Extra Reading Diary: Noah and the Ark

For my extra reading I chose to read the first half of Noah and the Ark. Here are a few of my favorite stories.

Noah, The Ark (Genesis): I enjoyed the first story of this unit, The Ark. I have always liked the story of the ark so what better to enjoy than the first installment. The imagery in the description of the ark is fantastic. As in how the ark should be made of gopher wood, the length should be three hundred cubits, and the height of thirty cubits. The story provides a great sense of foreshadowing of God's actions on the world. The last line of the passage is my favorite, "Thus did Noah; according to all God commanded him, so he did."

Noah, The Flood (Genesis): After reading "The Ark" within Genesis of course The Flood would be another favorite from this unit. The story of the flood is a fantastic one, but also very depressing given that every living creature on the world's soil died. However, the theme of ending all corruption on earth lightens the tone. The idea of Noah's Ark is amazing in that two of every animal and Noah's family are the only ones to survive on earth. It leads to the idea that innocence prevailed over corruption. The awful occurrence of the flood leads to a new beautiful beginning.

Noah, The Birth of Noah: My favorite story from the first half of this unit was The Birth of Noah. In the beginning, Noah is described in a wonderful manner. He is described to light up the entire household and is thought to be a child of angels. I loved that his father, Lamech, is startled that something so wonderful was born in such a corrupt world. Later on in the story we learn that Noah's birth is destiny. He will be one of the sole survivors in the Earth's ultimate destruction, the flood. Prior to the flood Noah proves his ingenuity by inventing the plough and scythe. I enjoy stories about destiny and to learn of Noah's life prior to the famous flood was interesting.

Noah, The Punishment of the Fallen Angels: My final story in this diary from the unit of Noah is The Punishment of the Fallen Angels.  I liked learning that Noah was quite different from all other men in the land. He followed the path of righteousness while all other men "pursued the evil inclination of their hearts." We learn that all of the fallen angels from heaven brought evil onto Earth. I enjoyed that no matter how much the fallen angels pleaded to God to spare Earth from the flood he did not give in. It shows that their evil actions are almost to the point of no return. The only cure is to purge the Earth of evil. The punishment is cruel, but symbolic.

Noah and the Flood

Myth-Folklore Topics Brainstorm

Topic: Dragons
Comments: I have always enjoyed stories and movies that contained dragons. They are fascinating fantasy creatures that have a great deal amount of horror behind them. I especially like the stealthy nature of these creatures.
Possible Stories: I could include stories about dragons that occur around the world. It would be interesting to learn about how different cultures view and portray the dragon.
Sample Story Comments: I learned that there are countless amount of regions in the world that tell their dragon stories differently within Dragons and Dragon Lore. In this book there are stories ranging from "The Dragon as Japanese Art" and "Welsh Romances and English Legends."
Bibliography Information: 
Sample Story: The Dragon as a Rain-God
Book Title: Dragons and Dragon Lore
Book Author: Ernest Ingersoll
Year: 1928

Topic: Sea Monsters
Comments: The ocean has always been an interesting concept for me. I love learning facts about the ocean and especially the creatures within it. I also enjoy learning about the fantasy behind the ocean. I am knowledgeable about many sea monster stories, but there are still many I do not know of.
Possible Stories: I could include the story of the giant Leviathan, Sirens, and maybe even the Kraken. These creatures are all great concepts to base stories off of.
Sample Story Comments: While visiting an article on Wikipedia I learned that the Leviathan is actually referenced in the Old Testament. This is really interesting to me because I had no idea that this creature exists in the book of Job and even mentioned in Psalm and Isaiah.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: Leviathan
Website Name: Wikipedia

Topic: Aesop's Fables - Dog & Wolf
Comments: After reading Aesop's Fables (Jacobs) and Aesop (Winter), I really enjoyed the stories within these books. Each story contains an excellent moral and is easy to comprehend with the use of animals. The way the animals are used in the stories is perfect.
Possible Stories: I could include stories that have involved lions, wolves, dogs, and owls. I liked all the fables that have included these animals.
Sample Story Comments: I thought it was interesting that each animal correlates with a human characteristic. Such as an owl being wise or a lion showing dominant and leadership qualities. I think it would be fun to mimic the way these stories are structured, but create morals of my own. I really enjoyed the comparison of the domesticated dog with the wild wolf. How these two animals are so similar genetically, but so different in behavior.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: The Dog and the Wolf
Book Title: The Fables of Aesop
Book Author: Joseph Jacobs
Year: 1894

Topic: South Africa - Jackals
Comments: The South Africa unit immediately struck my attention. I have been to Southern Africa so writing a storybook about the contents within this amazing culture would be interesting.
Possible Stories: Glancing at the unit within the Un-Textbook I noticed that Jackals are a repetitive animal used within South African folklore. The jackal has interactions with lions, monkeys, and even tigers.
Sample Story Comments: I like how the Jackal is used similarly to the foxes in Aesop's Fables. For example, the Jackal is portrayed as the foolish whit especially in the presence of a noble lion. I enjoyed reading about the African Jackals because we saw three while our group was in Africa.
Bibliography Information:
Sample Story: Jackal Fools Lion Again
Book Title: South African Folklore
Book Author: James Honey
Year: 1910

Jackals in South African Folklore

Storytelling, Week 3: Little Dog on the Prairie

     There is a wide grassy plain along interstate sixty-five outside of Indianapolis that stretches as far as the eye can see.  As soon as the sun rises, two prairie dogs sit and watch traffic everyday. Each day, the two laugh while talking about their lives as all kinds of vehicles zoom past. Despite them both being prairie dogs, they look quite different. One prairie dog is significantly larger than the other. His belly is so enormous that he hasn't been able to see his feet since he was a boy. The other prairie dog, which happens to be his brother, is quite small. When they were born, he was by far the runt of the litter. All his other brothers tease him about his miniature size to this day. The small prairie dog has always envied the size of his largest brother.

     As the sun begins to set in the west and traffic slows, the two prairie dogs decide to retreat to their borrows just a little over a mile away. However, something happened this day that has never occurred in the past. The small brother comes across his shadow. Normally he doesn't think anything of his shadow, but his desire to be larger this day was greater than it was in the past. The prairie dog dances with his shadow and exclaims how large he appears. His bigger brother laughs and continues to walk to their borrows. 

     The prairie dog shouts proudly, "I look larger than any prairie dog in the plains! I'm sure if I ran onto the highway a car will see how big I am and stop to let me pass!" His larger brother stares at him puzzled and confused as to why he thinks this. Suddenly, the small prairie dog runs through the grass to the edge of the highway. His brother laughs thinking he is only trying to show off his newly found bravery. A tiny truck can be seen on the horizon. The small brother slowly walks to the middle of the highway. He stands up tall and waits as the truck grows near. The once small truck is now suddenly a large sixteen wheeler. The small prairie dog begins to dance and cheer in front of the truck. His shadow, appearing only three times his size, mimics his actions. The truck honks its horn and merely hits a speed bump.

     As the sun rises the next morning on interstate sixty-five, the large prairie dog watches traffic alone.

Photo of Prairie Dogs

Author's Note:

I wrote this story as an adaption of The Wolf and His Shadow taken from Aesop (Winter): Page 5. In the original story, the wolf becomes overwhelmed by the size of his shadow and believes he can frighten a lion. However, the lion is not intimidated by the wolf's shadow and actually kills him. This is similar to the small prairie dog as he finally feels as if he is larger than he seems. In correlation to the original story, he "fancies" his large shadow and forgets the reality that he cannot actually stop a fast moving vehicle. I wanted to maintain the "fable style," but also wanted to modernize the concept. That is why I chose to use highway traffic as a main element to the story. I am not exactly sure why I used prairie dogs in my story as they are not a very common animal in storytelling. Well not a common animal used in stories I have read at least. I started writing the story with two raccoons, but it just didn't sound right when I read the story to myself. Overall, I enjoyed writing the story and the title was definitely the hardest part to think of. I am not sure how I thought to make a play off of the "Little House on the Prairie," but it was the last thing I did before publishing the blog post.


Winter, Milo. The Aesop for Children (1919)
"The Wolf and His Shadow"

Reading Diary B: Aesop for Children (Winter)

Here are a few of my favorite stories from the second half of Aesop for Children (Winter).


Aesop (Winter), Page 11: I really enjoyed The Bear and the Bees. A bear is stung by one bee and becomes angry. He pounces on a hollow log, but a swarm of bees emerge. I remember this type of incident happening when I was a child. I would be bitten by an ant so, like the bear, I stepped on the ant hill, but the entire colony emerges. That sight as a child is terrifying. I enjoyed the moral at the end of the story, "It is wiser to the bear a single injury in silence than to provoke a thousand by flying into a rage." This motto can reflect modern day altercations. If someone starts a fight with you, do not act on it. Just walk the other way or the entire group might encounter you.

Aesop (Winter), Page 13: The ending to The Fighting Bulls and the Frog took me by surprise. A frog is concerned that two bulls are fighting near their marsh. Eventually, one bull loses and tramples all the frogs to death. The ending is just so depressing. However, the final words are what stuck with me. "When the great fall out, the weak must suffer for it." This reminded me of stories in history. When the leader falls, the rest of the kingdom will fall also or in this case suffer.

Aesop (Winter), Page 16: I found the story of The Porcupine and the Snakes to be interesting. A family of snakes allow a porcupine to live in their cave, but realize the situation isn't working. So they ask him to leave, but the snakes end up having to leave instead. I can relate to this story. I have helped people out in the past, but it ended up backfiring on me instead. The story has a lot of irony. As Aesop states, "give a finger lose a hand."

Aesop (Winter), Page 19: My favorite story in the second half of this unit was The Ant and the Dove.  I thought it was excellent how both animals, despite their size, end up helping each other. I am a big believer in karma and this story is a great example of it. If you do a good deed, a good deed will return to you in the future. It might not be as quick as the ant and the dove, but it will happen soon enough. The phrase, "kindness is never wasted" is one to live by.

The Fighting Bulls and the Frog

Reading Diary A: Aesop for Children (Winter)

Here were a few of my favorite stories from Aesop for Children (Winter).


Aesop (Winter), Page 2:  I enjoyed the story of The Boy and the Filberts. It was a short story, but it packed a punch. A boy attempts to grab a handful of nuts, but cannot get his hands out of the jar. Therefore, he doesn't receive any nuts because he is too stubborn to only take half a handful. This concept can be looked at in real life all the time. Do not attempt to try too much at one time because you will most likely become unsuccessful. Sometimes it is hard to take your time with things by doing them one step at a time versus trying to get everything finished at once.

Aesop (Winter), Page 5: I found The Owl and the Grasshopper to be an excellent story. I thought how the grasshopper's youth and extroverted nature annoyed the wise old owl was a great touch to the story. This is seen in everyday life as the youth is always loud and almost obnoxious compared to the wise. In addition, the story also added a great factor of deception. When the owl realizes the grasshopper will not stop playing it's song, she deceives him and lures him into her den. The grasshopper was immediatly flattered by her compliments and had no problem coming into a predator's den. It reminds me how some enemies in your life will almost flatter you in order to deceive you in the end. I love the final phrase, "do not let flattery throw you off guard against an enemy."

Aesop (Winter), Page 6: I have enjoyed every story in Aesop that has to deal with stubbornness. The Two Goats is another great story using stubbornness as the main theme. Two stubborn goats attempted to walk across a fallen log at the same time, but end up both falling into the river below because one cannot wait until the other crosses. Each goat's pride was too large to even think of traveling across the log safely. Therefore, they both perish in the end due to self gloat and stubbornness. I can somewhat relate to this story because I have several friends that let pride and stubbornness get in the way of thinking clearly.

Aesop (Winter), Page 9: My favorite story from this unit was The Monkey and the Dolphin. I liked the twist that the dolphin was smart enough to realize the monkey was tricking him. Immediately, the dolphin dives into the water and makes the monkey fend for himself in the brutal ocean. I also thought it was interesting that the story includes dolphins helping humans. This has been prominent in both the present and the past. In some regions of the world, dolphins will still help humans by helping them fish on shore. The dolphins will lure the fish to very close to shore and fishermen will catch them with nets. In return, the fishermen will throw dolphins fish back as a thank you. I wonder when this relationship first started because the action is fascinating.

The Owl and the Grasshopper

Essay: The Setting's Influence on Aesop's Fables (Jacobs)

     The setting plays a major role in Aesop's Fables (Jacobs). Each story within the unit contains an element of nature, whether this is nature interacting with society or nature interacting with itself. The setting and landscape make the stories appear realistic, but the characters and narrative give it an almost fantasy feeling. The environment within Aesop’s Fables (Jacobs) is the key to understanding the stories.

     The common woodland setting promotes the fable with a sense of realism, which appears in everyday life. In addition, the characters are actual animals that have no fictitious meaning behind them. This allows the narrative for each story to seem simplistic and gives countless readers the opportunity to relate well with the stories. However, even with the narrative appearing simplistic there is amazing depth within each story. Many of the excerpts are relatively short, but deliver a great outcome. Each story contains a moral that reflects on everyday life. This moral gives readers a common life lesson that was told using the essence of setting.

     In most stories, there are great confrontations between two contrasting animal characters. The setting allows readers to understand how each animal interacts within their natural environment. With this natural woodland landscape, there is no need to attempt to comprehend a fantasy world when the setting is realistic and already knowledgeable to readers. This way, the readers can enjoy the narrative and meaning each character brings to the story.
     Several stories within Aesop’s Fables (Jacobs) show the interactions between man and nature. Some of these stories express the destruction of man, but also the coexistence of man and nature. The setting within these stories displays how man and nature will always depend upon one another to survive. Within these stories, man and nature share a connection that is symbolically expressed through the meanings behind each story.

Aesop's Fables (Jacobs)

Storytelling, Week 2: Neptune the Narcissist

     In the frigid waters of the Northern Arctic, a pod of narwhals migrated along the icy canals. If one is not familiar with a narwhal, they are known for their glistening spots and ivory tusks. For the most part, the pod coexisted in harmony. However, there was one narwhal that stood tall above the rest. Neptune lead the pod through the thick icy waters. There is something different about Neptune. His ivory tusk is nearly five feet longer and one foot thicker than the next largest male. Neptune believed his tusk is the largest because he was named after the "God of the Sea." In the past, whales from other pods would attempt to overthrow Neptune and battle under the ice. Nonetheless, Neptune's tusk always prevailed and he maintained control of the pod.

     After years of fighting, no narwhals within the Arctic Sea even attempted to overthrow him. This fulfilled Neptune with a sense of dominance and self-liking. He began watching his ivory tusk in reflections under the icebergs everyday. He spent countless hours staring at the beautiful tusk. Nothing else in the world mattered except for his magnificent tusk. The narcissism got to him so much that he eventually lost contact with his pod. Neptune migrated alone through the dangerous ice canals. The more his envy grew for his tusk, the more he began to hate his entire body. Neptune hated that he had a large tail fluke because he believed it took the wonder away from his tusk. Despite the hatred for his fluke, he continued to gaze at his tusk everyday.

     One day, Neptune heard something strange ahead in the water. The buzzing sound quickly became louder and louder. To his horror, he immediately realized that the sound must be the boat of an arctic poacher. Neptune confidently approached the boat and with one swift movement of his tail fluke he submerged under the boat's figure. With only three movements of his fluke, he was far past the poacher's boat. Neptune turned his head back towards the boat and smiled as he outsmarted the poacher. He raised his tusk into the air to show what the poacher had lost. Suddenly, a rope is tangled around Neptune's tusk. Moments later, another rope is thrown around the tusk. Neptune failed to realize several poachers were watching him along the ice edge. Neptune could not comprehend what was happening as four ropes wrapped around his beautiful ivory tusk. He cried for help, but no one came as the pod he abandoned was over a hundred miles away. Neptune no longer had the largest tusk in the sea.

Photo of the Narwhal

Author's Note:

"Neptune the Narcissist" is an adaption from the Aesop's Fables (Jacobs) story "The Hart and the Hunter." In the original story, the buck becomes narcissistic, like Neptune, of his antlers. In the end, his antlers are what kills him. This is similar to Neptune as his ivory tusk leads him to his demise. My story shares the similar theme that what you might believe is your strongest trait, might actually be your weakest. Neptune believes his tusk was the center of the universe, but in fact it killed him. In addition, he hates his tail fluke, but it is what guides him away from the poachers. The difference in the two stories is that Neptune was once a leader. He navigated the pod throughout the ice, but lost his way due to his narcissistic nature. After reading "The Hart and the Hunter," I immediately knew that this was the story I wanted to base my storytelling post off of. I also knew I would use a Narwhal because they are such bizarre creatures on our planet. I figured the narwhal tusk would be a great aspect to revolve the story around. I enjoyed giving the old fable an aquatic edge to the story.

Jacobs, Joseph. The Fables of Aesop (1894)

Jacobs 25. The Hart and the Hunter (Perry 74)

Reading Diary B: Aesop's Fables (Jacobs)

Here are a few of my favorite stories from the second half of the unit Aesop's Fables (Jacobs).

Birds, Part 1: My favorite story of the Birds was The Tortoise and the Birds. This story took me by surprise. It was one of the few stories where I was not expecting the ending to take such a sinister twist. Initially, the eagle helps out the tortoise by flying him home, but a crow easily convinces the eagle that the "tortoise is good eating." Immediately, the crow informs the eagle to drop the tortoise on a sharp rock to crack open his shell. Therefore, the eagle and crow get an evening meal. This surprised me because I thought the eagle and tortoise befriended each other, but the story ended in betrayal. I guess be careful who you trust because the outcome could be unfortunate.

Frogs and Fish: I enjoyed the symbolic meaning behind The Fisher and the Little Fish. A small fish pleads with a fisherman to let him go and wait until he is bigger to catch him. Therefore, the small fish will be bigger so the meal will be more plentiful. However, the fisherman disagrees and takes the fish anyways. This means that every little part of life should be seen as a large opportunity. Do not take things for granted even if they are as small as a tiny fish. Never pass on a small opportunity even if it isn't as big as you would like.
"A little thing in hand is worth more than a great thing in prospect."

Nature and Inanimate Objects: The story of The Man and the Wood was complete irony. A man pleaded the trees to give him one branch and finally they did. However, with that small branch, he made an axe head and began cutting all the trees down. The outcome of this story was so ironic that it was humorous. It reminds me of when I helped some people out, but it ended up hurting me in the end. I enjoyed this read.

People Wise and Foolish, Part 1: The Trumpeter Taken Prisoner was my favorite story from the second half of this unit. I liked the fact that the trumpeter attempted to not be taken prisoner because he merely played the trumpet. He did not consider himself a soldier, but the opposition stated that he encourages the men with weapons to fight. I interpreted the story as words are just as violent as weapons. Using verbal tactics, such as modern bullying, is just as bad as a fistfight. Even though both types of conflict are very different, they can have brutal outcomes.

Aesop's Fables (Jacobs): Nature and Inanimate Objects

Reading Diary A: Aesop's Fables (Jacobs)

There are countless of awesome stories within Aesop's Fables (Jacobs). However, here are my favorite stories from the first half of the unit.

Lions, Part 2: I enjoyed the meaning behind The Four Oxen and the Lion. Four companion oxen stand together each day for the protection of a hungry lion. One day, they separate and all fall victim to the lion's strength. This reminds me of the phrase, "strength in numbers." In safety situations people are stronger as a unit than as an individual. The story also shows the cleverness and patience of the lion. After waiting countless days he finally watches the oxen part ways. Immediately, he achieves his goal and takes all four.

Foxes, Part 1: I enjoyed the The Fox and the Stork. I loved that the persona of a swift and sneaky fox is definitely present within this story. The fox "jokingly" gives the stork a shallow dish so the stork cannot eat his soup. However, the best part about this story is the ending. At the stork's dinner party, the stork turns the joke around on the fox and gives him a long bowl meant for a bird's beak. In the end, the fox becomes the joke and his sneaky nature is put to shame. Do not play pranks because what goes around comes around.
"One bad turn deserves another." 

Wolves:  I enjoyed The Dog and the Wolf because it showed no matter how close two things can be related they are very different. The dog refers to the starving wolf as "cousin" and offers him a short walk into town to enjoy the plentiful amount of food provided for the dog. However, along the way the wolf notices a worn mark along the dog's neck because of a collar. The wolf parts way with the dog and would rather starve than be a man's slave. This was my favorite story from Aesop's Fables (Jacobs) because I can relate to the wolf. I am a risk taker and would prefer to take risks than live in comfort. I transferred to OU from South Carolina without knowing anybody and have found myself enjoying this experience every day.

Mice: The Lion and the Mouse was a terrific story. This story proves that no matter how large or powerful you may think you are, you'll always need help. The lion is persuaded by the mouse to spare his life and set him free. Soon enough, the mouse frees the lion from the trap. The duo even shows that good karma eventually comes back around. If you help others help will be returned to you even in the most odd of times. In addition, don't judge a book by its cover. The lion judged the mouse, but the mouse becomes the hero. 

Deer: One of the stories that stuck out in my mind was The Hart and the Hunter. The buck spends hours a day glancing at his noble antlers, but hates his "nimble legs." As a hunter approaches, the buck runs through the forest and loses the hunter. However, his antlers become stuck in the brush and the hunter catches him. I loved the narcissistic angle to the story. The buck adores his amazing antlers, but hates his slim legs. In the end, his legs saved him, but what he loved most killed him. What I took from the story is don't rule out what you think is your weakness, because it might very well be your strength. 

"We often despise what is most useful to us." 

Aesop's Fables (Jacobs): Wolves

Week 1: Glance at UnTextbook

I have found several units that immediately grabbed my attention. I was surprised to see how many stories that are within the UnTextbook.

Week 1 - Brer Rabbit I: The unit that first caught my eye was Brer Rabbit I. I am aware of this story from the Disney adaption of Uncle Remus' southern tales with the Brer characters. I am interested and excited to read even deeper into the story.

Week 2 - South Africa: The second unit that I am interested in is the South African Folktales. This will be an awesome read because I have been to South Africa. I can't wait to get a broader perspective to the culture through storytelling.

Week 3 - Alice in Wonderland: I am interested in the Alice in Wonderland unit. Again, I am aware of this story from the Disney adaption. It will be great to be able to compare how the Disney film was made in relation to the story.

Week 4 - Robin Hood: The unit of Robin Hood immediately grabbed my attention. Who doesn't like the tales of Robin Hood? I have seen several film adaptions of the story of Robin Hood so it will be awesome to read the actual stories behind the legend.

Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby

Week 1: Storybook Favorites

The first storybook I looked at was Stories of Jungle Tigers. I chose this initially because the title grabbed my attention. The story begins with an old monkey named Virgil who lives in the African jungle. He is upset that most of his friends have left and he hasn't experienced an adventure in a long time. Suddenly, he comes across a young boy named Sully who lost his parents in the jungle. Virgil is ecstatic when he realizes he can have one last adventure and take the boy back home to meet his family. Virgil tells the boy that on each day of their four day journey he will tell a story that will teach Sully life lessons. I found it interesting that the author told three stories about tigers, but the final story was of Virgil and the boy. Therefore, the beginning of the storybook connected with the conclusion.

The second storybook I found was An Owl's Tale. I enjoyed how the first line was a play off of the bird's call, "who, who, who wants to hear a story." The story is about an owl named Alice who initially lived in the forest and told many stories, but the forest was destroyed and she was left with a broken wing. Alice was found and relocated to an animal preserve with zookeepers. Each day she tried to talk to the zookeepers, but no one could understand her. One day a young boy can finally understand what she is saying. Alice tells the young boy stories of her ancestors. Each story a new character listens to Alice's story. I found it interesting that it turns out Alice's zookeepers actually understood her stories the entire time.

The final storybook I found was Sea Monsters. I picked this storybook because I have a lot of interest for the ocean. The story is about a researcher on the Oceanic Discovery Team (ODT). Stories are told about the legendary Leviathan, Kraken, and Sirens. I liked how the author connected modern technology and evidence to these old legendary sea monster stories. After reading the author's notes beneath each story I realized how much background research the author put into this article. Overall, it was an interesting read.

I enjoyed all three storybooks. I liked how the first two had twists at the end of the story. The last one was an interesting read that intertwined fiction and non-fiction.

Screenshot of the "Kraken" from the Sea Monsters Storybook

Introduction, Week 1

My name is Matt Hill and I am a senior at the University of Oklahoma. My major is Film & Media Studies. I am from Clemson, South Carolina and transferred to OU from College of Charleston (SC). I transferred to OU because I wanted to go to a larger school where football games are a big deal. In addition, I enjoyed the overall atmosphere when I toured the campus. Originally, I wanted to go out to California after I graduated so Oklahoma is about halfway between there and South Carolina.

As far as extra curricular activities, I am a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity here at OU. My hobbies include movies, television, outdoor activities, traveling, meeting new people, and anything enjoyable with friends. I really enjoy traveling. I have taken random road trips with friends around the United States and those experiences have been awesome. Back in South Carolina, a few of us didn't have to work for the weekend so we flipped a coin and it landed on Dallas. So we just took off and went to Dallas. I have been outside the United States once. I volunteered for a month in Africa two summers ago. Our group was in the Southern part of Africa. That experience was amazing and I miss it everyday.

After graduation I hope to enter the film industry in the direction of screenwriting or producing. I absolutely love screenwriting and I can sit and work on a screenplay project for hours in one sitting. Producing is a recent thought of mine. This year I got a job working with ESPN and FOX Sports for sporting events within the Big 12. I have enjoyed working with both companies and have mostly worked alongside the producers. Producing has recently grabbed my interest. I don't have a set plan after graduation as I plan to just move to a city and work my way into the business.

Personal Photo Taken in South Africa (Summer 2013)

Week 1 Storytelling: Blue Road Home

BLUE ROAD HOME

Everyday I take the Blue Road home. You may think a Blue Road is pleasant, but the dangers along the Blue Road are great. Everyday after work I walk three miles to the forest where the Blue Road begins. After a mile, the road is greeted by massive stone archways. However, a traveler must keep their head down while walking among these archways because there are hundreds of snakes that live in these rock carvings. If the eyes of a snake meet the eyes of a traveler the traveler will become unfortunately paralyzed. Once paralyzed a traveler will be dragged into a rock dwelling. Two miles after the last archway, there is a cave. This cave is known as the "temple of doom." The temple of doom has a tricky schedule. The cave decides when a traveler can pass through its caverns. Everyday between the hours of 11am-3pm and 7pm-1am the cave fills with lava. If a traveler reaches the cave during these hours they must wait until the lava subsides back into the core. However, the daily lava is the reason why the cave walls are always as smooth as glass. After a traveler passes through the cave they are descended into a field of nettles. The nettles reach as far as the eye can see. However, one must stay on the path and never touch a nettle. If one steps off the path into the nettles they will never find the path again. The nettles in this field are selfish and unforgiving. A traveler will forever walk in the field of nettles. Sometimes when you look into the field you can see travelers far off in the distance growing in age, but never escaping. After a mile walk through the field of nettles a barricade of pine trees are visible. Behind these pine trees is my cabin. A cabin large enough for comfort, but small enough for convenience. Home sweet home.

Author's Note:
To write this short story I looked at Tom Gauld's "A Map of the Area Surrounding Our Holiday Home." He has several motifs drawn around a cabin. The motifs I used were nettles, temple of doom, and snakes. I picked these because they were drawn almost in a straight line from the cabin to the end of the picture. Therefore, I could start the story outside the picture and work my way to the cabin as if there is a pathway passing these motifs. That is why the story is a journey.

"A Map of the Area Surrounding Our Holiday Home"
Illustrated by Tom Gauld
Story Link

Gauld, Tom. Robots, Monsters, Ect. Cabanon Press, 2006.


Photograph:
Appennines Mountains: G. Dargaud

Florida Keys...My Favorite Place

The Florida Keys

The Florida Keys is one of my favorite places i've been. Two summers ago, I volunteered at the Dolphin Research Center and lived in the Keys for a little over a month. It was an awesome experience. After work, we would all go enjoy the beach. The first photo was taken a few miles from work.

Personal Photos Taken Summer 2013

First Test Post

Testing Blog Post.