The Twelve Presentation

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"I am a champion"

I will not give up
I will not back down
I will not quit
I will not walk away
But you know what I will do
I will go harder
I will train harder
I will try harder
I will compete harder
And you know what else I will do...
I will succeed
I will achieve
I will be the best
I will be victorious
You wanna know why
Because I am a champion.....

Cry, the beloved country

Well out of the questions I will be attacking the question I think reached out for me to answer, which is " What is Paton's most prominent theme at this point in the novel ? " I think Paton's most prominent theme at this point in the novel is injustice and Inequality. Out of all the themes in this book i believe this is Paton's most important one.

Kumalo’s search for his son takes place against the backdrop of very big social inequalities, which, if not directly responsible for Absolom's troubles. Because black South Africans are allowed to own only limited quantities of land, the natural resources of these areas are sorely taxed. The soil of Ndotsheni turns on its inhabitants—exhausted by over-planting and over-grazing, the land becomes sharp and hostile. For this reason, most young people leave the villages to seek work in the cities. Both Gertrude and Absalom find themselves caught up in this wave of emigration, but the economic lure of Johannesburg leads to danger. Facing limited opportunities and disconnected from their family and tribal traditions, both Gertrude and Absalom turn to crime.

Gertrude’s and Absalom’s stories occur alot in Johannesburg, and the result is a city with slum neighborhoods and black gangs that direct their wrath against whites. In search of quick riches, the poor burglarize white homes and terrorize their occupants. The white population then becomes paranoid, and the little sympathy they do have for problems such as poor mine conditions disappears. Blacks find themselves subjected to even more injustice, and the cycle spirals downward. Both sides explain their actions as responses to violence from the other side. Absalom’s lawyer, for instance, claims that Absalom is society’s victim, and white homeowners gather government troops to counter what they see as a rising menace. There is precious little understanding on either side, and it seems that the cycle of inequality and injustice will go on endlessly.

My Long-Lost Love Story

Kenneth Broyles

19 November 2012

Ms. Harmon

Pre Ap English 10

My Long-Lost Love Story

            I shiver as the cold, bitter air blows on my hot face. I see her crying, so I know it is hard for her to do this. I really don’t want to deal with anyone. This break-up is killing me. I have never, ever cared for a girl as much as I have and still do for her. I guess I deserve this for what I did to her before we got together. I don’t know what I’m going to do anymore. I can tell this is hurting her. It’s hurting me just as much.

            Today is just as regular day. As usual, I go to sleep in most of my classes. Lunch finally comes around. Of course, I’m going to go to lunch but for some reason while I am waiting in line I feel something inside me. Not like a bug or anything, like a felling something was going to happen. Instead of thinking more about it, I just shake it out of my mind and get my plate and go sit down. I left the cafeteria to find my usual hangout. Sitting there is a girl.

            “Hi, my name is Diamond. What’s yours?” she says.

            “Kenneth……. Kenneth Broyles,” I respond.

We start talking and laughing and playing around. The bell rings and out of nowhere I hear her say:

            “I know this is weird, but I think you are cute and I wanted to know if you would want to be my boyfriend.”

I’m shocked about that question. I didn’t know what to or how to react to her question. An awkward silence fell between us.

            “I will think about it,” I say to break the silence and awkwardness.

            2 weeks pass and I still didn’t give her an answer. She asked me every day and I always say I’m still thinking. Today, I don’t feel myself. I am thinking more and more about the question. I sit in English class and think long and hard about her. Finally, I decide I’m going to say yes. I can’t get her off my mind, so I have to be with her. The bell rings and I leave to find her. I turn the first corner and there she is. She looks at me and smiles as I walk up to her.

            “Yes,” I say when I get to her.

            “What?” she responds?

            “Yes, I will be your boyfriend,” I tell her with a smile.

            “Yaay, for real?” she says with a huge grin on her face.

            “Yes for real. I sat down and actually started thinking and realized that you are a lot like me. We have a lot in common and you are a beautiful girl.”

            The smile on her face looks like it could circle the world. We hugged and smiled all day long. I felt happy when I was with her.

            I wake up every morning with a smile on my face. I actually look forward to going to school every day. Every moment with her is a blessing. Today has been one of the weirdest days ever. Everybody is telling me that I have a good girl and saying they hope it works out. I don’t even know all these people but I just smile and say thanks.

            “Kiss!!” my Mexican friend, Yesenia, says.

            “Why do you want to see us kiss so badly, Yesenia,” Diamond and I reply unison.

            “Because ya’ll have not kissed yet and I want to be the first to witness it,” she says gleefully.

            Me and Diamond look at each other and I can feel the rush of temptation come into my system. Without a word, I lean in, softly touch her face, and kiss her. The feeling I have is unexplainable. Her lips are soft and smooth. The kiss lasted for a while and when we finally unlock lips, we laugh softly and kiss again.

            “Aww, that’s so beautiful,” Yesenia says excited.

            “Ok, you got to see us, now it’s time for you to go so we can cuddle and kiss some more,” I tell her with a grin.

            “Oootay,” she says in the cute little voice she does all the time.”

            We sit on the table and kiss and caress each other until the bell rings ruining or moment.                    

            “Well, time to go to class,” she says.

            “I will walk you to your class babe,” I reply.

            “You will be late. You don’t have to walk with me. I don’t want you to be late and get tardy.” She says with a half frown on her face.

            “Please, baby I am not worried about being late. I am a track star, therefore I have nothing to worry about,” I say to her with a reassuring smile.

            She smiles and grabs my hand and walk. We talk about all our good times we had today and play around while we walk. When we get to her class I kiss her, hug her, and run to class.

            Two months pass and everything that happens in between the two months are perfect. We don’t argue a single time and we kiss and hug and talk all day every day. I even tell her that she is the only thing keeping me from moving with my mother. Today she doesn’t look to happy. She is frowning and walking slow with her head down.

            “What’s wrong baby?” I say with compassion.

“I have to tell you something babe,” she replies as she grabs my hand and walks over to the table we usually sit at.

            “We have to break up….” She says very low.

            My heart sinks and I look at her with a confused face.

            “Why?” I ask

            “My momma said because of what happened with all the you having me waiting for you was bad and she didn’t want me to be with you,” she says angrily

I put my hand on her face and she puts her hand on mine. I lean in and give her a long, soft kiss. She starts crying so I grab her and hold her. I shiver as the cold, bitter air blows on my hot face.

Soul Food and Newspapers

                As a child, I am going to be honest; I never really liked to read. When I saw books I stayed clear of them because I knew that my grandmother would make me sit down and read a book such as Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. She believed me getting a strong education, and she pressured me every day to learn something new like my alphabet and read. Me, as a young child had my own fantastical view on life. My general outlook was that I didn’t have to do anything but sleep, eat, and look at people funny when they walk in the room.

                As I grew older about the age of 5, I started school. I got into a little bit of reading here and there, but I never really enjoyed reading. I still hated reading; however I didn’t have any real problem with reading. I would gripe and complain when my grandma would turn off my television show and throw me a book and say in her demanding tone of voice “It’s time for you to read.” I had my own sneaky little trick to get past that. I would sit the book down quietly, then turn on the television and turn the volume down. Every time my unobservant grandma walked around the corner I would turn off the television and pretend that I was reading. When she left, I would turn the television back on and wait until she came back.

                As a young child, I really love to eat. I would eat and eat and eat all day long. My world revolved around food. My favorite time to eat was when my grandma went and threw down in the kitchen. She cooked all type of foods from delicious fried chicken to sweet white cornbread. She cooks what I like to call Soul Food because it warms my soul and make me want to get up and sing and dance. The food was full of nothing but love. She would put her heart and soul into what she was cooking. Some of my fondest memories came from watching her cook. Even more of them came from eating. I seemed like the only time I ever wanted to read was when I smelled the delicious aromas wafting through the house.

            As a young boy, I idolized my grandfather, so I mimicked every move he made. It was almost as if he was a puppeteer and I was a puppet that he was jerking the strings on. One cold, dreary fall day I came in to sweet aroma of soul food. My grandma was in the kitchen cooking a big meal. I was so excited to smell all the the things I loved to eat. When I walked in the kitchen I noticed that my grandpa was reading a newspaper. Since I wanted to be like him I picked up a newspaper and just looked at it for a minute. After a few minutes my grandpa noticed I was having some troubles reading the newspaper, so he helped me pronounce words. From that moment forth I was always reading newspapers with my grandpa.

            As I started to mature I started widening my variety of readings. I went from books like Amelia Bedilia to the diary of Anne Frank. In the 6th grade I started taking interest in Harry Potter books. In the seventh grade I took interest in the Hazlewood high series and the Bluford High series. In the 8th and 9th grade I started to read Jack Sparrow books and goosebumps books. Still to this day I widen my reading variety and to all kinds of books. Reading, even though I did not expect it to be, became a well liked thing for me.

My Thoughts on The Handsomest Drowned In The Man and life itself

       Wow! "The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World" is so much like real life. I know this man has went through alot! This man has probably been judged while he was alive, now he is getting judged while he is dead. Even though there is some good comments there is also some bad comments also. I actually feel sorry for Esteban.
       In "The Handsomest Man In The World" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, there are alot of points I could  have had that as stuck out to me. The biggest point to me and the point i am trying to make is don't judge a person if you do not know who they are or what their feelings are. Everybody has feelings and judging them won't do anything but hurt their feelings.
       In the story everybody in this village is judging Esteban by his outermost looks. The women of this village are saying that he probably was so handsom that he can cast all the fish out of the sea. To me, honestly that's not humanly possible and I don't think anybody is that handsome but if Esteban was alive I think he would like to have heard that. The men have a different outlook on Esteban. They say that people probably was greatful that he was probably broke alot of things and basically was very clumsy. I know that Esteban would probably be hurt to hear that and me personally, I don't think it's right. They shouldn't have judged Esteban becaue he didn't ask to be that big and because even though he is huge, he is still human and he has feelings.
       I think what I stated in my thesis statement is very true. In life itself, people are always being judged by their over looks. I don't think that's right because one of the main causes of suicide of teens is because of bullying which includes talking about somebody. Me, because of the person I am, get judged. People judge me by my looks and because the way I think and the way my mentality is. Even though people judge me I don't let it get to me but sometimes it does hurt me as well. NO ONE, should have to deal with being judged. No matter what size they are or how they look. We are all humans and we all have feelings.