Reading Evaluation - Week 15

Below are questions and answers regarding the reading for this course.

* What readings did you like best?
I enjoyed the African, Jamaican, and Native stories. They all gave an inside look into those cultures and histories.


* What reading diary strategies were most effective for you?
For my reading diary, I normally would give a recap of what I read. When it came time to do the story, I rarely had to reference the diary, and when I did, it was more helpful to read the recap, instead of quotes from the story or any other method.


* What did you think of the overall balance between reading - writing - commenting in the class assignments?
I think there is a nice balance between reading, writing, and commenting because it set an order of operation for the course, which never changed, so I got into the habit of doing things in that order. Good balance.


* As you look back from the end of the semester, what advice about the reading do you have for students who will be getting started next semester?
My biggest piece of advice for future students would be DO NOT PROCRASTINATE, and work ahead. It can only benefit you, and help alieviate any additional stress from the course, in addition to other assignments for other classes.

Bri's Reflection - Week 15

Although we've come to the end of the road, this has been a great experience! Taking into consideration all of the work that has been completed and all of the thought that was given to each story I have written throughout this course, this has been a great experience! I've briefly worked on a blog in previous classes, but nothing to this extent. I heard that this course was extremely time consuming, but I also knew that the wait list was out of this world for the course, as well. So that in itself told me that this course would be worthwhile! I really enjoyed being able to let my creative juices flow. So often, especially in college, that's not really a luxury most students are able to have, simply because they're so busy working on endless assignments and projects.
My favorite part about this class was creating the storyline of Britney and Deontae. Often times, I find myself adding on to the story lines of movies and television shows, and I actually had that opportunity to do that in my #KnowTheOneYoureWith storyline.
With Laura's feedback, I definitely feel that my writing skills have improved. I find myself being mindful of certain things that previous would have never crossed my mind. I would love to take the Indian Epics course, but my time at OU is coming to a close. Next semester, I'll only be taking the necessitates in order to get that degree in December. Regardless of that, I'm very glad I was able to
take this course this semester and learn more about myself as a writer and in general. Although this may be one of the final posts for this blog, I am sure I will start up another, with even more exciting content. Keep and eye out, lovers.

It's been real.

-Bri.


(Photo created using Word Swag and typewriter found here)

Storytelling Week 14: "Just Kickin' It With Bri!"

Hello ladies and gents! Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of "Just Kickin' It With Bri! I'm so excited to get this show started because we have some great guests joining us today. Just to give you a sneak peak: How will Princeton find a suitable mate, who is the father of Jennifer's baby, and what's up with the enrollment rate at your local university? Yes, I know that these topics are a tad bit scattered, but on this show... WE COVER IT ALL, HONEY! So sit back and enjoy the ride, 'cause it's bound to get crazy as we get down to the bottom of all of these stories!

First, let's welcome to the stage Princeton!

*audience applauds*

Bri: Hey Princeton! Thanks so much for coming out today! Ya know, when we heard your story, we knew that we had to help you out! So for the audience, could you give us a brief recap of what's been going on, so that they can be aware?

Princeton: Thanks for having me Bri. Yeah, I can tell y'all a little bit about what's been going here recently. So, for the past year, I've been trying to find that perfect person for me and my lifestyle. I started to realize that I was getting older, and it was about that time for me to settle down and start giving my parents some grand babies. They're getting older and they live in such a big house and they  could use some young company to keep them on their toes! Well anyways, throughout my whole life, I've never had an issue finding someone or a lot of "someones" to occupy my time and keep my attention. But I never took any of them seriously because I knew that I wasn't really looking for commitment.

Bri: Ok, so describe to me the type of ladies you're used to having around?

Princeton: Well usually, I'm not gonna lie, usually the girls I have around me really don't have a plan mapped out for their lives, they're just living day by day. They mainly just want to be around me because of who I am, but don't ever take the time to get to know me for me. They know I have money, that my family is damn near royalty, and they see that I'm attractive, but there's so much more than what meets the eye.

Bri: Ahhh, okay I see, I see. So it's mainly gold diggers that flock to you? So what type of woman are you looking for?

Princeton: Well, I'm looking for someone I can build with, have a family with, someone that actually cares about the me on the inside, and not the just materialistic things that I possess on the outside. I want someone that I can treat as my queen. Someone I know is on the same spiritual and mental playing field as I am. I want someone that can help make me better. Someone that I won't have to feel like I'm putting up a front around them, but that I am able to be unapologetically me.

Bri: Wow, that's beautiful. Isn't that beautiful, ladies and gentlemen?! *Audience goes wild* Well I'm pretty sure there are some people in the audience that wouldn't mind getting a shot, after hearing that heart felt piece. Well, I have a possible solution for you. The producers and I were discussing what we could suggest you do, and we thought that maybe you could have like a little group date. During that date, there will be something that is just a little bit off throughout the entire evening. Something that only you and the one lady that really cares about you would recognize. This way, you'll be able to weed out the real from the fake. How does that sound?

Princeton: Oh wow, yeah, that would be great! Doing something like that has never even crossed my mind! I think I'll use that. I'll get my mom to help me figure something out and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Bri: And there you have it folks! We'll be right back after this commercial break to get back to just kickin' it with Bri!

Author's Note: This story was based off of the story of the Princess and the Pea. I choice this story because I feel like it's a classic that would be fun to have a modern spin on it. Here is a recap of what happens in the original story: Basically, the prince wants a princess, but he keeps running into the wanna be princesses, who are probably just gold diggers that want him for his riches. So he goes home sad, back to mama's house, because he can't find the princess of his dreams. Then on a rainy night, the doorbell rings and there she is, a real princess, well at least she says she is. In order to spare her son from any further heart break, the queen sets up a plan to determine if she really is a princess or not. She puts a pea at the bottom of twenty mattresses, knowing that if she was a real princess, she would know that they were there.
That next morning, the queen asked the princess how she slept, and she responded “Oh, very badly!” said she. “I have scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, so that I am black and blue all over my body. It’s horrible!”
In my story, the prince is on the talk show discussing his woes and then the talk show host gives him  solution to his problem and he leaves the show satisfied with the suggestion he was given. Instead of putting a pea under a mattress, the prince will have a date night and weed out the good from the bad in that manner.

This story is part of the Andersen Fairy Tales unit. Story source: Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paull (1872).

The photo was made with the WordSwag App.

Reading Diary Week 14: The Emperor's New Suit

(image from Michael Clarke at Flickr, poster made with cheezburger.)

This was an interesting story to read because I had never read it before. In this story, the Emperor finds out about a suit that can determine if someone is smart, or if they are fit for the position that they hold. The way to determine this is by wearing a suit and those that can see it are smart and fit, those that cannot are stupid and ill-fit for the job. So the emperor decided that he wanted to get a suit made by these two swindlers in order to determine the type of people he was keeping as company. the swindlers asked for money and the finest fabrics to make this exquisite suit. For weeks, they pretended to be crafting the garment, but in reality, they were keeping it for themselves.
The emperor would send some of his most trusted  comrades to check on the progress of the suit. Each of them would see absolutely nothing, but didn't want to say that and look dumb, so they would make it seem like that saw the whole thing. Everyone continued to believe this, even the emperor, even though none of them saw a thing. Finally, the emperor went to the parade in his new "suit" and none one wanted to point out the obvious, until a little kid said that he didn't have any clothes on. It was at that point that everyone started to realize the reality of the situation.

This story is part of the Andersen Fairy Tales unit. Story source: Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paull (1872).

Reading Diary Week 14: The Princess and the Pea

(illustration by Dulac)

Today's reading diary is focused on the story of the princess and the pea that is at the bottom of her countless mattresses and bedding. When I saw the picture for the story, I knew exactly which store I was about to read because I remember it from growing up. Besides the known plot of what happened in the story, i can reiterate it for those of you that may not know or remember it. Basically, the prince wants a princess, but he keeps running into the wanna be princesses, who are probably just gold diggers that want him for his riches. So he goes home sad, back to mama's house, because he can't find the princess of his dreams. Then on a rainy night, the doorbell rings and there she is, a real princess, well at least she says she is. In order to spare her son from any further heart break, the queen sets up a plan to determine if she really is a princess or not. She puts a pea at the bottom of twenty mattresses, knowing that if she was a real princess, she would know that they were there.
That next morning, the queen asked the princess how she slept, and she responded “Oh, very badly!” said she. “I have scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, so that I am black and blue all over my body. It’s horrible!”

And the rest is history, after that. The queen realized that she was a real princess and so did the prince. The prince and princess got married and lived happily ever after. The end.

This story is part of the Andersen Fairy Tales unit. Story source: Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paull (1872).

Storytelling Week 12: #KnowTheOneYoureWith The Finale

Dear Diary, I am so excited right now! Bae is finally coming back to town from visiting his family. I haven't gotten to hear all about everything he did while he was out of town, but tomorrow, when I pick him up I know he will catch me up with everything that is going on! I'm glad I had this time to myself to just reflect on things in the past that I really hadn't taken the time to deal with. I finally feel like I can let go of all of this baggage and finally be happy again! I only started acting like this AFTER all of that mess started to happen years ago, after my brother died. This isn't me. This reflection period really showed me that! Hopefully i'll be able to just keep all of this to myself and not have to tell Tae. I know you're supposed to be honest with the people you care about the most, but I just don't want to lose him. We've been together for seven months now and I just feel like that would destroy everything we've built if I just tell him now. Guess we'll see how things go. 

That next afternoon, Brittany went to pick up Tae at the airport and everything seemed to be going just fine! They were so excited to see one another just as they would have been any other time. Brittany was sure that all was well, but Tae spent his time doing more than he expressed to Brittany, while he was away.

During the week Tae spent with his "family," he was actually doing some research of his own. Alicia, the secretary at the office they both worked at, had told him something a few months before she went missing. Tae never thought much about it until things started to add up to what she had told him. Alicia told Tae that a friend of hers from another firm told her that word on the street was that Brittany spent a pretty good amount of time in a psychiatric facility and that she was someone he ought to stay away from. She also told him that people said that Brittany could appear to be the sweetest girl but in reality, something had caused her to become very deceiving and manipulative.

Of course, Tae swept this under the rug, because there was no way that the girl of his dreams was really this manipulative psychopath! And then it dawned on him... "the girl... of my dreams." It literally seemed like from day one, she was perfect and that she knew exactly what to do for him to think that she was perfect. When Alicia went missing and Brittany didn't seem to show any concern at all, all of his suspicions were verified.

That following week, Tae decided that he was going to get to the bottom of all of this on his own. But he wasn't going to mention this to Brittany, of course. One, because she might be legitimately crazy. And two, if she wasn't this crazy psychopath she had been made out to be, he didn't want her to know that he ever entertained the theory.

Tae told Brittany that he was going to visit his folks for a week or so and that he would be back. He contacted a few of his old buddies from college to help him dig up the dirt and figure this all out, because he knew it was important for him to know the one he was with. Once he started digging, he made some terrifying discoveries. After uncovering that Brittany was more than likely responsible for the disappearance of multiple people, spent time in the psychiatric ward, and more than likely devised the entire plan for them to get together, he knew that this was going to be their end. Although, he did feel horrible about what happened to her brother, the crazy counselor that tried to brainwash her, and everything else that occurred in her past.

Tae decided that he wasn't going to turn her into the police, but did realize that he was going to have to break up with her as soon as he returned home.

The next day, after he got home, Tae decided that he wanted to go ahead and make the break up official. He decided to take Brittany to a public location (just in case her crazy come out play) and have this discussion with her.

If someone was sitting across the street, looking into the coffee shop where they went to talk, you would think that Brittany was told that her puppy had died. It was clear that they were both heartbroken, because they both truly cared for one another. Tae ended up calling a Lyft to take Brittany home and he drove separately. As each of them walked out, a few tears rolled down their cheeks.

And there you have it, folks. The love story of Brittany and Deontae came to an end just as Brittany was really starting to make changes within herself. As unfortunate of an ending this was, Tae finally knows the one that he was with.



Author's Note: This story was loosely based off of the battle between Beowulf and Grendel. In that battle, Grendel snuck in like a thief in the night (literally) into the town that Beowulf was staying in. Grendel casted a spell that made each of the men fall into an extremely deep sleep. Beowulf, being the extraordinary man that he is, was able to wake up, only to find Grendel devouring one of Beowulf's comrades. Grendel and Beowulf ended up having a fight with one another and Beowulf ended up coming out in the end, victoriously. The story of Brittany and Tae is an ongoing story that you can read here on my blog. This is finally their conclusion, just as the fight with Beowulf was the final conclusion for Grendel. If you're interested in learning about how this love connection all began,  read the very first story, entitled  #KnowTheOneYoureWith: The Introduction PART I, and go from there!
This story is part of the Beowulf unit. Story source: The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933).

Photo of coffee mug came from here. 

Reading Diary: Dante's Inferno Week 13

Dante's Inferno.. I've heard a lot about this throughout the years but never knew much about it, so it's interesting to read about it now. In the first part of the readings, Dante is just now telling about his experience thus far, during the time that he first spent in the inferno. He's going through hell, no pun intended. I found it interesting that he was able to find someone that will be able to help him through to the next level. 

''It is best, as I think and understand, for you to follow me, and I will be your guide and lead you from here through an eternal space where you will hear the desperate shouts, will see the ancient spirits in pain, so that each one cries out for a second death, and then you will see others at peace in the flames, because they hope to come, whenever it may be, among the blessed. Then if you desire to climb to them, there will be a spirit, fitter than I am to guide you, and I will leave you with her when we part, since the Lord, who rules above, does not wish me to enter his city because I was rebellious to his law. He is lord everywhere, but there he rules, and there is his city and his high throne: O, happy is he, whom he chooses to go there!''
This quote from Virgil shows that he is willing to help Dante out, but that he won't be able to help him when it's time for him to navigate after he gets out of hell because he isn't welcome in Heaven. Or maybe he's stuck in Limbo.


Click here to see where the picture above came from. If you want to know where to find Dante's Inferno, click here.


This story is part of the Dante's Inferno unit. Story source: Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline (2002).

Reading Diary, week 12

Beowulf and Grendel... What a battle that was! Grendel, coming into the town, literally like a thief in the night, could have really cause a lot of damage. This was his original plan before he realized that the was going to meet his match that night. I'm sure he was confident that he was going to be victorious because he felt as though he had taken all of the right steps to do as he pleased. Beowulf's strength allowed for him to break through the spell that was casted upon him and everyone else in the town. For the time that he was sleep, Grendel had the opportunity to devour and devastate the young man. But, Beowulf wasn't going to allow that to happen too much more. Grendel and Beowulf fought. Beowulf whooped his butt and now the rest is history. The fog and the giant were gone.

(Grendel before he got his butt kicked)

This story is part of the Beowulf unit. Story source: The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933).

Learning Challenges: Empathy is Important Week 11

Often times, we... well let me speak for myself...
Often times, I don't stop to think about what the reason may be behind why someone acts the way they act or do the things they do. There is always a reason behind something, always a trigger, even if it seems as if that's not the case. I've noticed the older I've gotten + the people I've encountered = equate to an expansion of my empathy towards people. I can see instances that I thought "Nothing could possibly be going on with them. Their life is perfect," only to find out that their parents were getting a divorce, or a family member was sick. Regardless of what that additional variable was to the equation, the experience served as a reminder of how important it is to really give people the benefit of the doubt and strive to be understanding. With the same breath I can use to assume the reason they're acting as they are, I could have used that same breath to breathe encouragement into their situation.
The most important part of living life is to actually grow and learn from the lessons we learn, and grow from the experiences we have. Knowing the difference and what role I play,  is what I pray for.

(Photo Found HERE)

Week 11 Reading Diary: Aesop's Fables: Fables about People

Fables, fables, and even more fables all about people... There are a lot to read from but I would definitely have to say the one that stuck out the most to me, as well as the one that I mainly recognized was that of story of the boy that cried wolf. In the story entitled, "The Wolf and the Shepherd's Boy. In the story, the majority of people know exactly how it goes down, with different variations. A boy continuously literally cried out that a wolf was near by and ready to attack him. Each time he did this, someone would come to his rescue, only realizing that there was nothing wrong and that he either just wanted the attention or that he wanted something the person had. One day, there really was a wolf ready to attack him and he cried wolf, yet again. This time no one came to his rescue and he and his flock became prey for the wolf. 

I really enjoy this story because it really serves as a life reminder to not continuously lie to people because in the time that you really do need them, they will not come for they think that another lie is being told. I understand that in some cases, a few lies may be told, but let's not make a habit, folks! Thanks for reading. 

(Photo of Aesop's Fables)

 

These fables are part of the Aesop's Fables (English) unit. Story source: Fables and Satires by Sir Brooke Boothby (1809).

Week 11 Reading Diary: Mr. Beowulf

This is a pretty interesting section thus far. Beowulf is seeming to be a force to be reckoned with. He is unappreciated by his counterparts just because he doesn't excel in different actives that they do. Little do they truly realize that his is great in his own right. Some of the pieces that stuck out to me in particular in this story are shown below. Each of these excerpts show his evolution from a young boy to the stage his is at now.

-"As a small boy, Beowulf had shown such strength of body that Hygelac had early named him one of his thanes. So his mother and father gave him up, and young Beowulf went to live with his uncle to learn the arts of war and the handling of ships."

-"As the years slipped by and he grew to manhood, he became more and more sullen in his strength, and his companions dubbed him "The Silent." His movements were clumsy. He tripped over his sword. He broke whatever he touched. The other youths laughed at him for his awkwardness, but in secret they envied the immense spread of his shoulders and the terrible swiftness of his stride when he hunted in the forests."

-"At the feet of the royal couple sat Beowulf, at a table especially prepared for the king's earls. These were the most favored and beloved of all the warriors of Geatsland. But many were the murmurs of jealousy and discontent among the lords when they beheld young Beowulf in such a place of honor."

--From these excerpts, it is clear to see that Beowulf had a gift, that he grew into over time. With that gift, also came jealousy.

 (Picture of Beowulf)

This story is part of the Beowulf unit. Story source: The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs with illustrations by Henry Pitz (1933).

Learning Challenge Week 11: Operation HAPPY!(:

Just think, if we could bottle up our "happy" how much better would each day be? How much better would the world be? That's a great question! I just read about a challenge that involved writing down at least on thing that makes your happy each day of the year. When the year ends, open up the jar and read 365 happy messages to yourself, from yourself, to encourage yourself. I really love happiness and love and all good things associated with it so I definitely think that I will be giving this a try soon. What a great idea!! 

(Picture of the happiness jar)

Week 10 Storytelling: #KnowTheOneYoureWith: Lesson One

(image of distressed woman)

You are forbidden to ever see him again, Brittany LaChelle and that is final! Do you understand me, young lady?! Brittany's dad, Earl howled at his then 20 year old daughter.

Brittany was so livid inside, after all that had happened with her brother passing away the year before, and her having to deal with that crazy psychiatrist that only wanted to brainwash her and take all of the family's money.  Brittany couldn't believe that her dad wanted to take away her one true piece of new found happiness.

Brittany had been with Brandon for 6 months now and was really starting to feel true happiness inside. And after all that she had been through, she was so grateful that Brandon had come along. At first, everything was fine when she first started to bring Brandon around the family, but then about a month ago, things started to change, and Brittany wanted to know why.

Daddy, why do hate Brandon so much!? What has he done? All you used to say is that you wanted was for me to be happy and to see your baby girl's smile again. Now that I'm starting to actually smile again, you just want to snatch that away again? WHY!?

Okay, first off you need to watch your tone. Don't forget who's house you're in and who you're talking to. Don't start acting like you done lost your mind. Earl sternly replied back. That boy is no good for you, and you probably are not going to understand that. But I was once that boy and I know how their minds operate. You gotta remember that I've been there and done that. I am looking out for you! You know I love you more than anything and I would never say or do anything if I didn't think that it was in your best interest. 

Brittany stormed off to cool down right after saying, "I don't understand why you would want to do this to me, but I'm about to go cool off before I disrespect you anymore."

Later that night when Brittany came back home, she overheard her parents talking in their room, right as her mom said, "Earl, why don't you just tell her the real reason? She deserves to know and has been through too much for secrets to be kept from her." 

"Brenda, I'd rather her be mad at me for a while instead of knowing that the boy she has fallen in love with is planning to marry some other girl without even telling her. She would never be able to trust anyone again if she found that out that way. If he can't be man enough to tell her the real reason he's going on this "vacation" next week, then she doesn't need him in her life. Period."

"Ok, honey, I understand that, I just don't want any irreversible damage to happen to y'all's relationship because of this."

"I know, baby, but it's gonna work out. I just love her too much to see her go through any more heartbreak."

And just like that, Brittany made sense of it all. She was devastated that Brandon would do that to her after all that they have shared with one another, and how he knew that she relied on him to help her get through these tough times. Then she became even more heartbroken when she thought about how she was yelling at her father earlier that day, and he was trying to do nothing but protect his little girl. Once again, Brittany was reminded that you never really "KnowTheOneYoureWith like you may think.


Author's note: This story is about a Native American story that really stuck out to me entitled, "Old Man Above the Grizzlies." In this story the Old Man (the father) has a daughter, with whom he lives with in a teepee high above the areas that the grizzlies live on. One day, the wind caught her by her hair and pulled her out of the teepee and blew her all the way down to where the grizzlies lived.
The interesting catch about this whole set up is that the grizzlies actually walk and talk just as humans do! So, when the mama and papa bear saw that this girl had fallen down to the home, the took her in and took care of her. She need up falling in love with their son and got married and had kids.
The mama bear decided to go up to the Old Man's house and tell him that his daughter was alive and well (Which I'm kind of surprised that he didn't go looking for his daughter when she first got sucked out of the house). So, the Old Man rushed down to the grizzly land and became livid when he saw that his daughter had reproduced with a grizzly. So to punish them all, he decided to curse them to no longer speak and to walk on all fours with their heads down. He took his daughter back up to his place where they lived from their on out. Probably wasn't happily ever after cause I'm sure she was pissed.
I decided to switch up the plot but keep the same orginal plot of an angry father protecting and rescuing his daughter from something that he thought wasn't a good situation for her. These characters are from and based upon a series of stories I have previously been working that all include the hashtag #KnowTheOneYoureWith in my portfolio.

Reading Diary Week 10: The Smart Woman Chief

     Part two of the Native American reading diary. What interesting stories we have in front of us to read! Such great lessons and magnificent versions of many stories you've heard before during your childhood. With an open mind, such stories can be really interesting and intriguing. That's the beauty of hearing a story coming from a different cultures perspective. One of the stories that stood out to me was the story entitled The Smart Woman Chief. In this story, the men did not know that women existed, nor did women know that men existed. One day, the men saw the women and the women tricked them and were able to escape being held captive by them.
     Later on that night, they all decided to meet up and to get the men a wife from the tribe of women. Well of course, with the men being shallow like they sometimes tend to be, things did not go as planned for one of the men. This man dressed up and perpetrated that he was the chief of the men so that he could marry the woman chief. When he saw her coming to her, dirty from working and not dressed to the T, he ignored her because he didn't recognize her. She peeped this and decided that she would come back dressed up nicely and pick her husband but that it would not be that guy, nor would any of the other women pick him to be their mate. So there he was at the end, just as single as he was at the very beginning because he was too shallow to actually look into the woman's eyes to recognize that she was the same as before and now he's stuck. This is good though, because he didn't deserve her in the first place if thats how he was gonna act.
     The single man decided that he was angry that he didn't get a wife, so he thought he would be destructive in the woman's camp. Their chief (the one he rejected) wasn't having that and turned him into a pine tree. Sucks to suck.

Until next time, lover boys any girls!

(Beautiful Native American Woman)

Reading Diary Week 10: The Old Man and the Little Daughter

This week's reading diary is about a Native American story that really stuck out to me entitled, "Old Man Above the Grizzlies." I read this story and it was pretty good! In this story the Old Man (the father) has a daughter, with whom he lives with in a teepee high above the areas that the grizzlies live on. One day, the wind caught her by her hair and pulled her out of the teepee and blew her all the way down to where the grizzlies lived.
The interesting catch about this whole set up is that the grizzlies actually walk and talk just as humans do! So, when the mama and papa bear saw that this girl had fallen down to the home, the took her in and took care of her. She need up falling in love with their son and got married and had kids.
The mama bear decided to go up to the Old Man's house and tell him that his daughter was alive and well (Which I'm kind of surprised that he didn't go looking for his daughter when she first got sucked out of the house). So, the Old Man rushed down to the grizzly land and became livid when he saw that his daughter had reproduced with a grizzly. So to punish them all, he decided to curse them to no longer speak and to walk on all fours with their heads down. He took his daughter back up to his place where they lived from their on out. Probably wasn't happily ever after cause I'm sure she was pissed.

(Cute Baby Bear)

This story is part of the Southwestern and California Legends unit. Story source: Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912).

In today's forecast.... Weather Widget: Tech Tip Week 9

I've been seeing a lot of blogs that have the weather on their pages in order for viewers to be able to see what's going on with Oklahoma's crazy weather;. I also think it just simply adds a nice touch to the page, in general. So, please enjoy the new edition!

(Weather Forecast picture found here)

Skills Bring Success: Growth Mindset, Week 9.

(The image is from cheezburger.)

My skills bring success... my skills bring ME success. Your skills bring YOU success. It is vitally important for each person to understand that they hold a fire inside that can take them anywhere once they ignite it and truly commit. Some people may not have athletic skills or be musically inclined, but there are so many other avenues one can take, in order to be great. Once that detail is understood and once that special and unique talent is discovered, everything can be great! So never forget, YOUR SKILLS BRING SUCCESS!

The People Wanted It, and Now It Is Here: Bri's Portfolio

Hey Beauts,

This portfolio will be comprised of some of my favorite stories, or other pieces that I really want to share. The first post up is an introduction of me, just so know who's writing these posts you're reading.

The second post is one my first stories, entitled, The Three Beauts. Enjoy. (:

Hey there loves,

NEW STORY ALERT

If you've been keeping up with Brit and Tae, you're probably itching for the next story, as if it were an episode of Scandal. No need to worry, I've got you covered. This story will a few questions, such as why Brittany is so "protective" of the relationship she and Deontae have created, or even a glimpse into the dynamic between her and her family. Have fun reading, #KnowTheOneYou'reWith: Lesson One.

Last week, you read about Brittany and Deontae's interesting love connection that might just be too good to be true. I'm sure you're curious as to why Brittany acts the way she does and just exactly what the cause is. What or who happened to her? Find out the details in this week's story entitled,
#KnowTheOneYoureWith: The Reflection.

Enjoy, lovers.

~

I've added a new story to my portfolio. Read up! The story is entitled, Know The One You're With: The Introduction PART I and Know The One You're with: Blind to the Fact PART II.

I have broken the two stories down into two parts because I thought that that would be a great way to really allow the reader to understand the characters, and then to start to learn more about how the background of each character played such a major role in how the story unfolds. The story is based upon it is based upon the Nigerian story entitled, The Pretty Girl Who Killed the King, by Elphinstone Dayrell.

In the story, you read about the love connection that is sparked between two coworkers at a major business firm over the course of a few months. Deontae believes that the connections happened organically, while Brittany knows that the connection was strategically designed by her.

Unknown to Deontae, Brittany has spent some time in a psychiatric facility and is now ready to act out her plans she devised while in the facility.

When will Deontae come to realize this?

How will he react?

Continue reading to find out as this story begins to unfold right before your eyes.

Love and Happy Thoughts,

-Bri.

Storytelling, #KnowTheOneYoureWith: The Reflection, Week 9

It was 11:30 a.m.; the weather woman said that today was going to be a bright 70 degrees, with a nice breeze in the air. Brittany knew that this was no lie as she sat peacefully on the balcony of her three-story townhouse in her favorite chair with one leg resting on the balcony rail, and the other crossed in her seat. 

Today was one of the few days that she had to herself, apart from Tae. Not by choice, of course, Tae was out of town visiting his family in New Orleans for a few days. Brittany wasn’t complaining, though. She knew that she could use this time to really reflect on some things that she had been suppressing for so long, and to consider if she wanted to start taking her meds again… maybe. 

She sat with her eyes closed, just soaking in the sun that was beaming down from the heavens. As she sat, she started to doze off and think about the things that got her into this position she found herself in right now. You see, growing up, Brittany had what seemed to be the perfect life from the outside looking in, and in reality, it was perfect. 

Brittany grew up in the 80’s in the heart of Washington D.C. with her mother, father, her older brother and her younger sister. Her mother was a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, and her father was an engineering professor at Howard University. Brittany and her siblings were great kids, made good grades, and participated in extracurricular actives both academically and with their church. 

Brittany’s big brother, Sean, went to college on a football scholarship at the University of Alabama, and began studies towards electrical engineering like his father. The whole family and community was so proud of him for following his dreams, especially his little sister, Brittany, since they were EXTREMELY close. 

One day, Sean was headed to an away game and had a pulmonary embolism that went to his heart, leading to him having a heart attack on the bus. He died about fifteen minutes after his teammates noticed that something was wrong with him. 

Brittany and her family, unaware of what happened, were patiently waiting at the game to surprise Sean and watch him play. Instead, the coach gave them the horrible news that their brother and son had suffered from a heart attack, en route to the game. 

Brittany was devastated. She had just started her sophomore year at Howard University and now her biggest support system had been snatched away from her. 

After the funeral, it was almost like Brittany became a completely different person, so much so that her parents had to find some type of therapy to save her from herself. They ended up finding a homeopathic therapist who specialized in these types of cases. Everything seemed to be going well for the first few sessions. Brittany’s family started to see signs of the old her, and so were her friends at school. But in reality, this doctor wasn’t curing Brittany of her heartache; instead, she was chipping away at the sane pieces of her memory and mind that she still had. When her parents came to the sessions, all would be well, but for those times the parents weren’t around… it was a completely different story. 

Towards the last few sessions, Brittany’s parents noticed that something strange was still ailing their daughter... something even worse than before. They begged Brittany to let them in and help, but Brittany didn’t have anything to say. One day, Brittany’s mom went to the therapist’s office unannounced to get to the bottom of whatever was happening to her daughter in that office. What she heard next change the course of Brittany’s life forever. 

As her mom approached the office, she overheard the therapist talking on the phone with someone telling them what her plans were for Brittany. “This girl is so far gone mentally and spiritually that I could do whatever I want to her,” she said to the person on the receiving end of the line. She continued her conversation with her uncaring and arrogant tone by saying, “Yeah, I know this is risky, everything I do is risky, but I’m so close to completely flipping her into believing and doing whatever I say! Why should I stop now? It is unfortunate though, if this treatment stopped now, the only thing that would save her would be some serious time spent in the psych ward. I can’t say that I really feel remorseful because I gotta do what I gotta do to take care of myself and feed my family. These people see what I look like and just entrust me to help them, because I look so innocent and sweet.” 

That was all that Brittany’s mom needed to hear! She frantically rushed out of the office. That next day, she took Brittany to get a psych evaluation. The results concluded that Brittany was on the edge of a major mental breakdown due to a mental tear that might never be fixed. 

On October 3, Brittany was admitted to Paulview Psychiatric Facility, where she would spend the longest year of her life trying to fix the damage that had been done. I guess saying “#KnowTheOneYoureWith” would be an understatement for this young lady and her family.

Author's Note: Hello ladies and gents! This story is a continuation of the previous two stories that I wrote. I decided that I want to give a little background on Brittany to show how she got to where she is today. The original story is part of the Blackfoot unit. Story source: Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell (1915).

In the story about the Cold Maker, there is an old innocent lady that lures individuals into her house by offering them food and a place to get warm. Once they get in to her house, they notice that there are two bears inside of her house but she assures the guest that they are friendly. She then tells them that she's going to go outside and make the fire warmer for them, but instead fills the room with smoke by closing the smoke hole and locking them inside. Once the person tries to escape, the old lady hits them over the head, killing them. She then cooks all of their meat to feed herself and the two bears. The Cold Maker gets wind of them and eventually ends up killing the bears and the old woman for their wrongdoings.

For my story, I decided to tie in this old lady as being Brittany's therapist, who was essentially killing Brittany mentally. Brittany's family chose to trust this lady to help their daughter because she seemed sweet, just like in the story when those people trusted the old lady enough to go into her house. Stay tuned for more from Brittany and Deontae! 

Picture info for the memory lane picture can be found here.

Reading Diary: Week 9 Continued, Native American Unit

Reading Diary continued beloooooow:

Part two of the Native American Unit was even more in engaging! The story Blackfoot: Cold Maker's Medicine was absolutely outstanding! I love suspensive and thrilling stories and this one was all of that in one. In the story, there was a figure that was brought storms to the tribes and basically had an omnipresent type vibe going on.

There was an old woman that would lure travelers from other tribes into her house.

She appeared to be very, just a nice elderly lady that was trying to welcome people into her house to get out of the elements.

She had two big grizzly bears inside of her house, but she assured her victims that they were nice, and in essence, they were nice cause they aren't the ones that committed the murders.

The lady would light a fire, and then trap the victim in the house and fill it with smoke. When the victim tried to escape, the lady would hit them over the head with a hammer. This blow would kill  them and then she would cut them up and cook them, in order to feed herself and the bears. Crazy right!

So then when the Cold Maker was making his way into the village, he overheard the stories, as he passed Sand Hills, from the souls of those who were killed. Of course, what he heard really upset him, and he was going to make sure that he was going to get vengeance for those slain.

The Cold Maker took his friend with him and ended up setting up the old woman, for what she had done to all those people. She got killed, along with the bears. The friend ended up getting the bear furs to turn into a coat.

Crazy good story!

(The Coldmaker)

This story is part of the Blackfoot unit. Story source: Blackfeet Indian Stories by George Bird Grinnell (1915).

Week 9, Reading Diary: Native American Unit

This weeks reading diary is based upon the Native American stories that have been assigned for this week. I knew that this particular unit was more than likely going to be filled with interesting materials due to the fact that they are coming from those that originally and rightfully inhabited this land.

The story that most stuck out to me was The Thief of Fire story by Story source: Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest by Katharine Berry Judson (1912). This story particularly stood out to me because I felt like it was a great story that was shared with the youth of the Native American community and I also liked how it broke down reasoning for why certain animals are as they are, due to the Coyote trying to steal the fire.

So, in this particular story, the Kareyas created fire in a fireless world and gave it to two old hags (funny that these two individuals were called hags because when i hear that term, I think of two old miserable women that aren't the nicest, don't look the nicest and are just down right rude.)

The following text is a compilation of my thoughts as I read the story.

The Coyote wanted the fire and was trying to devise a plan to steal it from he hags.
-- That's nice that they hags allowed him to join them.

They coyote went to sleep but really wasn't sleep and was watching the entire night, trying to find a time to steal the fire.  He couldn't find a time that night.

He went back to regroup with the others to figure out the best time to steal the fire.

That next night, all of the animals attached and the coyote was able to steal a blade of fire. It was almost like a relay race since the fire was handed off to other animals such as the frog, which kept getting its tail caught, which is why it doesn't have a tail today. Or like the ground squirrel that was running so fast that it's tail caught fire and burned it's back so that's why there are black strips on it's back.

(Picture of a Coyote)

Time is of the Essence...

I once learned a quote that is truly applicable to every facet of my life. A portion of the quote states, "Time is of the essence and not to be wasted, an irreplaceable element not to be taken for granted. A minute comes, a minutes goes, it waits for no man. Seize the day for those hours come no more..."

In complete honesty, I have noticed that I focus and prepare for a class that is rather difficult, and requires a great amount of time commitment that often flows into the early morning hours. This class has a rap for sometimes making students cry, have to retake the class, or fearful of missing the class due to a 20% grade reduction if more than 3 classes are missed. 

I know that that isn't far to the other courses that I'm in, although I have complete intentions of making good grades in those classes as well. 

This week is midterm week, and it is kind of humorous to me that i'm seeing so many more students on campus in areas I normally study in. This is their week they actually need to put forth some effort, while I've been on campus 4 days of the business week after dark since the semester started in January.

I also have to be honest with myself and admit the fact that I haven't been as committed to some of my other courses, including this one. For the remainder of the semester, its imperative that I do all of work for this class in order to get the grade I am seeking. One of my classes will be over this week, so that will take away a 5 hour class from my weekly agenda. 

I am excited to finish this semester off with a bang! 

I chose the shown motivational quote because after spending last semester in D.C., I was able to get a taste of what living in the real world, a world outside of my comfort zone, is like. I really did love it, and now that is a source of motivation to get my degree and continue pressing forward. To make my parents proud, make myself proud and to produce a foundation that will be beneficial for my future family. That's a beautiful thing. 

(Motivational quote was found here.)

Storytelling, Know The One You're with: Blind to the Fact PART II Week 7

Brittany rolled over in the bed while stretching her arms out and yawning, expecting to feel Deontae's well chiseled chest... when she felt an empty spot instead. She hurriedly opened her eyes to see if where he was at.

(Woman sleeping)

"Tae! Babe, where are you?!"

She pulled the sheet off of her body and hopped out of the bed and mumbled, "Where is he at? Did he leave me? Why isn't he in the bed?!"

"TAE!" she screamed out, as she walked out of the room.

"What, bae, what you yelling for?" Tae said, as he continued to scramble eggs in the kitchen.

Realizing that Tae was still in the house and hadn't left her, Brittany quickly calmed town and walked towards Deontae to give him a hug saying, "Oh, I was just trying to figure out where you went. You know how I feel about waking up without you. I hate that feeling."

(Man and woman hugging)

"I know you do, babe, I just wanted to cook you some breakfast and didn't want to wake you because you were sleeping so peacefully," Deontae said.

The two got dressed and headed to work. During the car ride, Brittany realized that she had forgotten to take one of her pills that she was trying so desperately to hide from Deontae, in order to keep her secret just that... a secret. 

Once the two got to the office, she noticed that the secretary, Alicia, was being a little too friendly to her man, Deontae.

Brittany thought to herself, "What does Alicia think she's doing? She knows that Deontae is off limits. Period. I'll take care of that. This will be the last time she'll disrespect me."

The next day, Alicia didn't show up for work. Some people tried to call her, but no answer. No one worried too much, though, because their boss received an email from "Alicia" saying that she needed to take some personal time and that she would be staying with her family in D.C. for a while.

Little did they know, Brittany had taken care of Alicia in her own way that previous night.

"I wonder what happened to Alicia? That's so weird." Deontae mentioned to Brittany as they ate dinner.

"I'm not sure, honey. You should let me try your pasta, though." Brittany relied, completely ignoring the statement or showing any true concern.

Six months into the relationship and Deontae still didn't know about Brittany's time spent in the Paulview Psychiatric Facility, nor that she was the cause of  Alicia's disappearance.

I guess it would have been good for Deontae to #KnowTheOneHesWith before he got himself in too deep.


Author's Note: This story is the second half of the story previously posted. In Nigerian story entitled, The Pretty Girl Who Killed the King, by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910).  In the original story, the "pretty girl" was actually a witch that was paid to kill the king of a neighboring town that was tormenting the people of another village. This king was making each day for the other villagers absolute hell. So, one day, the other villagers decided that they were going to put an end to their torture and have the king taken care of. The villagers decided to pay a witch to shape shift into an attractive young woman, seduce the king, marry him, and then behead him in his sleep. She managed to do this and slip away completely undetected. No one in that village suspected it was her because she was so beautiful and the last person to commit such a heinous crime. It was from that very last part that I coined this story's hashtag, #KnowWhoYoureWith. 

This second half of the story is a continuation of Part I of the first story that I wrote. I haven't quite decided how many parts will be added to this story. It is really just a matter of what feels right for Brittany and Deontae's hectic lives. Thanks for reading!

Story Source: Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910).

Storytelling, Know The One You're With: The Introduction PART I Week 7

Know Who You're With: The Introduction

(professional woman outside)

"I'm going to marry him. I don't care what anyone says," Brittany said as she roughly brushed her hair while looking in her vanity mirror.

"I DESERVE TO BE HAPPY! I didn't ask for this life, and I refuse to not get this man to marry me. Deontae is so fine, and I'm going to make him mine. Period."

That next day at work, Brittany made sure that she wore the skirt that hugged her curves the best, made sure sure that her curls were on point, and that she wore her new ColourPop lipstick, called Subduction. 

Brittany got in the car and was on her way to get her man. While listening to her favorite Jazmine Sullivan song, she looked in her rearview mirror and said to herself, "Go get your man, girl."

After giving herself a pep talk, she parked, got out of her car, grabbed her purse and business bag and walked in to work.

"Hey Alicia, what's on the agenda today?" Brittany asked the office secretary as she put sugar into her cup of fresh black coffee.

"Well, it looks like you and Deontae have a presentation today at 11, followed by a luncheon and then a few off site calls."

Brittany felt her plan being put into motion and tried to contain her mischievous excitement.

"Hey Deontae, you ready for this presentation today? I hear all of the big shots will be there."

"What's going on, Brittany! Yes, I'm ready. We're more than prepared to rock their world!"

"You don't even know the half," Brittany thought to herself.

"Well, let's go do it!"

Brittany and Deontae headed to the lecture hall, gave their presentation and impressed everyone that was in attendance.

"Wow, you did a great job up there, Brittany!" Deontae said as they walked down the hall to the luncheon.

"Thanks, love! So did you! Hey, you want to just skip the luncheon and get a head start on these off site calls?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan.  Let me just go get the keys and we can head out!"

The two headed out to the offsite office visits and engaged in small talk unrelated to the office.

Fast Forward to 6:00pm after the offsite office visits

"Well, I think we accomplished what we needed to there today, don't you think?" Deontae asked Brittany while walking back to the car. 

"Yeah! We did awesome! I'm really glad I got to do this with you today!" said Brittany as she softly caressed his arm. 

"You want to go get a bite to eat, De? I'm starving after all this hard work today! I know a nice little spot off of Peachtree that has the best soul food."

Suddenly intrigued by the offer, Deontae responded saying, "Soul food?! Say no more, tell me which way to go."

Brittany felt her plan starting to go into full effect. Right when the two crossed the threshold into the restaurant, Brittany turned her professional side off and the subtle seductive side on. 

(Couple at Dinner) 

"So, De, why haven't we hung out like this more often? We're clearly enjoy each other's company, yes?"

Deontae took a sip of his Whiskey Sour and responded, "You know, I've been thinking the same thing. I actually was going to invite you to dinner last month, but you just disappeared on me."

Brittany replied, "Yeah, I just had to take care of a few things for a bit. But I'm back now, better than ever... Better. Than. Ever." 

As the evening grew, Deontae and Brittany's conversation got deeper and more engaging with each sip, bite, and laugh they shared. 

That following month, Brittany and Deontae were an item and everyone at the office knew it. 

But there was one piece of the story Brittany failed to mention. The time that Brittany spent away from the office, she was actually in Paulview Psychiatric Facility for displaying psychotic tendencies... #KnowWhoYoureWith

Stay tuned for part II

Story Source: Folk Stories From Southern Nigeria by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910).

Author's Note: This particular story written below currently has two parts, and it is based upon the Nigerian story entitled, The Pretty Girl Who Killed the King, by Elphinstone Dayrell (1910). After reading the story, of course, I took it all in, in it's entirety, but the very last sentence stuck out to me. That last sentence shaped the direction I wanted to take in both the story below, as well as the one written as part two. I wanted to break this story into two parts because I really wanted to paint a picture and to set up the background of the story and the two main characters, Brittany and Deontae, in order for the reader to be on the same wave length as me. The inspirational sentence for this story is "Never marry a stranger, no matter how pretty she may be." These words can actually be words to live by each day, whether it be marriage, relationships, and even friendships. This sentence, or more so quote, can be interpreted however you see fit for any situation! 

In the original story, the "pretty girl" was actually a witch that was paid to kill the king of a neighboring town that was tormenting the people of another village. This king was making each day for the other villagers absolute hell. So, one day, the other villagers decided that they were going to put an end to their torture and have the king taken care of. The villagers decided to pay a witch to shape shift into an attractive young woman, seduce the king, marry him, and then behead him in his sleep. She managed to do this and slip away completely undetected. No one in that village suspected it was her because she was so beautiful and the last person to commit such a heinous crime. It was from that very last part that I coined this story's hashtag, #KnowWhoYoureWith. My story isn't identical to the original story. 

Storytelling for Week 6: De Tale A'Da Lollipops

(Candyland Art)

Hello Chiren!

Gatha around, fa de story of de lollipops. I'm gan' tell ya 'bout de lollipop field in Candyland. 

Once upon a time, dere was a little boy, bout your age, da lu'da candy, all type a candy. 

Er'day walkin' to school, de lil boy would pass a field fill wit candy an' a gran' lollipop tree. Na dis tree wa' so big dat it could be seen miles awhey. Each time, dere seem to be more an' more lollipops on de tree. 

One day, de little boy wanted a candy so bad that he went to go get it. But to his su'prise, dere was a guard. Although this guard couldn't read not one word, he took his job v'ry serious. 

The liddle boy, bein' turn down, went to school, but n'eh stop thinkin' bout a way to get de candy from da tree. 

De next day, de boy brought a telegram dat say de guard 'pose to let him get all de lollipops he wan' to eat. The guard, to the boy surprised, say "Ya, you go get all da lollipop you wan' yun'man!"

De lil boy, although surprised, started to get all the candy he wan. But lil did he know, de tree was made to catch de little kids dat try to trick de guard. 

As de lil boy climb de tree, de guard started to laugh because he knew what was going to happen. 

Wit each climb, de lil boy ate a lollipop, and once he got to the top, he was too sticky to get back down de tree, and de tree began to engulf de boy. 

He hollered down at de guard say, "Le'me dahwn nah!" 

The guard acted as though he didn't hear the lil boy, and the boy spent the rest of his childhood in dis tree. 

The next week, anahda lil boy walk past de tree an wan the lollipops. He could'n believe how many lollipops were on de tree! "Gee, I really wan de candy! I gotta get it!" 

Wit'out known de truth about de tree, de little boy went to de guard and say he supposed to eat de lollipops. 

With a suspicious smile, the guard say "ya lil boy, get you some lollipops from da tree!" 

The boy start climb de tree, an eat all de lollipops. When he got to de top, he wa too sticky to get down. When he look to his left, he see his classmate, stuck in the tree, green from all da lollipops he ate. 

De boys talk to each other and find out that they would be stuck dere forever. Each of de lollipops in de tree were kids that over time, changed colors, and eventually transformed into lollipops.  

Author's Note:

This story was based upon the story of the The Gub-Gub Peas by Martha Warren Beckwith (1924), where the main character tricked the guard of the peanut tree into letting him eat all of the peanuts that he wanted. Once the owner of the peanut farm found out that this person was eating the peanuts, he told the guard to hold him there so that he could get punished for stealing the peanuts. I tied this concept in with the thought of one of my favorite childhood games, Candyland! In the game of Candyland, the game is a forrest of candy. With those two things combined, this is how the De Tale A'Da Lollipops came about. 

Reading Diary: Week SIX

Hello there Diary, 

This week, I am reading stories from the African unit. Today I started reading in the Jamaican stories and these stories are a tad bit different than other stories, but in a good way. I like these stories because of the type of language that is used. The speak that is used in Jamaica comes to life in this unit. Each word has a different spelling, encouraging the reader to reader to read the stories with a newly adopted accent. I love it. I think it's interesting to get a sense, in some manner, of how others speak across the world. A character that stuck out to me was Anansi. Anansi is a character that is very manipulative in order to get his way and to get out of tight situations, especially in the story of The Gub-Gub Peas. 

 (Jamaican Flag) 

Thoughts About Comments, Week 5

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.. yes YOU.

This post is dedicated to the comments that are posted on my blog posts. There are different types of comments that can be left on posts, and each type of comment leaves me with a different feeling. 

Some comments can contain critiquing information, in order to make my material better over all. Of course, when you release something, it is your baby so sometimes I feel a little defensive Then I realize that the majority of things said are meant to help me improve as a writer, so I am all for that. 

I've learned a lot of difference skills that I am trying to implement when I write. 

There is also another type of comment that can be left, this type of commenting is what I like to call "active commenting." When active commenting is being practiced, it is almost as though the person commenting is right there in the story with me. This type of commenting is my personal favorite because it allows me to see what stuck out to the reader and which pieces they took away with them.

Over time, as i've left comments, I like to give a combination of both types of comments. Although, the majority of the time, my comments end up being heavier on the "active commenting" side. 

All in all, this is a great opportunity to grow. To grow and be great...er. 

Reading Diary, Week 5

Hello beauties,

This reading diary is about covering the story that I chose to base my story on. In the story of the
Santal: The Killing of the Tiger. In this story, there were some great points that stuck out to me.

"...So the Raja called together all his soldiers and promised to give half his kingdom to any one of them who would kill the tiger, but not one of them was brave enough to make the attempt; they said that their business was to fight men, and not tigers and leopards. Then the Raja extended his offer to all his subjects, and the petitioners went home to consult about it, and the news was published that the Raja would give half his kingdom to the slayer of the tiger."

This excerpt gives a basic back story as to what was going on in this story. After this point, there was one brave soul that stepped up to the plate to kill this dangerous tiger. Once the man set out to find the tiger, he decided that he wasn't going to kill the tiger, instead, he ended up cutting off the claws, tips of his ears and tongue to serve as proof of the kill. 

The man did the with the intention of sparing the tiger's life, however, the tiger died from the pain of the injuries he suffered. 

I decided to take this story, flip it around, and make it into something that was a little out there, but still had undertones of this original story line. 

- Bri.

Storytelling Week 5: The broken hearted...

The Broken Hearted...

Jazmine.

Jazmine!

Jaz, it’s time to wake up, sweetheart! 

--Mom, just five more minutes, please!

Nope! 

Shuffling the curtains she says, you know once you take your “five more minutes,” it’s harder for you to get up, so come on, baby. Besides, I don’t want you to be late for your first day, this is a really important day for you. 

Still wiping the sleepy from her eyes, Jaz sits up in her bed and says to her mom, “You know I really don’t even want to do this. I just don’t know why we have to start these classes right away once we turn 16.”

Jaz, you know how this works, don’t look at this in a negative way, look at it as a coming of age right. How about that?

I just don’t know how it got to this point, I remember all those stories you would tell me about when you were my age back in the early 2000’s and y’all never had to do anything like this. 

Oh sweetheart, reaching in for a hug, I know times are different, but learning these skills are vital to your survival in the real world… the new real world. Things are so much different from when I was your age, but these beings that have come to our planet aren’t like you and I. 

Yes, they have feelings, yes they have families, but their brains are like machines, once the sun goes down, something terrible comes out of them. That’s why you have to take these classes, so that you’ll be able to defend yourself. You understand, don’t you?

Yeah, I understand, but didn’t they come to this planet to help us? Why are we trying to get rid of them now?

With obvious nervousness, her mom began to explain to her the history of these beings that were up for discussion. 

Honey, years ago, around 2034, the United States discovered another life source on a different planet called Uniktion and after conversing with the Uniki’s, they were invited to come live on our planet. We gave them the experience of living on Earth for the exchange of taking away global warming. It sounded like a pretty decent trade to us, until about 2040. 

What happened in 2040, ma?

Well in 2040 it was almost like a switch turned in their minds. The Uniki’s just started killing random humans, and then the next day, they woke up and didn’t remember what had happened the night before. 

After a few more murders, we decided we had to do something in return, something to let them know that this is OUR planet and that we were afraid and tired of them killing us every night. 

That’s when we decided that we were going to start a class that taught our youth how to defend themselves at night. 

Patting Jaz on the head, so that is why it’s important for you to go to this class and learn how to defend yourself. 

--- 

So, after Jaz had completed her course, she was sent out to perform her first task; exterminate the first Uniki she saw out that night. She was told to bring back the EmoShield on it’s neck in order to officially graduate from the program. 

Jaz set out to find her a Uniki, but was shocked to discover what she found. The Uniki she found looked just like her, it looked like they were around the same age. There was no way she could kill this girl. So she made a deal with the Uniki…

“I was sent out here to kill you, but I can’t bring myself to do it, but I’ll get in trouble if I come home empty handed. How about I take your EmoShield and that will be that?”

The Uniki responded with a grateful heart saying, “thank you for your mercy because I definitely don’t want to die tonight. I’ll let you have my EmoShield and I’ll just go and get another one.”

Jaz left with the EmoShield, and thought that everything would be settled. Little did she know, the Uniki couldn’t get a replacement EmoShield in time and died from feeling all of the disparities of the world.

(Photo of broken heart by Nicolas Raymond)

Author's Note:

The inspiration behind this post was the story of the Santal: The Killing of the Tiger. In this story, there is a tiger that had been killing travelers in the village, so someone was sent to kill this tiger, in order for traveler to safely get through the village. Once the person found the tiger they were supposed to kill, and had a brief conversation with the tiger, they decided to only cut off its claws, tips of its ears and the tip of its tongue as proof of death. After the person cut these items off, the tiger ended up dying the next day. 

I chose to use that story as my base and then added a bit of a futuristic twist to the story I wrote, with some undertones of some popular movies we've more than likely all seen, such as iRobot. Hope you enjoy!