"Everydays a New Day": What Can I Make of Today

What makes you who you are is where you’ve been. I’m a firm believer that the experiences you go through and people you meet make you who you are today. My name is Misty Bleu Scott and I’m turning 20 years old in January, along with my twin sister Truly. I have four younger sisters and three older brothers. My mother is currently expecting twin babies in January, which adds another brother and sister to the family!

Growing up with my four sisters has made us very close. I can honestly say they are my best friends in the world. I can remember the days when we would do everything together. Those days were the best days of my life and the more simple ones too. My twin and were never really raised by our biological parents as one family. Our parents were divorced when we were two years old. I have bounced back and forth between parents and custody battles my whole life. I basically have grown up with two separate families. Our separate families are a blessing in disguise. I have two moms, two dads, two Christmas’, two Thanksgiving’s etc… My two families are totally different and I learned life lessons from both sides that made me who I am today.

I’ve lived in Georgia most of my life. I went to many public schools because I was constantly going from one family to the other. In the middle of the tenth grade my mother and stepfather were awarded full custody. They moved me out of public school and into a private Christian school. At the time I was very upset but I soon learned that was the best thing they could’ve done for me. I can’t thank them enough for their decision to do so. I created many of my beliefs and values at Mt. Vernon. I also made some the best friends and had some of the best times of my life. That is when I began to really define myself and who I am as a person and even more important who I wanted to be in the future.

Today I am a full time student at Georgia State, where I hope to earn a nursing degree as a nurse anesthetist, as well as a full time manager at Kay Jewelers. I began my job with Kay’s when I decided to move out of the house and become independent at the ripe age of 17. I soon realized how hard the “real world” is without a real degree or any support. After a year of fending for myself I decided I needed to turn my life into the right direction. I decided I would need to go to college. Putting myself through college has not been easy, but just as anything else in life that is worth having, you must work hard for. I do believe the fact that I am independent and I have never had anything given to me has made me a strong person. It also has allowed me the ability to not take my opportunity at a higher education for granted.

With every experience that I’ve gone through in life I learn something new about myself. Each step in life I take has made me realize that you never stop growing as a person. As I get older I learn more and more about myself that I never knew. Whether it is that I’m capable of doing things I’ve never thought I could, or just knowing that every day is a fresh start to become something new. My favorite quote has always been, “Today is a new day.”

Life is a journey. From time to time you will be faced with a crossroads, two paths that are lying in front of you and it is your decision which one to follow. In life you will always be faced with choices and decisions. The choices you make and the paths you choose will make you the person you are. Everyday we make choices that shape who we will become in the future, and every day that has past will tell you who you are today. No one is ever lost in the journey of life just a little off track. When I start to think I don’t know who I am anymore choose a new path

The Things We Do For Love

Alligator River Story

I believe very strongly the decisions we make in life define the kind of person we will become. And it’s not just the decisions we make but how we make them. If one chooses to make poor decisions his whole life he will not amount to much more than the outcomes of those decisions. We have to keep into consideration that will every decision we make there will be a consequence whether it be good or bad.

I do not think too much of any of the people in the Alligator River story. Every single one of them could have dealt with the situation in a better manor. However, out of all of them I have the most respect for Ivan. Yes Abigail came to him with a problem and he decided that he would stay out of it. I think that was a good choice. Today we find it our position to take part in other people’s relationships; when in fact it really isn’t. Ivan didn’t want to get involved in someone else’s relationship. Does that really make him so bad? Yes he should have sat Abigail down and talked some sense into to her but it was his choice not to get involved and I don’t think that hurts his character therefore I give Ivan a 2.

Slug is the next respectable, he was defending a friend. Although, his method of doing so was not the best, he motive was compassionate. He was sympathetic to Abigail’s pain and set out to make it right. You kind of have to look at him as saving a damsel in distress, so he has this image of a hero. I give Slug a 3.

As for Abigail and Gregory I rate them both a 4. I do not see where one is better than the other. In a relationship there are two people, and to make it work both have trust and communicate with each other. I believe that Abigail didn’t trust Gregory and that is why she couldn’t wait for the bridge to be built. She believed that their love was not strong enough to last a couple of weeks. I also believe that Abigail was wrong for using sex to get what she wanted. Call me old fashion but I believe giving your body to someone is a big deal and totally disrespects herself and her relationship with Gregory. I do give her some points for being honest enough to tell Gregory. If you do something that you cannot tell your spouse about, then it probably wasn’t the right thing to do in the first place. If Gregory truly where in love with Abigail he would not have just cast her away after the first mistake. I believe he was leading her on. He, being the man in the relationship, should have found a way to come visit her. That’s where communication comes in handy. Very important, in a relationship you have to forgive. Yes this goes back to a trust issue, if he forgives her this time what means she won’t do something similar in the future?

Lastly, I give Sinbad a 5. I find his scheme to take advantage of a lady in need disgusting. First of all, his actions show no respect for women at all. He paints an image that women are only useful for sex and that women can be bought at any price. He has no sense of compassion or human character.

Everyday we are faced with decisions to go up or down, right or left, here or there. Yes it is human nature to make a mistake once in a while but we must learn from our mistakes to become better people. Our character is redefined everyday and can change with every experience we go through. Therefore ones character can not be solely based on one experience, but a good outline of ones character can be assumed.

"If You Dont Stand For Something You'll Fall For Anything"

Prompt: Metaphysical Assumptions
Metaphysical Assumptions are our answers to questions of life. They are the assumptions you base your life on. How did we get here? What is our purpose? Most of all it refers to our religion and what we believe. The Greeks believed in the gods of earth, wind, sun and moon to name a few. These gods answer their questions on life and gave them answers to the unexplainable. Today technology allows us to have a more logical look on these questions; for example the science of evolution. Although very convincing, I do not believe in the scientific approach to our existence.

I believe that there is one God and he made everything and everyone with a purpose. The sun provides light and feeds the earth with its rays. The trees help us to survive and provide food for living things. We all have a destiny. Yes, it can be argued that this is close minded but it gives me a sense of hope and security to know that someone put that much love and thought into creating me. I know that I am not here on earth simply to take up space but I one day will fulfill my purpose. We all make our own paths in life, but there is a sense of fate that guides us.

It is human instinct to want to explain the world around us. We will constantly seek out more logical answers to our existence. Some questions just simply are to puzzling to find a scientific answer to. That is why many turn to religion to answer those questions of life. If we are to rely on science to tell us everything about ourselves we will be lost. Not to say science is not useful but when it comes to answering questions of the soul I would much rather believe in any religion then to an abrupt ending with no real meaning in life.

It is a continuous battle between what ones metaphysical beliefs are from another’s. We must look into ourselves to make our own beliefs. You can not always listen to what everyone is telling you to believe. You must stand for something yourself.
“ If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

War on Iraq: Stepping Stone to an Empire

Prompt Mailer 2

Mailer says that we are at war because Bush is trying to create an empire."Behind the whole push to go to war with Iraq is the desire to have a huge military presence in the Middle East as a stepping-stone to taking over the rest of the world." (51) By taking power in Iraq we will begin to spread democracy across the world and gaining more power with every gun shot.

Many believe this plot for world domination gives Bush too much credit. Although Bush is not the brightest politician out there I trust he knows exactly what he is doing. He surrounds himself with power hungry politicians to do his decision making and strategizing for him. I don’t believe that Bush really thought that he would have an empire by the time he was out of office but I do believe that he wanted to make a push into that direction. Once you start a war than it will not go away just because we have anew president in office. War has a chain reaction and is not easily distinguished.

Bush and his flag conservatives as mailer refers to them believe that if we go to war and obtain an empire it will solve all the United States problems. Flag conservatives believe that our younger generation will then all of a sudden be more interested in obtaining an education than doing drugs or having sex. In addition, our "immoralities" will be distinguished by American Pride.

I believe that we need to focus on our own country in stead of trying to fix others. Our so called “Democracy” isn’t working in our won country so why are we trying to push it on others. We think it’s wrong that the Muslim women have to cover every inch of their body and walk behind their husbands. But yet we suppress our own people such as those who are gay. If we spent half the energy and power on improving ourselves instead of using it change other countries we be going might have a chance at becoming the great nation we claim to be.

Power: False Sense of Security

Prompt: Mailer

Mailer says that we are at war because of power. He says we want power in the Middle East so that we can begin to have power over the world. Although I agree with this statement, I also believe America wants power so that we can feel secure again. Power gives one a false sense of security. Our security was shaken when the attacks where made against us on 9/11. We felt hopeless and unsure of ourselves. So what did we do we found someone to blame. We would have settled for anyone. So Bush and his advisors choose for us. Iraq is evil; they are the ones who should be blamed. Ok, we had found our target so we must get rid of the "evil" that has caused us to doubt ourselves. Although we have chosen Iraq for now it doesn’t stop there, Bush is not happy until he attacks everyone who may stand in his way of obtaining an empire. “Our war with terror,” Bush says ,” begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end….until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped, and defeated.”
Bush uses resources to obtain power in other countries. Oil is among one of the most demanding resources in Iraq. Therefore if Bush were to gain control over the oil, than he would have control over the people. He also uses water a bribe to the Iraqi people. Water is a resource all human beings need to live, making it high in importance. The Iraqi people can not live without water this gives Bush a huge upper hand

Power is compelling. It will make those who obtain it strive for more and more. Of course power can allow you almost anything you can imagine: money, respect, security etc... The list goes on. But power is very dangerous; it is addictive and never completely satisfying. Power is the major fuel for this war. Not only does Bush want power but we as Americans want power to feel control back into our lives.

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Majority Rule: No Ones Really Safe

Prompt: Human Rights v. Majority Rule


We are all politically, socially and morally wrong to some majority. Our freedom to our own right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are in jeopardy. Our own human rights that are listed in the Constitution are at stake! Well if we were to give in to the majority daily, they would be. Majority rule does not always mean it is the right thing to do. The KKK had a majority rule that it was acceptable to kill people based on the color of their skin. In many cases, “majority rule” can be devastating to our society.


Majority rule is thought of as what the majority of the people decide on is what is best for everyone. But can the majority take away our basic human rights? Do they even have the authority to do so?


Many view homosexualty to be immoral, but moral is defined as the way an act or idea affects another human being. Ones sexual preferences is not directly hurting another human being. Just as saying, because you have a teacher who is a diffrent race than you, the teacher will be a bad influence on your child. Being gay does not affect the teacher’s knowledge as much as being black or white affects your knowledge or accuracy in teaching. The teacher is a qualified teacher or he would not be there.


If society says it is politically correct to ban gay characteristics in the work place, we are going too far. This does infringe on our human rights. Human rights are what keep you and me from being discriminated against for our own religion, race or sex. To say that one must act as if they were of more accepted sexual preference; is to say that one must hide the color of their skin. I do not think that homosexuality is something one has to personally like but something our society has to accept. Just as we must accept every race, sex and religion, but we necessarily don’t have to like them. We have to respect each others diffrences. Thats what makes us the country we are today.


Discrimination has a chain reaction. Today it might be gay preferences but what makes you think tomorrow the “majority” won’t discriminate toward you. Maybe your hair color? This kind of political thinking can be demonstrated with the Nazis. Hitler first started out thinking there was a perfect being, and only one right way to live. You had to have blonde hair blue eyes. If you did not have blonde hair and blue eyes you were thought of as inferior.


We all often tend to socialize with those who hold the same interests and beliefs as we do. To say that one group is wrong is to point a finger at yourself. Each group has its own definition of what is socially acceptable. To one group you may be right, to another you are wrong. Who decides what truly is “socially acceptable”? It depends on the community and their beliefs.


When deciding which is more important human rights or majority rule. Human rights protect me as an individual against what the majority may think of me today or tomorrow. We are not always included in the majority. So I’d hope that when I am the minority, my human rights are considered over the preferences of the majority.

Flight of Terror

Prompt: Hijack!


The U.S. official policy on terrorism is one of absolute firmness. The U.S. policy on terrorism is summarized in these guidelines. We, the United States and anyone we are allies with, will not give in to any terrorist threats or propositions. That the U.S. will be highly concerned with its citizen’s safety but will not sacrifice its strict laws against not submitting to terrorists threats; stating that if we were to do so, this would encourage more terrorist attacks against the U.S. It also states, that we will punish terrorist for their crime against the U.S. Additionally, it will pressure other groups that support terrorist to change its ways. As well as helping allying countries to fight off the war on terrorism, as long as they follow the above protocol.


My decision to submit to the terrorists attacks at first would be instinctive. Any life lost is a life that should have been lived. Although, I do agree that in doing so I would be allowing more terrorism to occur in the future; in turn endangering even more innocent citizen’s lives. I would be teaching the terrorists to attack us in order to obtain what is desired. Therefore, I would be lowering my defense against these threats in the future. For example, if I were to give in to a child when he throws a fit, then you are teaching the child that it is ok to act that way, because this behavior will get him what he wants. I am showing the child, I do not have a defense against his behavior.


Don't get me wrong, I would do everything that is humanly possible to save the citizens that are on the plane. But sometimes the common good has to be considered over the minority of people on the plane. Think of it this way, if the terrorist were willing to kill in the first place, what makes you think they won't attempt to kill the people even after they get what they want. You can only be sure they will kill more innocent people in the future if we give in to them. If it were not these groups of people on the plane, than it would be another group of people. We have to stand up against terrorism, not faltering to their demands.


The acts of terrorism are not just an act of anger but a political statement as Charles Reese explains in Face it: U.S. Foreign Policy contributes to act of terrorism. It is a test to see how far the terrorists can push us. We are a strong nation and will not submit to terrorism and will continue to fight against the war on terrorism.