It's A Learning Process

I went to the Marina with my dog Thursday last week. My dog Chewy is very obedient. Although he gets very excited when he is around other dogs, he listens. He is friendly but aggressive. When I got of the car, I had to put the leash on him or he'd go buck wild. I walked him up to the dog park, and when we got there I opened the gate and let him loose. He sprinted for the water and galloped in. When he got out of the water, another dog came into the park. Chewy ran furiously up to the dog and started to growl and pounce at the other dog. The owner of the other dog began to panic. (She was pretty old.) I called Chewy's name but he didn't listen. It was as if I was oblivious to him. I called repeatedly and he still wouldn't come. I had to go over to him and pull him away by his collar. Chewy knew not to go after that dog. He knew the consequences, yet still did it. I don't understand why he wouldn't listen to me, especially because he always does.

(Picture Taken By Me.)

Are Dogs Ruled by Their Drives and Instincts?

 dogs are born with "Personality Traits"(paragraph 2) that promote a dogs “drive”(Paragraph 2) and motivates their behavior. (Paragraph 3) These behaviors can be broken by constant reminder of who is in charge.

      

In life we disobey and we have consequences. As we get older we as teenagers start to develop a drive against our elders. Even though we have been trained to listen and apply the appropriate behaviors towards our parents, we will do whatever it is that satisfies us. We know right from wrong, we know the consequences of our out bursts; yet we still continue to do as we wish. Sooner or later we will realize that we cannot just disobey--as will Chewy. It is a part of growing up and maturing into a more developed mind set. As I continue to train Chewy and work with him I am hoping that he listens to me even when not convenient for him. We can connect this to our own lives.

Works Cited

R.Judy. "Are Dogs Ruled by Their Drives and Instincts?". Animal Associates Behavior. N.p. N.d. Web 9 Nov. 2014

Happiness Is Key

Boogers,dirty hands, messy eating, potty training,screaming,crying,laughter,love,hate,fear,excitement-- children.

     At the park there are always children playing, having a blast. They yell at the top of their lungs as they are being chased by the person who is “it”. A game so simple yet so exciting. Anyone can play, all you have to do is run right? Wrong. The game of tag can’t be played by anyone. What about a child with no legs? Can he or she play a game of tag?  I didn't think so.

A young boy sits in his wheel chair. Excluded from the game of tag. He just watches all of the other children laughing,smiling,having fun. Something that every child should experience.  A blank expression on his face, glaring down the other kids. He looks angry,frustrated,but more than anything sad. I begin to cry. Why was he born with a disability? Why was he chosen to have to live with no legs? 

     I don’t understand why such horrible things happen to people with no control over them.  A childhood limited because he was born that way. Never able fully achieve what a normal child would. 

His mother is sitting next to him with a deck of cards. She starts to deal a hand for him and a hand for herself. The boy shouts “No I don’t want to play!” His mother softly says “Please Hunter,play for mommy”. Without wanting to, Hunter agrees. As they play cards, competing in a game of “Go Fish”, Hunter starts to laugh and smile. His face turns red from how hard he is laughing. He is enjoying himself, he is having some fun with just a deck of cards. He doesn't need to be a part of the game of tag. He doesn't need to be like everyone else to be happy. He finds some excitement in the simple game of cards. 

     The picture below represents something beautiful to me. "Believe" is such a strong and powerful word. To believe is to have hope and faith. This picture relates to my post by representing that all children should still believe in happiness even with their struggles.

     

Life throws obstacles our way throughout our entire life. We can dwell on the obvious, or gain something greater from it. I didn't expect to see the boy having any fun at the park that day. But he found a way. He found a way to let himself be happy. In life we can't dwell on all of the things wrong in our life. We have to try and find a way to be happy.

 http://blog.amsvans.com/young-photographer-brightens-lives-of-children-with-disabilities/ (Other information not available.)

Start Noticing

     I’ve always had two perspectives on death. One is, the thought of death can be terrifying. Knowing that somehow, someday, I will eventually die is mind boggling. I don’t know if I will ever want to die. I always question what the point of being successful in life is, if everyone dies in the end. Why do we graduate high school, go to college, and find a job if all that happens in the end is death? Is there a point to living? Can an animal have an idea on what death is like? Does it terrify them to die as well? I hate the cry of an animal; the screeching of their voice makes me so upset.
      I can’t stand a human hurting one. Are a lot of animals scared of humans because we’ve hurt them so much? Do they see us as a threat? Imagine humans being constantly scared of something they cannot control being killed by. I don’t understand why the world is like this. For at least 30 minutes a day for four days a week, I have been keeping a sharp eye on all of the animals. I hope that we can one day make peace and live a no harm against animals world.
     No creature deserves to be killed. When I went to the Marina just recently, I witness many small fish being caught by the fisherman there. This is what triggered my thinking on humans killing other life on earth. The fish looked so scared of the fisherman. Flapping around furiously and in a panic. I hate seeing stuff like that. More people should realize what they are doing to animals.                                                                                                                         

Not Just Observing But Being Observed

Observing may sound like an easy task, but it takes time, focus, and patience. Over the last several weeks I’ve discovered plenty. I’ve learned about the different forms of life that the Marina holds. Although, I have not yet been discovered myself. By that I mean that I have in a way, invaded some of the life forms habitat. Also known as their home. I’ve been studying them, taking notes, taking pictures, and picking at some of their surroundings. Earlier this week, I realized that as I observe the Marina, I just might be being observed myself. As I continue to go to the Marina, I must be catching the attention of the some of the life forms there. I am always around the ducks. , I always get as close as possible to see the detail on their feathers. I have started to feed them bread. They seem to like it. I hope that I haven’t created unpleasant company. They stare at me as if I’m some sort of alien. When I am around them they are always so peaceful and they keep to themselves. I wonder if I start to interact more with the ducks they’ll grow a liking to me. Or maybe they’ll start to recognize me each time I approach them. I am excited to try and create a relationship with them. Do they interact more once they are comfortable? Will I be able to gain their trust? As I observe,they will be observing me and watching me. I will be judged by the ducks.

Maybe "Boring" Isn't So Boring Afterall

It was 7:46pm,I went to the dog park hoping that there would be someone their playing with their dogs. I love watching the interaction between man and dog. At first I was bummed out when there was no one. But then I went and sat at the bottom of the hill near the water. Looking for something to observe,I noticed the rocks in the water. To most people,(myself included) rocks have a dull and boring appearance.If the rock isn't pretty and colorful,I don't have much interest in it.I pulled a few rocks out of the water. They were worn down and loosing their color. I wasn't captured by their appearance,but more like the history behind them. How long have these rocks been in the water? Where did they originate from? Have they always been at the Marina? How did they even get here? Rocks come in all different shapes,colors,and sizes. Does the environment have an impact on the way they look? There has to be some kind of logic behind the rocks.
I plan do do more research on the background behind rocks. Observing every detail they come with. I will gather a variety of rocks and place them in different environments to see how they react.
When I was little,I picked up a rock from Shadow Mountain Near Reed High school. The rock was orange and a grayish purple color. It was very dry and rigid. I put lotion all over the rock hoping it would become smoother, It didn't. I wonder if there is a proper way to change the texture of the rocks. I will soon find out. I am excited to turn what I considered boring in something fascinating.

Overlooking The Park

As I rocked back and fourth on the cold swing,I could hear the squeaking of the chains each time I swayed back. There was no one around at this time of night. No one in sight. It was kind of creepy,I got the chills as I blankly stared at the play set. It reminded me of a horror movie. I became distracted by the very awkward man who has sat down on the bench near the play set across from me. He was all alone,just peacefully admiring the Marina. I wonder why he has come so late? Is he more comfortable at this time of night? Does he feel at peace with the quiet? He starts to humm and whistle. As he plays a song in his head,as he snaps his fingers and taps his foot to the rhythm of the beat,I begin to humm with him. I begin to snap my fingers and tap my foot. And in some werid psychological way,I start to connect with this man. I connect with him without him knowing. We are sharing a bond and he has no idea. I calmly sway on this imperfectly perfect swing and whispered to myself,"This is perfect. "This is real.." I hope that I continue to have connections as I observe over the next two months. It is much more interesting.

Not Just A Lake But A Memory

I've gone to the Marina ever since I was a little girl. My dad use to take me there almost everyday during the summer. (That is before it became filthy.) I learned how to swim in that beautiful lake. I loved the Marina. I was so use to playing in the sprinklers in my front yard,that the Marina was something new and exciting. My favorite part about the water was trying my best everyday to swim to the dock. Reaching the dock seemed so hard at the time,it was nearly impossible. Once I finally reached the dock,I felt invincible. It was a feeling that I will always remember. Not only did I learn how to swim at the Marina,but I also learned how to ride a bike. I was always so terrified of riding a bike because it seemed so scary. I started out riding around the park at the Marina a few times everyday. Once I got the hang of it, I moved my way up to riding the entire two miles all the way around the lake. To a little girl like me,that was a huge accomplishment.

As I've gotten older and the years have passed,I haven't visited it as much as I'd like to. I had forgotten how amazing it is. I've begun to take a closer look at every detail of the Marina. There is so much to admire. It's beauty and value has become even more so to me now. I have a ton to explore. So far I've been taking a closer look at the birds that in a way define the Marina. The seagulls; and their pointed beaks. They soar around the lake as if taking ownership over it. Their white and gray wings are so simple,yet beautiful at the same time. When the post up on a rock,they keep watch of everything happening around them. They're quite sneaky. Sometimes I won't even notice when one is inches away from me. They have caught my attention,and I plan to discover much more.