Famous Last Words: completing week 2

This week went a lot better than last week. Having an idea of what each week entails has helped me to balance out when I can work on each assignment. I really enjoyed the readings for this week. This topic is so interesting and diverse that each person really has such a broad category to choose from. My other classes have not been super busy this week and I feel like I have gotten into a good rhythm with work and school and having a social life. In my social psychology class we talked about Carol Dweck! We learned more about her views and how some people have a fixed mindset while others have a growth mindset. It was interesting to hear about her in a class where her work specifically applied to the social aspect of psychology. I was able to relate a lot of stuff I have learned in Mythology and Folklore to my social psychology class. This week people have started talking about Relay for Life here at OU. There was a stand on the South Oval this week with the exec members handing out information about the event and getting people to start thinking about signing up…I have participated in Relay for Life since freshman year and it is so fun and for such a great cause. I am going to Las Vegas this weekend to celebrate my friend’s birthday so I am trying to get a lot of my work done for next week before I leave. I know it will be hectic getting back from vacation and having to jump back into school so I am hoping to get ahead before then. I am hoping that I can get two weeks worth of this class finished by next Sunday so that I have time to study for some quizzes and a test in my other classes.

Relay for Life Flickr

Wikipedia Trails: From Maori to Microstate

This week I started my trail with a search of "Maori." I had chosen them as a book that sounded interesting earlier this week and Laura suggested that I look them up to learn a little more about me. This led me to a link on Cook Islanders. Scrolling down I saw a link to Free Association. I have learned about this before in history classes in high school, but I could not remember much about the specifics of what it is. This then led me to a site on microstates. I have not heard this term before, but it sounded like something interesting to learn about!

World's five smallest sovereign states. Wikipedia

Feedback Thoughts

I think giving a receiving feedback can be a very difficult thing to do. I like that the Forbes article addressed the issue that it is uncomfortable to receive feedback. We live in a world that can be very hostile and competitive and getting feedback, often from people we do not know well, can be taken very personally. I liked what the Literacydaily article had to say about being specific with your advice. Sometimes when I am struggling to give feedback or advice on someone else's work I look for something specific that I really enjoyed. I try to make sure this specific thing is something unique to their work so that they know that it was appreciated and continue to stay original. I do not get as shaken up by negative feedback as some might, but sometimes it can be hard to take. It is hard to receive any negative feelings on something you have put time and effort into. When I do get this feedback I take it as a learning opportunity and remind myself that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and that their advice is just as valuable as my own and should be taken into consideration.

Meme on feedback. Imgflip

Story: Individuality

There once was a kitten named Charlie with extremely large ears. He was already a small kitten compared to all of his friends and siblings and he had to run extra hard in order to keep up with his pals. His friends always made fun of him for having such large ears and Charlie was very insecure about them. His mother told him not to worry because his large ears would come in handy one day; she told him to embrace his differences. Even though his siblings teased him and he often got his large ears caught on things when he ran and played with his friends, Charlie tried to do as his mother had told him and embrace his giant, elephant-like ears.

One day Charlie wanted to go play in the woods with his brothers and sisters and their friends. His mother had never let them go play alone because the other creatures that lived in the woods were dangerous and unpredictable. The woods are a big place with lots of different predators and the kittens were so small and defenseless. Since the kittens had just had their nine week birthday, the mother cat decided it was time to let them go off on their own for just a little while. "Be back in an hour and make sure to keep an ear and an eye out for danger," she told them.

Charlie was so excited because he finally felt like a big cat, adventuring without his mother by his side. The kittens played for a long time; hide and seek, wrestling, and racing games were their favorite. Little Charlie had really worn himself out and decided to lie down and watch everyone else play. Soon, he began to hear noises off in the distance. They sounded like quiet huffing at first. Charlie asked the others if they could hear the noises as well. They answered that they could not hear anything. They teased Charlie and told him that his big ears were just hearing things. After a few more minutes, the sounds seemed to be getting louder and more distinct; the kitten could tell that the noises now sounded more like barking. Charlie quickly realized it was a group of dogs and they were heading straight to where the kittens were playing.

Immediately, Charlie yelled at everyone to stop playing and to run as fast as they could back to where Mother Cat was at. His friends all took off running together. They could all now hear the panting of the big pack of dogs as they ran towards the small group of kittens. Thankfully, they were able to escape the dogs. Without the head start that Charlie had given them, they might not have been as lucky. The friends all apologized to Charlie and told him that they were very thankful that he had been born with such big ears. Never again did the kittens tease Charlie for his special ears; instead they also embraced his differences.

No one person or thing is the same. This is what makes the world so cool and unique; it is made up of individuals who have different skills and traits that all come together to complement each other. What many don’t realize is that their quirks or insecurities are what set them apart and make them special and allow them to help others.

Photo of kittens Pixbay

Author's Note: The story that inspired my retelling is from The Hart and the Hunter. It is about a deer with amazingly beautiful and immense antlers. One day the deer is admiring his great antlers in the reflection of the water. He loves his antlers, but is not so proud of his petite, skinny legs. He wishes for legs that were worthy of his beautiful antlers. A hunter, who is especially impressed by the deer’s great antlers, spots him. The deer notices that the hunter has targeted him and because of his slim legs, he is able to make a quick escape...almost. In the end of this story, the deer is running from the hunter and in his attempt at escape, he gets his antlers stuck on a tree which was hanging lower to the ground than expected. This causes the deer to become easy prey to the hunter. He is unable to free himself and the hunter takes action on the vulnerable animal. I think this story is very easy to relate to because everyone has features and aspects about themselves that they do not like. Likewise, we all have things that we like a lot. I like the moral that this story told, which is to not take for granted the things about ourselves which we do not like; in the end, these could be the things that we end up needing most. I liked this story, but it made me sad that the deer was ultimately caught for something that he liked about himself. I changed my retelling of the story because I wish the deer had been given the chance to appreciate his legs more and learn their true value. The only reason he had been able to make a quick escape in the first place is because of his legs in which he was not proud of. This is why in my story, I enabled the kitten to understand his ears’ value and ability.

Bibliography: The Hart and the Hunter, by Joseph Jacobs

Reading Notes: Aesops Fables (Reading B)

The Fox and the Crow, by Joseph Jacobs: This was a very interesting read for me. I think the message it sends is very situational and can really relate to a variety of things. There will always be people that lie and manipulate in order to get what they want and everybody has a least one friend or family member who is like this. On the other hand, I do not think of the world as a cynical place where everyone is out to get you. Many times those who give compliments are simply being nice or genuinely expressing their feelings. I think this story could make for a very interesting retelling in a story post.

Hot and Cold, by W.J. Linton: I liked this story because we, as humans, have such potential to either harm or help others. We have the ability to use our words as encouragement or to give advice. At the same time, words can be used to cause great emotional harm. The same is true of most anatomical parts of our bodies. Hands can be used to hit, but also to heal; eyes can be used to express calmness, but also fear. It is up to us as humans to decide how we use our individual body parts as an aid in how we want to live our lives.

Illustration that includes the limerick. Hot and Cold

Reading Notes: Aesops Fables (Reading A)

The Wolf In Sheeps Clothing, by Joseph Jacobs: this is the typical story of deception. It is refreshing to read stories that you have heard before because you know exactly where they are going. This is a simple story but truly holds such a great and important meaning. Deception will lead to harm and destruction, not always as major as losing a life, but harm and destruction nonetheless. I think it is cool how the author included the fact that the wolf was having trouble because the shepherd and the dogs were doing such a good job; I feel like this aspect of this story is often left out.

The Hart and the Hunter, by Joseph Jacobs: I liked the deer stories because I feel like deer are not used very often in storytelling. They are gentle creatures, but are vulnerable in many stories so I think they are easily forgotten. I had never read this story before, but it was one of my favorites of the week. I think the message it sends is so important, especially to college students today. The grass is always greener on the other side; it is very rare that someone would describe their life as being perfect. What you envy of someone else may be the thing that causes them distress or low self-esteem, just like how the deer's antlers caused him to get stuck and ultimately shot.

The Four Oxen and the Lion, by Joseph Jacobs: My dad showed me a video of animals in Africa the other day. It showed a lion chasing after a herd of buffalo and capturing one of the babies. When the herd of buffalo realize this, they turn immediately and take on the lion until they win their baby back. Even though buffalo are normally prey to lion, when they stood together the lion did not stand a chance. This is quite similar to the story of the four oxen and the lone lion. It is also true of human beings most of the time in a more emotional sense. When you have others supporting you, it is easy to feel more confident and capable, but when you feel alone, these feelings can be more difficult to muster.

Female roaring lion. Wikimedia

Reading Notes: Indian Fairy Tales (Reading A)

These were my two favorite readings from this week:

The Lion and the Crane, by Joseph Jacobs: the lion is eating his dinner when he chokes on a bone and the crane offers to help. I think it is a little ironic that the bird offers her help in the first place, because that bone could have very well been a crane bone. The lion promises not to eat the bird if she helps him. In the end, the lion offers nothing in return for the crane and the crane realizes she is better off leaving the lion to his business and moving on with her life. I like the crane in this story because I feel like she relates to many people. I often have trouble with continually helping those that offer nothing in return when in reality I wish I could be more like the crane.

Depiction of the crane watching over with lion as he eats. Photo

The Broken Pot, by Joseph Jacobs: This fairy tale has a general message on greed. The man is thinking of his future and all the things he will eventually work his way up to buy and in the end he will having everything. In the end, he (metaphorically) shoots himself in the foot and breaks his pot that planned on bringing him a hope and a future. This story is interesting and tells many important messages: greed will not lead to anything good, do not rely on one thing to provide for your future, success is not found in external possessions, etc.

The man's future spilling out of the pot. Photo