Tone Piece

Something that frustrates me to no end is how selfish and misunderstanding people can be in this world sometimes. Kelsey Thomas, first, the Mountain View soccer program manager, then captain, and now assistant coach, has been someone in my life that I have learned so much from. Assistant Coach Thomas has Down Syndrome, and she doesn’t let that stop her from doing anything that she wants to do in life. Kelsey is such an inspiration to others. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself at all, she is smart, has the biggest sense of humor, and is just a goofball. The thing that frustrates me about her situation is how people act like people like Kelsey are not people, and that they are “retards” or “idiots”. This absolutely drives me crazy, to the point where I have to take a deep breath so that I don’t give someone a black eye. The word retard is unacceptable and does not represent Kelsey one bit! When I tell people about Kelsey I simply describe her as the sweetest girl in the world, with the biggest heart, and she is just a little prankster. Not once do I ever feel the need to say “oh and she is retarded.” That is not who Kelsey is. Kelsey is that funny, joking, inspirational girl, who puts a smile on my face every day. I do know that not everyone has had the privilege of meeting such a wonderful girl like Kelsey like I have, but I find it tiring listening to people be rude and narrow minded. There are many people in the world, and people with disabilities or people who struggle a little more than others, and they are all part of our too. People need to realize that those people work harder in life than anyone else in this world everyday, and that is something to admire, not make fun of. It is heartbreaking when people insult Kelsey, and it has happened at soccer games before, and the worst part is that Kelsey knows about it, she is not oblivious to it, and it makes her upset. She doesn't let things like that drag her down she continues to take life and enjoy it as much as possible. I know others are not as understanding as I am to her situation, but it is something that gets old real quick. This is always something I am going to fight, no matter how frustrating because everyday that Kelsey is out there with the Mountain View soccer team she is making a difference, and she is doing something that not a lot of people with disabilities are not able to do. Kelsey is one of the most courageous people I know, and that is nothing to make fun of at all. I am tired of the hurtful things people say towards such a wonderful person as Kelsey, and it is time to grow up and take a look in the mirror before the word “retard” or “idiot” slips, and think who the real “idiot” is when a person doesn’t have the courage to admire someone like Kelsey.

A Study of Reading Habits

A Study of Reading Habits was a very odd poem, at first, but after getting the true meaning its oddness was very fitting. The poem had three stanzas. After thinking for a long time, I think I figured it out. Each stanza is a new stage in his life, but he represented them through the types of books a person read at that age. The first is his adolescence; he talks about the little underdog beating up the bullies twice his size. When a reader is little, the books they read allow them to believe that the good guy always wins. In the second stanza, I found this to be the teenager stage. At this age boys find it cool to be a bit of a rebel because they are in that awkward stage in life where they are still finding who they are. Larkin stated it like this, “Later, with inch-thick specs, evil was just my lark: me and my cloak and fangs.” When it starts with the part about specs it seems that maybe he was made fun of at this age for his glasses, and then he found that it was fun to be the evil character like a vampire because of his insecurities at the time, so enjoyed those thriller books. Then the last stanza I found to be a bit confusing. The stanza went like this: “Don’t read much now: the dude who lets the girl down before the hero arrives, the chap who’s yellow and keeps the store, seem far too familiar. Get stewed: books are a load of crap.” This I found to be the present time because it seems like he came to a realization when thinking about how his life is now. When a person gets older the books are more mature, more realistic; there is a sense of reality that at a younger age most wouldn’t enjoy. Now he isn’t fighting off people twice his size, he isn’t that evil vampire looking for a thrill, he is just that store owner who isn’t the hero and never gets the girl. He finishes with saying “books are a load of crap,” and I think it’s his funny way of saying that reality is boring. Maybe we all are a little jealous of those characters because they get to be the perfect hero, or thrilling villain. When that time comes and we grow up… books just are a load of crap… because rarely does anyone get to be those characters; we just get snapped back to reality to be those that are oh so familiar… And where is the fun in that?