War and Peace: "The Things They Carried" short story prompt (by the end of class!)-Remember to respond to a classmate's blog entry before Monday 2/4/2013.

1/30/2013

Prompt: Think about the items that you carry in your bag (backpack, purse, fanny-pack, man-bag, etc.). Choose two items and explain why you have chosen to "hump" these items wherever you go. What is the tangible and intangible element of each item and why? Then think and write about what these items say about you.

Original Blog Post: 2 Full Paragraphs (5-7 sentences)
Classmate Response Blog Post: 1 Full Paragraph (5-7 sentences)

*please note: you may use a "pen name" for this assignment (both original blog entry and response blog entry) but you MUST let me know who you are on Monday so that I may give you credit.

-Original Blog Post: Only those posted by the end of class will be scored.
-Response Blog Post: Only those posted by Sunday night 11:59 pm will be scored.

El Lobo link

1/31/2013 12:14:42 pm

Mmmmmmmm two things I would carry in my man-bag. This is really hard since I really am a carefree guy who lives his life to the fullest. I don’t really attach to items although I can say that there is one thing that I would bring that have great meaning to me. One of these things would be my Duck hunter hunting knife that my grandpa gave me and two of my cousins. It means a lot to me because it was the last gift I received from him before he passed away. I always keep it in between my pillow cushions for safety and good luck. My cousins also keep it close and when I go to Puerto Rico I bring it with me. We have knife throwing duels and do Eskrima (a weapons martial arts) in honor of are grandpa who loved combat and knifes. It’s been a tradition that we tend to do for a long time. And I feel like doing this makes me a man with great honor and a loving person. So reviewing this item I feel that it’s very intangible to me and not just a physical item.
My second thing that I would bring with me would be dairy products. I don’t care if its cheese, milk or yogurt I’m bringing it with me. It’s a scapegoat; dairy products make me happy and it flows in my veins. It’s something that when I was little and had a hard time I would eat cheddar cheese with a glass of milk. Although I changed my scapegoat because it was making me chubby it introduced me to a new one. Which was Muay Thai (martial arts) something more physical which balanced my life style. I still chug a cup of milk everyday though. This item was a balance of tangible and intangible it had alittle meaning to it. However it wasn’t something that made an emotional stand in my life. Or maybe it did!

Key
• Duck Hunter Hunting Knife – total length a foot about 13 inches with a blade of about 9 inches
• Eskrima- Philippines martial arts that focuses in weapon based fighting (sticks, knifes, and other bladed weapons)
• Muay Thai- a martial arts from Thailand (uses fist, elbows , knees and feet strikes)

zach link

1/31/2013 11:15:29 pm

Your an amzing person I love the story. It really touched my heart. i felt like i was really there.

aramis_da_boss link

2/1/2013 03:41:46 am

Wow, when I read this it felt like I was the one carrying these items. Very nice response ‘El Lobo’. I like the way you added the ‘KEY’ in the bottom of the paragraphs. Great idea and great wording. If I could, I would read this over and over. If I could. Anyways, to conclude, good job and I hope you have had rest from all the hard work

steven

2/3/2013 02:35:32 pm

your story is very relatable in a lot of ways. People usually carry thing for their intangible meanings. Especially when it is given by some one that is greatly looked up to like a role model of sort. I can connect to this personally because i looked up to my grandfather as well.

xavier

2/1/2013 03:17:16 am

testing

rashell smith

2/1/2013 03:22:42 am

I hump around a planner that I never use and a blank note book. I have the planner from the beginning of the year but I have never used it for one full month. I carry it to be organized to try to be organizing because if I am organized I feel like I could accomplish so much more things that I do now. Think that planner represents to me is better grades and more security in my future. I feel like I plan out my day I can have control of what I accomplish. If I can organize my time better it means I can dedicate more time to the classes that I have problems with.
I want to write I love to write but I don’t always have the inspiration or dedication to do it. I want to in the future write a novel, it doesn’t have to be amazing or a best seller I just want to know that I could write that I can put may made up adventures on paper . I think that empty note book represents to me the dream of writing a novel that I have had since I was in second grade. It means to me that on those note book pages could possibly be my future novel.

Lachelle

2/1/2013 03:44:17 am

I really like yours Rashell, it reminds me of the things that i keep in my bookbag and the apps that i have. For example, I have Siri and Siri is like your agenda. I am a very organized person and i need to have a specific schedule or i will eventually forget. I like to plan out everything and my family members think its a weird habit of mine but i think it has something to do with the control that you mentioned in your resopnse. I also love to write as well and hoping that i too can eventually publish a book. I think that you have the capability and imagination to actually write a book so i hope you accoplish your dream. If you do publish a book i hope to be the first one to buy it. :)

William

2/1/2013 03:25:31 am

Thats a nice story. Gave me a couple ideas of what to write in mine.

Kemar

2/1/2013 03:35:45 am

Something i always carry i my backpack is my money and my cellphone. I “hump” these items wherever I go because these are the most important things to me. However, I also carry my license wit me. That is another important thing to me incase I get pulled over or anything. The tangible element of my cellphone is I can always know if I have my cellphone or not.

rashell smith

2/3/2013 02:10:46 pm

i liked how you mentioned your money and cellphone a lot of teens carried these things so that doesn't surprises me .but when you mentioned your drivers license to me because you always carry around a license , money ,and a cellphone it's like your ready for a wild ride. maybe i am et my imagination run wild but you seem like the kinda person whose always connected to your circle ready for the next party.i think that fact that your pick these things out means you like to have fun . you like to be independent also :p

JAF18

2/1/2013 03:27:48 am

Something I always carry in my backpack an old letter my grandmother gave to me before leaving my country and on my finger I carry a ring my aunt gave to me. The ring I am supposed to give it to the girl I will marry. The ring says real love and I think that’s why I am supposed to give it to that special person. The letter always reminds me of my grandmother and she is one of the most important persons in my life; her and my grandfather raised me and therefore this letter is very important to me. I also believe my grandmother wrote with her heart because of what it says in it which makes it more important to me.

I believe that what this say about me is that I really care about family. Both items are important one was given to me by one of my favorite aunts and the other one by my grandmother and she is like my mother. I care about these items because they remind of moments that I will never forget. My family is always there to support me in every decision I make. I strongly believe that the fact that I carry these two items with me wherever I go means that I deeply care about these two people.

rayhaan

2/3/2013 05:05:25 am

Awesome comment bro, thats why you carry that ring. I thought the comment was very thought full and came from the heart nice job.

nm:)

2/1/2013 03:32:45 am

Well the two items I would have to have in my bag would be my phone and my debit card. The reason being is because; when you don’t have a phone you can’t really do nothing. You use your phone for everything now days. You can use your phone to pay your bills if your late you can send it that second. Or ever contact someone or ever the authorities if you’re in trouble. Or even if you get lost you can use your phone as gps. Also if you’re waiting for someone or even at a dentist appointment you can be in the waiting room playing a game on your phone. A phone is the first thing I grab before I leave the house.
My debit card is the second important item that goes in my bag. Because if I see something I like I’m going to go buy it right there and then. Also a debit card comes in handy because you don’t have to carry all of your money in your pocket. It goes directly to a card and also it is a lot safer. Because nobody has your pin so they can’t uses it if they find it. But on the other hand if you have money in your pocket and you drop it somewhere someone can just pick it up and go spend it so it is easier to have your debit card on you at all times.

jali

2/1/2013 03:35:03 am

that is a really good reason to bring your phone to some place. and so true and the debt card.

NatalieMarie

2/3/2013 02:24:55 pm

I agree with the things that you will carry in your bag because it is the things that i would carry as well. What would we do without our phones? We won't be able to get in contact with anyone if an emergency.
An Debit Card is important as well because if you need anything you can buy right there and then. Also it can help you if you really need to purchase something you don't have at the moment.

Desiray

2/3/2013 03:27:57 pm

I totally agree with you about having your cell phone everywhere you go, that's how I am. You will never know when your gonna be in trouble or in case of emergencies. It's true without a cell phone you become so bored. Also having a debit card you will always have your money is important because you never know when your going to need money,it's always safe even if you loose your debit card because of the pin you have. I definelty agree with the two important items that you carry around with you.

jali

2/1/2013 03:32:46 am

Umm… one of the two things that I would carry in my bag would have to be my cell phone. My cell phone means a lot to me. Without it, I don’t know what I would do. Everytime I am away for a while from my mom I always have to call her, no matter what. Every day in the morning when I wake up and every night before I go to bed to say goodnight. I need to stay in cantact with my mom. I call her for amnything and everything. Every rpoblem that I have, I would call her whenever I have the chance to. I cant really wait til she gets home to tell her my problems, because then again, I am her daughter.
The second thing that I would carry in my bag would have to be a hair tie. Only because I cant really have my hair down for such a long period of time. When I get tired of my hair being down , I would put it up. And when I get tired of my hair being up I would take the hair tie off and leave it down. Another reason why I would bring some hair ties because you never know when someone is in need of one. You can really help someone out with one.

nm:)

2/1/2013 03:36:35 am

i agree with you on having your phone with you at all times my phone is my life. also a hair tie ?, everygirl will need a hair tie at one point intime.good items !!

Cindy Tran

2/1/2013 03:33:03 am

People tend to “hump” things around because they need it or it means something to them. Two things I always “hump” around are my cell phone and keys. My cell phone is a Samsung Galaxy so I have apps to play games and entertain me. But also allows me to communicate with friends and family. My keys have my house key, car key, and school key. These keys allows me to access my house, things I need at school, and for me to drive my car.
My cell phone and keys are tangible and intangible objects to me. It allows me to travel, communicate, and do other things. I can say these objects shows that I’m an outgoing person. I like to go to different places and meet new people. I love talking to my friends and family. I use these objects every day for a reason; they are two of my necessities.

Queen-Iesha

2/3/2013 03:59:09 pm

Cindy Tran I'm going to have to agree with you here. I to have a Samsung Galaxy. (S3) I enjoy it because its hassle unlike the iPhone when you have to play for simple games. I have tons of apps on my phone that can entertain me for days upon days. I communicate to family and friends all the way from messages to video call on Skype. My key are on me every time I leave the house so that I can get back in the house. Not every time I talk my key because if I leave the house keys someone is home to let me in most of the time.

aramis_da_boss link

2/1/2013 03:37:58 am

One very important item I would carry with me is my boy-diary and my pencil. The reason I would carry my boy-diary is because I must write down everything I experience so if someone were to find this diary, they could use my experiences and write a non-fiction story about my life. Secondly I would take along a pencil so I can write on the diary. The tangible element of my boy-diary is the skill of an author. The intangible element of this is careness. The reason I say that careness is the intangible is the element is because I have the guts to bring something to write on and something to write with to write down everything I go through and everything I see. The tangible element of my pencil is as if it were my sword. You cannot carry a sword without a shield. That is my tangible and intangible elements.
What these items say about me is that I have courage to take down everything from what I have experienced. According to statistics, 1 of 1,000 men can write down in a piece of paper coming back from war. That basically means, that I am very different compared to other men. Being different is good such as this case, because some people would wonder how things went. People need the real facts, not something that was told to them by someone else

Liv (:

2/1/2013 03:49:34 am

Good thing to bring with you , i can see why you would "hump" the items you bring with you . I liked your idea , good job.

Anonymous03

2/1/2013 03:38:06 am

As you may know, every female carries their life in their purse. Make-up, mirror, wallet, accesseries, and personal needs. One thing I always carry in my bag is my headphones. I don’t go anywhere without my headphones. Instead of being rude and telling someone to leave me alone, I will just put on my headphones and hope that they don’t interrupt my mood. That’s just one thing I can’t leave my house with.
Another item I hump around with me are bobbypins. Bobbypins are lifesavors when you can’t find any hair ties. Even though I lose bobbypins because they’re so tiny and thin, I could buy a lot for less then $3. There are many hair styles you could do with them that makes it easier to maintain when you don’t have a brush or comb around. Realized that I get asked “Do you have a bobbypin?” then “Do you have a pencil in school?”

Lachelle

2/1/2013 03:38:33 am

One thing that I carry in my purse all the time would be my wallet with all of my little siblings’ pictures in it. I like to carry this around with me because it’s nice to look in my wallet and just see them there. The tangible aspect of the pictures is that they are my siblings and I will always want to have pictures of them with me to show off to everyone. I am also very proud of their success so far and hope for them to carry on. The intangible aspect of the pictures in my wallet is to be able to always carry them with me. Even when my siblings aren’t physically there I can still physically see them through the pictures and they can be here with me in my heart. This is very special to me because I’m going off to college out of state and they wont be able to see me everyday like they are use to and I won’t be able to see them everyday and harass them like the older sister that I am.
Another thing that I carry would be my IPod. I carry my iPod with me everywhere I go even if I’m just going down the street or to the grocery store. The tangible aspect of my IPod is just being able to have music with me whenever I need it. Also, since it’s the newest version, I don’t want it to stay at home where someone could mess with it nor have my dogs break it. I also like to listen to music while driving instead of the crappy music that’s on the radio now-a-days. I can also ignore my dad of siblings with my IPod when I’m in the car and don’t feel like listening to them. The intangible aspect of my IPod is being able to escape the real world into the world of music. I love music a lot and having an IPod helps me connect to different kinds of music whenever I’m not home. It also keeps me calm when I’m in a stressful situation or when I know that anger is going to get the best of me.

zach link

2/1/2013 03:39:51 am

The two things that I would bring with me are a knife and food. Fist I would bring a knife because you don’t know what is going to happen out there and when you might need it. You can use that knife for everything, to make you feel safe, to make shelter, and to protect your self if needed. The second thing I would bring would be food; well you need for to stay alive and be as strong as you can be if anything goes wrong and have to use a lot of energy, you wouldn’t be so weak. You would have a lot better chance of living if you had to fight for your life. This is mostly tangible, because you have these things with you and the intangible thing is that this will keep you safe no matter what and alive. These items say about me is I want to live no matter what; I will fight to survive and do what I have to do.

Billy

2/1/2013 03:40:34 am

If I had to choose two items to “hump” around in war then I would take my deer hunting knife with me that my father gave me before he passed away. It has great sentimental value me and it would also make good use in combat. The blade is about a inch longer then my palm.
The other item I would carry with me would be a note book with a pen. So that I could write back to my family and them know how I am doing. Ifi didn’t make it back from the war I would like my knife and note book sent back to family.

Xavier

2/1/2013 03:40:52 am

One of the things a carry around with me is my laptop. I carry my laptop around with me because I love technology when it’s not getting on my nerves. In school I use it for projects or work that needs to be done on computer when I’m not in the lab so I can work on it anywhere. Also so I can play games on the fly. When I’m not working on something and I have nothing to do I can just pull out my laptop and work on bashing baddies in classic Zelda and Mario or play with friends who may be around. This explains that I’m a nerd and a dork. I’m a nerd in the sense that I’m always ready to do work when I’m not feeling all that lazy. Also that I’m a dork when I’m just playing games and having fun with it.
Another thing I carry around is a crest on a necklace. The crest is of a heart with a fancy spear shape design at the bottom where the tip should be. The edging is some type of silver metal that also creates an “X” in the middle of the heart with a thorn like look to it. In the spaces divided by the X are filled with a shiny pretty red color. This emblem symbolizes heartless and is from my favorite video game Kingdom Hearts. It was given to me by a very special person and I never leave the house without it. This says about me that I care about the crest deeply because of my love for this special person and my love for the game that it’s from. It’s contradiction to me as well because I’m far from heartless.

Desiray

2/1/2013 03:40:52 am

The one thing I would carry in my bag with me is my cell phone because, it has all my music and connects me to the social network. I carry my phone because in case of an emergency I could call or text someone really fast. I could contact people and they can contact me if they need to. I use my phone to take photos of everyday things and to keep memories of event that occurred in my life that mean a lot to me. Its just something I cant forget, I comes with me everywhere and is like my child.
I carry my wallet around everywhere I go, it has money in it. For example, if I was ever to go to pinkberry and not have my wallet I would die because that would mean no frozen yogurt for me. Also in case of an emergency and I needed something like food or if I need my I.D that’s in my wallet as well. My wallet has all my cards in it and important information.

bailey

2/1/2013 03:42:36 am

I usually carry my house keys with me even if I know my dad or brothers are with me and have their own. I have a few keychains on them and each of them have a real meaning. It makes me feel closer to myself and those places or times, if that makes any sense. Also, I think I carry them around with me to feel secure. I want to know that if I chose to go home early from a party or something along those lines, I'll be able to get in my house and I won't be stuck. My keys are more intangable than I orginally thought. I also carry enough money to take the city bus. That is something my dad taught me and my brothers. I guess that would go along with never being stuck either and having to rely on other people. The tangable aspect would be the physical money and the intangable would be taking care of myself

Jazmin Santiago

2/1/2013 03:46:12 am

Something I would carry in my hand-bag would be gum because it just something I've always carried it with me because I have a bad habbit of biting me nails and i want to get over that, so chewing gum helps me. It also calms me down if im nervous, stressed out or in a a bad mood. It just gives me something else to focus on, i can concentrate on chewing the gum. The gum is something tangible that I just carry around a lot.
Something else I would carry in my hand bag would be my uncles black wallet that has an unused dollar ripped up dollar in it. he passed away a few years ago but keeping that wallet with me is so important to me because it makes me feel like im always connected to him by the object he carried all the time. I will never use the unused dollar that is in it because I consider it good luck and i would never want to give a dollar that he had held away, its one of the things he left behind that is apart of him. That would be something intangible because I have an emotional attachment to it.

JAF18

2/2/2013 04:16:53 am

I like your story specially the part of the wallet I bring two things that remind of my family. I believe family is one of the most important things in life. Sometimes I carry a little soft ball that I squeeze when I am stressed. Your story really caught my attention it is similar to mine.

Anonymous03

2/3/2013 05:18:27 am

I have a huge habit with biting my nails as well. Gum distracts me from biting them and having my nails painted. Whenever I do paint them, it's like a big no no because of the bright colors I have. Getting them done by a professional helps me because I would like my nails to grow but only when I get an acrylic over it.

Liv (:

2/1/2013 03:47:31 am

In my purse you’ll find many things that might seem useless to your use. The things I carry are meaningfull , resourceful and some are useless. If I was able to carry all the objects/items in my purse , I’d take all of them with me. But since I can only choose two objects , one of the two objects that I would take is my inhaler . My inhaler is an important part of me because since I have asthma anything can happen . I can have an asthma attack for all I know. Even before I do any phyical ativites is when I would use it. When something occurs it will be in my purse to facilitate my asthma. The other item that I would bring along with me is my personal journal . In which I write to express what I feel or even to write positive things I have accomplished . Its sometimes a stress reliever , if there is no one to confide in. I always try to write the positives rather then the negatives , and when I do , I look back and see what I wrote to try to find a way to make my week/future well again.
These two items I carry in my bag reflect on me as a person because without my inhaler it would difficult for me to breath if something were to happen , and the journal would be a way for me to write down any experierences I have gone through or even writing down how my day went .

Steven

2/1/2013 03:47:52 am

One of two things I’d carry would have to be my knowledge. I know I may not seem like much but in is some thing no one can take from me. The thing I like about it is the ability collect to it and adapt to my environment. As they say its survival of the fittest and I believe my knowledge enables me to have such ability. Growing up I did a lot of moving around and is what has aided me to be who I am as a young man as of now.
The second thing I would bring will be my curiosity and empathetic feel. It the part me that lets me walk a mile on ones shoes. And as nice as that sound it is my curse and blessing at the same time. All these items are very intangible to me and well makes me who I am.

Cindy Tran

2/2/2013 03:00:13 pm

After reading all of my classmates’ blog post about the two things they carry all the time. You kind of see a pattern. Most students “hump” around a cell phone, which is reasonable since it’s the 21st century and is our main resource for communication. Though there are things that are sentimental to my classmates bring around. It shows that most of us aren’t caught up with modern electronics and gadgets and care about the little things. They share a strong connection with these 2 things because they are tangible and intangible.

Raquel

2/3/2013 12:04:29 pm

You're very right, Cindy. There is a pattern between what everyone "humps". I guess that just goes to show about human nature. Everyone feels a sense of security or safety with their phone with them, and you can't blame them because again, we're in the 21st century and that's all that's surrounded us, technology.

rayhaan

2/3/2013 05:01:46 am

i was on the field trip.

One thing I carry in my backpack is a piece of sheet metal which is very useful. I carry this piece of metal because it has many tangible purposes. One of the main reasons why I carry this piece of metal in my back pack is because on hot days when I ride my motorcycle to school I use it to put underneath my kickstand so the sun will not melt the asphalt on to my kick stand. This is important because sometimes this can cause the bike to get stuck or it can also cause the bike to fall over and damage the body or potentially other cars as well. The intangible part is it gives me peace of mind when I am in class and don’t have to worry about my bike falling over.
The second thing I carry in my backpack is a flash drive. I carry a flash drive in my backpack because every think I type in school goes on my flash drive for my safety. I started carrying a flash drive senior year because junior year I lost a lot of my essays and projects and had to re due them. The intangible part is it also gives me peace of mind and it also helps teachers trust me more because I can show them I did the work on the flash drive. I think carrying a flash drive helps a lot.

Raquel

2/3/2013 12:01:54 pm

The two things I would "hump" around would be my cellphone and my knowledge for life itself. The reason why I carry my cellphone around is because when I have it, I feel a sense of security. I always feel like I can pick it up and call anyone I needed to. My cellphone means EVERYthing to me. I probably can't go a day without my phone by my side.
Another thing I would carry around with me is my knowledge for life. I know in life this would be very useful for me. To know how everyone's minds work, and to see how to play the game of "Life". I would have to learn the in's and out's about it. But these are the two things that I would carry.

NatalieMarie

2/3/2013 02:13:27 pm

i was on a field trip...

So two things that i find important and i will "hump" will be my cellphone and credit card. The reason why my phone is important to me is because if i was in danger of any kind i would be able to call 911 for an emergency and call my parents or family for there help. Also my phone has internet and text messaging so if i needed it i would be able to use it.My phone is always something i keep by my side. The reason why i would always carry my Credit Card is because i can purchase anything i need like food,drinks and anything for my health.

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