Reading Post #5

Silvia Soriano           Reading Response "What Happened to Goodbye"                     October 10 2012
   
                                        After parents divorce, kids arent the same any more. Believe it or not a parents divorce has more affect on children than you think.They grow up all their life's with both parents, and then all of a sudden things change, everything is confusing and different. In the book "What happened to Goodbye" a girl named Mclean parents divorced, she was a teenager at the time.She blamed her mother, because  her mother left her father for the Baseball star she loved. She didn't want anything to do with her mother anymore. Things were different, seeing her mom with another guy was strange for her. When her dad started working around the country she decided to go with her dad. Mclean started moving around the country with her dad every time he got a new job. She Started at every new school with either a new name, new personality, new look, anything for her to look different than the last year.She hated saying good bye ,so she always left without saying good bye.When Mclean and her dad move to a new city, she finally tries to be herself.She tries to bond with her mom. She finally accepts the idea of her mom and Dad having their own separates lives.She even finds love, which she had been avoiding since her parents got divorce.The book is all about Mclean learning  to accept the truth, what is really going on.Her whole journey is learning to accept what is really going on.Will she accept everything that comes with her new present? Will she like it?
                                         In the book "What happened to Good bye", I always asked myself one question, why did Mclean always try to be someone new every where she moved to? I know she left her town because of what happened with her parents, but that doesn't necessary mean she has to be another person. Her parents had changed with their relationship, not her. She wasn't going to be leaving them, or she wasn't going to be going to another family cause of this. Everything was the same, she still has a mother that loves her. She still has a father that loves her too. Nothing changed, maybe just that their not together, but thats all. On the other hand maybe she did feel that when her parents love died a part off her did too.She grew up knowing that she will always have her parents together loving her, then..bam. That changed, all the memories she had with her parents were just memories. Nothing will probably be the same anymore.Maybe she felt that since her parents changed their lives, she could too. Maybe she also wanted to kill/ or get rid of her old self.
                                          While reading the book "What Happened to Goodbye" I also asked myself another question,is why would she blame her mom for her parents divorced? Sure her mother was  the one that made them get the divorce bu that doesn't mean its completely her fault. Her mother was lonely, all her father did was work. She was falling out of love with him. It was a better idea to break it off with someone your no longer happy with, then to lie and be unhappy with that person. Her mother wasn't the only one to blame. Also her dad, he spent so much time with work, he forgot about his wife and the love. If her dad really loved her and didn't want the divorce he would have tried to get her back, or at least fight for her. It was both their faults. She shouldn't choose sides between her parents, because that will just make things worse. It will make her relationship with her mother worse than it already is. She just has to accept the fact that sometimes it isn't anybody's fault things just happen. On the other hand she can be really hurt and just wants to blame somebody for the pain she has.
                                      If I was in Mclean position, I would be hurt no doubt. My parents are starting new lives without each other. Their with other people now. Even though I loved them together, and wish they would be together again. I would have wanted to blame someone for their faller in the relationship  , but thats just it. Its no ones fault. Things happen for reasons, sometimes good and sometimes for bad. In the End i just have to accept it, its nothing I can or could control. Those were and are their emotions and lives, not mine.
                                        In conclusion I have learned to care and respect my parents more than I do now. I have to grateful that my parents are still together and hopefully forever will. They love each other. Thats all that matters. It has also aware me that divorce children sometimes all they need is a friend, someone to listen to them. To be their for them, cause that what they really need.
    

Reading Post #4

Silvia Soriano                   Reading Response "The Drummer boy Of Shiloh"               October 3 2012

                                                     Everyone isn't always so confident about on who they are, what they do in their life's, we all go through this in one point of our life's. In the book "The Drummer boy Of Shiloh" bye Ray Bradury deals with insecurity and lack of confidence. Everyone needs somebody to boost their confidence for them to show them that they should be happy because of who they are.The whole book is about Joby ( The main character/ Drummer boy of Shiloh)  finding himself and being happy with who he is. Will he find it? Will he be happy with the results.
                                                   In the book/ short story "The Drummer boy of Shiloh" Joby felt that a no one. He felt alone. He probably felt that fighting for his life was/is worthless, he doesn't
have anything to fight for a tomorrow (If their was even a tomorrow)He didn't have a family cause he ran away to follow his dream and this is where his dream took place. He left everything behind for this, now that he is here he doesn't want to be their anymore. Joby just probably wanted to give up on everything. That is until he meets the general. The general surprisingly isn't like other generals that don't have a heart and is mean and tough, he has a soft side, a caring listening side and a heart. He gives Joby good advice about   how he shouldn't give up, on his job, on the war and in everything in general. The general doesnt act like a general he acts like a Dad towards Joby, he acts like a role model. I guess the general knows  that he needs to keep a positive attitude towards Joby because he is the youngest in the army.I also guess he has to keep a positive attitude towards the whole war, he has to make it look like everything is okay for the rest of the soldiers. Joby then realizes that he is worth so much more and gains confident from all of the general advice.
                                                   While reading the book /short story I asked myself one question, what would have happened if Joby never took the general advice? I think that if Joby never took the general advice, Joby would have never realized how important it was to be the drummer boy of Shiloh.
He would have fighted for his life for no reason.He would have felt that maybe it didn't matter if he lived or if he didn't.Joby confidence wouldn't have never been as good as it was after he talked to the general.He would have never felt that he belonged their. Maybe he would have died not proud of himself, he would have died maybe even disgusted of who he was.
                                                  If I was Joby I would have been confused too and lonely. Being the youngest is always the hardest for anyone.Not knowing if your doing what your supposed to right. Is also hard for anyone who has a low self a-seen is also hard. I would have need someone to tell me I can do it for me to feel better.
                                                  In conclusion "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" is a book/story that I would recommend to anyone who has a low self A-steen. Anybody who isn't really happy or proud of who they are. This book made me look at myself and really truly find myself .