Friday, March 13, 2009
Circle of Life
As you all may or may not know I have been volunteering at Sunrise Retirement Home. I have been assisting the employees in providing a routine schedule full of activities for the elderly who reside in the home. Working around my "banker hours", I have spent just shy of 15 hours over the last month. What a great experience it has been.
Most of my time has been spent assisting the elderly in their structured activates. Bingo is a favored game for the ladies. I assist the elderly with poor eye sight in marking their numbers helping them working towards winning the nickel pot. A variety of art and craft projects are provided daily for the residents. I took part in setting up the activities as well as providing conversation for the ladies while they engage in the projects. I loved seeing their faces light up as they remembered me from the previous visits. I also helped with clipping coupons for the elderly to sort into bins for them to use on their purchases. Those were just a few ways I interacted with the residents at Sunrise Retirement Center.
An elderly person is bound just like a new born baby. Unable to communicate because of a stroke can leave an elderly frustrated. An elderly will have to find other ways to communicate what his or her needs are as does a baby who has not learned how to talk. Hands stuck in a tight position because of arthritis limits an elderly from painting a beautiful picture or lifting a cup to his or her mouth. A conversation that continues to repeat itself is a sign of a bad day for an elderly. The mind is unable to remember. All of these examples are reasons a baby and an elder both need assistance in his or her daily routines.
I have enjoyed interacting with the elderly that reside in the home. I would also have to say growing old is very sad. I do not look forward to not be able to provide for myself. I know some may disagree and think I am cruel for saying that but it is the truth. I am thankful that we have retirement homes to help with assistance for those who do not have family who are able to assist. It takes a special person to work with the elderly. The person must be very patient and understand. It can be annoying to hear the same story over and over again from an elder person. A person must engage his or herself and treat it as if the conversation is being heard for the first time.
With our reading assigning of “Three Cups of Tea” the students of English 98 went in search for our “Mortenson”. Mortenson is a man of many accomplishments with one being a selfless giving person. Through my experience at Sunrise Retirement Home I found myself observing both the employees and the residence. With my observation I truly found the “Mortenson” of Sunrise Retirement Home her name is Scotty. Scotty has lived the past few years on the side where assistance is not a constant need. During one of my scheduled activities I noticed Scotty had followed me over to the hospital side of the residence. When I was setting up the activity I had ask Scotty if she would be joining. She told me she was there to assist her neighbors. Scotty informed me how she had become ill and spent eighteen months on the hospital side and became part of the family. Because of the care she received she felt a passion to help the residence who needed additional help. She was not an employee and does not receive discounts for helping out. Scotty does it out of pure heart. Overall this was a great learning experience.
Introduction to writer's choice "Circle of Life"
Last but not least I have to include my blog “Circle of life” for writer’s choice. The service learning project is a huge part of English 98 and my life. I volunteered at Sunrise Retirement home during the month of February and March. It was a true experience and I learned so much from the residents. The first couple of times I volunteered I was always watching the employees looking for a “Mortenson”, but realized that “Mortenson” resides as a resident in the home.
What is Poverty
Jo Goodwin Parker remains the mystery author of "What is Poverty". The essay is about one’s personal experience being a person of poverty and how she got there. The description is very intense. A mother was forced to make a life altering decision based on what was most important to her. Because of her decision she now has many critical daily decisions she much make. Weighing what must be bought to survive such as food and what a luxury is such as soap. Saving up for an item, only to have the price go up, was a reoccurring nightmare for this mother. Being sick because of lack of nutrition and not being able to afford medication was common for this family. A mother’s vision of her children’s not so bright future because of their way of living is a constant fear. The dreams and hopes that still cross one’s mind in a moment of silence. This essay shows sides to poverty one may have never have thought could be so brutal.
I was absorbed by the description of Jo Goodwin Parkers life challenges and the decisions a person must make. As I read the end of paragraph three my heart stopped. "When the dried diaper came off, bits of my baby's flesh came with it". Who could imagine the anger, hurt, disappointment; you name it, all the feelings that consumed the mother at that moment. I know as a person we often find ourselves at a dead end with no choices that we see. This mother analyzed all of her choices, even one that might not be a choice in our own vision, and made the decision. She is a very brave.
Introduction to critical analysis "What is Poverty"
My analytically writing skills sample would be my summary and reflection of “What is Poverty”. It was a challenge to summarize this essay because every part was important to me. I had to read this essay multiple times to pull out the ultimate important parts to complete the summary. This essay opened my eyes to a completely different view of homeless people than I once had. I am proud of this piece because it was able to mold me.
Bretharianism
Hey you! That’s right I am talking to you.
You’re sitting on the couch with potato chip crumbs down your shirt.
Are you tired of trying diets that don’t end with a reward?
Do you find yourself eating because you’re board?
Are you lacking energy and motivation?
Are you looking for a way to a happier life?
If you answered yes you cannot afford to miss our seminar on a healthy way to cleanse your body. Guest speaker “Willey Brooks”, ABC-TV’s featured weight lifter and founder of “Breatharianism”, will be our host.
This 5 day seminar and your beginning to a new way of living is a low $100.00 per day. Space is limited so respond fast. Reserve you spot through www.breathair.com.
You’re sitting on the couch with potato chip crumbs down your shirt.
Are you tired of trying diets that don’t end with a reward?
Do you find yourself eating because you’re board?
Are you lacking energy and motivation?
Are you looking for a way to a happier life?
If you answered yes you cannot afford to miss our seminar on a healthy way to cleanse your body. Guest speaker “Willey Brooks”, ABC-TV’s featured weight lifter and founder of “Breatharianism”, will be our host.
This 5 day seminar and your beginning to a new way of living is a low $100.00 per day. Space is limited so respond fast. Reserve you spot through www.breathair.com.
Introduction to effective writing "Breatharianism"
My advertisement of “Breatharianism” is the writing assignment I have chosen for my effective writing skills sample. With this piece I had to determine who I wanted my audience to be and how I was going to capture his or her attention to make the sell. My product was a 500 dollar, 5 day seminar to learn how to diet by breathing air. I truly captured my audience by using direct language. Let’s see if I am able to sell you on the product.
Destruction
Black, blue, and yellow is the color of my covered up skin. Mountains of held back tears are hidden behind my brown eyes. A broken heart full of promises made that was never kept. Ashamed and embarrassed are feelings carried on my shoulders. Fear of not knowing what actions lie behind the door of a once lovable home. Waiting for the sound of silence to let me know my mom has passed out. Bean burritos from the corner market down the street become the dinner meal my sister and I got use too. What is alcoholism? Alcoholism is a very powerful disease that consumers a person and tears apart everyone around him or her.
Within such a short period of time my sister and I saw with our own eyes our mom transform from happy to hateful. In the beginning our mom was happy, playful and funny. Our mom’s actions were unusual to both my sister and I. Our mom use to be very structured with her budget and with my sister and me as to what we were allowed to do. Our mom was now acting as if money grew on trees. My sister and I were nine years old and running the streets as if we were teenagers, loving every minute of freedom. Being young and ignorant my sister and I saw our mom as the coolest parent ever. Nights became lonely and late with no parent insight. An empty frig with only brown beer bottles were present. It was midnight before the car lights shined through the front window. Our mom stumbled up the stairs to the back door. My sister and I questioned our mom as to where she had been. Our mom lashed out verbally. My sister and I asked what was for dinner. Our mom lashed out again. Who was this person masked in our mother’s skin? Reeking of alcohol and stale cigarette smell seeping from our mom’s skin, she stumbled her way to her bedroom. She slammed the door causing the family photo to fall off the wall to the floor, cracking the glass. There is always a happy beginning but rarely a happy ending with alcoholism.
Alcoholism is forgetting the person inside and becoming someone else. Dragging herself out of bed to call in sick to work became routine for our mom. The morning after always caused so much pain for my sister and I, our mom would act as if the night before never happened. Not remembering the arguments and fighting, my mom acts as if everything was peachy keen among us all. Frustrated and angry at our mom’s action my sister and I began to rebel. As years went on the devil that grew inside my mom became more and more evil. Always uncertain of the personality my sister and I would have present, we felt as if we were living on egg shells. Saying the wrong thing or saying something that was interpreted differently by our mother caused her to fly off the handle. Our mom was once a bar scene lady, now a stay at home drunk. As the current memories represented only horror for my sister and me, the past good memories became forgotten. Empty bottles strung from one side of the house to the other, by our mother, became the visual that my sister and I lived. My sister and I had to parent our mother who should be parenting us. Escorting our mother to her bedroom, undressing her, and tucking her in for the night became a normal evening for my sister and me. Money began to fall short for food. My sisters and I learned how to cook top roman multiple ways. Alcoholism is a broken promise after a broken promise.
Alcoholism is being offered help but not wanting to accept it. After years of denial and on the verge of losing her job, our mom’s employer stepped in to assist with treatment. It was light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel. Filled with hope my sister and I attended the alcohol counseling sessions with our mom. This allowed my sister and me to present our feelings in a secure environment. To know why our mom drinks to forget, she must figure out what exactly she is thrive to forget and deal with it. With so much hope for recovery my sister and I were blinded of the fact that our mom was still drinking. It was the beginning all over again with an express lane to a never ending nightmare. Worn down and fed up with the drama my sister and I accepted there was no help for our mom who did not want it; our family began to break up.
Alcoholism is distance. Moving out and on our own was like winning the lottery for my sister and I. The best day of our lives! My sister and I were free from the reoccurring putdowns that were pounded into heads. My sister and I were ready for the challenge of living on our own, because we had pretty much raised our selves since we were seven years old. Free from the physical pain my sister and I found that we were stuck in the verbal one. Obnoxious phone calls were received daily from our mom. The phone call always started off decent but quickly turned into an argument. Being aware of the time of the call, my sister and I were able to assume when it would be O.K. to answer the phone. The bond my sister and I once had with our mom began to dwindle. Because our mom was now unable to show emotions of her own, my sister and I turned to each other for emotional support.
Alcoholism is uncomfortable. Holidays became the only time our family got together. It always seemed like a battle field. All our feelings that were bottled up exploited like fireworks. The event always ended early and with regrets. As time has gone on my sister and I now have our own families and do not see each other much except for a rare occasion.
Alcoholism is unhealthy. A constant stench of body odor that smells like soured alcohol follows our mom everywhere she goes. Our mom once very active and health now suffers from high blood pressure and liver problems. Our mom, aged rapidly on the outside as well as on the inside of the body. Our mom has a yellow tint to her eyes and skin. She has chicken legs with a bloated face and belly. To avoid from withdrawals and allow our mom to focus, she has to drink a glass of alcohol just to start the day. Because of our mom’s defeated immune system she is prone to pneumonia and other illnesses. Almost a pure image of schizophrenia our mom carries on conversations with herself that do not make any sense at all. Once a beautiful, inspired young woman our mom is now viewed as a crazy old hag.
Alcoholism is a cycle of a painful, messy disease. My sister and I were shown one way to deal with life and now we will choose to embrace or reject it. My sister and I may follow the destructive path shown to us, looking for ways to forget the pain that was caused, and continue the cycle of alcoholism. On the other hand my sister and I may choose to prove everyone wrong and rise above.
Within such a short period of time my sister and I saw with our own eyes our mom transform from happy to hateful. In the beginning our mom was happy, playful and funny. Our mom’s actions were unusual to both my sister and I. Our mom use to be very structured with her budget and with my sister and me as to what we were allowed to do. Our mom was now acting as if money grew on trees. My sister and I were nine years old and running the streets as if we were teenagers, loving every minute of freedom. Being young and ignorant my sister and I saw our mom as the coolest parent ever. Nights became lonely and late with no parent insight. An empty frig with only brown beer bottles were present. It was midnight before the car lights shined through the front window. Our mom stumbled up the stairs to the back door. My sister and I questioned our mom as to where she had been. Our mom lashed out verbally. My sister and I asked what was for dinner. Our mom lashed out again. Who was this person masked in our mother’s skin? Reeking of alcohol and stale cigarette smell seeping from our mom’s skin, she stumbled her way to her bedroom. She slammed the door causing the family photo to fall off the wall to the floor, cracking the glass. There is always a happy beginning but rarely a happy ending with alcoholism.
Alcoholism is forgetting the person inside and becoming someone else. Dragging herself out of bed to call in sick to work became routine for our mom. The morning after always caused so much pain for my sister and I, our mom would act as if the night before never happened. Not remembering the arguments and fighting, my mom acts as if everything was peachy keen among us all. Frustrated and angry at our mom’s action my sister and I began to rebel. As years went on the devil that grew inside my mom became more and more evil. Always uncertain of the personality my sister and I would have present, we felt as if we were living on egg shells. Saying the wrong thing or saying something that was interpreted differently by our mother caused her to fly off the handle. Our mom was once a bar scene lady, now a stay at home drunk. As the current memories represented only horror for my sister and me, the past good memories became forgotten. Empty bottles strung from one side of the house to the other, by our mother, became the visual that my sister and I lived. My sister and I had to parent our mother who should be parenting us. Escorting our mother to her bedroom, undressing her, and tucking her in for the night became a normal evening for my sister and me. Money began to fall short for food. My sisters and I learned how to cook top roman multiple ways. Alcoholism is a broken promise after a broken promise.
Alcoholism is being offered help but not wanting to accept it. After years of denial and on the verge of losing her job, our mom’s employer stepped in to assist with treatment. It was light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel. Filled with hope my sister and I attended the alcohol counseling sessions with our mom. This allowed my sister and me to present our feelings in a secure environment. To know why our mom drinks to forget, she must figure out what exactly she is thrive to forget and deal with it. With so much hope for recovery my sister and I were blinded of the fact that our mom was still drinking. It was the beginning all over again with an express lane to a never ending nightmare. Worn down and fed up with the drama my sister and I accepted there was no help for our mom who did not want it; our family began to break up.
Alcoholism is distance. Moving out and on our own was like winning the lottery for my sister and I. The best day of our lives! My sister and I were free from the reoccurring putdowns that were pounded into heads. My sister and I were ready for the challenge of living on our own, because we had pretty much raised our selves since we were seven years old. Free from the physical pain my sister and I found that we were stuck in the verbal one. Obnoxious phone calls were received daily from our mom. The phone call always started off decent but quickly turned into an argument. Being aware of the time of the call, my sister and I were able to assume when it would be O.K. to answer the phone. The bond my sister and I once had with our mom began to dwindle. Because our mom was now unable to show emotions of her own, my sister and I turned to each other for emotional support.
Alcoholism is uncomfortable. Holidays became the only time our family got together. It always seemed like a battle field. All our feelings that were bottled up exploited like fireworks. The event always ended early and with regrets. As time has gone on my sister and I now have our own families and do not see each other much except for a rare occasion.
Alcoholism is unhealthy. A constant stench of body odor that smells like soured alcohol follows our mom everywhere she goes. Our mom once very active and health now suffers from high blood pressure and liver problems. Our mom, aged rapidly on the outside as well as on the inside of the body. Our mom has a yellow tint to her eyes and skin. She has chicken legs with a bloated face and belly. To avoid from withdrawals and allow our mom to focus, she has to drink a glass of alcohol just to start the day. Because of our mom’s defeated immune system she is prone to pneumonia and other illnesses. Almost a pure image of schizophrenia our mom carries on conversations with herself that do not make any sense at all. Once a beautiful, inspired young woman our mom is now viewed as a crazy old hag.
Alcoholism is a cycle of a painful, messy disease. My sister and I were shown one way to deal with life and now we will choose to embrace or reject it. My sister and I may follow the destructive path shown to us, looking for ways to forget the pain that was caused, and continue the cycle of alcoholism. On the other hand my sister and I may choose to prove everyone wrong and rise above.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Introduction to MWA "Destruction"
First and for most, it was a major step for me to share a very personal part of my life with my classmates. It was difficult to determine what content to write the paper in. I wrote many rough drafts using an anonymous structure, but it did not have the visual that I wished to present to my audience. I then chose to lay it on the line with using a narrative style. On such a personal subject I had to make sure I would be open to suggestions with this subject before writing about it. This assignment shows my growth in writing and in me.
Dear Reader
I am currently working through my prerequisites to achieving my ultimate goal of becoming a Nurse. My name is Heidi Underwood and I began my college debut in 1999. Prior to college I was employed by a manufacturing medical defibrillator company. In 1998 my employer sold to another company located in Minnesota. I was born and raised in Washington and choose not to move. Winter quarter of 1999 I took basic job skilled classes to help me obtain a new career. My education was cut short by an emergency medical need for my husband. His medical condition made him unable to work and carry the medical coverage for our family. This was a beginning to a very long road we would travel together. I signed on with Wamu in September 2000 to begin my career in lending. It was a good career for almost 8 years. In February 2009 I was again a victim of a department closure. Here I am to finish what I once started, but this time I know what I am here to achieve.
I enjoy school but have always struggled with English classes. With English and writing a person must first have an interest in the subject he or she is writing about. Secondly, a person must be open to positive feedback on the final product. I have always had a fear of letting everything inside pour out on paper and allowing someone else to provide constructive feedback. I can honestly say that I challenged that fear with my English 98 class.
English 98 has helped me grow in the ability to read, write and analysis effectively. It began with simple items such as when to use first, second or third person in the assignments. With our reading assignments from “Three cups of Tea” our class was able to post our opinions and see who agreed or who had a different opinion. This created multiple group engaged conversations for all of students. We were able to open each other’s eyes using our own perception. I was also taught the difference between and proper way to summarizing and paraphrasing. English 98 is a stepping stone to many stepping stones I will face at Everett Community College.
To show my growth and achievement I have included some of my writing assignments for your viewing. My major writing assignment that best represents my ability to take a piece through the writing process would be my definition paper. I defined the word “alcoholism” in a very personal way. For my effective writing skills piece I have chosen my advertisement of “Breatharianism”. This shows my ability to use direction in capturing my audience. My analytically writing piece would be my summary and reflection of “What is Poverty”. This piece was a major eye opener for me. For Writer’s choice I felt my samples would not be complete without my “Circle of Life” blog. The service learning piece was a huge part of English 98. I hope you enjoy my chosen pieces as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
I enjoy school but have always struggled with English classes. With English and writing a person must first have an interest in the subject he or she is writing about. Secondly, a person must be open to positive feedback on the final product. I have always had a fear of letting everything inside pour out on paper and allowing someone else to provide constructive feedback. I can honestly say that I challenged that fear with my English 98 class.
English 98 has helped me grow in the ability to read, write and analysis effectively. It began with simple items such as when to use first, second or third person in the assignments. With our reading assignments from “Three cups of Tea” our class was able to post our opinions and see who agreed or who had a different opinion. This created multiple group engaged conversations for all of students. We were able to open each other’s eyes using our own perception. I was also taught the difference between and proper way to summarizing and paraphrasing. English 98 is a stepping stone to many stepping stones I will face at Everett Community College.
To show my growth and achievement I have included some of my writing assignments for your viewing. My major writing assignment that best represents my ability to take a piece through the writing process would be my definition paper. I defined the word “alcoholism” in a very personal way. For my effective writing skills piece I have chosen my advertisement of “Breatharianism”. This shows my ability to use direction in capturing my audience. My analytically writing piece would be my summary and reflection of “What is Poverty”. This piece was a major eye opener for me. For Writer’s choice I felt my samples would not be complete without my “Circle of Life” blog. The service learning piece was a huge part of English 98. I hope you enjoy my chosen pieces as much as I have enjoyed writing them.
Monday, March 9, 2009
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