Journal 4

The American Dream

            What is the American Dream? As a little girl I envisioned this as having the perfect family with the perfect career living in the perfect house and not having any worries. Looking back I now realize how unrealistic my visions were. As an American, and now an adult, I realize there is so much more to living the American Dream.

            Having lived in America my entire life, I can’t imagine living in a country that will kill you for wanting to become educated. Mr. Garcia’s story really touched me. I have never really thought of the American Dream from an immigrant’s point of view. Immigrant’s leave their countries to pursue a better life. Many, like Mr. Garcia’s parents, have no choice but to send their loved ones to a foreign country to ensure a better life. As a parent myself, sending your child away for a better life is painful sacrifice.

            There are many people that have strong views of immigration, but I absolutely support anyone who comes to America looking to better themselves, as long as this person has every intention of becoming a U.S citizen. What Mr. Garcia has done with his life is truly inspiring. Having come to a new world completely blind, he managed to learn the language, educate himself, become a citizen and achieve happiness. And that is what I would call an American Dream.

Digital Essay

The Computer Age

            When I think about the world in which we live, I can’t help but wonder when technology took over. We now live in a world in which we have access to just about anything with the tap of a keyboard and the click of a mouse. We live in a time where you no longer need to make a phone call to communicate; all you have to do is tap a few keys on the phone and viola, text message sent. We live in a time in which many of us put our whole life online within these social media sites thinking our online world is protected via privacy settings; which aren’t as private as you may think. The world in which we live is ultimately consumed, maybe even addicted to the technology age. While I am guilty of indulging, there is a delicate balance needed so that it doesn’t consume you. 

            Having come from a time when owning a beeper was the coolest thing in the world, and owning a computer was a luxury, I now take guilty pleasure in living within the online world. I’ve had the pleasure of watching the world evolve into this technology beast. I remember very clearly sitting in my seventh grade computer class, many, many years ago, listening to my teacher lecture us on “computers are the way of the world and we had better pay attention if were to advance in an ever changing world.” Looking back at that statement, I now see it was clearly a very true statement.    

            I have two teenagers and of course they are very much involved with the available technology. They have cell phones, computers, tablets, iPods; all the things you would expect a teenager to have. When these items are in use, it’s as if they are in their own little cyber world. When family dinner went from eating together to eating at different times because they were too busy to come eat, that was when I realized things had to change. It is one thing to skip family dinner if you are working on a project and need to research the web or chat with a partner, but it is a completely different story when you’re skipping to “Facebook” or “twitter tweet.” 

            I feel as though the technology age has taken us away from quality time with friends and family. I realize that it is so much easier to send a text message when you’re busy and can’t make that call, or send an email because it’s easier to type than to write out a long letter, but isn’t texting and emailing a little impersonal? Wouldn’t it mean so much more to hear someone’s voice or receive a letter knowing that person took the time to write? I guess I’m old school that way.

            In the beginning of the technology age, then President Bill Clinton wanted to make computers and the internet easily accessible (Wilhelm). He understood the importance of the time. However, I don’t believe his intentions would focus on accessibility to social media sites! I believe he felt it was important for everyone, young and old, to be able to operate a computer. Given where technology has taken us, if you don’t know how to work a computer, you my friend are in trouble since almost everything is done online.

            Once one ventures online, they are easily sucked in to social media sites such as Facebook. I have to admit that when I first became involved with social media, I was absolutely addicted to it. I would be on the site all day, with the window minimized so the boss wouldn’t know. Scandalous, I know. But I just couldn’t help myself; it was as if I needed to know what was going on in everyone’s world. I would wake up in the morning and immediately check my Facebook, and it would be the last thing I did before bed. Looking back at it now, I think I may have been temporarily insane. I absolutely let it consume me. And there lies the problem, people get so wrapped up in the cyber world, they end up losing in the real world.

            I think computers make great learning devices and it truly is important for everyone to know how to operate one. But I also believe that there is a balance to be had. When one starts to become consumed by cyber world, it’s time to make changes. This is especially true in today’s youth.

            As the world changes, technology will continue to advance. It is very important to become knowledgeable where computers are concerned, but most importantly, don’t let computers consume your life. Take time to enjoy quality time with friends and family. 

Works Cited

Wilhem, Anthony. Digital Nation: Toward an Inclusive Information Society. Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2004.

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Journal 3

After watching the film “Digital Nation” I have conflicting views of the digital world.

When I think of the world in which we live, most of it revolving around some form of social networking, I can’t help but wonder how it all became acceptable. When did texting and emailing become the normal way of communicating? Who determined that it would be OK to put your entire life online suggesting that it was safe to do so thanks to privacy settings; which aren’t so private by the way. While I am guilty of all of the above, I still can’t help but wonder.

            When I was growing up, we didn’t have cell phones or own a computer. The acceptable way of communication was talking on the house phone (cordless if you were lucky), writing letters or notes, or visiting someone in person. This was the only way to get caught up on the gossip! Nowadays, you can catch up with just the click of the mouse or tap of the keyboard.

 I was able to watch the transformation from the dark ages of having to communicate as mentioned above, to the modern day age of communication. I remember when AOL was the biggest thing socially, then came MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. I remember when owing a beeper (yes a beeper), it was the hottest thing on the market. Now, everyone owns some kind of a smart phone.

I guess when technology changes, society changes, therefore making the “digital nation” acceptable.  

Journal 2

Reality Television

            Over the years reality TV has taken over most channels. Shows such as Honey Boo Boo, The Bachelor, Mob Wives, Dance Moms and American Idol are just a few that have dominated airways. While most reality shows are really quite pointless, society just can’t seem to change the channel; and sadly, I am guilty. After a long day at work it’s nice to come home and watch a show that I don’t have to put much effort into actually thinking about what may or may not happen next.

            Reality TV isn’t for everyone. You have many people that think reality shows are rude, crude and not a very good influence; thanks Jersey Shore! But the fact is not all reality TV is bad. I myself am a sucker for the show Pit Bulls and Parolees. This show is about a lady who rescues pit bulls and hires parolees to help take care of them until they can be adopted. It’s a very positive show that makes a difference. It’s all in which reality shows you choose to watch.    

            I think reality TV is such a hit because it takes us away from the reality of our lives. There is a reality show for just about everyone. For the romantic you have the Bachelor or the Bachelorette, for the competitive, American Idol, for the one looking to be inspired to lose weight, The Biggest Loser, the drama lover, Mob Wives and The Real Housewives. The list is endless.

            I have a feeling reality shows are going to be around for a very long time. As long as society is watching, producers will produce!  

Essay 1

A Moment in Time

            Photography is an art unlike any other. With the click of a button, memories of that exact moment will forever live on. I believe Dorothea Lange says it best: “Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding still.” I never understood the phrase “pictures are worth a thousand words” until I was older and realized that with every picture comes a story of a moment frozen in time waiting to be heard.

            Recently, I attended the 31^st Annual Photography Competition at FSCJ Kent Campus, where I was instantly drawn to several of John Shippe’s photos. The first one to catch my attention was titled “Immaculate Conception.”  This was a beautiful picture of the inside of a church. It reminded me of a church you might see in Europe. It looked as though it may have been a Catholic church from the beautiful architecture. The windows were beautifully colored stained glass; the aisle was long with what looked like a golden floor heading towards the alter; and the ceilings were tall and arched. The coloring of the picture is what initially attracted me, but as I stood there and stared at this picture I couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace. This picture captured not only the beauty of the church but also the warmth and welcoming feeling of being accepted.

            The second picture of Mr. Shippe’s that caught my eye was titled “The Coming Storm.” This is a picture of the beach right before a storm. This particular picture is my favorite since I love the beach. It is the most calming place I know. I seek serenity in sitting on the beach, feet in the sand, listening to the waves come crashing in and the seagulls flying overhead. Having spent many of my younger years at the beach waiting for a storm to pass, I’ve never seen a picture capture quite the essence as this one has. It captures the calmness of the water and the array of colors in the sky. The calm before the storm you could say. On one side of the once blue sky you can see this calming yellow-orange and red colored sky that will soon be giving way to the other half of the sky filled with dark gray and almost black clouds. This picture was really quite beautiful. To be able to capture mother-nature at work must have been very breathtaking.

            The third picture I really like was by Rockel Hammond titled “Innocence.” This was an absolutely adorable picture of a little boy, maybe around the age of three. He has the biggest most innocent brown eyes you have ever seen. This picture just touches my heart. When I look at this picture I see a little boy and know that at his age, he has no knowledge of the evil that exist in the world. He doesn’t know that twenty children, just a few years older than him experienced the world’s evil. He doesn’t know bullies exist, has no idea that child predators live among him, no clue of child abuse, nor does he know of the homeless or the hardships people face. He is truly innocent to a world filled with evil. All he knows, and should know is love. This precious little boy will one day know of the evil that exist, but for now he is oblivious.

            I have a great admiration of all art, but photography has my heart. Photography doesn’t just capture moments, it ignites emotions. Pictures don’t just have stories behind them, they also have emotion. Whether it a picture of a person, place or thing, each picture will relate to someone’s emotions differently. This is why I say photography is unlike any other art.

 The invention of the camera was one of the world’s greatest inventions. To be able to take that picture of someone you love and cherish it when they are gone, to take a picture of a place that you may have visited when you were younger, or to even take a picture of that flower you finally were able to grow, these are the stories behind the picture. These pictures freeze that moment in time. 

Journal 1

I have to say when I first enrolled in ENC 1101 I was absolutely terrified! I had no idea what to expect, as it had been well over 15 years since I had taken a writing class. Luckily for me, my SLS 1103 professor, Ms. Warren, would be teaching an ENC 1101 class the following term. Securing a seat in her class certainly eased my terror as I had an idea of what to expect of the professor, just not the work!

Once class started I realized it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was kind of like riding a bike, a little wobbly at first but then it all came back! I actually enjoyed that class. It was a great refresher course and it helped that Ms. Warren did an amazing job walking the class through the process.

The biggest challenge for me was expanding my vocabulary while writing. I still have a hard time with this to this day. I just don’t use what I call “big word vocabulary.” I use your basic words to describe things. While the bigger vocabulary words sound great in stories, I prefer to keep it simple in everyday conversation. However, if I were to write more often, I’m sure I would find myself using a bigger vocabulary outside of writing!

I am looking forward to this class and to the challenges it will bring in my writing!