In this week’s reading, it is Mary Anne’s birthday. Before her birthday party, Mary Anne and Will went in for the results of her second scan since she’d been diagnosed. But she was soon taken off one of her chemo drugs; Xeloda because Mary Anne was reacting badly to it. They were warned that the results might not be as good as the first. Eventually Dr. O’Reilly had good news of the result from her last scan “About thirty percent of the liver was involved when you first came in [...] Now it’s much closer to fifteen percent” (148). Mary Anne has been feeling better lately she started to gain some weight and had a lot more energy. Mary Anne and Will start a new book the Continental Drift by Russell Banks, which was stated as depressing. Schwalbe says the book Continental Drift, is a story of a young Haitian woman. “The book tells in parallel the story of a young Haitian woman and her infant and nephew, and their journey as refugees as she tries to make a new life for the three of them. Things go horrendously badly-both on an illegal boat and long before” (152). They eventually didn’t have an opportunity to discuss this book because it was soon Mary Anne’s birthday. She was celebrating her 74th birthday at Daisy May’s; a barbeque restaurant where Will arranged a celebration with friends and family. Later in the book, Schwalbe mentions The Painted Veil where the main character; Kitty is told to consider the beauty of the nun’s lives as perfect of art. As Mary Anne continues to read this novel she admires Kitty’s perspective on the nuns “The nuns do what they do without fear; she does what she does in spite of it” (164). After reading that quotation, Schwalbe made me wonder if I knew someone that was fearless for their actions. So this brings me to ask, are you able to do what you want without fear ? Do you know anyone from your friends or family that is fearful ? If you are scared, how so ?
8 Comments
Sarah Brunson
3/18/2016 10:50:05 am
Amongst my family and friends, I have been known for being fearless. I am also known for making crazy-stupid decisions. So it seems that being fearless can also be my weakness. I'm not afraid to say what I am thinking or to share my opinion which gets me in some tough situations sometimes. My theory is that its better to be blunt than to stand on the sidelines silent. I am not afraid to go on the scariest roller coaster in the amusement park. I am not afraid to talk about my religion. I am not afraid to tell a friend that her current boyfriend is a complete tool. I am also not afraid to be who I was created to be. In my family my mom and my grandma tend to be the ones who are fearful. They worry every time I get on the freeway. I get my fearlessness from my dad. He is a firefighter captain and he is the most fearless person I know. Its our job to be that example to our family that its okay to be fearless with the right amount of caution.
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Esmeralda Calderon
3/19/2016 05:50:29 pm
According to my friends and siblings, I am yet the most fearful person they have ever met. I do admit that I can be a fearful person at times, but I don’t think of myself as overly exaggerating as they do. I fear the unpredictable things in life like possibly losing a loved one and I always try to prepare myself for any possible situation, I guess you can say I am just precocious. I believe that being precocious is beneficial. For example, you can be in the passenger seat of a car with one of your friends driving, your friend can be driving and taking their eyes off of the road as they try to change the radio station. I would typically be the person looking down the road and warning my friend that a car was going to merge close to them. Being precocious and warning my friend about the incident that is about to happen would prevent a possible accident and injuries. I mean if I’m not precocious who would be? This can be related to a part in the book when Mary Anne says, “I’m getting the best and most expensive care in the world, and I just don’t think that’s brave. If I were really brave, I’d do without it, so that the money could go for prevention care or for research.” (165). I believe that that quote only shows who Mary Anne is as a person. I feel that I can relate to her in that way because she would rather take the pain and donate her money so that something can be done for others that are in the same situation as she is. She simply wishes to put others before herself, and I do the exact same with friends and family just because I always want to see everyone safe and happy.
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Maci Fusi
3/20/2016 08:10:56 pm
I unfortunately am a fearful person. If you asked anyone who has spent more than twenty minutes with me they would tell you the same. I like staying in my comfort zone because it is what I know and what I am used to. I do not like going any further than that because it scares me. I do not like as Esmeralda put it "the unpredictable." It scares me not knowing what will happen in a certain situation no matter what it would be whether it be something as simple as taking my dog on a walk or something as big as moving to a new country. It is scary, I always choose the easier and less messy way out of things because it is a safer route to go, which is never really the best thing to do.
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Giselle Mendez
3/21/2016 03:15:03 pm
Within my family I am the fearless yet most fearful person. I do as I want when it comes to certain things fearless. I say that I am more fearful than fearless, depending on the situation. I am more of obeying the rules and am fearful when it comes to breaking them. Honestly, when I do something I do it with fear thinking of what the outcome can be whether good or bad.From my family my mom is very fearful with everything. She begins to freak out and her nerves rise up. I guess I got being fearful from her, but when I'm around her I act as if I'm not afraid of anything and do as I set myself to do, but in reality we are all scared of life. That is my main fear I do get scared for most things, but most of all I am scared of the future. hat scares me is not knowing the next step, but I guess I'll just be surprised.
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Liliana Delatorre
4/5/2016 12:35:31 pm
I want to say yes I am able to do what I want without fear but it’s hard when you know tragedies happen every second in our lives. Which makes me a fearful person. I’m fearful person but when it comes to the what if’s or as Esmeralda says it “the unpredictable”. Everyday I always remind myself to enjoy everyday because you never really know when everything can be taken away. It sucks living a life full of fear because you don’t know what is going to happen next but it’s also that fear in which makes me do things I never thought I would. One example I can say is when I went to the boardwalk and I was tall enough to finally ride the big kid rides. The very first ride I went on that day was double shot. I remember at first I was very excited to finally go on it but the more we got closer to the front of the line the more I got scared. I also remember before it was our turn someone told one of the workers to stop the ride because they wants to get off which made me reconsider whether I wanted to go on it after all or not. I still did though. I can’t lie in the beginning when they had the music before they press the button for us to go up I did feel my heart pounding but once the ride stop I remember I kept on laughing.
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Jessica Martinez
4/11/2016 10:43:12 am
I simply agree with Esmeralda Calderon. Where she mentions how if her friend was driving and she looked down on her phone she’d be that friend that would tell her that a car is about to hit her or is getting very close to her. I guess that’s just how we are. Most people would be on their phone and will have no idea that a car was getting near them. I’m a very fearful person. I tend to believe I got that from my mother. She does this thing where she overreacts when I’m going somewhere and thinks of the worst possible thing that can happen. I realized though it’s not that she’s overreacting it’s just so many crazy things have been happening in this world that you can’t even feel safe anymore. We need to be cautious with everything we do. There’s obviously a difference between being fearful and fearless. Some people live their life being fearless. I sometimes wish I can do something that doesn’t cause me to over think and think of all the possible tragedies that can happen. But, then again if you’re a person like me that thinks in advance of what can happen that can most definitely prepare you for the day something actually does happen. That is why every time I go out I always try to do things that will not put me in any situation where I have to get myself out of that bad situation.
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Liliana Mendoza
4/11/2016 03:57:17 pm
When I was younger I was a fearful person I didn't like to talking to people people at all. I only spoke to one person. Later on I came to realize that this shouldn't be a habit. I need to speak up when I want something. I won't ever get it if I am always scared. I now do strive with what I want without fear. There is going to be rejection and it is scary but it won't help me get through the reality in life. I'm a humble person it brings me to be more aware in who to be around with. It's not fear its more of being smart about something. I believe everyone has a fear and braveness but it depends on the situation. I agree and disagree with Esmeralda points. What I agree is being precocious in certain things in life but I disagree of putting people first without having a specific reason to. Mary Anne said it she had all the good care in the world because of her money but would people do the same for those who don't have enough to support themselves? I therefore think you are confusing in putting other first before you with being protective. I want to know would they do the same for you?
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Monica
5/22/2016 12:51:24 pm
As human beings we tend to live our lives always in fear of when an end might come. For many we live based on "oh hey let me think about it" or "tomorrow will be the day", always ignoring the fact that there is always a possibility that we might not wake up tomorrow. We choose to live in fear of stepping out of the box or changing things around in our lives never the less going out of our way to try new scary territory. In the book, Will talks about his friend from London says, " is that you are all concerned about everything all the time" (Pg 165). Her words are true and they are relate-able with since personally I am ways running from one place to another fearing that things will not get done. One of my co-workers Howard would be considered a free spirit someone who is not afraid to venture out. Even tho he worries me sometimes, he always makes sure to do things that are out of the box and make him feel alive.
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