Month: June 2018

This piece fits perfectly with the guidelines of “The Place Where You Live”. The general impression that is given about this place is that Erie, PA, is a beautiful place to be because of the picturesque sunsets over Lake Erie. Statements that I feel capture the essential character of the piece are:  “The sunset over Lake Erie are ranked among some of the most beautiful in the world. So beautiful, in fact, that no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you’re in Erie for, you will stop to appreciate the glory in the sky. ” The sharpest specific details in the piece that give me the clearest picture of the place include the description of the sunset, “The sun kisses the sky with colors of pinks, oranges and even hints of blue.” To be honest, the analogy, “It’s as if an artist took his or her time stroking their brush to create such vivid imagery”, made me think of Bob Ross painting a sunset. Also, the description of the city itself,  gives a mental picture of a small, rural-type town, not a big city. As far as going into more detail is concerned, there are a few questions I have. In the first paragraph, what exactly is meant by the breeze being broken up by just enough trees? Is it that it’s really windy but because there are a lot of trees you don’t feel it as much? Also, it would be great to know what kind of trees. In the description of the city buildings, maybe you could use a simile or something like that to compare the size of the building to something else. I had Boston buildings stuck in my head, so then I couldn’t get a picture of small city buildings. It might be a great added detail if you named the type of birds and/or some of the wildlife at the park.  The organization is fantastic! The piece feels logically ordered. It draws us in with the description of the sunset, then transitions to how it is no longer the Erie, PA, of the past. Next, it moves to describing Erie as it is now- the city and its people. Lastly, it talks about those wonderful sunsets at Presque Isle State Park that make Erie extra special. I do think the paragraphs are broken up logically.

“I see trees of green…(What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong)”, not many red roses, but a few dog walkers, a cranberry bog here and there, and the occasional deer, here in the wonderful world of Rochester, Massachusetts. I’m not a Rochester native, as a grew up in the seaside town of Mattapoisett, but after moving here my freshman year, Rochester is my true home. Rochester, a rural town, gives a natural feel to life. When I step outside, I feel the fresh country air, walk through our moss-infused green grass, and take the time to appreciate the space around me. Stately, old pines and oak trees dot my yard and line my street.  As I walk thoughtfully down Clapp Road and Nathaniel’s Way, I listen to the chirping of various robins, cardinals and bluebirds, neighbors’ vehicles slowly passing by, and hear tunes from a radio every once in a while. I easily connect with family here, as I have and aunt, uncle, and grandmother who live just ten houses down from where my house sits on its quiet corner.

When I take my daily run down in cranberry bogs across from my house, I prepare myself for a natural adventure. I may have to hop over hardened bear droppings, spot deer tracks, or run through a swarming, black cloud of tiny midge bugs. Each time I run there I remember accidentally scaring away a huge great heron, hearing it flap it’s massive feathered wings about five feet away from me and then feeling the rush of air it made.  The scarlet bogs are an attractive walking path for my two very friendly dogs, both Bichon-Shih-Tzu mixes: Honey, white, and Teddy, black and white. We enjoy taking them out for “bog walks”, as they happily strut along the paths around the large rectangular patches of berries, with their little tongues hanging out when we go back home. Because they are small, we have to be wary of the broad-winged hawks hovering about, their white, brown and black feathers stiffly spread out, like the wings on a plane, as they patrol the area. The hawks become more prevalent as spring marches into summer. The warm spring and hot summer days in Rochester are perfect times for family cookouts; the tantalizing sound of burgers, hot dogs, or chicken sizzling on the gas grill, as we stand on our deck, overlooking our little piece of country life.

          I don’t usually like to brag about myself.  I will say, however, that I feel I am a good reader and writer. I take pride in doing the best that I possibly can when I am writing, meaning that I don’t want to leave out any important information, I make sure that my spelling and grammar is satisfactory, and I take my time with it (at some points, too much time). Nowadays, I mostly write for English, or any other class that might require some extensive writing. Although, in the past, I have written just for the sake of it. For example, at the end of sixth grade, I wrote a five chapter book about myself and a paraprofessional that I became friends with. I was addicted to Calvin and Hobbes at the time, so I used some elements of that in my story. I have enjoyed reading novels, too. For example, for summer reading in my Sophomore year, I read Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s, by John Elder Robison. This is his autobiography about how he went through his life with Asperger’s Syndrome (hence the title). I relate to this, because I have Asperger’s myself. Later that year, I read Gutless, by Carl Deuker, a sports novel. The story is about a high schooler, Brock Ripley,  making the transition from soccer to playing football for Crown Hill High. This book was perfect for me, because I love the sport of football. With both of these novels, there is one common factor: I love to read it, but the work afterward takes the fun out of it for me. I’ve been dealing with this weakness for years. It doesn’t change the fact I still get the work done, though, and achieve a good grade.  When I write now, I always use a screen. I find it easier, because I am able to get ideas down faster, changes are simple to make, and there is no risk of ripping a hole in my work, which has happened to me on multiple occasions. When I am reading, I’m in between. If I am reading a small excerpt, I’ll usually pick a screen. When I am reading a full novel, however, I’ll usually take a book in front of me over all else. I believe that I have great skills in reading and writing. With that being said, I am confident that I will do well in this course, whatever it brings forward.