Thankful

I am thankful for PHOEBE ROSE BLACK-TOBY. She always flashes her BEAUTIFUL smile whenever she laughs...which is ALL OF THE TIME. Phoebe is always so giddy and cheerful that it is contagious sometimes. She doesn't seem to care about what people think about her because she's already happy being herself. Phoebe definitely is VERY charasmatic and is full of charm, her positive energy could light up a whole room. Phoebe has an amazing eye for fashion. It always astounds me how awesome she is at putting outfits together to make them as unique as her. Phoebe is definitely like my little sister. Whenever I see her, whether it be in one of our classes, in the halls, or by the lockers, she always runs up and gives me a hug. Seeing Phoebe always puts a smile on my face because she's just PHOEBE and there's no other adjective unique, or special enough to describe Phoebe.

I LOVE YOU PHOEBE YOU'RE PERFECT.<3

SHOUT OUT TO NAT SCHOLL, LYDIA ALLEN, AND MATT YETNIKOFF.

They're the best group buddies everrr.

Nat always makes me laugh unintentionally and is probably one of my favorite freshman. Nat is a really good writer but he'll never let me read his stuff out loud...(sadface). Hopefully by the end of the year I'll be able to read one of his masterpieces out loud.
NATT YOU'RE HILARIOUS.

This is the second year Lydia is my English buddy and I always admire the way she is able to express her thoughts and opinions without fumbling for her words. Lydia and me basically have the same music taste. Whenever I need help I can always turn to Lydia because she's one if the dependable people I know.
LYDIA IS AMAZING.

Lastly, Matt is super chill about everything and brings up unique points of view about anything we are reading. Matt seems like he's so laid back all the time which is something I wish I could be. MATT YOU'RE AWESOME.

I Celebrate Myself

I celebrate my life.
 
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just this Veteran's Day weekend I had the bad fortune to attend the visitation of a veteran family friend whom passed away late last week. On a table near the casket, there was a television flashing pictures from throughout his life. I had the chance to watch the pictures chronicle the years he spent on Earth. It suddenly gave me comfort to see pictures of him living the life that made him happy. His young face gleamed as he stood on his army base with a shiny new rifle in his right hand. He looked with admiration at, what was at the time, his brand new Buick.  He smiled gleefully in pictures from vacations surrounded by family. Further on, as I looked around the room, I heard whispers and giggles as relatives said "Remember when..." Sitting in the parlor made me realize what kind of person I want to die as. I want to be the person who says, "I'm ready" when the time comes to pass from my earthly shell. I don't want to be the person to say "I'm not ready to die." or "Dying scares me." Death only scares those people who haven't accomplished or done everything they've wanted to do or say.

 “It is not the length of life, but the depth.”
 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

These people are often referred to as workaholics, hermits, close-minded, and ones comfortable living their routine lives. Breaking routines and habitual activity requires spontaneity. To become spontaneous, one must be ready to explore and be intrigued to discover new possibilities, and excited to face new challenges that make them question their previous perception of things. Spontaneity allows an individual to reach a higher level of understanding about their purpose in this life. Spontaneity allows an individual to celebrate themselves by learning things about themselves they never knew before.

“Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true.” 
- Ralph Waldo Emerson 
 
Not only do I want to celebrate myself during my life, on Earth, I want people to celebrate my great legacy I hope to leave behind.

"To conquer death is said to be the ultimate achievement, but actually, conquering life is the sweetest victory." 
- Jillian Gomez

I celebrate my life after death.

Edgar Allan Poe

Poe's literature has a charismatic darkness about it. The twisted plots, and supernatural occurrences attract readers.  One excerpt from any one of Poe's stories will get the reader questioning the sanity of the author. Though there are many gruesome accounts of death in his stories, Poe never killed anyone...or at least as far as we know. Poe's own cause of death is unknown, but some potential theories include suicide. Aside from the more mysterious side of Poe, I would like to unveil a cuddly side which few know about.

Poe loved his cat Catterina.

The first thing that comes to mind is, "It's probably a black cat." Contrary to popular belief, many people have reason to believe that Catterina was actually a tortoise shell kitten. In an excerpt from one of his stories, he writes, "Pluto - this was the cat's name - was my favorite pet and playmate. I alone fed him, and he attended me wherever I went about the house. It was even with difficulty that I could prevent him from following me throught the streets." The excerpt was taken from Poe's "The Black Cat".

So the next time you read something gruesome written by Poe, just remember he has a fuzzy side. 

What is an American?

The nationality of a person tells of the country a person is born and raised in. The ethnicity of a person tells of cultural background. My definition of nationality and ethnicity overlap each other in the case of America. While the word American describes a nation, it can also describe a culture. In the case of America, some groups of people, such as first generation immigrants, might feel more connected to their ancestral country rather than the country they are immigrating to. These groups of people when asked, "What are you," respond, "I am French, Italian, Mexican, Australian, etc." Others are eager to become part of a new culture and leave their old one behind. They smile proudly as they proclaim, "I am American." In my opinion, what makes you who you are is a combination of the nation you are born and raised in, and your ancestral/cultural background. If your ancestral/cultural background is a combination of European countries, and you are the third or fourth generation to be born and raised in America, you should technically refer to yourself as Euro-American. In the end, what you call yourself should be determined by which culture you feel most connected to. If you feel connected to a singular culture, you might say you are either Mexican or American. If you keep a close connection to your Mexican culture and are immersed in the American culture at the same time, you might split the title and say you are Mexican-American. If you live in America, it is hard to say that you aren't American, because the American culture is so easy to become attached to.

Modern Puritans

I know Puritans to be very strong believers in their beliefs. A modern day example of Puritans, in my opinion, would be political parties; the Republicans and Democrats. Both parties are very attached to their ideas of what government should and should not do. There is almost no room for other foreign ideas to enter into their realm of thought. Being so narrow minded can be the downfall of such groups. The ability to compromise is essential to the growth and development of society and our country. Another example of why I refer to the political parties as modern Puritans: whenever a member of one political party has a view which is contrary to their party's general beliefs, they are looked down on by other members of their own group. The media publicly shames and rips apart their name on television and magazine covers across the nation. This kind of public shaming could be compared to public humiliation or hanging which was such a popular form of punishment in Puritan societies. Members don't get backed by their political party if they dont comply or vote with certain legislature or policies. The same was true for members of the Puritan society. If you chose not to follow the rules dictated by the leaders of the community, then you were not supported by those in the society. These are just a few reasons why I refer to political parties to modern Puritans.

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge

he·ro
noun \ˈhir-(ˌ)ō\ : a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities
  
John Proctor is not without fault. Like every hero, he has a point of weaknesses. He became vulnerable and gave a verbal confession; something he was so strongly against doing. But when Danforth wanted him to sign a written confession, he refused because he didn't want to be another follower who succumbs to the court when put in a desperate position. He chose to hang rather than be humiliated by not upholding his own beliefs. I don't think that Proctor chose this route to prove anything to the town, I believe he chose this route because he felt the the strong urge to stand by his individual values. Self-accountability is, in my opinion, one of his many heroic qualities. Proctor laid down his life in order to lead the town to follow in his honest footsteps. This makes him self-sacrificing. John Proctor is the definition of what is means to be a hero.  He proved his bravery by possessing the courage to stand by his beliefs till his death (literally).  Though he faltered when he gave a verbal confession, in the end he stood his ground. 

he·ro
noun \ˈhir-(ˌ)ō\
: John Proctor

There Goes The Neighborhood

Looking at the brightly colored Mexican corner stores, you wouldn't think my neighborhood was once populated by Greeks, Serbians, and Croatians. My neighbor, an elderly Serbian woman, is one of the few remaining people of the now desolate European population who once resided in my neighborhood. The area is now plagued with rim shops, Mexican restaurants, corner stores, tamale stands, and paleta carts. With new neighbors comes a new social and economic norm. Stores and restaurants cater to the needs of the incoming culture.

In my neighborhood, there are few homeowners now and more residents who pay rent to landlords. During the summertime you can hear squeals of barefoot children running through sprinklers on the front lawn, while family members gather to eat and party until the early morning hours. And no, they don't bother to wait for the weekend, Tuesday night is good enough for them. Meanwhile, the elderly Europeans stay inside their fortresses with the blinds shut and the gate locked around their perfectly edged grass.
Cars with over-sized mufflers, loud bass that rattles the windows, and new shiny rims, blaze down the road listening to Mexican banda or mariachi (trumpets, guitars, etc.) music for the whole street to hear and set off car alarms.
Bells and horns sound from the elote (corn with toppings) and paleta (something like a frozen fruit bar) carts as the men push them down the middle of the street.

The question is: What gives way for a new group of people to come into a culturally established community?
The generation dies, and their children move on to other things. Homes go up for sale and new families move in. When that starts, it influences the others of the same culture to follow the lead. It makes the residents less likely to stick around to see the neighborhood change. It's almost always true that cultures flock together. People stay in their comfort zones. In some cases, you'll get the rare opportunity to find a great mix of cultures all in one neighborhood. But most likely, you'll find the cultural makeup to be pretty biased.

Me.

My name is Jillian Gomez. Everyone calls me Jill though, as in the nursery rhyme. I'm fourteen and a sophomore because I skipped kindergarten, which is fact that many people don't know about me. I play volleyball at Whitney Young and club volleyball at Powerhouse. I am a freshman mentor, part of National Junior Honor Society, and plan to take up Eco-Club this year. I am completely type A and I'm almost sure I have OCD. If I don't like the way my handwriting looks on a piece of paper I'll crumble it up and recopy it all over again. I'm very high energy and I tend to talk really fast especially when I'm stressed, which I usually am. I love the color green. Everyone knows green should be named the national color of happiness...okay...that's definitely just me thinking that. MUSIC. GAHHH. I'm such an alternative rock/indie pop person. My favorite band is MUSE. I went to go see them in concert and I cried several times. BEST NIGHT EVER. My second favorite band is METRIC. They're coming to Chicago in November. I absolutely dislike and am very disturbed by JUSTIN BIEBER and all other annoying, whiny, pop singers whose songs seem too repeat way to many times on the radio. I'm a south sider...but don't ask me if I like the Sox or the Cubs because I DON'T WATCH BASEBALL. I live all the way by the Indiana border which is only a walk away. The only difference is that sales tax and gas are cheaper. I AM BY NO MEANS A HOOSIER. My dream job is to become a Veterinarian and run my own hospital. I want to be self employed so I can make my own hours...and...well...I'm a type A person. I love animals! I have a dog named Rusty who is as you can guess is rust colored and half King Shepard and half Retriever. Onto my other family...I live with my dad and mom. My mom and I have a very close relationship and I'm not one of those people to say I HATE MY MOM because I LOVE MY MOM. I love my dad equally as much because his support means everything to me. I have one brother who is twelve years older than me. He is 27 and all of my friends seem to find him attractive...awkward. 
I'm also really close with him. SIBLING LOVE. I'm Mexican...which means I'm expected to speak Spanish...which I kind of do...ish...
I want to travel ALL OVER Europe. 
And I want to ride an elephant.
There's obviously more...but I feel like I'm rambling...AGAIN...
Surprise. Surprise.