The Power of _____________

In the spirit of debate, I would like to hear what you have to say here.
This question as caused much controversy here at 7367 Driftwood Lane, which  has been great fun in quarantine...
May as well get y'all involved, plus, I need some back up. 
I kinda have a theory about who is going to say what, so...let the games begin.

In your opinion, what is the most powerful emotion? 
Love, hate, jealousy, indifference?  Something else?
Why?
Provide an example that illustrates exactly how that emotion is the strongest one of all. 
Be as detailed as possible.  Lang it up.

In Memoriam *trigger warning* (death,loss,sadness)

One year ago today we lost a fellow Falcon, a forever friend, a feisty student, and a first love.  It was a day I won't forget, and I imagine most of you won't either.
On the heels of that tragedy came another when we lost Josh.  Again, the sense of tragic loss, of unimaginable pain, and enveloping sadness.

The initial 365 days after the death of a loved one are often filled with dizzying arrays of emotional upheaval.  There are all the "firsts" to get through, and there's a whole lot of attention paid to the survivors which sort of serves as a distraction for a while. 
But, eventually, that stops.
 Sometimes for good because death and loss make people feel uncomfortable or guilty, and lots of times they don't know how to react so it's easier for them to stay in the background.

People deal with death in *myriad ways.  There is no one way that's better than another.  Likewise, we deal with the anniversaries and the timehop memories differently and sometimes we want to cry and sob and lock ourselves away, and sometimes we want to gather and commemorate and make things an "EVENT" and sometimes we just want a quiet spot to share, vent or reflect. 
There is no "right" way.
I can't do much to help in the first two ways, but I can offer this--the blog--a shared space that you can use to say what you need to, in whatever way that is.

BTW--this is a voluntary blog--not a mandatory one.  You do not need to respond if you prefer not to.
I will post another one Monday,


*fun fact: no, that is not a typo--that is actually the way you are supposed to use the word "myriad"--there is no "a" myriad "of

Thoughts of Life and Death

Passion. Courage. Conviction (not the word that means convicted of a crime).

These words are largely subjective--which means everybody's definition will be based on their own experiences and personalities.

That said,  I would like you to look them up before you answer this week's blog question.
Once you do that, consider the following:

1) What is it in your own life, this life that you have been given, that you would die for?  Is it different than what you live for?



2)  What is your passion; what gives you courage; about what do you hold an unshakable conviction?


After you have considered these two crucial questions it is then time to ask yourself where these notions came from, and when you first noticed them enough to have the awareness to answer this question--and of course, write about that as well. 
Deeeeeeeeep......

Lyrical Philosophies

Back in the days of  face to face AP Lang, we talked quite a bit about personal philosophies. 
These were usually in the forms of quick little rants that usually steered us off topic but into an area that may have been more important at the time. 
I miss those days more than you know but I am hopeful we can get back there soon.

So, during times of strife, I often turn to the comfort of songs.  Dogs too, but..ya know.  So, I've been making lots of Quarantine Play Lists...and that kinda got me thinking...

Music, to many of you, is an escape from the harsh realities of teenage life. Many of you use music as a gateway. To sanity, to serenity, to solace and/or to solitude.

So, now let's take one step further and also make it a tool by which you come to a greater understanding of how you see the world, and how you see yourself.
I'm not trying to ruin music for you--quite the opposite, actually. 
I am kind of hoping you'll get a clearer understanding of why you like music that you do.


Think about all the music you love to listen to. Specifically, think about the lyrics to songs you love. Now, I want you to pick one or two songs that adequately encapsulate how you feel about life, your life.
Of course, like a quote, nothing can COMPLETELY "sum up" your entire life--I understand that. But many songs, either through explicit or implied messages in lyrics, can at least provide a concrete example of either what you want out of life, what you want out love and how you want to be perceived, taken, understood etc.

So, your task this week is to tell us about a song, copy a few of the refrains/chorus/passages, and explicate their meaning(s) to you.

Try to pick ones that have some depth and that will provide a deeper understanding of your innate beliefs.