Stop, Think, Soundtrack (v.)

"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like stars at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare."
W.H. Davies

Greetings scholars.
I know your brain may be begging for a break and for vacation, but wait! Hold on! Not just yet! At this point every year we may wonder if the change of the calender year really does help to alter who we are and what we want to be. Maybe we look back and think "Wow! How can I top THAT!" Or maybe we think, 'Whew, thank goodness that messy year is over, this year has got to be better!"

Whatever your ideas about the ending of the old year and the start of the new, it does mean a break from school and perhaps a time of reflection--Hmm, do I want to attend summer school? Maybe I should do my work! Or, hmm, I would like to be in honors next year, I better step it up!

So, I want YOU to reflect. I want you to revisit this year. The good, the bad and the in-between. Locate 5-10 moments in 2007 that have marked your life in some way. Write about them. Maybe you have a song that helps explain that time period and emotion. Be sure to explain it! The assignment is to reflect and soundtrack (I am using it as a verb here, yes, I just made it up) your past year. You do not need a song for every moment, but you do need an explanation (remember to work on details and descriptions in your writing) for each event.

Please post your writing.

Have a wonderful break. Remember-if you are not turning in the assignments due today, you have homework due on the first day back from vacation!

Enjoy!
Mrs. Gaboury

My Reflection

When I started this year, I felt like I was more self- concious and more open than normal. But as the year went on that changed. Well, I nmean the open part. I am very shy. THen my birthday happened and I was a year older. That makes me feel sad because my mother is losing her little girl. So here's a song that fits that moment. Well, except instead of daddy's liitle girl- it's mommy's little girl:)

Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle

Now it's summer and I am volunteering at the hospital. I am volunteering at the hospital because I want to be a family doctor when I grow up. I want to work in a doctor's office. Volunteering at the hospital cahn help me with this issue.

Now it's Halloween and I am excited. I love halloween. I like it so much because there's beautiful colored leaves, and cute kids that walk around and are five years old or below that are wearing their cute costumes. This year there was a four year old boy that wore a corn on the cob costume and his brother was a pea pod. How cute:) So, there's a song that can explain me and why I love having fun on holidays.

Monster Mash by Monster Mash & Other Songs

Now it's thanksgiving and I am very thankful for everything. I am very tghankful for my house and my life and my family. This year I helped make the dinner and I actually helped pick up the table. This year I as told I was a disgrace because I wore a skull shirt to the store on Thanksgiving. So here's a song that explains me being very thankful.

Amazing Grace by Anne Murray

I have two favorite christmas songs and they are...

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer by: Elkmo&Patsy

Dominick The Donkey By: Lou Monte

I lioke these songs because I love tyhe Italian christmas donkey, he definitely has a wonderful touch on the yoiunger generation of kids. I picked the other song because I think that's a really funny song.

So, poverall my life's been like a roller coaster with mostly good times. Here's a song to describe my life; the good times and the bad times(but mostly good) :)

Life is A Highway by: Rascal Flatts

Honestly I do think that we need other people's approval on how we live. I mean, you need your own self approval to be happy about something but to really feel confidence I think you need positive feedback from other people. I know that in my life, I always like to have the approval of other people. For example if I get a new outfit that I like. I like it so of course I'll be happy with it but when someone else says "hey I like your outfit" you feel alot better about yourself. And if someone says that they dont like my outfit, I'll get kind of self concious about it. I think its really difficult to have your own voice in today's society as everyone is so judgemental and if someone is different people have problems with them. But you need to make sure that you do listen to your voice, not just the ideas of other people. If all you do is listen to other people and never yourself, you won't be happy. And that is not a way to live. It's alot easier to fall for something if you don't believe in anything. Theres nothing to tell you to say no. I do find myself listening to what other people say about me but I really try to just do what I want to do. In Farenheit 451, this is shown when Montag rises against all the other people and just reads books anyway.

My Voice

No, we don’t need other people’s approval for what we do, but I think we seek other people’s approval for what we do. People may act as if they don’t care what others think about them but everyone does, at least a little bit.
I think it’s really hard to be your own voice because most of us think about what others think. I try really hard to make my own decisions by myself but some times I do think about what others will think. Every one needs to have their own voice because it helps make up who you are as a person, it’s the decisions that you make that show who you are. But we all need an outsider’s opinion sometimes. If the decision you’re going to make is potentially life changing, good or bad, sometimes it’s good to have someone else give you their opinion.
If we don’t listen to ourselves than we can’t be who we truly are. If we let someone influence our life too much than we wont be our selves. I think it’s really important to be who we are and listen to our own thoughts and opinions.
In F451 Montag starts to read the books and almost everyone is against reading. Only a few are willing to break the rules, and he is one of them. He starts to stand for what he believes in which is what we all need to do, because if we don’t stand for something we will fall for anything.


- K. Scott

The Voices Inside My Head

Ideas. They are ultimately our own, but are definitely influenced my our surrounding environment. I like to think that I make my decision by myself, but I know that that's not true. I don't think it's true for anyone really. But when it comes down to it, "I'm the decider" (corny Bush accent), and I think I make the right decisions. I, like many others, seek the approval of others, and if you say you don't, I want you to really think hard about it. Because it's human nature and nothing to be ashamed of. I have role models that I try to be like, and I do try to make others like me, and that probably does affect my decisions. I think nobody ever stops looking for acceptance. And I think were always trying, even though we don't think we are. In Fareinflught 451, acceptance matters so much, because anyone that is different, is worthless, and can be picked off. In this effort to be in the norm, all individual ideas are lost. This scenario creates a common thought pool; what I mean is, there is one way to think. This obviously is a terrible thing. The point I'm trying to make is, try to hold on to your individuality. The more we conform, the more we lose our personal ideas. Not that a little conformity is bad, but we should try to be ourselves! Amen

When making decisions in life I usually take many things under consideration. I try to get others opinions, and would only ask them if I did infact believe they had my best interests at heart. But ultimatley making a decision is up to me, and there are times when I request the approval from others, and others where I feel the need not to need such approval. If I feel that what I'm doing is morally correct, and is the best for me in some instances, but others in most. I do not believe we should be required to obtain others approvals, but should act upon, and live our lives in a way which is morally correct.

To be your own voice, and be who you want to be in life is not an easy thing at all. It takes discipline, self control, hard work, and desire. If you go through life just being a shadow along the wall, not caring, and just sort of being a body, then your life is meaningless. We live in a country where it is easy, and reccomended for you to make a difference, and change others lives by what you do, and what you stand for. If we do not have beliefs, and have morales, in which we fight to protect, than there is no point in living in such a great place. You should always in life respect others voices, and express yours. However, you need to always over come ignerance, and other evils of the world. "It is better not to speak, and be thought an idiot, than to speak, and relieve all doubt".

What keeps me focused on my voice, and to make something out of myself, is my drive to achieve my life goals. Nothing in life is good enough to change who I am, and the man I want to become. There are many distractions along the way, but underneath it all, there is still the same person who is out to reach his goals, and be the man he wants to be. In the book I am reading there are characters of war. All of these men are those who inspire me, and give me motivation to one day be like they are.

-KG

Approval? Or Integrity?

The idea behind people living their own life the way they please is that it's their own decision. We need not search for the approval of others in our own thoughts and actions, because that's not what exactly what free will is all about. We give our own meaning to life, through what we do and think independently. When we conform to how other people are for the sake of receiving their approval, we stop living our own life, because we no longer bring any new meaning to what we do.
That's not to say, however, that other's voices aren't to be heard, or respected, but we should not let them invade our innermost thoughts. Give men your ear, but not your heart. The mind is the final human sanctuary, and we are not always vigilant enough against desecration.

We don't need other peoples approval for what we do or how we live our life but people often feel like you do or act like it. For some people it is hard to have your own voice but for some people it is easier. When people do what they want instead of what everyone else is doing they may feel like they don't fit in or may get made fun of which is why people often don't listen to their own voice.



If you don't value your voice and listen to the voice of others it lets the reason why you didn't listen to your own voice in the first place get worse. If we do not stand for what we believe in we may lose many things. Such as if people never stood up to get women rights women still wouldn't be able to vote and many other things too. Some people fall for what they believe in. Soldiers fight in wars risking their life for what they believe in and sometimes the die.



Some things that distracts me from listening to my own voice is how many people are expected to wear a certain brand of clothes. But I try not to always do that like I will wear anything sometimes. Something that keeps me focuses me on listening to my voice is that you should be your own person and do and wear what you want and not what other people do or want.



In the book Farenheit 351. Montag is expected to burn books like all the fireman and everyone is expected to not own books. The lady at the fire went against the fireman keeping books and she ended up dying for what she believes in. Then Montag also risked his life by going against everyine to for what he believes in which is to own and read books too.

The Voice Inside Of Me

I think we do need someones approval and I also think we need to have our own approval for what we do. I think some things need to be done using our brains and some things need to be done using our parents or other people. I think its hard to be our own voice. I think it's hard because sometimes we don't want to express our feelings because we are shy like me. It's sometimes easy to express because we are very vocal like my sisters. I think if we valued other's feelings and not ours we would be lost. We would be lost because we aren't expressing our feelings, we are only expressing someone else's feelings.

If we don't stand for something we do fall for anything. I think this because if you don't tell someone that you dislike the way they are talking to you, then next time that person will continue what they are doing. My family keeps me focused. They make me realize that I am not a piece of meat that people can walk on. My family reassures me that I matter to them even if I don't matter to someone else.

My shyness distracts me from my real self. I am very shy, which means I don't express my feelings at all. If someone picks on me, I don't stand up for myself. With my shyness I have to have the attitude of "I don't care what people think".

In Fahrenheit 451, Montag is handling this issue pretty good. In the beginning of the book, Montag didn't express his real feelings but towards the end, Montag did. Mildred is not handling this issue very well. She never expresses her thoughts and never lets her feelings show. Faber is an old man, who always expresses his feelings and always tells his thoughts.

"Be the Trouble You Want to See In The World"

I really think it depends from person to person how easy it is to be yourself. It depends how much you CARE, I think, and what people are telling you what they think. For the people who just don't care, there's usually a random spiral downfall that comes and goes slowly. you start taking voices and paths from other people and combining them to create a compound-all over the place-voice that is really kind of fake.

To have my own voice and stay sane, I always think. Usually thinking gets me into trouble instead of out of trouble, depending on the situation (sometimes I think too hard and sometimes I think about what I was thinking about, which usually has something to do with thinking...), but usually thinking is what makes me stay myself. I always think about some quote I read by Dr. Suess once (yeah, I'm lame): “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” I think it means that the ones that don't want you to think what you think shouldn't be around you. You should be around people who have different views than you but still respect yours. If there were more people like this in the world, I think we would be a lot more sane.

I think my biggest distraction from this is boys. Just because sometimes (and I know a lot of us don't say it) but all we really want to do is get the guys we like to notice us. Does it work? Usually not. Sometimes do we lose track of who we are and what we REALLY want (besides some dumb boy that probably doesn't like us as much as much as we like them). Even if we don't like a boy like that, we still try to impress them. Why we do this is totally beyond me (even though I do it too, haha) but we do. Not only is it annoying, but it's honestly really bothersome.

I think another thing is what our parents want. Sometimes we have parents that are really sure that we're going to get into the same school they did and keep going with the "family buisness" (not like a mafia or anything... unless you're into that sort of thing... even though it's illegal, we do what we gotta do). Like, I'm hardcore certain that I want to be a writer once I get older. My dad knows I can write and all, but I think he wants me to do something "more money"-ish so I can actually afford to pay my rent.

I really don't think people should let other people's views (that's a lot of people) affect what they really feel inside. If it was a perfect world, there would only be one Sarah Goldberg or on Emily Rosenberg. Unfortunately, there's about ten million of them and probably a couple Semah Goldenberg floating around. I know it's hard to truely go with what you honestly feel inside and it's not always the easiest, but it is the right thing to do in the long run.

" be what you want to be... not what others wanna see"... do we actually follow these words of wisdom??

the truth of the matter is everyone follows what people think once in a while. You can be asunique as you littyle heart desires, but in the long run, sombody in your life will guide you how you live yourlife. The clothes you wear, the actions you do, are all modeled by somebody else in the world. I personaly try to follow my own path and be unique but its practically impossible in the world we live in. The people that i belive lead me to how i am is probably my friends. I see them more than anyone else in the world and they are very infuential. Its not easy to be your own voice. If you attempt to be, then you will drastically see how difficult it really is. It is easy to do what you want and be who you want to be. That all up to you. You can choose to do drugs and drink and assiciate yourself with tose or you can choose to live your life and make decisions that impact not only you but the world around you. Life especially right now is all about the choices you make, yes i know i sound like such a mother right now but i seriously cant help it. YOU as a person need to make the decisions in your life. You need to decide what your priorities in life are and make decisions that help the way you want to go in life. Being your own person and standing up to your bestfriends once in a while isnt so bad. Its actually good, because the decisions you decide to make life dont always effect you but all the people around you too. As you can see this subject means alot to me andd i know people who will screw up and follow there freinds, and also know people who wont and do what they want not just what ther friends want. People can be soo hypocritical too because everyones going to say be unique and dont follow the cround, but majority of them will. and its truely sad to see that. all i can say is do waht you think is right, not just what your freinds think is right, because peer pressure can be hard to stand up agaisnt, and if your trely strong and you care about what you are doing and know what you want in life, then it wont be hard at all.

voice

This subject is something you here alot about in our culture, but don't often see put into practice in real life. One of the few places we find examples of being the real you and not being moved by other people's opinion is in books. Farenheight 451 is a book that displays alot of what many Americans thirst for.

In our world, people are often pressured to conform to a certian culture. It effects the way we think, talk, socilize, dress and act. In some ways this is to be excpected depending on what climate we live in. Sometimes, in our American society, where we have so many climates, even mini cultures, the "Land of Opportunity," it seems like it would be a place where less pressure is applied. I don't think it is. I wish it was. People are so pressured to be a certian kind of person. We have set up models of who the perfect person should be (ex. Barbie, TV stars etc.). If you can't conform to who you "should" be, you are excpected to fit in to a certian "group" of your same "type." This is what forms cliques and gangs.

People don't want it to be this way, but it seems as though people need security. They need someone to show them what they should be. A goal. They need to meet others approval. Humans, I believe, were made for relationship, for community. Our world has just twisted how to do that. You see, people were also made to be unique. Like a puzzle. Different shapes that are made to fit together. Our society seems to like blocks better; the same shapes piled on top of each other.

Farenheight is an extreem example of this. The balance between uniqueness and relationship have been mushed together to form an ugly, grey, empty society. It's sad. The idea of uniqueness is gone. The idea of relationship is gone. Look at Montag and Mildred. Love; dependance on each other is nonexistent in there relationship. At the same time, they don't respect each other as unique people. They are just normal; average. They don't share there different ideas or personalities. What makes this situation even worse is that the don't have books to even present the idea to them. The government has taken away opinion and no one knows how to get it back. That's what makes Clarice so differnt. She is balance. She has relationship with her family and at the same time she has uniqueness. She has discovered her voice and, with the help and support of her family, is learning to sing. Montag has never really heard any other voice but that of the government and he is drawn.

The root of all this seems to come down to two words. Fear and Courage. Fear keeps people from being who they are. Fear keeps people from asking for help from people. Courage is the strength to do this. I know I struggle with fear. Finding the balance betweenbeing who I was made to be and relying on other people for help. I geuss we need to not rely on other people's voices but rely on the help the people offer. It's like a giant chior and everyonehas a differnet voice to contribute. It's okay to ask for help with finding the right place in the music and things like that. it's not okay to stop siniging your part and rely soley on someone else's voice. That takes away from everyone, including yourself.

My religion is teaching me to sing. You see, my God is the conducter and I'm not afraid to follow. Maybe some of the reason our chior sounds so terribly disorganized is because we are not all following the same conducter. The right, true, worthy conducter.

I have run out time and I was just starting to really get into it. that's okay. I probably would'v gotten of subject anyway! Thank you for reading.

true!

I blame my infatuation with being unique on my early childhood. I don't know why exactly this is, but I have a feeling that being unusual as far as education goes when I was little had a lasting impact on me. Maybe I've just always thought of myself as different, not necessarily in any particular way, and I like it that way. Well, wherever it started, I like being unusual. I really do. When I'm trying actively to be unique, I bask in the knowledge that people realize that I seem abnormal. (I don't mean abnormal in the "What's that, Igor? You got me an abnormal brain? Noooo!!" sense, but rather as a synonym for unusual, because it bugs me to use one word a bunch of times over.)
When I was younger, I was really shy around people I didn't know. Let me say for the record that being shy is overrated. Being outgoing is wayyy better by all accounts. Anyhow, being shy, I was afraid to really assert my uniquocity. I was way too much of a shrinking violet to be outstanding (by that I mean "standing out", not "really great"), and therefore kind of blended in, as far as appearance went, or personality to a certain extent (I was shy, but it wasn't like I was personalityness). Since the shy period has ended (around sixth grade) I've listened to my little voice way more. I don't know why exactly this is -- maybe I just changed, maybe being around a lot more people in a public school setting forced me to be, maybe because I have more friends, I don't know -- but I like it a lot more this way.
Most of the time now I follow my own voice and ideas, but my parents' opinions do matter a lot to me. I trust and respect them, so generally if they think a certain way I'll at least consider their ideas. I care about the opinions of people I like and respect -- I want my parents, my teachers, my family, my friends etc. to think well of me. When I'm meeting someone for the first time or otherwise am going to make an important impression on them, I sometimes worry about what they think of me. When I start feeling worried, I just remind myself that if they're not going to appreciate me for who I am, then they're not worth worrying over. In general, though, I don't really think to worry about others' opinions of me.
At this point, I find it fairly easy to be myself. This is probably because I'm not so radical that people actually have a problem with me. I don't know how it is in other friends groups, but my friends are very nice and tolerant and kind and supportive and overall great friends, and we're fairly diverse -- we don't have any of that "You've got to dress like us and talk like us and get grades like us and hate the people that we hate or else you're not our friend" nonsense. And the people in this local society are the same, I think most Averill Parkians are tolerant (as far as I can tell). The only example I have of voice-squashiness would have to be the not-very-scandalous fact that some people tend to ask my mom when my little brother is going to cut his fabulous, wavy, shoulder-length, reddish-brown hair. But they're not actually squashing his voice or anything. Like I said...fortunately, a lame example.
So in general, I love being unique and true to myself. I try not to care about what others think of me and be secure in my opinion of myself and 99.9% of the time, it works. I think being true to oneself is one of the most important strenghts a person could have. So yeah. Go that.

Do you need approval?! Do you? DO YOU?!

I really dont think that you need approval to survive. The only approval that you need is your own, and if you accept yourself, then guess your okay. But that sounds too sappy to coming out of my big mouth, so i think that ill change the subject. It is easy to be who you want to be, and do what you want, as long as you beleive that it doesnt matter what other people think about yourself, and only what you think. If you respect your own voice more than others, then that could be both good and bad. It is good because you think what you want and dont care what others thinkl about you, but it is also bad in the sense that you do not take in and examine what other people's opinion. Other people's opinions can be helpful and constructive, when they want to be. A lot of times, people tend to put each other down. That also means that most people tend to listen to others, particular about the negative aspects of their opinions. People are always trying gain acceptance as a result of this. Everyone is bending and conforming for the better of other people, something that shouldnt be done.

listening to myself...

It depends, really, on whether or not other people's opinions of me matter. What my friends think about me means a lot, and what my boyfriend thinks about me really matters. I value their opinions, but I do not think that it really alters the way i am and the decisions that I make. But like i said before, it depends. Let me explain what I mean... A lot of my friends don't like my boyfriend. At first it was like "wow... OK? what does that say about my choices?" But I never really let it change the way i felt about him. They kept telling me that he was really mean and not worth my time, and that i deserved way better than him. I looked them in the eye and told them that i didn't care, and that i liked him, and that i just hoped that they would too. now, most of my friends like him, and the ones who don't tolerate him. So it worked out. :-)

Another instance is when one of my closest friends told me that I look "different" in glasses and that they didn't like it. I looked right at them and said "get over it". That was the end of it. I am finally comfortable with the way I look, so i will not let people shoot me down. not anymore. I use to not stand up for what I believed in, and therefore got walked all over and people took advantage of me. (with school and friendship and stuff like that.) But I finally realised that I am me, and no matter what anyone else said, i would still be me. I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but it does to me. The world still goes around no matter what someone says about you. at least that is how i look at it. Don't get me wrong, friends are more important to me then family is sometimes, and I value their opinions more than anyone else's, but I do not let it change the way I am. I don't think i would ever let someone convince me to do things like drugs and stuff. a couple of my friends smoke... it is not good for them and I dislike it, but i have no control over what they do, and I expect the same courtesy back from them.

What happens when you let your own values fall away? Well, then you become part of the blob. The blob is what I call the people who are all like each other. They do not have their own opinions because they are too worried about what the other members of the blob think about them. They become engulfed in the lives and the views of the popular majorities, and forget that they are individual people with feelings. They think that it is wrong to have their own opinion. I don't really understand people like that, but like a really awesome person once said to me "If we understood them, we would be just like them". And that is so true, for the most part. People who spend all their time trying to figure out why other people do the things they do, they end up acting just like them. ANYWAYS.....

I think that it takes courage to stand up for what you believe in. I mean, to really stick to your guns (NOT VIOLENT) about something that everyone else is against. That is courage. To say yes when everything around you says no.

Yeah, end of lecture... I am to tired to write something that is halfway interesting to read, so sorry if this was really boring and painful to read, or could possible have made no sense becuase i started this blog like... 3 weeks ago maybe? and am not in the same mindset that i was in then. so, it is what it is...

My Voice

I really want to say that I listen to myself rather than other people, but that isn't always the case. I do listen to my head first, but I also care about other's opinions. I know I shouldn't and I should be happy with who I am and blah blah blah, but I like to know what other people think of me. I mean, if they don't like me, I usually won't change for them. But if i do something that is annoying or really bad or something, then I want to know so I can change and be a better person.
When making decisions I tend to listen to myself almost always. I don't confide things in a lot of other people, so I really only have me to help anyway. If I have a huge decision to make though I would probably ask my friends' opinions, but in the end it would still be me making the final choice.
I admit it is hard to listen to just what I think. Peer pressure and media hype is all over and is hard to ignore. But I just try to think if what they are saying is the right thing for me, and it becomes somewhat easier. I always say that if the chance came up I would stand for what I believe in, whatever the issue would be, but I'm really not sure if I am strong enough to stand all alone. I think I would need some help from others to get out there, but then I would be able to have the courage to listen to my voice and speak out.
In the book I'm reading, Pretties, the main character, Tally, has to decide to listen to her own voice or listen to the voice of others. The book takes place in the future, where at the age of 16 everyone has an operation to make them pretty. But they are also given lesions on their brains, that basically think for them. But only a few people know about this and the government is trying to destroy them. In the first book Tally turned herself in and is now a Pretty. Her and another group of Pretties do different things to keep themselves "bubbly", which basically means that they can see clearly for a little while and think on their own. Throughout the book Tally must fight to listen to her head and make choices on her own, so it makes you think about how important our own mind is. Tally's friends have to decide if they should listen to what others say (like the government) or if they should have their own mind and make thier own choices.
I think I might have given away some things about the book and put in more than I really needed but it really is a great book, (it's the second in a series, the first is Uglies, the second is Pretties and the third is Specials-I think it's only a trilogy so...).

Own Voice

To be your own voice can be very difficult sometimes. When you aren't really confident in what you are saying you may not be the best you can be in expressing yourself. Or if your friends and family try to make you think differently, you may lose your voice. But sometimes if you truly believe in what you are saying your voice can be as big as possible. It all depends on what you want to say or think and what you really do end up doing. If you don't listen to your voice you may be lead in the wrong direction and you may end up thinking the complete opposite of what you thought originally. If you don;t stand for what you believe in and use your voice than your beliefs may fall through. Once that happened you don't know what you believe in at all anymore. In Fahrenheit 451 Montag believes what other people ahve told him. He doesn't begin to believe himself until he meets Clarissa and she teaches him things he never knew before. Only then did he begin to believe in other things and have his own voice.

To Be Your Own Voice...

I think it is very hard to be your own voice, especially when its not necesarily approved by your peers or your family. For some, its easy to be your own person. But for others, when being your own person means being "different", then it could be very difficult. Factors in life that make this sort of thing hard to do are the constant put-downs and negative energy people put toward those who are "different." In this situation, confidence is key. To really believe in something takes the confidence to say its right.
One thing that helps me in this kind of situation is to find people or a person who shares the same beliefs. This helps me because I know that I can always rely on someone to back me up when things get rough.
In the book Fareheight 451, Montag has the same problem of standing up for what he believesis right. But later on in the book, he tgains the confidence to do whats right. He risked all ha had- his wife, his house, his job- to go down the right path.

CHELSEA'S RESPONSE TO THIS WRITING THING!

When I am making a decisions I usually tend to listen to my own voice. On occasion I am willing to make a compromise with others as long as It doesn't go against my values. I am willing to listen to advise but I don't like it when people try to influence my decisions. I think that people should stand up for their rights even if people tell them otherwise. I don't think people need other people's approval but it certainly helps out if they do. If people follow what other people think and not what they think themselves they get something that they hate in return.
In the book Fahrenheit 451 Montag stands up stands up for his beliefs and in return he gets unknown knowledge as well as terror and mental pain and chaos. Even though the bad out weighs the good Montag stood up for what he believed was right and he was the one of the few people that made it out of the town alive.

~Chelsea Meissner

Extra Credit

Farenheit 451 is an amazing book. I really like it. It makes me think about the importance of books and what they make you think about. Life without them wouldn't be as good because books have the ability to make you think in different ways. Montag decides to think differently and this leads him on the right track in my opinion. The book is superb for making the reader think in an unusual way. We take things for granted sometimes and Farenheit 451 allows reason to come back. I would reccomend this book because of the beautiful way it makes one think and believe in books again. Farenheit 451 teaches so many diverse things and brings back love for books.

I always try to listen to my voice. When it comes to what I want to do vs. what other people want me to do, I think I do a good job of being true to myself. A lot of the time, there isn't much of a conflict. I never totally agree with what other people say or do, but I'm fine with most of it. The only thing I would have a major problem with is if someone was forcing me to do something I didn't like or that went against my values. Otherwise, I'm always willing to compromise, and I'm generally not that concerned what other people think of me. The only opinions I really care about are those of my family, close friends and other people I know and respect. Besides, I hate it when people try to influence my decisions. I always listen to the voice. What's hard for me is what I want to do vs. what I know I should do.

Being Yourself Mine First morgan Copied, i mean Jimmy

Aight, this is how it be goin' down, You need to be a voice that is heard more that just by yourself G!. You need to get you voice heard yo, whether its through your mouth or through a Mic. You need to listen to yourelf and not give a shizz aboutwhat other people say yo. Now listen foo i know its not easy to say the things you know dem peeps are gonna bust on you fo. but, you gotta be strongggg, you gots ta hold on to wut yo believe in. You needest not to listen to dem foos down in da hizzy.

Now seriously. It is a good thing to have your own voice and not listen to those dind dongs around you. You cant not say what you need to say because you are afraid of what people might say about you. I believe it is a good quality to be able to speak you mind openly and not care what people might think bout you.

GGGGGG G-UNIT!

My Voice

We don't need other people's approval for everything we do. It is our own choice about what we do with our lives. Although I do think that is some cases it may be important to take in the opinions of others. For example when you are about to do something you may regret later on, such as start smoking or drinking. Personally I think that peoples opinions do matter to me, but not as much as my own opinion. I listen to other peoples ideas because I think it is important to have friends who get along with me. There are some things though that I will refuse to do because I stand for a certain idea. For example I wouldn't ever change my views on issues like the environment or politics unless someone has I good arguement for the other side and I want to switch views. Even though I respect my own voice it is very hard to follow it all of the time. There are certains times when it would just be easier to go with the opinions of others. Also, it is very hard when every thing seems to be going wrong and I can't figure out how to fix it any other way then changing me. In Farenheit 451 Montag is facing simliar issues. His entire life has been centered on things that he views as being meaningless now. Everyone he used to trust and be around is telling him that books are worthless and that reading anything that isn't neccessary is a waste of time. He decided that he would go against what they said and do what he truly wants to. In the end he ended up losing them, but in turn was better off than them.

This is a Title - Fancy That!

We don't need other people to approve of what we think is right, but other people can help us if we are disordered. For example, in the book "Infernal Devices" by Philip Reeve, one of the main characters (Hester, Het for short) has been hurt by her horrible childhood and is obsessed with revenge. She does not like anyone to hurt her husband, Tom, in any way, and she will do anything in order to protect him and do what he needs and wants. Due her desire for revenge (remember her ravaged childhood), she kills anyone who gets in her way, and enjoys the killing. Well, I am extremely off topic, but I love Het and want her to be able to face herself and see how she really is. Oh, did I mention that her entire face is disfigured because the man who killed her parents chopped her face with his sword? I didn't think so. Anyway...............

What I'm saying is that if we know that something is right, we don't need other people's approval to do what we need. But there are some people who are hurt in dangerous ways, and not listening to their thoughts could prove disastrous.

I shall finish this later. Adieu.

--Ali

The voice in my head

The voice in my head explains things very clearly about how I should live my life. It says that I should comply with society while I am biding my time.....I mean that to actually enjoy the perks of high living you have to abide by societies rules. If you do, you are then free to be yourself. I personally believe that being yourself is one of the most important things you can do. If you try to act in a way contrary to your nature, you will just end up in a confused mess and start to blend in to the crowd without ever really knowing true friends and happiness. If you do not have any distinct ideas and principles of your own you just kind of skid through life and die without ever feeling good about yourself. To really have meaningful conversations and connections with people you have to be your own peson. Society and its rules are unwanted neccessities, it is simply just one catch to happiness. If we do not listen to ourselves, we are merely shells but if we ignore society, we can not enjoy the full benefits of life and human connections. It can be an annoyance but honestly, it is merely a way of pleasing those who like to have control. By letting them decide on some aspects of behavior, however free will cannot be conquered without destroying personality, and in many cases that is simply not possible.

the voice in your head

I think unfortunately people dont always make their own path to follow. I know I dont always do. I would like to think that I dont care about what other people think about me, but I do. I think it is a lot easier to do what you want when you are little because you are young and dont care if people like you our not. The important choices I have to make in my life I will choose on my own and not take the path most taken. Pressure has a lot to do with caring what other people think of you. Your peers sometimes pressure you to be like everybody else and they make it seem like it is weird to be different. In my opinion, it takes a lot of courage to make your own path in life. You need the strength to stand out of the crowd and do your own thing. I am sad to say that I dont think I have the strength to do this yet. That however is one of my new year's resolution. I would like to be most like me and do what I feel is right to me. Another one of my resolutions is to live life to the fullest and live everyday like it is my last. My friends sometimes distract me from making my own path and following my own voice. Another thing that distracts me from following my voice is the media. They pressure people to be who they arent and they make things seem like it is the "cool" thing to do. However, my friends also sometimes allow me to focus on the voice inside my head. When I am around my really close friends they dont care who I really am and it allows me to be who I want. They wont judge me and will accept me for who I am. Hopefully I can work on being my own person.

In my life, I always value my decedsions over others. Its just the way i am, of coarse my choices often contain wisdom and knowledge from my parents and elders but i always make the decesions myself. I believe this is a good practice becuase i learn from it often. i make many mistakes that teach me lessons i often remember, although it does sometimes take me 2 or 3 times to fully learn the concept. My seventh grade reading teacher had a poster that's moral i applie to my decison making all the time. the poster said what is right, is not always what is popular. This helps choose what i want for myslef, and not to listen to what others believe. I do not always go agaisnt the majority but the majority does not effexct my decision at all. I also have to thank my father for teaching me to make decisions with my beliefs and morals. He always told me to be a leader, not a follower. It somehow givs me an inner stregth when making decisions. Listening to others i feel builds an overwelming feeling of dissapointment and failure. I feel if i was a follower i would feel like i was letting myself down and being bullied from the majority leaders or voices. in the world today, if people always followed what was popular no arguments or contradictions would take place. Contradiction and arguments i feel or some of the most important actions in the world today, and without, everyone would be clones of eachother. if the world was like this, no progress would ever be made, it would be a stationary, a terrible society. Being a leader is a trait i am glad to have, i hope that other will have different veiws becuase that is what makes the world what it is.

The voice inside my body

I think that most people listen to other people around them instead of just listening to themselves. When people start to listen to the people around them, they make the wrong decisions. They get drunk, or smoke pot, or whatever. The people around you affect about 90% of the decisions that you make every day. when you get ressed in the morning, you think about what the people at school will say. And then before you do something important, you think about what the people around you will think and say. This is how about 90% of kids think. Most of the time, when you listen to your friends, you make the wrong choice. And usually, someone gets hurt.

Use your head! Or you'll be dead!

Hmmmmmmm, do i really care what other people think? i know that i am supposed to say no that i don't care about others opinions. i mean all the corny tv shows tell me that when i try to be something other them myself to gain approval everything goes wrong and i loose my friends. But the truth is i do care. not as much as some people but i do care what other people think about me.
i tend to spend more time then i should picking out what clothes i am going to wear or buy and other superficial things like that, but thankfully it normally doesn't effect my actions towards others. i will tell a joke and not care who i offend! jk, but you get my point.
i know that it is important to listen to what you think is right but it is also important to listen to what other people think is right. you don't need to do what they tell you but you should listen to their advice. if you do exactly what others tell you then you give up your gift of choice what makes you an individual. but by listening to others and taking their advice you can better your self as a person.
i am able to listen to my inner voice most of the time because lets face it the people giving the peer pressure are jerks. i don't want to listen to them and it is usually me who gets picked on. in the book i am reading, Left Behind the main characters are actively persecuted for their belief. the government is trying to discourage Christianity and it persecutes the believers. so the characters have to fight for what they believe in and what they think is right. Also in F451 Montag faces the same sort of problems. society is trying to end all independent thought by making it completely unnecessary, but when Montag realizes the truth he fights for the right to think for himself.
so in the end you should listen to others but you need to make the final decision yourself.

I really don't care what other people think about me unless it's one of my friends then if it is concerning to me I minght think again. I feel that if people want to critisize me then let them! I also try not to judge people because I wouldn't want to be talked about by them. Sometimes when I'm with my friends we joke around but that is because we know that we're just kidding. We know what to say and when to say it but when some one goes overboard every one can tell.

I don't like when people are talked about and will stand up for them, but also they shouldn't be looking for trouble because if you loook for it you will find it.

If you don't value your own vocie you will lose it and be stuck behind every one. You will lose your spot in line even when you are first in line.

If you do not stand you do not fall you SIT. I fyou stand you are for something if you fall you could be falling for something just as important. But to sit is worse because you did nothing and had no word.

In the book that I'm reading the old lady is having visions and hearing voices but doesn't tell the doctors for a very good reason..... they will put her in the phyc. ward.

Some time not telling is ok but most of the time it's not.

MEEEeEEeeeeEeeeeeeEEEEEe

I think that people's opinions don't always matter. Everyone should be themselves and have their own personality. But sometimes, opinions do matter, because if you are running for president and people don't like you they aren't going to vote for you. I'm not saying that you should change who you are for other people, but not everyone is always going to like you,.
In farenhegiht 451, Montag discovers that reading is very important. Only a few people agree with him, and almost the whole neighborhood doesn't. If everyone did agree with him then the story would be totally differnt. Also, there are times when opiniions don't matter, if you see a person being picked on by someone else for no reason, you should try to help them.


-Katie Schultz

YOUR VOICE IN THE CROWD

People do not to have others approval, however in our society that is exactly what many people strive for. They put there personal opinions and ideas aside to do what is cool or popular. I know that I have done this in the past and still do it sometimes, but I think I'm improving and becoming less dependent on what others think of me and what the media says I should do or be. Instead, I'm trying to do what I want, what I think is cool and what I'm most comfortable with. At times it is very difficult to do so, your voice gets lost in the sea of other people's thoughts and ideas and norms.
Though it is important to value your own voice, it is also impportant to value other peoples' voices. You can argue your opinion to theirs, but you cannot disrespect someones opinion just because it is different than yours. If everyone had your opinion it would be just as bad as you having another person's opinion. Also, we cannot let others disrespect our opinion. There is no point in having your own voice if you cannot stand up for what you believe.
Often it is very difficult to do this, you get caught up in a mooment and say something that is the complete oppostie of what you believe. You make an unconcious decision to wear a sweater that is similar toone you've seen other people wear, or you begin to act a certain way because that is how your friends act.
One can find inspiration to be themselves in books like Stargirl and Nineteen Minutes that adress the problem of whose opinion really matters the most. These books make you think about what you do and think next time before you make a careless decision that further compromises your voice. Also, just taking time to think about your day and what you've done and said, and questioning; Is that really who you are, or are you just becoming part of the crowd?

thoughts

i think that how much someone listens to there own voice depends on the person. Some people will believe anything that they are told instead of listening to there self. But other people wont even listen to what other people have to say because they think there right all the time. You dont dont need peoles approvel, but you do need to listen to them sometimes. That doesnt mean you need to completely change, but you can still be your self and consider other peoples point of view. The problem with alot of people is nowing when to be yourself and going what you believe in and when you shoiuld listen to other people. When im very busy and dont have alot of time to think about things it hard for me to now what the right thing to do is, but then i think about the times that i didnt listen to what i thought about something and im able to focuse on my own thoughts again. In the book im reading the main character just wants to be like by people so he doesnt always listen to himself. But when he stumbles upon a world thats not his own he starts to make his own decisionsa nd listen to what he thinks about things.

Be yourself=]

No one should need someone else's approval. Everyone should just be yourself. This is a great idea, and I wish that people would actually listen to it, but many seem to be to hung up on trying to be just like everyone else. That is why I try to be friends with people who seem different. People who are indivisual. My friends are their own people and if people don't like them for that reason, that's their problem. They're just intimidated by them so it shouldn't even matter. In school by just walking around in the hallway, I can see many of my peers trying to fit in. But I think: why fit in when you can stand out.
Imagine everything being the same color. Imagine absolutely everything being blue. That would be totally and completely Boring. Yeah. That's how it would be if everyone listened to critisism and everyone looked and acted the same. Boring. And who likes boring? People like to be accepted and there's nothing wrong with that. It's only that they shouldn't need to put on an act that isn't really them to recieve approval. While people should always be themself, they should also listen to others opinions and not judge them until they actually know them as a person. They can then decide if they're the kind of person they want to associate with.
I just read a book called Amazing Grace. It is about a girl who is a famous tennis player who also became a covergirl. She was under so much pressure that right before the US Open, she decided she wanted out. She wanted to figure out who she was as a person because she had gotten so caught up in this life that she started to resent, that she didn't know who she really was. And she needed to find out. She did this and found that she is an amazing person who loves small towns and friends. She also found that she still loves tennis, but not being a covergirl who's stomache shows up on covers of magazines.
Being yourself is the most important thing.

Being Yourself Mine First Morgan Copied -

OK so heres da deal if you need peeps approval to do what you do you are a loser. Take Morgan Stampfli as an example while he is singing weird music and he had to call his BFF Tony to ask permission to sing the song. But cerally hes not bad just annoying. But if you do need peeps approval to do stuff you need to get a life because it’s your life live it the way you want to.
To be your own voice it can be hard but can be easy too. It can be hard because you want to fit in with a certain crowd but if you hang with people that you like to chill with you can be yourself. To do what we want and be what we want is easy if you fit in with your friends and can chill with them. If you do not value your voice you become a crowd and you do not matter you just do what you are told to do and do it or you leave and become your own self. If you do not stand for something you do not have values and nothing to stand for so you agree with everything and anything.
To keep being yourself you need to know your values and not change just because it is the uncool thing to do. What distracts you is doing the cool thing and not the right thing.

The Voice Inside My Head---wait, what?

Hehehehe. Now you know that this is going to be a good blog. Because whenever something begins with sneaky laughter, you know it's going to be good.
So, where to begin? I guess I should start by saying that I have a very...ah...distinctive voice inside my head. Distinctive meaning loud and crazy and insane and wild and never goes away when I want it to. See, this voice of mine, it knows right from wrong and all that, but it looooves to watch me suffer until I'm practically begging for punishment. Darn voices.
But, this voice does have some advantages. It helps me when I need it--at the last possible moment, of course--and I've come to really love this little voice of mine...in a very twisted way. See, my voice always tells me to be myself. Go with the flow? I think not! Anyone who knows me could (and would, if they know what's good for 'em!) honestly say that I am definitely my own person. I'm wacky, and I love it. But...I haven't always been.
Like Montag in F451, my voice happened to change throughout my life. I used to be very shy and introversal. LIKE, WHATT? Yea. Some...well, things happened in my earlier elementary and middle school days--not very nice things. Things that made me afraid of people, things that made my voice tell me: "Someone's coming! Quick, become invisible!"
But then, I found people who really cared about me and liked me for who I was, and, like Montag, I changed for the better. Well...mostly.
Now, let's discuss Montag. What a character. I love characters like him. People who just have no clue about what's going on around them and who are just so hopelessly helpless, but then something totally out-their-world happens to them and they finally catch on to what's going on around them. And they begin to realize, things must be done. In the beginning of the story, Montag's voice is exactly the same as everyone else's. But, when he meets Clarisse and witnesses that woman burning along with her books...he realizes, something isn't right. And his voice begins to tell him and show him that. And by the end, he's fighting against the very things he stood for in the beginning. And, in my opinion, he wins.

Be Yourself =)

No one needs other peopole's approval for what they do and how they live. For me, it is easy to have my own voice. I am who I am, I wear my emotions on my sleeves and I am not afraid to tell people how I feel. I'm outgoing and not shy at all so I don't hesitate to open up to people, tell them how I really feel, even if that means disagreeing with how they feel (wink, wink...Frank Houser). The thing is I'm proud to be me, and I have a healthy self image. I am only self concieous about my appearence (but almost any teenage girl suffers from this), not self concieous of what I do and what I believe in.


When people don't value their own voice, they get lost in the crowd. They are no longer an individual. People like this are stepped on and aren't always treated with the respect they deserve. Deep down, hopefully, they have opinions, they have unique qualities that make them who they are, but they are too scared of what other people may say if they come out. People have to take the risk of getting put down because they'd be happier with themself, knowing they stood up for themself. If you can't STAND for something, you will FALL into situations where the absence of your conscience and your moral will put you in a bad or dangerous situation. You could be talked into sex, you could be peer-pressured to drink, you could just accept a cigarette because your "friends" did it too. I get made fun of sometimes for being the "good-girl", but I don't care, because I value my health and I know what is good for me, and I don't let other people decide for me.


I listen to my voice, I think, partly because my mom taught me right from wrong, and in a way that just stuck. I always think about her, and what she would say. She in a way is the little voice in my head. There are many distractions that keep people from being themselves. I think it's just about growing up and it's difficult for everyone. You want guys to like you for you, but those girls that look like "that" have all the guys. When in the end, a guy SHOULD like you for you, what's in your head, and not on your body. Montag was distracted by his society, the way of life. He didn't make his own opinions because no one did. But Clarice changed Montag, she inspired him to be himself, to do what is right, and to try to better the world. To do this, he became an outcast in society, lost his job, was almost killed. But it was worth it.


Be yourself... and be comfortable enough to show the world who you are, if you don't like who you are, only YOU can change that. Many people don't like me, they think I'm too loud and too passionate about things. Well, I hate the president, I hate the war. I want people to know about global warming and the environment. I want people to enjoy music and art the way I do, and not just listen to the radio with those hip-hop songs that are demeaning to women but have a good beat. I want people to stick up for themselves when someone puts them down. Or just have the self-strength to contain their anger and walk away (knowing YOU are the bigger person). I'm not concieted, and I don't love myself, I just believe in myself and I am proud of the person I've come to be...

meeeeeeeeeE

We do not need other peoples approval to live in this life. I think peoples opioions matter about me because i dont want to be hated but i am me and i dont change for other people. i think it is hard to be your own voice because there are so many other voices trying to put you down and stop you from doing great things. if you really ignore people who are being mean and listen to your friends then i think you can do what you want to do. If we dont value our vocies and listen to the other vocies then we will not succeed. We wont be ourselves we will be all of the other people put together in one. If we dont stand for something we wont fall for anythiung because you cant fall for something if you dont take a stand for it. In the book farenhieght 451 Montag the main character is handling his own voice very well. At first he didnt handle it well but then he met Clarrise who tought him how to have his own opionin. Montag followeed his voice and took a stand for what he believed in which was books!!!!!!! The other people in the community just are very bland and follow the rules of what the firefighters tell him. I handle this issuse by being myself but also having people who like me in my life. i care about their opinions but i dont plan my life around them. When people tell me meanly that they dont like me or something about me i want to try and fix it this distracts me from my own voice.

-kristin bradley

Voices

Ever since I was in 5th grade I didnt care about what people thought about what i wear and what they think of me. For me 5th grade was a turning point in my life. I changed alot. Although i was young my mom tought me alot when i was homeschooled. Along with learing acedemices I also learned how people think and what it ment to be popular. My mom alwalys told me to have my own voice in what I do and that I shouldnt care about what people say. As Im writing this im wearing clothes that could be considered popular. Skate shoes, jeans, a cool shirt and a seatshirt over it. Some people at a glance would think that im just trying to fit in but in reality I like to wear this stuff. Some things I do seem weird to other people but I dont let my voice be quiet. Its pretty easy for me to act like I want to and do what I want.
At sometimes it can be hard to stand up for what I belive. If someone was to ask about my christian faith in a mocking way i would say that I was but try and end the convorsation. its not that I wont stand up for what I belive its that i dont feel like being bothered. But if someone was truly honest in asking me I would say yea but that convorsation can continue. Some people see me as a cool kid but at the same time weird. I talk to the geeks and the jocks. I see people that are jocks or the popular kids as narrow minded sometimes becuase they dont take the time to understand other people. This makes the lifes of the geeks and nerds hard. I dont care about what people think about me. I have friends that I want and I dont care what they wear or if there a popular kid or not. At the same time some people could call me hipocritical because I'm not friends with some of the unpopular kids but the truth is that probally the person is really annoying or i just dont like them.
If we dont value our voices then we are controled by the media. People are constantly reminded of whats cool and whats popular. If we dont stand out for what we want then everyone is the same. If we fall to other peoples voices and conform to the world then we are nothing. To be like everyone else is to be just anotheer person fllowing the media blindly. In the beginning of ferienhight 451 we see montag as a cool guy. We eventually realize that he is just doing rutine things and he isnt thinking for himself. As the book progresses we see montag start to question and eventually stand for what he belives. His belifes are different from other people and his voice is fighting others. If Montag were to stop standing for what he belives the story would end with him going back to work and forgetting his voice at home.
Although i dont like how Montag deals with this he keeps focused by getting away from the people that might change him and he tryes to confide in another person that thinks like him. This is what I do. If i dont like how someone is acting then i leave and try to find someone else. I have a shirt that says "do not be conformed by this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." Romans : 1-2. This verse from the bible basically shows who I am. I can be in the world but i am not of it. my voice isnt shushed easyly and i could be called weird for it. The popular things can distract me sometimes. At times i find myself going " everyones doing it and having a good time" but then i realize that just because there doing it doesnt mean i have to.
The main thing that keeps ome on track is church and talking to God at home. My parents, friends, and sister are the most helpful people ive ever met.