Welcome to My World

These past few months, my English class has been looking into who a person is and what makes us be who we are today and who we will grow up into being.  We also looked into what we want to be.  I learned our identity is influenced by three main factors.  They are our family, our peers and the media.  These three factors influence us each and everyday.

Family influences us daily.  From the beginning of our lives, it was our parents who told us what was wrong and what was right.  They taught us how to live our lives by following their examples.  Our parents push us to succeed in life and do whatever we want in life that makes us happy.  Before this year, I have always asked my mom to help me decide what to do next year when I go to University.  She always replied with a ‘what do you want to do?’ and I didn’t know why.  Now I realize she only answered like that to make me think about what I wanted.  I think history is inextricably linked to identity. If you don’t know your history, if you don’t know your family, who are you? ~ (Mary Pipher)  I picked this quote because it talks about how important it is to know your history and family to know who you are as a person.  For more quotes on identity, check out this website. 

Everyone wants to fit in, even though it means doing things that are harmful to ourselves.  Our peers create an environment for us that can be dangerous, but it is in our nature to change ourselves for their benefit.  They are major influences on if you become drug addicts or not.  Most people who become these are pressured into it by their peers.  We always want to do things to fit in, whether it means changing our appearance by wearing clothes that are totally not us, or by acting like fools to impress them.  Many labels come from a persons peers.  They decide on whether you’re cool or not and what label you receive if when you are at school.  You could be a geek, a jock, a loner, or a prom queen.  This video is from one of my favorite TV shows.  The teacher asked the students to pair up and spend some time with their partners getting to know one another. 

<a href=”“>

The final factor that influences our life is the media.  The world revolves around the media.  It is the first thing to listen to in the morning and the last thing to be seen at night.  The media is used to help teach children how to say different languages and learn new things.  As we grow up, we start to read books and watch TV shows that we can understand the story to.  Society looks at these and wonders if they are like the characters, and if they aren’t, if they will ever be like them.  The media changes I can flip through a magazine and come across superstars I wish I look like because they are pretty and influence so many people.  Labels also come from the media.  Some magazines say if you are bigger than a size six, you are considered fat.  If you can’t afford to shop at the coolest stores, you are uncool. 

I have recently read an amazing set of books by Stephenie Meyer about a girl who falls in love with a vampire.  The story is about Bella Swan, a girl who recently moved to a small town in Washington, who falls in love with a vampire.  After a near death experience, he unintentionally influenced her to want to become like him, a vampire.  He doesn’t want her to become a vampire unless she makes a decision that will change her life.  Before becoming a vampire, she must take on the role of becoming Edwards wife.   

“Isabella Swan?”  He looked up at me through his impossibly long lashes, his golden eyes soft but, somehow, still scorching.  “I promise to love you forever – every single day of forever.  Will you marry me?” 

There were many things I wanted to say, some of them not nice at all, and others more disgustingly gooey and romantic than he probably dreamed I was capable of.  Rather than embarrass myself with either, I whispered, “Yes.” 

“Thank you,” he said simply.  He took my left hand and kissed each of my fingertips before he kissed the ring that was now mine.

 Here is a trailer I found on youtube of the movie Twilight.

<a href=”“>

 Not only am I suppose to write down my ideas, I am also suppose to respond to other peoples blogs.  I responded to Megan’s blog.  So to see what I wrote, check out her blog at meganelle111.learnerblogs.org, or by clicking here.