Duke Blackin Bratcher. He was my best friend. I was his master, trainer, teacher, but most importantly HIS friend. I remember everyday after school I would put my play cloths on and go see Duke. Duke was a full blooded Lab. Duke was a really smart dog, he knew the basic tricks and sat down when he ate his food. I took advantage of teaching my dog, because I taught Duke how to play football. Is that impossible? Let me break it down for you. . .
Duke and I would be seprated about twenty yards about from each other. I would throw the ball in front of him so he could run and scoop it. Well after he grap the ball, he would always look up to see were I was at so he could "let me" tackle him. Duke wouldn't run directly at me, but he would slow down his pace so I could get a good shot. Now I'm not going to lie, sometimes I tackled Duke a little to hard. He would then answer the next rep with an untouched touchdown.
I really haven't lost anybody that I was close too. But when my father gave my best friend away, all I could answer with was tears. He was so loyal to me. Duke was equal with me. What happened was I was unable to see Duke during a short time period because of football. Well we had a weekend off and I decided to let Duke come and hang out in my room. Duke laid on the bed when I was watching television and would sit next to my chair when I was on the computer.
When school came around again, I had to put him back in his pen. Duke's pen was at least two acres and all fenced in with a medium size shed to live in. In less then twenty-four hours Duke had got out of his pen eighteen times, because he wanted to spend time with me. My father tried everything from spreading pepper on the ground to shooting him with a bb gun to come him down. Most dogs would wonder off and explore but not Duke, because he would go straight to the front door and sit. When I was sleeping that night, I heard him laying outside of my window.
My father had enough and gave Duke away to some crazy women. The last I heard was that the "crazy" women got tired of him after a month and gave him to a farm. Everyday I think about him and the impact he had on my life as a young teenager. I still hope one day we will meet again. Best Friend to Best Friend.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
List A (Like)
1) Family
2) Friends
3) Laptop
4) Living Life
5) Football
7) Milan, TN
8) Hairy Men
9) Dogs
10) Sweatpants
11) "Tight" Hoodie
12) Ocean
13) New Orleans
14) The Super Dome
15) Memphis Football
16) Fridays -Day
18) Raffertys
List B (Dislike)
1) Abortion
2) Crime
3) Onions
4) Government
5) War
6) President Bush
7) Throwing Up
8) Getting Hurt
9) Dog Hair
10) Time
11) Bras
12) Poop
13) Nosy People
14) Flies
15) University of Tennessee
16) Cold
A-11 (Is Like) B-8
"Tight Hoodie"
Getting Hurt
I love a brand new hoodie. I remember back in middle school, my father bought me a brand new hoodie at the mall. The hoodie was gray and black, my father paid thirty dollars for the hoodie. Later that day, I decided to go outside and play with my friends. At this time of the year, it was pretty chilly in the wind. So I went to my buddy house to flaunt off my brand new hoodie. When I entered the back yard, my buddies were playing football. My friend Zack asked if I wanted to play, so I replied by jumping into the game not thinking about my hoodie. The first play Tony throws me a ball deep, and I slipped and hurt my shoulder really bad. I also stained my hoodie with blood and ripped it on the sleeve. I learned to take pride in my hoodie.
A-4 (Is Not Like) A-5
Living Life
Football
The game of Football is very dangerous activity because players sacrifice their body to the game. You have to being able to be in great physical condition, because you have to hit with your body. You have been bless to live life, and not take life for granted. Many players experience injuries that end their career in football. Every player understands that they could get hurt every time they step on the field.
B-5 (Is Like) B-7
War
Throwing up
I can imagine soldiers in war having some ups and downs with their emotions. I believe some soldiers relieve themselves by throwing up. Throwing up or vomiting will relax you, after the process is done of course. Put yourself in their position, your sitting waiting for the enemy to come. There has to be some kind of nervousness in your stomach. I wonder if people in the war were throwing up right before they sacrifice their life for their country.
1) Family
2) Friends
3) Laptop
4) Living Life
5) Football
7) Milan, TN
8) Hairy Men
9) Dogs
10) Sweatpants
11) "Tight" Hoodie
12) Ocean
13) New Orleans
14) The Super Dome
15) Memphis Football
16) Fridays -Day
18) Raffertys
List B (Dislike)
1) Abortion
2) Crime
3) Onions
4) Government
5) War
6) President Bush
7) Throwing Up
8) Getting Hurt
9) Dog Hair
10) Time
11) Bras
12) Poop
13) Nosy People
14) Flies
15) University of Tennessee
16) Cold
A-11 (Is Like) B-8
"Tight Hoodie"
Getting Hurt
I love a brand new hoodie. I remember back in middle school, my father bought me a brand new hoodie at the mall. The hoodie was gray and black, my father paid thirty dollars for the hoodie. Later that day, I decided to go outside and play with my friends. At this time of the year, it was pretty chilly in the wind. So I went to my buddy house to flaunt off my brand new hoodie. When I entered the back yard, my buddies were playing football. My friend Zack asked if I wanted to play, so I replied by jumping into the game not thinking about my hoodie. The first play Tony throws me a ball deep, and I slipped and hurt my shoulder really bad. I also stained my hoodie with blood and ripped it on the sleeve. I learned to take pride in my hoodie.
A-4 (Is Not Like) A-5
Living Life
Football
The game of Football is very dangerous activity because players sacrifice their body to the game. You have to being able to be in great physical condition, because you have to hit with your body. You have been bless to live life, and not take life for granted. Many players experience injuries that end their career in football. Every player understands that they could get hurt every time they step on the field.
B-5 (Is Like) B-7
War
Throwing up
I can imagine soldiers in war having some ups and downs with their emotions. I believe some soldiers relieve themselves by throwing up. Throwing up or vomiting will relax you, after the process is done of course. Put yourself in their position, your sitting waiting for the enemy to come. There has to be some kind of nervousness in your stomach. I wonder if people in the war were throwing up right before they sacrifice their life for their country.
4 Syn.
Lacking of Father
As you can see David is lacking a good example at the father role. The "father figure" was a huge part of my life growing up as a kid and teenage years. My Father is the reason why I'm living a healthy life and going to college. The problem in The Rake is that David had no father to show him the right way in life.
Under the Influence
After I read Under the Influence, I was shocked because it reminded me of my childhood. When I was younger I blocked all the horrible sights out of my mind, but the way Sanders stressed his words made the memories all come back to me. I could really relate to Sanders because we both had a parent who was an alcoholic.
The Fourth of July
I think Audre Lorde learned from this experience because she didn’t let racism stop her later in her life. Lorde took immediately action after her experiences in Washington D.C. Lorde's attitude toward this experience led her to write an angry letter to the President of The
United States.
The Rake
In The Rake the paragraph about the rake really stood out in this story. The story is structured to make us think about violence, and the rake David uses is a violent approach just to gather leaves up. The rake has claws on the tip, and scratches the ground as you pick up leaves. David uses the rake as a main part, because the rake harms and cleans up the yard.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
First Memory
One cold night, my father told me that I would be moving to Tennessee with my grandmother. My Aunt Pam and Grandmother came from Tennessee to Nebraska so they could take my sister and me back home with them. My five-year-old soul stayed up all night thinking about my future and what was going to happen to my family. I remember waking up at 5:30 in the morning and freezing, so I stole my brother's sweat shirt. My brother pitched a fit and wanted his sweater back, but my father told him to let me keep it. The sweat shirt was a striped purple and gray sweater with a Tennessee logo. Once I think about it now, it is ironic because that was the day my life changed, and I really started to become somebody.
After saying good-bye to my father, my sister and I went into the back seat of my Aunt Pam's red car and I began to cry a little bit. I did not want to be separated from my father because he was my role model and friend. There was silence as my sister and I sat in the car in the freezing wet weather. My sister looked at me and said, "Are you crying?" and I replied, "No," and turned my head catching my breath. I just could not believe that my childhood would ever be the same, and I had to prepare myself to start all over again.
On the trip to Tennessee from Nebraska, we brought back our dog Pippy. My aunt had to pull over three times so the dog could use the restroom. I could feel the tension between my grandmother and the dog. My grandmother refuses to have any kind of pet live in her house; however, my grandmother is a smart and caring person considering she took in two children and helped us grow up to be successful. During the ride, I remained quiet just wondering what to expect on my next journey.
When I entered the state of Tennessee, I noticed that there were a lot of trees on the side of the road. Nebraska was more a completely surface, because farmers took advantage of the perfect soil and no trees. Not only were the trees different, but the roads felt like you were on a carnival ride. I remember riding over the hills and the hills made my stomach jump. Finally, we got to my grandmother's and I had to tie Pippy to a little tree. My last memory of that day was entering my grandmother's house.
After saying good-bye to my father, my sister and I went into the back seat of my Aunt Pam's red car and I began to cry a little bit. I did not want to be separated from my father because he was my role model and friend. There was silence as my sister and I sat in the car in the freezing wet weather. My sister looked at me and said, "Are you crying?" and I replied, "No," and turned my head catching my breath. I just could not believe that my childhood would ever be the same, and I had to prepare myself to start all over again.
On the trip to Tennessee from Nebraska, we brought back our dog Pippy. My aunt had to pull over three times so the dog could use the restroom. I could feel the tension between my grandmother and the dog. My grandmother refuses to have any kind of pet live in her house; however, my grandmother is a smart and caring person considering she took in two children and helped us grow up to be successful. During the ride, I remained quiet just wondering what to expect on my next journey.
When I entered the state of Tennessee, I noticed that there were a lot of trees on the side of the road. Nebraska was more a completely surface, because farmers took advantage of the perfect soil and no trees. Not only were the trees different, but the roads felt like you were on a carnival ride. I remember riding over the hills and the hills made my stomach jump. Finally, we got to my grandmother's and I had to tie Pippy to a little tree. My last memory of that day was entering my grandmother's house.
A-Ha Blog
When I was in high school, I decided to take a criminal justice class. The class was taught by a wonderful women whose name is Susan Featherstone. Mrs. Susan loved me as a student and would always confience me to be a leader in the classroom. Anyways, I took three semesters of her class, learning a lot of information in criminalogy.
Susan insisted me to go to this Police Academy because the top student overall would win two hundred dollars. We had to go on Tuesday every week for two and half hours for five weeks. One week we had to complete an obstacle that the police force have to complete to be able to join the force. We saw meth, weed, pills, and other hard street drugs. We met three drug dogs, who later chased a man the length of a football field and then tackled the man.
Week by week I learned so much about the environment of police and detective work. After accomplishing five weeks of the academy it was time for graduation. I remember walking up in front of everybody to recieve my diploma. It felt really good to graduate and earn your respect from the officers who serve your town. Part of me wanted to really walk down the aisle later on in my life. Going to this academy really help me make my decision in my major with is Criminalogy.
Susan insisted me to go to this Police Academy because the top student overall would win two hundred dollars. We had to go on Tuesday every week for two and half hours for five weeks. One week we had to complete an obstacle that the police force have to complete to be able to join the force. We saw meth, weed, pills, and other hard street drugs. We met three drug dogs, who later chased a man the length of a football field and then tackled the man.
Week by week I learned so much about the environment of police and detective work. After accomplishing five weeks of the academy it was time for graduation. I remember walking up in front of everybody to recieve my diploma. It felt really good to graduate and earn your respect from the officers who serve your town. Part of me wanted to really walk down the aisle later on in my life. Going to this academy really help me make my decision in my major with is Criminalogy.
Family Ritual
After I came home from school, the rest of the night would take the same course. Once I put up my school books, I headed straight outside to play with my friends. Every night between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. my father would call my name to tell me it was time to eat dinner. When I entered the house, I would automatically know what we were having for dinner because of the smell.
After washing my hands, I always sat in a certain seat, which was the only chair without a cushion on it. My back would always face the television so I would not be distracted by it while I was eating. My grandmother always sat to my left in her comfortable chair so she could watch everybody eat her food. My grandmother's chair would be directly in front of the television, because that is where she spent her time during the day.
In front of me, at the dinner table, was my sister and the only reason she sat in that particular seat was to see the television. There was also a mirror behind my head and every now and then I noticed her taking a glance at herself. My father would always sit to my right, and he was always the last one to sit down at the table. I remember every night at dinner my father would sit down real hard after a long day and set his hat to his left on the ground. We each had our own assigned seats, not because we had to, but because it was our habit.
Developing this ritual over time, the places that we sat showed our personalities. My grandmother would take pleasure watching us eat, because that would let her know that she is taking good care of her family. My grandmother would sit in her seat so she could get the best view to see everyone eat her food. My sister always made sure she could get the best view toward the television and the mirror because she was always concerned about being "cool." My father would sit in his seat to get a glimpse of the television and to be head of the table. My main priority was eating my grandmother's country food and not letting the television bother my eating. Personally, I did not care to watch televsion because my main focus was eating the food in front of me. After eating my grandmother's wonderful food, my sister and I always had to make our contribution by washing the dishes. Now that I am in college, I look back and notice how every night was repetitive and organized.
After washing my hands, I always sat in a certain seat, which was the only chair without a cushion on it. My back would always face the television so I would not be distracted by it while I was eating. My grandmother always sat to my left in her comfortable chair so she could watch everybody eat her food. My grandmother's chair would be directly in front of the television, because that is where she spent her time during the day.
In front of me, at the dinner table, was my sister and the only reason she sat in that particular seat was to see the television. There was also a mirror behind my head and every now and then I noticed her taking a glance at herself. My father would always sit to my right, and he was always the last one to sit down at the table. I remember every night at dinner my father would sit down real hard after a long day and set his hat to his left on the ground. We each had our own assigned seats, not because we had to, but because it was our habit.
Developing this ritual over time, the places that we sat showed our personalities. My grandmother would take pleasure watching us eat, because that would let her know that she is taking good care of her family. My grandmother would sit in her seat so she could get the best view to see everyone eat her food. My sister always made sure she could get the best view toward the television and the mirror because she was always concerned about being "cool." My father would sit in his seat to get a glimpse of the television and to be head of the table. My main priority was eating my grandmother's country food and not letting the television bother my eating. Personally, I did not care to watch televsion because my main focus was eating the food in front of me. After eating my grandmother's wonderful food, my sister and I always had to make our contribution by washing the dishes. Now that I am in college, I look back and notice how every night was repetitive and organized.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
??Family??Football??
When I was younger my mother had custody on my two brothers, sister, and of course me. At this time we lived in Norfolk, Nebraska. Barbra, my mother, would get fucked up everyday keeping a distance toward her kids. Barbra would go to her "boyfriends" house and sometimes take my sister and I with her. I remember standing outside for hours while my mother was in the house with another man. My father at the time was out of town working so his children could live.
My father was sick of not seeing his kids so he took my mother to court for custody. Barbra didn't even show up, which gave my father all custody of his kids. Around the age of six I moved to Milan, Tennessee with my grandmother. Moving into my grandmothers house really changed my life. Every night my grandmother and I would cook and read chapters in the Bible. Around the age 13 I was presenting lessons at churches with my brother Patrick. :>
My father works seven days a week and sun rise to sun set. He works on the outside of your house like vinyl siding, windows, and trim. He has been doing this work for 27 years and is still counting. The only thing that kept him going was seeing his boy play the game of football.
My oldest brother Justin played football most of his life since he was five to twenty-five. He played college football at Wayne State and Cumberland University. My other brother Patrick played in high school and won two state champions back to back. Later on Patrick played with Justin at Cumberland University for two years. And of course my present career.
My father was sick of not seeing his kids so he took my mother to court for custody. Barbra didn't even show up, which gave my father all custody of his kids. Around the age of six I moved to Milan, Tennessee with my grandmother. Moving into my grandmothers house really changed my life. Every night my grandmother and I would cook and read chapters in the Bible. Around the age 13 I was presenting lessons at churches with my brother Patrick. :>
My father works seven days a week and sun rise to sun set. He works on the outside of your house like vinyl siding, windows, and trim. He has been doing this work for 27 years and is still counting. The only thing that kept him going was seeing his boy play the game of football.
My oldest brother Justin played football most of his life since he was five to twenty-five. He played college football at Wayne State and Cumberland University. My other brother Patrick played in high school and won two state champions back to back. Later on Patrick played with Justin at Cumberland University for two years. And of course my present career.
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