Week Two: Famous Last Words

Once upon a time, there was a pretty young girl named Chandler. She was very outgoing and excited to try new things. It was her last semester of college and she was well on her way to graduating on time. Yay! She was enrolled in 18 hours and very active in her sorority. She also worked two jobs to save for a brand new car. 

It had been two weeks of school and she noticed she was somewhat behind in her school work. So, she had to be honest with herself to find the root of her procrastination. Senioritis. Smh. The worst thing that could ever happen to her. Somehow she had to get back on track and stay focused on what was truly important to her, graduation. 

She decided to commit to study hours during the week and get work done ahead of time. She knew the route she was currently taking was not the route of success. As far as her extra curricular activities, she knew she had to schedule those accordingly.

She was the chairman of a regional conference event, chairman of a chapter event, and community service chairman for her chapter. She also had to find time to lose the freshman fifteen that she gained from the Caf. She designated each of these activities time during the week that did not interfere with her course work.

Luckily for Chandler, she figured everything out and got a handle on herself. She went through the semester completing tasks ahead of time and making excellent grade. Give her a round of applause. *claps*

If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, be honest with yourself as soon as possible. It is never too late to get back on course and focused on your goals. Always know that there is someone that has been where you are or has it worse than you do. You can do it!

Source: The Harmonic Oscillator

Week Two: Storytelling

Gimme Some Color

Once upon a time, there was a a cactus, born and raised being bullied by everyone around him. His own parents did not want much to do with him because they said that he just did not fit in with the family. He spent his days alone doing the rain dance, which he created himself. The cactus, Christen, considered his rain dance a way of showing respect and a way of praying to the rain gods. No one ever understood why the cactus always wanted it to rain so much. According to everyone else in town, the rain ruined all fun activities. When it rained, students did not get a recess, employees missed a day of work, and no one could enjoy nice weather. The cactus did not have any friends because of his strange belief.

"Dear Rain Gods, I really wish that it would rain, that it would pour. Rain, Rain, don't go away. Come back and don't stay away. Please."

After a long, deep sleep, the cactus awakened to cats and dogs falling from the sky, literally. He ran outside to happily jump from one puddle to the next. Christen knew what was coming next and could not wait to fall in love all over again. He wanted to see the rainbow, taste the rainbow. Ooooh rainbows! The rainbow brought such vibrant colors to his dull and lonely life. He lived in such depression with all of his white cactus flowers. He knew that he was destined to shine bright like a diamond. Diamonds have a way of sparkling in any light! He knew that there was a reason why he did not fit in. He just wished that everyone else recognized why he did not fit in. Christen needed a creative idea that would help him prove it.

Finally, the sun came out! The rain gods answered his prayers. The rainbow started to form in the sky. It stretched and arched across the town. He knew that the rainbow was selfish and did not want to share all of its color. Christen created a plan to trick the rainbow into sharing its color. After all, he did not want that much. He grabbed some grass to camouflage himself and hid in the bushes. His goal was to blend in with the bushes so that the rainbow would fall onto him without knowing.

The rainbow continued to grow and grow while searching for a place on the ground to land and place its golden treasure. Yay! The rainbow was getting closer and closer to the ground. The cactus moved a few steps to the left, then a few steps to the right. The cactus scooted towards the north and slid towards the south. He was successful in getting really close to the rainbow. Before the rainbow realized it, it was sharing its color with the cactus. The rainbow tried to move but the cactus was holding on for dear life. He was never letting go because this was his only chance.

Later that day, the cactus went back in town glowing with color. Everyone looked and noticed that the weird boy was now the coolest boy in town. They ran to him asking for autographs and how he became so cute. The cactus just laughed. He said, "Please don't kill my vibe." Christen's colorful legacy lived on for eternity.

Source: Michael Fletcher

Author's Note:

When the Rainbow was Torn, from the Tejas Legends, was a simple reinvented life lesson. I chose this writing style because it reminded me of the original story. Sadly, there is always someone that lives a life with no friends, no love, and no support. Many times there is someone in the world that goes unnoticed or unloved until someone else needs something from them. By that time, it is usually too late to become friends with that unwanted person. Never judge a book by its cover. This story was great. I believe that it just needed a boost. I added a main character, Christen, and a plot. Personally, I feel that the color white can sometimes be very boring and lonely. So, I chose to give the cactus a boring and a lonely life. The first thing that came to mind was a child that has suffered from bullying and being made the outcast of his family. From that thought forward, the rest of the story seemed to fall into place. I have found that the easiest storytelling is that which reminds me of a movie. That is a true story. It gives me the visuals to provide more detail and the entertainment to actually like what it is that I am writing.

Florence Stratton and illustrated by Berniece Burrough (1936).