Destiny

     When they first arrived it was still morning.  Hours had passed yet it was still not nighttime.  However, they could no longer see where the ocean ended and the sky began.  There was nothing but darkness, and the wind bristling through their hair was coming from that darkness.  The faint chime of a buoy was barely audible over the sound of the waves, but they knew it was still out there, bobbing and floating, alone atop the current.  There was something else out there, although what that was was still uncertain.

     The young boy gripped the man's hand tightly.  "Daddy, what are you looking at?"
     "Not looking," he replied.  "Waiting."
     The surf was nearly at their feet.  As each new wave bid farewell, the wet sand left behind inched closer and closer.  The wind was beginning to pick up and the man could tell that the boy was growing restless.  He felt the same way when he was the boy's age.  He felt the same way when his father took him to this very spot so many years ago.
     The boy began to shiver as he continued to follow his father's gaze.  Staring out towards nothing.  Although there was something.
     "It's getting colder, daddy.  We've been here forever."
     "Forever?" he replied.  "I said the same thing to my father when he took me here.  I was full of questions as I'm sure you are now."
     The boy had never met his grandfather.  He knew that he died when his father was very young, but that was all he had ever been told about him.  He wondered why his grandfather had taken his father to this beach just as he wondered why his father had taken him here on this day.
     "What we're waiting for... has been here forever.  But us?  We're just a blip.  We've barely been here for an instant."
     Cold and confused, the boy didn't know how to respond.  His father had always been mysterious and distant, but this was something different.  For the first time in his life, the boy was afraid of him.  For the first time he didn't know if he should trust him.
     "What are we waiting for?" he asked, loosening the grip on his father's hand.
     A soft rumbling sound began in the distance and grew louder and louder as the waves carried it towards them.  The boy stepped back, but his father kept hold of his hand.
     "Our family has many secrets.  Things that I have purposely kept from you for many years."  For the first time since they arrived, he looked down at his son.  "You're old enough now to know the truth."  

     A flash of lightening in the distance caught the father's attention, briefly revealing where the ocean met the sky.  Another soft rumbling accompanied the flash, and as the sound dissipated into the void, so did the horizon.
     The boy tugged on his father's arm.  "Daddy, it's going to start raining.  Can we please go home?"
     "That's not a storm.  And if we leave now, we won't have any home to go back to."
     The beach had been full of life.  People swam and sunbathed as they would on any ordinary summer day.  The sky was so clear it allowed them to see the elipse of the earth.  It was gone in an instant and took with it everyone that was there.  The darkness arrived without a sound but the wind quickly began to pick up.  The boy had turned to leave, but his father took his hand and led him to the shoreline.  They stood there for hours without saying a word.  Filled with terror, the boy now wished they hadn't started talking.
     The howling of the wind grew deafening.  They could no longer hear the sound of the ocean waves.  At first the boy thought it was because of the wind, but soon realized that the entire shoreline was gone.  The ocean was slowly disappearing into the horizon, leaving behind a darkness more striking then the sky above them.  It was not the darkness of the abyss, rather something else.  Something that began to rise.  The boy was terrified and desperately tried to separate himself from his father's grasp.
     "Try and remain calm.  It can sense your fear," his father yelled over the roar of the wind.  His gaze remained locked on where the horizon should be.
     The creature was the size of the entire ocean.  It was a site the boy could barely comprehend.  It had no defining features nor shape.  It was pure darkness and as it rose, it brought with it an indescribable sound.  A sound the boy had never heard before.  A sound that echoed deafeningly.
     Suddenly, a bright light appeared in front of them.  Almost like a doorway.
     "You will know when your time comes.  And at that time you must bring your son here, just as my father once brought me and his father once brought him.  You must be brave and accept your fate."  He released his son's hand and stepped into the blinding light before them.
     The son reached his hands out to his father, but the light enveloped him.
     He heard his father's voice one last time.  "Your destiny and mine are different than anyone else's.  You must face yours without fear, just as I am doing right now."
     At last there was silence.
     The wind stopped.
     The sky turned blue.
     The ocean returned.
     The world remained.
     The light disappeared.  And with it, his father.

My Haunted House

     Everyone always said that the old Bosworth mansion was haunted.  Over the years I've heard about curious children disappearing inside and couples being murdered while using the house as a secret rendezvous spot.  I'm sure the majority of the kids in town love to make up stories about all the strange occurrences that might possibly have occurred there.  Unfortunately, I've never been able to participate in these conversations because my family actually lives in the house.
     You'd think it would be pretty cool to live in a gigantic mansion.  There are ten bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, studies, libraries, kitchens and secret passages that take you from one room to others on the opposite side of the house.  It should be the greatest hide-and-seek house on the planet, but all of my friends are afraid to come over.  No one wants to be the next "victim".  Do they really think my parents would allow any of them to disappear?
     Some people in my position would probably become an obnoxious prick, believing they are better than everyone else at school.  However, I feel the exact opposite sentiment.  I'm embarrassed of where I live and the perception of my family.  Truth be told, we are not actually wealthy at all.  It's actually just dumb luck that my parents became the owners of the mansion.
     At the end of his life, Old Man Bosworth lived in the house alone.  He was very lax on the upkeep of the house, which resulted in overgrown shrubbery and a decaying-looking facade.  From the looks of it, it's understandable that young children would believe it was haunted.  My father, being an estate lawyer, was in charge of the old man's finances.  Over the years, they became very close and because the old man had no living relatives, my father became the son he never had.  When the old man died, he left the house to my father.  Surprisingly, the old man was completely broke at the time of his death, but the taxes on the house were paid for for the next 100 years.  This allowed my family to easily assume control of the deed.
     I'll be honest, I was a little bit creeped out when we first moved in; even after the lawn was mowed, the shrubs cut down and the outside repainted.  The house is enormous and having so many empty rooms creates a very ominous mood at night.  However, at times my old house felt just as creepy, and that was one-tenth the size.  Although one similarity between the two is that in neither one did I ever see a ghost.

Destiny (draft)

     He could no longer see where the ocean ended and the sky began.  There was nothing but darkness, and the wind bristling through his hair was coming from that darkness.  The faint chime of a buoy was barely audible over the sound of the waves, but he knew it was out there.  There was something else out there on this night, although what it was was still uncertain.

     The young boy at his side gripped his hand tightly.  "Daddy, what are you looking at?"
     "Not looking," he replied.  "Waiting."
     The surf was nearly at their feet.  As each new wave bid farewell, the wet sand inched closer and closer.  The wind was beginning to pick up and he could tell that the boy was growing restless.
     "It's getting colder, daddy.  We've been here forever."
     "Forever?" he replied.  "I said the same thing to my father when he took me here.  I was the same age as you are now.  And I was full of questions also."
     The boy began to shiver as he continued to follow his father's gaze.  Staring out towards nothing.  Although there was something.
     "What we're waiting for... has been here forever.  But us?  We're just a blip.  We've barely been here for an instant."
     Cold and confused, the boy didn't know how to respond.  His father had always been mysterious and distant, but this was something different.  For the first time in his life, the boy was afraid of him.  For the first time he didn't know if he should trust him.
     "What are we waiting for?" he asked, loosening the grip on his father's hand.
     A soft rumbling sound began in the distance and grew louder and louder as the waves carried it towards them.  The boy stepped back, but his father kept hold of his hand.
     "Our family has many secrets.  Things that I have purposely kept from you for many years."  For the first time since they arrived, he looked down at his son.  "You're old enough now to know the truth."  

     A flash of lightening in the distance caught the father's attention, briefly revealing where the ocean met the sky.  Another soft rumbling accompanied the flash, and as the sound dissipated into the void, so did the horizon.
     The boy tugged on his father's arm.  "Daddy, it's going to start raining.  Can we please go home?"
     "That's not a storm.  And if we leave now, we won't have any home to go back to."
     The howling of the wind grew deafening.  They could no longer hear the sound of the ocean waves.  At first the boy thought it was because of the wind, but soon realized that the entire shoreline was gone.  The ocean was slowly disappearing into the horizon, leaving behind a darkness more striking then the sky above them.  It was not the darkness of the abyss, rather something else.  Something that began to rise.  The boy was terrified and desperately tried to separate himself from his father's grasp.
     "Try and remain calm.  It can sense your fear," his father yelled over the roar of the wind.  His gaze still hadn't left the horizon.
     It was the size of the entire ocean.  It was a site the boy could barely comprehend.  A bright light appeared in front of them and for the first time his father looked down at him.
     "When your time comes, you must bring your son here, just as my father once brought me and his father once brought him.  You must be brave and accept your fate."  He released his son's hand and stepped into the doorway.  "Your destiny and mine are different than anyone else's.  You must face yours without fear, just as I am doing right now."
     The wind stopped.  The sky turned blue.  The ocean returned.  The world remained.  The light disappeared.  And with it, his father.

Reworking my ending... Destiny

After reading it over and over, I realized that I really hated my original ending, so I trashed it and am now trying to figure out a new one.  

     He could no longer see where the ocean ended and the sky began.  There was nothing but darkness, and the wind bristling through his hair was coming from that darkness.  The faint chime of a buoy was barely audible over the sound of the waves, but he knew it was out there.  There was something else out there on this night, although what it was was still uncertain.

     The young boy at his side gripped his hand tightly.  "Daddy, what are you looking at?"
     "Not looking," he replied.  "Waiting."
     The surf was nearly at their feet.  As each new wave bid farewell, the wet sand inched closer and closer.  The wind was beginning to pick up and he could tell that the boy was growing restless.
     "It's getting colder, daddy.  We've been here forever."
     "Forever?" he replied.  "I said the same thing to my father when he took me here.  I was the same age as you are now.  And I was full of questions also."
     The boy began to shiver as he continued to follow his father's gaze.  Staring out towards nothing.  Although there was something.
     "What we're waiting for... has been here forever.  But us?  We're just a blip.  We've barely been here for an instant."
     Cold and confused, the boy didn't know how to respond.  His father had always been mysterious and distant, but this was something different.  For the first time in his life, the boy was afraid of him.  For the first time he didn't know if he should trust him.
     "What are we waiting for?" he asked, loosening the grip on his father's hand.
     A soft rumbling sound began in the distance and grew louder and louder as the waves carried it towards them.  The boy stepped back, but his father kept hold of his hand.
     "Our family has many secrets.  Things that I have purposely kept from you for many years."  For the first time since they arrived, he looked down at his son.  "You're old enough now to know the truth."  

     A flash of lightening in the distance caught the father's attention, briefly revealing where the ocean met the sky.  Another soft rumbling accompanied the flash, and as the sound dissipated into the void, so did the horizon.
     The boy tugged on his fathers arm.  "Daddy, it's going to start raining.  Can we please go home?"
     "That's not a storm.  And if we leave now, we won't have any home to go back to."

Just Part of the Job

There’s a student in one of my Fresh/Soph classes who has crippling OCD and ADHD.  He simply cannot sit still and can be extremely disruptive during class.  He calls out, interrupts both his teachers and fellow classmates, and rarely remembers to complete homework assignments.  Sadly, many teachers have no patience for him.  They yell at him to sit down and to stop interrupting almost every period and everyday.  Unfortunately, this only frustrates him more and makes him get very down on himself.  It makes him feel like he’s a bad person.

I say it’s sad because I’ve been able to get to know him over the last two months and we’ve actually established a nice relationship. If you take the time to talk and LISTEN to him you will find that he is actually a very polite and intelligent young man.  He excitedly greets me every morning and has grown comfortable enough to come to me for help with his assignments and for advice on some of his anxiety issues.  I read a short story that he wrote and was blown away by his writing ability and creativity.

As a teacher I hope to be able to continue to build this kind of rapport with my students.  In my experience over the last 3 years, I’ve found that I’ve been able to do that with a lot of the “problem” students in the school.  Something as simple as finding a common interest and talking about it with them can completely change your relationship.  Most students just want to know that you care about them and are willing to give them your time.  That shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience.

Revised Critical Lens

           Henrik Ibsen once wrote, “…the strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.”  This quote applies to characters created by both William Golding and J.D. Salinger.  Golding uses symbolism as a way to further support this in his novel Lord of the Flies, while Salinger does so in The Catcher in the Rye.

Ralph, the protagonist of Lord of the Flies, best exemplifies Ibsen’s quote because he is the last of the survivors to cling to the notions of humanity and civility.  Ralph uses the conch shell to summon and lead the survivors.  Whoever holds the conch, has the floor, so to speak.  Golding uses the conch shell to symbolize what’s left of humanity.  As the other boys turn to savagery, both the conch and Ralph, lose power.  Ralph is left to “stand alone” in his hope for morality and ability to survive Jack’s rival tribe.  Consequently, once the falling boulder destroys the conch, all hope for humanity is lost.

            While many consider Holden Caulfield a very unsympathetic character, he shows great strength in his unwillingness to conform.  In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger uses Holden’s red hunting hat as a symbol for his uniqueness and nonconformity.  Even though Holden recognizes that it is ridiculous, and at times appears embarrassed by it, he still wears it in order to be different and stand out.  Late in the novel, Holden tells his sister that his dream job is to become a “catcher in the rye.”  Of course this is an occupation that does not actually exist, but Salinger uses the phrase to again symbolize Holden’s individuality.  As the "catcher", Holden wishes to protect children and “catch” them before they fall off the proverbial “cliff.”  In other words, Holden hopes to save children from entering the phoniness that he considers adulthood.

Both characters also experience and overcome inner struggle.  Ralph exhibits tremendous strength in his determination to resist the darkness that takes over his fellow survivors.  For example, he comes close to giving in to the evil within him after killing the boar, but is able to overcome those feelings and remain strong in his convictions.   Coincidentally, at the end of Catcher, Holden is also faced with a difficult inner struggle.  Should he allow his sister to reach for the golden ring as she rides the carousel, or should he make sure that she doesn’t fall?  By resisting the urge to help her, he has reluctantly accepted the notion of morality, thus left feeling more alone and isolated then ever.

Both Golding and Salinger use a number of literary elements to support Ibsen’s quote, “…the strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.”  The symbolism that both authors employ certainly makes their respective novels more powerful.

Critical Lens

           Henrik Ibsen once wrote, “…the strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.”  This quote applies to characters created by both William Golding and J.D. Salinger.  Golding uses symbolism as a way to further support this in his novel Lord of the Flies, while Salinger does so in The Catcher in the Rye.

Ralph, the protagonist of Lord of the Flies, best exemplifies Ibsen’s quote because he is the last of the survivors to cling to the notions of humanity and civility.  Ralph uses the conch shell to summon and lead the survivors.  Whoever holds the conch, has the floor, so to speak.  Golding uses the conch shell to symbolize what’s left of humanity.  As the other boys turn to savagery, both the conch and Ralph, lose power.  Ralph is left to “stand alone” in his hope for morality and ability to survive Jack’s rival tribe.  Consequently, once the falling boulder destroys the conch, all hope for humanity is lost.

            While many consider Holden Caulfield a very unsympathetic character, he shows great strength in his unwillingness to conform.  In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger uses Holden’s red hunting hat as a symbol for his uniqueness and unconformity.  Even though Holden recognizes that it is ridiculous, and at times appears embarrassed by it, he still wears it in order to be different and stand out.  Late in the novel, Holden tells his sister that his dream job is to become a “catcher in the rye.”  Of course this is an occupation that does not actually exist.  Salinger uses the phrase to again symbolize Holden’s individuality.  As the "catcher", Holden wishes to protect children and “catch” them before they fall off the proverbial “cliff.”  In other words, Holden hopes to save children from entering the phoniness that he considers adulthood.

Both characters also experience and overcome inner character.  Ralph exhibits tremendous strength in his determination to resist the darkness that takes over his fellow survivors.  For example, he comes close to giving in to the evil within him after killing the boar, but is able to overcome those feelings and remain strong in his convictions.   Coincidentally, at the end of Catcher, Holden is also faced with a difficult inner struggle.  Should he allow his sister to reach for the golden ring as she rides the carousel, or should he make sure that she doesn’t fall?  By resisting the urge to help her, he has given in to the notion of morality, thus left feeling more alone and isolated then ever.

Both Golding and Salinger use literary elements to support Ibsen’s quote, “…the strongest man upon earth is he who stands most alone.”  The symbolism that both authors employ certainly makes their respective novels more powerful.