Tuesdays With Morrie (Which Tuesday impacted you the most?")

Personally, I think that the Fourth Tuesday, when the topic of conversation between Mitch and Morrie was death, was the Tuesday that impacted me the most.  The other five Tuesdays that we've read through have touched me in important and different ways as well, however I believe that this one affected me the most.  Throughout life so far, I've spent a lot of time thinking about death, what it's like, and what happens after it.  The mysteries and everything we don't know about death can be scary to think about, and that's why this Tuesday affected me the most.  

Morrie's courage and understanding and acceptance of reality really inspired me, especially under the extreme circumstances that he was going through.  This is shown on page 81 when the book states, "So we kid ourselves about death, I said.  'Yes.  But there's a better approach.  To know you're going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time.'"  This tells me that people are subconsciously afraid of death, and they choose to avoid thinking about it or pondering if they are ready or unregretful when it comes to their final death. 

In the book, Morrie also said, "When you realize you are going to die, you see everything much differently."  He sighed.  "Learn how to die, and you learn how to live." (Aphorism).  This also really inspired me and I admire the knowledge, morals, and life lessons that Morrie has discovered and helped create as he grows nearer to death.  Also, in learning from Morrie, I've begun to develop an interest in educating others on experiences I've gone through and providing people with advice as Morrie has chosen to and dedicated himself to throughout his experience.

Tuesdays With Morrie (Bucket List)

GSo far our class has read a good portion of the book Tuesdays with Morrie.  One thing about this book that particularily caught my interest, was the fact that the author shows the books events and everything that happened within the story at the beginning of the book.  Therefore, unlike several other books, there isn't too much suspense, plot twists, or surprises within this novel.  The author goes into detail on several aspects and certain events along the road of Morrie's death as we journey further into the book, and describes some of Morrie's morals, and life lessons for readers.

As a class, we've already talked about how there are countless aphorisms, and phrases to go by in life that readers should take advantage of and use Morrie's wisdom to guide them throughout, and at the end of life.  Readers can apply these lessons to events and occurrences in their own life and experiences in order to relate to some of the things that Morrie is saying too.  My emotions thus far into the book are mostly sadness and lots of admiration.  To be able to approach death in such a way that Morrie did, is extremely brave, and to make his own death as selfless as possible was incredible to me.

One of the themes that have impacted me the most throughout this story is to not take life for granted. Due to this theme, I've thought more about some things that I really want to do before I die, and I've organized a bucket list here below.

*Meet Michael Jordan in person

*Go scuba diving in the ocean

*Publish a book

*Get a dog

*Coach a sports team

*White water rafting

*Surf

*Ski in Colorado

*Visit every continent

3rd Quarter Reflection

One more quarter until high school, it blows my mind.  Third quarter has held many experiences, activities, and memories that have changed my viewpoints on certain things, and motivated me to change my actions for the better as well.  Unique projects and activities specifically in my ELA class, such as the Butterfly Project, have provided me with a plethora of information and new perspectives on many subjects.

I believe that the biggest area or improvement for me in ELA would be my vocabulary.  My diction, comprehension of words and their connotations, and the range of words in which I'm able to utilize is constantly growing and expanding.  There are several reasons why I think this is so, and the main ones are our weekly Vocab tests, AOWs, and the blogs that we write.  I believe that having a strong vocabulary is a major key to success in life because explanations, directions, and instructions can be much easier to provide for others, as well as receive yourself.

One of the most interesting projects that we had this quarter, was the Butterfly Project.  The thing that was so special about this project to me was the creativity and artistic effort that was required to successfully complete it.  However, art, coloring, and drawing are my weaknesses and therefore this assignment was especially difficult for me.  In the end though, I was proud of myself for completing it to the best of my ability, and for taking this project as an opportunity to expand my horizons.

The most difficult part of 3rd quarter for me was controlling my impulsitivity and resisting the urge to "check out" of eighth grade early.  I'm just so excited and ready for high school but I need to understand and respect the fact that there is still time left in middle school.  This will continue to be an obstacle for me especially as fourth quarter begins and the year comes to an end.  However, I plan on overcoming this obstacle and controlling myself until the end of the year, and keep my focus on my schoolwork.