave us these swords and armor: all of us swore to repay him,..." this quote shows the gratitude that many felt toward Beowulf for all he had done for them. However, there are also signs that point to Beowulf not being the greatest king. For one, it seems that Beowulf did not only go to sleigh the dragon for the safety of his people, but also for fame and glory, "But I will fight again, seek fame still." The text almost suggests that Beowulf was self-centered, and that is why all of his men, except Wiglaf, abandoned him, and left him to die alone. This abandonment could also show lack of faith, or is it just people being people?

Dragon

Grendel and the Dragon are both monsters feared by the people except for Beowulf, because they share many similar qualities. They are both larger and stronger than humnas, have sharp claws, large fangs, red eyes, and worst of all, eat humans. The dragon is a monster, something the Anglo-Sxons are not used to seeing, so they are mystified by the pwers it might possess. Something else that makes the dragon unliked, is that no ordinary human can beat him, and maybe not even Beowulf, which make the dragon that much more terrifying. What else makes the dragon unliked is that it bothers the people and the people just want peace.

Beowulf Hero

I think Beowulf is heroic because he is able to defeat Grendel, the most feared of monsters, with nothing but his bare hands. What makes him even more admirable is that he remains humble and fearless. When talking to Hrothgar, he says that he does not expect a fancy funeral if he dies and only to return home, and not become king of Hrothgar's land, if he beats Grendel. What makes him a good Anglo-Saxon hero is the superhuman abilities he possesses, such as super strength. What would make him a good modern day hero is if he could fly because that would make him stand out more. Another thing that would make him a modern day hero, is if he could fix our corrupt government because then people would think very highly of him.

Superman

I believe that Superman is somewhat right in his opinion of the human race as being weak and cowardly. At times, we crack under the pressure that is put on us us, however, at other times we are able to stay united and strong, like after 9/11. I also believe that many humans can act cowardly by doing what is easier, rather than doing what is right. Today, the main thing that we value is money. Money has taken over our lives, even though we are the ones that put the value into money. I think a modern day superhero would try to prevent any stealing or smuggling of money to help humans recognize the value of life, rather than money.

BOLT literature or entertainment

In Steinbeck's Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech he explains that literature, "exposes our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams," and I believe that BOLT does just that. The key theme in BOLT is the transition from childhood to adulthood and that would be considered a dark and dangerous dream for many teens throughout humanity. This phase of life really challenges the young adult and tests all their prior knowledge. It prepares a teen for reality, and our reality surely defines a grievous fault of humanity. I believe that in most cases literature and entertainment go hand in hand, because the entertainment portion is based solely on the opinion of each individual reader. Therefore, not all works considered literature will be entertaining to everyone, and not all works considered entertaining will be classified as literature.

Routines

I have a usual morning routine that includes getting dressed, brushing my hair, brushing my teeth, packing my lunch, and getting to the bus on time. I also have a routine of starting my homework as soon as I get home from school. They both benefit me because they keep me organized during the school week. A routine that makes me feel safe is praying to God every night before I go to bed. When a person abandons a routine or habit they recognize that the routine is controlling them. They swap in their old routine for a routine that gives them freedom and enjoyment instead of worries and fear.

Book Inheritance

After the death of my brother, I moved into his old room and most of his personal belongings were still there. He loved to read, especially the Harry Potter franchise and I was lucky to inherit all of his books. I fell in love with the Harry Potter books, and in doing so I felt a stronger connection to Andrew. Those books allowed me to have a physical piece of Andrew along with his spirit. He also had many historical fiction books, such as Across Five Aprils and All Quiet on the Western Front, that I also enjoy. Every time I open a cover and see his name written, it reminds me of the special connection I share with him that no one else does.

I think that John Connolly included the quote by Schiller because it explains that fairy tales contain important lessons and values to those that open their eyes to the deeper meanings. I think he included the quote by Picasso because it explains the significant role that the imagination plays by sparking ideas into people. Although I believe that The Book of Lost Things will be like a typical fairy tale; I also think that it will try to relay even deeper insights than those of ordinary fairy tales. I predict that this book will take the usual childish fairy tale and make an insightful book for young adults. My dreams and desires are to make the varsity soccer team this year, to become an oncology researcher, to have a family someday, and try to live each day of my life to the fullest. My fear is my plans not going the way I want and having to reevaluate my decisions, but smaller scale occurrences like that happen everyday, and I learn to cope.

archetype hero

Archetype is the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or based. Since the definition of an archetype is a model for all others, then an archetype hero must be the exemplary hero for all other stories. Just like heroes are role models to people, the archetype hero is the role model to other heroes. Most likely, an archetype hero displays certain characteristics, such as bravery, that eventually all heroes took on this characteristic as a need. A certain author probably created a hero and his or her ideas influenced other authors to use similar ideas. This essentially is what created the archetype hero.

Storytelling

I think that I was the best storyteller because I had the most energy. I was able to engage the whole audience in our group's story and I could tell everyone really enjoyed it. Modern day storytellers to me are actors, because people today usually pick TV or movies for entertainment. Movies put visual, sound and physical effects to stories, and the actors are the ones with the job of conveying those effects in the best way possible. People tell stories for entertainment at lunchtime, on long car rides, or camping trips. Techniques they use are to pause for dramatic effect, hand motions, fluctuating voice, and eye contact.