Journal #31

I do not think that I have ever had a daydream that has helped me get out of a bad situation, because normally the bad situations I am in either need immediate solving, or I do not daydream during them because I am so worried about that situation I can not think of anything else or daydream. It could happen that daydreams could really help people to get out of a bad situation, because it could help them imagine different endings to their situation. It could help them figure out what direction they wanted to go to get out of their bad situation, and it could solve some of their problems. It would not be completely random, because it came from their brain originally, so technically it was their idea in the first place. I can imagine that this could help many people, because they would not have any more problems and their life could be very good since they had the daydream that solved them from their bad situation. (Sorry I'm rambling but I don't really know what to say, so I'm talking in circles just trying to get my 325 words in... I have 196 words right now, so I still have quite a ways to go.) Daydreams can be very useful in that they let us use our imagination, making us more creative, they can help us get out of a bad situation, they can give us new ideas for a project we have been working on, such as a paper, a work of art, a book, or a design for clothing. Daydreams are a good thing, because they let us use our imagination, making it easier to concentrate when we are done. They allow us to let our creativity out, so we can concentrate more and stay on topic when we are writing a paper or doing homework. There are many different good things that come from daydreams, and they are very helpful in a number of ways.

Journal #30

I do not think Pleasant Plains should wear uniforms. Pleasant Plains already has a dress code that is followed strictly. If people are in violation of the dress code, either our principal, vice principal, or one of the teachers almost immediately says something to that person, telling them to change. We used to have a rule against holes in jeans, but it was not followed very well and our administration always just covered the holes in the jeans with duct tape, so the punishment was never very bad. They have since changed that rule, now allowing us to have holes in our jeans, and it has made things a lot easier. Since they realized that their punishment was insufficient, they realized that students would keep having holes in their jeans, because there was never much done about it. Now they realize that they have made things easier for everyone by allowing us to have holes in our jeans to a certain extent. Since our administration handles the dress code and dress code violations so well, I do not think we need uniforms. Also, in schools that do wear uniforms, people often change those uniforms or add things to them so that they will have their own individual take on the uniform, which kind of defeats the purpose. I think it makes the uniforms ineffective, making the whole effort useless. People will always figure out ways to get around the dress code and wear at least something that they want to wear, no matter what the dress code is, whether they are uniforms or not. I think uniforms just make everything more complicated, because people will end up being a lot pickier about what they want and about what they will accept. People can also be a lot crabbier when they must wear uniforms and they do not want to. They could become more rebellious, because they could be so upset. People can do a lot of different things with uniforms, and while they might be good in some places, I do not think uniforms would be a good idea in Pleasant Plains High School.

Journal #29

I do not have a favorite CD, but there are many CDs that I really enjoy. Rascal Flatts is my favorite band, and I love all of their CDs. I don't necessarily have a favorite CD of theirs, because they are all on my Ipod, so I just like individual songs of theirs. I only have five of their CDs, one of which came out very recently, but they have a number of other ones as well. They are a very popular band, which shows just how good they are. Many people love them, and while a lot of people consider them country, they may have some songs that could cross over into pop. They have many good love songs that just make hearts melt, but they also have sad songs that make hearts break. They bring a lot of emotion and passion to their music, and it shows in their songs. They care greatly about many people, and Gary's, the man who is the lead singer's, voice, can have a great number of inflections in it, causing a lot of different emotions to wash over the listener. They have songs about love, songs about heartbreak, songs about just hanging out, songs about families, and they even have a song thanking all of their fans for loving them and allowing them to do what they love to do. They have slow songs that make emotions run wild, and they have fast songs with great bass that will get toes tapping and just make people want to dance. They can go many different directions with their music, and Gary's voice is unique, so they are always recognizable. There songs are unforgettable and very catchy, and will easily get stuck in many heads across the country. Rascal Flatts is a great band that knows what they are doing and has many great songs, and they deserve to have many fans because of their incredible work on so many albums.

Journal #28

People often have to convince others of doing something. There are many examples of this in every life, and it most often involves parents. Children have to convince their parents to let them do a number of things. They are often little things, like letting them eat ice cream or stay up a little bit late to watch a movie. Last night, my brother convinced my parents to let us all eat some ice cream at home after his basketball game. Sometimes, if they are in the middle of a TV show and it is their bedtime, but there are only a few minutes of the show left, they convince my parents to let them stay up long enough so that they can finish the show. I remember doing that quite often, and I also convinced my parents to let us eat out sometimes, because we had been good and they had been in a good mood. I also sometimes convinced them to buy me things that I needed, or even just things that I wanted, and I continue to do that today. Sometimes I just find something that I really like, and it is always an article of clothing, so sometimes my mom just buys it for me, because I can always wear clothes, and if I pick it out and like it, I am more willing to wear it around. My family is very nice to me and I love them all very much. Some people are really good at convincing others to do what that person wants them to do. Often this can happen because of peer pressure, and although it can be very bad, it can also be a good thing at times. An example of a good thing to be convinced of would be something such as trying a new flavor of ice cream, or reading a different book that one had not read before. There are many different ways people can be convinced, and everyone has been convinced of something at least once in their lifetime.

Journal #27

Persistence is very important in many areas of life. Persistence is necessary to follow through with one's dreams. It is important to follow one's dreams, because people gain self-esteem that way. If one does not follow their dreams, they will be very upset with themselves and life in general. They will feel empty inside and will not want to do anything at all, because they will feel like they will fail at everything they do. If they fail the first time they follow their dreams, and do not use persistence, they will not want to do anything with their life, because they will feel like they will fail at everything they try. Persistence is very important any time one fails. If one fails at something and does not try again, they will have given up many opportunities. They will not be able to persist at things until they have the chance to get them right, and they will have given up hope. If they give up hope of doing little things right, they will eventually give up on themselves. They will not want to do anything, because they will not think that they will be able to do it, and they will be too afraid of failure to even try anything. Persistence is important in all areas of life, and without persistence, many people will not be able to do anything. Not using persistence is not always this drastic. It can be smaller than this, and may not make people this afraid. Sometimes people only fail at using persistence in one area of their life, and that just makes that area weak. They may just be bad at something such as cooking or reading or writing, and if they do not use persistence, they will not be able to ever grow in that area. They may just be afraid to try that certain thing, and not be able to do that thing at all. Persistence is a very important quality that everyone needs to have.

Journal #26

Snow is crazy. Some people like snow very much and wish it would snow everyday. Some people like snow, but only because it is cold. They think that because it is so cold, that it might as well snow. Some people tolerate snow, while other people totally and completely hate snow. I like snow up to a point. I like snow on the very first day after it has snowed, when absolutely nothing has touched it and it looks so pristine, sparkling and beautiful. After there are footprints on the snow, it is not pretty anymore, and I do not enjoy the cold so I never want to go outside and play in it. I also hate the snow because of driving. It is fun when it does not stick to the ground and is only slightly snowing and it lightly blows across the road, but if there is a really strong wind I absolutely hate it. I also hate when snow has been on the ground for a few days and has been driven on for quite a while and it turns to slush or ice, because that can be very dangerous. I get nervous when I have to drive on it, because I am afraid of what could happen if the slightest thing went wrong. Snow can be fun if people want to play in it and do not mind all the cold. They can have snowball fights, make snowmen, or even go sledding if they can find a hill that is big enough here in Illinois. I have never been truly sledding, because there is not a hill big enough around my house except the one in Centennial Park. That hill is always busy though, so I never go there because there are so many people. Snowball fights can be fun if they are fair and against people that will actually have fun with it. Snowmen can also be fun to make, becuase they can be made anywhere with anyone. It is a very fun activity, but I haven't done any of it in a long time, and I normally do not have time for it unless it is a snow day. Snow can be fun, but it can also be a pain.

"The Minister's Black Veil"

The Minister's Black Veil is a dark story that is very upsetting to many people. Many people could think that the story was meant to be very dark and mysterious, but the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, was trying to leave the ending up to the reader. In the story The Minister's Black Veil, a minister named Mr. Hooper, who was very much loved and adored, suddenly started wearing a black veil that covered his face down to his mouth (Hawthorne). Many people were very frightened by the veil, for they thought that the veil had partially come from the Devil (Hawthorne). The veil gave chills to many people, and they did not want to be anywhere near it (Hawthorne). They wanted Mr. Hooper to take the veil off, but they were all too afraid to ask him (Hawthorne). He was the kind of man that would have overthought any of his actions if anyone had said the least thing to him, but no one had the courage to talk to him about his black veil and how it frightened them all (Hawthorne). Finally, his intended wife, who was unafraid of the veil and did not feel anything at all when in its prescence, decided to talk to Mr. Hooper about it (Hawthorne). She was very straight forward in her approach, and she made it easier for both of them by doing so (Hawthorne). She asked why he wore the veil, because many people that were a part of his congregation were very scared of it and thought that he was trying to hide a sin that he had comitted (Hawthorne). He refused to take it off, though, because he said it was a symbol of the veil that every human wears because they have sinned, so he could not get rid of it (Hawthorne). She was very upset about it and began to feel the same terrors as the rest of the congregation had, and she was weeping because of it (Hawthorne). She actually broke off her engagement with him, because she was so afraid of it and because she would never be able to see his face again (Hawthorne). Mr. Hooper went around for the rest of his life wearing that black veil, and everyone else completely avoided him (Hawthorne). They either went out of their way to avoid him or they were very rude and ran in to him on purpose (Hawthorne). Children ran away when they saw him walking in the distance, women looked down their nose at him, and men just avoided him (Hawthorne). He lived in solitude, and he became very good at being a minister (Hawthorne). Soon, though, he was dying (Hawthorne). His ex-intended was the nurse that was by his bedside, and she had never let go of her feelings for him (Hawthorne). Soon, as he was taking his last breaths, the people around him asked him if they could take off the veil for him, and he refused them (Hawthorne). He held it on his face while he was dying, so they left it on while they were having his service and even buried him with it on (Hawthorne). People were still very freaked out about it after he died, and the story continues to be freaky (Hawthorne). The Minister's Black Veil shows many characteristics of Romanticism, and the main one is all of the details that Hawthorne puts in to the story. The people were very emotional and did not let reasoning take place in thier minds. The story was also a lot about the individual and what happened to Mr. Hooper, not anyone else. There were a ton of fears, mystery, emotions, and superstitions in the story, and people were mostly going crazy from fear. The Minister's Black Veil is a very mysterious, enjoyable story.

Hawthorne,, Nathaniel. "The Minister's Black Veil." Ibiblio - The Public's Library and Digital Archive. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. .