everyone is the same on the inside.  I saw how horrible and kind some people can be in this world. I loved hanging out with my “uncle”. He is not really our uncle he is just a extremely good family friend that we called uncle. He is also not the same race as me, he's black. I love my uncle and would always stay at his house in up state New York. I usually called his by his first name, Bernie, rather than uncle. We loved going to Friendly's for breakfast. The problem with going there is the owner was pretty racist. That particular morning he wasn't the same. He was acting different we wouldn't let us out of his sight. This wasn't one of the first times we had been there. We ordered our food and are with no problems. The problems started when we finished. I had gotten up and was heading to the bathroom when the owner grabbed me and pulled me to the side. As a 7 year old kid i was exactly scared. He started asking me all these questions about if i knew Bernie and if i felt in danger. It only took two questions before Bernie came in and saw how scared i was. He grabbed my are and said “we got to go, i don't want to be here anymore.” As we started to head out we noticed police storming in and rushing right at us. They tried to arrest bernie but we convinced them that he didn't kidnap me and i was ok. The employees also stepped in and helped us out. The way he had just stepped in and didnt doing gradually was awful. He had just assumed that because he was a different race than me he MUST have kidnaped me. I think that there needs to be more empathetic people in the world. There are too many bad people in this world and not enough good ones.

Doing Things With Friend

             No matter what, friends are always there for you. Even though my friend doesn’t snowboard, he is always up to learn something new. Even though my friend was getting frustrated at snowboard I was there to help teach him. It was a perfect day for snowboard. Fresh snow from the night before. Snow day which means nobody on the mountain fast lifts at Wachusett just my friend and I. I’ve been snowboarding my whole life. I’ve been sponsored sense I was 11. My friend on the other hand, never snowboarded or skied his whole life. I knew how hard learning to snowboard really is, but he didn’t. On the first lift up he wouldn’t shut up about how good he will be and how easy it will be to learn, “It just like skateboarding, just stand on a board and have good balance.” He said as he was about to get off the lift. To make matters better/worse he got off the lift perfectly, it really brought his hopes up and confidence up, but it also brought his confidence up. He has all on his high horses and talking about how easy it is and how it not hard at all. I laughed and just simply said “Okay, if you say so.” I did his bindings and everything to teach him. After that I stood him up and held him so he could feel the board under him. As soon as I let go he fell. All I could say was “I thought it was easy.” As the day went on he was learning pretty well but also falling a lot. He got sick and tired of falling and decided he was done. He took his board off and walked down the mountain. After a hour or so I talked him back into going up again. On the way down he fell twice. All the other times he was falling at least ten times. He was pumped. For the rest of the day he was staying under five. In the end he learned that I was there for him to help him learn and help him get back up. 

WWW Fenn Speech

In my journey, I found that there was always someone better than me: someone smarter, stronger, faster, harder working, more talented, more driven, more honest, more pious- just better than I was. It was humbling, but at the same time immensely reassuring, there were so many problems in the world that I could not solve, but maybe someone else could. 

       I learned that life is fragile and that we should take each day as a blessing. A single round from a A1 Qaddafi sniper, an IED on a road less traveled, a C-130 that never returned, a head on collision heading home from work, a parachute that never opened, an X-day that reveled a growing tumor- nothing in life is guaranteed, so make the most of what you have and be thankful. 

       Many times over I found that my success depended on others. It was the simplest of lessons, one I had been taught in basic SEAL training rowing my little rubber boat. And every success I had from that moment on had been because someone helped me. 
        I realized that life is actually pretty simple. Help as many people as possible. Make as many friends as possible. Work as hard as possible. And, no matter what happens, never quit!

reflection: To be honest, I don’t really like this speech. I didn’t really know what to do, so I just asked Fitz for a speech. He opened up his book and handed me it pointing at a speech about a SEAL member. I didn’t really like it but I wasn’t going to say no to Fitz. 

Music mentor

everyone has a mentor

you miss 100% of the shots you don't take

Everyone has that one singer who they connect with. For me, I really connected to NF (Nathan John Feuerstein) the first time I heard him. One thing that NF and I have in common is that we both had a parent with addiction. When I listen to his song How Could You Leave Us, which is about his mother who is extremely addicted to opium and nicotine, it shows me that I’m not the only one going through something. The first ever song I heard of NF’s one How Could You Leave Us. I remember laying in bed just listening to music when it came on. I wanted to skip because I had no idea who he was, but I liked the beat so I listened to it. I remember listening to it and really connecting with the lyrics. Every time I listen to that song it brings me back to when my family was in its darkest time, and how I’m not the only one that went through that same problem. Fortunately for me, my parent didn’t end up dying from they’re addiction. When I hear the beat I see the run down apartment my parent was living in, all I smell is marijuana from their neighbors, the broken and grey walls, windows you can’t see threw. I can relate to NF and his experience as a child. I know that whenever I listen to this song there are people that struggle, there are people that don’t escape the darkness, but there are also people willing to help you get through the darkness. I know that NF has gone through much worse than I have and he has done great things. I know that I can do great things no matter what happens. Even the smallest contentions can have the biggest impact. 

Power of Music

Music is a gateway to joy

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.

Music works in mysterious ways. Music has helped me in so many different ways throughout my life. After a sports loss I was extremely sad. I wasn't talking to anyone on the way to the car and home. Back in 7th grade I was pretty upset over a sports loss in the championship. On the way home I sat in the backseat staring out the window sulking and blasting Gorillaz through my headphones. Throughout the car ride I went from sulking to happy and smiling. I got into the car close to tears. I take every loss to a personal level and adding in that i’m a goalie it gets out of hand sometimes. I started playing my favorite music, Gorillaz, Beastie Boys, Linkin park, and Green day, I was in the mood to be happy I just wanted to drown out my parents trying to talk to me. When I was in the car I realized what music was to me. Music isn't just something to sing or dance to, its a way to bring joy to others or yourself. Music has helped me in so many ways. Music is therapeutic. Music to me is a gateway to happiness, its pure joy.

_{Power of respect}

_{Respect everyone}

Respect others and become respected. In life, if I hadn't respected who I did, I wouldn't be where I am. If I hadn't respected all the teachers or principals that yelled at me or I was just annoyed at, there is no way I would be hear today with so many connections. Back at Curtis Middle School in 2016 my idiotic 11 year old brain thought it would be a good idea to draw on the bathroom walls. Nothing inopropriot, just 11 year old kid drawings. I got caught and had to talk with the principal.  The principal yelled at me and threatened to suspend me. You could see how angry she was just by how she stared at you. You need to respect everyone you come across even if you hate or really don't like them. You never know who they know and who they have connections with. respect everyone even your enemies.

Procrastinating Kills

How procrastinating can impact your life negatively

“Never step into a lifeboat, wait until the last second” - John Fitzsimmons

        Procrastinating is fun in the moment but hell later. Like Tom Soyer, I always procrastinate. It doesn't matter what it is, I will always procrastinate. I wait until last minute to do small things like make my bed, cold my londrey, or do the dishes. I even procrastinate on big things, I waited until last minute to write this story. I planned to do a quick read and just write about nonsense in this paragraph. In reality I had to read it a few times because I one really liked the story and saw a bit of myself in Tom. I learned that I still hate reading. I will always procrastinate with reading. I might change with other thing on the to-do list but reading is not on that list. In the end I truly think that reading this story was worth it. Reading about Tom was really fun (not really). Even though I hate reading it was worth it. 

Kal Lonergan

Class 2

Call of the Wild

November 26 2019

Haert of a Worrier

The heart of a worrier will always provail 

All good things are wild, and free. Henry David Thoreau

It's a Monday morning, around 6:15am and I still haven't read the chapter of The Call of the Wild and it's due second period. I rush to open my bag, I rip out my iPad and flip it open. It was probably the fastest I had moved in a while, I open up the book and just start grinding out the chapter. I read the fastest I have ever read, sure I had no idea what I had read in the chapter but hey, I read it didn't I. I did go home that night and read it again, but I was prepared for class. Or so I thought, I got to class and remembered the meticognitions we had to write. I went home read it again and finished my writing. 

The power of friendship

Without friends we would be lost in this world or gray 

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out

Good friends are always there, even in the darkest times. When my cousin died my friend Becan was there for me right away. When my cousin died I was extremely sad and down but my friend helped me cheer up. When April died I was shocked, she was three years old when she got hit by a car in Florida. At the time I was in Hawaii for my mom's work. When I found out I Immediately went to Becan for help. At the time I didn't know that his cousin had just died to but when I got home he  forgot about his own sadness and helped me with mine. When I was in my hotel room in Hawaii I was trapped. I couldn't really good to anyone for help. When I got home my friend picked me right back up. I have no idea what I would do without him in this world. Without friends we would be lost in this world or gray and sadness. 

The power of friendship

Without friends we would be lost in this world or gray 

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out

Good friends are always there, even in the darkest times. When my cousin died my friend Becan was there for me right away. When my cousin died I was extremely sad and down but my friend helped me cheer up. When April died I was shocked, she was three years old when she got hit by a car in Florida. At the time I was in Hawaii for my mom's work. When I found out I Immediately went to Becan for help. At the time I didn't know that his cousin had just died to but when I got home he  forgot about his own sadness and helped me with mine. When I was in my hotel room in Hawaii I was trapped. I couldn't really good to anyone for help. When I got home my friend picked me right back up. I have no idea what I would do without him in this world. Without friends we would be lost in this world or gray and sadness.