Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Our Journey with Stephen Kumalo
Throughout Cry, the Beloved Country, we are on a journey with Stephen Kumalo. We learn about all the attributes that make up his personality. We see Kumalo struggle and fall, but we also see him grow stronger and wiser. Every worry, fear, heart ache, or trial that Kumalo goes through makes him seem even more realistic. In the beginning, we see Kumalo as a reserved man who is very gullible. As the book continues, we see a now sophisticated man who is determined to win his son's freedom.
In Cry, the Beloved Country, we see Stephen Kumalo's weakest moments and his unappealing traits. When Kumalo first arrives to Johannesburg, he is very naïve because he has never seen anything but his everyday lifestyle. He has been restricted from the outside world. He does not know that there is a major crime problem in Johannesburg. He does not know about the prostitutes and the illegal liquor sellers. Kumalo is blind to the current society issues. Kumalo is also over trusting. He does not believe that people would scheme another person for no reason which sets him up for disaster when he arrives to Johannesburg. Kumalo is so trusting that he gives a stranger money assuming he would buy his bus ticket. Kumalo later learns that he has been robbed.
Kumalo is a determined man with a big heart. Throughout book one of Cry, the Beloved Country, Stephen Kumalo is determined to find his troubled son, Absalom. He goes to multiple people who just send him to different sources. He is worried that if he does not find his son soon then it will be too late. Kumalo is also very caring. When he finds his sister Gertrude, he looks pass her mistakes and the person she has become. Instead of judging Gertrude, he takes care of her and her son, and he buys them new clothes and provides them with a new home. This shows that even with the worst people, Stephen Kumalo can show love and compassion at their lowest moments.
Toward the end of the book, we see Kumalo grow in multiple ways. We see him grow wiser. He learns that he must fight for everything that he wants. His brother has taught him that people will manipulate you just so they can come out on top. This experience in Johannesburg has made him much stronger. He works for what he wants. Kumalo plans to fight for his son's freedom and he will not let anyone stand in his way. His faith is also stronger. He was lost, but now he has found who he is supposed to be.
As we continue to read this heart wrenching book, we see a man who is shining a new light into his life. Along with his negative and positive attributes, he is still learning new things everyday and he is becoming a stronger person. This experience has shaped him into a new person that will make a difference in his family's lives. Paton makes Stephen Kumalo seem like a real man going through everyday trials.
In Cry, the Beloved Country, we see Stephen Kumalo's weakest moments and his unappealing traits. When Kumalo first arrives to Johannesburg, he is very naïve because he has never seen anything but his everyday lifestyle. He has been restricted from the outside world. He does not know that there is a major crime problem in Johannesburg. He does not know about the prostitutes and the illegal liquor sellers. Kumalo is blind to the current society issues. Kumalo is also over trusting. He does not believe that people would scheme another person for no reason which sets him up for disaster when he arrives to Johannesburg. Kumalo is so trusting that he gives a stranger money assuming he would buy his bus ticket. Kumalo later learns that he has been robbed.
Kumalo is a determined man with a big heart. Throughout book one of Cry, the Beloved Country, Stephen Kumalo is determined to find his troubled son, Absalom. He goes to multiple people who just send him to different sources. He is worried that if he does not find his son soon then it will be too late. Kumalo is also very caring. When he finds his sister Gertrude, he looks pass her mistakes and the person she has become. Instead of judging Gertrude, he takes care of her and her son, and he buys them new clothes and provides them with a new home. This shows that even with the worst people, Stephen Kumalo can show love and compassion at their lowest moments.
Toward the end of the book, we see Kumalo grow in multiple ways. We see him grow wiser. He learns that he must fight for everything that he wants. His brother has taught him that people will manipulate you just so they can come out on top. This experience in Johannesburg has made him much stronger. He works for what he wants. Kumalo plans to fight for his son's freedom and he will not let anyone stand in his way. His faith is also stronger. He was lost, but now he has found who he is supposed to be.
As we continue to read this heart wrenching book, we see a man who is shining a new light into his life. Along with his negative and positive attributes, he is still learning new things everyday and he is becoming a stronger person. This experience has shaped him into a new person that will make a difference in his family's lives. Paton makes Stephen Kumalo seem like a real man going through everyday trials.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Being With the Right Friends
I remember my junior high years easily. I was often hopeless. I felt like I couldn't live up to my older sisters' standards. I felt like my "friends" thought I was a loser, and I constantly thought they were talking behind my back. Most of my friends in junior high had boyfriends so I thought I needed a guy to make me feel better. When I couldn't get a boyfriend, I began to feel not very pretty. I felt stupid when I wasn't the smartest person in my classes. I suddenly became unsocial and quiet. My self esteem started dropping and I stopped feeling significant. Then, I began to envy my twin sister, Sydney. She had everything in my eyes: cheer leading, a boyfriend, beauty. Even though we are identical twins, I always felt like she was prettier and better. I was simply unhappy.
When summer finally rolled around, I was relieved that I was no longer in junior high. I was finally leaving the haunting whispers and the painful laughs that I was always paranoid about. I was ready to be happy again. I wanted to be my old happy, go-lucky self. To start off my summer, I went to Snowbird. Snowbird is a weeklong Christian summer camp that is based around your relationship with God. I decided to put the school year behind me and enjoy my time at this camp. I started by talking and opening up to the other students that went with my church to this camp. I talked to old friends and people I never would have imagined talking to. I began to realize that I was actually having a good time at Snowbird. We spent our week laughing, crying, and becoming spiritually connected. When we came home, I assumed we would go in different directions and forget about the entire week. I was completely wrong.
A few weeks after we had left camp, I found myself still hanging out with the people I had met at camp. We continued to have an amazing time together. I found myself smiling more often and enjoying my time with them. I was happy. These people accepted me for who I was. I could be stupid and silly, and they still made me feel better about myself. That is when I realized that these people built me up instead of tearing me down like my old "friends" used to do. I stopped filling my life with people who did not really care about me. My new friends made me feel special and they were there for me whenever I needed them.
After meeting these new friends, I realized that in order to be happy you have to have people you love around you. You cannot be friends with people who bring you down or who do not care about your happiness. Friendship is about love, support, and patience. You have to build each other up and give each other strength. I currently have friends that I know care about me and I care about them. I am happier than ever.
When summer finally rolled around, I was relieved that I was no longer in junior high. I was finally leaving the haunting whispers and the painful laughs that I was always paranoid about. I was ready to be happy again. I wanted to be my old happy, go-lucky self. To start off my summer, I went to Snowbird. Snowbird is a weeklong Christian summer camp that is based around your relationship with God. I decided to put the school year behind me and enjoy my time at this camp. I started by talking and opening up to the other students that went with my church to this camp. I talked to old friends and people I never would have imagined talking to. I began to realize that I was actually having a good time at Snowbird. We spent our week laughing, crying, and becoming spiritually connected. When we came home, I assumed we would go in different directions and forget about the entire week. I was completely wrong.
A few weeks after we had left camp, I found myself still hanging out with the people I had met at camp. We continued to have an amazing time together. I found myself smiling more often and enjoying my time with them. I was happy. These people accepted me for who I was. I could be stupid and silly, and they still made me feel better about myself. That is when I realized that these people built me up instead of tearing me down like my old "friends" used to do. I stopped filling my life with people who did not really care about me. My new friends made me feel special and they were there for me whenever I needed them.
After meeting these new friends, I realized that in order to be happy you have to have people you love around you. You cannot be friends with people who bring you down or who do not care about your happiness. Friendship is about love, support, and patience. You have to build each other up and give each other strength. I currently have friends that I know care about me and I care about them. I am happier than ever.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Nana's Peanut Butter Fudge
Ingredients:
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Turn the heat on medium high.
I was always fascinated by my mom when she made this dessert. She would never measure things exactly, but it always came out just right. She always told me stories about how her mom was a genius in the kitchen when she was growing up. My mom talks about how her mom would make fudge for her when she was a teenager, but she did not help her mom like I help her. I always asked why, but she just simply told me that they were not very close when she was a teenager. This blew my mind since me and my mom are best friends. I would continue to ask my mom about her childhood and where she learned how to cook.
"I just kind of taught myself," she would say, "you learn from your mistakes, and then you try again."
Even when my mom said the simplest things, it reminded me how wise she was. I would listen to my mom tell stories until the timer beeped and it was time for the next step.
When it starts to boil, get a cold glass of water and get a tiny drop of the mixture from the pan. You then drop the mixture into the water. If the tiny drop forms into a light ball then it is ready. If it does not form a ball, let it keep boiling.
My mother taught me this technique the first time I helped her make fudge. She always loved baking and I know she loved when Sydney and I helped her. She would always ask me or Sydney to take the saucepan off the burner when it was done boiling. Sydney would usually run in the opposite direction because she was always scared the bubbles would pop out of the pan and hit her. I, on the other hand, knew how to angle my hand just the right way so it would not cross paths with the boiling mixture that could leave a blister on my hand. Megan and Emily, my older sisters, would begin to join me, Sydney, and my mom in the kitchen. We would enjoy the time we had left together as a whole because Megan would be starting her life with her new husband and Emily would be starting her new career as a nurse. While we reminisced on memories that made us laugh until we cried or ones that allowed us to remember how blessed we were to have each other, we could smell cinnamon candles wafting through the house mixed with peanut butter. You would hear the faint sound of Trans Siberian Orchestra playing their famous Christmas music on our television. While we continued to joke around, my mother would finish the dessert.
When the mixture is ready, add peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Beat it until it begins to thicken. Quickly pour it into an 8x8 pan and let it cool completely, then cut it into squares and serve it.
When my mother began to pour the finished product into the small pan, I always watched it spread evenly. It looked so good that I would want to eat it before it was completely solidified. Sydney and I would scrape out the extra fudge from the bowl and eat it while we waited for the dessert to cool. When it was ready, we would all try to call the biggest piece of fudge first. After we all got our piece, we would eat it slowly and savor each bite. We never realized that we had just made memories that we would remember forever.
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 3/4 Cup water
- 1 Cup Peanut Butter
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- Dash of Salt
Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Turn the heat on medium high.
I was always fascinated by my mom when she made this dessert. She would never measure things exactly, but it always came out just right. She always told me stories about how her mom was a genius in the kitchen when she was growing up. My mom talks about how her mom would make fudge for her when she was a teenager, but she did not help her mom like I help her. I always asked why, but she just simply told me that they were not very close when she was a teenager. This blew my mind since me and my mom are best friends. I would continue to ask my mom about her childhood and where she learned how to cook.
"I just kind of taught myself," she would say, "you learn from your mistakes, and then you try again."
Even when my mom said the simplest things, it reminded me how wise she was. I would listen to my mom tell stories until the timer beeped and it was time for the next step.
When it starts to boil, get a cold glass of water and get a tiny drop of the mixture from the pan. You then drop the mixture into the water. If the tiny drop forms into a light ball then it is ready. If it does not form a ball, let it keep boiling.
My mother taught me this technique the first time I helped her make fudge. She always loved baking and I know she loved when Sydney and I helped her. She would always ask me or Sydney to take the saucepan off the burner when it was done boiling. Sydney would usually run in the opposite direction because she was always scared the bubbles would pop out of the pan and hit her. I, on the other hand, knew how to angle my hand just the right way so it would not cross paths with the boiling mixture that could leave a blister on my hand. Megan and Emily, my older sisters, would begin to join me, Sydney, and my mom in the kitchen. We would enjoy the time we had left together as a whole because Megan would be starting her life with her new husband and Emily would be starting her new career as a nurse. While we reminisced on memories that made us laugh until we cried or ones that allowed us to remember how blessed we were to have each other, we could smell cinnamon candles wafting through the house mixed with peanut butter. You would hear the faint sound of Trans Siberian Orchestra playing their famous Christmas music on our television. While we continued to joke around, my mother would finish the dessert.
When the mixture is ready, add peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Beat it until it begins to thicken. Quickly pour it into an 8x8 pan and let it cool completely, then cut it into squares and serve it.
When my mother began to pour the finished product into the small pan, I always watched it spread evenly. It looked so good that I would want to eat it before it was completely solidified. Sydney and I would scrape out the extra fudge from the bowl and eat it while we waited for the dessert to cool. When it was ready, we would all try to call the biggest piece of fudge first. After we all got our piece, we would eat it slowly and savor each bite. We never realized that we had just made memories that we would remember forever.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Emotionally Committing Adultery
It is very common in our society today to commit adultery. In "The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a group of people in a village fish out a man, and the women find him very attractive. Although adultery is frowned upon by some people, other people may encourage it. Many people believe that if you are only thinking about someone who is not your spouse, then you are not doing anything wrong. This is far from the truth. Emotionally committing adultery is just the same as physically committing adultery.
In the story, every woman who came in contact with this man began to lust after him. It says, "They secretly compared him to their own men." When you are in a relationship, you should not think about all the things your spouse cannot do, and you should not compare him to other men. The story also says, "They ended up dismissing their men deep in their hearts." The man you are with should always be number one in your heart. The women in this story were emotionally committing adultery that night.
When you choose to be in a relationship with someone, you should not be obsessing about someone else who is not your spouse. Many women often think about other men instead of their spouse. Your spouse should be the first person on your mind because you could make yourself unhappy. You need to remember that you chose to be with that person, so you should respect that person. Sometimes people become careless in a relationship, but you should try hard if you want to make it work.
You should not lust after other men because that is just as bad as physically committing adultery. If you are going to think about another man, then just go be with that person.
In the story, every woman who came in contact with this man began to lust after him. It says, "They secretly compared him to their own men." When you are in a relationship, you should not think about all the things your spouse cannot do, and you should not compare him to other men. The story also says, "They ended up dismissing their men deep in their hearts." The man you are with should always be number one in your heart. The women in this story were emotionally committing adultery that night.
When you choose to be in a relationship with someone, you should not be obsessing about someone else who is not your spouse. Many women often think about other men instead of their spouse. Your spouse should be the first person on your mind because you could make yourself unhappy. You need to remember that you chose to be with that person, so you should respect that person. Sometimes people become careless in a relationship, but you should try hard if you want to make it work.
You should not lust after other men because that is just as bad as physically committing adultery. If you are going to think about another man, then just go be with that person.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Why Live With Regret?
Don't you hate when you beat yourself up over a decision that you are not sure is right? Robert Frost wrote a poem called "A Road Not Taken" that explains the difficulty in making a decision, but at some point we have to make choices and live with it. We will make a lot of decisions in our lives, and we cannot regret everything we choose.
We have to make choices whether we like it or not. Decisions are being made all around us. You have to decide who your friends are going to be. You need to figure out if you are going to hang out with fun people or people who care. People are also doing drugs and alcohol every day. You will be put in situations where you have to decide if you will fall into these temptations.
When we make a choice, we have to deal with it. At some point, students will graduate from high school, and they have to choose between many different colleges. Once the students decide which college they will attend, they should not regret the school they chose. Teenagers may have to decide if they want to go to a party that may be no good. If the teenager decides to go to this party, then they should not regret it. They should understand that they will make mistakes.
We are forced to make decisions from the time we get up to the time we go to bed. We cannot spend our whole lives being threatened by our choices. We must make decisions and deal with it.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
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