While I was attending Brophy, I was once told by one of my favorite instructors that, "Teaching is the ultimate sign to show you understand something." I gave that remark a lot of thought. I still do to this day. I believe that's why I am passing it on now. In relation to this English class, I have substituted the word teaching with detail. I am very grateful of the fact that this class has made me feel comfortable enough to elaborate on some ideas and explore new ones. I am extremely proud of the fact that I have done some of my best writing this year as well. I always felt that I performed at my best when I was most comfortable. I have noticed that I have increased my use of details, which is not something I incorporated regularly in the past. Along with my use of details, I have acquired a better understanding of transitions, conclusions, and rhetorical strategies. In some strange way, I have related elements of this class to my life.

The element that sticks out in my mind the most is details. For some strange reason, I can remember most things about a stranger's house and make observations most people would miss or overlook. I am no Sherlock Holmes, but I believe that making observations is key to understanding people and that is an essential element of success in this world. One of the ambitions I had when this class began was to somehow incorporate that into my writing. I feel that the opening sentences of my first essay depict my intentions and goals for this semester.

December is usually cold in the desert. In the mornings, it was a daily routine to see frost formed on the neighborhood cars' windshields. At night, I would have to resort to wearing a pair of jeans and a semi-thick jacket. For some unusual reason, this December night was colder than most in recent memory.

I am pleased with the effort I have put into my writing this semester. (At times I found myself speaking aloud, trying to find the exact words I wanted to use or the right words that fit the mood. I give you the example of Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets. There is a scene, in which Nicholson is in his apartment, "working," as he's thinking aloud. Right before there is a knock on the door, he appears to be confused, trying to find the best word to fit the moment.) But how did I incorporate this into my life? I came to the conclusion that the more I could depict about someone the more I could come to understand that person's view. I gained a better understanding of this while watching the new movie, Sleepy Hollow. One of the characters believes that a religious symbol, a talisman to be exact, will protect him from the Headless Horseman. Johnny Depp's character is a man of reason, a man of science. Then I applied that example to people I know. I did find that those who believe in mere cause and effect, truth and consequences were not as strong in their faith as those who placed hope in many things and believed that anything is possible, no matter what the odds. (I am not trying to single anyone out by that remark it is just an observation) I feel that with that train of thought, I could understand "where people are coming from" rather than making assumptions and uneducated guesses. I want to be an open-minded person who can handle diversity well. Living in the "melting pot" of the world, that is an approach that can help me in years to come.

Ah, the years to come! What will these years have in store for me? I wonder that quite often. It is strange how one or two sentence can really change an entire idea or give life to a paper. When I initially wrote the rough draft of my first essay I was a bit vague and the paper suffered because of that. "The game of football has taught me a lot." I do not feel my audience could see where I was going with my paper and couldn't understand what I was trying to say. I could branch off anywhere with that statement. After correcting the sentence, I feel my point was better conveyed. "The game of football has taught me many fundamentals I can use off the field." Granted that this sentence did not make or break my essay, but the principle of the matter is a great lesson. This is much the same as the decisions I make today, as little as the may seem, can most definitely affect tomorrow. In today's world where the road is the information superhighway, being flexible and accepting change are critical traits. If I am able to jump from one obstacle to another in a somewhat reasonable way, even though life may not intend it this way, I feel I can be a much more active person in the world rather than just a puppet in a cubicle. This view on life has become clearer to me as I began to understand the usefulness of transitions in my writing. For example, one of the job duties I was given in the past year was to learn all the programming of the new wireless information products at work. My will to be an "active person" and everything I have learned about being open-minded is really put to the test because there are times when I feel like ripping my hair out. Often times I am handed a product with no instructions other than, "I need this programmed by the end of work today." One of the most recent times this happened was when we began to resell the Iridium global pager. I was basically thrown at the wolves and had to deal with all different types of people. During all this time though, I realized that there were people relying on me to get this job done and that I was, from a certain point of view, at the forefront of this new technology we were learning. Transitions, much like having an open mind, allow me to relate many things smoothly and more precisely.

But how can anything be so smooth and precise when there are some many voices screaming out at once or so many different ways to write a paper? Trying to find a rhetorical strategy that works for a paper is the same thing as trying to find the right way to handle a situation. I could compare and contrast, exemplify, or adapt a Rogerian method. Comparing and contrasting works in my life because it helps me better understand an issue and also helps me understand the other "voice" in the argument. Examples lend themselves to details. I do not condone this, but I tend to use analogies in abundance in my life. I usually use them when I'm having trouble explaining something. The reason I don't condone their use is because I have been in many "dog houses" when I used one wrong or confused myself to the point that I forgot what my point was. The Rogerian method is interesting to me because I learned that I was using the concept even before I knew what it was. The Rogerian method is basically presenting both sides of an argument and coming to a compromise at the end. How do these English "elements" apply to life? I have come to the conclusion that nothing in life or in the classroom will ever be as smooth and precise as I would like it to be. I am not condemning that at all, but I am aware that some people do not handle challenges very well. At times, I find myself embracing them. Life, since we're on the subject, is the biggest challenge of all. (This is a vague generalization so please forgive me). There are so many ways to face life. I have chosen to face it through a "laid back" type view. I try to accept everything that is given to me and appreciate it in someway. I have also come to find that if I not only hear, but also listen to what people have to say and also listen to myself as I am speaking, in the context of discussions or problem solving, I can reach a rational conclusion. In the end, this is no different than presenting both sides of the "police brutality" argument and coming to a compromise in the conclusion.

Speaking of conclusions, that brings me to my conclusion. My greatest ambition in life is to become a wise old man. Ever since I first learned about the idea of a Renaissance man, I somehow became enthralled to be a man of many traits and vast knowledge. Maybe I'm just at that stage in my life where I'm constantly challenging my own views on life or maybe it's something else. In any case, this class, through the lessons that it entailed, has allowed me to view life in the context of one big novel. The novel has included transitions, rhetorical strategies, and an infinite amount of details. I once read that one of the smartest men who ever lived used to remember everything by relating it to something else. If someone happens to read this, maybe they'll think that I'm being intelligent in relating life in this manner. Maybe some people will read it and say I just have too much time on my hands. What people say now really doesn't concern me. What concerns me the most is what will people say when the novel has ended.