The Memory Still Hurts

Six years ago on this date, I was at home. It was my senior year of high school and I was home with a terrible head cold. I could not move and I was really upset that I was missing one of my final opportunities to play high school tennis by not being able to go to practice.

Things in my life were going badly as well. My grandfather's health had been steadily deteriorating as he lied helpless in his nursing home hospital bed. To make matters worse, my grandmother was also having troubles with the cancer that would ultimately take her life.

Personally, I was a wreck. I had been struggling with many things in my life including my academics and the continuing questions that still lingered about my future after my last year of high school. The pain in my head was almost unbearable as well as I had been in bed ever since I got home from practice the night before.

Now, six years later, the only pain that I remember is the pain in my heart that still lingers after the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

I can remember my Dad running into my room to tell me what had happened and I can also remember how difficult it was for me to reach our family room television. I had no clue what was going on and I was scared to death but I knew that I would never forget the events that transpired on that day.

As the day progressed, all my personal problems continued to evaporate as I saw the events unfold that day. I can't really remember exactly what I saw but the one thing I do remember is seeing the faces of ordinary Americans just like myself.

All of the mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, uncles, and aunts who looked so terrified and so confused by what they were seeing and so very scared for what their futures had in store for them.

September 11, 2001, was a day that I will never forget and should never be forgotten. Even though this event occurred many years ago, the memory of that day still hurts as much as it did on that bright and sunny Tuesday morning.

Sick to my Stomach

I should be working on homework right now but I am inspired to blog at this late hour.

For my Health Psychology class, we were given an extra credit opportunity of watching the documentary Super Size Me and answering a few questions to help improve our grades.

I am only halfway through the movie but I am just about sick to my stomach. I have not felt this sick since I became very ill from eating food from a neighborhood Rally's almost two years ago. It was arguably the worst that I have ever felt in my entire life.

My friend Mike was definitely right when he once told me that this film will make me rethink the types of foods that I eat. Every time I hear the word "Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese," I become sick to my stomach; almost to the point of extreme nausea.

If you have not seen the documentary Super Size Me then you must watch it. It will change your attitudes about the types of foods that we eat everyday.

For now, I am going to go down into the kitchen and grab some water and an apple as I finish my extra credit assignment.

Listen First, Speak Second

Another day and another series of classes to attend. The end of the semester is rapidly approaching and it could not get here any quicker.

Frustration is starting to set in. Most notably in my friends and classmates. The amount of sighs that I have heard during my classes is starting to creep toward triple digits.

I know what you are thinking and the answer is, "Yes, I do keep track of the amount of moans and groans that occur in my classes." Because of this hobby, I chose to sit in the back of the room to get the full scope of every class that I take.

It is a personal hobby of mine that dates back to my sophomore year of high school when my English class took bets on how many times our teacher would say the phrase "in a sense" during a period. The count once made it up to 40! Roughly one "in a sense" every two minutes!

I have found that the best time to do this is during a class discussion/debate. It is especially fun when you have a few people who obviously do not know what they are talking about.

Myself, I usually do not participate in these types of discussions. For me, a discussion should be a sharing of different ideas and opinions. In reality, it usually turns into a shouting match that gets so out of control it makes the British House of Commons look like the United States House of Representatives.

But class debates are not the only thing that make things interesting. Just as Dane Cook once said, "There is one person in every group of friends that no one likes," there is one person in every class that nobody likes.

For whatever reason, whether their beliefs are radical, they have an unusual laugh, or they are just plain rude, this occurs in every college classroom. Granted, I do not condone disliking anyone simply because they are a little different, however, I find it very interesting to watch the reactions of my classmates whenever this person chooses to open their mouth.

Call it sociology. Call it intrigue. Maybe you could even call it nerdy in a way. I am a people watcher and observer instead of a talker in my classes.

I think it best to listen first and speak second as opposed to speaking first and listening second. I was given two ears and one mouth for a reason and I most certainly chose to use them accordingly.