Things That Have Shaped Who I Am__My Father

Kaley Stock

Ms. Kelly Anthony

14SP-ENG-101-W05

February 27th, 2014

Things That Have Shaped Who I Am

My Father

                 Through this series, we have talked about two things that have contributed to shaping the person that I am today. First, my parent's divorce. Second, my mother. Now I wish to discuss someone else who has made a huge contribution to who I am, my father. My father and I have definitely not always gotten along. As I was growing up he was always very strict, and I rebelled against him. He ended up kicking me out of his house and we lost touch or awhile. However, since then my father and I have mended our relationship and I have learned many things from him.

                 First of all, my father taught me to be cautious. Nobody is who they say they are. You have to be careful about where you put your trust. To him, this meant choosing friends wisely, not trusting just anyone, and watching your own back. My father is a lot more strict about this, but after many lessons learned the hard way, I've learned that he's not wrong. In today's society you can't be trusting of people. I see many reports of stabbings every week, I even had a roommate who tried to attack me. After things like that, this is the most important lesson my father taught me.

                Secondly, my father taught me to be responsible with money. I have to admit, I have not fully learned this lesson yet. I spend a lot of money eating out, going to the movies, and impulse buying. However, I have managed to save money for a car, and I manage to pay my bills. I think I owe a great deal of this self control to my father. My mom is awful with money, so if it hadn't been for his constant money lectures, I'd probably be a bum.

                There are many smaller lessons that I've learned from my father. For example, don't run with scissors, be courteous to others, and look both ways before crossing the street. However, the two major lessons listed above have had the most impact on who I am. I am very thankful for everything my father has done for me, and taught me.

Things That Have Shaped Who I Am__My Mother

Kaley Stock

Ms. Kelly Anthony

14SP-ENG-101-W05

February 25th, 2014

Things That Have Shaped Who I Am
My Mother

                 As I continue this series of things that have shaped who I am, I would like to talk about my mom. I've learned a lot from her. She's the one person I know I can call at three in the morning no matter what, whether I'm crying or just want to tell her a joke, or ask a stupid question. I can count on her. She helps me with all of my problems, even if they're things people don't usually share with their parents. I love her very much. 

               I learned many things from my mom. I think the the first thing is selflessness. My mother is one of the most selfless people I've ever met. Everything she did growing up was for me and my sister. She didn't always have much money, and she spent most of it on my sister and I. She would come home with things that she saw in the store that she thought we liked and surprise us. She took us to places like Incredible Pizza and the pool, even though she had to sit out on the side, alone. She threw me a birthday party every year with all of my friends. She is just the most giving person I have ever met to this day. She would do anything to make her loved ones happy. 

               My mother is also very strong. She has always persevered. Due to having me so young, she never went to college after highschool. However, after about ten years of raising us kids, she went back to school. She still continues to further her education, and I look up to her for that. 

              I also look up to my mom for being the most fun person I've ever met. She is silly and weird and I love it. I think this is the trait that I gained most from my mom. I'm very silly and very weird. My mom and I both make dumb jokes, talk in funny voices, and sing made up songs. We are also very sarcastic in our sense of humor. I think this gives me a special connection with my mom. 

Things That Have Shaped Who I Am__My Parent's Divorce

Kaley Stock

Ms. Kelly Anthony

14SP-ENG-101-W05

February 25th, 2014

Things That Have Shaped Who I am

My Parent's Divorce

                   I'm going to start a new 'series' type thing in my blog this week. This series will be about the things that have shaped me to be the person that I am today. I chose to start this series because I've been going through some hard times here lately, and it's good to remember that we can learn from everything in life. As they say, "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." Like everyone, I've had my struggles. However, I can proudly say that I believe I've come out on top and I'm proud of who I am and am trying to be. 

                  With that being said, I would like to discuss the first significant event in my life that has shaped who I am as a person. This particular event happens to be my parent's divorce. Now don't get me wrong, I don't wish to be one of those stereotypical kids who whines about their parent's divorce. I just wish to demonstrate how my parent's behavior through divorce affected me as a person. 

                  Different parent handle divorce in different ways. Some try to make it as easy as possible, by being civil in custody disagreements, making parenting decisions, and arranging who should pay for what. On the other hand, some parents make it much harder. They scream and fight every step of the way. This second route was the one my parents decided to take. I cannot tell you how many times I've had to hear about custody battles and child support payments. If my dad didn't have us back to my mom right on time, it was war. 

                  I'm not sure my parents saw how this affected my sister and I. Sometimes they were so caught up in fighting, it seemed like they were too busy to pay attention to us. I also would get caught in the middle constantly. I would be forced to pick between one of them. It's hard to grow up in such hostility. It makes me scared to get married. Heck, it makes me scared to have kids. I would hate to put my own kids through that. Don't get me wrong, I have two amazing parents. They have done a lot for me. I will cover that more in this series. 

The Fishes

Kaley Stock

Ms. Kelly Anthony

14SP-ENG-101-W05

February 12th, 2014

The Fishes 

                     Zodiac signs have always been something that interest me. I'm just not sure I buy into the idea that the way the stars are aligned combined with my birthday can determine parts of my personality. So, I took it upon myself to do some research and find out a little more about my zodiac sign. I was born on March 8th, making me the fishes, also known as a Pisces. I looked up the Pisces; their personality traits, their general goals, and actions. Surprisingly, I found most of it to be pretty accurate. However, there are some Pisces' traits that I do not think I possess. 

                    According to my research, a Pisces has many positive and negative traits. On the positive side, a Pisces is a very compassionate, selfless and giving person with a nurturing and gentle soul. This means that they would do anything for the ones they love. However, most times the Pisces' compassion and good deeds go unacknowledged. Pisces are also said to be intuitive and have great imaginations.

                   On the negative side, Pisces are sensitive and tend to be overemotional. This causes them to make mountains out of molehills. This can be frustrating, along with a Pisces tendencies to be strong headed, idealistic, and impractical. Another negative trait of a Pisces is their laziness. A Pisces tend to be lazy when things do not go their way, or when doing something they don't care about. Lastly, Pisces tend to be pessimistic and see the glass half empty.

                    After my research, I'm starting to believe a little more in the connection between someone's personality and their zodiac sign. As a Pisces, I do possess many of the traits listed above. I consider myself to be compassionate and nurturing, like expected of a Pisces. I would do anything for the ones I love at the drop of a hat. Others' happiness is very important to me. I also feel like my deeds do go unacknowledged, and like sometimes my loyalty is taken for granted. However, like most Pisces, I possess some negative traits too. I am definitely guilty of making mountains into molehills. I'm also very strong headed and tend to always think I'm right. I do not think I am lazy, though. I am constantly doing something, from cleaning to homework. I also see myself as more of an optimist than a pessimist. As you can see, I possess most qualities of a Pisces. This helps further my belief in astrology and zodiac signs.

                   

Know Your Audience

Kaley Stock

Ms. Kelly Anthony

14SP-ENG-101-W05

February 9th, 2014

Know Your Audience

                                      I learned many things from the Know Your Audience discussion board. Some of these things surprised me, some of them did not. What surprised me is that many people in this class have children. Most of them told me that they enjoy spending their free time with their children. I didn't expect to be in class with so many parents. It's cool that OTC is a place where anybody can go to class. Something else that surprised me is that many students in my class seem very determined and focused in life. It seems like I'm one of the only ones who's really unsure about what I would like to do with my life. I thought there would be more students just pursuing their general education courses.  What did not surprise me is there were a few students around my age. These students and I seem to enjoy doing the same things, and we share similar interests and views. Also, most members of my class seem pretty calm and laid back, based on their color of attitude choices. My class also seems to have a love for their family and friends, which is also very important to me. This makes my class a bit more relatable. 

                                   I think these things will affect my writing in a few ways. First of all, it seems as if most of the class is a bit older than me. To suit this audience I will try to leave out references to tv shows and things kids my age enjoyed when growing up. I can keep my writing and discussions a little more generation neutral. Also, I will be sure to choose topics that are easy to relate to. Hopefully these things will help me to better suit my audience. Luckily, my audience is laid back just like me, so I feel comfortable including my voice in my writing. All in all, I have a good audience and look forward to sharing my writing!

Freewrite- February 9th

Kaley Stock

Ms. Kelly Anthony

14SP-ENG-101-W05

February 9th, 2014

Winter Wonderland- Not!

                          It's been snowy and cold for weeks now, and let me tell you- I'm sick of it! I hate being 

cold. Your teeth chatter, you shiver, your toes go numb. Nothing about those things sounds appealing. I hate 

having to bundle up to go outside. Then immediately as you take that first step the wind starts to bite your 

face it's so unpleasant. As you continue to trek your way through the snow you begin to realize the snow is 

dampening your shoes and beginning to start up your pant legs. Don't you just hate that? It seems like as

 soon as your pants get wet even a little, it starts to seep it's way up. Now you're cold and wet, shivering in a 

freezing car that's been sitting in below freezing temperatures. It's safe to say I hate everything about winter. I

 long for the sunshine and blossoming flowers of the spring. Spring is my favorite season and I'm counting 

down the days. 

Valentine's Day

Kaley Stock

Ms. Kelly Anthony

14SP-ENG-101-W05

February 9th, 2014

Valentine's Day 

         I'm very excited that Valentine's Day is coming up. With every day we grow closer I grow more

 anxious. I grow more anxious due to my excitement. You see, I've only celebrated Valentine's Day with my 

boyfriend one for one year so far. However, that one year we celebrated we created a new tradition-

 Valentine's Day weekend. What does Valentine's Day weekend include, you ask? Well, we save up our 

money and go to a fancy restaurant every night that week. This Valentine's Day weekend we plan on getting 

Nakato's, Olive Garden, and possibly Red Lobster. I can't wait! Not only do I get to share my love with an 

amazing person, but I get to do it while enjoying some of my favorite food. After stuffing our faces, we return 

home and have a movie marathon. This continues all weekend and it's a lot of fun. I really enjoy having a 

special tradition with my special someone. I hope you all have a great Valentine's Day!

Kaley Stock

Ms. Kelly Anthony

14SP-ENG-101-W05

February 2^nd, 2014

This I Believe

                    I believe in the golden rule. This golden rule I speak of states that you should always treat others how you wish to be treated. I believe in this rule because everyone deserves to be treated just as well as the next person. Unfortunately, I as society continues to grow and evolve, I believe we are drifting further and further away from these principles. Kids torture and pick at one another, in hopes to look cool. For example, my last year of high school there was a girl in my PE class who was very popular. She had all of the cutest clothes, the nicest shoes, the prettiest hair, and unfortunately, lack of belief in the golden rule. Everyday as I ran laps in PE she would shout hurtful things at me, beginning with “whore”, and escalating to much worse. I was called new names everyday, and eventually one day when I would ask her to be an adult and give me the respect I deserve, it would end with my broken nose.

                 Now imagine if everyone believed in the golden rule. No one would be terrorized on a day to day basis. We would all be able to gain enough confidence to share our thoughts and ideas with others without fear. We could finally work together in harmony. I would love for this to be possible one day, but I'm only one small part of the puzzle.

Word Count: 250

This I Believe- Prewriting

I believe I am a good person. 

I believe in the golden rule of treating others how you want to be treated.

I believe that there is no God and we are here from science. 

I believe that with a positive attitude and hard work you can accomplish anything. 

I believe that relationships are key to being happy.

I believe that good things come to those who wait. 

I believe in karma. 

I believe one day I will be successful. 

I believe one day I will be married and have my own children.

I believe that education is very important. 

I believe that you should have to work for what you receive.

I believe the Broncos will win the Superbowl tonight.