Recently in English class, we read an except from Oscar Wilde’s essay “The Decay of Lying” as an AP test prep assignment. In the excerpt, two men are going back and forth about “enjoying nature.” When you first read the piece, it may seem different than anything you have ever read and even a little difficult to follow. If you take a closer look at the excerpt; however, there are many things that may make you stop and think. One example in particular is the idea that which “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” This idea is conveyed through the character of Vivian, a man not afraid to express his critical and rather philosophical ideas. Although his ideas can be both concurred with and disagreed with, Vivian does express an insightful and somewhat interesting view regarding nature.

       I have to admit, when I first read Vivian’s lines, I was a little surprised to see how much he truly disliked nature. Don’t get me wrong, I like nature a lot, but I draw the line at certain points. For example, if you asked me to go on a weekend hiking trip, I would probably say “sure!” But if you asked me to go on a camping trip that lasts more than about a night, I would turn you down almost right away. So in a way, I could relate to Vivian’s dislike of nature. However, his point of nature and art is what made me stop and think. According to Vivian, “What Art really reveals to us is Nature's lack of design, her curious crudities, her extraordinary monotony, her absolutely unfinished condition.” But is this true? Maybe for the time of Wilde.

       I can see how art can take nature and show only its beauty through the eyes of an artist, yet at the same time, we know that nature is beautiful. But how do we know this? Sure art can show us how beautiful nature can be, but we know how beautiful it is by what it does for us. Nature inspires us and makes us think in more ways that we ever thought we could. Maybe that’s why some of the best things in life revolve around nature itself. Many its our experiences with nature and our many interpretations of it that make it so beautiful. If you ask Vivian, nature does not deserve all of the attention is gets; however, for me, sometimes the best creations come directly from nature.

       In the eyes of Vivian, the painting shows a part of nature that isn't possible, in my eyes, paintings merely show what nature is like...in order to experience all of its beauty, we need to go and see it for ourselves.

 

Over the break, I finalllllyyyy saw “Catching Fire.” Yes, I am aware that everyone in the world saw the movie forever ago, but hey, I can now say I finally saw it. I did read the first book of the series, “The Hunger Games” and I cannot wait to read the third before the next movie comes out. I absolutely love the books and movies. Mostly because Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are my favorite actress and actor….but the book was awesome too. Ever since the movie came out, all I heard were people talking about how good it was and how they couldn’t wait for the next one. I already knew that the movie was going to be even better than I could ever imagine, but then I started wondering why everyone took a liking towards it.

I eventually came to the conclusion that the movie has something for everyone. It has action, adventure, sci-fi like elements, and of course, a love story. And aren’t these the things that we as viewers and readers hook onto? It’s no secret that we watch movies and read books to escape the world we live in. Whether we become stranded on an island, street race like the “Fast and Furious”, or solve a mystery, we use media to go to a world that is like ours, yet isn’t. As I said before, we use these things to escape reality. So why not spend a few hours in an arena fighting for your life while internally battling over two people you love in your life? After all, that’s what it’s about…experiencing the thrills and dilemmas through our favorite characters to help make to take a break from our own lives…even if it’s just for a couple of hours.



In honor of the first few snowfalls we have had here in Jersey thus far this winter, I have dedicated today’s blog to a special memory of mine. This specific memory is the product of a magical book titled “SNOW”. Although the book was not truly magical, it gave my siblings and me something to look forward to every winter. On the nights we read “SNOW”, we knew that the magical book would leave snow on the ground in the morning. As I said before, the book was magical; it never failed. Of course, in order to keep the magic of the book alive, my mom chose the days in which we could read the book. I never questioned her reasoning as to why we could only read it certain nights. After all, we couldn’t wear out the magic…

When I was finally old enough to figure out my mom’s secret behind the book’s magic, I smiled. Of course the magic behind the book was gone, but what made me smile was my mom’s enthusiasm and persistence with the book. Looking back on the entire experience now, it’s hard for me not to smile and be filled with childhood wonder and awe whenever I look back on the memory. Isn’t amazing how an object like a book can create such warm memories whenever we look back on them? Who would have ever thought that a story could have such an impact on our lives. Of course, much of this memory was influenced by my mom, but without the book itself, there would not even be a memory. I’m certain that everyone has had an experience such as this at least once in their life. Whether it be “The Night Before Christmas” or just your favorite childhood novel(s), there has to be a book that you can attach to a memory. So tell me, what’s your favorite “book memory?”

 

Is being yourself really being yourself? Aren't we just a combination of things that have affected us in our lives? Everyone always says to "be yourself because everyone else is taken." We are who we who we are because of our successors, people who affected us, and people who left their mark on us. The books we read, people we meet, and things we experience all shape us into the people we are today. Thus, language and literature play major roles in our development into individuals. Every student may read the same book for a class; however, the influence the book has on every person will be different. I guess you could say that books not only give us insight into life, but they also allow us to form our own opinions and reactions to many events in our lives as well.
 If you really think about each of us is like a math problem. We can all have the same numbers but also have a different answer at the same time. Take me for example. I love sports and let's say that sports is the number two. There are other people in the world like sports so there number would also be two but let's say my favorite sport was softball. Now I have 2+3. They might be 2+4 for sports and basketball. We both have the number 2 for sports but what makes us different is that we each like a different sport. So now, we have a different answer. An answer that makes us individuals with just enough in common to still be connected to one another.

Is snail mail the best kind of mail?

With all the technology we have today, you can write an email anytime, message someone on Facebook whenever, or even text a person in a flash. Don't get me wrong, these things are all great and come in handy when you need to send something to someone quickly. But what about the old-fashioned "snail mail?"

That's right. I said snail mail. Actual pieces of paper in envelopes put in a mailbox for you to retrieve later that day. I use to love getting mail for my birthday, Christmas, or just because. Actually, I still love getting mail. You see, there's something about seeing an envelope in the pile of mail you just lugged inside that makes the day just a little better. It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. The moment you get something hand writtten in the mail, whether it be a card, letter, or invitation, you immediately open it without hesitation. I guess what makes mail so great is that you don't really expect it. I can honestly say that I am constantly checking my emails for updates on meetings, practice, games, etc. Rarely is there ever something that makes me smile or enlightens my day. The reason being, I think, is that we expect to get these kinds of notifications. Mail, on the other hand, leaves us to be surprised everytime because we do not expect to get any most of the time. Being surprised by a letter and knowing that someone took the time to write it and make it perfect, now that's something technology can't give.

A Halloween Tradition

Ever since I can remember, during the time of Halloween, my mom would break out the scary story Cds, “Halloween party music”, and those with the random scary sounds on them. It might sound silly to may people but like I said before, we were always the house with the scary music playing while the fog machine was going off while treat-or-treaters were coming up to the door. I never thought much of it, but now I realize that all of these Halloween CDs are part of every Halloween memory I have. One CD in particular, the one with the “scary” stories narrated by one man trying to speak in different voices for all of the parts, recently had me thinking: What made stuff like this seem so scary to me years ago?

The answer is quite simple. Between the rise and falling of each voice and the occasional sounds effects, these digital stories swept me up and transported me into their creepy world. And isn’t that what makes stories so scary? If you can successfully adjust your voice to the mood and add in a few scary sound effects, you can easily scare anyone. I guess that’s way flashlights lightening up the storyteller’s face at a campfire while telling scary stories is so effective. When our minds hear certain words, tones of voice, or even certain sound effects, we are immediately pulled into the story being told. So if you happen to hear scary music, creepy voices, or frightfully intriguing stories this Halloween, pay attention to every element so you can see exactly how far you are drawn into the setting of that specific moment.



“There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic.”
Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale

     Words. They are all around us. We use them day and night to share thoughts, feelings, instructions and knowledge. But just how powerful can words actually be? If used correctly, words can move mountains, break down barriers, and point out injustice. They can create want, determination, fear, and sadness just by how they are used and placed in sentences. The way syllables are pronounced and strung together also create the emotion behind the word. When we hear a speech, see a movie, or listen to a song, the words that create these things are what make them a complete success or a complete failure. Words that are merely thrown together without thought or feeling behind them hardly convey the emotion in which they are capable of. Sometimes the best speeches and pieces of writing use the simplest of words; however, often times, they convey the strongest emotion. The video below is a video that meshes together many incredible and emotion filled sports speeches from movies, many in which are true stories.

     If this video does not stir some amount of emotion in you, then I don’t know what will. Personally, these speeches make me want to go on the field, play my hardest, and win. Win not only for myself, but for my team, coach, and school. This is exactly what words can do when they are backed by emotion. They ignite the emotions in us that we couldn’t do ourselves. Speeches like these are what cause people to achieve greatness.

     For me personally, the way someone speaks and writes is what makes or breaks their ability to influence others. I have listened to amazing stories told by war veterans, Holocaust survivors and their families, and many, many sports speeches in my life. All of which have influenced me in one way or another due to the various emotions in which they conveyed. If it were not for such strong emotion behind these words, I would have not been as influenced as I was at the end of each speech.