Extensions and Reflections

Extensions Lesson 22

A translator helps people who speak different languages to understand each other. On the lines below, describe a situation that you feel strongly about and are willing to discuss with others. For example: angry about your unfair curfew.

Problem: too much pressure on me

I feel like there's a lot of pressure on me on things that I can't control. Like for example problems my parents have with each other, so they talk about it with me and expect me to do something about it, when really it's not even my problem. And if I don't help, it's like I don't care, which is not true because I do care, it's just that it's not my problem to solve. I would rather they hound me on doing my homework and things like that that are actually in my power to change, but resolving other people's problems shouldn't be my responsibility, and there isn't much I can do except give some soothing words. I think I don't exactly need a translator for that, but I would just want people to know that if I don't help them, it's not that I don't care, it's just that it's not in my power or authority to do so.

Reflections

Get your family together and decide to practice listening with your heart this week. Discuss among your family how you all feel when you're really listened to.

The talk was pretty good, though it raised some sensitive areas, I think it can help us with working together and actually mentally helping each other. Sometimes, a person really wants to talk and the listener is just tired from the day they had and maybe isn't in the mood to talk. It really needs both parties to make it right, and a lot of understanding sometimes. But I'm sure we can figure it out with time.

My usual blog:
Today we actually got some really fun assignments. From now on, I want to call assignments missions, because it's just cooler that way. Any way, we first had a mission from Science, and that's to create hydraulic system, and the best part was that we get to work in a group of three, and I'm working with Nancy and Vivian. I don't have to worry about doing all the work this time!! Then we got a mission from Applied Skills about propelling ping pong balls, which sounds pretty fun. I mean, we did an egg-drop every year back in the youth group at my old school, and my group won almost every one. There was one year where we put the egg in a bag filled with air, and the egg was protected by bubble wrap. There was three eggs that actually survived the four story drop, and the staff tried to break them after the drop. The others cracked after they dropped it on the floor, but our staff had to smash it five times to actually get a crack on it. So we totally pwned, and I hope this is similar to that. And finally, in English we were assigned a mission to find a really good poem that you like and remember it so you can recite it, and I find that really amusing, actually. I was thinking of something from Adam and Eve or Dante's Infernal, something Christian. I'm not a Christian, but I just like the stories involved, so dark and mysterious, it's really good!!

Quote of the day:
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee. "
-Robert W. Service

I really like this poem, but it's too long, and Ms Greskiw already read it to us. But yesterday, they asked this poem on Jeopardy, and the contestants didn't even get it!!