The Michael Oher Story: The Blind Side

     Could you imagine growing up with many brothers and sisters and being separated from all of them with a mother who is on drugs and a father who is no where to be found? Or maybe living from home to home each day having to wear the same clothes over and over again because you’re too young who lacks a job and cant afford new ones? Well these are just a few of the many struggles Michael Oher had to face as a child. He was a homeless child with little or no money and family but with a big dream. Although I cant relate to the story of Michael Oher I know someone who can. A cousin of mines faced many challenges in her life similar to Michaels. She grew up in an abusive house hold and was told she would result to nothing in her life. But because she kept her head held high and her dreams in mind she grew up to be a very successful doctor. Like my cousin Oher faced many challenges as a child but he never gave up and worked for what he wanted which is why it paid off and in the end he began to live out his dream.

            Michael Oher is a very famous football star but it wasn’t always this way for him. He grew up with a mother on drugs no father and no home or money to survive. But as time went on he was blessed with a family that took him in and cared for him as if he was their own. With the love and support from Michaels new family he finally was able to began the reach for his dream to attend college and one day become a NFL star. Michael Oher’s story was so amazing that in November of 2009 a movie had come out into theaters about Michael life story. I enjoyed watching the movie but I also read an article on his life and there were many similarities and differences between the two.

            In the Movie Oher seemed as if he didn’t know anything about football. In fact they made it seem like he was really bad at football when he first began playing. But in the article when Michael and the Tuohy family were interviewed Oher stated that He knew football very well and everyday he woke up he dreamed about playing football. The movie also made it seem like after sleeping in the school gym with no place to stay Michael moved in with the Tuohy family and stayed with them all the time. But in the article they state how Michael would stay with their family some days and other times he wouldn’t. And that was until he was invited to stay with them permanently. Also in the movie they showed how Michaels grades were really low and needed to rise so he could get into a good college, so they hired a tutor for him. But they didn’t show how before they hired a Tutor Collins Tuohy who is also Michaels age tutored him for a while and even scheduled classes so they could have them together  so they would be on the same page learning the same material.

            Although the movie switched up a few facts there were also many things that they did mention that were very true. Such as how Michael and Sean Tuohy Jr. were best friends from the start and how Sean Jr. would introduce Michael as his big brother. In the movie it also states how Henderson the man who Michael stayed with from time to time went to the Christian school to enroll his son in and brought Michael along with him which is how Michael got into the school and was introduced to the Touhy family.  They also mention in the movie how after staying with the Touhy family for some time Christmas came around and he took a family photo and Leigh Anne’s (the mother of the family) Cousin called and asked why there was a big black boy in the photo. Although this was mentioned in the movie they didn’t state how that comment really did bother Michael and it took a while for Leigh Anne to feel Michaels returning affection.

            My cousin is one who can relate to Michael Oher’s story. As a child my cousine was rapped and lived in a very abusive household. Her step father beat and rapped her often and she had no one to come to because her mother didn’t believe anything she was saying. Her mother knew he was abusive because he beat her to but she said ‘I can never picture the love of my life wanting anything with you”. My cousin felt alone with no one to protect her. Along with all those worries she had a younger sister who she had to protect and care for. My cousin’s mother told her she would result to nothing in life and although that hurt her very much she didn’t let it stop her from reaching her dreams. As my cousin grew up, her and her younger sister moved in with my grandmother and she took very good care of them. With the love and support from my grandmother my cousin finished high school and went on to the University of Illinois to become a very successful doctor.

            As you can see Michael Oher and my cousin faced many of the same challenges in life. They started off with no family to turn to and ended up being taken in by those who truly love and appreciated them. With those things in their life it made their dreams that much easier to reach. And in the end Michael Oher is living out his dream of being a NFL star and my cousin is living out her dream of being a successful doctor. Love and Family is something very important in a Childs life, weather it is from their biological parents or just from someone who took them in. If you have someone who believes in you the impossible somehow become possible in your life, and they are the perfect example for this.

            

Paul's Case

The story “Paul’s case: a study in temperament” involves a young boy named Paul and his struggle to becoming happy with the life he lives. Paul is very different from the people in his town. Most people in his town such as his teachers or father may think of him as a rebel but really he is just unhappy with the life he is living. The one thing that brings him to term with his life is music. He feels as if he is locked in a cage and needs to be set free. Paul’s strangeness, his desire for the purple and for theatricality, does strike me as being a coded way of identifying him as gay.

            The story was written back in 1905 so I don’t think they were very open about men and women being homosexual, so I feel like most of the story was coded and there is a lot of inferring that needs to be done. Paul continuously refers to thing as being gay or fagged. A lot of the thing he called gay were unnecessary such as “The men on my block sat on gay cushions placed upon the steps that led down to the sidewalk”. I feel like he did not have to add the word gay in that statement. Many homosexuals don’t want to admit of them being different in this way so they get angry at it or try and make fun of it when really this is their way of trying to accept it. I personally have a cousin who is homosexual and all while we were younger he would make fun of other people or just act really mean towards homosexuals. He was trying to hate it so that maybe he wouldn’t turn out that way but as we know now that didn’t work because you just can’t change who you really are and I feel like this is what Paul was doing.

            They also mention how while Paul was in New York he meets a wild San Francisco boy, at freshmen at Yale. They explain how the young man offers to show Paul the night side of the town, and after that they went out to dinner not returning to the hotel till seven o’ clock the next morning.  There are many things that seem fishy about that. To me it sounds like Paul went on a date. No teenage boy wants to spend a whole night out with another male eating dinner, drinking Champaign and exploring the town. At that time in life teenage boys look at many things as being gay so because they are not fully mature yet they would stay away from situations like that. It says they didn’t return to the hotel till the next morning. I feel like there is no way they were outside that long just walking and exploring the town. It doesn’t say specifically what they did but I just inferred that they stayed out somewhere else and may have been sexually active with each other.

            Paul was very unhappy with the life he lived the only thing he enjoyed back at home was listening to the orchestra. He didn’t have much money, he got in trouble in school, he didn’t have many friends, and he felt like his father could not relate to him. He got so unhappy with his life to the point where one day after coming home from his ushering job he just crept into his house cold and wet and stayed in the dirty basement the whole night. He sat there having horrible thoughts thinking about ways his father may mistake him as a bugler and kill him, and he seemed okay with that. This is not normal I feel like Paul was suffering from depression. He was living in a world where he felt alone and different, but different in a bad way that he felt no one could accept or understand.

            Paul said that the time he spent in New York was the best time of his life. He got to live out his dream of feeling high class getting to listen to the orchestra eating fine food and drinking fine wine and I felt like he also got to be himself with the boy he meet there. When Paul finally got a taste of the good life he felt like going back to his old life would be worst than death itself. As time went on his father eventually found out that he snuck away and took all his money spending it in New York living a life he knew he could not afford. So people began to look for Paul. At this point Paul just couldn’t take it anymore he couldn’t go back to being that unhappy depressed young man he used to be so he decided to kill himself. He may have done this for many reasons. I feel like he did this because he knew he could not be accepted as a homosexual and because he knew he could not afford the life he wanted to live. If he went back to his home town he would have to work doing something he didn’t want to do because he got kicked out of school. Paul felt like there is no point in living this life if you can’t live it the way you want so killing himself was the best decision for him. He finally got set free and was able to move on to a place where he could be himself.

Should Abortion Be Illegal?

Abortions are very common. In fact, more than 1 out of 3 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old. It is the most common surgery in the United States. Women get abortions for many reasons. Some women feel like they are to young for children, or are not financially ready for them. While other women get abortions for medical reasons. The argument on weather Abortion should be legal or not is an argument that many people feel very strong about. Despite other citizens opinion I no abortions should be legal. I feel so strongly about this for many reasons.

            My first reason why I feel abortion should be legal is because it protects women’s health. If a women wants to get an abortion she will get it done by any means necessary. Such as secrete abortions without medical care. In the two decades before abortion was legal in the U.S., it's been estimated that nearly 1 million women per year sought out illegal abortions, which lead to the death of thousands.  Legal abortions also protect a woman’s health because there are many women who suffer from life threatening diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease, severe hypertension, sickle-cell anemia, severe diabetes, and more. With diseases such as these child birth can lead to many complication for the mother and the child, even death. But with legal abortions these deaths can be prevented.

            I also feel abortion should be legal because forcing women to have a child can lead to the mistreatment of children. I feel that every child should be a wanted child. If a child is unwanted by a mother this could lead to the abandonment of the child, unloved, or even abuse. When they grow up, these children are often seriously disadvantaged, and sometimes inclined to brutal behavior toward others. This is not good for children, for families or for the country. Children need love and families who want and will care for them. Many women suffer from financial problems. If a women brings a baby into this world and she is not financially stable they could end up living on the streets, the baby can starve, and the baby can become ill from not having the necessary things for survival. A woman knows what best for her and her child, and if deciding to not the baby is the best reason no matter what the explanation is she should be allowed to do it.

            Another reason why I feel abortion should be legal because it promotes justice for women. Women have come a long way in history from being granted the right to vote to being able to run for president. Taking away a women’s right to vote only puts us a footstep backwards. I no that this is wrong; no human being should be forced to do anything they don’t want to do. Many people argue that getting an abortion is murder because it is killing a living thing. Well technically many women get abortions when first found out they are pregnant, such as while the baby is in the germinal stage or embryonic stage. At this point although the baby is growing it does not have all its organs such as the heart, so how can this be a living thing. This is eliminating something before it even gets to that point.

            Abortion should absolutely be legal. This is because it protects a women’s health, prevents a child from being unwanted and mistreated, and because it promotes justice for women. Although this topic will be argued for a long time by many people I feel my reasons are very understandable. People may think that abortion should be illegal now but if this truly happens the death rate will only go up.

"The Climb"

The song I chose for my analysis is “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. I like this song so much because it is very inspiring, and because I can really relate to it. Every time things start to get hard and I feel like there is no turning back I listen to this song and it gives me hope. A lot of music today doesn’t have a purpose, or at least not a clear one. But in this song it is trying to lift people’s spirits and let them no everything will be okay if you keep your head up and keep believing. This message couldn’t get any better in my opinion because I have been through a lot in my life, and it may have knocked me down but I never let it keep me down. Miley Cyrus helped me understand that life is a climb but when you reach the top the view is beautiful.

            In this song Miley Cyrus states “There’s a voice inside my head saying you’ll never reach it but I got to keep trying got to keep my head held high”. This quote is explaining how most of the time the one keeping you down is yourself. When things get hard the easiest way out is to give up which is why there is always going to be something telling you that you will never reach your goal, so why not just give up? Although you may ask yourself this question the easiest way out is not always the best way, which is why you keep the faith and never give up because life is not always easy. Many times I have told myself that I can’t do something and that it is too hard so I’m going to fail at it anyway so why not just make things easier on myself and give up. But then as I sit and think about it I realize I will never know the outcome unless I truly try and put my all into it. So I wipe the tears off my face hold my head up and say “I know I can do this”. I have learned that I can do whatever I put my mind to which is what Miley Cyrus is explaining to everyone.

            Miley Cyrus also states in this song “There’s always going to be another mountain, always going to be an uphill battle, sometimes I’m going to have to loose”. She is explaining how in life there is always going to be one problem after another. Once you solve one problem no matter how hard you try and keep issues out of your life they will always seem to find you. She is also letting people know that in reality you cant always win or solve the issue. If everything went the way you wanted it, the world would not be the same place. Sometimes the issues you face in life make you a stronger and better person. People learn from their mistakes so if you never loose a battle how will you ever learn. She is letting everyone know that they are not alone everyone in life faces problems some may be more difficult than others but that is the one thing that brings people together, so it is ok to loose sometimes.

            One of my favorite quotes from this song is “Ain’t about how fast I get there ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side it’s the climb”. In this line she is saying how the difficulties and struggles in life we face to reach our goals is what makes it so much better when we finally get there. If everything in life came to us easy there would be no excitement. There would be nothing to look forward to because we already have everything we need. She is saying how life is not a race, there is no prize for the one who reaches there goal the fastest so take your time and accomplish things the right way. If you work hard for what you want when you finally get it the feeling is so wonderful because you know that you deserve it. In this song they used instruments such as piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums, and a violin. The music’s sound was very loud and emotional I think that the music tied the whole song in. It made the purpose even more clear because they used so many instruments and it’s like they all came together and made it clear that the mood of the song was inspirational.

            Listening to this song made me realize many things. It has made me realize that your biggest critic can be yourself, you can’t win every situation you get yourself into, and that what makes the prize worth while is the struggle it takes to get there. Miley Cyrus has reached out to many people with this song. She understands how hard life can get and she helps people come to be okay with that because things can always get better but it’s all up to you. Just keep faith in your life and understand that when you get to where you want to be the climb is what makes the prize even better.

           

Losing my bestfriend

           Second Grade was the first time I met my best friend Jasmine. We did everything together from going out and playing in the park to sleeping over at one another’s house twice a week. She was always there for me when times got rough, and I loved her for that. At that point in time we didn’t classify ourselves as best friends anymore. We were more like sisters because nothing could separate us. At least that is what I thought until eight grade graduation came upon us. Nothing was the same after that.

            Jasmine and I had so many plans for high school. We made it our goal to attend the same high school and get only the grades of an A or B, so we could both get into a really good college. Jasmine and I attended the same high school for about one month and everything was going as planned, but then her mom got a job on the other side of the city and they had to move. Because they had to move Jasmine’s mom, Pam, thought it would be best for her to attend a high school closer to their new home. I thought nothing would change except we wouldn’t see each other as much, but it went from not seeing each other to barely speaking to each other on the phone anymore.

            I had made friends at my new high school and so did Jasmine, but the difference was Jasmine’s crowd of friends were bad news, and she seemed as though she didn’t even realize it. I found out from Pam that Jasmine’s friends were heavy smokers and drinkers and with her being concerned about her daughter she wanted me to talk to her. I went over to Jasmine’s house and tried to remind her of our goals and how she was getting off track, but Jasmine wasn’t listening. She told me “it’s just weed; it makes you feel good no harm in that. Want some?’ At that point I knew there was no turning back for her, so I just left.

            About a month later I got a call from Jasmine in the middle of the night and she was crying, she said her mom kicked her out because she found drugs hidden in the house. Instantly I got out of bed and told my mother what was going on. She insisted that Jasmine came and stayed with us for a while until she got the situation straightened out. She was staying with me for about three months and I thought she had changed and I could finally get my best friend back, but then I found out she was still selling drugs. I had found them in her bag so I confronted her about it and all she said was “I have to get money somehow everyone has something their good at and I am good at this”. I informed her that she was doing something illegal and that she was not only putting me in danger but my entire family as well. She just said “whatever if you can’t accept me for who I am then you are not a real friend” then she left. I had not heard from her for three days so I called Pam and she said she thinks Jasmine is ready to come back home so she is staying with her. I wanted to inform her that Jasmine was still selling drugs but at the time I felt like it would be betrayal to my friend, so I said nothing.

            Just weeks later I got a call that Pam had gotten seriously beaten up and she was in the hospital. My mom and I went to visit her at the hospital and she wasn’t doing do well. She had a broken arm, leg, and hip, her eye was black and closed shut and her lip was split open. The doctors said someone reported her getting beat up by three young males with bats. The doctor also stated that she should consider herself lucky because it could have been worse. I began to wonder why anyone would want to beat up Pam; she is such a nice lady and never gets into trouble. Then I thought about it and I realized Jasmine was no where to be found. I called Jasmine at least five times before she answered I asked her if she knew anything about her mothers beating and she said yes, she had arranged for it to happen because her mother found more drugs and threw them all away so that meant less money for Jasmine. I could not believe what I was hearing; I could not understand how anyone could have their mother beaten up because of money especially not the young innocent girl who I thought I knew. That just helped me realize Jasmine’s mind was to far gone and she was no longer my best friend, she was a monster who I could no longer even look at.

            A year had passed and I still had not talked to jasmine. I heard about her every now and then but I still could not forgive her for what she had done. Her mother Pam was doing good but she was no longer involved in Jasmine’s life either. Jasmine had lost everything she loved because she let the streets get the best of her. That was jus a lesson to be learned in her life. Did she learn from it? I don’t know because I haven’t heard from her in a long time, I just could not continue to let someone’s bad decision making effect my life any longer. This event also changed my way of thinking. It made me realize that nothing was more important than my education and my family.

                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-EkHuHkFvA