What I’ve Learned
What I’ve Learned
[We spent several weeks in class with Mr. Franek handing us examples of “What I’ve Learned” columns from Esquire Magazine profiling people like Ray Charles and Homer Simpson. He then challenged us to write about what we’ve learned in our short 16 or 17 years of life. I was first overwhelmed by the task thinking, “What do I have to say that’s anything important compared to these extremely successful and famous people?” Here is what I could come up with. None of it is very profound, but neither is life.]
- Jell-O, chicken soup, and chocolate cure all ills.
- If you can say that you’re absolutely sure of anything, then you’re full of it.
- I am an observer. I believe that stories should be observations more than fabrications.
- I’ve always admired people who are poised and can hold themselves as if they have nothing in the world to be ashamed of.
- Sporks are by far the greatest utensil. A spoon and a fork? That’s just crazy.
- When people say something is strange I ask them, “What defines strange?”
- No idea is original. You listen to any song and you think, “Hey, haven’t I heard this before?” You probably have.
- A box of cookies never lasts more than a day in my house.
- Freedom isn’t always that great.
- Responsibility kind of sucks the fun out of it.
- Why shouldn’t you recycle?
- Apparently, most high school boys don’t know what sequins are.
- There’s no point in taking life (or yourself) too seriously.
- People who try to be cool obviously don’t think of themselves as very cool at all.
- Everyone’s a little crazy.
- . . . including my family.
- Watching my parents getting old makes me afraid of my future self.
- I’ve always loved philosophy because it stretches your understanding of the world. It tries to question everything.
- Sometimes you got to ask yourself, “What’s the point?”
- Sometimes I need to just calm down.
- A nice, big cup of tea makes all the difference.
- Music can twist your emotions instantaneously.
- When I was seven, I remember sitting in the dining room with my dad learning the words to some of his favorite folk songs. We went to a place called the Mermaid Inn. On Thursday nights there was this thing (similar to an open mike night) where anyone could show up and we’d all sit in a circle and take turns playing music. My dad would bring his guitar and harmonica and accompany me singing. That was my first experience with performing in front of strangers. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
- Confidence is everything.
- What am I always waiting for?
- Slippery rock actually is a school . . . I think. . . .
- Part of being an artist is never being satisfied with your work.
- I can’t dance . . .
- . . . at all.
- Everyone is insecure; some people are just better at hiding it than others.
- Furry creatures are adorable!
- . . . and so is boys a capella.
- It’s hard not to let other people’s opinions influence you too much.
- I am my own biggest critic.
- Fear is an excuse from taking risks, but it can also be a form of common sense.
- People think that to have a good relationship means to be completely honest with one another. That can get dangerous. A good friend knows when to draw the line. I’ve said some hurtful things by telling the truth.
- I enjoy the time spent when I’m asleep just as much (and sometimes more) than the time spent when I’m awake.
- People who try to be different are all the same and, therefore, not very much different at all.
- What do I have to say to the world? Nothing. I technically don’t have to do anything, but that would get old after a while.
Here are some of my classmates’ What I’ve Learned pages that I enjoyed:
http://blog.penncharter.com/matthewt/what-matt-has-learned-in-a-nut-shell/
http://blog.penncharter.com/sierrat/english-11/what-ive-learned/
http://blog.penncharter.com/sarah/what-ive-learned/
