For blog post four we have to connect a theme from Hills Like White Elephants to the story you’re about to read. The story I’m going to tell you is the story about the time I had to tell my dad everything that happened to me in the past six months. The theme I will be connecting to the two stories is regret. My story is about the regret I have for not telling my dad sooner about everything. Hills Like White Elephants is about the regret the man has for getting this young girl pregnant.
Recently I had to tell my mom the truth about everything that happened to me in the past couple of months. I told her that I pissed hot for a drug test at work, I got arrested in Wildwood and Folcroft for possession of weed. It wasn’t a pleasant conversation. About a week later my dad asked me to go to dinner, and I didn’t think anything of it at first but as I thought about it more I had a feeling that he knew everything that happened. He picked me up and on the car ride to the bar McGillicuddy's, we were talking about the Eagles and the NFL. After we get seated we start talking and he asked “is there is anything you want to talk about.” I said “No, not anything I can think of”. He said “are you sure” and he had a look on his face that said he knew something and wanted me to say it before he has too. So I said “it looks like you have something you want to talk about”. We sat there for a minute and he had that look on his face. So I said “ok. I got arrested in Wildwood for possession of weed”. He wasn’t as mad as I thought he was going to be. He was madder at the fact that I got caught and didn’t tell him. We talked about it. He said “you know you can tell me that kind of stuff. I’m not going to yell at you”, then asked if there was anything else he should know. I said “yeah, I got arrested in Folcroft for possession”. I told him that the charge got dropped down to a disorderly conduct. He was upset that I didn’t learn my lesson from what happened in Wildwood. He was saying how “this could really mess your life up if it doesn’t go the way you need it to go”. I said “I know I’m done with all that. It was a wakeup call for me”. After that he asked me about what happened at work. I said “I pissed hot for the drug test after the accident”. He was madder at my aunt and uncle for not telling him any of this. I told him “I asked Aunt Mary and Uncle Steve not to say anything”. He said “I understand she has your back, but I wish she would have told me and said that she handled it. I would have been fine with that. I just wish I knew what was going on”. I agreed with him and said “your right I should have told you earlier. I just didn’t know how you were going to react”. He said “how am I reacting right now? I’m not screaming, we’re just having a conversation. Your twenty years old Joe, I know yelling at you will just cause you to tune me out”. I agreed with him. Then he brought my friends into the conversation and how maybe they aren’t the right friends for me. I stopped that argument right there and said “the friends I have right now are the best friends I ever had. I don’t have to worry about calling Kelly or Luke asking them for a favor and they just say no. I know my friends have my back like I have theirs”. He said “I get that, I’m just saying I don’t want them to make a wrong decision and bring you into it. I want you to be smarter than that and know when to walk away when you don’t think it’s the right move”. I understood where he was coming from, from a parental view. He was saying how he tried it for the first time when he was fifty. After our talk I had a couple questions for him. The first question I asked him was “who told you about everything”. He said “your mom”. Then I asked him “who did you smoke with”? He said “Erin and Matt in Florida”. Then I asked “did you like the feeling of being high”? He said “I didn’t like how paranoid I was after smoking it”. Then I asked him “are you against it because it’s illegal or are against it altogether”? Then we got our food and we were just talking about what’s going on in our lives. After we were done eating we left and on the car ride home he said “I love you Joe, I want you to know that you can come to me with anything. I’m not going to yell or scream. I’ll have a conversation with you”. I said “thank you, love you too. From now on no more secrets. If something happens I’ll talk to you about it. I should have told you sooner, I don’t know why I didn’t just tell you in the first place”. He dropped me off at my house and that was the end of the conversation. As I was walking into my house I thought to myself “that wasn’t that bad, he treated me like an adult and had a conversation with me”. If only the rest of my family could understand that”.
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For blog post three we have to connect an item from My Name is Margret to an item in my story. In My Name is Margret the casserole dish that was handed down to Mrs. Cullinan from her mother is what I will be connecting. In my story I will be connecting my chain and Italian horn (Cornicello).
About a year ago me and a couple of my friends were in the Springfield mall, when we passed Kay Jewelers. My one friend Kelly wanted to stop in and try to find a pendant for his chain. We were talking to the sales person for a while just looking at the catalog. After about 30 minutes of talking to the sales rep I started to think to myself how I kind of wanted a chain but I didn’t want to just be copying my other friends. Then Kelly said, “Yo Bucc, you should get a chain.” I was hesitant at first because they were expensive and I thought I was going to either break it or lose it. Then the sales rep showed me the chains they had available. The first thing he asked me was, “What kind of chain are you looking for? We have gold or sterling silver.” I know I didn’t want a gold one because all my other friends have a gold one. So I said, “I want a sterling silver chain”. He said, “Ok, here are all the sterling silver chains we have”. It wasn’t a lot but they still had a good selection. He left me and my friends alone for about ten minutes then came back and asked, “Is there anything you like or have questions about.” I said, "Yeah" and I started asking him prices. After I found the one I wanted I asked, "How much is this one?" He said, “Three hundred dollars.” I was a little weary about the price at first then Kelly said, “That’s actually not bad for that chain.” So I bought it and I thought to myself, “Do I even look good with a chain on, or do I look like an idiot." When I got home my mom saw it and said, “I like it, are you going to get a pendant for it?” I replied, “Yeah, I think I’m going to get a crucifix or just a cross.” She didn’t really like that idea, but she also didn’t really have a say in it. The next day I went to work and my coworkers were asking me about my chain. My one coworker said, “You should get an Italian horn for it.” I asked, “What’s an Italian horn?” he said, “It’s a symbol of fertility and luck in Italian culture. You are mostly Italian right?” I said, “Yeah I’m seventy-five percent Italian.” He told me I couldn’t get it myself though because its bad luck if you buy it for yourself. After about a week my grandmom asked, “What do you want for Christmas?” I said, “I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it.” Then she asked, “Do you want me to get you an Italian horn for your chain." I asked her, “How do you know about that.” She said, “Somebody told me about it.” So I said, “Yeah, I’ll take that.” So I gave her my chain and the next day she got me it. I was surprised when I first saw it, and asked her, “Why is it so big?” She said, “That’s what the girl at the store said it had to be because it’s a big chain.” So I said, “Ok, thank you for the Christmas present, love you”. She replied with, “No problem honey.” Everybody was asking me what I had on my chain for the first couple of days. They all thought it was a sperm or something. I told them what it was and the meaning behind it. I love it, I hope I can wear it for the rest of my life and pass it on to my children when they grow up. Just like the casserole dish in My Name is Margret that Mrs. Cullinan’s family passed down to her. For blog post two we have to come up with a story that we run into Don Murray, Mary Karr, and Anne Lemont. I have hyperlinked their names to their writings. The story has to be about how I go up to them and ask about the writing process. I decide to run into them at Chickies and Pete's.
September 8, 2019. It’s the Philadelphia Eagles season opener. They are playing the Washington Redskins. Me and a couple of my friends decide to go to Chickies and Pete’s to watch the game. We get a table and start watching the game. We’re ordering food and having a good time. Then I look over and see Ann Lemont, Don Murray, and Mary Karr sitting at the table across the room. So once it was halftime I went over and talked to them. I introduced myself and asked them what they were talking about. Don Murray said “We are talking about our next works”. So I asked them “What do you guys do when you have writers block”. Don Murray said “I start with prewriting” So I asked him “What’s prewriting” He said “Prewriting is everything that takes place before the first draft. Prewriting usually takes about 85 percent of the writer’s time.”(pg. 2). Mary Karr gives her insight and says “In the beginning, when there are zero pages, you have to cheer yourself into cranking stuff out, even if it later lands on the cutting room floor. Each page takes you somewhere you need to travel before you can land in the next spot.” (Pg 3). Anne Lemont said “First I try to breathe, because I’m either sitting there panting like a lap dog or I’m unintentionally making slow asthmatic death rattles.” (Pg. 28). I said “normally I just put my headphones in and start writing until I get some traction.“ They all said that it’s a good place to start. So I went on to ask them “What comes after prewriting?” Don said writing your first draft is the next step. “It’s the fastest part of the process, and the most frightening.” (Pg. 3) Anne Lemont chimes in and says the next thing she does is “I notices the one-inch picture frame that I put on my desk to remind me of short assignments." (pg. 28) Mary Karr says the next step she does is “Editor me comes back to comb over— and over— and over the pages, unpacking each moment.” (Pg. 3) I added “I’m my worst critic, I always over analyze and think too much.” “How do you guys prevent yourselves from overthinking?” Marry Karr says “For me, the last 20 percent of a books improvement takes 95 percent of the effort— all in the editing. I can honestly say not one page I’ve ever published appears anywhere close to how it came out in the final draft.” (Pg. 3) Don Murray says “It may take many times the hours required for a first draft, perhaps the remaining 14 percent of the time the writer spends on the project.” (Pg. 3) Anne Lemont says “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft.” (Pg. 35) After hearing everything they had to say I thanked them for their help and time. Then I got up and went back to where my friends were sitting and we watched the Eagles beat the Redskins 32-27. For blog post one we had to answer The Proust Questionnaire. The Proust Questionnaire was created by Marcel Proust and was created to show somebody's true nature. If you take the questionnaire it will show a persons true identity. This blog is my answers for the Proust Questionnaire.
1.__What is your idea of perfect happiness? My idea of perfect happiness would be no worries in life. When I say no worries I am saying that I am comfortable enough to not have to worry about bills, kids, my job, or any of my relationships whether that be my wife, friends, family or coworkers. 2.__What is your greatest fear? My greatest fear is getting caught. 3.__What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? The trait I most deplore in myself the most would be my lack of confidence. When I am around people I don't know I get very uncomfortable and do not talk. I will just sit there and listen until I fell comfortable enough to say something. 4.__What is the trait you most deplore in others? The trait I deplore the most in others would be people that think they know everything and have to make a comment on everything. 5.__Which living person do you most admire? Allen Iverson is the person in my life who I admire the most. He wasn't the tallest player, he didn't have a silver spoon put in his mouth. He had to work hard to get where he is at today and who he is as a person. He dominated on the court and he was himself off of it. he didn't conform to what everybody else was doing, he made his own style and started a culture change in the NBA. Allen Iverson was a leader not a follower and I hope one day I will be a Leader and difference maker like him. 6.__What is your greatest extravagance? My greatest extravagance would be when I went on my own phone plan when I could have stayed on my mom's. I didn't need to go on my own plan. I could have stayed on hers and saved the money that I spend on my phone each month. 7.__What is your current state of mind? My current state of mind is about getting money, so I can live my life with no worries. 8.__What do you consider the most overrated virtue? The most overrated virtue in my opinion is obedience. I don't think you should do whatever you are told, I feel like you should ask questions as to why you are doing something. You should know the reason behind an action. 9.__On what occasion do you lie? I lie on a daily basis. I will lie if it means it gets me out of trouble. 10.__What do you most dislike about your appearance? My height would be what I most dislike about my appearance. I wish I was a couple inches taller. 11.__Which living person do you most despise? The people I most despise would be people that never grow up. One of my friends are like that and i guess i'm kinda just used to it, but those people really annoy me. 12.__What is the quality you most like in a man? I never thought about the quality I most like in a man. 13.__What is the quality you most like in a woman? The quality I most like in a women would be somebody that talks a lot and can keep a conversation going, because I am not talkative. 14.__Which words or phrases do you most overuse? The words or phrases I use the most would be "yo bro" and "naw". I use those words a lot. 15.__What or who is the greatest love of your life? The greatest love of my life would probably be my car. 16.__When and where were you happiest? I am the happiest when I am hanging out with my friends in the shed. we sit around on the couches in there and discuss sports or whatever comes up. 17.__Which talent would you most like to have? the talent I would want the most would probably be the ability to draw. 18.__If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? If i could change one thing about myself I would change my spending habits. I spend way too much money on stuff I don’t need. 19.__What do you consider your greatest achievement? My greatest achievement would probably be graduating from high school. I haven't done anything else that would be considered my greatest achievement. I am only twenty years old tho so I have time to update my greatest achievement 20.__If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? If i were to die and come back as something i would come back as a 21.__Where would you most like to live? If i could live anywhere I would most like to live anywhere where it is sunny and seventy to eighty degrees most of the year. 22.__What is your most treasured possession? My most treasured possession would probably be my health. i consider myself a healthy person. I don't eat a lot of junk food, I am always active or doing something active, whether that be playing basketball or going to the gym i'm always doing something. 23.__What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? I have never really thought about what the lowest depth of misery would be. I don't think anybody should be in their lowest depths of misery. Everybody should be grateful because you could be in a worse situation then what your in. 24.__What is your favorite occupation? My favorite occupation would probably be Athletic Director for a college. I think it would be a cool job to have. I love sports and I am pretty good at keeping organized. I think I would be able to do that well. 25.__What is your most marked characteristic? My most marked characteristic would probably be that I act older then I am. I have been told by a lot of older people that I carry myself in a way that is respectful. I believe that to be true because I do know when to act respectful and when I don't need to. 26.__What do you most value in your friends? The qualities I most value in my friends would be people who have the same interests as me, somebody I can hangout with and talk to, also somebody I can count on whenever I need them. 27.__Who are your favorite writers? My favorite writers are probably Meek Mill, Wiz Khalifa, and Mac Miller. I like their music and I think the songs they write have a deeper meaning to them that not everybody realizes. 28.__Who is your hero of fiction? I don't have a hero of fiction. 29.__Which historical figure do you most identify with? I don't identify with a specific historical figure. 30.__Who are your heroes in real life? My hero in real life would probably be anybody who doesn't follow the flow, they create their own flow and style. 31.__What are your favorite names? I don't have any favorite names. 32.__What is it that you most dislike? I most dislike people who can not drive. People who can't drive piss me off when i'm on the road. I get really angry when i'm driving and somebody in front of me is going to slow or just cant drive in general. I realize i'm not the best driver either, but I think I am a smarter driver then a lot of the people on the road. 33.__What is your greatest regret? My greatest regret would be not getting a financial education earlier. I wish I was taught how to handle, and invest money. 34.__How would you like to die? If I had the chance to choose the way I die, I think I would choose to die doing something I love, whether that be playing hockey and my heart gives out, or playing basketball and I just pass away. Unfortunately you don't get to choose the way or when you die. I just hope when I die its quick and hopefully not for a long time. 35.__What is your motto? If I had to pick a motto that would represent myself and my personality it would probably be "Live free, and die trying". Meaning live with no worries and do whatever you can to get what you consider perfect happiness. |
Joe BucciI haven't wrote all that much before this class. The last time I wrote something was probably high school, which was two years ago. ArchivesCategories |