Movie Quotes

Movie Quotes

  -Zombieland

-Greenstreet Hooligans

-Paper Towns

-BraveHeart

Old Photo Story

Colin Harper

Old Photo Story

Joseph "Joey" Earl Doyle had always been an interesting character. He was born June 23, 1922 in Lewiston, Idaho. He was always a very mischievous kid. He loved to run around the town with his friends, and climb trees. He often got into fights with the other boys, but the combatants would always become friends again right after their scuffles. He always feared that he would never grow any taller. His parents would tell him to eat vegetables or he wouldn't grow, but he still didn't eat them. Aside from that, he never really had any fears. He hadn't experienced enough to realize what he should and should not be afraid of. His main goal was to finally reach the cookie jar when his mother would set it on top of the refrigerator. Joey also always wanted to be a famous war hero. He and his friends would play war using sticks as guns and rocks as grenades. One day, when Joey and his companions were in the forest playing war, he was holed up behind a wall of dirt with his partners in crime. One of his other friends realized he couldn't metaphorically shoot him with his stick-gun, so he threw a "grenade" at them to make them leave their cover. He threw the rock further than he had intended, and he hit a beehive with it. The insects began buzzing, and a flurry of them attacked the boys. No one, not even Joey knew that he was allergic to bees. He began being stung as he was running away, and he got weaker and weaker. He began having tunnel vision, and soon passed out. He was in the back of his pack of friends, and none of them saw him go down. Authorities investigated later and found his body at the scene. Joey never got to be famous, and he never got the cookies from above the fridge.

Chinese Visit

Chinese Visit

The Chinese visitors who I gave my tour to were named Felix and Terry. They both seemed to be older than some of the other visitors. Terry told me that he had a three year old son, and that he enjoyed playing video games. Felix showed me pictures of his hometown, and they were very awesome. He said he thought of a kite when he thought about America because it was so free. I told them about my wrestling, and they seemed to think that it was very cool. On the tour we took them to an art room first, and they enjoyed looking around the room and talking to the students and the teacher about their art. Then we went into the student section, and they thought that was cool too. We went into the gym and explained to them about what kickball was, and they thought that gym class was really awesome. We brought them through the locker room and into the wrestling room, then we went to the weight room. They were very interested in the weight room, and thought that it was cool how the students got to work on their fitness while at school. After that we went through the theater while the drama students were working on some things. We watched them for awhile, and then we moved to the culinary room. The culinary students were making funnel cakes when we went in, and the visitors thought that the idea for a cooking class was very fun. They talked to the teacher for awhile, and then we brought them to the woodshop room. We showed them the mini house and they were very interested. Then we went to the science wing and went into a class where the students were working on plastic bodies, and they talked to the teacher about it for awhile. Then we were out of time so we came back to class. Through this experience I realized how many activities and classes there actually were at kickapoo. If I had more time, I would probably have asked them about their favorite sports, or other activities. I was glad to have them in, and I enjoyed giving the tour.

Pictures

Colin Harper

Picture

I chose this for the "looks like a face but isn't". My friends told me it doesn't look like a face, but I don't care. It looks like it has an angry eyebrow on the right side. It's probably because it doesn't even have an eyebrow on the left side. I would be mad about that too.

#AngryEyes

I chose this for the something found in nature. It's the tree in the outside relaxing area. I tried opening the door to look at the other things out there, but i was locked.

#Wherearelocksmithswhenyouneedone?

This is for the quintessentially American. This is Billy. Billy should be in class. Instead, Billy is playing an online shooter game. I found this to be very culturally correct.

#Don'tbelikeBilly

I chose this for the something beautiful. You probably could have guessed that though, right? This is Ethan. Ethan is very beautiful.

#BeautifulBeast

Coach Ressel is someone who has taught me something. He taught me how to become a better wrestler. He didn't like his picture being taken, but he complied by looking at the camera. I think that's consent.

#WillieRessel?YesHeWill

This is something round that I found. It was wedged in between a sign in the lunchroom. I wonder who put it there. And why were they so lazy that they couldn't put it into one of the conveniently placed trashcans?

#tsktsk

This is the picture I chose for something irritating. This is Jarrett. Jarrett is a sophomore. That's not why he is irritating though. He is irritating just because he is Jarrett. Look at that smug face.

#EradicateJarrett

This is the handwritten object I photographed. I believe it was for the blood drive, but it reminds me of the door in the hospital on the first episode of The Walking Dead. Either way, Do Not Enter signs are always kind of creepy.

#Iwon'tEnter

This is a picture of a floor tile. Floor tiles are square. This one was very easy to find, but the picture was surprisingly slightly tricky, because I had to make sure to get all of one square but no other squares.

#Don'tStepOnTheCracks

I took the angle part of interesting angle very literally. This picture is from underneath the stairs in the lunchroom. I can't believe I never noticed the odd angle of the structure until I took this picture.

#NeverSawIt

This is a room that will always remind me of my time at Kickapoo. After my last match, I drove back to school and came into this room. No one was at school, and the room was dark. I took a few minutes to sit on the mat and cry a little.

#KpooWrastlin'

I think that children always get excited when they see railings like this. There is just something about sliding down them that is so enticing.

#AlwaysFun

These lost jacket bins are so nostalgic for me. I spent nearly half of my time in elementary school digging through them hoping to find my jackets so my mom wouldn't kill me.

#McBridePride

This is Kory, and Kory makes me smile and laugh. Not because he is a comedian, or tells good jokes. He makes me laugh because he always says extremely dumb things, and it is hilarious to call him out on it.

#GoofyKory

Wife Swap Letter

Colin Harper

Wife Swap Letter

Jenny and Lara,

                           My class and I recently watched the same episode of Wife Swap that your class watched. The two families that swapped wives were very different. I believe that that shows how diverse the American culture can be. Depending on where someone lives in America, there can be more of the "redneck" type families, or more of the "pageant" type families. Where I am from, there is a good mixture of different types of families. I come from a family that is somewhere in between the two families shown on the show. My home is very clean, like the pageant family, but my family also enjoys having free time, like the redneck family. I think the average household in America is somewhere between the two as well.

                           When the wives finally met each other, they immediately began arguing. I can assure you that that is not how most people communicate in America. We do argue at times, but that is usually only after a peaceful agreement can't be made. After their arguing, they calmed down and talked out their problems in a constructive way. That is how most Americans are taught to solve their problems.

                           

                            What did you think about the show? How do you think the show would be different if it were filmed in China? I hope to hear from you soon.

                                                                                                                       Best Wishes,

                                                                                                                                  Colin

Dan In Real Life Questions

Colin Harper

Dan in Real Life

3. I would certainly enjoy writing for a newspaper. I think I would most like to write the sports column, but writing about current events and interviewing interesting people would be fun as well.

9. Well, first, I don't know how I feel about the term "hottie", but I understand the jist of the question. I certainly have a "type", and that type is derived from the first girl I ever had a crush on in third grade. All of the girls that specifically catch my eye have certain things in common. Intelligence is key for me, a "hottie" needs to be capable of having great back and forth conversation with me on important topics. I have always preferred more of a cute look over the stereotypical "hot" look. I like brunette hair the most, and I have a huge soft spot for slight freckles. Also, a cute little innocent voice is awesome.I also may possibly be describing one person in particular, but who knows.

10. My parents are the absolute worst when it comes to being involved in relationships. My mother is kind of crazy, and I have watched her ruin multiple of my sister's relationships. I can't even mention a girl to my father without him assuming she is my girlfriend and bugging me about it all day every day. It doesn't matter how many times I tell him that they are not my girlfriend, he just keeps thinking they are. I don't want my parents to be involved in any of my relationships, because they will- beyond a shadow of a doubt- ruin it.

13. I don't think that one certain trait of people can completely trump people without the trait in the "interesting" department. However, one person I know who is extremely well traveled (and also may be the aforementioned on question 9.) and they are very interesting. One of my favorite things to do is listen to them talk about their travels.

20. No, I don't think asking questions makes someone a good conversationalist. I can say this from experience, cause when I talk to girls, I always make sure to ask lot's of questions. That could just be because I have a lack of things to say. Anyways, I always make sure to ask questions, and I still suck at talking to them, so.

18. Are you a camp fire? Cause you're hot and I want s'more. 

Are you my appendix? Cause you give me a feeling in my stomach and I want to take you out.

I need a dollar but only have 90 cents, do you want to be my dime?

27. I feel like teenagers usually are pretty hard on their parents. When I argue with my parents, I always feel like they deserve all the anger I'm giving them, but then I always feel awful later. I know they always have intentions to make things the best they can for me, and sometimes I forget that.

"Reel" Life

Colin Harper

Reel Life

My favorite movie is either, Zomebieland, American History X, or The Greenstreet Hooligans. For appropriateness, I will reflect on Zombieland. It is my favorite movie because it has a little bit of everything. There is action when they fight the zombies, comedy throughout, romance between two of the protagonists, The movie is everything a movie-goer could ever want and more. The entire cast is only six people. Every person in the cast is a bona-fide star. Hence, why it can truly be considered of having an "all star" cast. My favorite actor is Jesse Eisenberg, and he is the star, so that makes me enjoy the move even more.

I don't usually care very much for movies that are all action and guns, all of the time. I think that movies need to have a strong plot to them. On that same note, I also don't enjoy movies where the plot is too complex to where I have to be remembering who is who and who does what at all times. Movies like The Lord of the Rings do that to me. I also don't like educational movies much either. However I bet that is a popular opinion.

When I watch a movie, all I really need is for my environment to not be too loud. I also don't enjoy it when people keep asking questions. If they genuinely don't understand what's going on, it's alright, but when they aren't paying attention to the movie, and then ask me a question, it makes me angry. My mom always forces our family to watch movies together, and then she sits on her phone and loudly asks questions when she doesn't know what's going on. I always end up leaving to my room and not finishing the movie because it makes me so mad. Some movie theater popcorn never hurts when I'm watching a movie either.

The survey told me that I watch movies generally for pleasure, and for social reasons. I would agree with that. If you're not doing a fun thing with the intention of having fun, then why are you doing it? It told me that I enjoy movies with aggression in them, and that is somewhat true, as all three of my favorites are very aggressive movies, but I don't always like action movies. I actually prefer comedies to them almost every time.

If my life were made into a movie, I would assume they could hire a Calvin Klein model to play me. That way, the actor would look like me, (yeah right) and the acting would be easy enough for them to do it. All they would have to do is sit in a recliner, play xbox, and obnoxiously sing punk rock music. That's it. No plot, no key events, not even really very many characters. I'm sure a movie producing company would eat that right up.

Art Print writing and Haiku

Colin Harper

Art Print Writing and Haiku

The picture is painted from the perspective of someone laying underneath a canopy of trees. The trees have brown leaves, and the sky is blue with an orange undertone. I believe it is safe to say that it is Fall in the painting. It reminds me of a time when I was at the park with my sister and cousins. The ambiance was very similar to that of the picture. My sister was playing on a teeter-totter, and somehow managed to chip her tooth. It also reminds me of the Fall Festivals that McBride would put on every year. I would always ride rides and play games at those events. At the end of the events, there was always a fireworks show. The orange in the sky tells me that the sun is beginning to go down. That is my favorite time of day, when it is not fully day yet not fully night. It reminds me of playing catch with my father whenever he would get home from work.

I did my haiku about Dakoda's print. It is full of grays, blacks, and browns.

Haiku

I open my eyes

smoke, fog, and dust surround me

This is how war feels

Hopper Inspired Writing

Colin Harper

Hopper- Inspired Writing

The cop sat down after a long days work, and ordered a coffee. Black, just how he liked it. The old bartender told him that it would be right up. A women in a red dress was sitting in the corner of the bar. She was talking to a generic looking man in a black suite. The cop overheard her seductively asking the man if he would like to have a "nice night". Geez, couldn't she tell he was a cop? He had had too busy of a workday to deal with it. He just let their conversation carry on. He spent his day tracking the footsteps of a wanted mobster, the ringleader of the drug circus in town. He was right on his trail, and catching him would be the break he needed to get a new promotion. He'd spent hours decrypting the codes of messages sent between the culprit and his customers. The man's face was so etched into the cop's mind, that he didn't even notice when the criminal himself left the cafeteria with the girl in the red dress draped all over him. As the man walked out the door, the cop realized his mistake. He bolted out of the door and tackled the man to the ground. The man cried out in shock, and the cop proceeded to handcuff him. He brought him back to the station, where he was interrogated. Nearly two minutes into the questioning, the cop was informed that he had brought in the wrong man. It really had been long day. The cop drove home, and remembered that he hadn't even received his coffee. That was okay, he needed to sleep anyway.

Window Poem

Window Poem

I see the dog across the street, held by a shock collar. It is content in it's small world.

I see brown shingles, overlapping each other other like waves in a sandpaper ocean.

The sky is a mixture of pink and orange hues.

I always feel strong when I am here.

I see leaves dance to the ground from the tree in my yard.

The water tower extends over the treeline, and I desperately want to climb it.
I long to see bigger and greater things from a new point of view.

Artist Piece Inspired Poems

Colin Harper

Three men from three different walks of life came together one night.

Each one had their own story, their own hardships.

They each had their own victories, and their own defeats. 

On that night, however, they were one.

They came together, and they played beautiful music into the air.

One man played the flute, and it whispered a light melody into existence.

Another struck a guitar, creating a cavernous noise that rang through their extremity.

The third man sang, his voice bringing life into the music.

No matter the differences the men had, they were in harmony while they played.

When the music was over, they each went their separate ways.

However, they each took a piece of each other as they went.

I had never seen a more solemn man in my entire life. I was driving down the road, on my way home from work when I saw a man sitting on the side of the road. He was in black and tattered clothes, and wielding a guitar. The man was bald, and he looked even more morose in the blue tinted atmosphere. I asked myself what had happened to him. Surely a tragedy had taken place in this man's life. I have seen people devastated after the death of a loved one, or struck with sadness after failing in an endeavor, but never had I seen sadness of this magnitude. Whatever had happened to this man, I prayed would never happen to me. I kept driving, and wondered if I should have stopped to speak to the man. Probably not, I thought to myself, as I would not want to get caught up in his melancholy business. Surely his feeling would rub off on me, and I was not ready to behold that extreme of an emotion. 

Artist Profile: Pablo Picasso

Colin Harper

Pablo Picasso

Pable Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Malaga, Spain, to Jose Ruiz and Maria Picasso. His father was a painter and a professor, and his mother's occupation was unknown. He had two siblings, Lola Picasso, and Conchita Picasso. Picasso grew up around the arts, and was adept at painting in his early years. He entered the Royal Academy of San Fernando at age 11. His sister Conchita passed away in 1895, and Picasso was devastated. In 1897 he won a gold medal at a major art exposition. This gave the young Picasso confidence in his artistic ability. Picasso's life was filled with many lovers. He was married and divorced multiple times. His most beloved significant other was named Eva Gouell. She passed away in 1915, and thus began the time known as Picasso's blue period. In his blue period, Picasso painted many sad paintings, and used a majority of blue and dark hues of paint. The Guitarist was created during his blue period. Picasso's most popular medium was paint, however he dabbled in most mediums, including ceramics. He is associated with cubism and 19th and 20th century period art. His most famous paintings, along with The Old Guitarist, are Guernica and Three Musicians. Guernica is a painting depicting Picasso's thoughts on war. Mutilated animals and people cover the canvas. Picasso joined the communist party in his later years, and continued to create art. He had a myriad of partners in his life, but he settled down with Jacqueline Roque for the final years of his life. Picasso died in Mougins, France in 1973.

First and Last Lines Journal Writing

Colin Harper

First and Last Lines

This is the saddest story I have ever heard.

One day, during one week in one certain year, I met someone. That someone and I did some things. We did some fun things, and some not so fun things. Good things happened to us, and bad things happened to us. One day, the someone had to go somewhere, and something happened. I was waiting somewhere else for the same someone to arrive, when that something happened. I felt a strange something somewhere within myself. The story on the news said that something had happened to my someone. I became a very lonesome someone for some time. My someone was now a no one, and so was I. 

Are there any questions?

First and Last Lines

Colin Harper

First and Last Lines

"This is the saddest story I have ever heard."

This was the first line I chose. It is the first line of The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford. He was born on December 17, 1873 and died June 26, 1939. He is best remembered for The Good Soldier, which is widely recognized as one of the greatest 100 novels of all time. It was published in 1915.

 The Good Soldier is a novel of love, and a lack thereof. Within the novel, many characters have affairs. The main character, John, is married to Florence, who cheats on him with multiple people. She eventually commits suicide due to her affairs, as do many other characters in the story. The story is filled with sadness throughout.

I think that I probably wouldn't like this book, because it seems a little bit too sad for me. Also, the affairs part of the book isn't something that I would like to read about. Stuff like that makes me really angry, even if it is only fictional.

"Are there any questions?"

That is the final line of the Handmaid's tale by Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008). The story was published in 1987.

The story is of a dystopian society where the president and congress are overthrown by a terrorist group. The story is told through the viewpoint of a handmaid in the new society. She tells of her experience in the new government.

I don't think I would like to read this novel either. The plot that I read about it sounded exciting at first, but then it got really weird. I feel like the story would be hard for me to follow.

Future's so Bright

Colin Harper

Future

One interesting idea I got from the field trip was when we got the editing sheet, I ended up getting all of the corrections before she was done grading it. I have always had good grammar and English skills but I have never thought of a career as a proofreader.

Another interesting part of the trip was when we were asked to choose our favorite option for the cover of the magazine, the one that I had chosen in my head was the one that they had used.

A third interesting thing I took from the trip was that I hadn't really stopped to think about how vast the 417 area really is. The people here have so many stories, and you can learn so much from traveling so little.

A question that I had was: When the writers go on trips (Such as the one to the carnival) to get information for a story, is their trip and expenses paid for by the magazine?

I would LOVE to write for Fighters Only magazine. Going around interviewing fighters and writing articles about the events would be a dream job.

I think it ten years I will be married and with one kid. Maybe I will have another on the way by then, but who knows. I don't know what my career will be, but I do know that I will help coach my kid in his wrestling. He will probably be about 5 years old or so by then, so he will definitely be wrestling already. I will probably still be living in Springfield, but if not, I will definitely be living in a town a lot like it. I enjoy the middle sized area kind of life, so I will always want to live somewhere similar to here.

Newspaper Inspired Post

Colin Harper

Newspaper Inspired Post

Best Photos of 2015!

The man drove from location to location in an attempt to gain the perfect shots. His goal was always to capture the greatest moments and flashes within his camera lens. He had worked late nights every night for the past months, and often would not come home, instead opting to stay in hotels closer to where the next event he was to photograph would be held. He hadn't seen his wife or his kids for a week, and when he did see them, it was only for a moment before he was off to work again. He had been trying to capture the prize he had spent years chasing after. An award was given each year to the best photographer in the region, and he had come up just short of winning it each year. He worked tirelessly in an effort to achieve his goal, but he was starting to wonder if the award would be worth the work and the time away from his family. As he was contemplating this, his phone buzzed. He looked down the see "We need to talk" sent to him from his wife. He had been having a feeling that this was coming.

6 Word Memoirs

Colin Harper

6 Word Memoirs

Faced no adversity, saw no results.

My best is yet to come.

Hard failure, came back even stronger.

Rad dad, bomb mom, stupid sister.

Went to Grandma's house, ate food.

Favorite Quotes

Colin Harper

Favorite Quotes

“What a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person.”- John Green

"Courage is not the absence of fear. It is rather not letting your fear control your actions."- Alex Harris

"They say the dreams that we chase are just a dead end road, but we don't have to embrace the lies that we've been told."- Hawk Nelson

"Conformity has no authority."- Set Your Goals

"I'm always focusing on the wrong things, and then the wrong things become everything. I don't know what I'm gonna do, I don't know what I'm gonna do about anything."- The Front Bottoms

"Life is more than money. Time was never money. Time was never cash. Life is still more than girls."- Switchfoot

"The half of me is all about apathy, and the other half, just doesn't care."- Relient K

"We should get jerseys, because we make a good team. But yours would look better than mine, because your outta my league."- Relient K

"Wisdom always chooses, these black eyes and these bruises, over the heartache that they say never completely goes away."- Relient K

"It's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive."- Relient K

"Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They are made of blood, sweat, and a hard to find alloy called guts."- Dan Gable

"I'll drag myself along but I won't pray, cause that's not what I believe."- State Champs

"I'm a realist, and an optimist, but I swear to you I'm not getting over this."- State Champs

"I've been holding back my apathy for far too long."- The Story So Far

"You help me with my honesty when I'm yelling at your ghost." The Story So Far

"I like to think that you're worth my time but you embody everything that I hate." -The Story So Far

"I'm trying hard, real hard, everyday not to lose my temper." -The Story So Far

"Keep your hopes up high and your head down low"- A Day to Remember

"More strength is born from heartbreak, than mountains I could move"- Rise Against

"Do you care to be the layer of the bricks that seal your fate? Or would you rather be the architect of what we might create?"- Rise Against

"All smiles and sunshine, a perfect world on a perfect day. Everything always works out, I have never felt so great. Life isn't like this."- Rise Against

"Would God bless the murder of the innocent? Would God bless a war based on pride? Would God bless a money hungry government? Would God bless our ineffective court system? God bless the sweatshops we run. God bless America." - Rise Against

"Something has kept me here too long, but you can't leave me if I'm already gone."- Rise Against

"Is there a God tonight, up in the sky? Or is it empty just like me?"- Rise Against

"They keep us convinced to lift up our chins. These playing fields are level, we all have a chance."- Rise Against

Memorable Passage

Colin Harper

Memorable Passage

“And all at once I knew how Margo Roth Spiegelman felt when she wasn't being Margo Roth Spiegelman: she felt empty. She felt the unscaleable wall surrounding her. I thought of her asleep on the carpet with only that jagged sliver of sky above her. Maybe Margo felt comfortable there because Margo the person lived like that all the time: in an abandoned room with blocked-out windows, the only light pouring in through holes in the roof. Yes. The fundamental mistake I had always made—and that she had, in fairness, always led me to make—was this: Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl.” 

This passage resonates with me because it is about seeing a person as more than a person. This passage, and others in the book that it is in, led me to the idea that sometimes I like the idea of a person that I created in my head, more than I actually like the person. Realizing this really helped me grow and move past some things as a person.

Writers as Readers

Colin Harper

Writers as Readers

1. I am not very picky whenever it come to what I need in order to be able to read. Light is the most important necessity. If I am in a dim room, and the light source is above me, then my head's shadow peers over the book, making it difficult for me to read. I don't mind much else when I am reading. Noise doesn't bother me. i find that even if it is loud when I am reading, I block at the noise a few sentences in.

2. My favorite genre is young adult romance. Sounds kind of weird coming from a person like me. I'm not into all of the mushy girly stuff though. I enjoy more comedic approaches to romance. John Green books are always good reads for me. I guess I am interested in this genre because it plays out like a funny movie in my head. I can always envision the characters in my head because they are usually very similar to me.

3. I like to think I can write like John Green, but realistically, I know I can't right now. That's a hard thing for me to say, because I always try to believe I can do anything at anytime. Someday, however, I think I will be able to write just as well as him. I believe my style most directly imitates his, yet is still my own.

4. My best memory connected to reading is when my dad stayed up all night for me to buy the last Harry Potter book on the day of it's release. He had work the next day, but he still elected to stay up and buy the book for me. It's my best memory connected to reading because it helps me remember what my dad was willing to do just so that I could have a good book to read.

5. Honestly, The Fault in our Stars was a book I could not stop reading once I had started. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I was on a trip where I was extremely bored most of the time, but I think it was also because of the fact that I enjoyed it so thoroughly.

13. I know that I would love to write multiple books someday. I already started on one. Albeit it being a very slow process, it is one that I very much enjoy. My dad told me it was a little bit too cliche, and he's probably right, but I don't care. I'm just writing it for the experience. In the "About the Author", I would want to be described as an intelligent, totally rad dude. To be honest, I don't really care very much about what the "About the Author" page will say.

If I were in Charge of the World.

Colin Harper

If I were in Charge of the World

If I were in charge of the world, I'd cancel math class, school on fridays, vampire movies, and also carrots and ranch.

If I were in charge of the world there'd be trampolines, water slides, and hot tubs on every street.

If I were in charge of the world you wouldn't have cavities. You wouldn't have bees. You wouldn't have rats, or "Please pet the cats". You wouldn't even have cats.

If I were in charge of the world a cheeseburger would be a vegetable. All movies would be free, and a person who sometimes forgot algebra and sometimes forgot to do his homework would still be allowed to be in charge of the world.

Dream Thread

Colin Harper

Dream Thread

It starts out peaceful, but isn't that how all nightmares begin? I am laying on the dirt in the middle of a wooded area, looking up at the canopy of treetops above me. I hear a noise reverberating through the trees, and I sense something is wrong, so I get up to my feet. A host of demons emerge from the foliage around me, and I am afraid. A silhouetted figure wrapped in a cloak appears, and although he is armed with a sword, he doesn't even raise it. The demons seem to know who he is, and they tremble at his sight, and immediately flee. Before I could thank the mysterious individual, he burst away into the forest. I chased after him, and we seemed to be moving at the exact same speed. Our chase led to an open field, where he turned and revealed himself to me. It was my own face I saw across from myself. I wanted to gain some information, but as I walked out to where he was, he seemed to get further from me. 

Maya Angelou Questions

Colin Harper

Maya Angelou Questions

2. The "Universal human power to triumph over adversity" is a tricky concept. Do I believe I have that power? I'm not so sure. I'm sure of it's existence, because it can be seen everyday. The news is filled with stories of people overcoming adversity. I read an article yesterday about a boy who wrestles with no legs. That is a tremendous display of overcoming adversity. I'm not so sure I have that power though, because I have not yet faced very much adversity. I have grown up in a loving home, with great parents, went to a good school, and lived a pretty adversity-free life so far. Maybe some day I will hit a major roadblock, and then I will find out what I'm truly made of. Until then, I won't know if I sincerely have the ability to overcome serious adversity.

3. I am a strong believer that something can only have power once it has been given power. For example, curse words. A nasty four letter word could have easily been substituted with a word like "sandwich". Maybe in the creation of a curse word someone yelled "Sandwich!" instead of the replacement word. Then everyone from that point on until now would bear a negative connotation when someone said sandwich. The order of syllables forming the words doesn't bear any power at all. It is the fact that people give them power that makes them different from any other word. Also, the feeding into gossip and drama makes those things have more power. If one of my friends make a joke about me, and I laugh and don't care, then that will be the end of it. However, if I become offended, they will laugh and continue to make the joke. I gave the joke power because of my reaction to it. Without my negative reaction, the joke bears no power. It's a simple case of cause and effect.

5. Speech is a powerful thing. Most of the information a person collects about another comes through the things they hear another person say. I seem to have moments where I am silent, and others where I probably should be silent, but am not. I feel like I generally do talk a little bit too much. There is a verse in the Bible that talks about being "Slow to speak and quick to listen". I think that that can hold a lot of relevance in nearly anyone's life. One of my good friends rarely speaks, and when she does, it is very faint, and usually very short. She just recently told me that she wishes she would've taken more risks and spoken up more before she went to college. In some cases, it is better to speak less and listen more, but in others, the opposite is true. Someone has to speak for others at some point.

7. My memory is something that I pride myself on. I have an unusually good recollection of events and information in my head. I like to think of my brain as a storage folder where everything that goes in is carefully placed somewhere where I can pull it out and analyze it whenever I need too. Except for math formulas. I never remember those. When asked if it is better to remember a lot or nearly nothing, I think it is much better to have a strong memory. Even is your brain is filled with bad memories, it is important that you remember them because every memory you have is exactly what makes you, you. Another simple case of cause and effect. Every decision you make (or think you make) is really just the culmination of every memory and piece of stimuli your body has. Without a memory to inform you of which decision you would like to make in any situation, you would be like a baby, acting purely on survival instinct. For example, you touched a stove as a small child because you didn't know stoves were hot. Now two years later, that child won't touch the stove because it remembers that it was hot. That decision is based off of the child's knowledge and memory that stoves are hot. I believe that having a good memory allows you to assess all your options and  make the best choice in a given situation.

8. "There's a world of difference between truth and fact". That is a great quote, and it happens to be correct as well. Everything that anyone knows is based upon what they have been told, and what they have been exposed too. Not everything that people think they know is true, it cannot be this way because if it was, then everyone would always agree. I can say that 2+2=4, and someone might argue that 2+2=5. It may be truth in that person's mind that the problem equals five, but it isn't fact. Truth can be relative, whereas fact cannot. If I asked someone in 2005 whether Pluto was a planet or not, they would say yes. To them, it would be a truth. However, with my knowledge that it is not, it would not be a fact. What is a truth for someone may not be for another. Facts remain constant.

Cage Bird Sings Inspired Poem

Colin Harper

Caged Bird Sings Inspired Poem

I know why I try so hard.

I know it is so that I can win.

I don't know why it is important that I win.

I don't know why the American Dream is based upon success.

I sing of a place where success isn't measured in wins or losses.

I sing of a place where success is measured by improvement, and by learning.

I sing for a reinvention of the American Dream.

I sing for a re-evaluation of success.

I know why other people sing.

I know, also, why I sing.

Color Short Story

Colin Harper

Color Short Story

She was surrounded by shades of blue. The sky above her, and the blanket beneath her reflected each other. The pavement to her left reminded her of an ocean. The garden to her right was filled with clustered bellflowers. She felt peaceful, as if she was on the beach, with an umbrella and a cocktail.

The forest was a deep green, and he lost himself within it. He looked up, and saw the leaves above him forming into a circle, creating what seemed like a portal into the sky. The overgrown grass around his ankles encompassed him, and he wished it would root him into the ground so that he would not have to leave.

The carnival gave him a vibrant pink feeling as he walked through the turnstile. Children ate cotton candy while holding their parents hands. The ferris wheel was adorned with bright flashing lights. Vendors called to children and parents with promises of them winning a flamingo doll from their game stalls. Children ate strawberry ice cream cones that were just a little too tall for them to handle. He grabbed onto a railing, and felt a piece of gum that someone had left earlier in the day. Fireworks went off above him as he walked back to his vehicle.

He awoke with a start, and saw the red blood trickling down his leg. He hopped up, and saw the sign of the Chinese restaurant he was dining at engulfed in flames. Smoke rolled through the air. He desperately tried to escape, but the door below the exit sign was blocked off by what seemed like certain death. He reached for the fire extinguisher on the wall, and used it to clear off the doorway. He hastily grabbed the doorknob, and searing pain moved through his hand. It was badly burnt, and very discolored. He realized he there was no escape.

Color Inspired Poems

Colin Harper

Color Inspired Poems

Early morning sky

The Earth begins to awake

New days, new stories

The boy with balloons

Loves his blue one most of all

It won't fly away

Dark as the night sky

His emotions are scary

He now feels nothing

Evening breeze

Arriving in the morning

Ready to take on the day.

Leaves are falling

Yellow comes from green.

Birds are singing.

Lovely songs

Oscillating through the air.

Songs of hope

Songs of tomorrow

Only tomorrow knows what tomorrow

May bring

The night held a blue tone. It was reminiscent of the situation. The recent talk was of a major scandal. It ended with the arrest of a noteable official. The smuggling of funds was his downfall. His family was devastated. He left them feeling indigo inside. If only he could do it over.

The young boy wrote his wishes on his Christmas list. One item was specifically underlined. A red rocket ship was his hearts desire. One Christmas morning, the boy rushed down the stairs. He opened his present, but the rocket ship wasn't there. The boy looked down in sadness. "Check your stocking" his mother said. Inside was the toy he was hoping for. He lived the next year is amusement.

Object Inspired

Colin Harper
KHS Creative Writing
Mayhemharper152@gmail.com
4 March 2016

Sparring Gloves

        

              I held my black and red gloves as I walked through the front doors of Hybrid MMA. There had been recent talk of a fighter returning that had been asked to leave months before I had joined. His name was Michael, and I had never met him before. My friends had all said he had a big mouth, and was very over-confident. I never knew that this mysterious person would turn out to be one of my best friends.

As I came through the doors, I saw all of the familiar faces I was accustomed to seeing at practice. However, there was one person I had never seen before. A kid, no more than 5'6" was walking around the room as if he owned the place. He looked to be about nineteen years old. As soon as he saw me, I could tell he was sizing me up. He had his jaw outstretched, with the intention of looking extra tough.

It was obvious that the kid was a fighter, as he wore apparel from all of the top brands in the business. I practiced with him some that day, and he went very hard, all the time. I don't know when it was, but at some point within the next few weeks that we were training together, he began to take a liking to me. Soon we were discussing his high school wrestling days, and talking about our favorite fighters.

We became good friends, training every day together and helping each other towards our ultimate goals. He helped me establish a strong striking game, and pushed me to become a better fighter. Whenever I would lose my confidence, he would always help give me some back, because it was obvious he had way too much.

For the better part of a year, him and me, along with our other partners, trained in the cage and on the mats, and supported each other in our fights. I remember driving to Branson to watch Michael fight, only to have his opponent be a no-show. Michael was devastated. The fight promotion tried to give him the belt he was fighting for to honor his commitment, but he declined it since he didn’t earn it. Michael was a big talker, but he never said anything he didn’t truly believe that he could back up. He had a 6-0 record in the cage, and never let anyone get away with saying that they could beat him.

I remember him telling me that I always needed to believe that I was the best ever.

“TBE. The Best Ever. That has to be your mindset.” Were his exact words. Whenever we would train, we would remind each other that we were TBE.

I still think back to that now before my wrestling matches. I remember all of the pep-talks on confidence that he gave me. Michael moved to Oregon to expand his training, as he is now hoping to become a pro fighter. We still keep in touch, and tell each other about our fighting and wrestling. Whenever I see my red and black boxing gloves, it reminds me of the time I first saw that short kid with his jaw outstretched, and his confidence a little too high.

         

I am- Colin Harper

I Am

I am an infant child, born upside down and with a black eye.

I am a young boy, eating cereal while watching Saturday morning cartoons.

I am a teenager, finding his place in the world.

I am a pair of all black wrestling shoes, stepping up onto a soft mat.

I am the sound of a jump rope, methodically smacking the ground.

I am a pair of boxing gloves, hitting their target.

I am an acoustic guitar, making sounds of inspiration.

I am a songwriter, writing words I cannot create around others.

I am loud music, blaring far past the doors of my room.

I am afraid, always nervous of my performances.

I am a thinker, both logically and creatively.

I am different, different than both my family and my friends.

I am unique, I fall under no stereotypes.

I am an enigma, and I plan to stay that way.

I am a backyard guitar session under the stars, pondering existence and all that it means.

I am myself, and no one else.

I am Colin Harper.