Knowing your audience

     So in this blog I am going to discussion the audience I am writing to in my English 101 online course. To truly understand my audience I have to think in more of a multi layer aspect then just a cut and dry single audience. With the best of my ability, I will explain the steps, statement, and conclusion of my audience in this text.

     The first thing I must look at is if I will be writing to an academic or non-academic group. The hard part is I will be writing to both. My professor Ms. A (academic) and my classmates (non-academic). Even though Ms. A gives me a lot of freedom to get my thoughts and expressions out on paper, she also has a format she likes things to be in. To receive an appropriate grade in the course I will have to follow this format and answer the questions she is looking for. At the same time, I need to be able to reach out and connect with my non-academic reading group (classmates) and continuously strive to maintain their attention. This by itself will be a tough task, to impress both the academic and non academic group.

     When we began preparing for this blog our instructor started an online discussion thread called Knowing your Audience. We were told to ask any question we want and read the responses. Not only was this an extremely fun and interesting assignment, but it also helped me start to understand the individuals in my class.  At the beginning of my college days I always had this thought that I would be the only conservative on Campus. Everyone else would be liberal, we would butt heads, which would lead to me getting frustrated and dreading school. On a side bar I know I need to be more open minded and am working on that. So I asked the question would you consider yourself more conservative, liberal, or libertarian. I didn't want to start a huge debate, but just wanted to see where everyone was on their political beliefs. I, like I stated before, was just waiting for everyone to say liberal and get upset at me for stating I was conservative. This, however, was not the case and honestly the majority of the class could not put themselves in a category. I did guess we would have very few conservatives, which was the case, but did not think we would have so many libertarians. This question alone gave me a great picture of who I am writing to. I understand how I may have to change my writing, not my views, by toning my thoughts and feelings down a little bit. I know, at times, I am very abrasive and strong with my beliefs. The last thing I want to do during this course is offend some one by using these two traits.

     There where a lot of great questions, some that caused the class to dig deep into their morals, other questions that just made us reflect, and some quite humorous ones. All which gave me a better understanding of how I can write. For example, here are a few questions that where asked:

1) What do you want to be when you grow up?

     This question let me know there are a lot of different careers people are trying to obtain. A big piece of our class is going for some type of medical career. Which is great for me, because that is the line of work I am in. Although it is a slightly different aspect of the medical field, I know we are all big in trying to help people, and that we can connect with each other on this level. I also saw we have a great sense of humor in this class, which helps me in the long run, because I am nothing but a big goof ball.

2) What is more important: What we do or why we do it?
  
     I realized we all general came to the same conclusion, but we came about it in different ways. In general, the class answered the question evenly with what we do, how we do it, and both. This lets me know, even though we came about it a different way, everyone really had the same perception as me. I can connect with the class on a basis of this alone, seeing how a lot of my classmates agreed with me in believing both.

     Finally, I know in my non-academic group (classmates) I will have subjects I write about that will present some of my classmates as a lay person or expert. Another subject I write about might make the experts, of the previous subject, the lay person, and so on. I will have to be able to connect with both groups, be able to write well enough not to loose an experts attention on a subject, but make it understandable to a person who has never heard of the subject at hand. This will be difficult to accomplish, but I have done harder in life.

   Now that I have a better understanding about my audience I will promise them a few things. First, I will do my best not to offend, but in the same instance I want to challenge your thoughts. This is not to turn you to the "dark side" or to push my beliefs on you, but to obtain your attention with a different perspective other than your own. Second, to my professor, I will try to stay within the formats that you ask, while still making my text exciting to read for others. Third, I will put my heart and soul into everything I write to connect with everyone, because your time is valuable, and you deserve to read my best work every time.

Fluency in writing

     I just read an extremely interest text from my English professor called It takes practice. In this text she explains how she became fluent in the art of writing, what it takes to become fluent, and how you can become fluent in writing. Ms. A asked a couple questions in her article that I thought would be a great journal blog for tonight. I also believe this will help me realize the dedication and hard work it will take in making me a great, and even enthusiastic writer.
     Ms. A asked in her writing to think of one thing you are good at. The first thought that came to my mind was football. During high school I was an above average linebacker, and even received a college scholarship for it. I began to think of all the blood, sweat, and tears I put in to become a well recognized defensive player. I started playing tackle football in Mighty Mites when I was five years old. I obviously didn't know what I was doing, but still tried over and over again. Throughout the years I became more coordinated, stronger, and agile. I would practice during the off season on my foot work, form tackling a punching bag in my garage, and my dad would even run in different directions so I could get my reaction time faster. Once I got into middle school my self discipline and dedication grew even more. Staying after practice to lift weights, do sprints, and look a film. I actually became obsessed trying to become perfect at an early age. This all worked in my advantage once I reached high school though. You see, I was the only freshmen, at the time, playing special teams for varsity. Even though I wasn't starting yet, it pushed me harder. I knew if I had more heart and dedication then everyone else I would get my shot at being a star line backer. So I kept worker harder and harder, I would do things people my age couldn't imagine. While everyone was  sleeping in on Saturday mornings, I was at the practice field running 300 yard shuffles. Finally, my day came to shine. My senior year I broke the single season tackle record quite substantially. The pride that ran through my body at the time is unexplainable. Knowing all my hard work finally paid off was great, and all the blood, sweat, and tears were well worth it.
     Writing, I believe, will  be like this for me. Starting now I am like the 5 year old Cody, just learning how to get in a proper stance. With the dedication and hard work, I am willing to put in, I will be a senior once again breaking records. The great thing about this process, I already see progress since I started free writing. I am by no means close to fluency, but it is becoming easier to write. I know I am horrible with grammar, but as long as I keep practicing I will get to the point I need, and deserve, to be at. I honestly use to dread writing, and thought this journal/blog was going to be my down fall in class. Now though, the more and more I do it, the more I look forward to writing on my page.

To be a kid again

    Tonight I got to be a kid again by attending a Father and Daughter dance with my nine year old. Although I am not the best in social situations I caught myself having a great time. Watching my daughter not worry about a thing in the world, flaring her arms in the air and making silly faces to the latest up beat pop song. It reminded me of a time when I didn't have to worry about bills, protocols, gas money, retirement funds, or a college education for my children. It makes you think how fast time passes you, and yet you took it for granted. I remember being a young and invincible teenager, without a care in the world. My next big football game and who I was taking to the dance was my biggest worry. To me at that time though all I wanted to do was grow up. I wanted to go to college, get a job, and be on my own. Oh if I honestly knew what that entailed maybe I would have changed my mind. During times of the dance my daughter would run off with her friends and I would sit at my table and just look around. Dads and daughters dancing the night away, not thinking of anything except how much they are enjoying each others company. I catch myself wondering what is going through the little girls heads, and if they know how much they are making their father's night right then. While my daughter and I slow dance I pray she never gets older, and stays this age forever. I hope she know that she made my night, and let me be a kid one last time.

The close line between sanity and insane.

     I have twin 22 month old girls and a nine year old step daughter, who are my world. I wake up every day looking forward to teaching them how to be the best person they can be. When I was told that having kids would give you a whole new meaning to life I honestly didn't believe them, but when you hold those two beautiful baby girls for the first time in the operating room you instantly sink into a little pile of mush. I love watching my kids sleep, wondering what they are dreaming about, looking so innocent and sweet. Brushing their hair out of the face, and praying I don't wake them. Why, because once you wake the beast the world goes into chaos. My twins are in full blown terrible two's and my nine year old is at that lovely age where she gets annoyed by everything my wife and I ask her to do. From the break of dawn until the darkest of night their is running, screaming, crying and fighting. The twins are extremely smart, and try to strategically beat me in whatever they are trying to get away with. Hadlee will go one way, and while I chase her Mckynlee will use that to her advantage. Going to do whatever she can that she knows would normally get her in trouble. If they ever are playing nice and quietly by themselves, you know they are up to no good. Today they were in their room coloring and I went to the front room to drink some coffee and get caught up on the news. That was my first mistake, leaving the general area they are planted in. After about five or ten minutes I decided it was to quiet, and went to see what they where doing. As I peaked around the corner of the door I notice Mckynlee being a perfect little angle, coloring on her huge coloring book. This was not her being sweet or a good girl, but a mere distraction for her sister. As I walk inside their room to further inspect and search for Hadlee, she is no where to be found, I open the closet door. In the five or ten minutes I  tried to relax, she had ripped down every article of clothing in their closet. Let's just say these kids are spoiled, and we could cloth the whole eastern coast of America. So after about 30 to 45 minutes of putting cloths back on the hanger, and in the correct spots, I decide it is time to try to get some house work done. I first start with dishes, a easy job you would think seeing how I have a dish washer. Well I have to pre rise and scrap dishes in order from cups, to plates, to pans, to baby cups. This is because I have to open the dishwasher, throw as many items as I can in it before the babies run over and take them out. Today I guess I wasn't on my A game because the time I got two dishes in, somehow four would be out on the kitchen floor. I realized this was a loosing battle and decided to do laundry. I think to myself if I put on Super Why, one of their favorite cartoons, they will  watch it and I can fold laundry. Well I was definitely wrong today, by the time I had one towel folded and place on the dryer to go, it would be unfolded and on the floor before I could get another one folded. So I decided to scratch that idea and play with them. Hadlee is just like her daddy, looks and all. She extremely athletic, for a near two year old, and loves to play ball. Lately Ava, my nine year old, has gotten into volleyball and is getting really good. Well Hadlee wants to be like her big sister and play volleyball. I will say get ready, she bends her knees, puts her arms together in a bumping stance, and will actually bump the ball. That is when Mckynlee will allow it to happen, because normally she will chase the ball down, and throw it at her sisters head. Hadlee will begin to cry, and when I scold Mckynlee she begins to cry. Now you have two extremely pissed babies on your hands, so I get my phone, tablet, or whatever electronic I have, and play Polar Express movie songs. They will stop crying for a while, but once you take the music away the water works fire back up again. There is only so many times you can listen to that soundtrack before you want to rip your hair out. So you decided to lay them down for a nap, praying they both fall asleep at the same time so you can either get house work done or home work. Most of the time this will not happen, but you get to spend some quality time alone with one of them which is always amazing. After they wake up the battle between baby and dad starts again. Scolding, crying, hand holding, Barbie playing, tattoo drawing, yes my twins love tattoos, and so on goes until mom gets home from work at five thirty in the evening. At this point it is easier for the simple fact I have reinforcements. When it is bed time we lay next to them doing criss cross apple sauce on their backs, playing with their hair, and whispering in their ears. Hadlee is pretty good about the night time routine, but Mckynlee fights it bad. She screams bloody murder at the top of her lungs, kicking and screaming until finally she wears herself out. While they sleep you stare at them, looking like perfect angles. I would never change my life from what it is now. My girls made me a better man, and I am blessed my wife gave them to me. So even though on my days off from work I am tip toeing on that fine line between sanity and insane, they are my babies, all three of them, and they are perfect to me.

What not to say to a Veteran

     To start my journal/blog entries for this assignment I would like to bring something to everyone's attention that I hold near to my heart. Things you should not ask or say to military veteran's, but not only them, I will also include police, fire fighters, and emergency medical technicians. If you want to get to know our lives then join one of the above mentioned professions. It takes a lot of courage, self sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears to do what we have done. So please, once again, don't ask the following things.
     Have you ever been over there? Guys, more than likely if they were in the military anytime after that horrible day on September 11th 2001 then they have been to the middle east. If not in Iraq or Afghanistan then in surrounding countries in support of the war. Lets say for some reason the individual you are questioning did not go over seas, guess what, I bet they feel so guilty it makes them sick to think about it. Which is extremely sad, because it is not their fault they did not get the call to go over with their brothers and sisters. So in all honesty they should not feel guilty. They are a mere one percent of this nation who have served our great country, but yet they feel they did not do their duty because they did not go to war. How do I know this you may ask, because I have had my own troops tell me this while I was still in the Marines. Yes I went over multiple times, but that does not make me anymore of a patriot then them. They should feel proud of what they accomplished for our country, and know they served it well.
     Did you ever kill somebody? Why would you even ask this, and do you think they really want to talk about it. I will let you in on a little secret, more than likely if someone wants to talk about taking someone else's life, they are probably exaggerating what they did. Now, in the odd chance they do talk about it, you should feel lucky! We only speak to a select few like this, most of the time with fellow service members, because they have been through what we have. So do not loose this trust by doing something stupid, because you will never earn it back.
     What's war like? If you want to know so bad, then get a first hand experience. Go to your local recruiters office and sign on the dotted lines. No matter what we say to you it will never bring that experience justice. You will never understand what war is like unless you go through it yourself.
     Have you ever seen a dead body? I know personally I don't like thinking about what dead bodies look like, so please don't ask it. More than likely they see them in their dreams, or even while they are awake, so why ask them to keep reliving that moment. We all struggle with our own demons, please don't push them back in their face.
     Why do you have PTSD and what is it like? I saw a fellow co worker ask this question. I almost jumped out of my skin, and proceeded to give the biggest ass chewing of my life. Why would you ask someone to relieve the worst experience in their life. PTSD is the way a human being deals with a traumatic experience or experiences, and tries to heal itself. Its not normal to be shot at, have mortars blow up next to you, shoot back at people, see people burned alive, perform CPR on a child in front of their parents, or have a little girl ask you if she is going to die. Some people's bodies handle it differently than others. If the individual says, " I have PTSD", then don't ask why. Why would you want the person, you are trying to help, to relive the most horrible moment in their life. Some people do get help from talking about it, and then some people don't. If you don't know this person, or how they will react, then don't ask them why. They will tell you if they feel comfortable enough.
     If you want to connect with someone in these careers then thank them for their service, protection, and sacrifices. Offer to buy them a beer even or take them out to dinner. Just show them appreciation for what they have done and gone through. That's the biggest way to connect with them, because they are under paid and under appreciated, but they do it because someone has too. Yes they might complain ever once and awhile, they might even get depressed because they miss their family, but whenever they get the call they will go right back out without a second thought. These men and women are a select few, and they should be damn proud of themselves, as should we.

I believe I was put on this earth to protect people (freewriting)

I believe I was put on this earth to protect people. I started my long line of training for this protection in the Marines April 14 2004 when I stepped on those yellow foot prints in San ddiego. I was scared and fault like I should have been the on being protected at that time. i couldn't believe what was happening with me, people yelling and screaming in my ear, all chaos breaking loose. i t was completely insane. next i was being shipped off to Okinawa japan to go to the fleet. from their i went to Indonesia when the big tsunami hit and i say my first horrible scenes in life. I went to Iraq after that, then to camp Pendleton California. from there, fort leonardwood Missouri and after all of that i was honorably discharged. i went on with my protection line of work private contracting. i havd to go to coslorado for trainging and then went on to doing private security on oitl righs. the workds are getting ahard to spell as the time runs on and i cant stop to back space so i am starting to get slight anxiety from seeing all the red squiggle lines undearneath the words. anyways back to porotection and the oil rigs fighting pirates. its funny because my neives came over last night for my birthday and they kept asking if i use to fight pirates. i would say yes and they asked if they havd an eye patch. i would say no. then they asked if they had a wooden leg. i said maybe, then they asked if they where on boats and i said yes nurmerours ones and then they asked if they got on my ship and i said no. they said probably because my scary faced. what the heck. i don't think i have a scary face but i guess my nieces do. i am also a martial arts instructor, and tactical emergency casualty care instructor, a tactical emergency support first responder, and a certified special operations specialist for pricate security in high risk areas. this is really hard not stopping and i have only been doing it for eight minutes. i keep thinking iam going to get zero points for theis do to the grammatical errors. anyways i am going to Houston soon to start the process of being a tactical combat casualty care instructor through the national association of emergency medical technicinas. I want to be a tactical medic for a special response team.
                               413 words I believe

This I believe List

This I Believe List

 

 

1. I believe I am a good person.
2. I believe I am a good father.
3. I believe I am a good husband.
4. I believe I am a good friend.
5. I believe Society is loosing common sense.
6. I believe human kind is in trouble.
7. I believe my children are my reason for existence.
8. I believe my career matters.
9. I believe I was put on this earth to protect people.
10. I believe energy drinks are my blood line.
11. I believe people could be more caring.
12. I believe everyone needs help at some point I their life.
13. I believe you should never stop trying to better yourself.
14. I believe written I believe statements for 10 minutes is getting difficult.
15. I believe my father was my biggest guide to man hood.
16. I believe the Marine Corps made me a better person.
17. I believe I have seen things normal civilians wouldn't understand.
18. I believe I can do anything I want t
19. I believe dogs are awesome.
20. I believe with hard work, dedication, and heart you can accomplish anything.
21. I believe there is evil all over this world.
22. I believe people are so involved in their own lives they don't see the evil.
23. I believe we can unit.
24. I believe there is still good in this world.
25. I believe my wife is perfect
26. I believe I am the luckiest man on the planet.
27. I believe I love Tactical Medicine.
28. I believe you should train for a situation you pray will never happen.
29. I believe the statement practice what you preach
30. I believe the statement and theory, practice how you play.