What's Fun?

I don’t go out and have fun anymore. I work.

The few times I have “fun” is when I watch YouTube  videos by some of my favorite music groups and/or singers that I grew up listening to on the radio, and old skits from Saturday Night Live.  On the occasion that I get a free moment from studying, I would make use of my Facebook and see what some people I know are talking about.  Sometimes, there’s drama, and there’s spoilers of television shows I’ve yet to watch.  I like those in particular, because I don’t really watch television anymore, except for the news.

I used to go to Six Flags Great America all of the time, because I had a season pass and a couple of my friends are roller coaster enthusiasts.   I go along with them and take pictures. I haven’t gone to the theme park in several years, and I miss it.  The last time I went was nearly ten years ago when roller coaster Shock Wave left the theme park.  I got a picture taken with a zombie that same year at Fright Fest and someone from an S&M site asked if I was a submissive. That’s a different story for another day.

My skeletal friend at Fright Fest, 2003. Photo by Sharon Pearson.

The dismantling of Shock Wave, 2003. Photo by Sharon Pearson.

 

 I would like to go out and have fun again. I can wait until the semester's over.

Random Thoughts: Fall Edition

As summer leaves and autumn comes in, the noticeable changes are immediate.  Cooler days have arrived a lot earlier than usual, and I spied a lot of people wearing pea-coats, Ugg boots, and other fall-weather clothing.  There are a few people who refuses to  believe that summer is over and are out wearing flip-flops and tank tops. I'm going to get my warm clothes out of moth balls, wash out the scent, and wear them proudly.  Then again, as a native Chicagoan who grew up in this lovely city, the weather can turn in a second if one's not prepared. Have a lovely fall, everyone!

What a Teacher Instilled in Me

Growing up in Chicago, I went through the education provided by the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system.  It has its flaws, and good points as well.  One of the things that sticks out some many years later was grammar lessons in the fifth grade. My teacher, Mrs. Falbe, drilled lessons into us on a daily basis.  At one point of my elementary school career, I recited prepositional phrases, adverbs, and adjectives in my sleep.  I hated doing those exercises, even though I wanted to be a writer when I grew up and became an adult.  I didn't know it then; the idea was to write well for any career in life, where written communication is very important.

Several years later, I decided to major in journalism, taking with me what a CPS taught me those years earlier.  She was a tough lady; she had a reason to be hard on all of us students, even me who hated doing homework and only did enough to avoid flunking the fifth grade.  My grammar still needs some work.  I have a great instructor at Truman College who only wants the best from me, just like Mrs. Falbe did.

CPS teachers work very hard, and aren't appreciated by the students, or the Board of Education.  Layoffs are occurring, unsafe conditions in the schools are up, and all the teachers are asking for is a safe learning environment, pay raises, and respect.  I didn't like my CPS teachers then, but as I reflect on my years in the system, I can honestly say that I wish I had paid more attention and daydreamed less.

I have to find those notebooks from the fifth grade and give myself a refresher course.

Teachers picketing outside of Kellman Community Academy on Sep. 10, 2012.

 

 

Picture taken by Sharon Pearson

Space Cadet

For as long as I can remember, I've stared into the night sky for about an hour whenever I was awarded free time.  My sisters would tease me because I would watch shows on space exploration and all things Earth-related.  At one point, my big sister would  say to me, "Sharon, are you looking for you brain in the stars again?" I would tell her, "No. My brain's in my head. I'm looking for your brain."  As usual, she would throw a stuffed animal at me. When she left, I continued to stare into space and daydream away until I went to sleep.

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) guarding the entrance to the planetarium.
Picture taken by Sharon Pearson.

The opportunity came to me in day camp when my class took a field trip to one of my favorite places in Chicago: the Adler Planetarium.  My favorite thing to do there was to watch the sky show in the historic Sky Theater, where my fellow campers and I were treated to a show about the night sky. I received a star chart and a book on what's in space from the trip. 

Several years later, my love for the night sky returned when some of my coworkers and I began tracking the planet Mars, because it was going into retrograde motion. We studies the works of Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Kepler to gain an understanding of their reports on exploring the sky, even driving out into the middle of nowhere in Michigan to get a clear view of the night sky.  We've done it on several occasions, even tracking other planets that were visible to the naked eye at night: Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter. Mercury's a bit tough, since it's really close to the Sun. 

Jim Lovell, a Chicago native and one of the astronauts on Apollo 8 and Apollo 13.
Picture taken by Sharon Pearson.

In recent months, I revisited the Adler Planetarium. This time, I didn't get to see any of the shows on my free pass I checked out from the public library.  I lived in the Moon exhibit and the exhibit where all of the planets were located.  I saw a replica of the Saturn V rocket, that brought back memories of me living in Houston and visiting the Johnson Space Center.  While looking at the Mars, I wished that colonization was a reality on the Red Planet.  I took a lot of pictures and wrote out a bunch of notes that helped me pass Astronomy last semester. 

The next time I decide to visit the Adler Planetarium, I'm going to get lost in the sky shows, and daydream again.  NASA has some videos and photos that are interesting. I'll watch some of those until I can return to my favorite place on another day.


The author holding a replica of the Saturn V rocket. The real thing is in Houston.
Picture taken by Sharon Pearson.



 

The Perfectly Imperfect Writer, Part One

I am a flawed writer.

As a wannabe writer, I need to really step up to the plate in my classwork/homework.  To me, that means listening with my journalist ears to what my instructor has to say about the work I turn in, utilizing the resources at school to guide me in my writing, and mentor the beginning writers in class as well. 

This semester, I cannot afford to make any mistakes on my schoolwork. I want to pass this class with an A or a B, and not just “get by” with a C. I don’t want to settle for a C, anymore. 

The exact same thing goes for my news reporting at the paper.  I cannot be relaxed and lollygag on a story my editor-in-chief assigns me.  I’ll admit it; my researching and interviewing skills are not the greatest. I would l to love to sharpen them to the point where I’m asking the types of questions Barbara Walters gets to ask the people she’s interviewing.  I want to prove to potential editors that I can write and I do know subject-verb-object agreement. 

I’m not perfect; I’m also not a saint. Personally, I don’t know of any writer, past or present that has made mistakes in their careers. I’m a wannabe writer that will make my dream of becoming a journalist a reality.  Hopefully, I don’t go the way of Jayson Blair, Eric Glass, and Fareed Zakaria. I can learn from their mistakes and make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to me.

I am a flawed writer that needs some assistance with honing in my basic reporting skills and enhancing what I learn in class.