Dirty Mouth, clean it up with Orbit gum

The way I feel about obscene language is the same as how i feel about disturbing images and events. Authors put it in for a reason, not just to make their writing seem more mature. Obscene language is put in to enhance a story. When reading a book, you must be mature. An obscene word, be a curse word or a racial slur should not detract how you think of a book, just add to how the story tells itself and develops. 

Kite Fighting

Kite running/fighting is obviously a very big part of the Afghani people. It is something to bring the people together, even if it involves winning and losing. People in Afghanistan make a living from making kites, and descendants look to continue kite making traditions. I would compare this to freedom in general. The people in Afghanistan had kite fighting back before the Taliban took over. Now that the Taliban is no longer in control, the people can fight kites again. 

Free Write

Boom! The massive ape crept closer. Boom! Another stride creeping towards us. We had been sent to Skull Island to contain the beast but there was nothing we could do. I saw my two comrades ready to fire to my left, but as Kong inched closer, my mind went blank and I had to run. Turning and running, I looked over my shoulder to see a creature unlike anything else. A 200 foot gorilla coming at us, seething and deathly intimidating. I had committed to my choice and I looked forward to watch my steps. I continued to run, leaving my two comrades behind in the line of fire of the gargantuan King Kong. Hiding behind a rock, the two men had nothing but fear slapped across they're face as they got ready for an experience none have lived through to tell. 

Walk The Line

Authors include graphic and powerful events in their texts to prove a point. They are not doing it to turn off readers, but rather to turn them on to the story they are trying to tell. There is a time and a place for disturbing topics, and not every novel/text can handle it, but those that can are greatly improved by the inclusion of them. When used correctly, these events might not be necessary to the the story, but they do improve them. 

To Atone or Not to Atone

I do believe there is a way to atone for your sins. I don't, however, believe that kind of atonement comes from a higher being. A god-like figure that you can ask for forgiveness and everything is forgotten. Atonement to me is repaying those you affected. Not with money or bribes, it might not come in the form of an object at all. Forgiveness and atonement is something that you can get  by being there for someone, or comforting them in a time of need, not necessarily by buying them something in return. 

Decisions...Decisions

When I am making important decisions, I consider many things. I think about the best path to choose at the time, and the best decision to make for the future. One very big decision I made recently is that of deciding which college to go to. I chose the University of Central Florida over the University of Arizona. This took a lot of consideration. Originally, I was planning to attend the University of Arizona. The more I looked into the whole picture, the more I realized the University of Central Florida was the right place to go. I was getting more scholarship money, it was a better location for college, and a better location for post-college. It's also an easier place to travel to being right outside of Orlando, Florida. The location, and scholarship money decisions were aimed at my family. In the future, I will have to decide what major I want to pursue, what kind of education I would like to get after my 4 years at UCF, and what career I would like to involve myself in.