Catherine

I haven’t posted on this blog in a long time, but I’ve decided to share an essay I wrote a few years ago in honor of what would have been my Grandma Kay’s 90th birthday.

The Power of Language

In some situations, especially in my classes at school, I find myself to be quiet and shy. I typically don’t go out of my way to ask questions or spark debates. Instead, I believe I make up for it in other ways besides verbal language.

Here Comes the Sun!

In honor of the end of the school year and the beginning of summer, I thought it would be fitting to share a video I recorded of myself singing “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles. It’s probably my favorite song George Harrison wrote while in the group. This is the first video I have shared publicly on my blog, so this is a test run to see how it works out. I know the sound quality isn’t the best, but I hope you enjoy! I had fun making it, and that’s all that matters, right? Happy Summer! 🙂

P.S. Sorry about my messy room!

Making Connections

A drawing of Paul McCartney that one of the students I assist drew for me.

The school year is coming to a close, which means my junior year of high school is ending. I’ve learned a lot and been through a lot, but the one thing that keeps me motivated every day are the people I have the honor of helping.

Give Me More of That Bubblegum Music!

Throughout my entire childhood, I was exposed to a diverse collection of music. My dad would play a variety of different artists and genres while I was around, and he continues to do so today. One of my favorite genres of music when I was young was what is dubbed “bubblegum music.” This sweet-sounding genre can be described as pop music that began in the 60’s that has an upbeat sound. Targeted towards young teens, this music changed popular music forever. I have compiled a list of a few of my favorite tunes and musicians from the bubblegum genre that I used to love to listen to when I was younger.

Imagine

Everyone has a dream. As seen in John Lennon’s famous song, “Imagine,” he dreamed of universal peace. Though Lennon’s song was a protest against war and violence in the early 1970’s, his lyrics can still be applied to our society today. That everlasting dream of peace and love continues.

Everyone is Capable

A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I came across a video that was featured on the Girl Scouts Facebook page. The video almost brought me to tears; it has such a beautiful message and a story that I find absolutely amazing.

Interpreting Seth Godin: Everyone’s an Artist

An abstract water color painting I made in my art class during my Freshman year.

We are all artists. 

I recently listened to a podcast-conversation with author and entrepreneur Seth Godin (find a link to it here). Godin speaks about some of his greatest lessons he has learned in life. I found his words truly inspirational; it made me want to immediately pick up a pen and write about absolutely anything. It felt like every word that Godin spoke got to me; I wrote down more than thirty different things I found especially great. My favorite point Godin made was that everyone is an artist; we all have the potential to create and make something special.

How the Community Affects the Individual

In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne, a young women who is tried for adultery, is sentenced to wear a red colored letter “A” upon her chest. She lives in a secluded house in the woods away from the rest of the Puritan society with her baby girl. Both Hester and her daughter are looked down upon because they are seen as sinners. I feel like everyone at some point in time has been through the same thing as Hester. We all as individuals have our own quirks and things that make us special, and we just have to learn to embrace them. Hester, regardless of her sins, stays faithful and openly bears the scarlet letter. She doesn’t ever see it as a pain or trouble; she accepts it and moves on with her life, focusing on her child and hobby of sewing.

A Special Community

I have been tutoring special education students at my high school for more than a month, and I can say I have learned a lot since I published my last blog post about my experiences being a peer tutor. I have begun to interact with the students more and more, with my experiences filling my head with new ideas and thoughts.