Uncovering It All

         Siddhartha, the story of a knowledge-seeking boy to a wealthy man to an enlightened elder, was surprisingly good. Maybe not in the this-was-the-best-book-I've-ever-read-in-my-life way, but definitely one where I'd maybe remember its content in a few months time, because let's face it: most of the required readings in high school are forgotten a week after their completion. Honestly though, Siddhartha did its job, because there were definitely parts of the story where I was left flabbergasted, and as I've learned from my English teacher, "Any book that makes you feel is a good one".          After completing the novel, I'm strangely still kinda thinking about it. I mean, when you think about it in the grand scheme of things, what Siddhartha went through was all sorts of crazy: he left his stable home life to learn more, gets rich just because he was really only in the right place at the right time surrounded by the right peo...

           Over the past semester, I've written essays and blogs that perfectly encapsulate my raw ideas on a subject. Like, when I wrote about The Awakening  by Kate Chopin, I decided to share my opinions that literally no one asked for. Not only did the piece reflect my thoughts on it when I first read it, but it still does now. And my other blog about trauma and how it impacts college apps. And the other about Othello sucking as a person. And, as I scroll back to the rest of my past blogs, I still agree with what I've written in almost all of my pieces. It's definitely a little crazy thinking about it, because I always feel completely different when I look back on last year. Hell, I feel like a new person after a week. But, seeing all of my ideas through the past half year and beyond has shown me that while I continue to keep growing physically and emotionally, my opinions continue to stay the exact same: is it because I'm actually always right...

When I was first introduced to school at the old age of four, my mom told me three things: one, that I have to go even when I don’t want to; two, that if she got a call from the school nurse during the middle of the school day and had to come pick me up only to find out I was faking, she would be pissed (having previously learned from my two older siblings); and three, objectively the most important of all, that school would prepare us for the real world - though I would argue my mother’s anger still reigns supreme. And so, I walked into Kindergarten not knowing what hell I was getting myself into. Homework assignment after homework assignment, I’ve grown up alongside the developing school system believing that what I was learning would genuinely help me foster necessary skills for my future. Yet, the closer I get to graduating high school and entering college (thank god), the more I realize the school system failed me even more than my self-respect. Think about it, with all that’s g...

   I'm sure we've all read the standard Shakespearean play. Whether it was Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet , Romeo and Juliet , or in our recent case, Othello , we've all had to bear witness to the most dramatic writing with horrible movie adaptations that have the LOUDEST mouth breathing known to man. In this piece, we'll talk about Othello specifically, because that's the only one I can barely remember (and yes, I finished it only seven hours ago).     Now, I would just like to start off by saying I'm a very critical person. So, my hatred for Othello did not surprise me in the slightest. However, I was surprised by the fact that I could not explain why I despised Othello so much until Mrs. Feldkamp showed us a book review in class where the author was heavily hating on Othello's personality. After listening to it, my opinion of Othello solidified, as I knew that there were actual reasons as to why I hated Othello and not just because Shakespeare wrote his...

    It's been almost a week since I've finished my college applications, and I've never been so happy to go back to regular class homework. Yet, somehow, they find a way to follow me everywhere I go, even in places where they hold literally no importance.     Take my job for instance. It's a Panera Bread, not a Troy High AP class. So, imagine my surprise when one of my managers who, mind you, isn't in college and isn't applying, begins talking to me about the college application process, what college is like, et cetera. Then, she randomly adds, "I'd never let my four year-old at the age of 17 or 18 move out to a college across the state or country." And I, being a yes-man, nodded my head and smile in agreement, knowing fully damn well I'm doing just that. With my disagreement of her opinion coming from a standpoint where I am said 17 year-old, however, I looked at her belief with new eyes. And, when I did, I understood why she thought that.  ...

     For my book club book, The Awakening , by Kate Chopin, the main character, Edna, faces societal expectations, and throughout the book, will slowly learn to branch away from them and understand herself independently. What I find so interesting about the story is Edna's husband, who truly is just the worst character in the story. While I understand that there were different standards back then on how a relationship should work and how the man and wife should act in their roles, I find it difficult to accept Mr. Pontellier as more than just a piece of trash. Not only is he obsessed with the way others view him, but he's quick to point out his wife's errors (which weren't really any mistakes but rather his own controlling mindset finding fault in everyone but himself). An example I'll use is literally in the second chapter of the story. Coming home intoxicated late at night, he wakes up his wife to tell him about his day, which is already a sign of disrespect; the ...