8 Lessons to Live by:

1. Don't procrastinate because it's better to just get your work done and over with. 
2. Happiness does not only come with people you meet and things you do, but it comes within yourself. This is important to know because you don't need other things to make you happy, you can make yourself happy.
3. Smile. Be happy. Someone out there is having a worst day, so be happy of what you have.
4. Life is short, so don't waste your time.
5. Be your own person. Don't waste your time following other people's life, because YOUR life is short. Live your own way.
6. Trust your instincts. Believe in yourself, trust that you are right.
7. Let go of what you can't control. People and things will happen and do things that you can't control. Just breathe and forget.
8. Never stop believing in your dreams. When your dream dies so does a part of you. When your dream disappears so does a part of you. Don't Stop Believing.

"The Erne From the Coast" by T.O Beachcroft

Harry lives on a farm with his father, Mr. Thorburn and he is sent to go take care of the sheep for a night or two. While Harry is taking care of the sick lamb and big eagle swoops in and takes one of the sheep, and Harry tries to fight the eagle off but it unsuccessful. When Harry later returns to home telling his father what occurred, but his father doesn't believe Harry unless he shows proof. Harry goes back to the hut and once again the eagle comes back, but this time Harry is ready for the eagle. He carries the died eagle back to his farm showing his father, and finally winning his father's love.


Harry in the begginging of the story was weak and flimsy and didn't achieve his father's respect, but at the end of the story he completely transforms. He becomes strong inside and outside and finally wins his father's love and appreciation once and for all. When Harry was fighting back he was standing up for himself against his father, and when Harry was killing the eagle he gained self-worth by his father. Events and decisions have transformed Harry but also myself. Meeting new people, getting my appendix out, expanding friendships, traveling through rich and diverse cultures are events that changed me as a person. Seeing and expanding on things I've already learned, making mistakes and learning and growing from them. All theses events have a specific path that changes throughout my life depending on my decisions and what path my feet want to take.

Transforming our World

Technology has transformed the world by creating cures for illness, connecting people around the world, expanding our knowledge, expanded intertainment, and far more. Not everyone relizes how much technolgoy has helped the world transform. Cures, counteracting illnesses only because of technology. Communitcation spreading throughout the world no matter how far away you because of technology. Education and knowledge has spread as well creating the world a more rich and diverse atmosphere. Technology is a remarkable invenstion and it has transformed our world, so we can't take advantage of our fortune.

Past turned to Future

Most of my traits come from my father; steel blue eyes, dandelion hair as a child transferred with age to a subtle blond. My future reflecting his past. Both our hands stretching passed Italy; coming back to half of my roots. We are both adventurous, hard headed at times and creative. Most people say I look just like my father. So what do I have in common with my mother; our laughter, our smiles, our compassion both similar. I take after my father for more physical traits and for my mother I have more "inner" traits. My mother and I don't look anything alike, almost coming from completely different families. Dark brown almost a steady black and a subtle blond, both of these colors have barely anything in common, yet their related. My father and I have barely anything that is different.

Each relationship grows, becoming stronger but also changing. Both my relationship with my father and my mother have evolved. Even though we are always still the same person you can alway change. There are things that are always taken for granted, even if you don't realize. Parents take care of you, feed you, nurture you, even if you don't realize how much they do for you because they do this naturally. We have to appreciate everything and everyone because they or it might not be here one day, so let's not take for granted the things that are just given to us.

Changing Times

Education Reform, Environmental protection, Women's rights. These 3 pressing issue were shown in the 1890's to the 1920's but also these issue are occurring currently. Education Reform, children were only sent to school so they could get used to working and learning in a factory based environment. Most people thought that most kids didn't even need or deserve an education. Students should be able to learn freely, be able to go to school and make their own decision on what path they want to take later on in life. Children shouldn't have a set course of their future based on society because this life changing decision should be picked by the child, not anyone else. It's their future, not anyone else. Environmental protection can also be helped because we can never give enough back to the earth. It's our home and we should start treating it like that. Just like Environmental protection Women's rights can always be helped. Even though it had improved over the years there is still more changing we can do. It's hard to make a change and it take time, but it's worth waiting for.

Later On...

     I hope to transform in the world the way people think about things so negatively, or judge something or someone
by one glance or look. The whispers behind people's back, gossip. Leading no where, ending up no where, no point expect for rumors. This prevents people from being who they are, which is a huge conflict. This issue happens a lot and it can make people crawl back into their shell and never show we they really are again. Self-confidence can be taken easily but just one comment, look, action, but only if you let it be taken. This is what I want to change in the world.

"The New Kid" by Murray Heyert

Dear young Marty,
I remember years ago when the gang went out to play punch ball in the streets. I didn't fit in so well, always begging to be in the next game. I knew that the next game would come, but I wouldn't play in it. The guys made excuses to not let me play, and one of those excuses was there was an even amount without me. I took it upon myself to find that one person that would make the team even with myself included. I still remember the boy and we called him the "new kid". I wanted him to play not for himself but for myself, this was my chance. I thought it was my chance to prove myself, to show the other guys what their missing out on. The new kid was shy, he couldn't make up his mind, but he finally agreed to play. I clearly remember like it was yesterday that they agreed to let us play. I messed up that one chance that was given to me. The ball came to me and maybe it was because I was nervous, but I messed up. I passed the ball to quickly to one of my other plays and we lost the game. The new kid messed up as well, he dodged the ball. Everyone was making fun of him, and so was I. Maybe it was because so many of those boy's made fun of me, but I took it out on the new kid. I punched him and hit him until he ran away. The bad thing was I liked it, and I wanted to hit him more.

 I know see that I was wrong to do that. I understand why I did it. I did what they other kids did to me to the new kid. At the moment I didn't feel empathy, but I do now. I took all the anger I had and pushed it toward the new innocent kid. If I could I would take it all back, but I guess if you think about it it's a learning experience. Not a good one, but one I can take for the rest of my life and tell people so they will never do what I did to that kid.  I hope that that kid will never do what I did to him to someone else, because if he does it might be a on going chain leading towards a bottomless pit, and getting no where.

The advice I would give to my son or anyone for that matter is be kind to others. No matter what anger you have inside of you let it go or don't take it out on other people. Most people say to treat other how you want to be treated and I think this is great advice I would give me son. Before you do something mean think about how this might affect someone, how they or you would fee. Think before you speak. I will always remember this.

Love,
Older Marty