Getahun’s English Blog

If I had to write a poem about my life right now, it would be about managing the everyday tasks of life and the little things that make a big impact. To me, it feels like everything in life is a balancing act, and you can't put too much weight on one side every, or the other side will come tumbling down. I feel like I could metaphorically represent this in a poem. Also, in my poem I would include details about appreciating the smaller things I often overlook and take for granted, such as friends, family, nature, education, etc. Summary: Today we took notes in class about how to write a good thesis statement for an essay. We also utilized the umbrella method to construct a thesis statement. Reflection: I learned that a thesis statement must be defensible in an argument, and cannot just be a factual statement. 

To: Future Me In the case you eventually look back and actually read this letter, I hope everything took a turn for the best. A lot can happen from 17 to 27 years of age, so I hope that I will have accomplished important steps in my life. I hope I am alive and well and able to take of my parents as they get older, as well as my siblings. A piece of advice I think I should stick by throughout life is that no matter how hard you fell, you must always get up. It sounds somewhat cliche, but it's very important to remember because not everything will go smoothly, and I, as well as others will face obstacles, that challenge the course of our lives. It's never over until you believe its over. Best Regards,  From self in 1/29/25 Summary: Today we read letters 66-70 of "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, and answered 5 questions regarding the information in the letters. Reflection: I learned that Corinne's actions and reactions reveal that Corrine is possessive and somewha...

Prompt: My favorite part of watching the Super Bowl is usually the half-time show. This is the case with most people as viewership during the show skyrockets. My favorite part of big events like this are the performances because it's a grand spectacle or art and showmanship that everyone can enjoy. Additionally, it gets viewers excited again and amped to watch the second half of the game. My favorite part after the halftime show would be the actual game, then the commercials after that. Summary: Today, we chose a prompt to write an essay about regarding "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker. Afterwards, we worked on step 1 of the essay making process by brainstorming. We looked at an example of how to brainstorm our essay, with the teacher detailing the process regarding a prompt about changes in gender roles. Reflection: I learned that it's easier and usually more efficient to write the body paragraphs of you essay first, and the introduction afterwards because the hook...

I can't recall a specific time I didn't feel like myself, but certain things can definitely make me lose sight of who I am and my worth. Most commonly, when I compare myself to others or my situations to others, which is almost always detrimental. People like to compare themselves to others to see how much better or how much worse they are doing than others, but almost never take into account the varying backgrounds and circumstances we have that can lead to certain situations. This was my case comparing things like economic status, grades, social life, etc. Like the old saying goes, "Comparison is the thief of joy." Focusing too much on how I was doing compared to others made me feel like I wasn't good enough and was somewhat demotivating. This ended up making me feel not true to myself as I was becoming less focused on myself and trying to change myself to "catch up." Although, with time, I realized that comparing myself too much is nonsensical as ever...

The most challenging part of writing an essay for me is organizing my ideas to create a strong argument or narrative. When tasked with a prompt, I can brainstorm ideas relatively quickly and gain a rough idea for the direction I will take my essay in, but making a detailed outline and structure with my brainstormed ideas is the most difficult part, and usually takes the most time. I plan on overcoming this challenge by working my argument backwards. What I mean by this is instead of using various ideas and arguments to create one strong supported claim, I will do it in reverse by finding a strong, defensible thesis, and building around it with evidence and support. This way, I can be sure of the direction of my essay, without having to go back and change things or even change my claim, making the process more efficient. Absent this day.

A time when I took a hiatus from something important was when I had skipped church for a couple weeks in a row around freshmen year. I did this because I honestly did not feel like going and it had felt like a chore up to that point, and felt like it was wasting my Sundays. I'd usually go with my dad and we would wake up early, usually around 5:30-6 in the morning. I already didn't like waking up early, so doing the same on the weekends, if not earlier, was upsetting. Also, we'd be there until 2-3pm, so around a total of 8 hours. After a while of refusing to go, I started to notice that I felt a void in me, as if a part of me was missing. I understood quickly that it was because I had been missing church, but I didn't want to believe it. It was such an integral part of who I am, and I'd been going all my life, so missing it would definitely impact me. Additionally, I also missed people I'd see there. Eventually, I got back to going to church and if I had felt ti...

Something I heard that I wish I could unhear was the final score in the 2017 NFL Super Bowl. The words, "The New England Patriots are your 2017 Super Bowl Champions" still haunt me. This day was one of the biggest letdowns for anyone in Atlanta, and for me as well. Part of the reason why it is such a painful memory is the fact that the Falcons had held a giant lead of 28-3 midway through the third quarter. Everyone watching was sure that the Falcons had secured the win, but somehow it didn't happen. I, myself and others were already thinking about going to the celebration parade. In short I wish I could unhear and unsee this, as a matter of fact, I wish it was removed from my memory altogether. Summary: Today we did a semester check of everything we haven't and have turned in. Reflection: I learned that a group of crows is called a murder.