Two years ago, when I was the luckiest person in the world, I found a bag that had a million dollars in it. I was walking around town with my two nieces in a stroller. We were on our way to the playground and I noticed something strange in a bush by the school. I pushed the stroller through the grass and right up to the bush. It was a large bag. I opened the bag and could not believe what I saw. Stacks of 100's. I didn't know what to do. A surge of anxiety and excitement flowed from my head through my entire body, through my finger tips and all the way down to my toes. I grabbed the bag and stuffed it under the stroller into the basket and I took the girls to the park as if nothing happened.
When I got home, I took the bag upstairs and shoved it under my bed before my mom could notice. After my nieces were picked up and I didn't have to watch them anymore, I went up to my room and locked the door, emptied the bag, and counted the money. It was exactly one million dollars. I knew I would have to keep this a secret for awhile. So, I left the money in the bag, under my bed for two years. I didn't spend a dime. Now, I'm ready to do something with it and I made a list of ideas.
First on the list is college. I am going to set aside all of the money I need so that my college loans can be paid off. Next, I am going to get my car fixed. Just typical stuff like new tires, oil change, new battery, and some new brakes. What I'm really looking forward to is the vacation that I just booked. Center city London for 3 weeks at the Goring Hotel in a Belgravia Suite. When I get home from London, I plan to buy a puppy. I've always wanted one. Her name will be Lulu Diamonds after a Saturday Night Live skit by Melissa McCarthy. I'd also buy some new clothes and shoes, particularly sneakers.
After the shopping spree, I think I'll put all of the money away in various accounts. I don't want to do anything crazy like quit my job or something like that. I want to have at least a small fortune to fall back on if I can't find a better job right after college. But for now... I'm off to London as soon as this semester is over!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Story That Starts in the Middle
"Its getting really hot. Should we go to the pool now?" I asked her as she splashed in the creek.
"I think that would be lovely," she replied.
I thought to myself again, for the thousandth time today, this can't be how a normal 3 year-old talks. She doesn't even come up to my waist and she speaks better than my 14 year-old brother.
It was a hot July day, but there was a nice breeze going. There weren't many people in the park but the pool was packed and we could here the people from where we were in the park. I could see some of my friends from the bridge Paige and I were crossing. They were under the tree inside the pool's fence. It was getting really hot and it was time to go. I needed to be in the pool asap.
As we began to make out way through the remaining part of the park, she stopped walking and I didn't notice right away. I extended my hand hoping that her little one would find it. I felt nothing. I turned to see her and what I saw surprised me. She was about 30 yards away by a bench under the willow tree next to the creek.
"Paige!" I yelled. "What are you doing?"
"There's a caterpillar here! We are having a conversation!"
I just stood there for awhile and decided to join her. I walked over to the bench and sat down near the caterpillar.
"What's his name?" I asked.
"HER name is Rose. She doesn't like when people think she is a boy," Paige replied earnestly.
"Oh, my apologies Rose," I said. "How are you on this beautiful summer day?"
Paige put her ear to the caterpillar and smiled.
"She's quite well now that we're here to be her friends. She said she doesn't have many people to talk to," Paige explained. "She also said she wants to come home with me."
We didn't get to the pool that day. Instead, Paige and I spent two hours on the bench, under the willow tree, talking to Rose.
"I think that would be lovely," she replied.
I thought to myself again, for the thousandth time today, this can't be how a normal 3 year-old talks. She doesn't even come up to my waist and she speaks better than my 14 year-old brother.
It was a hot July day, but there was a nice breeze going. There weren't many people in the park but the pool was packed and we could here the people from where we were in the park. I could see some of my friends from the bridge Paige and I were crossing. They were under the tree inside the pool's fence. It was getting really hot and it was time to go. I needed to be in the pool asap.
As we began to make out way through the remaining part of the park, she stopped walking and I didn't notice right away. I extended my hand hoping that her little one would find it. I felt nothing. I turned to see her and what I saw surprised me. She was about 30 yards away by a bench under the willow tree next to the creek.
"Paige!" I yelled. "What are you doing?"
"There's a caterpillar here! We are having a conversation!"
I just stood there for awhile and decided to join her. I walked over to the bench and sat down near the caterpillar.
"What's his name?" I asked.
"HER name is Rose. She doesn't like when people think she is a boy," Paige replied earnestly.
"Oh, my apologies Rose," I said. "How are you on this beautiful summer day?"
Paige put her ear to the caterpillar and smiled.
"She's quite well now that we're here to be her friends. She said she doesn't have many people to talk to," Paige explained. "She also said she wants to come home with me."
We didn't get to the pool that day. Instead, Paige and I spent two hours on the bench, under the willow tree, talking to Rose.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Essay #3
This third assignment is giving me a lot of problems. I know what I want to say but I'm not sure how I want to say it. Plus, there is a lot of pressure on me right now to get everything done. The end of the semester makes me crazy and my anxiety disorder doesn't help with that. By the way, that's what I'm trying to write about. The anxiety that plagues me everyday and eats away at my soul. I can't function normally, ever, because of it. My mind is constantly going to the what ifs or what do they think or am I doing something wrong, where do I go, and on and on and on...
I first started having a real problem with the anxiety when I went to high school. I was that kid in the corner with few friends. My experiences in middle school made me a loner and I was getting used to it. But every time I would see someone "better than me," I wouldn't be able to calm down. On the outside I was fine. Inside, it was like a carnival. The noise, the surroundings, it was too much to handle. There was so much going on and I didn't know how to deal with it so I kept to myself.
The anxiety got really bad the summer after I graduated high school. I was all set to go to East Stroudsburg University as an Elementary Education major. I went to orientation and had a great time. Then the end of July came and I lost it. It all started when my dorm assignment came in the mail. I looked up my future roommates on Facebook and started talking to them. But something didn't feel right.
The rest of the story is for the essay but as you know, I ended up at Kutztown and I'm a professional writing major. Therapy helped a lot but things are getting worse again and I think I might have to go back. We'll see how the next two weeks go and what next semester has in store for me...
For now, I need to figure out how to make this essay about anxiety work without having an anxiety attack.
I first started having a real problem with the anxiety when I went to high school. I was that kid in the corner with few friends. My experiences in middle school made me a loner and I was getting used to it. But every time I would see someone "better than me," I wouldn't be able to calm down. On the outside I was fine. Inside, it was like a carnival. The noise, the surroundings, it was too much to handle. There was so much going on and I didn't know how to deal with it so I kept to myself.
The anxiety got really bad the summer after I graduated high school. I was all set to go to East Stroudsburg University as an Elementary Education major. I went to orientation and had a great time. Then the end of July came and I lost it. It all started when my dorm assignment came in the mail. I looked up my future roommates on Facebook and started talking to them. But something didn't feel right.
The rest of the story is for the essay but as you know, I ended up at Kutztown and I'm a professional writing major. Therapy helped a lot but things are getting worse again and I think I might have to go back. We'll see how the next two weeks go and what next semester has in store for me...
For now, I need to figure out how to make this essay about anxiety work without having an anxiety attack.
MyKU
MyKU is excellent! The new software has made my life so much easier and I can't even remember what Online Student Services was like. The modernized look of MYKU has also enhanced my view about this type of software. I have had no problems using MyKU and I am often shocked when I hear that my fellow students do not know how to properly use it.
Kutztown University offered very important, non-mandatory, informative sessions that taught students how to use the software. I attended those sessions, unlike most of my peers, and found them to be very useful. While at those sessions, I noticed that I was one of the only students to attend. So, it does not surprise me that there are so many students at Kutztown who have no idea what their doing when trying to accomplish tasks on MyKU.
Online Student Services, the old program used at Kutztown, was dated and I'm glad to be rid of it. This whole thing reminds me of the constant changes to Facebook. Everyone bitches about the changes and how they don't know know to do things. But, everyone gets over it and eventually figures everything out.
However, the switch from Online Student Services to MyKU has one major difference. There were informative sessions advertised numerous times through email that most students chose to ignore. If you don't like the new system or don't understand it, the only person you can blame is yourself.
I'm so over all of the emails that give baby steps to those who, "had better things to do." I'm sure the people sending those emails are even more frustrated than I am. Each student only had to take 50 minutes out of their day to go to a session and learn about the new system that the university would be implementing.
Kutztown University offered very important, non-mandatory, informative sessions that taught students how to use the software. I attended those sessions, unlike most of my peers, and found them to be very useful. While at those sessions, I noticed that I was one of the only students to attend. So, it does not surprise me that there are so many students at Kutztown who have no idea what their doing when trying to accomplish tasks on MyKU.
Online Student Services, the old program used at Kutztown, was dated and I'm glad to be rid of it. This whole thing reminds me of the constant changes to Facebook. Everyone bitches about the changes and how they don't know know to do things. But, everyone gets over it and eventually figures everything out.
However, the switch from Online Student Services to MyKU has one major difference. There were informative sessions advertised numerous times through email that most students chose to ignore. If you don't like the new system or don't understand it, the only person you can blame is yourself.
I'm so over all of the emails that give baby steps to those who, "had better things to do." I'm sure the people sending those emails are even more frustrated than I am. Each student only had to take 50 minutes out of their day to go to a session and learn about the new system that the university would be implementing.
Public Higher Education
Education is a right, not a privilege. The fact that students in the United States have to pay ridiculous amounts of money to further their education is absurd. Societies cannot grow and succeed without higher education and that it the main reason it should be free. Many countries, such as Finland and Norway, have free higher education to all citizens.
With the prices that students, myself included, many young people choose not to attend college. Fortunately for me, my mother is paying it all for me but without her, who knows what I would be doing right now. Many students do not have that luxury and therefore avoid college all together because they do not want to be buried in debt. It is hard enough to get a job after college. Students should not have the burden of thousands of dollars in debt hanging over their heads. I always hear, "Stay in school. You'll make a better salary after you get a college degree." That is true, however, many students do not want to make the commitment to pay back thousands of dollars when they aren't even sure if they will get a decent job after college.
Making students pay for their education is ludicrous. Just wait until tuition fees are so high that only the rich can go to school. We are getting closer and closer to that every time tuition goes up. I can't even imagine what the country will be like when only a small percentage of people can afford higher education.
Typically, college graduates do make more that high school graduates so why not give everyone in this country a chance to better themselves? Everyone, as a human being, has the right to education and the right to make their life better. Free public higher education would secure those rights. The price of tuition needs to be drastically lowered or gotten rid of all together to give all Americans the quality higher education that they deserve.
With the prices that students, myself included, many young people choose not to attend college. Fortunately for me, my mother is paying it all for me but without her, who knows what I would be doing right now. Many students do not have that luxury and therefore avoid college all together because they do not want to be buried in debt. It is hard enough to get a job after college. Students should not have the burden of thousands of dollars in debt hanging over their heads. I always hear, "Stay in school. You'll make a better salary after you get a college degree." That is true, however, many students do not want to make the commitment to pay back thousands of dollars when they aren't even sure if they will get a decent job after college.
Making students pay for their education is ludicrous. Just wait until tuition fees are so high that only the rich can go to school. We are getting closer and closer to that every time tuition goes up. I can't even imagine what the country will be like when only a small percentage of people can afford higher education.
Typically, college graduates do make more that high school graduates so why not give everyone in this country a chance to better themselves? Everyone, as a human being, has the right to education and the right to make their life better. Free public higher education would secure those rights. The price of tuition needs to be drastically lowered or gotten rid of all together to give all Americans the quality higher education that they deserve.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Bratabiphita
The patient, a 21 year-old female, suffers from a disease that I have never seen before. After countless hours of research and studying the patient from age 4-21, I have come to the conclusion that the patient has Bratabiphita, or Spoiled-Rotten Syndrome. She is unapologetic and manipulative. Other symptoms include complete disregard for rules, no evidence remorse for her actions, no regard for law enforcement, trouble sitting still, hyperactivity, and the patient becomes bored easily and lashes out at those who try to calm her down.
The patient was first brought to me by her parents at the age of 3. She was attending pre-school at the time and when told by teachers to follow directions and participate in classroom activities, the patient would do the exact opposite of what she was told. For example, when told to color inside the lines of the dog picture, she colored everything on the paper (including the white border) except the dog.
Since attending college, the patient seems to finally understand the importance of listening to her professors so that she can succeed. However, as the patient has gotten older, she no longer listens to anything her parents say. She has also continually had confrontations with law enforcement officers and often finds herself in trouble with the police for yelling obscenities or for disorderly conduct.
I have tried many things over the years, medication wise. When the patient was 6, I prescribed her Ritalin which was supposed to calm her down. The patient often refused to take the medication because she would say that it hindered her creativity. Adderall was later prescribed but the patient realized she could sell them in her high school and make a nice profit, therefore the prescription needed to be removed. Her parents have tried many other non-medical treatments but have not found a solution. For instance, they have tried to take away numerous privileges that the patient enjoys. But, since the patient is manipulative, she often convinced her friends or other relatives to give her what she wanted.
There are several triggers I have noticed that set the patient off. When a parent, peer, or doctor tries to tell the patient what to do, she ignores the advice and does the exact opposite. When the patient is forced to do something that she doesn't agree with, she acts out and then shows no remorse.
The cause is still unknown but after speaking with the patients mother numerous times, I have come to the conclusion that the patient acts the way she does because at a very young age she was told that she could do whatever she wanted to and took it literally.
I recommend that this patient be put into a situation where she has nothing and knows nobody. If out into this type of situation, all of the people around her cannot be manipulated. The patient needs to learn that laws are to be obeyed and authority figures need to be listened to and respected before she can succeed as an adult.
The patient was first brought to me by her parents at the age of 3. She was attending pre-school at the time and when told by teachers to follow directions and participate in classroom activities, the patient would do the exact opposite of what she was told. For example, when told to color inside the lines of the dog picture, she colored everything on the paper (including the white border) except the dog.
Since attending college, the patient seems to finally understand the importance of listening to her professors so that she can succeed. However, as the patient has gotten older, she no longer listens to anything her parents say. She has also continually had confrontations with law enforcement officers and often finds herself in trouble with the police for yelling obscenities or for disorderly conduct.
I have tried many things over the years, medication wise. When the patient was 6, I prescribed her Ritalin which was supposed to calm her down. The patient often refused to take the medication because she would say that it hindered her creativity. Adderall was later prescribed but the patient realized she could sell them in her high school and make a nice profit, therefore the prescription needed to be removed. Her parents have tried many other non-medical treatments but have not found a solution. For instance, they have tried to take away numerous privileges that the patient enjoys. But, since the patient is manipulative, she often convinced her friends or other relatives to give her what she wanted.
There are several triggers I have noticed that set the patient off. When a parent, peer, or doctor tries to tell the patient what to do, she ignores the advice and does the exact opposite. When the patient is forced to do something that she doesn't agree with, she acts out and then shows no remorse.
The cause is still unknown but after speaking with the patients mother numerous times, I have come to the conclusion that the patient acts the way she does because at a very young age she was told that she could do whatever she wanted to and took it literally.
I recommend that this patient be put into a situation where she has nothing and knows nobody. If out into this type of situation, all of the people around her cannot be manipulated. The patient needs to learn that laws are to be obeyed and authority figures need to be listened to and respected before she can succeed as an adult.
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