Reasoning is Life

                Life is one big collaboration of choices. Our future, happiness, and lifestyle is based on our reasoning when making these choices. My mother always said, “you win some and you lose some, but whether you win or lose is up to you”.  I have always been a person to believe that you cannot control the outcome for everything. But as I grew up and matured, I realized that it is possible to play the cards that were dealt to you, the best way possible. To succeed, you must fail at some point in time. But, the failure can be analyzed by seeing what we did wrong to spark the failure.

                But what happens when something great occurs in your benefit and you have no idea how it happened? I believe everyone has a story with this theme. The past two years have been tough on my family. My dad lost his job late in 2008, he wasn’t the only one affected by the fall in the economy.  Life for several families including mine was flipped upside down and the dreams and aspirations were put on hold for me. Not having the funds to attend a good university, I decided to take a full scholarship to a junior college in Colorado for baseball. Although this wasn’t my first option, I realized that it was what needed to happen to keep my family from going bankrupt. The decision to go to Colorado was one that I made in the best interest of my parents, not me. After two years in junior college things have remarkably changed. My mom received a raise spring of 2010 and my dad was told that he could file for early retirement. Suddenly, things were falling back into place. I felt proud to know that I helped my family out in the long run. The sacrifice and one small choice in my life, made a huge impact in another. I believe everything happens for a reason. For all the bad things that happen to you, eventually one right move will change everything for the better. 

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This Generation Sucks!

 If I had to describe our generation in one word I would have to say we are known as generation “Screwed”. I believe in this title because we are the youth during a time of conservation. Because of the faults of our elders, and our habits of consuming the earth’s natural resources, we as a society are on a slippery slope to another great depression. With constant advancements in technology, money will continue to go to waste. We as a society and generation are completely “Screwed”.

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My Home Away From Home

As I step through the large, overwhelming gate, it hits me. The smell of beer residue and over-priced hotdogs fills the air. I am home. The players get loose, while the thousands of faithful fans take their seats. The excitement is building up. With my glove in hand, I hear the umpire speak the god like words, “play ball”. Everyone that has been there has a special story to own for the rest of their lives.

This magical place is Camden Yards, the home of the Orioles. It is important to me because of the rich culture that the orioles share with all Marylanders. I saw my first baseball game around the age of 4. From then on I have always wanted to be a professional baseball player. I am still pursuing that dream here at UMBC. I know other people can relate to this because the atmosphere at Camden Yards is something that is unexplainable unless you try it for yourself. The impact the stadium has on us spreads across all areas not just those around Baltimore. The food served there, the autographs, and the drunken fans is something that cannot be found anywhere else in Maryland. Nobody has left an Orioles game disappointed. Well, except for the past few years unfortunately. If you haven’t been there, I recommend making it out to a game. This game and place is what made me who I am. It gave me my identity.
words: 250

Place Matters Draft

As I step through the large, overwhelming gate, it hits me. The smell of beer residue and over-priced hotdogs fills the air. I am home. The players get loose, while the thousands of faithful fans take their seats. The excitement is building up. With my glove in hand, I hear the umpire speak the god like words, “play ball”. Everyone that has been there has a special story to own for the rest of their lives.

This magical place is Camden Yards, the home of the Orioles. It is important to me because of the rich culture that the orioles share with all Marylanders. I saw my first baseball game around the age of 4. From then on I have always wanted to be a professional baseball player. I am still pursuing that dream here at UMBC. I know other people can relate to this because the atmosphere at Camden Yards is something that is unexplainable unless you try it for yourself. The impact the stadium has on us spreads across all areas not just those around Baltimore. The food served there, the autographs, and the drunken fans is something that cannot be found anywhere else in Maryland. Nobody has left an Orioles game disappointed. Well, except for the past few years unfortunately. If you haven’t been there, I recommend making it out to a game. This game and place is what made me who I am. It gave me my identity.

words:250

The Goods, The Bad, The What the Hell is She Wearing!

Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga, System of a Down. These are three of the most popular musicians around and about in today’s music scene. But, along with the music comes the media and publicity scene. Who has the hottest latest trend? Who has the best outfits? These are questions that would never have been asked about back in the 1960’s. The plain laid back hippie lifestyle was the in thing. We all know that the use of marijuana played a major role in the culture, but to the public’s eyes, there wasn’t much diversity. Think of the popular names of the 60’s, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin. All of these groups had an influence to drug use and dressed about the same.  Now days, you cannot find any musician wearing the same outfit to an awards show.

          The world of fashion in the sixties held an “anything goes attitude”. Colors began to flow throughout clothing, along with patterns. Looking at the UMBC students of the 60’s, not much was different from what is described. Very few were clean cut when it came to hair, and when it came to shirts and jeans, colorful button-ups and bell bottoms were worn. Jimi Hendrix played a major role in the color scheme of 60’s clothes. When performing on stage, Hendrix would wear a bright colored scarf around his forehead, then symbolizing the anything goes attitude. Music was provocative and told stories of the musician’s journeys through life.

          Since the 90’s, clothes have changed dramatically themselves. The button-up of the 60’s transformed into the flannel worn by Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Pants went from being heavily baggy, which were worn mostly by gangster rappers like Tupac and Notorious B.I.G.  This was the era of the rebels, the grunge, and the notorious. Now days Rap has transformed its culture back to a conservative 1950’s look. While at the same time, certain artists are beginning to wear outrageous outfits that resemble the dada movement. These artists are role models to our youth, and will continue to influence fashion upon them till the end of time.

words:350

Don't judge a book by its cover

Sitting on the old and dusty, seventy’s looking couch, I read over my best friend’s English paper in thought of what grade I had received on mine. Papers were received as names were called out from the obnoxious nasally voice of the teacher. After a short five minutes, I put my friends paper down in disbelief that my name had still not been called. As I approach her desk the only thought that can transpire is “I must be in trouble”. I pull the teacher aside to ask what had happened to my missing paper. She simply pulls out the paper and says “well I have this paper right here with no name on it, but it can’t possibly be yours”. 

I skim over the text reading the words that I had slaved over the last week writing. This was my paper, it was definitely my paper. My teacher says “You obviously didn’t turn in a paper, I know students like you. The jocks that take advantage of other students work. The ones who are lazy and care for nothing.” Sitting there in disbelief of what I had just heard, I blew up in the teachers face with profanity no one should use. But that day she crossed a line. To question a student’s knowledge strictly on appearance is absolutely unheard of. This just shows another perfect example of the old saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover”.

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Aim for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land amongst the stars

Growing up with older brothers was always a learning experience. With such a large age difference between them and I, it was hard to be a part of the games they played day in and day out.  Being left out in a game of football or basketball was not uncommon. They had an overall size advantage. But, when it came to baseball, they believed anyone, any size could play. Now I am here, at UMBC playing on the baseball team, leaving behind a list of accolades achieved throughout the past years. My brothers never played a minute on any college athletic team. I give them the credit for my success in sports.  Ever since I was little my oldest and if you must say “wisest” brother would always tell me, “set your goals high, so that you’ll never set yourself up for regret”.  Now I am competing at the division 1 level and my goals have been set even higher. Some people doubt that I will ever play professional baseball, I believe those assumptions are only fuel for my fire and help me strive to get better day by day. One day, I will fail, and I will find my place in this world. But I will never live my life saying what if? The time has come to prove my conscious mind wrong. It is time to prove the others wrong.

Words: 232