Amir's Atonement

Atonement –
–noun
1. satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends.
2. (sometimes initial capital letter) Theology. the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, esp. as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ.
3. Christian Science. the experience of humankind's unity with God exemplified by Jesus Christ.
4. Archaic. reconciliation; agreement.

I think that atonement is a difficult topic. Some mistakes are actually reparable, but some, just cannot be mended. For instance, if a person does not complete a homework, that’s a mistake. But, they can easily make up for it by achieving a good test grade or doing well on a project. On the other hand, murder or rape, is that a sin that is capable of reparations? And that’s the major question. People must posses an incredible passion for justice and patience to forgive a person for murder and that’s why I cannot definitively say that atonement for past sins is completely possible. It is solely based on the circumstances and the people at hand.

For the topic of Amir and atonement, I think it will be very difficult for Amir to forgive himself and for that reason I think reaching that level will be difficult for him. In order for atonement to occur both parties in the situation must be willing to forgive and repent. Once Hassan and Amir reach that point I think they can move on.

Probably the most influential sin that I feel would be the hardest to move on from would be the rape and Amir not stopping it, or telling people about it. It most likely haunts the thoughts of both Amir and Hassan and for that simple reason, atonement might not be probable. Again, I think that both parties must become "good with themselves" in their own head and only from that point can they move on.

Mistakes

One time, I told my parents I was going to church, but actually snuck over to my girlfriends house and was caught doing so. It just so happened that my dad did not believe I was heading towards mass so he decided to follow me, unbeknownst to myself. He let some time pass and proceeded to call my phone from a different number, which understandably, I answered. He asked why I was picking up the phone during church, and I was caught red handed.

I eventually gained back their trust after a lengthy talk with both of my parents. I felt bad that I disrespected my mother and father and lied about where I was going, especially church. But over time, I’m sure they have forgotten about the whole incident.

Independent Reading: Tuesdays with Morrie

Book Preview Activity

The Front Cover
• Title/Author/Awards - Tuesdays With Morrie/Mitch Albom/Bestseller
• Picture/Words - Blank cover with quote from novel and the title engraved.
• What do you think the book is about? Topic/Big Picture? - Book is most likely about meeting up with a man named Morrie, probably on Tuesdays, but I don't know why.
• Jot down 2 questions you have.
-Who is Morrie?
-What's the significance of Tuesday?

The Back Cover
• Synopsis or Plot Preview? It tells the true story of sociologist Morrie Schwartz and his relationship with his students. The book chronicle the lessons about life that Mitch, the author, learns from his professor, who is dying.
• Review/Praise/Acclaim? Overall what is your impression. - I have heard many good things about the book both from teachers, friends, parents and people of all ages. It was made into a movie which makes me assume it is pretty powerful. I look forward to reading it.
• Does the back cover reveal anything about the story (time period, characters, setting, etc.)? If so, jot down some notes.
- No, nothing on the back cover...

Inside the Book
• Copyright/Publication date? - 1997/September 1997
• Is there a dedication? Yes: "This book is dedicated to my brother, Peter, the bravest person I know.
• Table of Contents? Chapter Titles? #’s? - Yes, the table of contents contains the chapters and page numbers, approximately 27 chapters withing the book.
• Other titles listed by the author? Jot a few down. - Bo, Fab Five, Live Albom I, II, III, IV
• Open to a random page and read a few paragraphs. What is the author’s writing style?
- The book is written in first person, by Mitch, and is very descriptive. From the passage that I read the author really lets you get into his head and his feelings. It had a dreary tone about it but was sincere at the same time. Overall, a very nice writing style.

OVERALL IMPRESSION
Write down 3 questions you hope to have answered by the end of the story.

1 - Does the impact of Morrie change the man that the author has become?
2 - What is the true effect of Morrie on the author and the people around him?
3 - Does Morrie die at the end of the book?

Do Now - 4/23: Born to Run

Born to Run

The thunder of bombshells filled the air as the lonely solider fled from the ambush. You could feel and see the fear seeping from the young soldier's face as he ran on nothing but adrenaline. Being the only soldier left in his platoon he had nothing left to do but run; all he could think, "how can my feet go faster?", or, "where can I go?".

Just two minutes earlier this soldier was eating breakfast with his buddies at their latest encampment. When, unexpectedly his unit was bombarded with firepower that could knock out an entire city. Somehow, this man survived and subsequently, ran.

Not a single idea in his head as to where he was located, the soldier acted on instinct and simply ran, and continued to run; through the rugged train of Afghanistan and beyond. Constantly hoping he would stumble upon a U.S. military base or some type of group that could be of assistance to him.

Fear was at its peak as it pounded away at the young soldiers heart when suddenly I opened my eyes. It was all I dream. Was I the soldier? What does this mean? Then I remembered later that day I had a big race; maybe this was a way of preparing me for an all out sprint ...

Do Now - 4/21

The Triumph of Evil


- "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing." -
- Edmund Burke

Essentially what this quote means to me is that evil cannot succeed unless someone "lets" it. People are capable of preventing evil, it's just a matter of whether or not they're willing to do so. For example, in Kite Runner, Amir could easily have stopped the rape of Hassan but he was too concerned about his own ramifications from the situation.

I definitely agree with Burke's words and feel that people need to have courage to fight off evil and stop any evildoers. Most people have morality and seek justice and for this reason evil can be prevented. To stop evil, people need to think less about themselves and what the results will be for them, and focus on the matter at hand. Burke's word are very true and if everyone took a minute to think about what he means I think our world would be a much better place.

Decisions

Today, decisions are characterized by whether or not they are "cool" or acceptable by others around you. Any decision that one makes is guaranteed to have some ramification and hopefully any decision maker takes that into account. Most people make a decision based on whether or not it will be beneficial to them and what other people think about the decision.

I like to make decisions based on how it will ultimately affect me in the end. Some decisions I have made recently include: college choice, prom, etc. I weighed my options for each and tried to choose the option best suited for me always keeping the future in mind.

Decision making will be key in the future and in college because it will set a path for either success or failure and provide a means to move forward if done correctly.

Recipe for Afghanistan

Ingredients:

0 - Borders to Oceans
6 - Bordering Countries
1 - Religion (Muslim)
2 - Major Languages (Dari and Pashto)
34 - Provinces
1 - Civil War
$1,000,000,000s - Provided by the U.S.
= 1 - Rebuilding Country

Spring Break 2009

Over spring break I got that chance to go to one of the Phillies opening weekend games. Unfortunately, they lost, but it was a great time. I got a chance to spend time with some of my teammates from the high school baseball team and it was fun to watch a professional game with my squad. Also, I embarked on a classic stadium hot dog that never fails to stimulate the taste buds. It was very cold at the game, but definitely worth it seeing as though all fans received "Champs" t-shirts commemorating last year's World Championship. Overall, another great time at Citizens Bank Park.