Article #5: Parents, pay attention!

 When a child is born, it's a parents job to nurture the baby and to give the baby love and kindness. The thing most needed from babies are attention and love. Without it the baby begins to grow unwanted and secluded bringing terrible outcomes later in the child life.

 When my mother was pregnant with me, my biological father wanted to abort me. My mother refused and had me at 7 months premature. When we were both let out of the hospital, things at "home" went downhill. My father abused both my mother and myself until when I was 3 year old my mother found a job, moved out and started fresh. My mother was hardly around, "it was probably the worst thing I could have done; having to give you materials but not my attention" my mother told me one day. "Luckily, God helped me out a little by having you mature earlier than you should have." 

 My example is quite different from others childhood affecting their adolescence and adulthood. Take for instances serial killer Joseph Paul Franklin's outcome of his abused childhood. His mother didn't care about him and had him "locked up" and secluded from other children. He claims to be "10 years or more behind other people in maturity" and the only comfort he found later in his life was from a book on the Nazis, beginning "his mission" to start a "race war" having killed about 22 people in his lifetime.

 Now imagine how Joseph's life could have been if his mother had given him the attention and love he deserved as a child. I'm sure he wouldn't have become the serial killer who spent 30 years in jail and is now about to be killed on Wednesday for his crime. 

 I say, parents listen to your children. Pay attention to them. Love them and show them right from wrong so that you're child can become a great success and not become the opposite.

Genius Hour Project Progress: Nov. 15

 In the last few Fridays I have to admit I was slacking off. You know, a teenager left with a laptop ends up being a "free class". Last Friday though, I actually didn't slack off. I asked the sub if I could interview people and went on the mission of finding out whether students believe school is just a passing time or if its really a necessity. For instance, do students in high school just go to school because they have to or do they really feel like they want to go for a brighter future.
 Many students actually enjoy their four high school years. They get involved, participate, and join clubs, go all out on spirit wear, and interact with the student body. Other, well, not so much. It's a pain to go to school. and once they're in school they skip most of their classes each week. Some don't even go to school! They drop out and move on from there. But, that is what I believe is what goes on. I'm sure my belief is true, but I am going out to find what really goes on in the thinking of other students and teachers. Teachers because they are the ones interacting with the students, so they are just as important to high school as students.
 The first place I went to was the AMAT studio to speak to Mr. Wheeler, the Dean of my college CHAMPS. He wasn't available at that moment so I spoke to Mr. Wilmot, my AMAT teacher, and asked him his opinion. I had spoken to Mr. Wilmot before ( he was the one who helped me to start out this topic), but he couldn't remember what he had said before. After several minutes of thinking and trying to remember what he had said before, he told me how he thinks "high school is not all really about the material given and to see if you can remember and pass tests, but to learn how to be responsible and build yourself as a person." I also spoke with the assistant principle of CHAMPS, Mrs. Macedo. She told me that she thought school was "actual preparation that offers academic and social opportunities and a chance to explore different activities." She also said that she does believe the "students come to school just cause'", but most are interested in learning.

The American Scholar

An American Scholar is a student that goes to school to get an education in trying to go places in life. I am a student. I am an American Scholar. My goal in this life is to become a person who changes the ways of this evil, cruel, world. Not just by watching and praying to God that things change, but to actually to get up and make this happen.
 In  Emerson's "The American Scholar" speech, he says that a scholar should consider to "cheer, to raise, and to guide men by showing them the fact amidst appearances", to observe on the world and others and see what is needed to be fixed; To be the one to rise above everyone else and stand out on what is at heart; To be amongst the world with a "heroic mind". Today in the present 21st century, scholars aren't like this no more. They go to school just to go to school and as soon as their done, they just look after themselves. Emerson writes expresses this idea in his 5th paragraph of the speech by giving the example of a farmer and how, "he sees bushel and his cart, and nothing beyond, and sinks into the farmer, instead of the Man on the farm."
 This ties into what I believe is my role as an American Scholar. Since there is less of Man Thinking around anymore, I am choosing to be that Man Thinking. To look at literature of today and make my own ideas based on the books; To get my experiences so far and to use those experiences, good or bad, and make something positive out of it; To become like one of the many famous authors and important people of our history that have managed to make a change in the world. Emerson even said so in his speech that the past and books are a great influence to us. And I agree! Books give  hard thoughts and ideas that I can use, but not to copy, no. Only to rise above it. To add more to it. Keep it up to date.
 Man Thinking is a creator not a copy cat. Man Thinking is like God. We will never be able to reach up to Him, never pass above Him, but we can always use His ways of love, comprehension, intelligence, and wisdom, as a way to make this changed world a better place before leaving this Earth in the future. He created this Earth with His own mind and it is from His mind, that we have our own mind, our own thoughts, our own goals in this life. That is what I want to be. I want to create my own creation to add to His. Never to be more than Him, but to be like Him. And that is my goal. That is what my role is as an American Scholar. To be a creator that brings a change in this world. That won't benefit myself, but everyone around me. I am not going to be influenced into being part of the crowd.