The things they carried

The Things They Carried Assignments

Assignment #1:  

1.  If i had to take things of necessity with me to war, I think the first intangible item that I would carry would be my colorful stuffed animal that I sleep with every night. I would take this because it makes me feel safe and reminds me that people I love gave it to me.  I feel sort of a connection to my family and my home land if I had it with me when I was nowhere near any of them. I also think that by bringing my stuffed animal I would not feel so alone and I would be able to hold it as tight as I wanted if I was scared or if i was worried that I was going to die.

 My favorite blanket would come with me as well because I am in love with my blanket. I feel very comfortable and safe when I am wrapped in my blanket. The importance of this is definitely because it is my safety blanket. For example, if I ever have a scary dream or am scared, I hide under it until I feel safe. I think that I would be able to be relaxed if I took it with me to war because than I could hide my fears at night before the sun came out the next day.

I think the last thing that is tangible that I would bring would be a picture of my friends and family so that every time I got sad or needed to see them, I could look at them.  I think that I would be able to feel safer if I knew that my family was proud of me for fighting for our country’s freedom. If I did not have a picture of them to remind me of how proud I was making them I don’t think my work would be just as successful as it should be.  Its importance to me is that it makes me feel that I am doing a good job and doing what is right.

2.  When I go to war I would have many things on my mind but the main thing that would always be on my mind is three things. The first thing that is very intangible and unforgettable is my dog Lacey, she is my best friend and she is such a good girl. I don’t think I could ever go a day without thinking about something funny she did or does. Lacey always knows how to put a smile on my face. The second thing I would never forget about is my family because they are the best. They are not a perfect family by any means but they are just what I need. They understand me and always make fun memories with me. I can remember the first time we ever went to Florida; it will be something I will always cherish because it was so much fun. The last thing I would never be able to forget is my friends which are so close to me I consider them my sisters. They are the most down to earth and honest people you will ever meet. They always know how to put a smile on my face and make me have the best times when we are all together.

                Intangible to me means that if I had to go somewhere without anyone I truly knew, I would have to take a lot of memories and funny moments with me to get by. I think that everyone has several good moments and memories and that if they are in the dumps, they will always try to think of something that made them happy or better. I think that most people will always cherish moments with their friends and or family because those are the people we are always around and who are always the nicest to us. I think that intangible things help me to get through the tough times by myself with the thoughts and memories of my friends.

Assignment #2 Love (27-30)

                After reading this chapter, I had pictured in my head what this entire scene looked like. I could see Tim and Martha at the college reunion in 1979 in an old gym floor having a conversation. I could see in Tim’s eyes that he loved her but I couldn’t really tell in Martha’s eyes if she was in love or if she was annoyed. I could see that Martha had felt that she had done a lot for other people. I could also see that Tim and she had a lot of things in common.  I had a strong hope for Tim to just lean in and kiss her but he did not do that. Instead, he told her that he had loved her and she didn’t say anything at all. That is when I could feel my heart drop and I felt so bad for Tim.

                I couldn’t believe that Martha did not say she loved Tim back. After all these years and the pebble and the letters, it just didn’t make sense. I want to know why she doesn’t feel the same and did not say I love you back to Tim. I hope that Tim writes this story and that Martha realizes how much Tim truly loves her and how much time he wants to cherish and devote to her. I think this could be a love story if Martha just gave in and told Tim that she loves him as well.

Spin (31-38)

                I did not know that Mitchell Sanders had body lice and that he was such a rebel. I did not think he would be this brave to send body lice to his draft board in Ohio, with a label saying it was free. I think this has a little background to it as well because I think it is showing that he is not happy about all the disease and suffering that these men are going through every day because of the war and I think he wanted to make sure that these people knew just how felt. I think it is a kind of comic relief that was well developed in this chapter.

                I wish this chapter told me more about why Ted Lavender was so heavy on the tranquilizers. I want to know why he likes to do this to himself and why he is so obsessed with drugs. I think that the war may stress you out and all but I do not believe that you should solve your stress by taking several different drugs. I think that if anything it will make your situation worse and it will be harder to become normal if you keep doing this. I think this is part of the reason he died and well because he was not as aware as he should have been of how harmful these drugs were to his body and mind.

               

In One Car Ride

In one car ride

Summer Reading Essay:

(The Bean Trees and The Kite Runner)

What if one day you went into a bar and by the time you got back in your car, your life had changed dramatically? Well that did happen to me. You see, I decided that I wanted to drive away from my mother, who was back in Kentucky. I never thought I could build up enough courage to actually leave and drive across the country all by myself, but I knew if I wanted a change of scenery I needed to go. I had so many things on my mind when I was driving, like what happens if all of a sudden the car completely loses a tire? What happens if the transmission goes on me while I'm driving and I get stuck on the side of a road? Well I did not get to experience all of that while driving but I did experience the time when my gas gage was on empty and I decided to not stop until my 1955 Volkswagen Bug decided to stop. Finally, the car stopped in Taylorville and that is where I decided to change my name to Taylor Greer, instead of Marietta, sometimes called Missy. After that, I continued west to see what else the world had in store for me.

I decided that I wanted to keep on driving and when I did do that, I came upon many new findings. The first finding was that I got a daughter when I was in Oklahoma. An anonymous lady came to my car door and put a baby in the front seat. I did not know what to do with it because at this point I really did not even know what to do with myself. I drove a long way with this little girl in the car who I finally decided to name Turtle because she had such a tight grip to me every time I held her. Turtle was not my child of course, but she did mean the world to me so I took her along for the ride. I continued on and came across some people I soon became friends with in Tucson, Arizona. When I was in Arizona for a few months, I became very close with Mattie, Lou-Ann, Esperanza, and Estevan. These people were sort of like “family” to me because they treated me as if I had always been a part of their lives. Esperanza and Estevan was a couple who had been living with Mattie because she was someone who would take care of illegal immigrants. When they were looking for a change of scenery, just as I was, I decided to be that someone who would risk it all and drive them to a new sanctuary.  

Once I got in the car and drove to Oklahoma, it was not long until I finally came to the house where Esperanza and Estevan needed to go. I was heartbroken because I did not want to say goodbye to such a wonderful man who I had connected with so much. All I wanted to do now was to get something to eat. I went in to the same place that I had gotten the new responsibility in my life; she was in my arms so nice and close to me. There were not that many people inside this place for lunch. When I was looking around, a young boy caught my eye. This boy was in his early teens, and he was not smiling back at me. I shortly understood that he was trying to play a game of hide and seek with Turtle.

 On their way out, the son’s father came over and said, “Hello mam, my name is Amir, and this is my son Sohrab, and who are you (speaking to Turtle).”

I replied, “Hi, I am Taylor and this is my daughter Turtle, Come sit down and join us for some dessert.”

Amir said, “Why thank you mam, we will.”

At this time, Sohrab was now seated next to Turtle and started to make her laugh by making funny faces and talking to her. Amir and I were talking and we soon started to ask questions about each other.

Amir asked, “How old is Turtle, and where was she born?”

I replied, “Honestly, I do not know how old she is or where she was born, she was a gift from the lord.”

Amir said, “Well that’s a coincidence, because so is Sohrab, he is such a wonderful boy, and if it wasn’t for me, he would not be in America.”

This caught my eye, and I wanted to attack the response and ask so many questions but I did not want to make Amir feel awkward. Instead of waiting for him to ask me, I decided to tell Amir the whole true story of how I got Turtle. I found out the real reason Sohrab was in the United States and how he is truly his nephew and not his son. In the end of our conversation, we both realized that we have truly saved these children from their abusive lives and that if it was not for us, they probably would not be as healthy or lively looking as they are right now. Amir and I had such a great connection, it was as if I had never lost Estevan in the first place, that was until Amir told us he had to go because he was going to miss his flight to California if he did not leave that second. In that last minute, it was the most I have ever felt connected to someone, therefore I had told Amir that it was wonderful meeting him and Sohrab. The last thing I heard Amir say was to always remember that what we are doing is right. In my head I knew all along I was doing the right thing by saving this poor innocent little girl but by those last words, it truly hit me that I really was creating a better life for Turtle and myself.