Blog 8: be yourself
Since we have reached the half way point in the class and you suggested having an open blog topic, here it is. Feel free to write whatever. It can be related to class or not. Someone mentioned wanting to share their funniest story. Use this as a chance to let the rest of the class get to know you a little bit better. Remember, we will be choosing wiki groups in a few weeks.
And, don't forget to go back to Blog #7 and write a response to your classmates.
And, don't forget to go back to Blog #7 and write a response to your classmates.
posted by cmartin at 1:39 PM
30 Comments:
This past week was perhaps one of the most difficult experiences of my life, or a personal wake up call to how pervasive mental illness is among Americans. I lost a dear family friend to suicide, someone who I looked up to and emulated in many ways during my "growing up" years. Sadly, I did not realize the pain that she was in due to bipolar disorder. I, still in college, and she, a college graduate, living in New York City. Amalie was a student body officer, key club member, choral member, ballerina, student body secretary and president of the spanish honor society in high school. She attended Duke, graduated from UF and did her graduate work at NYU. She was currently teaching in a NY middle school and an adult ed class at NYU. Over the years, she taught me so many things, how to create, how to dream and generally just how to enjoy every day of your life. Amalie also stepped in to be my confirmation sponsor at church, during a very busy time of her life. I have many special memories of family celebrations and vacations, which we shared together. A family friend for sure, a big sister in all reality. When you hear that someone is having difficulty coping with life, and all you know is the wonderful things they have contributed to you and society, you tend not to take it to seriously. You might hear yourself saying, "she /he is going through a rough time," or "she/he will get over it.
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I love France. In fact, I think I might be slightly obsessed with the I studied there over the summer and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I'm so glad I did it! I wanted to study in a small French city and UF only offered programs in Paris, so I found a program with FIU in Angers, which is in the Loire Valley (where all the castles are) in the west of France. I had taken French classes for four years so I had a pretty strong base. Interestingly enough, I learned the most French at bars rather than in class while abroad. The guys there really know how to romance a woman. They waste no time in approaching a girl and know what to say (most of the time). They're usual line is, "ah, you're an American girl? Can I practice my English with you?" Most of them are very opinionated and aren't inhibited with expressing their beliefs. The rest of the conversation would usually be about Americans and how materialistic they are. They think that we are just like in the rap videos,where it's all about the bling, sex, cars, money and trashy clothing. They're not too far from the truth. They're much more simplistic and practical there. I love how instead of rebuilding, they restore. They have so much history and all you have to do is look around the corner to witness it while here in the States, you'd have to go to a museum. The countryside is gorgeous, covered in flower fields. I plan on moving there after graduation. I want to be a professional translator and work for the government so moving to France would really help me get a good grasp of the most beautiful language in the world--French. :)
Well tonight was "The Great Underwear Dash II: The Undie 500." I came online tonight and saw that we can write about whatever, so I thought I mineswell write about this. I don't know if anyone in the class was there, or saw us run by, but it was pretty amazing. My friend Beau started it, and we had our first one at the end of last Spring. When he told me the idea, i pretty much thought he was crazy. But nonetheless I helped him pass out flyers and tried to convince people to come out. The plan was to meet at the Hub at midnight, strip down (to your undies) and run out to University. We were wondering if anyone would actually come out and do it, but it was a pretty good turnout for the first one. There was about 70 people, and we went around twice (once on the campus side of University, and then again on the club/bar side). Well everyone who partook loved it, and Beau wanted to do it again. So he planned the Undie 500 over the Summer, and started spreading the word. And I guess it worked because there was what seemed to be 500 people tonight. There wasn't a head count, but it was a pretty massive crowd. The Alligator and the Gainesville Sun was there, and there should be an article about it next week. If you want to check that out.
I am so happy for my friend, I am sure his expectations were surpassed. And if you want to feel the freedom of running in your undies, and you are on facebook, you can join "the great underwear dash" facebook group to find out when the next one is.
Hm, well this story doesn't say a lot about myself, but if you like running in your underwear then we should be in the same wiki group.
I really love politics, and two summers ago I got the chance of a lifetime, I got to be a Page in the House of Representatives. Basically what that entails is delivering papers, flags and other relatively mundane things like that to different Congressman’s offices from other Congressman’s offices. The great part about the job is you report to work on the Floor of the House of Representatives and have access to almost all of the Capitol building and the 3 congressional office buildings. I won’t go into detail, because I’m sure this is only fascinating to me, but the highlights of the experience were getting evacuated from the Capitol, paying my respects to Pres. Reagan and being a seat filler for Hamid Karzai’s address to the joint session of Congress. The people I met there were also amazing, one of them is actually on an MTV reality show now! If you want to hear the specifics, feel free to ask me.
I just finished reading a wonderful book called The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and didn't want it to end. The Perks of Being a Wallflower consists of many entries written by Charlie, the protagonist. Charlie begins every entry with "Dear Friend" and tells you everything that goes through his mind, from his most intimate thoughts to the grades he gets on his english papers. He's a boy that has many psychological problems due to the fact that he was molested by his favorite aunt. This may sound sad, but Charlie became like a best friend to me. I read the book at the perfect time, it was the time in which I had lost contact with my own best friend. Therefore in a way The Perks of Being a Wallflower replaced the comfort that I had always felt with my best friend. It's a great feeling that of comfort and belonging. It is a feeling that I must reestablish at my new settings. Like overcoming stages of life in general. Charlie did the same, he overcame different stages of his new life in high school and finally discovering what happened with his aunt. Everything in life is a process, processes that once finished, we move on to the next. Busying ourselves with these processes can be harmful or quite the opposite. That's what it's all about, and Charlie is a great example, getting through.
Read The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Be happy.
I went home this weekend, and that always gives me plenty to think/write about.
I love my family, I could talk about them for hours... I have a lot of stories to tell, some sad like Ashley's. I admire her for posting that vulnerable story, maybe in the response blog I will share a few of my own.
But back to the matter at hand--
This weekend was the first weekend in a long time that I was able to be with my full nuclear family. My two sisters and parents all spent a day at the Millenia Mall in Orlando, and then dinner at the Food and Wine Festival at Disney's EPCOT. A day of shopping and then different types of wine to taste was my idea of the perfect day. In fact, I looked forward to it all weekend. However, I knew that I had/have homework, and that I needed to be here, in gainesville, doing it. It loomed over my head just as Wilma has. Both of my parents are "excused" from work tomorrow, but here I am, truckin on to prepare myself for the rain and wind tomorrow.
Registration for spring classes is coming up pretty quickly. It's hard to believe that these classes we're in now are almost over. It scares me....Now I must think of graduating on time, internships, real jobs...
Who says we have to graduate in four years!? Really! It's an inner struggle I'm going through right now...the fact that I am going to have to grow up in less than two years. Crazy. In just two years the oppotunities for studying abroad, underwear races, and handball tournaments will all be gone...
I have to say I am extremely glad I am taking this course. One thing I have noticed about our discussions, especially concerning children and media, are the different backgrounds we all have had growing up. Children now-a-days have become desensitized by how their lives are lived. A little more about the world of Cesar… About 3 or so years ago I began a relationship with my parents. I now have a great relationship with the both of them, and plan on keeping them in my life. But it was not always this way. I began my journey I call life living with both parents at birth. The years until I was 10 were the hardest years of my life. My father was abusive and an alcoholic (but abusive more so because of the alcohol and his childhood), and my mother too young to know what motherhood was (my mother had me right before her 18th birthday and was kicked out of her home because she was pregnant). I have a brother and sister who are twins, about 2 years younger than me. I grew up for periods of time then with different family members, neighbors and an older cousin who now has a family of his own. When I look back at that part today I am amazed how I survived. At 10 they finally separated, and then I realized how dysfunctional the court system is in America. I was separated from my siblings, to live with my father, not by choice. I lived with a father I honestly did not know, a recovering alcoholic and an up and coming workaholic. Those six years of my life were interesting. I became the independent person I am today by working by the age of 14 at McDonalds to buy school supplies and really anything else I needed. People ask me if I could have changed how my life has played out so far, but why change who you are today? Experiences truly make a person, and I believe that with all my heart. He kicked me out my junior year in high school. For almost six months I lived with a friend from school until my mother found out and made me move back in with him. A majority of my friends knew nothing about my personal life going through school except for my best friends Israel and Lina. You know, the friends you make tell you a lot about yourself. Lina I’ve known since first grade and Israel I have known since the summer before 6th grade. They were an inspiration to me growing up and mean the world to me. I graduated at the top of my class and spoke as class president at this graduation. Anyways just recently I have been able to connect again. I don’t excuse their actions growing up, I just try to understand what was going on in their lives back then. They also remarried and seem to be on the right track. I could take it upon myself to hate them, but I don’t. To each and every one of us the word family has a different meaning. To me it means having the ability to accept and forgive the ones you love.
I just went to Halloween Horror Nights last night and it was so much fun! My girls and I had some crazy times. I’ve been to HHN about 8 times, but this time was more special because we were all drunk! If you’re not 21 and you go to HHN, don’t even think about sneaking a drink. There are cops and security everywhere, even undercover, so it’s impossible. But now that all of us are 21, we made the most of it. We started out with drinks at Chilli’s, followed by playing “Never have I ever…” at the hotel, and continued the celebration at Universal. We started Gator cheers in the lines, groped cops, and danced in the rain. I’m really sad it’s all over, but at least I have all the scandalous pictures so I’ll never forget! If this blog says anything about me, it’s not that I’m a borderline alcoholic; it’s just that I love to have fun! Oh, and…Jacksonville better watch out!!!
Hey, this topic was my idea! Well I will talk about what I did this past weekend. I got off work to go home (Daytona) with some friends to visit my parents and go to Biketoberfest (no I wasn’t riding on my purple scooter). Some friends and I drove down to Main Street (the center of Biketoberfest). Everything was normal (normal being 70 year old women in ass-less chaps and thongs) until we lost my drunken friend in a biker bar. We begin going from bar to bar trying to find him, we call his phone and no answer. For some reason we figured if we drank more we would find him. That didn’t work too well. We bar hopped until about three in the morning when bars started to close. After sobering up I noticed my phone had like fifteen missed calls, it was my friend! I called him back. He informed me that he was riding around with some guy that he met who traps and picks up wild boars (I have no idea why or how he went from a biker bar to a pickup truck with a creepy pig trapper). So we arranged to meet each other at one of the guy’s boar traps in the middle of nowhere. To make a long story short I was chased through the woods by a wild boar. If you don’t know what a wild boar is, imagine a pig that is as big as a great dame. Oh yeah, it has horns too. That was my night. It may not have been the most fun or exciting night but it was one of the weirder times I have had. Sorry if my story makes no sense, I haven’t slept in quite a while.
Ok, since I don't really want to go into anything too inappropriate, I guess I'll use this week's freedom to stay in line with the class and talk about my passion for games. Since I was a little boy, growing up as the younger brother of two, I've been playing videogames. Starting with the original Nintendo, I've owned all the major game consoles: NES, Sega, Super Nintendo, GameBoy, Playstation, N64, Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox, Gamecube....the list goes on. Anyways, I've always had a strong imagination which has often caused me to get lost in the games I play and the movies I watch. I guess that's why Disney World is my favorite place, loaded with all the crazy sounds and dazzling sights to make even the most hardened boy smile. In the past, I hoped to put my artistic talent toward working for Disney or a sister company like Pixar, but as I matured, I found my true belonging in the videogame industry. For as long as I can remember, some of my most memorable moments have been with videogames. Whether it was fighting my brother in the classic Street Fighter 2, boxing my friend in the more recent Fight Night Round 2, or getting lost in my own personal adventure through the Zelda world of hyrule, I cannot explain the level of excitement and joy that games have given me. With great minds such as Shigeru Myamato (creator of both Mario and Zelda) or Hironobu Sakaguchi (designer of the Final Fantasy franchise), games are possible of reaching unthinkable heights, becoming absolute works of art. This is the contribution I hope to provide, creating such amazing worlds and game experiences that the player is removed from his chair and wholly thrown into the game universe. Hopefully my plans will workout and I will be interning for Electronic Arts in Orlando come junior year. I'm definitely dedicated (the little boy inside me begs to be a part of this industry) and so I truly believe I will reach my goal. If its any indication, as I write this article, both "Break into the Game Industry" and "C++ Game Programming" sit atop the bookshelf to my right.
alright, i guess i'll talk about my cats. i'm sitting here contemplating what to write about as they play in my apartment. i have two, one gray and one black-and-white (there's a picture of them at http://www.geocities.com/blake6912/cats.JPG)
given that my parents were raised in rural louisiana, and that "animals stay outside, humans inside," i was the least likely candidate for owning an indoor pet.
i found miss kitty (the gray one) at the oaks mall 2 years ago. i was working, and one of the security guards had found an abandoned litter outside one of the entrances. my coworkers urged me to go and see them, so i did, NOT expecting to take one home with me that night. i went back to work, and when the day ended, sure enough, i took one home. she's was the bitchiest thing ever (still is) when i first got her.
unlike miss kitty, logan is extremely sociable and so loving. i adopted him in april - he was a shelter kitty who was going to be put to sleep. he licks ANYTHING that is put in front of his face. (at night, he shares a pillow and licks my hair endlessly). he also knows a few tricks. (he's just like a dog) any time he sees a cup with a straw in it, he strategically bites the straw and runs off with it. today he decided to spill a drink while showing me the trick.
the day i got miss kitty, i called home and told my parents...their response was exactly what i expected..."are you keeping it outside?!" however, after visiting and being introduced to the cat(s), they have grown very fond of them. now that my sister and i are both in college, they're seriously considering a cat to fill up the empty space at home.
I just capped off a completely crazy weekend. Halloween parties and sports galore. Last night I took on Gainesville as Mr. Incredible from Disney's movie. There must be nothing worse than seeing a 180 lb person running around three sheets to the wind in a costume made for children ages 8 - 10. I awoke this morning in a disillioned state of a terrible hangover with beer bottles, pizza crusts, and torn costumes everywhere. Not to mention of course my dog's messes. Anyhow, there is a lot more I could say but it is 4 minutes til the Midnight deadline and I have to get to work on that rough draft due tomorrow. So yes, I am something of a procrastinator too. If anyone ever wants to get ahold of me they can IM me on aim at jwgator5 or message on the facebook. Ciao, see ya'll tomorrow.
Alright, i honestly believe that this class is special with the way we all communicate with eachother. While most of us do not hang out outside of class, i do believe that there is something different in this class in comparison to all the other courses i have taken at UF. And i also believe that i could talk with any of you outside of class and not be annoyed with any of you, unlike many other peers in other courses that i've had. The reason is obviously since we discuss topic on a daily basis, it feels as if we're all good friends talking about concrete topics and not your usual "cheese". Even though we need our "football" to scream out our opinions, it reminds me of how i talk about topics with close friends of mine. Basically, i see each and every one of you as cool peeps, even though you might work at Abercrombie, are obsessed with video games or ride a purple scooter. In this class, i along with everyone else, can actually see a peek of who each and every one of you are, not just the stereotype behind you. I'll have a beer with any of you anyday.
Aww...that was a really nice note to end on Tennison. And while I am glad that this class has created an open atmosphere where you are comfortable sharing with each other and me, I think we may need a reminder about what a blog is, the role of a blog, and who (everyone) has access to blog posts. Remember, not just our class has access to this blog. It is available from any computer connected to the internet. Unlike with our class wiki, there is no password that protects this blog from being available to the general public. But, we will talk more about this in class today.
--in response to Julia--
Just wanted to let you know that I am pre-med and hoping/planning to be an orthopedic surgeon, so if you ever wanted to talk about anything, let me know. Also, I am co-president of an organization called the American Pre-medical Woman's Association, if you would like to join, I would love it, just talk to me.
--in response to Cesar--
After reading your post all I had to say was 'wow'. I commend you on getting past all the hard times.
Lately I have been thinking of the word 'family', because for the first time I don't have the commodity of seeing those that I love at any given time. I have learned that family is those that you love and love you unconditionally. Unconditional love, what a wonderful feeling to be able to think that no matter what you may do, there will still be those standing by your side. Thinking about all this has led me to realize why I may talk back to my mother or disrespect her although she is one of the most important people in my life. It is because subconsciously I know she'll still be there no matter what. Family isn't just those biological relatives, they are also those friends that just don't walk out, those that are unconditional. My best friend has taught me this without even meaning to. There are few, but there are those friends like Lina and Israel to you that are family.
I just spilled this all out, but it was refreshing to read your post and have it provoke all these thoughts in me.
--In response to this discussion in general--
I don't know if I can respond to an entire discussion, but I'm taking my chances! I really enjoywed reading everybody's responses. Some were really deep and bursting with emotion, while others were insanley crazy. Regardless, I thought it was really cool that everybody is comfortable enough to share these personal stories about themselves. This is the closest class I have ever been in. Maybe its the discussion or maybe it is just the fact that its a small class, but its really cool how this class is evolving. After reading all these posts I was thinking how cool it would be to write a book of random people's craziest stories or just stories who tell about who they are. How fun would that be to read?!? I think somebody needs to go around the school and get crazy stories from all types of people. Stories are a very personal way to get to know somebody. So in a way such a book about UF would be like a way to get to know the students outside of your little group. Does anybody else think this is a good idea?
Great idea Stephen, if you were to take on such a task I could offer boatloads of nutty tales. I also think this blog was one of the coolest. Unfortunately I was running late or I would have offered something better than I did. Some people had some really good thigns to say.
Re: everyone!
It was interesting to see all the different types of responses people put up. I want to especially thank Ashley and Cesar for sharing their stories...Ahsley, I hope you're doing better (need another hug). Cesar, you're an inspiration. Anyone else would have let their troubles get the best of them, but you're here, in college, moving forward. Kate, your handball team is scandalous! And Tennison, who rides a purple scooter?
In response to Julia-
I think it is awesome that you kind of rebeled against your parents by going to a college of your choice. It is really hard to go against what your parents want, but in the end it is really about what makes you happy (which is really what probably makes your paretns happy too). I know that my dad wishes I would become an architect so that I can be financially stable when I grow older, but I would not be close to as happy as I am with my major now. I know I wont be rich with my career, but I know I'll be happy doing it.
--in response to the class--
I really really enjoyed this blog and reading what everyone had to say. Some of the stories made me roll on the floor in laughter while others made me re-evaluate my life. Alltogether, it was a really good opportunity to get to know something unique about everyone in the class. I agree with Tennison that I could totally see myself hanging out with you guys outside of the class as well (by the way Tennison...Abercrombie's so hot right now!)
I just wanted to comment on two peoples blogs and give it my personal twist. Natalies blog about family brought a tear to my eye, since i haven't been able to have a moment with my family in a really long time. I miss them all!
It relates to chris' comment since he typed up a sentance remembering how he used to play SF2 with his brother. Brings back good ol' times when i used to do that with my older cousin, who is only a cousin because he's my aunts son, but to me...he's my brother..
:tear:...:-)
i dont know if anyone is going to read this, but if you do, do you mid telling me how to upload my paper onto our group wiki. im an idiot
---in response to class---
I couldn't help but laugh after some of these stories and the service announcement reminding us who "has access to the blog." Anyways, I enjoyed reading everyone's stories. For those of you experiencing troubles, I give you my most sincere condolences and for those with more lighthearted and funny posts, keep up the light spirit. Lastly, I found it cool and interesting to see Tennison reference my post and playing games with a relative. Well...see you all Wednesday.
Tagging on to what Vilmarie had to say, I too spent a summer abroad, UF program in Rome. I totally agree with the historical aspect, as you round every corner history is staring at you. I, as she, cannot explain how personal this trip was and how I long to go back. I am not a language expert as she, but am working on my Italian, in hopes to take my set design career back to Rome at some point. As far as guys, they are romancers but more than that they know how to treat a girl, it is nice to be treated special. However, guys are guys and I think most have the same motive as American college guys. You just need to set your ground, and explain that not all girls are like what the media portrays. Vilmarie - I understand completely your passion for France, as I am totally inequivocally in love with Italy!
In response to the class:
Reading all of your stories was both heartbreaking and hilarious. It has always amazed me how people can be so alike, and so different at the same time. I wish all of you the best, through the rough times take solace in laughter and friendship and through the inebriated times take solace in Advil!
in response to ashley:
your post hit home when you mentioned that your friend was affected by bipolar disorder. in 1998, my mom was disagnosed (after being misdiagnosed by numerous doctors) with bipolar disorder. learning to understand it, and more importantly, learing to support my mother has proven to be one of the most difficult feats thus far in my life. many people fail to recognize that living with bipolar disorder is much like living with a chronic illness. however, there is a negative stigma associated with it. my mom is very fortunate; many people with mental illness often go misdiagnosed or even undiagnosed for years. the friends and family that they have may not be as supportive as they should be. though it has tested us at times, this illness has caused my immediate family to grow even stronger. with the help of medical professionals, a strong family, and continuing knowledge about the illness, we have all learned to live with and manage her condition.
--in response to the class--
Where to start.... This class is doing much more than just teaching us how to write or review games. I think its teaching us more about self development and acceptance. I think each and everyone of us is lucky, to have such a diverse group working together.
I can only hope that Cesar's comments are true.
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