Choose your prompt from the following options. Please write 10-15 sentences--using all four learned phrases at least once--about your experience watching and, hopefully, learning from this episode.
1. With which character do you most sympathize OR empathize? Why?
2. What does life, as a subject, mean to you? What would the theme of your life be?
3. How important is a name? What does your name mean to you, or (do you want it/what would you like it) to mean to future generations?
4. What common traits do all of these "John Smith"s share? Do we all share these traits/characteristics/etc.?
2. What does life, as a subject, mean to you? What would the theme of your life be?
ReplyDeleteThere is a quote that states, "The only constant in life is change." One might as well correlate this quote to be the defining statement of my life. Our life here on earth simply happens as we live through it. Starting from our birth and ranging from age to age: birthday parties, learning how to drive, proms, cultures, traveling, first dates, concerts, marriage, families; any aspect or major event of this simply occurs onto us. Some have great success and obtain the absolute wants of their hearts, and others are born into despair only to hope for less somber days than the ones they already have had. The theme of my life would be change. Each and every day starts and ends with a different sun than the day before did. And in the midst of that sun is where we decide, where we choose, where we think, and where we do, regardless of the day before. The only actual "thing" that is constant in our lives is how much everything around us and how much we ourselves change.
-Amy Brlansky
I sympathize for the John Smith who found out his mom had cancer. I can’t even imagine how he felt knowing his mother was going to die and talking about her funeral with her. Death alone is a hard concept to grasp, but knowing that someone you love so much does not have much longer to live is even harder. Most times death is sudden and you do not plan on it happening, but for this John Smith, he was planning on his mother’s death. The part that really got me is when he talked about his drive home from picking up his daughter. Everyday he would call her and they would talk for half an hour. After she passed away he still picked up his phone to call her and would then realize he could not do that anymore.
ReplyDeleteEA
2.
ReplyDeleteLife as a subject can mean many things. It can literally mean living as in breathing and being alive or it could mean figurative things. To me life, a path that can be changed or stopped whenever you want to, is unpredictable. Some people have more control over their life than others for example someone who is born into poverty and does not have the tools to get out of it has less options. But life means an adventure I think, because everyone is unpredictable and unlimited things can happen in life. In my life the theme would be learning. Because I quite often I fail at something and I have to rethink what I did wrong and learn from it. Life always changing may lead to a different theme later on in my life. Hopefully one day I will figure life out and my theme wont be learning. But there is so much involved that you can easily learn a new thing everyday for your whole life. Watching this video, I realized how many different stages life has.
PM
Each John Smith--though different in their lifestyle, age, and looks--all had desire. Even the Johns that didn't speak (the infant and elder) had something about them that looked into the future. For the infant, the mother spoke about all of the different things that baby John was going to experience in his life. For the elder, he looked into to his future in heaven. Each John worked hard and knew what they wanted. For one, the 20 year old, success was more difficult than the others. You could tell he was fighting against his inner demons. There was hope and future in every John's eyes, especially the young boy. He was the brightest boy with the most encouraging and uplifting aura. Every John, young to old, reminded me to try not to blink too much; you will miss too much of life. Things happen around us that we can't control. We have to start living more in the moment and being happy with what we have, not waisting time wanting more.
ReplyDelete2. What does life, as a subject, mean to you? What would the theme of your life be?
ReplyDeleteHoward Thurman once said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Many people go through life figuring out how help improve the world. Instead, people should figure out what brings them alive and what gets them up day after day to continue life. In the American Life, each John had their own personal asset that brings them to life. For the 20 year old John, cooking became his passion that brought him life and in many ways, served as an escape from the boundaries his parents set on him. For the middle aged John, his maybe came easier to him. Working at Microsoft in the X-box department was something that brought him to life. In each of the John's lives, varying in age, looks, and hobbies, they found a way to come alive and sort out a purpose of their life. For me, I honestly cannot think of just one theme that would describe my life thus far. I am still at a young age and, God willing, have many years ahead of me.
TG
2. What does life, as a subject, mean to you? What would the theme of your life be?
ReplyDelete"...in the end it's not the years that count but the life in those years...." Living your life to the fullest, a thought many live by in a variety of ways. Setting an example for others by accomplishing tasks that are sometimes difficult to overcome, allows the individual to grow both spiritually and mentally. Spiritually, everyone walks in the way of God and can chose the path they take to get there. Whether it being that one does justly and follows Gods will or one chooses to make unjust decisions. Instead of being free and clean of sins and lies many keep it to themselves being afraid of what others might think. Yet we are able to overcame that and find peace with the help of others, as we grow older, learning from our own mistakes. Amazed at how hard it may sometimes be, overtime we realize that it is better to live in the truth rather than worry about what others think. Perhaps, through our mother’s mistakes, we learn to cope with our own. Although I have been surrounded by very similar ideas I have and will continue to follow what I believe is right. On the course of my quest to mix up the ordinary, I have come to understand a larger life lesson. That in taking the risk to abide by our truths we grow stronger and are able to challenge ourselves throughout the rocky path of life.
GF
1. With which character do you most sympathize OR empathize? Why?
ReplyDeleteI most sympathize for the John Smith, 36-year-old father and Microsoft employee, whose mother was dying of cancer. Growing up without a father figure in his life, John Smith had become very close with his mother. I can't even begin to image how he felt while talking to his mother about her funeral. His mother had embraced the fact that she was going to die, but John Smith was not ready to let her go. During this lifetime, we will all experience death. For some of us, it will be from old age; for others, it will be a sudden, unexpected death. In this case, John Smith was planning his mother's funeral. The most important person in his life was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it. Even before finding out his mom had cancer, John would call his mom everyday and talk for more than an hour. After his mother death, John Smith subconsciously continued to call his mom.
MZ
Take an average person, a normal guy right off the street, that you don't even know. Is his name important? What makes a name become significant? I think a name is defined by what you as a person do. This in turn defines your name and makes your name well known. Basically, a name is what you make it. I would like to make my life an example for others in the future. I want to lead what people would see as a respectable life. I want to be successful at what I do and make a name for myself, or make a definition for my name.
ReplyDeleteMR
3. How important is a name? What does your name mean to you, or (do you want it/what would you like it) to mean to future generations?
ReplyDeleteBesides being one of the ways we can separate ourselves from each other, names are a thing of singularity and uniqueness. Names are a way for us to determine our origins. My name is unique because Richie and Ledo have stories behind them. There is a certain backbone that all of our names have. I think that my name makes me unique from other people because I share a similar name with my brothers, and almost everyone knows that. I also have a unique last name because my father combined my grandmother and grandfather's last name into one. Last names are a sign of history. First names always have stories behind them.
3.
ReplyDeleteIronically, a name defines nothing more than your parents' expectations of you. The psycho parent from the video expresses, confident and assured, the goals she envisions her son achieving in life. Much in the same way, forgoing outside factors or obvious flaws, parents project a certain image on their children, sometimes intentionally and other times unawares of their actions. Whether parental pride merely encourages or parental disapproval bruises reamin irrelevant when a child holds no voice in the matter. My name means "Gift from God," and rightly so considering my birth. My mother endured a couple of miscarriages before me, leaving her spirit torn and overwhelmed. My birth came as a healing to that pain.
3. How important is a name? What does your name mean to you, or (do you want it/what would you like it) to mean to future generations?
ReplyDeleteA name is very important, it is someone's identity. It can separate one from others and has a purpose. My name is very important to me, it is my mother's name with the first name and middle name switched, (Jane Elisabeth to Elisabeth Jane). It represents tradition, my grandmother's name was also Jane Elisabeth. The same is for my brother's name Nicholas Harry, starting with my great grandfathers whose name was Harry Nicholas, his son was Nicholas Harry, and so on. Names not only represent the people who bear those names, but also for who they were named after. They recognize family tradition. My dad's brothers and some of my cousins also have the name Nick. Many people laugh about this since we're greek, making the connection to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". My name is a more recent tradition than that one, but it still holds great importance.
1. With which character do you most sympathize OR empathize? Why?
ReplyDeleteI sympathize with the John Smith who has a alcohol and drug problem. He explains how his parents had so many dreams for him which is a very tough thing on a child. A parent should want the child to do what the child wants to do, not force them into a life they do not want. In johns case he found drugs to ease his pain. It was wrong of John to do the drugs but i am sad for him because of the amazing strength it takes to go clean. I also sympathize for him because of his work situation. He explains how he is let go but does not know why. This was probably very hard on him because of how well he believed he was doing. Then he gets another job which he excels at but they will not get him the manager job because he does not have experience. These are some of the things John goes through that are very tough on a person.
3.
ReplyDeleteNames are devises used to call out to someone and have them respond and a way to define oneself. My name means "couch." Although this does not reflect me or my personality in any sort of way, this meaning is quite humorous. I am a lively outdoorsy person who loves the warmth. My name originates from the place my parents met. Cody's Bar is a Night Club across the street from the Montrose Krogers on the top floor of the building. My parents met on a blind date set up by their friends. My name aided me in my childhood when I called myself a TomBoy and stood by it like a soldier to his/her country. I have also only met one other female Cody in my life. Whenever a friend brings me along where I have never met anyone before, before I arrive everyone already assumes I am a boy. For future generations, I hope that a name with not be sexist just because the majority of people who have the name are either male or female, a name is neutral until an individual personalizes it.