Every year at Kennedy our student government does a series of activities to help those in need. These activities consist of a canned food drive and collecting coats and warm clothing also this Christmas we are giving presents to needy families. Before this year I had not taken part in donating items because of two reasons. One, it wasn’t as publicized as much as it should have been throughout the school in my first two years at Kennedy. Two, there was no sense of urgency and I placed the idea towards the end of my long to do list. This year I was humbled to realize that I was not as “good” as I had thought of myself. I was put in my place when my teacher offered extra credit for every can that was brought in and I caught myself taking extra measures not to forget. I realized that for me there wasn’t enough incentive before when it was just doing something good, but now that there was an immediate effect to help raise my grade. A little later on the same teacher offered more extra credit for buying gifts for a family that our class adopted. Again I took extra measures not to forget and wrote down what I was to bring in for the family to receive the boost in my grade. I knew I was doing something good, but I wasn’t pleased with myself or the way I went about it. I should have put giving at the top of my priority list and the extra credit should just be a perk instead of giving because there is an extra incentive added to the mixture.
I was online the other day and, being around Christmas, found this interesting topic of what Santa’s are doing and have been doing for some time now. It inspired to do something good and maybe one day, if things turn out where I have been blessed with that kind of money then I might become a secret Santa. More than that it opened my eyes to what the spirit of giving really is and how I’ve been going about giving in the wrong way. I should be giving with or without incentive because I know that I have it better than a lot of people and since I have been blessed now I will bless others.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Adrenaline Delays Uncomforting
Thanksgiving came and so did another trip to Colorado to spend the holiday with my sister who goes to school there. She is a collegiate basketball player and doesn't get a break during thanksgiving so we travel there to spend the holiday together.
I had been currently fighting a cold with the symptoms of coughing, a runny and stuffy nose and occasionally random bloody noses. This nagging body function that had been letting blood from my nose was extremely annoying and not to mention messy. Luckily for me this annoyance developed over break and I had avoided being stuck in class blood dripping everywhere.
As we all know Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful, but a little bit more importantly a time to eat. Not just eat, but put food into your mouth and swallow until your stomach hates you for it. That was my attitude going into the holiday this year.
I had been feeling guilty for eating so much because I was trying to stay in shape for track in the spring. It wasn’t only the eating a lot part it was the eating unhealthy too. To Colorado is about a 12 hour drive and when we ate on the road we went to fast food places which I dislike, but not to a point where I will object in going there.
On Friday night my brothers and I were hanging out in my sister’s apartment and my parents left to go to bed in a nearby apartment that we were renting. My parents allowed us to come later and as we were walking towards our destination my youngest brother, Daniel, decides to throw a snowball at my other younger brother, David. This whole event gradually became worse as David shouted threats from a distance as he runs away to avoid incoming snowballs. Daniel then turns to me to be his next target. I decide to follow David’s lead and start running too.
With adrenaline running through my veins I sprinted ahead of David because I had the keys to unlock the door to our temporary living space. As I’m turning the key to the door Daniel catches up and launches a snowball that manages to hit both David and I. Staying true to his threats David goes and throws a couple punches to Daniel’s core, not backing down Daniel returns the favor. When I turn around after I opened the door that’s what I saw, then I sprinted down there to immediately break it up. Their jawing however did not cease with the fighting and while in the apartment almost erupted into another series of trading punches.
Finally they got to their individual sleeping places and the adrenaline that was running through my body stopped. I then felt outrageously sick, with my stomach rumbling and about to erupt, I wasn’t sure which exit it would take. While bending over the toilet, not sure what to do next, I get a bloody nose. With blood dripping all over the place I rush, crouched over, to the tissues to shove a tissue into the nostril. The night continued to suck, but I finally went to sleep and realized how remarkable adrenaline actually is.
I had been currently fighting a cold with the symptoms of coughing, a runny and stuffy nose and occasionally random bloody noses. This nagging body function that had been letting blood from my nose was extremely annoying and not to mention messy. Luckily for me this annoyance developed over break and I had avoided being stuck in class blood dripping everywhere.
As we all know Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful, but a little bit more importantly a time to eat. Not just eat, but put food into your mouth and swallow until your stomach hates you for it. That was my attitude going into the holiday this year.
I had been feeling guilty for eating so much because I was trying to stay in shape for track in the spring. It wasn’t only the eating a lot part it was the eating unhealthy too. To Colorado is about a 12 hour drive and when we ate on the road we went to fast food places which I dislike, but not to a point where I will object in going there.
On Friday night my brothers and I were hanging out in my sister’s apartment and my parents left to go to bed in a nearby apartment that we were renting. My parents allowed us to come later and as we were walking towards our destination my youngest brother, Daniel, decides to throw a snowball at my other younger brother, David. This whole event gradually became worse as David shouted threats from a distance as he runs away to avoid incoming snowballs. Daniel then turns to me to be his next target. I decide to follow David’s lead and start running too.
With adrenaline running through my veins I sprinted ahead of David because I had the keys to unlock the door to our temporary living space. As I’m turning the key to the door Daniel catches up and launches a snowball that manages to hit both David and I. Staying true to his threats David goes and throws a couple punches to Daniel’s core, not backing down Daniel returns the favor. When I turn around after I opened the door that’s what I saw, then I sprinted down there to immediately break it up. Their jawing however did not cease with the fighting and while in the apartment almost erupted into another series of trading punches.
Finally they got to their individual sleeping places and the adrenaline that was running through my body stopped. I then felt outrageously sick, with my stomach rumbling and about to erupt, I wasn’t sure which exit it would take. While bending over the toilet, not sure what to do next, I get a bloody nose. With blood dripping all over the place I rush, crouched over, to the tissues to shove a tissue into the nostril. The night continued to suck, but I finally went to sleep and realized how remarkable adrenaline actually is.
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