Reading Reaction #4 "The War Within"

On the day Botti describes, he is haying goodbye to people, a place, and a new life he had barley begun. Describe a significant time in your life when you said goodbye. You may have been leaving a place, ending a relationship, giving up a dream, or breaking a dangerous addiction.

When I read this reading reaction it immediately reminded me of moving to Chico and acquiring a job as a wild land firefighter. I moved to Chico from Santa Rosa in March of 2002 into my friend Josh's house. In Santa Rosa I became idle with my life. Many issues arose at once, so I attempted to deal with them to the best of my ability. At this time I stayed in contact with my friend Josh. Keeping in contact with Josh allowed me to filter through a few options that were presented to me. One option was to stay in Santa Rosa and attempt to fix all the problems that surrounded me, but at the time it seemed unrealistic for me. The second option was for me to move up to Chico after I sorted through my issues, deal with my priorities then move to Chico. The third option was to forget about moving, and keep working, stay in the same situation and make the best of things. After talking with Josh, Casey( now my wife), my mom and dad I decided to move up to Chico. Josh allowed me to live with him for a month for free, which enabled me to find a steady source of income. At first I worked for a temporary employment agency for a month. This line of work allowed me to make enough money to pay Josh for room and board. Around the beginning of April I was offered a job by a former co-worker of Josh's. This person was involved in the wild land firefighting industry. I found out how much the pay rate was, how much I could make if I worked hard, and some of the incentives that the company offered. After passing a drug test, physical fitness test, and receiving training, I started my employment with Firestorm. For a few months I would work around the town assisting co-workers with fuel reduction treatment. I started to feel apart of the community, by making friends at work, having some family around if things went south, and having a great friend around that opened his home to me. Sometime in June I received my first fire call. It was around 10:00p.m. I was distraught, not to mention stressed out. I did not know what to expect fighting a fire in the forest. When I read this reading reaction, I instantly thought of this experience. I made a move in my life at 21 years old, so the impact of the move as well as the impact of the experiences in my life at the time really threw me for a loop. When I received that first call I contacted many people to figure out how to deal with the emotions that I felt at the time. After the first experience I knew that this industry was something that I could become passionate about. Oh yeah the money was good also.

Reading Reaction # 3 "One Man's Kids"

If you are working or have ever worked with children, write a paragraph describing the good (or bad) aspects of the job. You can first describe the job and its responsibilities and then write about its good (or bad) points.

When I am at home, sometimes our neighbors need my wife or myself to babysit their four year old named Cassie and their two year old named Aden. Our neighbors live very active lives, they have four children total. Cassie and Aden are the two younger children out of the group. At times our neighbors will run errands during Cassie and Aden's nap time. When this occurs myself or my wife (Casey), will make our way over to the house and supervise the house when the kids are sleeping. Usually when one of us babysit, the duties include feeding the children when they wake up, reading or watching T.V. until they are finished with their snack, and finally taking them outside to play. Spending time with Cassie and Aden has its perks. Interacting with the children is the best aspect of babysitting. Taking care of Cassie and Aden has both good and challenging points, which comes with supervising other adults kids. When it comes to Aden, he wakes up from his nap, asks for a drink, shares a banana, then gets ready to go outside and play with whatever sports equipment he has. If he doesn't want to play any sports, then he asks to be pushed on the swing. This afternoon ritual is fairly easy, with the exception of the communication factor. Since Aden is only two years old, there is a lot of guessing that is involved with the communication. Aden starts to become irritated after the third time explaining what he wants to do. This is the only downside with babysitting, sometimes the child's body language is the easiest way to determine what a child is asking for. Cassie's ritual is a little different. She wakes up crying, which is common for her, then eats and drinks while watching a movie. Once the movie is on, usually the crying stops. After Cassie finishes her snack, the T.V. gets turned off. She heads outside and starts to participate in whatever the rest of us are doing. There is some confrontation at first, mainly due to Cassie trying to take over the game that is already in progress. After she finds out that she can not dictate the activity at hand, she behaves and starts to participate in the activity. By now the parents usually come home and start to engage in the activity with us. During this time we exchange stories about errands and babysitting, which turns out to last for an hour or so. After we are finished we hug Cassie and Aden good bye, Aden and I have a handshake as well, then it is off to our home. Some of the benefits of babysitting is the interaction that we have with the children. This teaches us how to deal with multiple situations, so in the future we know how to take care of our own children. Another benefit is developing a relationship with both kids. Personally I enjoy seeing the children learn how to share and cooperate with each other. Some other benefits are helping the kids develop their motor skills, hand and eye coordination as well as the willingness to have fun in what ever they do.

Do you like music? Why? What kinds of music do you listen to?

I enjoy listening to music, some types more so than others. The types of music that I listen to regularly are; hip-hop, rap, and R & B. Sometimes I will listen to classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, alternative rock, oldies, soul and funk as well as jazz, Spanish guitar, and classical, on occasion. Over the last few days I have started to listen to Japanese music. Even though I don't understand the lyrics at all, it still intrigues me by hearing the melody, tempo, and rhythm.

On a daily basis I listen to hip-hop. By being a part of the M.T.V. generation and growing up in a working-to-lower class neighborhood, the hip-hop culture appeals to me. This type of music is very easy for me to relate to the struggle of everyday life. My parents did their best to make ends meet, until they parted and went their own ways. Many of the friends that I associated with in my neighborhood shared similar experiences growing up. Every time I found myself struggling in life I realized that I would surround myself with the hip-hop culture, which would inspire me to set goals and achieve them. Over the span of my adolescence I would jump between two types of music, hip-hop and classic rock. My parents would listen to classic rock religiously, I would listen to hip-hop. This music was my escape from the everyday stress that surrounded my parents.
Over the years I came to find out that the hip-hop culture that I identified with rooted from various types of music. These types include rap, R & B, jazz, funk, and soul. I became educated by various artists in the hip-hop culture about various genres of music as well as artists from diverse styles. The artists that I idolized were shaped by artists before them, so I became interested in the singers and songwriters that they would praise on their songs.
Rock is an entirely different story for me. I started out by listening to classic rock(not by choice), in the mid 1980s. As the years passed the radio station would begin to play various styles of rock. These styles included hard rock, heavy metal, and alternative rock. As hard rock became more popular; I started to enjoy the energy that it brought me. This type of rock music is energized with the fast guitar riffs, drum beats and singing(borderline screaming).
I would find myself listening to different types of music depending on the mood or emotions that I encountered, by labeling my moods with different types of music. As I grew and matured I found myself being attracted to other types of music such as Spanish guitar and classical music.
I found a different kind of relation with the various types of music that I would listen to. The more instrumental music would play during studying or stress-free times. I would revert back to hip-hop when I felt discouraged or when I needed to be inspired. Types of rock would motivate me before sporting events, mainly due to the high energy this type of music provided.

What are your summer plans?

My plans for summer this year are to work, play soccer, camp once or twice, visit family, and celebrate my birthday.
I am looking to get a job that will help me pay for my next semester at Butte College. So far my father-in-law offered me a job assisting my wife in a distribution business that they are working side-by-side. The job duties include taking orders from customers nation wide, going to the shipping area, and sending out products related to price marking. The other job I was considering was construction. I have experience in construction, which entails concrete work, carpentry, and painting. Construction will allow me to work outdoors, but the heat may become an issue in the summer. After weighing out my options I think I will take my father-in-law up on the job offer. This will get me involved with a family business that is small but profitable and will allow me to spend time with my wonderful wife, Casey.
The second plan that I have for summer is playing soccer. Since I have lived in Chico, I have not had the privilege to spend a full summer here. I have always been away in the mountains where the temperature is fifteen to twenty degrees cooler. I enjoy playing soccer, but my main focus will be staying hydrated, for me this will be the key in order to survive a season of summertime soccer.
Another plan that I have for summer is to go camping with some old high school and childhood friends. I am looking forward to this, because I have rarely seen my friends since I moved into the Chico area. I am from Santa Rosa, so Chico is not very far away, but at times it becomes difficult to visit friends. We are going to Lake Mendocino for the first weekend in June. There will be fishing, boating, sports, and relaxing. This is my idea of a relaxing weekend.
The final event that I am looking forward to is seeing my family and having my birthday in the middle of July. During the month of July, my family puts on a huge reunion that includes a band, food, drinks and fun for all ages.

Are environmental issues important to you? Why? What do you do to protect the environment?

The issues of the environment are very important to me. Some of my reasons are personal and others are directed towards the balance of the planet. In my life I have seen beautiful places in North America. Traveling as far east as Louisiana to Montana, and as far south as Mexico, there are many other places I would love to see. These different landscapes have their own unique beauty about them. Someday I hope that my children and grandchildren are able to enjoy such sights as I have.
A specific memory pops into my mind when I think about the environmental issues at hand. One day I was in Yosemite National Park working when a car passed with a bumper sticker that said, "Daddy what is a forest?" Now this might be a little extreme for some people, but with the way land is being purchased, timber being harvested, and houses being built, I think that this quote is becoming more realistic as the days pass.
My point is that in the future urban areas will cover the landscapes that we are able to enjoy now. Our children and the generations beyond theirs will not have the same outlook on the planet as my generation and the generations past. This frustrates me, mainly because of the damage to the planet we inflict on it. The industrial and technological industries have played a huge part in the decay of the planet.
In my mind, some of the ways I protect the environment was fighting fires for over 4 years. To me firefighting is a double edge sword when it comes to protecting the environment. Plants and animals are saved from mortality, but on the other hand fire is natures way of cleaning up. Insect invasion on forest leave trees dead or weaken, same with the impact that winter has on a forest. When trees become diseased or dead, fire will consume the dried fuels, and in the process stimulates roots and pine cones that use the heat in order to start the germinating process of some trees. Some of the other methods I use to protect the environment are recycling, I also drive a car that has great gas mileage, I smog my car so the the pollutants omitted into the atmosphere are minimal. My house is an energy efficient house by P.G.and E standards. I am looking into installing solar panels on my house so that I do not have to rely on natural gases as much, this will also allow me to conserve more energy in the long run. I am always looking for new and innovative ways to become more energy efficient, as well educating others on the different ways to become more efficient.

If you could have any animal for a pet, what animal would you have? Why?

If I could have any animal in the world I would like to have a Peregrine Falcon. The Peregrine Falcon is a bird of prey, which means that it hunts other birds as well as small rodents, and fish. Falcons amaze me with the speed that they posses when they attack their prey. Since I was a child I have always been fond of falcons, eagles, and hawks. I did a report on the Peregrine Falcon, and found out that this bird was on the endangered species list at one point in time. It still might be on the endangered species for all I know. I have always wanted to own, or create a sanctuary for these birds. The sanctuary that I want to create will be in the natural habitat of the Peregrine Falcon. I would like to invite people to observe this bird in its natural habitat, so that they can witness the amazing speed that this bird has. Another feature that this bird has that intrigues me is the coloring. The white spotted under belly, topped with brown wings and feathers make for a gorgeous looking bird. It is very unfortunate that the agriculture industry was a huge factor in placing this bird on the endangered species list. This happened by having farmers spray their crops with D.D.T. The falcon would eat the food the farmers grew, which made the shell of the eggs so thin that they would crack under the weight of the parents. Between the U.S. and Canada there are less the 2,000 Peregrine Falcons left. I hope that these majestic birds will be able to leave the endangered species list in the future.

What 3 things would you bring with you to a deserted island? Why?

For me the three things that I would bring to a deserted island would be a flint, knife, and water container. I think that these three tools are very important, for me these tools will prolong the life expectancy on an island with limited resources.

The first item is a flint. The flint is a very useful survival tool in a remote area. In many ways this small tool can be beneficial when used properly. The main purpose of a flint is that, when struck by a rock or knife, it provides a spark that can ignite fine fuels, which in turn will create a fire. In this kind of setting a fire is a very powerful tool to use, for many people fire will provide a means of cooking food, sterilizing water, radiating heat, as well as repelling off predators. A fire will produce smoke when adding green foliage, this will hopefully attract attention, which will result in a possible rescue situation.

The second item I would bring with me is a knife. It does not necessarily have to be a survival knife, but a pocket knife will be adequate enough in order to survive on a deserted island. With a knife I could possibly catch food, make a simple shelter to live in, fend of any predators or set up traps for protection. Some simple tools that I could create with a knife are spears for hunting, which could double as a skewer when the food is prepared. With the assistance of a rock; I can use the knife to cut down small diameter trees, by cutting down trees I can build a simple frame out of the base of the trees and then use the foliage to cover the frame. I can layer the foliage in a way that if the weather gets wet the shelter will not leak.

The third item that I have is a water container. A person can not survive very long without water. Since this takes place on an island there is plenty of water, but the water is not potable. In order to live off the water it needs to be boiled. Boiling the water will sterilize it, which will make it drinkable. If I chose to scout out the island for possible food or shelter sources I would like to bring water with me. This allows me to search for longer peroids of time. By scouting out the surrounding area, I can find an ideal area to set up a shelter if need be. These three items are very useful in this kind of situation.

What do you like most about the town where you live(or your hometown)? What would you change?

The part of Chico that I love is that it is a smaller city then where I came from. I grew up in Santa Rosa, this city was about the same size in the 80's and 90's as Chico is today. Living in Santa Rosa as a kid was great for me. I made many friends, my family did not move too much during my childhood. I attended the same school during my elementary career, so this set a strong foundation for my childhood. I think that Chico can offer the same kind of support for my children when they attend school here. This is important for me, because after I finished elementary school I ended up bouncing around in junior high school. For me this was a difficult time in my life, mainly due to the separation of my parents. I was able to make friends in recreational sports that the community offered, which helped me socialize with peers at both junior high schools. I feel that Chico can allow my children to establish a strong social and positive upbringing, by becoming involved in the community as well as the recreational department the city offers.
I enjoy the opportunity that Chico as given me to establish myself in the urban area. The success that I have obtained in Chico would have taken substantially longer, if I was to stay in Santa Rosa. Many positive outcomes have boosted my confidence since moving to Chico, so in my mind I do not want to relocate and attempt to succeed in another location. I have already found more success in Chico then my parents have found in Santa Rosa. That is what I base my success on.
If I had to make any changes in Chico I would try to limit the growth rate of the urban area. I feel that the city and state need to join forces in order to maintain, and improve the road conditions as well as the traffic congestion. I feel that there are some projects already in process that should fill a different priority slot, compared to other projects. One change I would like to see is another high school constructed, so that the current high schools will not become overpopulated. I think that the city will benefit from this in a few ways. One is that the quality of education will be better, this works by keeping classrooms at a teachable size. Second is that more job opportunities will become available. People that want a different pace in their lifestyle are drawn to this area, mainly due to the success rate that is obtained by the location and the local economy. After this occurs, the next issue that should be addressed is the hospital. I do not think that the local hospital will be able to administer the proper amount of care for the growth that the area is experiencing. A hospital should be placed in the south eastern end of the city. This will be helpful for the people living in the surrounding communities such as Paradise, Magilia, and South Chico.

Reading Response # 2 (Say Yes to Yourself)

Write a paragraph about the steps you take to comfort or support a friend who is depressed or anxious.

After reading this piece out of the book one comment comes to mind, paralysis of over analysis. To my understanding this phrase means that someone can talk or think themselves out of succeeding. This goes hand in hand with positive and negative self talk. Many peers from my past were very positive up to the point of graduating high school. After graduation is finished reality hits. This is where many obstacles of life are revealed.
When issues arise usually temper tantrums are thrown, body language is read and no verbal communication is used. I attempt to talk to this person after the outburst has occurred, by asking simple questions about their feelings and frustrations.
When feelings are discussed I listen by watching the lips of the speaker, this ensures the person talking that I give them my full attention. After the question is answered, and the venting is finished I give positive feedback, only if they ask for it. I express my emotions to the person, and explain to them how their actions made me feel after the episode I witnessed. By doing this I hope that the individual realizes how their behavior is, and makes improvements with the way that they express their emotions. I use a calm tone when talking to someone about the reaction towards the issue at hand. This seems to work most of the time, for the person is more receptive to suggestions when a calm or relaxed tone is used.
By using listening skills, calm verbal skills, and patience I am able to help my peers with issues. Some of these issues I may not even be able to relate with, but I am able to imagine how I would react in certain situations. After envisioning myself in certain situations I try to relate, if I can't then I sit, listen and sympathize. I find that many people need someone to talk to. I think that trust and communication are important elements in supporting people with depression or anxiety.

If you had time to volunteer where would you volenteer? What would you do? Why? If you do volunteer work describe what you do.

I am already a volunteer. I volunteer my time here at Butte College, in the athletic training room. I have donated nine hours a week for this semester to the training room. This internship is assisting me in learning effective ways to administer aid to athletes, that are or have become injured in their sport. I show up on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday working and learning for three hours each day. In the three hours I learn different ways to preform treatment to a variety of athletes, ranging from women's soccer to men's football.

I provide assistance to the professional athletic trainers with the rehabilitation methods that they implement for the injured athletes. In return I gain knowledge and acquire skills to help athletes with their personal recovery. By working in the athletic training room, I have learned more about how the human body works, and how the recovery time is different with each athlete's injury. The treatments that I have learned so far include hot and cold treatments, exercise rehabilitation, electronic muscle stimulation, friction massages, as well as a combination of all of the above. Figuring out what treatment depends on the injury, and the seriousness of the injury. Usually for all injuries cold or hot treatments are prescribed, followed by stretching, and then maybe some muscle stimulation.

I hope to absorb all the information I can, and use these methods in my future career of athletic training. I think that the volunteering that I have done this semester is an effective way to see if I want to go after a career in athletic training. I hope that one day I will be able to offer a service to athletes or people that are injured, and help them get rid of their injuries, which will lead them to a happier and healthier life.

How would you like to be remembered?

I would like to be remembered for helping my peers, family, and community grow to become successful. The most important value I would like to be remembered for is preserving the earth. I really do not want to become famous or rich, but I would like to be known for having my own views and a free mind.
In my childhood I witnessed a lot of closed minded thinking. For me this was difficult to endure mainly for the fact that many of my friends were of different ethnic decent. I was able to learn aspects of many different cultures by observing and listening to my peers and the experiences that they have had.
My family and peers would remember me for my listening skills and wisdom that I passed on to them. These skills are vital for interaction with others, especially people that you respect or that respect you. I think that trust would grow between the people that I assisted in the past. The trust is an element that the people can create with others, this will improve the quality of their lives.
As far as my community goes, I think I need to voice my opinion more about certain local political issues. By displaying my views for my community to see, I feel that I can learn how others in my community view certain issues. I hope that if people do not accept my views on the issues that they will approach me in a non confrontational way and discuss the issue at hand. This is where communication and listening skills come into play. It is vital to me to listen and learn why the person has the views they do. I would expect the same respect in return and maybe the issue at hand can be resolved at hand. In doing this I would not intend to change that person's viewpoint but to learn why they feel the way they do. If I am able to learn about others this helps me project a nonobjective view on the opnion that they formed. In order to accomplish this, people need patience and understanding.
I have participated in many different events to take care of the earth. In school I was active in enviormental friendly activities such as Hands Across the County. This activity took place at school. Other activities include fire suppression for over four years, planting plants for a few summers and conserving energy in my home. I think it is vital for our society to take care of the planet so our kids and grandchildren can enjoy the world we live in.

What will life be like 20 years from now? What will you be doning?

In 20 years I think that life will start to slow down a bit. I hope that living will be easier and I don't want to rely on social security. I will be 46 years old. I predict that I will have a son and daughter graduating high school. At the age of 46 I hope to be active in recreational sports as well as living a healthy quality life. In the summer, my wife and I will travel around Europe by sailboat.

I plan on having enough money to be retired. This would happen by making smart investments and building a profitable business. From these investments and the business I would obtain financial freedom. This would allow me to live my life the way I choose to. My kids would have accounts set up, so they could peruse their goals and dreams. I would not force my children to attend college if they did not want to. I would encourage them to strive for achievement in the areas that they are passionate about.

My wife and I would move to Santa Rosa and settle there. Santa Rosa, in my opinion, is in the perfect location. The beach, mountains, and city are all with in a few hours away, not to mention a few local lakes. We would have a house custom built with a few acres overlooking the valley. The money I would make from my successful business I would use to make generous contributions to the communities that I grew up in. Many of these areas are "ghetto" or run down. It is the least that I could do for my community.

My wife and I would have a 40ft plus sailboat in the bay area. This would allow us to make trips up and down the whole west coast, even into Mexico and Canada. We would also visit some of the near by islands also. We would also be able to afford to own another boat on the Spanish coastline. This other sailboat will be used for genealogical research. Both Casey(my wife) and I have ancestors from Europe. The boat would allow us to take trips from Spain to Greece and up towards Britain and into the Netherlands.

We would own a summer home in Greece and Spain. The homes would include a staff to take care make sure everything is in order when we left. I would like to help out the local people in these countries. I would have a staff on the ship also. They would train me how to run my own ship. I think that some of these dreams will help me to understand how my ancestors lived, where they came from. What languages that they spoke and maybe find some relatives that I never knew existed.

I became inspired by this from my grandmother. She has traced some of our ancestors as far back as the early 1600's. She has traveled to the east coast and learned more about our past history.

If you could invite three people to dinner, who would you invite? What would you talk about? What would you eat?

The three people that come to mind are Nasir Jones (rapper from Queens Bridge, New York), Atila the Hun(world leader) and Noam Chomsky (M.I.T. professor).

First of all, I would want to start off the dinner talking with Nas (Nasir Jones). From my youth to today I have listened to Nas as he puts out classic album after album. I have always been intrigued by his music, style, and his life philosophy. I have always wanted to know how it was for him growing up in the projects of Queens Bridge. I would ask him to reflect on childhood memories. I'm curious to see what inspired Nas to become a musician, and why he chose to rap. I want to know about his life experiences as well as his life philosophies. I would question him on how he got into the rap industry and about the changes that he has witnessed, and about his personal involvement in the industry. To me Nas is an inspiring man, as well as a leader to his culture, community and the world.

The next person I would like to chat with would be Atila the Hun. I herd about Atila a few years ago. I know that this man was very successful in setting personal goals and achieving them. Atila conquered many territories during his horrific invasions. I would ask him what childhood experiences would trigger violence to the degree that he inflicted on others. I would ask him what inspired him to want to take over the world. The efficiency Atila used and the manpower he acquired during his invasions is amazing to me. I want to know what skills he possessed in order to lead armies into villages and destroy them. How did Atila loose control of the machine that he created. Did he gain everything he desired during is invasions.

The third person I would invite to dinner is Noam Chomsky. The books that this man has written give me a different view of how the USA is ran. I would ask Noam about past experiences that shaped his thinking in the direction it's in. I'm curious about the education and beliefs he has. I want to know what the turning point in his life was that persuaded him to have the thoughts he has. What inspired him in questioning the government and the way they run the country. I'm interested on the research he has done on the articles he has composed. I want to know how he handles the media when questioned about the government and the research that he publishes.

Having these three people would give me insight on how free thinking men view world issues, domestic and universal. I want to compare all the views to see how advanced the thought process is for each person compared to other eras in time.

For dinner we would have seafood, steak, salad and bread. This is one of my favorite meals and it seems broad enough to accommodate all 3 people.

Reading Response#1

Write about the smells you associate with one season: summer, fall, winter, or spring. You may want to connect these smells to your feelings about the season. For example, do the smells you associate with summer connect to your love of summer? Or do the smells of spring relate to the hope of new beginnings?

The season that I want to associate with is summer. Summer is the season that I was born in. I associate many summer scents with my birthday. In my youth my family would make numerous trips to the beach. We lived about 45 minutes away from the coast. Every time I smell salty air it triggers memories about the coast. The beach is great for many activities. My personal favorites are observing tide pools at low tide. It's amazing how much life is associated with the salt water. Another favorite activity is just to sit and enjoy the atmosphere. Another smell that reminds me of summer is the smell of fresh seafood. I could live off seafood if I had the choice and money. When I go grocery shopping, sometimes I get a whiff of fresh seafood and it automatically reminds me of the beach.

The smell of smoke reminds me of the summer as well. I fought forest fires for over four years, and the smell of burning vegetation gets me excited. The surrounding forests and agricultural industry spews smoke into Chico during the summer time. The smoke memories consist of driving to fires, cutting line around the fire for containment purposes, and helicopter rides. The smell of smoke also triggers memories of family camping trips during the summer. Our family would take annual camping trips to various lakes and forests. At these camping trips we would have camp fires and barbecues.

Another smell that brings back memories is the smell of pine trees. Being a forest fire fighter entailed us to camp in the woods, we had projects that included cutting trees and burning acres of national forest. Pine reminds me of the hard work that was associated with fire fighting. I also recall many people that I have become friends with over those years. This job cultivated many friendships that will last for a lifetime.

Sometimes I smell barbecues around my neighborhoods and it takes me back to these memories. I have memories of childhood birthdays at community parks. At the parks there were horses to ride, trains to ride, jungle gyms and open meadows to play on. At the park there was a pond that was stocked with fish annually. My father would take me to this pond on the weekends to catch trout.

These smells that occur during the summer months have a major impact in my life. The memories that I acquire when a distinguished scent hits my nose, bring pleasant memories into my life. This is very important to me for the simple fact that I had a solid childhood. I think about how lucky I am to have a great childhood. This outweighs the negative memories I recall during my teenage years. It's amazing the stories that can be told just by a small whiff of a distinct smell.

What is worth fighting for?

I feel strong about my family, friends, myself, wife, beliefs, values, freedom and earth. I have a decent size family that consists of one mom, dad, sister, niece, step-dad, step brothers, and 1 step sister. If my family even needed my support in any life situation, I would be there for them and offer my help for them. If any family member's life was in danger I wouldn't hesitate to put myself on the line for them. There have been many struggles in our family, but this strengths in our family. Since humans have limited biological family members, it is important to me to keep in touch with everyone. Next are my friends. My friends have assisted me in many troubling times in my life. I feel that I owe some of them a favor, to say the least. I honestly can say I wouldn't be here if I didn't have the friendships over the years. I have a few friends which is OK with me. If ever they needed something from me I would give them the same loyalty as I would for my family. The next person I would fight for would be my wife. I have vowed to devote my life to her and her well being. I'm fully committed to making sure that she will be protected for the rest of her life. I have had people taken away from me that I have deeply loved. This hurt me deeply, so I made a vow to myself to protect all of the people that mean the most to me. My wife has handled difficult situations well, or better then I have, but I know that I need to make sure her safety is in place. I think everyone needs to be able to fight for themselves. If you don't then people will take advantage of you through out your whole life. Life is very challenging at times. Myself, I have tried to help others for the majority of my life, and ended up being taken advantage of. If I didn't decide to stand up for myself then more people would manipulate me, and get what they want. My beliefs, values, and freedoms are next. I was born in a country that claims people are free. I have the luxury of being able to think for myself and in turn I have developed my own beliefs and values. I feel these are worth fighting for merely for the fact that it is a part of me. If someone takes control of my beliefs and values then I will lose my freedom. If I can't have freedom then why live. The last element to fight for is the earth. This planet is the greatest place ever. I have devoted almost 5 years to protecting nearby forest, by suppressing fires. If people don't fight to protect our world then we won't be alive or have a place to live.

Describe someone who is close to you. What do you admire most about this person?

Someone that I am close to is my father Bruce Sr. Bruce is a 52 year old man that has grown up in a very difficult situation. He grew up with a limited amount of positive and emotional attention. He experienced years of physical, psychological, and emotional abuse. As a child, Bruce was shunned by his biological father and physically abused by his step-father and mother. He attended schools all over Sonoma County until his senior year when he dropped out of school all together. Bruce moved to Portland for a few months where he worked a full time job. After spending time in Portland he decided to move back to California.
When Bruce moved back to Sonoma County he met my mother Cyndi. They got married in February, my mom was four months pregnant. I was born in July of 1980. My parents are still married by law, but have been separated for about 17 years.
My father had brought some good qualities and values to his new family; however, he could not come to grips with the childhood issues or the addictions that he acquired. For ten years, Bruce and Cyndi worked hard at their marriage and developed a solid foundation for my younger sister and I. Soon my mother realized that she needed more support then my father could give her, so they split up. By this time Bruce had become an unemotional husband, an addict and still didn't find the courage to deal with his issues.
After the break up, my sister and I bounced back and forth between parents for about five years. My father suffered an injury from work that was drug related. Around this time my parents decided to break up. Bruce found a support group and began to rehab himself and his body. Other obstacles got in Bruce's way, and he ended up homeless. When he became homeless he surrendered to his addictions that have controlled his life for over 30 years.
Just over the last year Bruce found the strength from within and from friends to clean up his life. He is a roofer and attends support groups. In return, his boss found Bruce a clean & sober house, where the is presently living. Since he found that place to live he has faced some of the issues from his childhood and accepted the outcome of his life. Even though my father has lived a tough and fast life he's managed to be a father to me for my entire lifetime. We have an unbreakable bond, I don't look down on him because of his choices, I talk to him and ask him what he was going through. This helps me to understand his life and his thought process. I admire the perseverance and overcoming the adversity in his life. The changes he decided to make will prolong his life and our bond.

Describe your dream job. What would you do in this position? What would you enjoy about it?

My dream job is to become an athletic trainer. This job will allow me to assist athletes with injuries that have occurred on the playing fields. I want to work in an athletic facility at a high school, community college or university.
The training room or gym needs to have rehabilitation equipment, medical supplies, and an office for administration duties. These supplies are vital in helping athletes overcome their injuries by allowing them to perform proper exercises necessary for their rehabilitation.
I want to set up individual rehab programs. These programs would teach athletes to use strength and conditioning exercises to repair injuries. I enjoy the idea of monitoring the progress athletes make with the injury sustained so I could modify individual rehab programs for specific areas of concern. After making these changes and observing how different programs affect injuries, I think this will decrease the potential for further injuries to occur in that body part. I think that this is important to the up and coming athletes.
The more that I can assist the athletes with their injuries, the better the chance they will have for success in the sport of their choice.The enjoyment I would gain from this occupation is knowing that I played a role in helping young athletes overcome injuries in order to become successful in their sport and life. This would give me the privilege to work side by side with athletes, coaches, and sports doctors. It would be amazing to me if one of the athletes I assisted became a professional or world class competitor.
I would like to be involved in two fields that have always interested me, sports and medicine. The health of an athlete is extremely important for the fact that the human body has the ability to accomplish amazing physical feats that many people can't achieve. Athletes are entertaining to watch and I have fun participating in sports activities.

How can you get the most out of your time at Butte College?

The way I can get the most out of Butte College is by allowing myself enough time to stay focused and succeed. I made a schedule that allows me to go to Butte for three days. Monday and Wednesday I attend school from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday I attend class from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. On Monday and Wednesday I have a small break in the morning and a two hour break in the afternoon. My morning break is only half an hour long. This gives me time to run an errand or two before I go to my next class. The two hour break allows me to use this time for studying or tutoring. On Friday I have the opportunity to use the rest of my day for studies, an internship, or both.
I'm working on fitting an internship into my schedule Friday afternoon for three hours. I'm doing this to receive some experience in the major of my interest. By doing this it ensure me that my focus on athletic training will become stronger.
Some of the clubs and organizations will assist me in achieving my goals for my major. Since I want to become an athletic trainer, I talked to the club organizer, and found out that I could fit the club into my schedule. Clubs are important to me for the fact that they allow me to surround myself around people that are involved in the same interests that I am. This will help for the mere fact that I will find out not only what the requirements are in this specific career, but will also allow me to gain experience in the career field that I am interested in.

What are your goals and expectations for this semester?

My goals and expectations for this semester are to get established in the college world. I want to achieve a 3.5 grade point average. Get familiar with the sports medicine training facility. Become an intern or volunteer in the training room. I want to live a healthier lifestyle.

The way I plan on reaching my first goal is to stay focused on my studies.
Whenever I have classwork or homework I need to get it finished as soon as I can. I have a bad habit of procrastinating, the result of that was poor grades, unnecessary stress and failure to complete assignments on time. The only way I visualize myself achieving the g.p.a. I want is to keep up with my studies. I need to make sure that I complete my homework, ask for help from tutors or professors if a question arises. Since I have a syllabus from all of my classes, I can stay on pace with my studies. When I get caught up with all of my assignments, I can use my free time to get ahead in class or review past chapters. This will assist me when the time comes to take quizzes, tests, or exams.

My major is Athletic Training. I've always had an interest in sports and I'm fascinated about medical treatment that athletes recieves after an injury occurs. I had the privilage to meet the Director of Sports Medicine, Mario Vela. I talked to Mario about starting an internship, and I'm in progress on working on a schedule that will help me when I have free time.

Another goal I have is to become healither. This is both physically and mentally. I am not happy with my weight, so I signed up for a weight training class in the morning. I think this class is the key for me to achieve all of my goals I have set this semester. Weight training will help me feel more energetic, build my self-confidence and reduce the stress in my life.336