Final Assignment Turned in

Whenever I have watched the Food Network series “Chopped” I think how challenging it would be to make food that is going to please all three judges as they have different opinions about why something is good or bad.  It’s pretty much the same thing with turning in assignments to different instructors.  Some are sticklers for the APA.  Some won’t accept anything written in first person.  Fortunately, I have had many, like me, who prefer the first person to boring textbook narration.

          In each class I have had, the instructor has encouraged the students to use the writing center.  Again, there is a huge array of people that have their opinions on what makes for a good assignment and what doesn’t.  Granted, I realize two days work is NOT a lot of time for a proper paper, but I cannot wait until the end of the week for the writing center gets more backed up.  I want to have my paper now.

          I have friends and a brother who are familiar with my writing style and understand what improvements can be made.  I would rather go through them than the writing center first of all because there is instant gratification on my part, but also because I can communicate with them better than I can an unknown voice.

          I think for the most part I have used the writing center when it is required.  I have learned that I can just submit my assignment and not have to make an appointment to talk with the person who is checking my paper.  I don’t have a voice for it right now anyway.

          So I submitted my initial paper on the 28^th knowing fully well that there was a need for improvement (there will always be room for improvement) and the first person to correct my paper suggested I make transitions and lose my beginning quote.  Hey, I had a class with the dean of English who is the one who had suggested the quote idea.  

          But I went ahead and changed the quote and added transitions and ended up taking out a paragraph.  I resubmitted it.  The second person to check my paper was a stickler for APA references and suggested I add more resources.  I ended up deleting two more paragraphs.  

          I’ve been told that the writing center will still be available to me even after I graduate.  How does that work?  In order to submit my paper, I have to provide the name of my class.  There isn’t a space for comment or explanation.  It’s your class, an option of eight reasons why it is being submitted, and submit your paper.  It’s not as though I can say, “Oh, this is for my blog.  Some of my readers seem to be bored with my style – not to mention all the spelling and grammatical errors.”

          I realize that it may be easier for a third party to critique my assignment as she has no investment in me personally.  It can also be constructive and useful to me if I will accept it.  It’s my last class.  It’s my last assignment.  I know I need to improve.  But I doubt it will be through the writing center anymore.

Back Off!

            Roland comes off as a domineering parent sometimes.  Jenna absolutely hates it when she is told to comb her hair or wear a coat or dress nicely or what have you.  The more he makes suggestions or "harps" on the subject, the more rebellious she is about it.

            I will admit that I am not as observant.  For three and a half years I have tried fixing her hair and seeing it wreck before we get to school.  I stopped fighting.  Richard has only begun.  Although he has been a teenager, he's never been a girl.  We have hormones.  There seem to be chemical imbalance just before that time of the month.  Let it go.

            The rain in Oregon is different from rain in Utah.  Desert rain is wet.  It soaks you.  Oregon rain - even when it falls hard - feels more like a mist.  It hasn't soaked me the way Utah rain has.  We purchased a coat for Jenna.  Cute coat, but she refuses to wear it.  She doesn't like being told what to do and what not to do.  I've been there.  I get it.  I've told Roland that he needs to back off as she is rebelling and an accessory in her hair or a warm jacket has to be her idea, and if he's always harping, she is never going to come up with the idea on her own.  In fact, she'll do the opposite.

            Her zipper's broken (that child is HARD on zippers.  I don't know what she does, but she has not owned a coat or backpack yet in which the zipper hasn't broken) and because it was raining outside, Roland threw a rain poncho over whatever she was wearing.  She was crying and claimed she looked like a condom.  I've never heard anyone compare themselves to a condom before, and started laughing - which brought even more tears to her eyes.  That's silly.

            I noticed that Jenna removed the poncho between the driveway and the street.  She stuffed in near the bushes.  I know she will learn if Roland will just back off and give her some breathing room.  I think he's overcompensating - not having had the opportunity to raise his oldest two girls and being gone so much from knowing the boys - although I recall his harping on them too. 

            We learn at our  own pace.  We're not all equal.  I think Roland needs to realize we're not all him.