Reflective Blog

I am a freshman in college, while many people applaud my dedication to bettering myself, there are others who criticize my desire to further my education in this economy.  I have come from a lower class family, with only one parent graduating from high school, and I am a first generation college student.  My credibility comes from my life, I have witnessed both sides of humanity, and have grown to adulthood with knowledge that no child should possess. I lived in urban and rural areas, I have known church goers and law breakers.  I tell you, the reader of my blog, because I would like you to know my roots, and for you to envision the challenges I have faced to acquire the opportunity to attend the University of Oklahoma.

As you can see from my previous blog posts, I am a person who does not view technology as necessary to function. I feel that technology is only a tool to be utilized in expressing one's essence. I believe that the thing one posts on sites such as Facebook or any site should be honest views. Paul has done a great job of teaching me how to express myself, while still retaining the professionalism of a well educated scholar. The website assignment is a great example of this. The level of research, and work that was required by this assignment express the dedication required from college courses. The blog, which is the first I have ever created should also serve to show my growth. Initially I did not apply myself and my post was riddled with spelling errors, and had no credibility.  My next posts however, were more thought through, and more personal, which I feel allows for my readers to trust me on a deeper level. 

Both of these assignments have deepened my knowledge and respect for technology.  Now I can type up a blog post without challenge. I have also recently learned how to link my text, so that in the future my readers will be able to read the things I read, and hopefully the comments will deepen my knowledge of articles, just as I hope my posts inspire others to explore their lives, and express their feelings. This class has allowed me to explore my own thoughts and feelings, as you can see from my blog posts above.  The website, is also an expression of my person, I posted nearly all of the text on the site, and formatted it into a uniform layout as well.  I will give credit to my peers as they helped to write everything, and one even helped to format and organize the site.

Thank you Paul Mitchell, your class has allowed me to deepen my understanding of technology, and myself.

Keeping "House"

I work at a casino, an institution people claim to be bad because they take peoples money, and are greedy "fat-cats."  I have a different view on the issue, I think casinos are distasteful because the customers are very nasty.  Working in housekeeping has allowed me to see first hand the laziness, filthiness, and lack of concern for other customer's health which are prevalent inside casinos.  Many people dump ashes everywhere on and around the slot machines, not bothering to use the ashtrays, and often dumping ashes on the buttons of machines that others will have to touch.  Many people who dip just spit in the ashtrays or trash cans, instead of the cups which we offer to get them, which eventually causes another customer to spill spit on themselves if they try to use an ashtray.  Everyday a few people defecate or urinate on themselves and the chairs, not only sickening people around them, but this also puts the other customer's health at risk.  Even with housekeepers on staff 24 hours a day, constantly cleaning and sanitizing, we are outnumbered by dirty and dangerous customers.  There are a few courteous and clean customers, but they are rare, and not noticeable due to the large amounts of inconsiderate customers.  So, hopefully, after reading this, one will be aware of the risks of frequenting casinos, and apreciate the hard working housekeepers who struggle to make it a safe clean establishment.

A day without technology

A Day Without Technology

First off a disclaimer to my English professor, as this is a post about using no technology for a day, I did not feel that hyperlinks were appropriate.

 I began my day by waking up naturally, the lack of an alarm clock was refreshing. My morning went smoothly, because I do not use technology early in the morning. I quickly realized the difficulty of my task a few hours later, as I sat in my bedroom and I became very bored.

I instinctively reached for my phone, to play a game, but then I remembered my goal for the day. I sat on my bed for awhile, missing my television shows, my phone, texting, and video games. I had to figure out something, or I would be in for a long day. I found solace in two activities, I decided to read a book, and talk with an old friend.

It was a great day, I did not know how liberated I would feel without the tether of a technological leash. I got to read a few great books, and I had a great time speaking with my friend. I was able to rekindle the love of reading I had developed as a child, and calm my mind which had been very besieged by college and my job. I was able have a meaningful conversation with a friend, and relive the memories we shared.

My day without technology was great and filled with meaning for me, even though others may consider it a wasted day. I believe that by taking the chance and eliminating technology from my day that I gained a deeper friendship, and also found a way to relieve the daily stresses of life.

Facebook and Me

   When I was a freshman in highschool I went from being a shy introverted student to become a friendly and sociable person. As I became more popular and social I realized that I was one of the few people who didn't use internet, and more importantly any form of social networking. Everyone pressured me to get a facebook, it was a place to post all of your cool thoughts and events. I eventually caved and created an account. I soon discovered the easy to learn games, which provide short bursts of fun and entertainment for my inner gamer, while not making me sacrifice endless hours to a single game. A few days later I discovered the messaging features of facebook. I use the messaging to talk to old friends quickly, which allows me to focus on homework and myself instead of taking long drives just to catch up for a few minutes. I eventually found out that I could post and store my creative writings, which made facebook a creative outlet, and a great way to relax, and my friends can also read what I post and give me advice. Facebook has many positive features which make my life easier and more enjoyable. I can play games, post thoughts and events, or message friends as I get the urge, and simmultaneously study my college coursework. Unforhtunately nothing is perfect and I am forced to read "like or comment" posts saying that if I love God I will click like. I must also read the posts of the friend who feels the need to post every half formed thought, or their every action, and everyone has one of those friends. There is also the problem of misread or misunderstood messages and posts, which have an annoying ability to cause arguments before I can figure out the mistake and fix it. These are minor inconvieniances, when I consider that I am saving so much time by using facebook to message, play games, and develop my writing. I feel a little thrill of exhilaration when I see a new notification as I wonder if it is a game request, a message, or a new comment on a post or writing. I believe that the ability to simultaneously manage my social life, and my collegiate life make facebook a great benefit to my life.