Imagine a ruin so strange it must have never happened. A ruin has many different meanings, such as an old building that has disintegrated or been destroy, a heartbreaking event, or the downfall of one's life. All of the meanings share one thing in common and that is that "ruin" is a sad or terrible event. When I think about a ruin so strange it must have never happened, I think about the death of one of my best friends' fathers.
Uncle Bryan was an incredible man, full of life and with an unbreakable spirit. He was always the life of the parties when I would head over to my best friends' house for one of her famous birthday parties. I have known this girl since Kindergarten, and she has been very close to me since about 5th grade when I had a huge crush on her. Our families met, and my father and her father hit it off one night at her house, and became best friends. They decided to accompany us for a Spring Break Vacation to my dad's resort on the Big Island, and it was a week that I still play over in my head often because it was so much fun. Our families became very close, and Uncle Bryan became somewhat of a role model for me. I loved his postive spirit and happiness that he carried with him everywhere he went. I never once saw him angry. He was always laughing and joking around, and it was obvious he loved his wife and only daughter very much. My dad liked him even more than I did, and they would get drunk together and laugh their butts off!
After that vacation, our families stayed close until I stopped liking her, and we didn't hang out as much anymore. I was still always invited to the parties though, and we always made time to catch up when seeing each other. My dad and her dad stayed best friends all the way until 2006, when a tragic event took place. Uncle Bryan woke up one Spring Break morning of 2006, walked into the kitchen to blend his morning smoothie, and a heart attack struck him. His daughter walked into the kitchen a short while after, and found him lying on the floor. Uncle Bryan died that Spring Break, at 50 years old, and to the suprise and horror of everyone who knew him. One of the happiest and most joyful families I have ever known, was split apart in an instant and he left a daughter and wife heartbroken and confused. She called me the morning it happened, and was crying on the phone. I didn't cry, because I knew I had to stay strong for her, but I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He was so happy. Why did this happen to him? He didn't deserve this. His family didn't deserve this. His friends didn't deserve to lose him. When I told my dad, he was crushed. I had never seen him cry in his entire life up to that point. A few friends and I went to their house to comfort our best friend in her time of sadness. We were all dumbstruck to arrive at their house, and not hearing Uncle Bryan's loud, booming voice cheering up everyone and making everyone feel happy.
Two years have passed, and spring break is coming up again now in 2008. Times have changed so much. Uncle Bryan's death has been so hard for his family, but they have come around and they have past their stage of extreme loneliness by sticking together and staying strong. His funeral was the saddest one I had ever been to, because I knew him so well. I couldn't imagine losing my father, and just the thought alone made me want to break down. Uncle Bryan remains in my memory everyday, and his joyous spirit will never be forgotten. I try my best to stay positive, not to feel sorry for myself, and try to make others feel happier just like Uncle Bryan always taught me. I still honestly can't believe that this tragic event occurred. I feel like it couldn't have really happened, and everytime I head over to my friend's house for a party, I know that Uncle Bryan is going to be there, laughing and spreading his aloha to everyone he spoke to. There wasn't a party there without Uncle Bryan, and there never will be.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
"The Grotto" response
In the wonderful short story, "The Grotto," written by Robert Olen Butler, a forty-five year old single woman, named Clara, takes a vacation to Egypt. Her trip comes four years after her mother's death, and after a very long lonely period at home taking care of her house and her mother's spirit. Her mother was her best friend and basically all she had in life, because she never married. However, she also had her garden and her passion for nature. She goes to Egypt to leave her boring life in Alabama, and try to discover a little more about herself.
In Egypt, walking through the hectic streets with her hotel tour group, she is disturbed by something she sees. She sees a donkey cart with six Muslim women inside, completely wrapped in their burkas. Only the women's eyes can be seen, and their cold, dark stares penetrate Clara and her friend Alice. Clara thinks to herself, "...wondering, I daresay, at the nakedness of our faces. And thinking what of us? That we were brazen? A shame to God? Wicked and worldly? How little they could know of me. Or I of them, for that matter."
That is a great example of the "otherness" or awkwardness she must feel as an American tourist coming to Egypt or even more importantly, as a Christian woman meeting Muslim women. The vast differences between religions and culture are outstanding, especially on the subject of women. The most obvious difference is that American women have all of the same rights as American men. Muslim women do not. They must wear burkas that cover their bodies from head to toe and never show their faces in public or else risk being arrested. They can only dress casual when inside their homes in front of family members. Seeing as how the six women Clara saw were on a donkey cart, they must be slaves or women being sold for sex. That is absolutely illegal in America. When their eyes met Clara's, I wonder if they were jealous of Clara and wishing that they were American, or if they hated Americans and therefore hated Clara for not covering herself up in public also.
Later in the story, Clara visits a grotto inside of a beautiful garden, and meets a english-speaking Egyptian man named Musad, who invites her to sit in peace and reflect on her thoughts. Clara is very uncomfortable with him there at first, and wants to do everything she can to leave without being disrespectful to the gentleman. After talking a little bit however, and some personal reflecting about her mother and her reasoning for her trip to Egypt, she bursts into tears over her mother's death. Musad shares with her that his mother also past away a year before. They share a few crying moments together, and Musad manages to mumble the words, "I am sorry also."
This second example shows that the difference between the cultures and religions is still huge, but that all humans have similar feelings and experiences. We are all brothers and sisters in this world. We are all part of the human race. Clara feels very awkward at first being in the same place with a giant Muslim man and wants desperately to leave but ends up finding comfort enough to cry with the man and let our the emotions that she might have been hiding and keeping inside since her mother past away. It just goes to show that the culture and race divider can be broken, and humans just need to try a little bit harder and it would make the a much more peaceful and wonderful place to live in. The "otherness" that exists doesn't have to exist if people would just take the time to get to know each other a little bit better before judging them right away. When Clara sees the women on the street, they both make judgements about each other quickly just by seeing each other. That isn't right. Clara made the judgement that Musad was weird and wanted to leave but Musad didn't see anything awkward about the situation, because he was just a kind gentleman trying to help someone out. Clara spent a little more time with him, and was able to let her feelings go. Clara and all of us learned a great lesson from Musad, and that was not to judge a book by its cover, and to take the time to get to know people or things before deciding if we like them or not. If everyone in the world decided to have this attitude, we could have world peace and live much happier, more fulfilling lives where love overrules hate every single day.
In Egypt, walking through the hectic streets with her hotel tour group, she is disturbed by something she sees. She sees a donkey cart with six Muslim women inside, completely wrapped in their burkas. Only the women's eyes can be seen, and their cold, dark stares penetrate Clara and her friend Alice. Clara thinks to herself, "...wondering, I daresay, at the nakedness of our faces. And thinking what of us? That we were brazen? A shame to God? Wicked and worldly? How little they could know of me. Or I of them, for that matter."
That is a great example of the "otherness" or awkwardness she must feel as an American tourist coming to Egypt or even more importantly, as a Christian woman meeting Muslim women. The vast differences between religions and culture are outstanding, especially on the subject of women. The most obvious difference is that American women have all of the same rights as American men. Muslim women do not. They must wear burkas that cover their bodies from head to toe and never show their faces in public or else risk being arrested. They can only dress casual when inside their homes in front of family members. Seeing as how the six women Clara saw were on a donkey cart, they must be slaves or women being sold for sex. That is absolutely illegal in America. When their eyes met Clara's, I wonder if they were jealous of Clara and wishing that they were American, or if they hated Americans and therefore hated Clara for not covering herself up in public also.
Later in the story, Clara visits a grotto inside of a beautiful garden, and meets a english-speaking Egyptian man named Musad, who invites her to sit in peace and reflect on her thoughts. Clara is very uncomfortable with him there at first, and wants to do everything she can to leave without being disrespectful to the gentleman. After talking a little bit however, and some personal reflecting about her mother and her reasoning for her trip to Egypt, she bursts into tears over her mother's death. Musad shares with her that his mother also past away a year before. They share a few crying moments together, and Musad manages to mumble the words, "I am sorry also."
This second example shows that the difference between the cultures and religions is still huge, but that all humans have similar feelings and experiences. We are all brothers and sisters in this world. We are all part of the human race. Clara feels very awkward at first being in the same place with a giant Muslim man and wants desperately to leave but ends up finding comfort enough to cry with the man and let our the emotions that she might have been hiding and keeping inside since her mother past away. It just goes to show that the culture and race divider can be broken, and humans just need to try a little bit harder and it would make the a much more peaceful and wonderful place to live in. The "otherness" that exists doesn't have to exist if people would just take the time to get to know each other a little bit better before judging them right away. When Clara sees the women on the street, they both make judgements about each other quickly just by seeing each other. That isn't right. Clara made the judgement that Musad was weird and wanted to leave but Musad didn't see anything awkward about the situation, because he was just a kind gentleman trying to help someone out. Clara spent a little more time with him, and was able to let her feelings go. Clara and all of us learned a great lesson from Musad, and that was not to judge a book by its cover, and to take the time to get to know people or things before deciding if we like them or not. If everyone in the world decided to have this attitude, we could have world peace and live much happier, more fulfilling lives where love overrules hate every single day.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Perfect Season
The Perfect Season
We were trailing by one, 53-54. We had the ball. 11 seconds remained. Coach Kekoa called a timeout to calm us down and set up the final play of the game. Our perfect, undefeated season was on the line. Everything we had worked so hard for all season was on the line. We were about to be tested after all of the preparation we put in for this exact moment. Dylan, our player of the game who had 18 points, was sitting on the sidelines after injuring his eye and being physically unable to play any more. He had done more than his part to get us this far, and it was our job to pull this one out for him, our coaches, our parents, our fans, and the rest of our teammates. Noah, Taylor, Kaiwi, Josh, and I stepped on to the floor for the last eleven seconds of our season, and our JV careers, hoping for a miracle. Five best friends, three captains, four shooters, and five teammates chosen to lead the team in this situation. I was honored to be on the court with my four brothers, and wanted to do everything in my power to get the win. For all of the sophomores on the team, we had never had an undefeated season since 7th grade, despite winning two championships in 7th and 8th grade. I wanted the win for my fellow sophomores. I wanted the win for our coach who coached us for three years, and wanted to give him another championship. I wanted the win for my teammates last year, who joined myself and others in our championship loss to Kamehameha a year before. Now, we were in almost an identical situation, playing Kamehameha again, just a different five chosen to carry the team to victory. I wanted the win for my teammates, who I felt that I let down, when turning the ball over with eighteen seconds left and thinking to myself that we had lost for sure and it was all my fault. However, we were still in the game. With new life in my heart and by deleting the turnover from my memory, I was ready if I needed to take the final shot.
The referee handed me the ball and blew his whistle. I checked off my options, and threw the ball into Noah. Our plan was to get the ball into the corner to Taylor, so that he could drive baseline and either score or look to kick the ball out to shooters on the perimeter. Taylor was covered however, so Noah pulled up from long range and fired a three-pointer. The entire Punahou crowd, Kamehameha crowd and marching band, and I held our breaths. The ball bounced off the right side of the rim, into the outstretched arms of 6'5 Josh Taylor on our team. With five seconds remaining on the clock, he seized control of the ball, and put up a mid-range jumper right over a defender. Nothing but net! The crowd went wild! Kamehameha had no timeouts left, so they inbounded the ball, I immediately jumped on the ball-handler, and forced a bad pass downcourt, which was stolen by none other than Josh! Time expired, and our team, fans, cheerleaders, and parents rushed the court in the happiest celebration in my entire life! A 55-54 victory, and a perfect season was ours, after fighting so hard for 32 minutes and an entire season. When the buzzer sounded, we practically had a team dog-pile on the court, and high fives, hugs, and kisses were rapidly traveling through the crowd of Punahou fans. We had done it. Josh was the team hero, but all of us did our parts throughout the year in contributing to our amazing season. That team was the closest and best team I have ever played for, and I am so thankful that I had the chance to play the sport I love with my best friends in the whole world for the best school in the country. Jubiliation filled the air and happiness flowed thru my body. The perfect ending to the perfect team and the perfect season.
We were trailing by one, 53-54. We had the ball. 11 seconds remained. Coach Kekoa called a timeout to calm us down and set up the final play of the game. Our perfect, undefeated season was on the line. Everything we had worked so hard for all season was on the line. We were about to be tested after all of the preparation we put in for this exact moment. Dylan, our player of the game who had 18 points, was sitting on the sidelines after injuring his eye and being physically unable to play any more. He had done more than his part to get us this far, and it was our job to pull this one out for him, our coaches, our parents, our fans, and the rest of our teammates. Noah, Taylor, Kaiwi, Josh, and I stepped on to the floor for the last eleven seconds of our season, and our JV careers, hoping for a miracle. Five best friends, three captains, four shooters, and five teammates chosen to lead the team in this situation. I was honored to be on the court with my four brothers, and wanted to do everything in my power to get the win. For all of the sophomores on the team, we had never had an undefeated season since 7th grade, despite winning two championships in 7th and 8th grade. I wanted the win for my fellow sophomores. I wanted the win for our coach who coached us for three years, and wanted to give him another championship. I wanted the win for my teammates last year, who joined myself and others in our championship loss to Kamehameha a year before. Now, we were in almost an identical situation, playing Kamehameha again, just a different five chosen to carry the team to victory. I wanted the win for my teammates, who I felt that I let down, when turning the ball over with eighteen seconds left and thinking to myself that we had lost for sure and it was all my fault. However, we were still in the game. With new life in my heart and by deleting the turnover from my memory, I was ready if I needed to take the final shot.
The referee handed me the ball and blew his whistle. I checked off my options, and threw the ball into Noah. Our plan was to get the ball into the corner to Taylor, so that he could drive baseline and either score or look to kick the ball out to shooters on the perimeter. Taylor was covered however, so Noah pulled up from long range and fired a three-pointer. The entire Punahou crowd, Kamehameha crowd and marching band, and I held our breaths. The ball bounced off the right side of the rim, into the outstretched arms of 6'5 Josh Taylor on our team. With five seconds remaining on the clock, he seized control of the ball, and put up a mid-range jumper right over a defender. Nothing but net! The crowd went wild! Kamehameha had no timeouts left, so they inbounded the ball, I immediately jumped on the ball-handler, and forced a bad pass downcourt, which was stolen by none other than Josh! Time expired, and our team, fans, cheerleaders, and parents rushed the court in the happiest celebration in my entire life! A 55-54 victory, and a perfect season was ours, after fighting so hard for 32 minutes and an entire season. When the buzzer sounded, we practically had a team dog-pile on the court, and high fives, hugs, and kisses were rapidly traveling through the crowd of Punahou fans. We had done it. Josh was the team hero, but all of us did our parts throughout the year in contributing to our amazing season. That team was the closest and best team I have ever played for, and I am so thankful that I had the chance to play the sport I love with my best friends in the whole world for the best school in the country. Jubiliation filled the air and happiness flowed thru my body. The perfect ending to the perfect team and the perfect season.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Original Essential Questions
My first 5 Essential Questions and preliminary answers
1. What am I going to do after high school?
2. How do I choose/find the right girl?
3. Who are my real friends?
4. How can I reach my full potential as an athlete, student, and son and should I even try?
5. What do I want to be when I grow up?
1. I have no clue. I want to go to a good college, but I'm also considering deferring for a year, making some money, and traveling for awhile to gain some independent experience.
2. There are plenty of girls in the world. I know the values I'm looking for in a girl but I'm wondering if having a girflriend is good for me or if I can handle the responsibility of having one.
3. I'm trying to figure out who they are. I want to only be friends with people who I know have a positive effect on my life and who will care for me just as much as I care for them. Friends that always have my back, and will never turn abandon me in hard times. Friends that like me for who I am and enjoy my company--not pretenders or people that are only nice to me when they want something I have. I hate fakes.
4. Hard work and repetition but I'm going through some injuries and I'm thinking how hard it is to play college basketball anyway. However, I think I want to try to reach my full potential in all of those areas because I think it will make me an extremely happy and successful person.
5. So many choices. I want to be a good father that can coach my son's little league basketball team. Maybe I want to teach at Punahou. Maybe I want to be a sports doctor. I'm not really sure right now but I do know that I am only going to choose a profession that I love doing.
1. What am I going to do after high school?
2. How do I choose/find the right girl?
3. Who are my real friends?
4. How can I reach my full potential as an athlete, student, and son and should I even try?
5. What do I want to be when I grow up?
1. I have no clue. I want to go to a good college, but I'm also considering deferring for a year, making some money, and traveling for awhile to gain some independent experience.
2. There are plenty of girls in the world. I know the values I'm looking for in a girl but I'm wondering if having a girflriend is good for me or if I can handle the responsibility of having one.
3. I'm trying to figure out who they are. I want to only be friends with people who I know have a positive effect on my life and who will care for me just as much as I care for them. Friends that always have my back, and will never turn abandon me in hard times. Friends that like me for who I am and enjoy my company--not pretenders or people that are only nice to me when they want something I have. I hate fakes.
4. Hard work and repetition but I'm going through some injuries and I'm thinking how hard it is to play college basketball anyway. However, I think I want to try to reach my full potential in all of those areas because I think it will make me an extremely happy and successful person.
5. So many choices. I want to be a good father that can coach my son's little league basketball team. Maybe I want to teach at Punahou. Maybe I want to be a sports doctor. I'm not really sure right now but I do know that I am only going to choose a profession that I love doing.
Pain
Free write
Directions: 7 minutes in class. Write about Pain.
"Pain"
"Ouch!" A physical suffering.
"Crap!" A mental collapse.
Pain is the feeling that makes us feel sorry for ourselves. Pain is an obstacle we let get in our way. Everybody experiences it; nobody's life is perfect and painless. Whether it is a death of a friend, a tackle in football, an F on a test, or charleyhorse to the knee, everyone suffers sometimes. But, why should we feel sorry for ourselves?
Pain can be overcome with a strong state of mind and a positive attitude. Sulking around because a girlfiend dumped you does no good. Take a risk and a chance on a new girl. Find a new opportunity. When one door closes, another one opens. If you don't make a change, it's only going to cause longer-lasting pain in your mind and heart.
Directions: 7 minutes in class. Write about Pain.
"Pain"
"Ouch!" A physical suffering.
"Crap!" A mental collapse.
Pain is the feeling that makes us feel sorry for ourselves. Pain is an obstacle we let get in our way. Everybody experiences it; nobody's life is perfect and painless. Whether it is a death of a friend, a tackle in football, an F on a test, or charleyhorse to the knee, everyone suffers sometimes. But, why should we feel sorry for ourselves?
Pain can be overcome with a strong state of mind and a positive attitude. Sulking around because a girlfiend dumped you does no good. Take a risk and a chance on a new girl. Find a new opportunity. When one door closes, another one opens. If you don't make a change, it's only going to cause longer-lasting pain in your mind and heart.
Bittersweet
Getting cut
Bittersweet.
Mixed feelings.
JV vs. Varsity.
Playing time vs. best friends.
Cruise vs. Hardcore.
School vs. San Diego trip.
Be the best or get better.
ILH championship or a state championship.
Knew it was going to happen.
Gave it my best shot.
JV is better for me.
Sweet.
Have a good feeling about this one.
Should be a great season.
These were my first thoughts after being cut from the Varsity volleyball team. I wanted to write them down to remember how I felt about being cut because it is normally such an awful feeling. After getting cut, I think it is best to take a step back, examine your situation, and look at the benefits and advantages. Now that the teams have been finalized, I am happy with my teammates and coaches, and I am truly looking forward to starting playing games this season.
Bittersweet.
Mixed feelings.
JV vs. Varsity.
Playing time vs. best friends.
Cruise vs. Hardcore.
School vs. San Diego trip.
Be the best or get better.
ILH championship or a state championship.
Knew it was going to happen.
Gave it my best shot.
JV is better for me.
Sweet.
Have a good feeling about this one.
Should be a great season.
These were my first thoughts after being cut from the Varsity volleyball team. I wanted to write them down to remember how I felt about being cut because it is normally such an awful feeling. After getting cut, I think it is best to take a step back, examine your situation, and look at the benefits and advantages. Now that the teams have been finalized, I am happy with my teammates and coaches, and I am truly looking forward to starting playing games this season.
Attached by the laces
Directions: 7 minutes, include something about a shoe. Use an alliteration and a gerund.
"Attached by the laces"
My left shoe, Jordan, has a twin right shoe, named Kobe. They are always together, if not side by side, then always at a close distance. You see, at birth they were siamese twins, attached by the laces. At three months old, I wanted a better life for each and I knew they would have much more success in life if I got them the separation surgery. I went into Foot Locker because of their highly trained professional surgeons and cheap deals. Plus, I had a 30% off coupon. Both shoes squeaked through the operation, but it was a safe, super success when it was over and they were separated. The surgeon gave them a nice polish, and they looked good as new. Ever since, my left shoe and his twin have played large roles in my life and always help me perform my best running, jumping, and dunking on the basketball court!
"Attached by the laces"
My left shoe, Jordan, has a twin right shoe, named Kobe. They are always together, if not side by side, then always at a close distance. You see, at birth they were siamese twins, attached by the laces. At three months old, I wanted a better life for each and I knew they would have much more success in life if I got them the separation surgery. I went into Foot Locker because of their highly trained professional surgeons and cheap deals. Plus, I had a 30% off coupon. Both shoes squeaked through the operation, but it was a safe, super success when it was over and they were separated. The surgeon gave them a nice polish, and they looked good as new. Ever since, my left shoe and his twin have played large roles in my life and always help me perform my best running, jumping, and dunking on the basketball court!
Who is to blame?
1. Who is responsible for the baby being thrown off the bridge? Why?
The mother, boyfriend, murderer himself, and the cops all share responsibility for the murder of the baby. The mother gets some of the blame because she often neglected the child due to her drug addiction that prevented her from giving her complete, undivided attention to her child, which is of course what all babies need! She was nowhere to be found on the day of her child's death also. The boyfriend was however, because he was supposed to be watching the baby in the apartment, but instead of being a good father, he let the child roam freely outside the room while he stayed inside doing god-knows-what. The murderer himself definitely deserves the most blame for the child's death, seeing as how he was the one who committed the crime. It is sad that he had a mental and drug problem, but that was his own fault. No one can change the fact that he was the one who picked up the baby, threw him off of the overpass, and walked away. The cops normally aren't people who are responsible for crimes, but in this case they are because on the day of the child's death, just a few hours before the incident actually, the cops found the baby roaming the apartment building freely and personally returned him to his mother's boyfriend. If the cops were smart or cared at all about doing their jobs, they would have investigated why the baby was not under proper care and not being watched by any adults! If they had solved this problem earlier in the day, a child's life would have been saved, and the souls of the poor drivers who hit the baby on the freeway would be peaceful once again.
2. How can we create a system to evaulate where to place the blame for these acts?
I think that the current system we have isn't too bad, as long as our government is finding some justice for the evil acts committed in society. It's so sad that we have crime at all, but we can't start putting witnesses or policeman in jail for by blaming them for not preventing crimes unless they really could have. That makes absolutely no sense. The people that have a physical hand in murders or other crimes should be punished and that's it.
The mother, boyfriend, murderer himself, and the cops all share responsibility for the murder of the baby. The mother gets some of the blame because she often neglected the child due to her drug addiction that prevented her from giving her complete, undivided attention to her child, which is of course what all babies need! She was nowhere to be found on the day of her child's death also. The boyfriend was however, because he was supposed to be watching the baby in the apartment, but instead of being a good father, he let the child roam freely outside the room while he stayed inside doing god-knows-what. The murderer himself definitely deserves the most blame for the child's death, seeing as how he was the one who committed the crime. It is sad that he had a mental and drug problem, but that was his own fault. No one can change the fact that he was the one who picked up the baby, threw him off of the overpass, and walked away. The cops normally aren't people who are responsible for crimes, but in this case they are because on the day of the child's death, just a few hours before the incident actually, the cops found the baby roaming the apartment building freely and personally returned him to his mother's boyfriend. If the cops were smart or cared at all about doing their jobs, they would have investigated why the baby was not under proper care and not being watched by any adults! If they had solved this problem earlier in the day, a child's life would have been saved, and the souls of the poor drivers who hit the baby on the freeway would be peaceful once again.
2. How can we create a system to evaulate where to place the blame for these acts?
I think that the current system we have isn't too bad, as long as our government is finding some justice for the evil acts committed in society. It's so sad that we have crime at all, but we can't start putting witnesses or policeman in jail for by blaming them for not preventing crimes unless they really could have. That makes absolutely no sense. The people that have a physical hand in murders or other crimes should be punished and that's it.
Failure
"Failure is the opportunity to begin more intelligently."
-Henry Ford
This is a great quote I came across in my Sports Psychology notes that reminds me to stay positive, be confident, and look at failure as a neccessary part of success. It is a stepping stone to success. If a person never takes risks because they fear they might fail, they are forgetting that without trying, you can't succeed either. It's just like my basketball coach always tells me, "If you don't shoot, you can't score" and also, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Without making mistakes, a person can never find the correct or best way to do anything. No one ever gets anything perfect on the first try, but by knowing how to fix their mistake they can begin more intelligently and improve consistently the next few times they try something.
-Henry Ford
This is a great quote I came across in my Sports Psychology notes that reminds me to stay positive, be confident, and look at failure as a neccessary part of success. It is a stepping stone to success. If a person never takes risks because they fear they might fail, they are forgetting that without trying, you can't succeed either. It's just like my basketball coach always tells me, "If you don't shoot, you can't score" and also, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Without making mistakes, a person can never find the correct or best way to do anything. No one ever gets anything perfect on the first try, but by knowing how to fix their mistake they can begin more intelligently and improve consistently the next few times they try something.
Little Eyes Upon You
Little Eyes Upon You
There are little eyes upon you, and they're watching night and day.
There are little ears that quickly take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager to do anything you do;
And a little child who's dreaming to one day be just like you.
You're the little child's idol, the wisest of the wise.
In the child's mind about you, no suspicions ever rise.
Believing in you devoutly, holding all you say and do;
The child will say and do, in your way, after growing up like you.
There's a wide-eyed little child who believes you're always right;
With eyes that are always open, watching day and night.
You are setting an example everyday in all you do,
for the little child who's waiting to grow up to be like you.
-Author unkown
Thoughts about this poem:
This poem was given to me and my basketball teammates by our coach, Coach Kekoa. It was a great reminder that I am constantly being watched and looked up to by the younger kids at Punahou, who are dreaming of also becoming basketball players in our wonderful program. I need to be setting the best example I can for the young kids watching me, as well as my younger brother. I want to be a positive role model in my brother's life and I hope I can remember this poem next time I'm doing something wrong, to know that I have to change my behavior to make a positive impact on the "little eyes upon me."
There are little eyes upon you, and they're watching night and day.
There are little ears that quickly take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager to do anything you do;
And a little child who's dreaming to one day be just like you.
You're the little child's idol, the wisest of the wise.
In the child's mind about you, no suspicions ever rise.
Believing in you devoutly, holding all you say and do;
The child will say and do, in your way, after growing up like you.
There's a wide-eyed little child who believes you're always right;
With eyes that are always open, watching day and night.
You are setting an example everyday in all you do,
for the little child who's waiting to grow up to be like you.
-Author unkown
Thoughts about this poem:
This poem was given to me and my basketball teammates by our coach, Coach Kekoa. It was a great reminder that I am constantly being watched and looked up to by the younger kids at Punahou, who are dreaming of also becoming basketball players in our wonderful program. I need to be setting the best example I can for the young kids watching me, as well as my younger brother. I want to be a positive role model in my brother's life and I hope I can remember this poem next time I'm doing something wrong, to know that I have to change my behavior to make a positive impact on the "little eyes upon me."
Friday, February 15, 2008
Old Spice Our Savior
Deodorant
"Sniff, sniff. Sniff, sniff. What is that smell? It smells good!"
"That's my deodorant silly. It is a brand new scent from Old Spice called, 'Damn, that smells good'."
Deodorant is a wonderful gift to society brought to people by the likes of Old Spice, Gillette, Axe, Tag, and many other popular brand names. Often overlooked, deodorant is a necessity for living happy, clean, normal lives. The fact is, is that deodorant is extremely reliable, and does its job 100% of the time when called upon, so it never fails. How many things or people in the world can you say that about? Not many, because deodorant does a service to us that many other things cannot measure up to, and that is the power to rid the world of foul smelling odors.
Now, I am a current member of the Old Spice club, and like a majority of my friends, I wear deodorant everyday. However, I have a few friends who lack a proper hygeine and have never heard of deodorant in their entire lives. I pity these fools, who do not realize what a mistake they are making. Not wearing deodorant is a selfish choice because by choosing not to do so, they are affecting the noses of people around them. In the end though, it comes back to hurt them because girls certainly do not like being around or getting close to sweaty boys that smell like rotten leftovers. If these friends of mine were only smart enough to jump on the deodorant train and choose Old Spice, they could experience what I do--constant and continuous attention from beautiful girls who never want to leave your side because of how good you smell. When it comes to dating, Old Spice is my secret to hooking girls that I want and keeping them wanting more. You see, girls don't pay attention to your other flaws as much if you smell great. They are overwhelmed by your spectacular scent that fills up their lungs and makes them feel high, therefore not listening to your words as closely or staring at your crooked teeth. In the end, their noses make the right decision for them. A boy that smells great wins over a boy that doesn't every single time.
Another reason why Old Spice is better than all of the other deodorants is because I feel better and more confident just knowing that I have it on. Upon becoming a member of the Old Spice community, a special feeling of excitement and satisfaction ran throughout my body, letting me know I was making one of the best decisions' of my life. As a veteran in the club, I can tell you from personal experience that your life changes when you make the switch to Old Spice. People wearing it walk around with a specific swag in their step, a bounce if you will; this is a natural side effect to the general good feelings Old Spice produces. It is also been scientifically proven that people that smell good, feel good. I have never been happier since I began wearing it, as my athletic performance has improved drastically, my grades have jumped tremendously, and my social status has shot through the roof. All this because of one life-changing decision.
As you can see, there are only positive enhancements to life while wearing Old Spice deodorant. An instant energy and emotional boost, as well as a performance increase in the classroom, gym, and with the ladies. I suggest traveling to the nearest convenience store immedieately and picking up that shiny, red stick of deodorant because it may be the best decision you ever make.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
A Punahou Proposal
Disciplinary Dogs
In the Punahou Academy, a majority of the students lack discipline and have no intentions of obeying certain rules.
The most obvious and common of these broken rules is the dresscode for both boys and girls. A code is a law. It must never be broken. Punahou students must be penalized and punished for their lack of awareness and their rebellious attitudes towards rules. The boys are required to wear either a collared shirt, or a Punahou T-Shirt, while the girls must wear a shirt with a punahou logo somewhere on it, and no skirts above the knees. This dresscode, instated three years ago due to the outstanding number of violations by past academy girls, started off as a success, but since has lost its number of supporters. Many students show no awareness of following the dress code, wearing whatever shirts they want, and simply covering up their logo when a dean walks past. The girls sneak by the teachers by wearing their own shirts and tanktops, and then throwing a jacket over their heads when a teacher walks by or when they go to a class with a teacher who enforces the dresscode.
Most teachers however, do not even care enough to enforce it anymore. It is usually the female teachers that are sending kids to the deans for dresscode, and even then the children are barely punished for the grave wrong they are committing. Any sophomore, junior, senior, or even a cool freshman knows that if they are sent to Mr. Hata, they have been saved. To the disappointment of many kids, adults on campus are beginning to realize the lack of discipline our "Dean of Discipline" actually has, and have started giving out demerits themselves. Clearly however, there are not enough smart adults willing to punish the kids for their wrongs, and we need to create a new system for straightening out the students and forcing them to obey the rules of this school.
My proposal is one coming after many feeble attempts to stop the problem already including forcing the kids to wear P.E. clothes, smelly clothes, giving demerits, or sending them to Mr. Hata. My proposal will help scare the students into never wanting to break dresscode again, and save our teachers and adults the trouble of handing out demerits or conducting meetings with students to tell them their wrongs. My proposal is...disciplinary dogs.
That's right--Dogs. Big, scary, angry, fierce, ferocious dogs. And cages. That's right--Cages. Large, metal, enclosed, hard, inescapable cages. I propose that all students who break dresscode are sentenced to cage-matches with fierce dogs. Depending on the severity of the dresscode infraction, there will be different types of dogs. For the smallest infractions, such as some midriff showing, a student will be thrown into a cage with a couple of hungry bulldogs that have the freedom to do whatever they want to the child (thanks to the waivers all parents must sign and return to the child's AP teachers prior to starting the year's classes). After the three rounds of three minutes, if the child manages to live or escape without serious injury, they can return to their classroom. If need be, an emergency ambulance will be kept on campus at all times to assist, but not fully care for the patient's injuries. He/she must learn from their mistakes never to break dresscode again.
If the infraction is large, such as cleavage showing, profanity on the shirt, or jeans not covering a girl's entire backside, then two, ferocious, starving pomeranian and chihuahua dogs will be unleashed onto the students and trust me...those dogs HATE dresscode breakers.
As I know you are probably thinking right now, my idea is geinus. It takes care of the problem many teachers and deans have of constantly having to be on the lookout for violators, makes Mr. Hata's job a lot easier, and makes kids never want to break the dresscode. Children that do, are made an example of, and most likely will never want to do so again. We are teaching the kids to have respect for the rules, and correcting their lack of care for authority that they have right now. The best part of all of this, is that we can get all of the dogs for free, and their trainer for free, because he is on probation and the judge has agreed to sentence him to life at Punahou School has head dog-trainer. His name of course, is Michael Vick, and he has also graciously agreed to be an assistant coach for the Varsity Football Squad.
So you see, my proposal has so many benefits, and will help make the children of the future have more respect for the rules and laws in life, which in turn will make the world a better, safer, and happier place to live in.
In the Punahou Academy, a majority of the students lack discipline and have no intentions of obeying certain rules.
The most obvious and common of these broken rules is the dresscode for both boys and girls. A code is a law. It must never be broken. Punahou students must be penalized and punished for their lack of awareness and their rebellious attitudes towards rules. The boys are required to wear either a collared shirt, or a Punahou T-Shirt, while the girls must wear a shirt with a punahou logo somewhere on it, and no skirts above the knees. This dresscode, instated three years ago due to the outstanding number of violations by past academy girls, started off as a success, but since has lost its number of supporters. Many students show no awareness of following the dress code, wearing whatever shirts they want, and simply covering up their logo when a dean walks past. The girls sneak by the teachers by wearing their own shirts and tanktops, and then throwing a jacket over their heads when a teacher walks by or when they go to a class with a teacher who enforces the dresscode.
Most teachers however, do not even care enough to enforce it anymore. It is usually the female teachers that are sending kids to the deans for dresscode, and even then the children are barely punished for the grave wrong they are committing. Any sophomore, junior, senior, or even a cool freshman knows that if they are sent to Mr. Hata, they have been saved. To the disappointment of many kids, adults on campus are beginning to realize the lack of discipline our "Dean of Discipline" actually has, and have started giving out demerits themselves. Clearly however, there are not enough smart adults willing to punish the kids for their wrongs, and we need to create a new system for straightening out the students and forcing them to obey the rules of this school.
My proposal is one coming after many feeble attempts to stop the problem already including forcing the kids to wear P.E. clothes, smelly clothes, giving demerits, or sending them to Mr. Hata. My proposal will help scare the students into never wanting to break dresscode again, and save our teachers and adults the trouble of handing out demerits or conducting meetings with students to tell them their wrongs. My proposal is...disciplinary dogs.
That's right--Dogs. Big, scary, angry, fierce, ferocious dogs. And cages. That's right--Cages. Large, metal, enclosed, hard, inescapable cages. I propose that all students who break dresscode are sentenced to cage-matches with fierce dogs. Depending on the severity of the dresscode infraction, there will be different types of dogs. For the smallest infractions, such as some midriff showing, a student will be thrown into a cage with a couple of hungry bulldogs that have the freedom to do whatever they want to the child (thanks to the waivers all parents must sign and return to the child's AP teachers prior to starting the year's classes). After the three rounds of three minutes, if the child manages to live or escape without serious injury, they can return to their classroom. If need be, an emergency ambulance will be kept on campus at all times to assist, but not fully care for the patient's injuries. He/she must learn from their mistakes never to break dresscode again.
If the infraction is large, such as cleavage showing, profanity on the shirt, or jeans not covering a girl's entire backside, then two, ferocious, starving pomeranian and chihuahua dogs will be unleashed onto the students and trust me...those dogs HATE dresscode breakers.
As I know you are probably thinking right now, my idea is geinus. It takes care of the problem many teachers and deans have of constantly having to be on the lookout for violators, makes Mr. Hata's job a lot easier, and makes kids never want to break the dresscode. Children that do, are made an example of, and most likely will never want to do so again. We are teaching the kids to have respect for the rules, and correcting their lack of care for authority that they have right now. The best part of all of this, is that we can get all of the dogs for free, and their trainer for free, because he is on probation and the judge has agreed to sentence him to life at Punahou School has head dog-trainer. His name of course, is Michael Vick, and he has also graciously agreed to be an assistant coach for the Varsity Football Squad.
So you see, my proposal has so many benefits, and will help make the children of the future have more respect for the rules and laws in life, which in turn will make the world a better, safer, and happier place to live in.
The 4th Branch
"It's like MK-ULTRA, controlling your brain
Suggestive thinking, causing your perspective to change
They wanna rearrange the whole point of view of the ghetto
The fourth branch of the government, want us to settle
A bandana full of glittering, generality
Fighting for freedom and fighting terror, but what's reality?
Read about the history of the place that we live in
And stop letting corporate news tell lies to your children"
(For complete song lyrics see:
and for video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ntQfkc7DRsY)
EXCUSE THE PROFANITY!!!
This is the chorus of one of my favorite songs called, "The 4th Branch" by underground rap artist Immortal Technique. When he says, "The fourth branch of the government," he means the media. His songs speak out against the government, and he is not shy to share his political views or his insight on the economy. He is my favorite artist, even though none of his songs play on the radio, or very few people even know about him, due to his obscene language and anti-government opinions. I like what he has to say though, and I find truth in his lyrics. Often times I don't know what some of the words he says means, or who the people he talks about are, so I research the lyrics and search the internet for information to learn about it. In the lyrics I posted, I had no clue what "MK-ULTRA" was, so I did some research and found out that it was a code name for a CIA mind-control research program that began in the early 1950's. Now, this is very interesting to me, because I have often wondered if mind control was a possible power that the government had. I believe that it is, and after reading about the CIA's involvement in it, I bet the CIA is still running tests and improving mind-control capabilities to this day. However, when I look at this song, Techinque makes it very clear how the government is controlling the public's minds: the MEDIA!!! The sad thing is, it is working. People need to stop listening to the media, and go out and read books or trusting internet sources that will tell them the truth about the history and present happenings in our country. Don't let the government control you; be your own individual.
Suggestive thinking, causing your perspective to change
They wanna rearrange the whole point of view of the ghetto
The fourth branch of the government, want us to settle
A bandana full of glittering, generality
Fighting for freedom and fighting terror, but what's reality?
Read about the history of the place that we live in
And stop letting corporate news tell lies to your children"
(For complete song lyrics see:
and for video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ntQfkc7DRsY)
EXCUSE THE PROFANITY!!!
This is the chorus of one of my favorite songs called, "The 4th Branch" by underground rap artist Immortal Technique. When he says, "The fourth branch of the government," he means the media. His songs speak out against the government, and he is not shy to share his political views or his insight on the economy. He is my favorite artist, even though none of his songs play on the radio, or very few people even know about him, due to his obscene language and anti-government opinions. I like what he has to say though, and I find truth in his lyrics. Often times I don't know what some of the words he says means, or who the people he talks about are, so I research the lyrics and search the internet for information to learn about it. In the lyrics I posted, I had no clue what "MK-ULTRA" was, so I did some research and found out that it was a code name for a CIA mind-control research program that began in the early 1950's. Now, this is very interesting to me, because I have often wondered if mind control was a possible power that the government had. I believe that it is, and after reading about the CIA's involvement in it, I bet the CIA is still running tests and improving mind-control capabilities to this day. However, when I look at this song, Techinque makes it very clear how the government is controlling the public's minds: the MEDIA!!! The sad thing is, it is working. People need to stop listening to the media, and go out and read books or trusting internet sources that will tell them the truth about the history and present happenings in our country. Don't let the government control you; be your own individual.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
"The Singer Solution to World Poverty" response
My initial reaction to reading this article was that Peter Singer, the Australian philosopher that the article was based on, had a great point. As I read through it, and saw some of the statistics and numbers the author was talking about, I felt guilty as an American citizen who doesn't give to charity. I am an extremely blessed person, living in Hawaii and going to Punahou School, and there are so few in the world that are given the same opportunities that I have been given. If anyone should be donating to charity, it should be people like myself who are so lucky. Well, that was only my first reaction to it. After thinking about it more and after having had a class discussion about it, I feel like this article is a DESPERATE attempt to guilt people into giving to charity. I think giving money to charity is a positive and necessary thing, but I think the article just doesn't do a good job making me want to do anything about it myself. Does this make me a bad person though? I don't think so. First of all, I don't have spare money to give to charity. My parents work their hearts out making a living for my family. People that work hard in life and put in the time and energy to make a successful living should not have to be forced to giving their earnings away. It is very unfortunate that children are born into homelessness and poverty and we do need to help them out if we can. Guilt-tripping people into doing so is just not the right approach and that's where the article fails. Also, helping them is important, but not as important as living our own lives and achieving our own goals too. We can't ruin our own lives trying to save others. Or, I think it is honorable if some do, but I don't think it is a reasonable task to give to everyone in the world with some money in their pockets. Overall, giving to charity is a great thing to do, and I want to do what I can, but the article didn't do a great job in convincing me that I really need to make a change in my lifestyle.
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