The Final Meta Post

I can’t believe the school year is already over!  Well almost, we still have to make it through finals…  Anyways, this year has gone by so quickly.  I feel like it was just yesterday that we were beginning class, and being introduced to blogging.  I remember the very first day blogging was introduced to us; I was nervous and a little overwhelmed.  I felt like I wouldn’t ever have anything interesting enough for people to want to read, and I think the act of putting my writing out there kind of scared me.  However, as weeks went on, I began to like the routine of the blogging world, and how I began to feel “more connected”, to say the least.

When looking back at this semester in particular, I feel a sense of accomplishment, as well as a sense of “oh I wish I had done this” or “improved on that”.  I feel proud that I was able to take on the task, even though I felt a little unsure and uncomfortable at first.  I met some of my previous goals, but also have some that I didn’t quite accomplish, and some I will continue to strive for.  Specifically speaking, I still have trouble keeping my posts concise.  I tend to write lengthy posts (one example is my post “Black and Yellow”… and another may be this one, unfortunately).  However, I have had some posts this semester that had a more appropriate length, but this is still something I would like to work on, if I continue to blog, and even in my own writing in general.  Another thing I wish I had done more was write more controversial topics (I’m not saying something offensive, more of posts that gave more of an opinion and make the reader want to comment, and “extend the conversation”.) The posts that I have felt most rewarding are the ones I get the most feedback on.  It’s great to see how others view the specific topic, especially if it’s a different opinion than my one, because it helps me look at the topic from a different perspective.  I think it is important to not lose sight of perspectives, and that it only helps us grow as writers when we see the world through many lenses.  Even if we don’t agree with what someone else has said, it helps us get a better understanding of the topic as well as helping us strengthen our own opinion. With that being said, I enjoyed reading the comments on my “Success?” post, in which I was able to see another side to the story. 

However, if I had to pick, I think my most rewarding post was “Athletes vs. Firefighters”.  And it’s not because I got over 2,300 views on the post alone (though Mr. Bolos says I only got that many because of the title, I like to think differently…) Anyway, the reason I got so much out of that post was because not only was I able to connect it to a topic we talked briefly about in class (what do different career incomes say about our society, and what we value?) but also I was able to hear from an actual firefighter.  It was cool to hear his take on it, since I wrote about his job, so he obviously is more educated on it than I am.  Since this post was technically not second semester, although most of the views and comments were, I cannot pick it for the post I would like to be graded.  Instead, Doc OC and Bolos, I would like you to read “A Not-So-Typical Graduation”.  I feel like this post reflects my attempt to connect what I have learned in class to my every day life, which ultimately was my goal of blogging.

I’m really going to miss this class (special thanks to Doc OC and Bolos for making this class so incredible), and this blogging experience, so I hope to stay connected when I can.  For now, hope you all have a great summer!  P.S. I apologize for the lengthy post…

A Not-So-Typical Graduation

This past Thursday was the 8^th grade graduation at Sears School.  And although completing 8^th grade is not a very big deal at most schools in the United States, in the North Shore, particularly Kenilworth, it is.  Let’s just saw that after the ceremony there’s a convertible parade for the graduates.  Literally, dads of the graduates use their convertibles, or rent some, to drive the students around town.  And not only that, but all the families with 8th graders get professional signs made with a personal saying and a picture (for example, "Congrats Jake!  Good luck in high school!  We love you"...)

The weird and sad thing is, I used to think this was normal and that many schools celebrated afterwards with a type of parade like this.  In fact, I remember when I was younger watching the convertibles go by, and how I couldn’t wait for that to be me.  What color car would I ride in?  Who would I be assigned to sit with?

When your in 8^th grade, the oldest in your school, you feel like your on top of the world, or at least at Sears.  And this parade gives you an even better reason to believe so. 

Anyway, this year was not my graduation (obviously), but my youngest brother, Cole’s.  My family, relatives, and friends all got together to watch the parade and see Cole wave at us as the cars drove by.  And behind my smile and wave back, I couldn’t help but to laugh to myself and think how not normal this was.  But I’m not saying that it’s stupid.  Of course, myself, and the rest of the town love this tradition.  However, I can understand why other people may see it as strange, even “ridiculous” or “showy”. 

This tradition, as fun as it is, is definitely weird to look at from the outside.  If you tell people what your 8^th grade graduation was like, and about the parade, they’ll most like laugh or roll their eyes.  It just goes to show how different perspectives can be, and how some things we don’t even think twice about, just consider them typical or normal, can be seen so differently.  I think sometimes, or maybe its just me, but sometimes people from here live in this “bubble” so to say, and that we sometimes forget to distinguish that some things we do are not like most of America at all.