Need to edit on a computor

          As I walked through the green doors for the seemingly millionth time, something felt off. It was clear to me that nothing about Fenn's long hallways was physical different. Having been at Fenn for five years prior I felt as if I had a good understanding of where all the large white buildings are and how the day flows by. The difference was right in front of me the whole time. Over the course of  the five years I had spend at Fenn I always had someone in a higher grade to look up to, this year I was that person. My senior year at Fenn has been defined by change. We received the news that there would be a new upper school head, we received the news that pen to paper no longer resisted, and we received the news that we would not be going to Camp Caribou. As a senior class this news was hard to hear, but we knew that what happened was out of our hands. If we wanted to have a successful school year accepting change was necessary. Although change can seem hard at first, it brings with it new opportunities. The question that then presents it self is whether you want to take advantage of these opportunities. Throughout the year Fenn has introduced many new programs replacing the old. These consist of a new version of pen to paper, and a new camp for our class trip. After some thought the ninth grade class decided that taking advantage of these newly offered opportunities would help us bond as a class and have an overall great year.

Writing Prompt #1

“Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian.”

Herman Melville

          Different people handle others in different ways.  When I come across someone who is different than me I see an opportunity to better understand a certain culture. Over the summer I went to Italy with my cousins. We were constantly surrounded by culture that none of us were used to. This forced us to either outright ignore everyone or learn more about a culture. Instead of a hotel my family decided it would be better for us to rent a house. My dad and uncle were able to find a place fairly close to all of the towns we were planning on visiting. This house was owned by an old Italian man who gave us a tour when we arrived. A large white van pulled up to the front of an old Italian house. A man sitting on the porch stood up to greet the van. As he approached my family began flooding out of the van. We would soon find out this tall, old man named Guido was the owner of the house. Although it was hard to understand his English, he did his best to greet us and give a tour of his house. While we were living in Guidos house he stayed in a small house a few minutes away. He would often check in with us and give reformations of restaurants. After a few days my family began to get to know Guido. Along with getting to know him, we also got to see Italian culture first-hand. Because of the choice to rent a house rather than staying in a hotel my entire family got to learn more about a culture. Keeping an open mind when meeting new people opens up doors that nobody would expect

Happiness

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.”

Oscar Wilde

          An ignorant man who lives a happy life is better off than a man who is wise. To me, being happy is more important than being wise. No matter how successful you are in life, being happy is what matters most. Being wise will eventually lead to sadness. Spending time seeking out knowledge by reading books and watching the news will bring sadness. The only personal gain you would get out of becoming wise is the ability to share what you have learned with others. Happiness brings along experiences that will can be remembered for a lifetime. Happiness can come from small or large experiences. In some cases, It can take years to become a wise human being. I would would rather live a short, happy life alongside friends and family than live a long life with knowledge. There is no point in having knowledge if your entire life is going to be lived in boredom and sadness. If you have a way to be successful, being ignorant will not matter. If you live your life with happiness you will die with more memory’s, and a more complete life. I would rather die a happy man than live be sad and knowledgeable.   

Imagination and vivid language

"It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and i knocked my brother down and then we had tea"

Dylan Thomas

          In the short story, A Child’s Christmas In Wales, Dylan Thomas explores the power that imagination has on memory’s. He uses images and actions along with similes and metaphors to craft these scenes.

           Imagination has the power to make you experience any emotion at any time. In the short story, A Child’s Christmas In Wales, the narrator brings the reader through a series of his Christmas memories. The narrators memory’s are all transformed over time by his imagination. This short story has the power to allow the reader to look back at his or her own memories. As the short story is winding down the narrator rememberers walking through the streets around Christmas time. He recalls walking around with his cousins,  Jim, Dan and Jack, leaving huge footprints in the ground. The narrator wonders what people will think when they see these prints. This acts a Segway to another one of the narrators memories.

 “And I remember that we went singing carols once, when there wasn't the shaving of a moon to light the flying streets.At the end of a long road was a drive that led to a large house, and we stumbled up the darkness of the drive that night, each one of us afraid, each one holding a stone in his hand in case, and all of us too brave to say a word.”

This story is easily related to by anyone. This story is about memory and what the imagination can do to these memories. Christmas is a time for joy and family. The author, Dylan Thomas, was able to capture this in such a way that makes the reader think on his or her own past. A Child’s Christmas In Wales is a collection of small memory’s that have altered over time. For most, Christmas is filled with transformed small memory’s. Thomas was able to create vivid images for the reader to experience and reflect on. 

          Writing can be used to create anything the author wants. Dylan Thomas uses images and actions alongside similes and metaphors to create vivid images. A Child’s Christmas In Whales is a series of memory’s from the perspective of a young boy. Since this short story has no real plot, Thomas constantly relies on his ability to create scenes with words. The techniques that Thomas uses to craft his sentences are made very clear from the beginning. First, he uses images and actions in order to paint a picture in the readers head of what is going on. Each image is described using strong verbs and descriptive adjectives. Thomas adds similes and metaphors to create even more vivid scenes. 

“All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find.”

Writing a story without a plot would be impossible for a non experienced writer. Without clear images alongside similes and metaphors, writing story with no real meaning does not work. In A Child’s Christmas In Wales, Thomas was able to use his imagination to create large images in the readers head. The way that Dylan Thomas took advantage of sentence building techniques allowed him to create a world famous story without a plot.

          Dylan Thomas was able to use images and actions alongside similes and metaphors to create compelling scenes for the reader.

How My Family Spends Christmas

"Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling" 

Edna Ferber

       Holidays can change lives. Christmas has had a positive impact on my family and I for as long as I can remember. Christmas brings along a special feeling that can be found nowhere else. Some of my earliest memory’s are of me running down the stairs towards the seemingly endless piles of presents. The main tradition in my family involving Christmas is spending Christmas Eve with my grandmother. It does not matter whether the day is spent at her house or ours. What matters is that we are all together. Our Christmas Eve’s have been spent with my grandmother, and sometimes other family members, for as long as I can remember. The forty minute car ride was coming to an end. My brother and I sat anxiously waiting to arrive at my grandmas. After the seemingly hour long drive we had made it, and I was the happiest kid in the world. I walked into the house immediately greeted by   my aunts, uncles, cousins, and most importantly my grandma. The day was filled with fun, laughter, and joy. The time I have spent with family on Christmas Eve has impacted my life forever. Over the years Christmas has become less about gifts and more about joy. The time spent with your family is much more important than a toy to play with. Christmas can be viewed as short term fun or long term memory’s. Picking how you want to spend your Christmas comes with age and maturity. It is up to you to decide the power of holidays.

Writing an Easay

“Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. ”
― Coco Chanel

             Every human is limited by time. Everything you can do takes time. Some things are necessary, and some are not. Dloing something that you do not what to do takes away time that is impossible to get back. Writing an essay is fun for some. Writing can be a way to use your time productively. For most, writing is an unnecessary waste of time. As I sit and write under the pressure of the clock, I feel that I am wasting my time. I will never get back the time I have spent writing this essay. It is hard to think as I type away I am slowly throwing away my time. It is important to balance out the time you spend having fun, and the wasted time. Spending your time wisely is something that many try to achieve. If you spend your life wasting all of your time you will die an unhappy man. My goal in life is to be happy with how I have spent my time. Time is limited, don’t waste it.  

How My Family Has Shaped Me

       Parental love is the only love that is truly selfless, unconditional and forgiving.     

Dr T.P.Chia

        People change lives. In my life, my parent have been these people. I rely on my parents every day of my life. Without them, I would be lost. My parents allow me to do what I love. Playing hockey would be impossible without the dedication of my parents. If my parents are not around for the weekends the house turns to chaos. Hockey tournaments are where my parents  dedication really shows. Around four years ago my brother and I were both playing in a tournament in Montreal. Us both being on different teams meant that our game schedules would be completely different. This whole trip revolved around my parents willingness to skip work, and spend countless hours driving. We arrived in Montreal after the eventless six hour drive to the realization that the rink was a thirty minute drive from the hotel. Both of my parents immediately knew that they were in for a long trip. In the end the tournament ended up being a huge success. My brother and I were able to make it to all of our games with no problems. If it weren’t for my parents this tournament would not have happened. Looking back on my life I have no idea where I would be without my parents. I wonder where I would go to school, who I would be friends with and if I would play hockey. The most important change is the way in witch I would view life. Because of my parents I look at life as a privileged kid, without them I have no idea were I would be. My parents have shaped who I am. 

Getting Cut

“Be thankful for the hard times, for they have made you”

Leonardo DiCaprio

Hard times can either hurt you or help you. Looking back on my life hard times have always impacted me in positive ways. No matter how bad the situation is there is always good somewhere. Finding that good is the hard part. I experienced the feeling of not being good enough in fifth grade. My first year of club hockey  was exiting and new, but seeing it all come to an end so quickly was hard. When I was given the news that I had been cut from my team I was devastated. I walked into my house to silence. I had tons of energy coming from a day in Boston with my friends, and was exited to finally be home. I could tell by the tone in the house that something was wrong. My dad sat me down at the dinner table and gave me the news that I had been cut. This hurt me at first, but I knew that I would be able to get past it. About an hour after I get the news I realized that I needed to find a new team. One of my old hockey teammates played for a team called the New England Edge. Although this team was not ideal at all, it was one of the only teams that had not had tryouts yet. I ended up playing for the Edge having some of the most fun playing hockey in my life. Getting cut from my hockey team forced me to get better, and taught me many lessons to help me in my life. I was able to find the good in a bad situation

My Comfort Place 

“It’s nice finding that place where you can go and just relax”

Moisis Areias

          Your surroundings shape your thoughts, feelings and actions. Having a place to go when I am tired, happy, or sad has helped me throughout my life. I have lived in many houses, each one different from the rest. No matter the house my room has always been my place. When I moved from Acton to Concord in 2016, I was happy and nervous. My family had been planning on moving to Concord for around a year so I knew it was coming. I had been looking forward to the move since my family started talking about it. The only thing holding me back was never being able to be in my room again. The day finally came. I walked into what would be my new room pleasantly  surprised. My new room felt the exact same as my last. It did not take long for this house to really feel like my home, and once it did my room became my place. It was a place I can go when I am tired, happy, or sad. Place impacts what you say, do and think. Having a place where you can go and know exactly what will happen will help you through life. Times will come in your life where all you need is a space to think. My room has consistently been my place for thinking, and relaxing. My room is always the same, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Having a place to go where you have the freedom to do whatever will change your life.

_{My Passion For Hockey}

“It’s a great day for hockey”

Bob Johnson

          Do what you love, love what you do. Playing hockey takes many sacrifices, but I am always willing to take them. Waking up at five in the morning is something that no one wants to do. Being passionate about what it is that you are waking up for changes everything. The first year of hockey is where the most sacrifices are made. Since you are younger it is assumed that you want to wake up early, but for most, this is far from the truth. When I started hockey in third grade I loved getting to the rink early. My dad walked into my room half asleep. The second I heard his voice I was up. Ready to go for yet another Sunday morning practice. The short drive to the rink felt like nothing. Once I hit the ice there was no place I would rather be. I was a kid doing what he loves. My passion for hockey has stuck with me to this day. Although I no longer have practices first thing in the morning, I am still always wanting to skate. Having a passion for anything will help you through the ups and downs of life. Passion teaches you to work hard and set goals. Finding something that you are passionate about will change your life.