A Memory of Mine

      Everyone has a memory that teaches them a lesson somehow and that memory could either be good or bad. The memory I have from my eighth grade summer is both good and bad. This memory of mine has taught me a lesson. During my eighth grade summer, my grandparents told my parent that they would like to take my sister and I to Palm Springs for five days along with four of my cousins. My sister and three of my cousins decided to ditch me and my cousin Hasmik, but we were still very excited. We had no idea what was ahead of us. My cousin and I were going to have a separate room which we were very excited for but little did we know that we were going to join a bus full of Armenian grandmas and grandpas, in order to go to “Hot Springs”, yes it was not Palm Springs. Hot springs is a place for old people to relax, not teenagers. The minute we got off the bus, I was ready to run away. It looked like little huts stuck together with warm pools filled with sixty-ninety year olds. As I stepped into our room, I wanted to cry. Due to my luck, the A/C was not working properly. The bed looked dirty, the bathroom was old with mold, and the television had three working channels. I knew it was going to be a long five days. I was dreaming of my clean towels, bed and shower. At night, I would wake up feeling as if there were bugs crawling on me. I would cry myself to sleep the first three nights, but after a while I began to ignore everything around me. My cousin and I made the best out of the trip by distracting ourselves with junk food and having conversations with grandmas. I realized that there will e times when one has to live with what is given. I learned to deal with situations t do not please me, because I did not want to disappoint my grandparents who also had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

Pre Drinking or Pre-Funking Among Alcohol Users

     On The Huffington Post, Monte Morin posted an article called, "Pre Drinking or Pre-Funking common among young alcohol users", on November 8,2012. The article was about people drinking before an event usually with cheap alcohol. A Swiss study concluded that "pre-loaded" drinking most likely lead to unprotected sex, blackouts, injury or drug abuse. Experiments examined more than 250 Swiss students for four weeks via Internet and text messages. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, the swiss students were asked how many drinks they had. The research proved that when students "pre-loaded" before going to a bar or club, they ended up drinking more than they would if they did not pre-load. Studies showed that pre-drinkers were more likely to end up in an unsafe situation than others, Shannon R. Henney said that pre-drinking is more likely in the United States because the legal drinking age is higher, therefore teenagers prefer to drink before attending a public event.
     Pre drinking seems risky due to the effects it may have on people with a low tolerance. people tend to drink before attending an event in order to be "pumped up" without being aware of the consequences.

The Three Virtues

     Attempting to follow Benjamin Franklin’s road to perfection, I chose three virtues; frugality, industry, and tranquility. For three days I tried to contain myself according to these three virtues.

     Frugality means “Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.” I chose frugality because I wanted to test my will power when it comes to stopping myself from buying unnecessary objects. I respect my parent’s time and money therefore I pushed myself to spend wisely. I love to shop but I was able to ignore my desire for new shoes and clothing in order to pull through. I spent money on a good case such as the Syrian relief in order to help the innocent but I did not make any expense on something that was unnecessary at the moment. I was able to succeed because I realized that it is important to prevent myself from going to the extreme at all times by controlling myself, especially during a time like this where economy is at its lowest. Soon I will be working and it is important to know money’s worth before it is too late. I kept reminding myself that I am not lacking any necessity; therefore I do not need to purchase something that will not make a difference in my life. 

     The second virtue was industry. The virtue of industry is the idea of getting rid of all distractions ad focusing on being productive throughout the day. I chose industry because I love to on”Instagram” and watch my Armenian soap operas rather than completing an important homework. I was not successful while attempting to follow this beneficial virtue because instead of completing my difficult biology lap report on Friday and Saturday, I decided to watch my Armenian Soap Operas and chat on the phone with Mariam. I am used to all the procrastination and unnecessary distractions therefore I prefer watching television rather than completing a useful task. I failed because I kept reminding myself that it is a weekend and I have Sunday to complete my work.

     Tranquility is the third virtue I chose. Tranquility is the idea of keeping calm during incidents that are bound to occur. The reason I chose tranquility is because I tend to get annoyed quickly which results in losing my temper. I always wanted to try to keep calm even when unwanted events occur, but unfortunately this virtue was hard to complete. On Thursday afternoon, my friends and I visited ever class in order to collect donations for the Syrian relief organization and that was the moment I forgot about holding back from yelling. The students began to make fun of the cause and I have no tolerance for stupidity, therefore I yelled at some of the immature students. I was not successful because I am the type of person who cannot act calmly when extremely bothered. It is not possible for me to act peaceful and calm under certain circumstances.

      

“Felicia Garcia Suicide: 15-Year Old Jumps In Front Of Train After Bullying; Posts Final Tweet”

On The Huffington Post, an article called “Felicia Garcia Suicide: 15-Year Old Jumps In Front Of Train After Bullying; Posts Final Tweet” was told by the New York Daily News. The article was published on October 26, 2012. The article was about a fifteen year old teen that jumped in front of a train in New York City. Felicia Garcia was bullied continuously by students from Tottenville High School. The kids were saying that Garcia had sex with a couple of guys. Garcia was never left alone. She had a tough childhood because her parents had passed away, and the teasing and bullying was the last thing she needed. She felt as if she did not have another choice. Detectives are in contact with two boys that took part in the bullying. Two days before the incident, Garcia tweeted, “I can’t, I’m done, I give up.” Her tweet showed the pain she was going through. Two days later, Felicia Garcia killed herself in front of her classmates at a Staten Island train station. Her final words were, “Finally, it’s here.”

     Bullying is not tolerable and it has become a major issue. People need to understand the power their words have on some people and what it can do to an individual. One can form an opinion about someone else but they do not have the right to bully that person until they have no other choice but to kill themselves. Garcia’s friends should have gotten involved after her tweet, because they could have given her the support she needed. I find it awful that teenagers still do not know what to do when being bullied by immature and dumb kids.

The Scarlet Letter

     The Scarlet Letter was a novel that evoked different emotions, all the way from blaming Hester Prynne for her wrong doing and also feeling bad for her. Hester Prynne was not the only character I felt sympathy towards; Roger Chillingworth was the character I felt bad for because he had to feel pain due to Hester Prynne’s actions.  Chillingworth sent Hester Prynne to Boston promising that they will meet again, but Hester committed adultery with the help of Reverend Dimmesdale. Chillingworth hoped to come back and see his wife waiting for him, but he was welcomed at the gallows while Hester was being punished for her crime.  Roger was on the mission to find out who Hester Prynne cheated on him with, in order to get his revenge for sleeping with his wife.  It did not take long for Chillingworth to realize that Dimmesdale was responsible; therefore he decided to torture Dimmesdale. I do not blame Chillingworth for his decision because the pain and embarrassment he felt once he found out his wife had cheated on him is abominable.  Chillingworth had every right to torture Dimmesdale for his act because Dimmesdale not only caused Roger to feel pain but also he went against God’s will as Reverend. Being cheated on and seeing the outcome of is probably the most terrible situation a person can be found in, therefore I feel most sympathetic towards Roger. I feel sympathy towards Roger Chillingworth because he was forced to experience such sudden betrayal as soon as he arrived to Boston. Roger was not the only cause of Dimmesdale’s death; Dimmesdale’s guilt was also the cause.  If I was in Chillingworth’s situation I would feel that it is right to seek revenge from the ones who caused me pain, because no one should get away with such a crime.

The Scarlet Letter

     " 'Never!' replied Hester Prnee, looking, not at Mr. Wilson, but into the deep and troubled eyes of they younger clergymen. 'It is too deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his agony, as well as mine!' " (47) This quote was said by Hester Prynne. While saying this quote, Hester Prynne was standing in fron of the entire community to serve her punishment for committing adultry. Mr. Wilson had asked Reverend Dimmesdale to convince Hester to say the name of Pearl's father. They told Hester that by giving them that information she may be able to get rid of the scarlet letter "A", but Hester refused because the letter had already been woven into her heart. By giving the name of the father she would be able to share the guilt and consequence with Pearl's father bt Hester refused to do so. As she looked into Reverend Dimmesdale's guilty eyes, she refused to give out any information because she was ready to take the guilt of Pearl's father on herself. This shows Hester Prynne's strength and faithfulness, because she did not give the Reverend's name knowing that she will threaten his dignity in the community as a Reverend. Hester Prynee did not agree on taking off her the scarlet letter as a reward for giving the name of Pearl's father, because she wore it proudly. Hester did not let the scarlet letter "A" become a weapon to open her mouth. Although Hester was in a pressured situation, she managed to keep her mouth closed and take both their punishments.

"Monster Mom Gets 99 Years"

     On The Huffington Post, Noman Merchant posted an article on October 12, 2012. The article was called “Elizabeth Escalona, Texas Mom Who Glued Her Daughter’s Hands To A Wall, Says ‘I’m Not A Monster’.” A mother of five children beat her two year old daughter and glued her hands to a wall. Elizabeth Escalona was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Elizabeth Escalona had beaten her child to the point where the two year old fell into a coma. Elizabeth Escalona had kicked her daughter in the stomach, hit her with a milk jug, and glued her hands to the wall, all because of potty training. The child suffered from bleeding in her brain, multiple bruises, and bite marks. Elizabeth Escalona’s defense attorney said that the sentence was too harsh because Elizabeth had a rough childhood which could have been the reason why she acted in such a way. Why do her innocent children have to live a horrible childhood because their mother went through a hard time. Normal parents who have had a rough childhood go out of their way to prevent such a childhood for their kids. After hearing stories like this one, I feel that a license should be necessary for an individual to be responsible for a child. People are bringing innocent children into this world and providing horrid care. Parents like Elizabeth do not deserve a gift from God such as children. This horrible memory will stay with this innocent child forever, because her mother believed that abusing her daughter will potty train her.  A normal human being does not even want to watch their child feel extreme pain let alone be the cause of that pain. People should learn the difference between discipline and abuse.