Ashley

2006-05-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

"Someone that I fear but also admire"
Someone that I fear and admire is my father. I fear my father because he is a scary man. He is the nicest person in the world, and he has a heart, but to get on his bad side is another thing. Now don’t get me wrong, he and my mother works hard to make our home very happy, and they are doing a good job at it. But also, he has put fear in me, to not disobey him, and to always do right. He has taught me so much, and I don’t want to let him down. I don’t like it when he yells, whether it is at my brothers, my mother, or me. That is a scary thing to witness. And that is why I fear him. When he gets mad his tone in his voice is so horrible. He doesn’t physically do anything, but emotionally, it hurts. And you know once you have done something wrong, and he sits down and talk’s to me, than it’s like you don’t ever want to do wrong again.
I admire my dad, because no matter what he goes through, he will never give up his dream of being a musician. He has had his ups and downs, but he has never given up. He has a passion for music, and he will not let anyone change it. My father is a very good husband, and father. He provides everything for us. Even though it’s a struggle sometimes, he will give us extra stuff that we need, just because we want it. He does make a lot of sacrifices for us.
I know that when I grow up, I want my husband to be just like my dad. He has been there for all of us since day one. He is a faithful and honest man. He cooks, cleans, and does everything he can for us. Even though sometimes he can be a little lazy, I wouldn’t trade him for the world. I just wish that most of these fathers out here would look at my father, and learn from him. I know that I am not a man, and I know that I will never be a father, but when it’s all said and done, I look up to him. He is one of the few good men out here in this world, not only trying to make a difference in his life, but he is also trying to make a difference in our life.
When it is all said and done, I feel that my father is the total package of what a father, or a father figure should be. And I wouldn’t trade my father in for the world. I appreciate everything that he has done, and taught me. He has a big affect on my life. He is the reason why I am what I am now, because as I grow and get older, he teaches me new things, that causes me to have wisdom for everyday situations. And I will admit, everything that he said would happen did. Every bit of wisdom that he gave me, I used in situations that I was in, and it was a positive outcome. And I really thank him for all that he has done for me, and I thank him for all that he has taught me!

2006-05-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

"My Definition of an Educated Person"

My definition of an educated person is not someone who has went to high school and earned a high school diploma, or a math or science teacher. And educated person is not rich, black, or white. My definition of an educated person is someone who always strives to learn more. An educated person is a person that is not proud of the information that they already know, they are proud of what they have accomplished, by taking what they know to get something done that makes a difference in their life. An educated person is not afraid to ask questions when they need help on something. They are not afraid to learn more. They are always focused on the job that they have to do. And they are constantly taking courses, or doing something that will challenge their intellect.
An educated person will try to achieve everything that they have to achieve, to make it to where they want to be. Even though, they do listen to everyone’s opinions, and they take them in, and decide what is best for them. When they talk about something, they always know what they are talking about. When they are addressing a certain subject to another person, or a group of people, they always have their information straight. They can back up what they say, and explain what they want. They will take meaningful experiences in their life, and learn from the experiences.
To be educated is an honor in so many ways. There are a lot of people out here that are very ignorant and they do not want to get an education. And on the other hand, there are a lot of people that would love to get an education, and they will like to better themselves, but they can’t, because they don’t have the money or the proper materials to get what they need. And that is my definition of an educated person.

2006-05-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

Role models are important to people because they set examples for children, and they give them a picture of what a child would like to be once they get older. Role models give some kids that has given up on hope, some hope. Once they have realized the struggles to get where they are now, little kids will be so fascinated about that and they will feel like they do have a chance to be the next rapper, singer, or model. It is always good to have someone to look up to when you are younger, because as you grow, you are still learning about life. And with the wisdom that you may receive from that role model, whether if it is face to face, or if it is repeated documents and things that you see, then you are still receiving that information.
Having role models, make you feel like your dreams will not be dreams for life. Dreams are goals that are not being accomplished at the time. But as you go on in life, and you are focused on that one thing, then you can concentrate on getting to where you want to go. If your role model is famous, if you meet them one day, that is the icing on the cake. They are real people like you and me. People that are famous have been through some trials and tribulations. And they will help you focus on what you want.
Role models can affect the decisions that a kid may make. If they are straying off into some bad ways, and they hear on word of wisdom that can totally change their mind about their actions. They can choose to make the right decisions. And sometimes, to remember a quote that their role model has said will affect their decisions also. Thinking of that quote will help them to realize what they are doing, before they decide to act on it.
Your role model can be someone close to you. And they may seem like they know it all. And that is why you go to them all of the time, because you are hungry for more. You want to get all the wisdom that they have. Once an adult takes the time off to sit and talk to a child, and listen to them and their life, that is an immediately a door that is opened for the child. The child will know that they are not alone in the world. They will know that there is always somebody that they can look up to.

2006-05-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

-Thoreau defended the right of an individual to be out of step with the rest of society when he said "Perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer."

I can be classified in this category for several of reasons. They way I act and carry myself. There is only one of me, and I am an individual. I stand out from the crowd because of my views and beliefs. I am like others also, but there is something that stands out in everyone. With me, the way I act. I always try to do what is right. I do right by everyone, whether it is my father, mother, a boyfriend, or anyone that I may run into.
People may question the things that I do and the things that I say, because they don’t understand me. But at the same time, I always explain myself. Everyone can choose to follow their own path and be an individual, and stand out, or they can go with the crowd. You will get a lot of credit for being yourself, and not following everyone else. Because if you follow everyone else, then if they get into trouble, you will find yourself into trouble also, but for no reason. It’s a mind thing, and it’s hard to keep up with a certain individual, and try to be like them. So that is why I say that, "I can only be me, take it or leave it!" If there is someone that does not like my ways or me there is always someone who will.
The pleasure of being an individual is that you will have followers. You will start to see people wanting to hang around you because you are you. Some people feel like they can learn from me, and they stick around me to learn more. Now sometimes it does get annoying when an individual is trying to act like me, but you have to take it as a compliment. Because they see a certain quality in you that they will like to have. I feel that you don’t have to try to be anyone else to fit in. Just be yourself, and people will like you for you, and who you are.

2006-05-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

"Opposition"

"Opposition is indispesable. People will always learn more from those who disagree with them from those who share their views."

I agree with this observation because, as you listen to other peoples views on a subject, that means that you are open minded. Being open minded leaves room for wisdom. Wisdom is a wonderful thing to have for future situations, so you will know how to handle them without escalating a situation. I believe if you are not mature, and you don't want to hear someone elses opinions on different situations, I think that is a sign of ignorance, because whether you like it or not, you can always learn from someone else. And it's just the information that you can learn from someone else, and you probably wouldn't have learned it from someone else.
I think I have profited more from experiences with listening to other peoples opinions that were similar to mine. The reason why I said that was because if someone's opinion is different from mines, there is nothing in the world that can change my mind about what my opinion is. I am willing to hear other peoples opinions, and compare and contrast in situations, but as far as my mind being changed, that will not happen. If I believe something, then no one can change my mind about it. Two examples of oppositon are:
(1) Religion- Some peoples religion is the cause of different views, and that is a major opposition. It's so many religions, and beliefs. You can't get mad at someone elses views on religion, and you can't get mad at what they believe in. All you can do is sit, and learn about what they are talking about.
2) The war-Some people believe that we had the right to go to war, and others believe that we had no reason into going into war. Some people blamed Bush, and others didn't.
So those were two examples of oppositon, that are happening today, and it is playing a big role in our lives.

2006-04-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Sausage and Beer
My reaction to sausage and beer was that the story was not very interesting to me. I really didn’t get into the story that much. When I thought about the experiences in my life, I didn’t compare it to my life experiences. I have never felt like the boy in "Sausage and Beer". I don’t know of any of my family members that are in prison, so I can not relate to him. But, my mother has taken me to a juvenile detention hall, and it was not a pleasing experience at all. I was not afraid, I just didn’t like the enviroment.
I know for a fact that I don’t want to end up in jail or prison. I don’t want anyone that I love to be trapped behind bars. I feel that going to visit someone in jail is a very emotional experience. You can learn so much from visiting someone in jail. It is very wise to talk to someone who has had that experience, to see how they felt being locked up.

2006-03-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

Description of a Character

The fictional character that I have chosen to write about is Nemo. Nemo is small and orange, with white stripes. His look isn’t very complicated, and he is not a complicated person. Nemo gets along with everyone, and he never looks for or starts any trouble with anyone. He tries to befriend everyone that comes along his way, even though he can get shy at times.
In the movie, "Finding Nemo", Nemo was a round character. The whole story revolved around him looking for his dad, and he made new friends along the way unintentionally. Nemo is a very friendly person, and he is a very sweet guy, or should I say fish. He wants everyone to get along, and he enjoys living his life. He looks past the fact that his mother got separated from him when he was younger, and he was not able to find her. But his dad raises him well, and his dad ends up being his best friend throughout the whole movie, even though he made some new friends.
Nemo was a static character. He did not change at all. He knew who he was and he knew what he wanted out of life. He lived life one day at a time, and he really wasn’t influenced by anyone, for him to change his attitude or the way he acted. The reason why I think he stayed the way he did, because of the reasons that I listed above. He knew who he was, and he had his little circle of friends, and they had their own personalities and their own traits. Everyone that was apart of his life brought something to the table.
Nemo’s motivation was to find his father. He stayed determine to find his dad. He didn’t let anyone or anything get in the way of finding his father. Even though he ran into some difficult obstacles to get where he wanted to be, his father’s love kept him motivated. Through out the movie, they were motivated to find each other. The father didn’t want to lose another kid, because he had lost his wife, and all of the eggs except for one, which was Nemo. Nemo’s motivation was to find his dad for his love. He was a child and he couldn’t do anything on his own. At the end, they ended up finding each other, and they were more careful about when they went places to avoid losing each other again.

2006-03-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

In a story, the writer can create suspense by leaving questions that are unanswered. Different characters showing up in the story, and having no purpose at all, but that are dropping clues for the big conclusion, can keep you guessing about what will happen at the end of a story. In a movie, the music creates suspense. The music and the whole mood will be happen one minute, and once the character is isolated, the lighting changes, and the music gets spooky, then you can tell when something is about to go down. Every passage will have a clue, or an event that happens that throws the story off guard. Those are some ways that a story can create suspense.

2006-02-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

10 Rules For Writing

1)Be very descriptive with what you are saying, and trying to describe.
2)Make sure you have complete sentences, and the correct punctuation.
3)When you write a quote down, have a statement to follow the quote.
4)Have a beginning, middle, climax, and a conclusion.
5)Have a rough draft before you write your final copy.
6)Make your story is exciting, and have events that lead up to the major event that occurs in your story.
7)Use your imagination when you write.
8)You have to always keep your audience interested.
9)Use flashbacks to explain why certain stuff happens in your story,
10)In the conclusion, include every little bit of each paragraphs, to sum up your whole paper/story.

2006-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

1)Annabel Lee by: Edgar Allan Poe
When I first heard that we had to look for poetry, I immediately wanted to do Annabel Lee. My sophomore year we did the song Annabel Lee. And my teacher was explaining to us that Annabel Lee is a poem about a man whose wife died. After I heard the story behind the song, I immediately wanted to find this and read the poem. Once I found the poem, I was so excited to read this. Apparently a man had a wife named Annabel Lee, and she died. They met each other when they were very young, and they grew up together. And eventually they got married. He used a lot of symbolism in his poem. When he said "My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsman came And bore her away from me." He was saying that she died, and she was taken away from her.

2) For A Daughter who leaves by: Janice Mirikitani
The title really explains this poem. I really like this poem because it gets into the parents’ feelings on their daughter. They are about to give their daughter away to a young man, and she’ll be on her own raising a family just like they did. It shows that mothers really treasure their daughter, and even though they do not want to let go of their little girl, they have to. The mother is thinking back on her childhood, and how she raised her daughter. She is sitting at the wedding thinking on how her life will be once she says "I do." She has taught her all of the right and wrong things in life, and she has taught her how to handle certain situations. For almost everything, her daughter depended on her for the things she needed. And now that her daughter is about to take a giant leap in life, she will no longer ask for her help anymore.

3) Dreams by: Langston Hughes
This poem is very short, but it means a lot. Sometimes you have to think out of the box, and that is what I did. "Dreams", that title alone means a lot. Everyone has dreams and everyone wants their dreams to come true. Some dreams are capable of coming true, and others aren’t. You have to hold on to your dreams, and be focused on them. Your dreams will never leave you, and sometimes people take advantage of the opportunity to make their dream(s) come true. So hold on to your dreams, and don’t let anyone tell you different. If you have dreams, and you don’t do anything to accomplish them, then they will die. You will never see the light. And you will spend your time regretting what you did or did not do. Once your dreams slip away and pass you up, they are gone. They leave forever, in life you rarely get a second chance. So take advantage of your moment to make your dream(s) come true.

2006-01-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

Ashley Tate
1-25-06
6th hr
Annabel Lee by: Edgar Allan Poe
When I first heard that we had to look for poetry, I immediately wanted to do Annabel Lee. My sophomore year we did the song Annabel Lee. And my teacher was explaining to us that Annabel Lee is a poem about a man whose wife died. After I heard the story behind the song, I immediately wanted to find this and read the poem. Once I found the poem, I was so excited to read this. Apparently a man had a wife named Annabel Lee, and she died. They met each other when they were very young, and they grew up together. And eventually they got married. He used a lot of symbolism in his poem. When he said "My beautiful Annabel Lee; So that her highborn kinsman came And bore her away from me." He was saying that she died, and she was taken away from her.
2) For A Daughter who leaves by: Janice Mirikitani
The title really explains this poem. I really like this poem because it gets into the parents’ feelings on their daughter. They are about to give their daughter away to a young man, and she’ll be on her own raising a family just like they did. It shows that mothers really treasure their daughter, and even though they do not want to let go of their little girl, they have to. The mother is thinking back on her childhood, and how she raised her daughter. She is sitting at the wedding thinking on how her life will be once she says "I do." She has taught her all of the right and wrong things in life, and she has taught her how to handle certain situations. For almost everything, her daughter depended on her for the things she needed. And now that her daughter is about to take a giant leap in life, she will no longer ask for her help anymore.
3) Dreams by: Langston Hughes
This poem is very short, but it means a lot. Sometimes you have to think out of the box, and that is what I did. "Dreams", that title alone means a lot. Everyone has dreams and everyone wants their dreams to come true. Some dreams are capable of coming true, and others aren’t. You have to hold on to your dreams, and be focused on them. Your dreams will never leave you, and sometimes people take advantage of the opportunity to make their dream(s) come true. So hold on to your dreams, and don’t let anyone tell you different. If you have dreams, and you don’t do anything to accomplish them, then they will die. You will never see the light. And you will spend your time regretting what you did or did not do. Once your dreams slip away and pass you up, they are gone. They leave forever, in life you rarely get a second chance. So take advantage of your moment to make your dream(s) come true.

2006-01-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

2006-01-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

Hey this is Ashley, and I am 17 yrs. old. I am creating this blog for a class.
I really don't care for writing, but I can write.
I am interested in modeling, and dancing.
I am a Senior in highschool, and soon i'll be attending SIUE.
I am a cool and down to earth person, and I love to have fun!