What I've Learned

I really have had a great semester in this class. It has been very beneficial for me. I am one to say that I’m going to college to learn, not to get a degree. I really do have a desire for knowledge, and this class has taught me many insightful things. The whole concept of rhetoric is something that will highly benefit me in the business world. It is the art of persuasive communication, and that is something all intellects should strive for. I have learned of the rhetorical situation. Ethos, pathos, and logos all go hand in hand in order to put forth an influential argument. Most of all I enjoyed writing my issues paper. I know that sounds weird, but I really did. I struggled for a while determining what it was I actually going to write about. I had selected a great topic, but couldn’t find my niche. All of the research I did on the subject helped me form an opinion, and find an opening. The final paper that I was able to produce felt very professional to me, and I felt as if I was for just a moment on the scholar’s level. From this class I can take with me a bit of creativity, and a lot of organizational concepts. Madison has done a great job providing insightful lectures, and has helped me realize that I have a passion for writing, and can write well if I put my mind to it. Thanks everybody. 

Technological Zombies

Sadly, I’ve watched, as my younger brother has become a zombie to his iPhone. That little mobile device seems to take up all his attention when he’s not engaged in some form of activity. If he’s in a room and not talking to someone, his eyeballs are glued to the little white glowing screen. That can’t be healthy. It’s for sure not healthy on the psychological relationship level. Instead of talking to his siblings or his friends, he just sits quietly and doodles with Instagram and Facebook. Not to mention all the pointless games that kill his brain cells every time he plays them. I don’t mean to harp on my younger brother, because he’s honestly a stud. The problem is that all young men are like this. I know way to many middle school age kids that waste a whole lot of their time on their cell phones. Truth is, these devices are no longer even cell phones. They’re little computers, with social media running rampant on them. Technology is overwhelming our society, and I’m not sure what’s going to stop it. It really must be the end of the world. Hopefully people will catch on and will start to desire a return to normalcy, and will involve themselves once more in the valuable human relationships that once were. 

Nighttime

I love the evening. I don’t know if there is anything better than laying out on the lawn on a warm summer night. I love to look up at the stars and just ponder, just think about what’s happening in my life, and where I’m going. I love the smell of the damp grass, and sound of the whistling wind. The cool breeze sends a chill down your spine, and you just float off in thought. Nighttime is a great time for enlightenment, as well as a great time for entertainment. Another great feeling is driving on a winding, open highway at night. It’s so much fun to have music booming, the bass bumping, and your fists clenched tight around the steering wheel as you zoom through empty streets. I definitely have some of the best memories with my friends on such nights. Some of the most memorable moments with my fiancé Cassandra were on Autumn nights laying out on the grass all jumbled up in warm blankets just talking about the future, and our childhood dreams. It’s all too unfortunate that late nights have become a drag for me, because they are primarily spent now doing homework, and trying to get caught up in school. That’s just college though, and hopefully that won’t last more than a couple years.

Dogs

It is true; dogs are a man’s best friend, but only some dogs. I grew up always having a dog in my house. Our first dog was a beautiful Dalmatian named Pongo. Yes, like the one off of 101 Dalmatians. He was a great dog, but I really don’t remember too much about him. The only vivid memory I have is of the time he swallowed a sock whole and got really sick. We had to take him to the veterinarian, and I just remember seeing the black sock in a plastic bag after they had removed it. It was now all slimy and doused in rainbow-colored mucus. It was gross. I loved that dog. He was great, but we had to put him down when I was about 7. Then we got Maya. She was a fantastic golden retriever. The nicest, most gentle dog you’ve ever met. However, mom and dad didn’t want to have her in the house, so we kept her in a kennel outside beneath the deck. I feel bad for that dog. She spent most of her life in that small fenced area, and didn’t get out much. When she did get out it was like a kid in a candy store. She ran so quickly up and down the back yard that I could never catch her. She really acted like a runaway prisoner. So when she got old and passed away we vowed to never keep another dog locked up in its kennel. We now have three. One golden retriever named Rylee, and two small spaniels named Zoey and Tessa. The bigger dog is GREAT, but our two smaller dogs are so annoying. They bark at anything and everything that comes in their way, and they leave little surprises all over the place. Hence, why I say that only some dogs are a man’s best friend. 

Stopwatch

For this blog post I’m going to write about absolutely nothing just to see how long it takes me to write one blog post. My little brother is in the kitchen working on his math homework. Earlier he asked me if I new where a compass was, and I pulled out an orienteering compass for navigating in the woods. He said, “No silly, I need a compass for math. You know, the pencil thingies that helps you draw circles?” Ohhh, I felt dumb. Apparently I haven’t taken math in a long time because I’m forgetting little things like that. The last time I took math was my junior year of high school when I was 17. So four years ago. I can tell that I am quickly forgetting everything I used to know. Oh well, math was never my forte. That’s why I’m beginning to change my mind about going into the medical engineering field. It’s kind of chilly up here. I’m in my parents’ living room, sitting on the comfy couch, looking at my computer monitor. My fingers are going really fast as I type this blog post. I’m going to check the word count icon right now. 198 words. Done. 4 minutes. Nice.

Last Night's Game

Last night I played a lacrosse game in Spanish Fork against the UVU alumni. It was a cold, and somewhat drizzly evening. We were playing under the lights, and the chill started to take a toll on me. I thought I got a decent enough stretch in before we started, but I guess I was wrong. Only a minute or two into the first quarter I dodged past my defender, and started rushing toward the goal. As I closed in on the goalie I got hit by about two or three guys from the other team, and ended up on the cold ground. I got up quickly and shook myself off, but there was an undeniable aching pain in my left hamstring. For a while I just thought that my muscles were still tight, and that I must have not stretched well enough. I tried to continue to play, but through out the night I couldn’t do anything more than just jog around on the field, because my leg hurt so badly. Thankfully, I was still able to play decently, and put a couple goals in that night, and had a good time. But today my leg is really sore. I’ve never pulled a muscle before, and so I’m not really sure how to treat it. All I do is ice it, and take it easy. Hopefully I’ll be back to full speed by Wednesday when we play BYU. I need to make a good name for myself as I’m hoping to play for them next fall.