Greg DeSilva
11-15-09
Pappas
Text Wrestling
Craftsmanship is a big part of what the world has become today; from houses to the skyscrapers that make up the New York City skyline. One of the most recent inventions is modular homes. A modular home is made of pre-fabricated walls and roof rafters are thrown together at the job site instead of being constructed by framers at the job. It is an innovative concept, but if it becomes popular it has the ability to abolish the framing aspect of residential and commercial building, causing the loss of manual labor jobs.
In “Shop Class as Soulcraft”, the author, Matthew B Crawford, argues the importance of craftsmanship and manual labor; claiming these things have been negatively influenced by technology and society.
Crawford states that “It appears shop class is a thing of the past, as educators prepare students to become ‘knowledge workers’”. As more and more schools seem to be dropping their shop programs, the idea of working with your hands is being lost at an early age. Crawford is most definitely a do it yourself type of person and touches on how big companies try to “hide the works.” One example of this is car companies concealing the engine under the hood of a car to keep the “average Joe” from fixing anything themselves. Companies also try to keep the consumer from being able to make a simple fix themselves by making a new bolt or screw that requires a exotic tool that is hard to find or just very expensive to purchase, requiring a professional to fix it instead. Not only the saving of money is important to Crawford, as he also touches on how craftsmanship can be very positive in a person’s life: the hard work one puts out, the ability to be able to say you built or fixed that, and the simple thanks you get when you help a friend and save them some money.
Crawford also focuses on the cognitive demands of manual work and how manual labor gets the image of muscular tone and workers hands with no thought “behind the eye”, nothing that connects the physical labor to the brain. When in fact in most cases it is not science that helps people complete jobs but the other way around. For example the steam engine was built by mechanics who observed volume, pressure and temperature without necessarily knowing what these things were but just relying on basic observations as mechanics. Which later on contributed to what scientists concluded as thermodynamics.
Crawford goes on about the idea of manual labor being lost with talk of the arts and crafts movement; where an office worker would spend his weekend in his workshop tinkering around refreshing him for next week. Immigrants are looked at as the reason the arts and crafts movement exists. This is because their cheap labor created less manual jobs for the American father in which he would gain enough income to support his family.
Coming off as a person who hates labels, Crawford states the idea of white collar work being recognizably mental and blue collar work being as mindless as assembly line work. The degradation of blue collar work is due mostly to technology; and the degradation of white collar work seems to be due to the lack of general knowledge.
In conclusion, yes Crawford very much appreciates and looks up to those who do manual labor but he understands that it is not for everybody. He thinks college can be a great thing, but don’t do it for the wrong reasons. As a human being money, peers, and family should not influence your overall goals in life, if you like working on cars by all means do so and if you want to find a cure for the swine flu go to college. Overall his message is to find work that not only interests you but pushes your abilities as far as possible.
As a person who loves to do carpentry, landscaping, and working on my truck I can very much relate to Crawford. Yet for some reason I now find myself taking classes at BCC in order to become a business major. I strongly agree with the fact that manual labor is being lost as technology grows and grows. Times are changing and I myself love to be able to say that I built that or fixed that; but I also find joy in architecture and the idea of running my own business. For that reason I am in school in hopes to run my own construction company where I will have both aspects at my fingertips. So when Crawford said “By all means, go to college and maybe in the summers learn a manual trade. You’re likely to be less damaged, and quite possibly better paid”, I like to be able to say I’m doing exactly that. If only Crawford and I could actually sit down together, I know we would have some great conversations.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
annotation
Is the dollar bill Better or at all different then a dollar coin?
Does George Washington deserve to be on the dollar bill?
Do the words "In God We Trust" belong on our nations currency?
Is a dollar bill really worth a dollar?
Do all the symbols on the dollar make sense? or have more meaning to it then what many think/see?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Greg DeSilva
10-28-09
Pappas
Summary
In “Shop Class as Soulcraft”, the author, Matthew B Crawford, argues the importance of craftsmanship and manual labor; and how he feels these things have been negatively influenced by technology and society.
Crawford states that “It appears shop class is a thing of the past, as educators prepare students to become “knowledge workers””. As more and more schools seem to be dropping their shop programs. Pointing out that the idea of working with your hands is being lost at an early age. Crawford is most definitely, a do it yourself type of person and touches on how big companies try to “hide the works” by for example concealing the engine under the hood of a car or buy making a bolt or screw that requires a exotic tool, preventing the average person from doing something themselves and having to hire a professional to fix something. Not only the saving of money is important to Crawford, as he also touches on how craftsmanship can be very positive in a person’s life from: the hard work one overcomes, the ability to be able to say you built or fixed that, and the simple thanks you get when you help a friend and save them some money.
Crawford is in the subculture of the manual laborers; from machinist, mechanics, and metal fabricators as he ran his own motorcycle shop. To be in such a subculture is a reward that comes with his work. As Crawford goes on he talks about technology replacing manual labor jobs and how some jobs are lost to technology. For example premade door frames make carpentry work easy and take out the overall craftsmanship even though the intentions of cutting down labor are good.
In conclusion, yes Crawford very much appreciates and looks up to those who do manual labor but he understands that it is not for everybody. He thinks college can be a great thing, but don’t do it for the wrong reasons. As a human being money, peers, and family should not influence your overall goals in life, if you like working on cars by all means do so and if you want to find a cure for the swine flu go to college.
10-28-09
Pappas
Summary
In “Shop Class as Soulcraft”, the author, Matthew B Crawford, argues the importance of craftsmanship and manual labor; and how he feels these things have been negatively influenced by technology and society.
Crawford states that “It appears shop class is a thing of the past, as educators prepare students to become “knowledge workers””. As more and more schools seem to be dropping their shop programs. Pointing out that the idea of working with your hands is being lost at an early age. Crawford is most definitely, a do it yourself type of person and touches on how big companies try to “hide the works” by for example concealing the engine under the hood of a car or buy making a bolt or screw that requires a exotic tool, preventing the average person from doing something themselves and having to hire a professional to fix something. Not only the saving of money is important to Crawford, as he also touches on how craftsmanship can be very positive in a person’s life from: the hard work one overcomes, the ability to be able to say you built or fixed that, and the simple thanks you get when you help a friend and save them some money.
Crawford is in the subculture of the manual laborers; from machinist, mechanics, and metal fabricators as he ran his own motorcycle shop. To be in such a subculture is a reward that comes with his work. As Crawford goes on he talks about technology replacing manual labor jobs and how some jobs are lost to technology. For example premade door frames make carpentry work easy and take out the overall craftsmanship even though the intentions of cutting down labor are good.
In conclusion, yes Crawford very much appreciates and looks up to those who do manual labor but he understands that it is not for everybody. He thinks college can be a great thing, but don’t do it for the wrong reasons. As a human being money, peers, and family should not influence your overall goals in life, if you like working on cars by all means do so and if you want to find a cure for the swine flu go to college.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
ethnography final
Greg DeSilva
10-14-09
Ethnography
Pappas
The Life of a Young Mother
My older sister Jenny excelled in many things during her high school years; from pitching a softball to writing a brilliant paper for English class. Ten years of pitching lessons, softball practices, and year-round play came to end in her Junior year of high school due to a shoulder injury. It was very much dramatic as she came to the conclusion she would never put her cleats on again. Being a very intelligent young lady, school came easy to her except for math. In English she passed with flying colors as reading and writing became more of a hobby then an assignment. Jenny had plans to go to college in California, where our older sister lives. However, after high school graduation she started college at URI where in her sophomore year decided to become an English major. Her first semester was spent living on campus where she was miserable in her tiny dorm with two roommates. The next semester she moved into a musty house off campus with one roommate. Sophomore year she moved back home and commuted an hour to school everyday, which she did to save money but I’m sure she spent almost a year’s tution on gas.
Now everybody had that one high school crush that can never be forgotten. Well lucky Jenny had a big crush on a certain boy who was two years older then her. When she was fifteen they went on one “real” date but ended up just friends. The summer before Jenny’s junior year in college she took me to a party a few towns over. It just so happens it her high school crushes’ house. She was now 19 and he was 21, and a mature relationship started after a night of beer pong and watching the Red Sox. They were together everyday and she spent most of her nights at his house and she eventually moved in with him.
All went well until one day Jenny didn’t feel too good and this lasted a couple days. She was throwing up constantly. My sister waited nineteen years to have sex and seven months after she did she found herself in the bathroom at her work, starring at a positive pregnancy test. Jenny was in shock and over whelmed not knowing what to do, with the added stress that the father of the baby growing inside her had recently become her ex-boyfriend.
As Jenny went on to tell her ex-boyfriend he was obviously shocked, Jenny says the first thing he did was make a tall drink. Going to the doctor a couple days later, she was told that she was in fact pregnant. Confused and scared it was very hard to tell her parents and later on her brother. After many tears, long and intense family talks/fights, and talks with her ex-boyfriend Jenny decided that she would go against what everyone else thought would be best to keep the baby. Jenny was convinced it was a boy.
The decision put a lot of stress on the household and nobody knew what was to come of this decision. Our mother was behind her completely, our father was less than enthused, and I was pretty much in the middle. After a couple months the extended family was informed and Jenny had the support she needed.
The pregnancy was not easy for her as she had really bad morning sickness every day and was eventually put on bed rest, for reasons my sister has tried to explain to me more than once but honestly, I’m not all too interested in my sister’s uterus.
Three weeks before Jenny’s due date I was getting my wisdom teeth out. I joked that she would go into labor on that day and I would be on painkillers and unable to drive her to the hospital. Sure enough that night her water broke, but luckily our mom had not taken her sleeping pill and was able to drive her to the hospital. After 8 hours, Blake Anthony was born and Jenny got to hold her baby boy for the first time.
Obviously Blake came out the perfect little boy, but maybe I’m a biased uncle. Unlike most babies who look like little old men at birth, Blake was the cutest thing Jenny and everyone else in the room had ever seen. But he wasn’t so cute the night they came home and he was crying non-stop for hours. I woke up to find Jenny pacing in the hallway, with bags under her eyes and Blake screaming in her arms. I moved out to my dad’s house the next day, but everyday my sister would tell me how Blake was crying all night, so she slept in the chair with him or how Blake had pooped four times in one hour and she was running out diapers. Jenny tells me that being in the hospital was easy with the nurses there to help her and being home is completely different. She complains about my mother being to opinonated and says “there’s too many moms in the house, just like when they say too many cook’s in the kitchen ruins the soup.”
Blake’s father, Sean, is pretty involved, as far as I could see. He slept over most nights but Jenny says he’s never changed a diaper and has only gotten up once in the middle of the night. They sleep in the same bed, he sleeps all the way against the wall and Jenny sleeps all the way on the other side, near the bassinet. My sister calls Sean her boyfriend to our family, but she only does that so she doesn’t get any comments about them not being together. From what I can see they basically are together, but Jenny says she feels like she’s doing this all on her own.
I don’t really know what the baby blues are, but I know my sister had them. She cried all the time, and when you asked her why she didn’t know. She started and stopped for no reason and said it’d go away soon and that it’s normal. I havent seen my sister cry in a few days, so maybe her blues are gone.
My sister is currently unemployeed, because she couldn’t get maternity leave from her work. She complains that formula and diapers are expensive and that she doesn’t really understand how her WIC checks work and she’s a little embarrassed to use them at the market. Jenny says she’s going back to work soon, because she’s running out of money and seventy-five dollars a week in child support isn’t cutting it. A few days ago she signed up for spring semester night classes at URI, she says she can work and go to school and take care of Blake; sure sounds like a lot to me.
Jenny wants to move into her own apartment with Blake and wishes she could give Blake a real home and a real family. She get’s overwhelmed with washing bottles five times a day because my mom’s house doesn’t have a dishwasher and breastfeeding just didn’t work out. When my sister isn’t downstairs with the baby it’s pretty much a given that she’s upstairs with her breastpump. She says she hates it and it hurts but it’s the best thing for the baby. Our freezer is full of plastic breastmilk storage bags, I think it’s pretty gross. Today she bought something called Mother’s Tea, that’s supposed to increase her milk supply. I really hate when Jenny talks about her breastmilk, just like I hated when she talked her uterus.
The pregnancy not only brought in a beautiful young boy but brought my family closer together and another family into the family. Jenny and I used to fight all the time but now get along so well. Our father is over the house everyday and so in love with his grandson. Our older sister will be flying out soon to see her little nephew and is going to be his godmother. Jenny made a decision that has changed our family and her life forever and I truly believe she has no regrets when I see how she looks at her baby boy.
10-14-09
Ethnography
Pappas
The Life of a Young Mother
My older sister Jenny excelled in many things during her high school years; from pitching a softball to writing a brilliant paper for English class. Ten years of pitching lessons, softball practices, and year-round play came to end in her Junior year of high school due to a shoulder injury. It was very much dramatic as she came to the conclusion she would never put her cleats on again. Being a very intelligent young lady, school came easy to her except for math. In English she passed with flying colors as reading and writing became more of a hobby then an assignment. Jenny had plans to go to college in California, where our older sister lives. However, after high school graduation she started college at URI where in her sophomore year decided to become an English major. Her first semester was spent living on campus where she was miserable in her tiny dorm with two roommates. The next semester she moved into a musty house off campus with one roommate. Sophomore year she moved back home and commuted an hour to school everyday, which she did to save money but I’m sure she spent almost a year’s tution on gas.
Now everybody had that one high school crush that can never be forgotten. Well lucky Jenny had a big crush on a certain boy who was two years older then her. When she was fifteen they went on one “real” date but ended up just friends. The summer before Jenny’s junior year in college she took me to a party a few towns over. It just so happens it her high school crushes’ house. She was now 19 and he was 21, and a mature relationship started after a night of beer pong and watching the Red Sox. They were together everyday and she spent most of her nights at his house and she eventually moved in with him.
All went well until one day Jenny didn’t feel too good and this lasted a couple days. She was throwing up constantly. My sister waited nineteen years to have sex and seven months after she did she found herself in the bathroom at her work, starring at a positive pregnancy test. Jenny was in shock and over whelmed not knowing what to do, with the added stress that the father of the baby growing inside her had recently become her ex-boyfriend.
As Jenny went on to tell her ex-boyfriend he was obviously shocked, Jenny says the first thing he did was make a tall drink. Going to the doctor a couple days later, she was told that she was in fact pregnant. Confused and scared it was very hard to tell her parents and later on her brother. After many tears, long and intense family talks/fights, and talks with her ex-boyfriend Jenny decided that she would go against what everyone else thought would be best to keep the baby. Jenny was convinced it was a boy.
The decision put a lot of stress on the household and nobody knew what was to come of this decision. Our mother was behind her completely, our father was less than enthused, and I was pretty much in the middle. After a couple months the extended family was informed and Jenny had the support she needed.
The pregnancy was not easy for her as she had really bad morning sickness every day and was eventually put on bed rest, for reasons my sister has tried to explain to me more than once but honestly, I’m not all too interested in my sister’s uterus.
Three weeks before Jenny’s due date I was getting my wisdom teeth out. I joked that she would go into labor on that day and I would be on painkillers and unable to drive her to the hospital. Sure enough that night her water broke, but luckily our mom had not taken her sleeping pill and was able to drive her to the hospital. After 8 hours, Blake Anthony was born and Jenny got to hold her baby boy for the first time.
Obviously Blake came out the perfect little boy, but maybe I’m a biased uncle. Unlike most babies who look like little old men at birth, Blake was the cutest thing Jenny and everyone else in the room had ever seen. But he wasn’t so cute the night they came home and he was crying non-stop for hours. I woke up to find Jenny pacing in the hallway, with bags under her eyes and Blake screaming in her arms. I moved out to my dad’s house the next day, but everyday my sister would tell me how Blake was crying all night, so she slept in the chair with him or how Blake had pooped four times in one hour and she was running out diapers. Jenny tells me that being in the hospital was easy with the nurses there to help her and being home is completely different. She complains about my mother being to opinonated and says “there’s too many moms in the house, just like when they say too many cook’s in the kitchen ruins the soup.”
Blake’s father, Sean, is pretty involved, as far as I could see. He slept over most nights but Jenny says he’s never changed a diaper and has only gotten up once in the middle of the night. They sleep in the same bed, he sleeps all the way against the wall and Jenny sleeps all the way on the other side, near the bassinet. My sister calls Sean her boyfriend to our family, but she only does that so she doesn’t get any comments about them not being together. From what I can see they basically are together, but Jenny says she feels like she’s doing this all on her own.
I don’t really know what the baby blues are, but I know my sister had them. She cried all the time, and when you asked her why she didn’t know. She started and stopped for no reason and said it’d go away soon and that it’s normal. I havent seen my sister cry in a few days, so maybe her blues are gone.
My sister is currently unemployeed, because she couldn’t get maternity leave from her work. She complains that formula and diapers are expensive and that she doesn’t really understand how her WIC checks work and she’s a little embarrassed to use them at the market. Jenny says she’s going back to work soon, because she’s running out of money and seventy-five dollars a week in child support isn’t cutting it. A few days ago she signed up for spring semester night classes at URI, she says she can work and go to school and take care of Blake; sure sounds like a lot to me.
Jenny wants to move into her own apartment with Blake and wishes she could give Blake a real home and a real family. She get’s overwhelmed with washing bottles five times a day because my mom’s house doesn’t have a dishwasher and breastfeeding just didn’t work out. When my sister isn’t downstairs with the baby it’s pretty much a given that she’s upstairs with her breastpump. She says she hates it and it hurts but it’s the best thing for the baby. Our freezer is full of plastic breastmilk storage bags, I think it’s pretty gross. Today she bought something called Mother’s Tea, that’s supposed to increase her milk supply. I really hate when Jenny talks about her breastmilk, just like I hated when she talked her uterus.
The pregnancy not only brought in a beautiful young boy but brought my family closer together and another family into the family. Jenny and I used to fight all the time but now get along so well. Our father is over the house everyday and so in love with his grandson. Our older sister will be flying out soon to see her little nephew and is going to be his godmother. Jenny made a decision that has changed our family and her life forever and I truly believe she has no regrets when I see how she looks at her baby boy.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Ethnography
Greg DeSilva
10-14-09
Ethnography
Pappas
The Life of a Young Mother
Jenny exceeded in many things from pitching a softball to writing a brilliant paper for English class. Playing softball since she could walk; she played until about her sophomore year in high school due to a shoulder injury. It was very much dramatic as she came to the conclusion she would never put her cleats on again. Being a very intelligent young lady school came easy to her except for math. In English she passed with flying colors as reading and writing became more of a hobby then an assignment. After high school she moved on and started college at URI where in her sophomore year decided to become an English major after much thinking and finding herself. Her first semester was spent living on campus and the next semester in a house.
Living in a household of four, with her parents and younger brother she and her brother were somewhat spoiled; making it a little hard when her parents split up as she was a freshman in college. Luckily her parents are very understanding and are able to talk. Her father is still at the house every day regardless of the split. Also having an older sister that lived in California at first had both her and her brother convinced that they would go to school across the country.
Now everybody had that one high school crush that can never be forgotten. Well lucky jenny had a big crush on a certain boy who was a year older then her. After high school he took a liking in her also. She was now 20 and he was 21, and a mature relationship started. They took it slow and went out for a good year before they both decided it was time to take another step in the relationship. All went well until one day jenny didn’t feel too good and this lasted a couple days. A pregnancy test bout at the local Walgreens showed she was in fact pregnant. Jenny was in shock and over whelmed not knowing what to do.
As Jenny went on to tell her boyfriend he was very shocked and knew they had a decision to make that all came down to what jenny wanted to do. Going to the doctor a couple days later, she was told that she was in fact pregnant. Confused and scared it was very hard to tell her parents and later on her brother. After many tears, long and intense family talks/fights, and talks with her boyfriend Jenny decided that she would go against what everyone else thought would be best and have the baby.
The decision put a lot of stress into the household and nobody knew what was to come of this decision. Her mother was behind her completely while her brother was somewhat in the middle and her father had a very hard time coming around. After a couple months the family was informed and Jenny had the support she needed.
The pregnancy was not easy for her as she had really bad morning sickness every day and was eventually put on bed rest.
As the due date got closer her brother had to get his wisdom teeth out. He said to her watch I’m going to get my teeth out and be all hopped up on vikes when your water breaks; and not be able to drive you to the hospital. Sure enough that night her water broke, but luckily her mother had not taken her sleeping pill and was able to drive her to the hospital. After 8 hours, Blake was born and Jenny got to hold her baby boy for the first time.
Obviously the Blake came out the perfect little boy. Unlike most babies would look like little old men at birth, Blake was the cutest thing Jenny and everyone else in the room had ever seen. Jenny life is now changed forever and the future withholds many things.
The pregnancy not only brought in a beautiful young boy but brought her family closer together and another family into the family. Her and her brother used to fight all the time but now get along so well. Her father is over the house everyday and her older sister will be flying out soon to see her little nephew. Jenny made a decision that has changed her life for the better and I truly believe she has no regrets when I see how she looks at her baby boy.
10-14-09
Ethnography
Pappas
The Life of a Young Mother
Jenny exceeded in many things from pitching a softball to writing a brilliant paper for English class. Playing softball since she could walk; she played until about her sophomore year in high school due to a shoulder injury. It was very much dramatic as she came to the conclusion she would never put her cleats on again. Being a very intelligent young lady school came easy to her except for math. In English she passed with flying colors as reading and writing became more of a hobby then an assignment. After high school she moved on and started college at URI where in her sophomore year decided to become an English major after much thinking and finding herself. Her first semester was spent living on campus and the next semester in a house.
Living in a household of four, with her parents and younger brother she and her brother were somewhat spoiled; making it a little hard when her parents split up as she was a freshman in college. Luckily her parents are very understanding and are able to talk. Her father is still at the house every day regardless of the split. Also having an older sister that lived in California at first had both her and her brother convinced that they would go to school across the country.
Now everybody had that one high school crush that can never be forgotten. Well lucky jenny had a big crush on a certain boy who was a year older then her. After high school he took a liking in her also. She was now 20 and he was 21, and a mature relationship started. They took it slow and went out for a good year before they both decided it was time to take another step in the relationship. All went well until one day jenny didn’t feel too good and this lasted a couple days. A pregnancy test bout at the local Walgreens showed she was in fact pregnant. Jenny was in shock and over whelmed not knowing what to do.
As Jenny went on to tell her boyfriend he was very shocked and knew they had a decision to make that all came down to what jenny wanted to do. Going to the doctor a couple days later, she was told that she was in fact pregnant. Confused and scared it was very hard to tell her parents and later on her brother. After many tears, long and intense family talks/fights, and talks with her boyfriend Jenny decided that she would go against what everyone else thought would be best and have the baby.
The decision put a lot of stress into the household and nobody knew what was to come of this decision. Her mother was behind her completely while her brother was somewhat in the middle and her father had a very hard time coming around. After a couple months the family was informed and Jenny had the support she needed.
The pregnancy was not easy for her as she had really bad morning sickness every day and was eventually put on bed rest.
As the due date got closer her brother had to get his wisdom teeth out. He said to her watch I’m going to get my teeth out and be all hopped up on vikes when your water breaks; and not be able to drive you to the hospital. Sure enough that night her water broke, but luckily her mother had not taken her sleeping pill and was able to drive her to the hospital. After 8 hours, Blake was born and Jenny got to hold her baby boy for the first time.
Obviously the Blake came out the perfect little boy. Unlike most babies would look like little old men at birth, Blake was the cutest thing Jenny and everyone else in the room had ever seen. Jenny life is now changed forever and the future withholds many things.
The pregnancy not only brought in a beautiful young boy but brought her family closer together and another family into the family. Her and her brother used to fight all the time but now get along so well. Her father is over the house everyday and her older sister will be flying out soon to see her little nephew. Jenny made a decision that has changed her life for the better and I truly believe she has no regrets when I see how she looks at her baby boy.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Personal Essay (Final)
Greg DeSilva
9-21-09
Pappas
Personal Essay
The cold morning air gives me goose bumps as the fishing pole held in my right hand is whipped back by the wind. As the boat shoots up the lake I can’t wait to come to a stop as the already cold air becomes much colder as the wind hits me. The lake is calm with the reflection of the boat and trees, it looks like glass and is a fisherman’s favorite because the fish come out of hiding. Colton has been my friend since about the 3rd grade and 10 years later sits on the bow in front of me facing the back of the boat. I look to my right to see Colton’s fathers squinting from the wind and I hand him my sunglasses without asking, knowing he would take them. Since Colton’s two uncles had decided to sleep in, it was our first time gong in the morning at about 5:30.
Eager to use our brand new poles Colton and I were quick to cast as soon as the boat came to a coast. Bang. “Fish on” said Colton as he reeled in the first fish of the day.
“Uh oh now it’s on” I said as the score was now 6 to 5 bass each for the week. With the next cast I could feel my lure drag through the weeds as I slowly yank it through. Then comes the short taps, tap tap tap, I yank the pole and feel the fish fight back. Instinctively I yell “Fish on” and reel in my first fish of the day. The bass was a bastard; he struggled when I tried to grab his jaw. I finally got a hold of him just to find that my gitzit was lodged deep in his throat and it was not coming out. I cut the line and put him back in the water before he suffocated. I find it amazing how the hook in its mouth will simply rot out in a couple days and the fish will be fine. As I reach into the tackle box I notice there are no more green gizits and decide to try my luck with a silver one. “7 to 5” I say to remind my buddy of the competition. “I know” he says with the little smirk afterwards, I chuckle and take another cast.
“Want to head to horseshoe” says Colton’s father, we both agree on account of its shallow waters and weeds in the water where the fish love to hide. I strap down the back seat I was sitting on and hop in the front to tie down my pole. As we take off the 11 mile lake is stunning with its big lakesides houses and small islands. From the name horseshoe I was pretty sure that the land shape was that of a horseshoe and sure enough I was right. In the first hour at horseshoe Colton caught 3 more fish and his father caught 4. After catching so many fish it was time to move to another spot. I knew it was just a matter of time before I got another fish because I was well overdue.
“7 to 8” Colton’s says, and I laugh “yes it is”. We soon came to a coast near the booey with a diamond on it which anyone with a boating license knows means rock. Colton’s father soon pulls out the trolling motor to navigate through the rocks. It’s very easy to get your lure caught on rocks and it happened to me many times as it was a root of many jokes when we got back to camp. “Rock on!” I would yell when I noticed I was caught. Even though it was hard to get around the rocks, you can only imagine how many fish are seeking shelter under the shade of the big boulders. “Rock on” I yelled and laughed, but wait was it a rock. “Never mind fish on!” I yelled as I reeled in my second fish of the day. It only took one more hour for Colton and his father to catch 3 more fish, bringing our total of fish to 12. As it got close to lunchtime and our stomachs growled it was a time to go in. So we tied down the poles and pulled the trolling motor.
Now that the sun was out the breeze felt great on my sunburned back and shoulders as the boat took us 50 mph down the lake. Within a few minutes we were back to find Colton’s family eating. It didn’t take long for Colton’s uncle to ask how many fish we got. “12” Colton said with a big smile on the three of our faces. “I rather take the two boys every time” Colton’s father jokes on account of he was not as lucky fishing with his two brother in-laws. Colton’s uncles and father rush out to the boat in hope that they will be just as lucky. Colton and I scarf down the delicious pasta and burgers and retreat back to our cabin to change and watch some Television. After some TV and catch with the football we join his aunts and cousins in some board games. Soon enough it the sun started to go down and dinner was ready. We start eating and sure enough the men come back and are eager to brag that they also caught 12 fish. Colton’s father, the happiest I’ve seen him during the trip, told us to hurry up as he demolished his food and wanted to go fish for a couple hours before the millions of mosquitoes filled the lake. With the fish count at 24 for the day, we set the goal at 30 and hoped to get 6 more at least. We all caught one more apiece simultaneously within the first half hour and were convinced we would get 3 more to make 30. The score was now 9 to 9 for me and Colton. Colton’s father soon pointed out these little bugs that look like helicopters that eat the mosquitoes. After we noticed these bugs then the tons of mosquitoes made their appearance. We rushed to get back to camp. Shower was the first thing on all of our minds and we yelled 3 as we ran to the showers. The count for the day was 27 and it was most definitely the best day of the week.
Looking back on this vacation that day was most definitley the best day and most remembered. It’s funny how a beautiful day on a lake can be made better buy catching one fish. I still don’t understand how some people don’t take a liking to fishing because regaurdless of the fish you catch its is so very relaxing. I guess I appreciate fishing a lot more now because, I rarley ever got to go because my dad was not a fan by any means. As I think about the future one thing is for sure, fishing will definetly be on the vacation list.
9-21-09
Pappas
Personal Essay
The cold morning air gives me goose bumps as the fishing pole held in my right hand is whipped back by the wind. As the boat shoots up the lake I can’t wait to come to a stop as the already cold air becomes much colder as the wind hits me. The lake is calm with the reflection of the boat and trees, it looks like glass and is a fisherman’s favorite because the fish come out of hiding. Colton has been my friend since about the 3rd grade and 10 years later sits on the bow in front of me facing the back of the boat. I look to my right to see Colton’s fathers squinting from the wind and I hand him my sunglasses without asking, knowing he would take them. Since Colton’s two uncles had decided to sleep in, it was our first time gong in the morning at about 5:30.
Eager to use our brand new poles Colton and I were quick to cast as soon as the boat came to a coast. Bang. “Fish on” said Colton as he reeled in the first fish of the day.
“Uh oh now it’s on” I said as the score was now 6 to 5 bass each for the week. With the next cast I could feel my lure drag through the weeds as I slowly yank it through. Then comes the short taps, tap tap tap, I yank the pole and feel the fish fight back. Instinctively I yell “Fish on” and reel in my first fish of the day. The bass was a bastard; he struggled when I tried to grab his jaw. I finally got a hold of him just to find that my gitzit was lodged deep in his throat and it was not coming out. I cut the line and put him back in the water before he suffocated. I find it amazing how the hook in its mouth will simply rot out in a couple days and the fish will be fine. As I reach into the tackle box I notice there are no more green gizits and decide to try my luck with a silver one. “7 to 5” I say to remind my buddy of the competition. “I know” he says with the little smirk afterwards, I chuckle and take another cast.
“Want to head to horseshoe” says Colton’s father, we both agree on account of its shallow waters and weeds in the water where the fish love to hide. I strap down the back seat I was sitting on and hop in the front to tie down my pole. As we take off the 11 mile lake is stunning with its big lakesides houses and small islands. From the name horseshoe I was pretty sure that the land shape was that of a horseshoe and sure enough I was right. In the first hour at horseshoe Colton caught 3 more fish and his father caught 4. After catching so many fish it was time to move to another spot. I knew it was just a matter of time before I got another fish because I was well overdue.
“7 to 8” Colton’s says, and I laugh “yes it is”. We soon came to a coast near the booey with a diamond on it which anyone with a boating license knows means rock. Colton’s father soon pulls out the trolling motor to navigate through the rocks. It’s very easy to get your lure caught on rocks and it happened to me many times as it was a root of many jokes when we got back to camp. “Rock on!” I would yell when I noticed I was caught. Even though it was hard to get around the rocks, you can only imagine how many fish are seeking shelter under the shade of the big boulders. “Rock on” I yelled and laughed, but wait was it a rock. “Never mind fish on!” I yelled as I reeled in my second fish of the day. It only took one more hour for Colton and his father to catch 3 more fish, bringing our total of fish to 12. As it got close to lunchtime and our stomachs growled it was a time to go in. So we tied down the poles and pulled the trolling motor.
Now that the sun was out the breeze felt great on my sunburned back and shoulders as the boat took us 50 mph down the lake. Within a few minutes we were back to find Colton’s family eating. It didn’t take long for Colton’s uncle to ask how many fish we got. “12” Colton said with a big smile on the three of our faces. “I rather take the two boys every time” Colton’s father jokes on account of he was not as lucky fishing with his two brother in-laws. Colton’s uncles and father rush out to the boat in hope that they will be just as lucky. Colton and I scarf down the delicious pasta and burgers and retreat back to our cabin to change and watch some Television. After some TV and catch with the football we join his aunts and cousins in some board games. Soon enough it the sun started to go down and dinner was ready. We start eating and sure enough the men come back and are eager to brag that they also caught 12 fish. Colton’s father, the happiest I’ve seen him during the trip, told us to hurry up as he demolished his food and wanted to go fish for a couple hours before the millions of mosquitoes filled the lake. With the fish count at 24 for the day, we set the goal at 30 and hoped to get 6 more at least. We all caught one more apiece simultaneously within the first half hour and were convinced we would get 3 more to make 30. The score was now 9 to 9 for me and Colton. Colton’s father soon pointed out these little bugs that look like helicopters that eat the mosquitoes. After we noticed these bugs then the tons of mosquitoes made their appearance. We rushed to get back to camp. Shower was the first thing on all of our minds and we yelled 3 as we ran to the showers. The count for the day was 27 and it was most definitely the best day of the week.
Looking back on this vacation that day was most definitley the best day and most remembered. It’s funny how a beautiful day on a lake can be made better buy catching one fish. I still don’t understand how some people don’t take a liking to fishing because regaurdless of the fish you catch its is so very relaxing. I guess I appreciate fishing a lot more now because, I rarley ever got to go because my dad was not a fan by any means. As I think about the future one thing is for sure, fishing will definetly be on the vacation list.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Personal Essay
Greg DeSilva
9-21-09
Pappas
Personal Essay
The cold morning air gave me goose bumps as the fishing pole held in my right hand is whipped back by the wind. As the boat shoots up the lake I can’t wait to come to a stop as the already cold air becomes much colder as the wind hits me. The lake is calm with the reflection of the boat and trees, it looks like glass and is a fisherman’s favorite because the fish come out of hiding. Colton my friend since about the 3rd grade sits on the bow facing the back of the boat. Since Colton’s two uncles had decided to sleep in, it was our first time gong in the morning at about 5:30. Eager to use our brand new poles Colton and I were quick to cast as soon as the boat came to a coast. Bang. “Fish on” said Colton as he reeled in the first fish of the day. “Uh oh now it’s on” I said as the score was now 6 to 5 bass each for the week. With the next cast I could feel my lure drag through the weeds as I slowly yank it through. Then comes the short taps, tap tap tap, I yank the pole and feel the fish fight back. Instinctively I yell “Fish on” and reel in my first fish of the day. The bass was a bastard; he struggled when I tried to grab his jaw. I finally got a hold of him just to find that my gitzit was lodge deep in his throat and it was not coming out. I cut the line and put him back in the water before he suffocated. I find it amazing how the hook in its mouth will simply rot out in a couple days and the fish will be fine. As I reach into the tackle box I notice there are no more green gizits and decide to try my luck with a silver one. “7 to 5” I say to remind my buddy of the competition. “I know” he says with the little smirk afterwards, I chuckle and take another cast. “Want to head to horseshoe” says Colton’s father, we both agree on account of its shallow waters and weeds in the water where the fish love to hide. I strap down the back seat I was sitting on and hop in the front to tie down my pole. As we take off the 11 mile lake is stunning with its big lakesides houses and small islands. From the name horseshoe I was pretty sure that the land shape was that of a horseshoe and sure enough I was right. In the first hour at horseshoe Colton caught 3 more fish and his father caught 4. After catching so many fish it was time to move to another spot. I knew it was just a matter of time before I got another fish because I was well overdue. “7 to 8” Colton’s says, and I laugh “yes it is”. We soon came to a coast near the booey with a diamond on it which anyone with a boating license knows means rock. Colton’s father soon pulls out the trolling motor to navigate through the rocks. It’s very easy to get your lure caught on rocks and it happened to me many times as it was a root of many jokes when we got back to camp. “Rock on!” I would yell when I noticed I was caught. Even though it was hard to get around the rocks, you can only imagine how many fish are seeking shelter under the shade of the big boulders. “Rock on” I yelled and laughed, but wait was it a rock. “Never mind fish on!” I yelled as I reeled in my second fish of the day. It only took one more hour for Colton and his father to catch 3 more fish, bringing our total of fish to 12. As it got close to lunchtime and our stomachs growled it was a time to go in. So we tied down the poles and pulled the trolling motor. Now that the sun was out the breeze felt great on my sunburned back and shoulders as the boat took us 50 mph down the lake. Within a few minutes we were back to find Colton’s family eating. It didn’t take long for Colton’s uncle to ask how many fish we got. “12” Colton said with a big smile on the three of our faces. “I rather take the two boys every time” Colton’s father jokes on account of he was not as lucky fishing with his two brother in-laws. Colton’s uncles and father rush out to the boat in hope that they will be just as lucky. Colton and I scarf down the delicious pasta and burgers and retreat back to our cabin to change and watch some Television. After some TV and catch with the football we join his aunts and cousins in some board games. Soon enough it the sun started to go down and dinner was ready. We start eating and sure enough the men come back and are eager to brag that they also caught 12 fish. Colton’s father, the happiest I’ve seen him during the trip, told us to hurry up as he demolished his food and wanted to go fish for a couple hours before the millions of mosquitoes filled the lake. With the fish count at 24 for the day, we set the goal at 30 and hoped to get 6 more at least. We all caught one more apiece simultaneously within the first half hour and were convinced we would get 3 more to make 30. The score was now 9 to 9 for me and Colton. Colton’s father soon pointed out these little bugs that look like helicopters that eat the mosquitoes. After we noticed these bugs then the tons of mosquitoes made their appearance. We rushed to get back to camp. Shower was the first thing on all of our minds and we yelled 3 as we ran to the showers. The count for the day was 27 and it was most definitely the best day of the week.
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