A Coney Island Rumination~ Reading Response

The way that Paul Hoppe describes Coney Island is in a way that I believe can be directly related to human and human nature. It is susceptible to change, has extensive variety, and a future is not always guarenteed.

For humans change occurs on a daily basis. It is obvious that we change from being a newborn to an adult, but even as we get older we may begin liking new things and changing our appearance. One day we will all grow old and worn out. For Coney Island, this reading portrays just that. Once bright and shining, it now seems old and forgotten about. No longer an icon of the eastern U.S.

The variety of the Penn State campus is comparable to the variety of rides and attractions. Walking around campus there are people of all colors, all religions, all nationalities, and with interests that are vast. Coney Island has all sorts of colors as well, with a huge amount of rides and food places. There are different attractions for everyone.

It is just part of human nature that people age and one day, sadly, we die. It is not totally guarenteed that we will even be able to live life to the fullest, at any moment life can end. I'm sure that no one believed that Coney Island would ever be old and dull and boring, but it happens. Obviously, just like with the diseases of humans, it is able to bring something back into health, Coney could be spruced up again, but there is never a guarentee that it will stay the same.

The Writing Room

The Sun Porch

While a lot of people may say that their favorite room to write in is possibly their bedroom, mine is the enclosed porch in the back of my house. It is in this room where I am able to relax, let my mind go, and let my inner writer come out.

Although this room is extremely full, it is not necessarily filled with my own objects, rather objects that are much more meaningful to myself and my family. Countless family photos are scattered all over from dance recitals to elementary, middle school, and high school graduations. Or even the dinner table that my family has shared since I was a child are all just a basis of the consistancy of my life. The consistancy that is responsible for my feelings of relaxation.

This room has now become my familiar spot and I love the warm feeling that I get here when the sun shines brightly through the blinds. It is not only a good place to write, but a good place to nap on those lazy summer afternoons, without a care in the world.

The Shoe that Drops

Throughout my life, teachers have always complimented me on my hard work and intelligence, and at first I always believed them. I always did well on exams and excelled at most everything I did. I had complete support from my parents and most of the time, my sisters as well. But, someone else had a different opinion.

My ex bofriend was fairly supportive, but I do not think he felt I had as much intelligence as I actually did. Eventually and even to this day, his doubt in my abilities still gets to me. He would always ask me questions and I would provide an extremely knowledgeable answer only for him to ask someone else we are with the exact question. Almost always he would get the exact answer I gave, and I just didn't understand why he did not just believe me.

Even after we had broken up, he knew exactly how to burst my bubble. When discussing where I had been applying to college, he quickly told me that there was no way I would get into any of the schools I had applied, "You don't have a good enough application," he told me. I was dumbfounded, I knew I was a good choice, why did he doubt me? Thankfully, as I am writing this right now, I got into Penn State but to this day, my lack of self esteem that my ex boyfriend caused sometimes comes back to haunt me.

During stressful weeks during the semester, it is often difficult for me to keep my head up. I start to gain some confidence in my abilities, and then immediately I begin to think about all of the things he has said and I think that maybe I really can't do it. It becomes extremely difficult to remain positive and I really hope I can heal this void in my life because I am better than he ever made it seem. If I set my mind on something, I can do it.

Redefined...

1. Gay=

Dictionary Definition: having or showing a merry, lively mood

Redefined: Gay is now used to describe homosexuality, but now in a derogatory sort of way. Even if a person is not gay, if they do something stupid a person may say, "you're gay."

2. Bro=

Dictionary Definition: brother

Redefined: "Come at me bro" is a popular term used on the show Jersey Shore. Now bro, or brother, does not in fact mean brother. Any man, or even woman I suppose, could be referred to as bro. Sort of jsut someone you become aquainted with.

3. Love=

Dictionary Defiinition: a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person or sexual passion of desire.

Redefined: Nowadays, love seems to be such a meaningless work. Young kids are prone to use it only weeks after meeting someone. Most people do not really know what love is.

4. Facebook=

Dictionary Definition: directory listing names and headshots, by 1983, originally U.S. college students, from face (n.) + book. The social networking Web site dates from 2004.

Redefined: Facebook is a database which allows for major creeping and stalking on those you may or may not know. It undergoes changes to the setup monthly and is extremely addicting.

5. Word=

Dictionary Definition: a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning.

Redefined: Word is no longer only used to describe the language written down on a page, but can also be used as a meaning of agreement, or to let someone know that you like something that they said.