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)