Blog #15 Au Revoir Millbrook High School

I was a girl with braces and contacts and two older brothers that lived at home who thought hospitals were cool when I entered Millbrook High School. I was scared that I would get lost on the "huge" campus.  I was without any stamps in my passport. I was worried about leaving my friends behind. I was confident I would be best friends with my then current best friend for life. I was sure I would not date until college and that I would certainly only date with the intention of marriage. I was confident I would become a better person through high school.

I am now heading out without braces and with glasses. I am the only child at home and I don't really want to leave. I am someone who absolutely loves hospitals and basically wants to live in one. I am not scared of the campus that actually is pretty small at Millbrook. I am ready to get used to the ECU campus. I am carrying a passport with a few stamps and I have a plan to get some more. I am not worried about leaving my friends as I know I can still be there for them. I am not best friends with my middle school best friend. I am someone who learned from dating in high school and know the pros and cons of dating someone for short term. I am sure I have become somewhat of a better person through my experience in high school.

I will be someone who continues to learn throughout my whole life. I will be someone who continues to work my hardest. I will be someone who appreciates literature and puns :P even though that hasn't changed through high school. I will be someone who like Whitman can truly say "I am large. I contain multitudes". I will be open minded. I will not allow a title to define who I am. I will not be a stereotypical American / first world country citizen and think of only myself. I will devote my life to service. Oh and I will succeed :)

P.S. If you are reading this for posting comments... Here are some funny memes that will give you some good advice!

DONT SKIP CLASSES CHILDREN

CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WISELY

BE CONFIDENT IN YOOOOSELF

DON'T TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY 

Whitman, Walt Whitman

Whitman's Notebook 
I could make out about every 3rd word. I also think the first page is like a contact book with addresses. He clearly wrote ideas about what to write including plot ideas and themes such as "two characters as of a dialogue between A. Lincoln (?) and W. Whitman (?)" with the theme of "lessons for a president elect". Other words that I could make out include "philosophy", "shall", "crash".... I think it is interesting that there is a stamp in his notebook. I think that his notebook and my dad's look similar, both are difficult to read and hard to follow but completely understandable to the writer of them. Um wow the drawings are awesome. I really like the hats clearly channeling Mr. Abe. And then maybe a harp. And the creepy skeleton one. I think that it is significant that instead of some authors who just randomly start writing it seems like he planned everything out a bit. I wonder if these notes he wrote late at night like I do. I have a notepad by my bed and I jot down the things I remember or think about as I am about to fall asleep. His writing it certainly messy enough (no hate). I think something else significant is that he crossed things out as his ideas for poems morphed and changed.

Whitman's Notebook 2.0 
Wow! These notes are really helpful! I was write about the contact info but it is quite sad that the contact info he wrote was for one of his friends who soon died. I think it is signifiant that instead of tearing that page out or scribbling out his friends info which would remind Whitman of his loss. Maybe he kept it so that he could have a reminder of his friend. I like to think that, this is the reason, and that Whitman was a sentimental guy. Yay thank you smart people for explaining the stamp. Whitman didn't like the disunity of his country. I agree that his tone changes not only in his poems but also in his notebook. He uses a lot of imagery specifically regarding color like black. Finally, I agree that the last page is the most mysterious because not only is the drawing hard to understand (is it a rising or setting sun) and then also what the drawing represents. It is relevant that some of his work is not understandable as he wrote it for himself and not him.