Freewrite 11/16/15

With Thanksgiving coming right around the corner, I thought I would write about what I really am thankful for. Personally I am so thankful for everything in my life. Throughout my 17 years of life, the people around me have molded me to be the person I am today. I could not be more thankful for my friends. Today, I can honestly say I have met some of the greatest people in my life through sports and school. My best friend, I met in Kindergarten and now we are both playing varsity baseball together. I think thats the coolest. He and I have grown up in front of each others eyes and we both have made our parents very proud. I am also so thankful for the other friends I have made. Although most of my closest friends I play baseball with, I would not want it to be any other way. Theres something special about going to practice everyday and bonding with those guys and making memories that will last a lifetime. For all those memories, theres always a few dumb mistakes, but I am thankful I have made those mistakes because they have made me a better person. And of course, I am beyond thankful for my family. My brother Ryan, has always been a role model to me. Growing up, my brother would never let me win in anything, and I believe thats why I am so competitive today. I am thankful he has always been so kind and supportive to me. And then there are my parents. I would literally not be anywhere today if it weren't for them. They have given me the greatest gift of all and thats life and happiness. They have made sure my brother and I grow up in a loving and fun environment and I am so thankful for that. I am beyond thankful for the sacrifices they have made for my brother and I and I could not be more thankful for my family and friends continued good health and good blessings. Theres a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving...

Mersault's Essence of Existence

Throughout the novel, Mersault struggles with his own identity. The most simple things in life, he has a strong opinion towards. For instance, Mersault becomes easily disgusted when people show simple emotions in daily life. He is an easy person to get to, in the way that many things irritate him. He dictates the littlest attributes of life and nature, and talks about their true identities. He becomes so ingested in the environment around him that he becomes irritated with things such as the weather changing. Mersault hates change and cannot stand when things are different around him. For this reason, Mersault struggles with his existence because he finds a hard time trying to cope with the littlest things around him, and the constant change.

Walt Whitman Poem Number 1

I loafe and invite my soul,

I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.

My tongue, every atom of my blood form'd from this soil, this air,

Born here of parents born here from parents the same and their parents the same

I believe what Walt Whitman is trying to explain by this quote is the little things in life that he enjoys. He is very much in love with his surroundings, especially nature. He finds happiness in the simplest of things such as a single spear of grass. He not only understands his role in society, but he also understands that he is just a very microscopic part of life that the world experiences. There all kinds of small components that contribute to making a person who they are. The tiniest little atoms of blood and the smallest piece of soil make everything what they are. Without these little components, the complex item cannot truly have its full identity. Without his long line of family, he himself would not be living today. His ancestors have laid the foundation of life for him, and now because of them he is able to reach his own identity. I believe Walt Whitman wants us to question the littlest things in life that contribute to us living a happy and healthy life. Do we really appreciate all the small things we are given in life? If we think about it, the smallest things are what truly makes a life priceless. 

My Father and his Profound Impact

When I was first born, it was not long until my Dad begun putting a baseball mit in my hand. My dad had one vision for my older brother and I, baseball players. He immediately started putting stuff in my left hand hoping one day I would turn into an alright left handed player. Unfortunately for him I turned out to be a right handed thrower but this was still alright for him, as all he really wanted was to watch my brother grow into baseball players and have as much fun doing it as he did. Baseball is very important to my family. My dad and my uncle grew up in a very competitive household where they were always trying to outdo each other in any baseball talent they had. He then went on and pitched at Pepperdine University where he probably did a lot more of baseball than he did of studying haha. My father has helped mold me not only as a baseball player but as a person as well. He has always taught me to make wise choices and work harder than anyone else on the baseball field. If you work hard in baseball, eventually when the time on the field ends, that hard work will carry over into something else and eventually you will be successful. I will never forget when I was about seven years old I told my dad I wanted to quit baseball because I was afraid the pitcher would hit me with the ball. Thankfully my dad instilled in me that quitting because you are scared is never an option. It is always so important that you work hard, and you are fearless when doing anything in life. My father has done so much for me and I could not be more thankful, because of him, I have learned that there is so much meaning in life beyond just the game of baseball itself.

Socratic Seminar Review

In today's socratic seminar we focused a lot on the root of evil. With the subject of evil came the topic, animals and humans and the root of their culture. Some people shared that they believe animals are innocent for killing humans and that humans were always guilty for their killings. Others believed animals are often times aware of what they are doing and whom they are killing. My opinion on the whole matter was that animals in no way should be the root of evil. I believe that humans are the highest intelligent beings on the planet. My views were stated in the scenario of a grizzly bear killing a human, is that really guilty? I said that what if someone came into your house and tried to kill you? These scenarios are alike because it is nature's most pure characteristic that beings tend to be territorial. We always guard and defend our land in order for our safety. Because of this, I would argue that a human walking into territory belonging to another animal, such as the ocean with shark killings or the grizzly bear's habitat, is simply at the risk of the human. I believe this because it is the animal's natural tendency to defend what is rightfully theres. Therefore, my view on the root of evil in animals vs humans, stands as such; I would say that humans take certain actions that are evil, such as taking the life of an innocent person. Whereas for the bear, I would argue they are not intelligent enough to understand their evil, and in result or just simply doing what they believe is necessary in order to defend and survive.

Marcus Aurelius Quote

"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a prospective of the truth." - Marcus Aurelius

I agree with what Marcus Aurelius says here. Everything we see or hear is all an opinion, unless it can be proven with scientific fact. Through listening to what people say we can hear every person's opinion. The most accurate example I can think of is the politicians of the world. Through their debates we hear several different opinions on different topics. The second half of this statement is more of a complicated one for me. I believe through our vision we often see the truth in circumstances. On the other hand, I believe sometimes our vision fails us and we see things that are not actually representative of the truth. It is for this reason I believe the second half of the statement can go either way, as sometimes our vision can see truth and lie.

About Me Philosophy Statement

All of my life, I have lived in Manhattan Beach, California. I have never seen snow, and I have never traveled outside of the United States. Now, to some this may sound boring, but for me, I have lived one of the happiest childhoods I could imagine. My parents, Paul and Jan, met in Chicago where they had my older brother Ryan before moving out to Manhattan Beach where they had me. My family is easily the most important part of my life today, and without them, I simply could not be the man I am today. Growing up, my mother worked to instill important morals in my brother and I, while my father was most concerned with getting a baseball glove in my hand. It is an interesting concept, if you are a Franklin, you go to school, get good grades, and play baseball. That is just how it has always been in my family. I am beyond grateful that my father introduced me to the game of baseball, because without it, I would not have the memories and friendships I have today. All my life, I have traveled the country and played in various tournaments with the best players in the country. I am beyond thankful for my family because of this, because they have paid the money, and spent the time to do this for me. Baseball is great and all, but through lessons I have learned, baseball is just a game. My family instilled in me at a very young age, that it is important to get good grades, go to college, and after that live a life that will impact others in a positive way. As I begin my senior year at Mira Costa, it has me thinking what really is important in life? For me, I believe the most priceless and greatest things in life, come from friendship and family. At Mira Costa, whether it be a peer, a teammate, or a teacher, I have met some of the greatest people in my life, and I am beyond thankful for that. As I look toward my future, of course I would love to play baseball at a professional level. Now, how realistic even is that? I am not exactly sure, but I have been blessed to play the game for as long as I have and I am grateful for the opportunity. My family has always preached the importance of other options, and I could not agree more. I am excited to go to college and learn more about myself and what I am interested in. Here's what I know as far as what my future holds; my ideal plan is to start a family and of course everyone wishes to be successful in their jobs. I want to give my kids the childhood I experienced because its truly been a great one. I do not plan on spoiling my children, I simply want to make money, enough for a family, and then give the rest to charity or a good cause. Too often in life we see greedy people spend money on non-essential life things. My belief is that money is a great thing to have, but sharing that wealth and giving back is important and priceless to human life.