Shannon’s Weblog

  I would like to start off by saying that my name is Shannon Miller. I understand that you already know this, BUT did you know that I share this name with the 1996 Olympic gold medal gymnast Shannon Miller?!?!  I deserve to stay in this classroom because of the value of my name…how many instructors can say that they have a student who has earned so much fame?? And besides, no one needs to know that I am not the award-winning gymnast (you can leave that little part out). Think of the popularity you would gain if others knew you had such a prestigious young woman gracing you with her presence three, sometimes four days out of the week? You might even say that you give me (her) special tutoring sessions to help improve on grammar. And, during these “tutoring sessions” you could even say that you have learned many personal things about me. This opens the door for you to be featured in a distinguished magazine such as US weekly about the “Dirt on Shannon Miller…The Gymnast.”  Just picture it, page 83—“Nancee Reeves Tells All”, and on page 84—“Britney Spears Tears.” How many people can say that they have shared the spotlight with “America’s Party Girl” Britney Spears? The answer is not many. And, remember Nancee with fame, comes fortune. Is there anything in this world that you have always wanted, yet it has been out of your reach? Worry no more, because with my help you can obtain all, achieve all, and never desire anything which you cannot have. Before you make the decision on whether or not to throw me out of this class, I want you to think long and hard about my proposal. If this sounds like a deal with the devil… it’s because it kind of does. This argument took a very wrong turn. I’m very sorry, this seems kind of creepy…haaaa

Anyway, I can bake some pretty awesome cookies…so if this whole “fame and fortune” thing doesn’t sound enticing, just think about warm, chocolaty goodness all wrapped up in a delicious cookie.

                                                                   PLEASE LET ME STAY!

Argument 1

Subject- The Simpsons vs. Family Guy

Claim—The Simpsons are more enjoyable to watch than Family Guy (Also on FOX). The Simpsons are a classic. Between the five of them: Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie they create quite an animated comedy.

Evidence- They first aired with their own television show in the year 1990.

Argument 2

Subject- Family Guy vs. The Simpsons

Claim—Family Guys is more enjoyable to watch than The Simpsons. Family Guy is a current comedy hit with vulgar humor and wittiness that rivals The Simpsons. Yet, both being aired on FOX is not the only thing these animated comedies have in common. Family Guy can be enjoyed by all races, genders, and ages.

Evidence- Seth McFarland gave graduation speech to 2007 graduates at Harvard University. He has obviously made an impact.

1.  The Goonies

2. The Breakfast Club (or any of the 80’s film w/Molly Ringwald–Pretty in Pink, 16 Candles..)

3. Batman Returns (the one with Danny Devito as Peguin)

4. Heavy Weights

5. THE HARRY POTTERS!!!

    Most of these movies that I chose were filmed in the 80’s or early 90’s. Since I couldn’t have grown up in the 70s (boo), I’m glad that I atleast made it to the 80s and 90s. Besides the awesome movies that were created, there was also the awesome hair-dos, the obnoxious clothing, and…techno music!! The Goonies is probably my favorite 80s movie of all time…and not just because it starred Josh Brolin. It was this great tale of a group of teens that found sunken treasure, defeated the villian, and came together (in more ways than one . The film The Breakfast Club took place in one day. It told the story of high school students who were from different cliques: the prep, the jock, the nerd, the trouble-maker, and the freak. I loved how they all came together in the end, and really understood eachother.   I just love Batman Returns because it was super hilarious seeing Danny Devito in tights…yet also disturbing.  There are a few reasons why I LOOOOVE Heavyweights. The BLOB is awesome first of all, and secondly Ben Stiller is one of my favorite comedic actors. Yet, his evil character in Heavyweights seems to be the same as his character in Dodgeball, and even in Happy Gilmore. Last but not least, HARRY POTTER! So, I’m pretty much obsessed with the books and I’m heartbroken that it’s all over, but I’m glad Harry triumphed in the end! The movies obviously aren’t as good as the books (they never are), nevertheless I’m always first in line the opening night of the films!! It’s really awesome to put a face to character that you’ve been reading about for so long, and I’m okay with Daniel Radcliffe’s face…

A place I miss? Well, that would be the beautiful Lake Michigan, but I never miss it for long because each summer I get one more opportunity to enjoy everything it has to offer. For the last 15 years of my life, my extended family and I have traveled the eight hours it takes to get to Northport Michigan, a miniscule town without a Wal-mart, Taco Bell, or CVS for miles. Yet, it does have a Tom’s Market, Barb’s Bakery, and Dog Years bookstore.  I love that the small town businesses are still functioning and that the mega-stores are non-existent.

We’ve been staying in the same beach house for about 7 years…and it’s just right for the ten of us. It has everything we need and it’s about 20 foot steps from the water’s edge. We also bring two kayaks that we use religiously, and at sunset each evening two fortunate people call dibs for the kayaks. Every single meal is eaten outside on the porch, and every meal is cooked by the entire family.  The television in the beach house is put away in a closet, and for a really long time us kids actually thought that the house was without a TV.—(yeah right, what house is without a TV?)

We usually end up lounging around by the water reading books…then trading those books and reading more books. Sometimes when the wind blows and the temperature goes down…we go into the sand dunes and find a nice, large, round dune that will protect us from the wind and allow warmth from the sun to seep in. However, in the last few years mountain lions have been running rampant in our area, and the adults forbade us from going into the dunes alone. So, dune hikes and dune jumping are out of the question.

                A few years back after dinner we had planned on taking a beach walk as a family. My cousin Johnny who is a year older than me decided that he would start off early for the walk. So, while the rest of us washed the dishes from the meal, he took off down the beach at least 25 minutes before the rest of us. When we finally began our walk we couldn’t find him anywhere!  Well, long story short…we looked for him for about 4 hours and assumed that he had been abducted by one of those “random beach walkers”. We did find him…eventually, and when we did we were overwhelmed with joy and relief, but he (a teenage boy) was so pissed that we had made such a fuss over him.

                Every year something new and different happens, but one thing never changes—family. I feel that summer time is really important for an individual. It’s a time of change and growth, and finding yourself. So many opportunities can happen, and there are always chances for transformation. And, I’m glad that when I’m doing all this “changing and growing” I have my family there with me to support. So, while I miss Lake Michigan now, I know that in a few short months I’ll be enjoying my favorite place with my favorite people.

Through each of these mediums we are able to create our own ideas or opinions of what is being presented. By viewing the film/documentary Streetwise we were able to witness the existence of urban nomads first hand. We watched as they begged and pleaded for change, exhausted their bodies for a few bucks, and sold drugs and guns for the highest price possible. It is one thing to read about young girls selling their bodies, but it’s another to actually watch as a “transaction” goes down. Quite frankly, it’s disturbing and a bit frightening to see the glazed-over eyes of a twelve year old girl who has just finished her “work” for the day, or the crazed look of a young boy who has just finished smoking God knows what. With film, it seems that nothing is left to the imagination or to interpret. We see what the subject may not want us to see, but what is seen is the hard, cold truth.

The essay does not reach into one’s emotions in quite the same way as the documentary. However, it did give information that was not presented in the film. For example, we learned that these urban nomads travel according to the weather. Also, according to the Partnership for the Homeless, there is an estimated 19,000 homeless and runaway youths who live in New York’s shelters. The essay gives facts and figures, yet without an image of the individual it is difficult to form an accurate description of that person or place.

Some say a picture is worth a thousand words. I believe that this is true, but I also believe that it is up to the individual to decide what those words are. Some of the photos show malnourished teenagers, yet these teens wear a smile on their face. The difficult question is, “Which aspect of the image do you believe?”…the smile on the face—which may be forced, or the ribs protruding through the skin? One must look closely at a photo to determine the truth about the individual. Looks can be deceiving and behind a smile can be overwhelming sadness.

In today’s society, I feel as if the emphasis on perfection has become almost too much to bear; for both men and women. We are all guilty of trying some outlandish beauty treatment, hair-removal system, or some other equally impractical device to either enhance or diminish some aspect of our body. We place too much value on the clothes that someone wears, rather than the content of their mind. It seems that humans have felt this way from the beginning of time, or at least for the twenty years that I’ve been living. Yet, as time passes these notions about one’s body seems to worsen. As celebrities test the latest beauty treatments, the rest of America either A) watches, feeling more depressed with each passing day, or B) maxes out credit cards in the hopes of looking like Adriana Lima.

I don’t want to sound cynical, but this fight to look ageless is a lost cause. Death is inevitable, and like death, the process of aging is undeniable. I understand that I do not know what it feels like to be compared to a younger, more beautiful version of myself.  Girls my age, we are at our peak. We have not yet experienced worry -lines, sagging, or drooping. But, the cold reality is; that someday we will. What happened to wanting to grow old with your friends, or your spouse? Whatever happened to being unafraid to sport the grey hair, and the laugh lines? These are signs of a happy, fulfilled life.

The old saying goes, “We’re only as young as well feel”, not “We’re only as young as we look”.

I should probably start off by saying that I am a very awkward person who usually ends up doing or saying something embarrassing such as; falling down, saying something that is completely inappropriate, or unintentionally causing someone else to display signs of panic. These awkward moments are usually involuntary and occur in such frequency that I have become quite accustomed to them.

However, because of these “occurrences” I have acquired something much more than a flushed face or an interesting story to share with friends. I have developed the ability to laugh at myself. I believe that is a quality that is very important and necessary for an individual to carry out a some-what normal and exciting life. You may not agree with this point of view, but understand this;  if I did not have a way to release my nervousness or anxiety that arises from one of these idiotic moments, I would probably be locked up in a psych ward. (Haa, okay not really, but it’s funny to think about.)

Okay, now that I’ve set the scene for this particular memory, I will begin my story….It was the summer of 2004, between my sophomore and junior year of high school. And as always, my friends and I were on our way to Kings Island for our annual trip. If I had known then what I know now, I might have chosen to miss out on that year’s trip. But, as it happens, I was sitting shotty in a red Mustang going 80 mph headed East on I-275. My stomach always gave a giant leap as I caught the first glimpse of the amusement park. Each summer, excitement mixed with apprehension faithfully plagued my body and mind. Yet, for some reason I continued to take these yearly trips.

On the arrival, we had decided like always, that we would ride Face-Off first. About an hour later we were ready to take our seats on the ride. Yet, just before stepping onto the platform we noticed that something or rather, “someone” wasn’t right. It took seconds to realize that a person on the previous cycle had the unfortunate experience of losing their bowels during the ride. And, with this I thought to myself, “This is not a good way to start out the day”. If I had only known what the rest of the day was to hold…

Five diet-cokes, and six hours later I began to lose my stamina. Having ridden almost every ride in the park, I was beginning to get fatigued and irritated, but it appeared that my friends had not lost an ounce intensity–they were still raring to go.  It was about 4:00pm at this point, and the bright, unforgiving sun was wearing my patience thin. But, the girls yelled, “Let’s do the bungee jump!” In all actuality, the “bungee jump” wasn’t a jump at all, but rather a “bungee swing”. Three people at a time could be harnessed in together, cranked up to about 150ft in the air, and then released into the great blue sky at maximum speed.

Well, long story short—we decided to do it. (By the way–remember those 5 diet-cokes?) My nerves were at an all time high as myself and two other friends were being strapped into the harnesses by a Kings Island Employee. As we were being lifted into the air I was told that I was the “lucky” individual who would pull the cord that would release our bodies into air.

Perspiration began dripping down my face as I reached behind my right leg, found the cord, and pulled. So many things happened at once; my friends screaming, the wind blasting in my face, and then….out of nowhere something would happen that would change my life forever. In the mist of the all turmoil, I realized that I had… (Yes, you guessed it) peed my pants!! 

But, what could I do? I was still air-born and…I was still harnessed in. And oh GOD!! …The poor crowd of people below me. Did they get sprayed?? Were they all laughing at my horrible misfortune?? And, what were my fellow comrades going to think? Could I blame the mist of urine on one of them?? Sadly, these are the questions that still haunt my thoughts to this day.

About three minutes later the swinging bungee came to a halt, and it was time to free ourselves from the harnesses. Little did the Kings Island employee know…I had a surprise waiting for him. He grabbed the harness from around my legs and gave a look of disgust as he gathered up the damp harness. Honestly, what could I do? Tell him that I (a 16 year old girl) had just wet my pants during a low risk amusement park ride? No, no I wouldn’t tell him anything. (But, I’m pretty sure that he knew the truth.)

Free from the harness, I decided to make a run for it and headed in the direction of the nearest restroom. I needed to check out the damage and maybe devise a plan that would allow me to get through the rest of the day. Minutes later, standing in front of a mirror I realized there was absolutely no way that I could play this off.  Partly because of my light blue shorts, which had turned dark blue in one area only (my crotch), and also the water rides had not yet opened for the summer season—which meant that I couldn’t blame the “wetness” on that.

Ultimately, I decided that nothing could save me from this embarrassing fate.  I was doomed. So, I pulled together all of my courage and walked out of the bathroom. As I walking back to the exit of the ride, I saw my friends standing at the booth where we had paid for the bungee jump. There were about ten televisions in this booth, and every screen seemed to be playing the same thing.  Getting closer, I realized it could only be one thing. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, our bungee jump had been recorded on video, and my friends and a small mob of people were watching it!!!

I didn’t need to say anything, everyone already knew about my “mishap”.  I couldn’t walk away; I had to face this dilemma head on. And, that’s just what I did. I walked around for the rest of the day with a damp bottom, and a sweatshirt wrapped around my waist; taking my friends horrible jokes in stride.

A million laughs and four years later; my friends still won’t let me forget that summer. During my next year of high school (Junior Year), one of my friends from the trip wrote a little section in our schools newspaper on the previous summer events. I won’t go into detail, but it read something like “Shannon Miller…is in need of the medication Detrol LA.” (For those of you who are unfamiliar with this prescription med—it is used for bladder control.)

Honestly, it was really embarrassing at the time…I mean, how could it not be? But, I wouldn’t trade any of those moments of awkwardness and embarrassment for the world. In retrospect, they have made me the person I am today. And, I think I’m okay with that. J 

When I first started college, I felt as if I were being shoved into the life of an adult. To be completely honest, I was NOT prepared for that in any way. Being an only child, I have always had my folks with me…pretty much with anything I ever did. In highschool, they were always at my sporting events, took me to my doctor appointments, and always made the arrangements for whatever I needed…including enrolling in college. Now, I’m on the verge of turning 20…AND needless to say, I still get a nervous feeling when I have to make my own dentist appointments. I’M NOT READY FOR THAT!! Instead of watching  Family Guy marathons, I am forced to do all the stuff that I really could care less about. THat sounds so pathetic, but I have become the laziest individual I’ve ever come across. It’s not that I don’t want to be independant, because I do—but perhaps in a few more years. It’s like adults expect you to automatically become responsible as soon as you hit 18…and NEWSFLASH–it’s doesn’t work that way. I have no motivation whatsoever, and have ultimately become a waste of space. Haa, but it’s not like I do poorly in my classes…I just do the bare minimum to get a B…okay or maybe a C. Someday, I will be the “adult” I am meant to be, but in the meantime I’ll just focus on eating week-old pizza, and watching an embarassing amount of televison.

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!