Response to "When Will He Propose"

I really liked the article on Busted Halo, but I, like the reader who responded, disagreed with the author's opinion. While I have seen some shows that featured the attitudes he was talking about, it is not solely the women who put a large investment in the traditional "man proposing" scenario. Many men feel that it is their duty to propose because that's how their fathers did it and the tradition needs to be continued. I also think that men believe they need to "take care" of the women, they believe that the ring will signify the start of that. It's sweet and everything, but it's a little out dated. Marriage is something that people really talk about, instead of the man surprising the woman with a romantic dinner and candles. The part in the article, that talks about how marriage should be a discussion between the two people, and not a surpass really applies to my parents because that's what they did. My parents dated for 6 weeks and then had a discussion about marriage. They ultimately decided that they should get married, but I bet that if my dad had just surpassed my mom, it would have taken a lot longer.

Wonderful Gift and Awesome Responsibility Response

In this article, the themes that I recognized are the one teaching that is called "unitive dimension" or saving sex until marriage and  the teaching that is called "the procreative dimension," which says that if people have sex, they are trying to have to have a baby. I have learned these teachings in previous religion classes, although they were called different things. Some things that I didn't recognized as much was the church's teachings on natural family planning. Also, the church offers counseling for those who are uncertain or confused about the church's teachings. I think that this is a good thing because some people don't fully understand what the teachings are, and thus don't consider themselves Catholic. The one part that I really didn't agree with is the view of homosexuality. The article says that the church feels bad that homosexual people are being discriminated against, but they feel it is still morally wrong and the feelings shouldn't be acted on. This statement is very confusing and very contradictory.  

My Mission Statement

I believe that all people should be treated equally, no matter what they believe or what disability they have. I will use my strengths to help others in need. I will become a teacher to share my knowledge and empathy with the world. I will use my free time to be an awesome friend and to read and discover something really special. I would like to feel as inspired as I did when I was in Europe, and hope to be able to bring my family there, so they can feel the same way. I pledge to use my talents to make the most of the present and to better the future.

Who am I?

The first thing that I remember my life changing was when I switched schools in 6th grade. I went from  a small parish school to a private school where my classmates came from all over instead of my street. This was hard for me because I have always been I shy person. So having to make all new friends and meet all new people was very hard for me. I went a few days where I didn't talk to many people, just because I was to scared to. Eventually I got fed up with being alone and went up and started talking to some girls. It wasn't as bad as I thought and after that I came out of my shell a little. I am still a shy person, but not as shy as I was before.
http://www.waldronmercy.org/RelId/33637/ISvars/default/Home.htm

Another thing that helped to shape my life, which happened around the same time, was theater. I remember, the first musical I was in, which was called "Bernies does Broadway." It was a show that my church put on and was basically the best musical numbers from very famous shows, like "Oklahoma" and "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown." I remember being in that show and loving every minute of it. It again, got me out of my shell, but in a different way. On stage, I found that I liked being a part of a cast and putting together a story in front of the audience. Since this show, I have been in several other productions, and I can't imagine stopping. Theater became a love of mine, and helped make me who I am today.

The last thing that influenced, my future plans more than anything else, is my cousin Griffin. Griffin was born with Down syndrome 9 years ago. He has a more mild form of Down syndrome, but it is present. The reason that Griffin has influenced is because he has helped me figure out that I wanted to be a Special Education teacher. I've always wanted to be a teacher, but seeing Griffin as a baby and growing up, I realized that I wanted to help children like that. I even had the opportunity to see one of Griffin's teachers helping him, and that's when I knew that being a Special Education teacher. Griffin has not only helped me figure out my future job, but has also changed my life for the better.