Feeling like a Raisin, When You Want to be a Grape

For a Dancer, and A Dream Deferred

An Essay by Harry Staley

9th Grade English

September 15, 2011

Have you ever felt lonely and had so much pressure on you that you thought you might explode? Some people have that feeling so intensely that they become suicidal. Other people are not affected by pressure and they move on with life like nothing ever happened. People who can’t handle pressure or who are suicidal lead very difficult and painful lives, but they are people just like us and should be treated with respect.

Being pressured is a terrible feeling that nobody wants to have, it makes people feel like they are sad, ad maybe have mental breakdown. I have never even thought about a human being exploding. Some people who are put under a severe amount of stress feel as if they might explode. If everybody was treated the same, nobody would be put under that stress and everybody would be happy. In the song For a Dancer, Jackson Browne’s friend, who was bisexual, was treated differently than everyone else. Because his sexuality was not accepted by many, he was treated differently and even cruelly. After years of pressure and being misunderstood, thinking he might explode, his tortured life ended. Whenever I feel even the slightest bit stressed, I relax and get my mind off of things by taking a nice warm shower. I don’t know what it is about a shower that calms me down, but it works and I will continue to use that trick. It is the one thing that makes all of my trouble fade into nothing and that is exactly what I am trying to accomplish. The next time you are under pressure and feel like you might explode, be sure to get help and take a nice hot shower.

When Jackson Browne was put under the stress of his friend dying and his wife killing herself, does it ever sound like he gave up? Browne is a very talented man who has had a very difficult life. He endured it, though, and seems to find hope in learning from tough times rather than , “blowing up” like a Raisin in the Sun. Although his sorrow might have been overwhelming, I think it inspired him to write meaningful songs that have helped many listeners deal with their own problems. I don’t think Browne sat around like a sorry, sobbing, singer or a raisin in the sun [allit]. Rather, Brown was inspired by these misfortunes and that’s why he had so many songs that people relate to. Writing these songs may have even brought joy back into his life. I'm not even sure what I would do, if anything like this happened to me. The feeling of hopelessness would be hard to take. I would be lost in my own world, in my own thoughts, baking like a raisin in the sun or a rotten piece of meat. It is magnificent that Browne went through this harsh condition of life and continued with a very successful career and life.

Have you ever felt so pressured that you thought you might explode like a raisin in the sun? If you keep your cool and find an outlet for all the pressure, you may not explode. If your raisin stays in the sun, you will have big problems. Stay calm cool and collected and there will be nothing to worry about. The next time you feel pressured, think of a raisin in the sun, expanding to the point where it can’t expand anymore, then think of yourself with no worries or problems, feeling more like a grape.

Being a Simple Kind of Man

How To Be a Simple Kind of Man

An Essay By: Harry Staley

9th Grade English

September 29, 2011

“Be a simple kind of man.” Wouldn’t we all want to be a simple kind of man, and never try to be someone other than us? If everyone was simple there would be respect, no one to make fun of you and no one to hurt your feelings. There would also be no fights, because every man would be the same. I wish I was simple, and I’m sure others wish they were to.

To be a real man you need to be a simple man. To be a simple man you shouldn’t try to be something extreme. To be a simple man you must be yourself, and except yourself just the way you are. Most simple men, are always living life their own way, not trying to be something they aren’t. The number one rule for being simple is to never act like you are too good for others, everyone is the same and it will always be like that. If you are one of those people that always want to be noticed, sometimes being simple is the best way to be noticed. Don’t be crazy, don’t do stupid things, and don’t try to do crazy things to be noticed. Stay calm to be noticed and do the right things, and you will probably be noticed. The one rule I think is the most important is to never put yourself at risk, that is the opposite of being simple. If everyone in the world were simple the world would truly and honestly be a better place, because we wouldn’t have those few people that are crazy.

Have you ever though being a simple kind of man might be just having respect for others? That is one way I think makes me a simple kind of man, is respecting others. I respect everyone, no matter what race, no matter what gender, no matter what religion, I will respect them. There is the occasion when I will mess around with a close friend but it is all in loving fun. I also have great

Desperado

Wanting the Things You Can’t Have

An Essay by: Harry Staley

Pine Point School

October 11, 2011

Do you find that nothing is ever good enough? When you want something that you think is better than what you have, you start to lose appreciation for what you do have. It is one of the worst feelings I can think of. Desperado, written by Don Henley and Glen Frey, is never satisfied with what he actually has. When you feel like this, you should think to yourself, “How would I be feeling if I didn’t have anything at all.”

M                     any of us have occasionally acted like Desperado? (We may have received a gift and acted very surprised, very ungrateful, even very selfish, but were disappointed because we expected something better.) (Anaphora) As time passes, maybe we lose the gift, or the person who gave it to us, and then realize how great it actually was. (It is not just gifts that we sometimes take for granted; it could be an opportunity, a chance, a problem or maybe a decision.) (Poly) It is hard to face these decisions and even harder to choose something that may not be the “coolest” thing, but might be the better choice. I have seen examples of this in sports. Often people try to make (spectacular) (F.A.S.T.) plays and fail instead of making a smart but less flashy play which may have worked. I have seen it happen when someone doesn’t make the smart play and they end up losing the game for their team or an opportunity for themselves. Similarly, if you are given chances to be happy and pass on them because there might be better chances down the line, you should ask yourself, “what if I don’t get another chance?” This is Desperado’s problem. There are many, “fine things laid upon your (his) table, but you only want the things you can’t have.”

In a book I once read, there was a boy named Brian, who took everything for granted until he was in a plane crash and was limited to only a few supplies and tools. (While he was stranded out in the middle of the Canadian woods, he had a lot of time to think about all of the wonderful things he had been given over the years, like games, and electronics, and opportunities, and family, and friends.)( poly) He also had time to think about how much those items mean to him. After a few weeks of being stranded in the woods, he started to want more than what he had. He started to take his tools for granted and wanting more than what was given to him. The more he took things for granted, the more he realized that he was all alone and there was nothing he could do about it. Once everything he had was gone, he panicked. He didn’t know what he would do without his tools, because he needed them to live. (At night he couldn’t see; in the day he couldn’t eat; and when he was thirsty he couldn’t drink.) (Anaphora) That was the last time Brian took any of these things for granted. The next time you take something for granted, or want something more (extravagant) (F.A.S.T.) than what you have, think about how you would feel with nothing at all. Desperado has failed to think about these things.

            I had heard the Eagles sing Desperado many times in the past, but I never really thought about what the song meant. After hearing it many times and relating it to people, I understand the song pretty well. I now think about what I have and about the things I don’t have. I have come to realize that I actually have quite a bit, and I don’t need much to satisfy me.

Self-assessment:

1. One writing issue I am continuing to work on is making sure I am staying on topic.

2. On strong point I see in this writing is how the whole essay seems clear.

3. One week point I see in my writing is that i always need to keep an eye on my punctuation.

4. Self-grade- B

In this essay, I am trying to work on:

• not misspelling words
• appropriate punctuation
• keep paragraphs organized

Walk On;

Walking On From Old Things, and Walking On To New

An Essay by Harry Staley

9th Grade English

Pine Point School

October 24, 2011

             Have you ever had to, “walk on”, from something you really love? Have you ever had to leave a home you lived in for a very long time, and didn’t see the good in doing it? Mama, from A Raisin in the Sun, helped me realize that if you have to do something you don’t want to do at first, you will probably find the good in it after time. When I was seven, I had to leave my house and move to mystic, where I didn’t know one person, but I found the good in it after a while. No matter how much you might not want to, “walk on”, from something, you should see if you could see yourself finding the good in it.

When I was around six years old I was given the unfortunate news that I was going to be moving. I loved living in Stamford, but I had to, “leave it all behind”, like Mama had to leave her house from A Raisin in the Sun. (Of course Mama lived in her house much longer than I lived in mine, but both of these homes meant something to us, our family, our friends.) (Asyndeton) Mama did say that, “good would come out of the move”, and that (precisely) (F.A.S.T.) happened. From the moment Mama found her soon to be house, she knew right away that good would come out of it, but I couldn’t find the good in the move until a long while later. After a long time, i realized that this move was very positive, and before long I (adored) (F.A.S.T.) my new house. (I had new friends, a new school, and a new life.) (Anaphora) Mama’s choice of “walking on” sure was a good one, and I think my parents’ choice of making my sister and I “walk on” was a great one too.

          When I was around ten years old, I had to “walk on” from having a family. One day, my sister and I were as happy as could be in our semi-new home, but all of a sudden, terrible news came upon us that the family was going to split. My sister and I were forced (to “walk on” to deal, to live differently,) (Asyndeton) and there was nothing we could do about it. Instead of playing the (victims) F.A.S.T., my sister and I tried to find the good in it, which took a very long time! (My sister and I decided that we needed to be strong and “walk on”, and live in the moment, and see where life would take us.) (Anaphora) When we said that, we both grew up and realized that life isn’t all fun and games. There will be some fun times, but there will be those bad times, and that was a perfect example of a “bad time”. Now almost ten years later my sister and I are both happy, and we are ready to (pursue) F.A.S.T. our lives.

               Did you ever have to “walk on” from something you didn’t want to “walk on” from? You can “walk on” from almost anything. I walked away from my house, and my family, which were both very tough things to “walk on” from but if you try hard you will see the good in it. Some things in life are very hard to “walk on” from, like a house or a family, but if you concentrate like Mama and me, you will find the good in it.
Self-assessment:

• Some problems I am continuing to work on consist of putting commas in places not needed, and spelling things correctly.
• One strong point I see in my writing is that I work on it all on my own and I used to have my mom or dad proofread it before I’d hand it in but this is all me.
• One possible weak point I see in my writing is punctuation, specifically with commas.
• B+

Things to work on in this essay:
1. Listening to my partners.
2. Not over doing it with quotes.
3. making sure I use commas correctly.

The Similarities Between a Quote From Charles Dickens and the song Here Comes The Sun:

Here Comes the Sun and The Season of Darkness

An Essay by Harry Staley

Pine Point English

November 17, 2011

Don’t you wish that there wasn’t a season of darkness to dull up your mood? No dark feelings and no unhappy thoughts could ruin your day no matter how gloomy your day has been. On those gray days where you had nothing to do but sit around and be bored, don’t you wish the sun could come out and brighten your mood? When the sun finally peeks out from underneath the thick, gray, puffy clouds, the happy sunshine finally spices up your day. I really wish there wouldn’t be a season of darkness.

Wouldn’t you do anything to let a little bit of sunshine into your life? Sometimes, even a slight chuckle can add enough sunshine to make your day, but if someone makes you laugh at the wrong time, it could ruin your day. I know when I am having one of those gloomy winter days; a good laugh will always make my day. I hate it when you feel like your day is dark and grey and you have no emotion because every little bit of laughter and happiness you had was sucked away by the bad weather. I think if the seasons of darkness didn’t exist the world would be way more enjoyable. I don’t believe they bring pleasure to people. When it is the season of darkness, people are just waiting for the sun. In my opinion the only way to make the season of darkness fade, is to act positive, and stay active. I think if you have a negative attitude your season of darkness will seem a lot longer than it actually is. I also think if you stay active you will feel a lot better about things, rather than sitting around all day waiting for something to happen.

                      When it is wintertime I cannot wait for that cold grey sky to fade to a gorgeous blue day. I always love that first summer day when you look up at the sky, and realize that, “its seemed like years since it’s been clear.” I can’t think of a better feeling in the world. I get that cold dark weather out of my mind and think of how great it is to have summer back and in my sight. I think the song, here comes the sun; basically sums up my feeling on letting the warm weather, and the happy memories come back. Winter is a grey miserable time of year, and all you can do is wait around for those occasional snow days. That isn’t much to look forward to half of the year. I just can’t think of a more annoying time of year, when you are on those last few days of winter, waiting for that sun to finally poke through. That sun is the happiness for me. I feel like I can’t be happy without the sun beating down on a blue sky and me. I cannot stand the season of darkness, or any season where I can’t go outside and see the blue sky.

                  Wouldn’t life be more enjoyable if the world was filled with the season of light? No harsh feelings to dampen your spirits or ruin a perfectly fine day. Now if it were up to me, I would spice up those boring, monotonous days by throwing a casual get together or spending it with my family. I love the feeling of having people around when I am having those bleak moments.. Nothing is better than having group of people you love surround you. If it were up to me I would eliminate the season of darkness.

Light

Light in A Tale of Two Cities, and Light in My Life:

An Essay by: Harry Staley

Pine Point English

November 29, 2011

Have you ever thought of light as a symbol? I think of light as a little hint in life of what type of mood the day might be like. When it is bright and sunny, that would mean that you are having a great day. When the weather is dark and stormy, your day might not be going as well as you’d hoped it would. I love my life when it is sunny and bright and, like everyone else, I hate it when it is grey and dark.
My favorite time of year by far is summer because of its sublime light brought by the sun. I love the summertime because I can always be outside in the hot bright sun. I am almost never unhappy because I can be outside in that extravagant weather, unlike the, “clammy intense” weather in wintertime. In the warm wonderful weather I can go to the beach, be with my friends outside and do one of my favorite things, sail. During the summertime, I always sail. Ever since I was ten, I loved to be outside on those sunny scorching days fooling around on a sail boat. It was a great way to stay cool and also a great way to spend my hot and sunny days. My favorite part about sailing would have to be watching the reflection of the sun off of the water. There is nothing better than disturbing the perfect reflection of light with my 420, a piece of fiberglass designed to glide through water with speed. It is a very refreshing feeling, and it is a feeling that never gets old. I love spending bright and sunny summer days on the water.

In the book A Tale of Two Cities, the light often describes a mood or foreshadows an event in the story. In my opinion, the light in the story often describes the mood of the characters. When the light is dim or dark, it seems that the characters are frequently grumpy, a sad or upset feeling which mostly happens from being tired, or they are about to become grumpy, mad, upset. Whenever the light is bright, or on the brighter side, it seems that the characters are happier or cheerier. Lighting in this book is another hint telling you when the book might have taken place. When Madam Defarge was knitting under the street light, it seemed like the light was dimmer because of the type of street lights they had in those days. It also might tell you when the time period takes place, because if you compare it to any other book written around this time it seems quite dark. Brightness and darkness can sometimes foreshadow what might happen next in the story. I think when the story starts to slow down and the light darkens, something bad might happen. I also think when the lighting is happier and bright, something exciting or pleasant will happen, because you can, “always bear a little more light.” In my opinion, the lighting in A Tale of Two Cities is a very useful tool.
There is more to light than just giving the ability to see. I never thought there were so many ways to interpret light until I read A Tale of Two Cities. There were so many examples of light that supported my theories, for example. I think that the symbol of light in A Tale of Two Cities is a very clever way of foreshadowing interesting situations and moods. I personally love the light, and especially that bright side of it, and the author of A Tale of Two Cities probably thought the same way.

The Growing of Sacrifice

The Sacrifices Made in My Life

An Essay by Harry Staley

Pine Point English

January 5, 2012

Have you ever made a sacrifice in your life that you were very proud of? I know I have, and I also know it can be a fantastic feeling. Ever since two summers ago I started volunteering at the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club. At first the work was hard, and very unpleasant, but after a week I got used to it and it became fun. It was a fantastic sacrifice of time, and I will remember it forever.

When I first started sacrificing my summer time for volunteering with four to six year olds, I absolutely hated it. The first week of volunteering at the Stonington Harbor Yacht club was the most awful experience I have ever had. It was a very hard thing to enjoy when I had little kids pulling on every part of my body, scratching every piece of unclothed skin, and hanging off of my every limb as if I were some type of human jungle gym. Every single kid in my class had at one point made me angry. The second week of volunteering, I knew I had to lay down the law. One of my students, Sadie Mae Scott jumped on top of me, and I exploded with anger and sent her to the corner for a time out, a very unpleasant place where misbehaved kids are sent to learn a lesson, where she started crying, apologizing, and begging for forgiveness. After sending this soon to be innocent child to time out, I realized that my summer had just changed. For the rest of my sacrificed summer, I was quite pleased with the kids, and I made a great group of new little buddies. When the last week of volunteer work rolled around I had a very strong bond with a few of my students. One of my students, Emilia Alpert, and I became super close and her mother told me that her daughter would like to marry me when she is older, and she did clarify that the age wasn’t a big deal. The more time I sacrifice, I enjoy sacrificing more and more.

Since the summer of 2010 I have been sacrificing my time with four to six year old children, teaching them marine biology. At first I hated sacrificing my time, but the more I sacrificed the more I appreciated it. The work I was doing with the kids really grew on me, and now I enjoy it. I love to sacrifice my time now, and I now know that no matter what you sacrifice, it will always be ok in the long run.