20) Conclusion

Writing 150 is coming to an end. We have had a wild ride in that class, well at least I have. I have a love hate relationship. I'm not good at it, and I don't really enjoy it. But all thanks to Professor Steadman, I have learned how to write something worth while! Although I didn't exactly enjoy every assignment, she opened my eyes to meaningful writing, and not just writing that's enjoyable for a teacher, but writing that's enjoyable for me! I have learned that if i am having fun writing about it, then chances are so are the readers! This class didn't necessarily teach me any new mechanics of writing, but it did make me open up to the possibility of continuing to write. That is after all, why i have this blog and i will continue to keep up with this blog for myself, and all those who wish to read it. I've figured, if I have taken a picture of it in my phone, then it should have a worthy explanation right? So my goal is to continue on improving my writing skills by blogging whenever I have taken a "worthy" picture. This way I will not only have an amazing picture to share, but a little bit of commentary to go along with it! Thank you Writing 150! I wouldn't be blogging if it weren't for you!

19) Our Roommate "Christmas" tree

In my apartment, we have had a dingy old fake "tree-bush". We never really knew what to do with it because, well, its ugly. So we shoved it in the corner, dusty leaves and all, and just hoped that no one really looked at it. I have no idea why we haven't thrown it away yet. It's hideous. Anyways, when I had gotten back from break I came into my apartment to find that it had Christmas lights and tinsel. Tis the Season right? That poor little "tree-bush" looked like it was straight out of the Mount Crumpit. I looked at it and said well instead of a Charlie Brown tree, well have a Grinch tree this year. So I went to the dollar tree and bought some ornaments. It's not much to look at, and its the cheapest tree I've ever decorated. But that's how were suppose to "do" college right?

18) Home for Thanksgiving

As soon as I got home I was more than excited to see my wonderful family. I had missed having millions of kids running around calling me Aunty McKaela. My nieces and nephews are my pride and joy! I am always amazed at how smart these children are and I love to see how they grow up. There personalities always seem to make me laugh and smile. They are so much smarter than you think and one example of this is little Sophie. She is such a clever little girl! in this picture Jordan dosed off and Sophie was able to work my mother's IPhone better than my mom! She was playing games and would screenshot parts that she liked! What little girl knows how to do that? It's Crazy!

Sunday morning we had to say our goodbyes and head back to Utah for finals, with Jordan driving through Tahoe, Brittany driving part way through Nevada and me finishing up the drive into Provo. But much to her surprise she heard sirens and saw the flashing blue and red lights.Yep, it was Brittany's first time. I don't think she said anymore than "Oh" after the officer had told her she was going 84 in a 75 zone. So Jordan and I took charge and tried to have a personal conversation with the officer. We were on the side of the snowy road for probably a good five minutes when the officer came up and told Brittany he was letting her off without a citation. Man its good to be a girl! And sorry Tina if you find this out by reading this, she's a good driver! But this picture was too priceless to not share.

17) The drive to California

So the drive home for Thanksgiving was much needed. It seemed to go on forEVER. I brought these Wilde cousins with me and I couldn't have made it home without them. Ten hours of driving non-stop wouldn't be so good to me. So I was so grateful they came with me. Family is such a great thing :). On the drive home, excited was an understatement! I couldn't wait to sleep in my own bed and eat those amazing California avocados. With Jordan in the back reading like ALWAYS, we made it home safely into open arms and it was my favorite Thanksgiving yet. I realized how much i take my family for granted and how much they do for me.

16) Conference 2014 Salt Lake City Utah

This is the Conference Center in Salt Lake City Utah. My family and I went to hear the words of our prophets here and It was wonderful! We ended up having to wait in a huge line and all i remember is it was HOT outside.

We got to listen to the Quorum of the 70 speak in their native languages and WOW that was a different experience, but I felt the spirit regardless!








Afterwards we went to the top floor of the Joseph Smith building i believe and had dinner and a GREAT view!

15) Mitt Romney Devotional

What an amazing experience to go see the republican candidate of our last election. We were allowed to listen to him speak here at BYU in the Marriott center.It was weird to think that he went from such a popular person to becoming just like everyone else again. He shared his campaign stories and it turns out that he's a pretty funny guy!

14) I'd Rather Be Hiking Part 1

Hike #1:
STEWART FALLS
This was my first hike here in Utah. Hiking Stewart falls in September was the best decision of my life! It was the most perfect time of the year because everything was blooming and B-E-A-U-tiful! The water was absolutely freezing though. And yes we ran under the waterfall. It was so worth it!

These pictures are with my friend from back home, Kenna Davidson. And i am so thankful for her because i would have never gotten into this hiking kick if it wasn't for her.  This was the view of the trail out and back. Looking at this stuff for 4 miles wasn't so bad :) Except on the way back we decided to take the road less traveled and ended up an extra 4 miles hiking an up hill trail. Actually it wasn't a trail at all we ended up finding the road and taking it all the way back UP hill for what seemed like forever! But it was all worth it...

13) I'd Rather Be Hiking Part 2

Hike #2:
  SQUAW PEAK
Now this hike was one for the books! This was our spontaneous rain hike... right after class got out Kenna calls me asking to come over, so as soon as I got to her place we decided to drive up to Squaw look out and hike along the mountain ridge. We didn't even consider that we'd be hiking THROUGH clouds. It was the coolest experience of my life! It was cold and miserable yes, but so much fun.

We were laughing and slipping down mud banks, which would make us laugh even harder we didn't make it to Squaw Peak, but we had a blast. We were hiking through quick-mud, or so it seemed. The mud was so thick on our shoes it felt like we had Shape-ups on...

It was spontaneous, hilarious, and a plain 'ol good time,

12) I'd Rather Be Hiking Part 3

Hike #3:
ROCK CANYON
This one was a group effort. We had heard about these caves in Rock canyon and decided to go check them out for ourselves. We didn't know exactly where they were, but we decided to go find them ourselves. Spelunking! Luckily we found this cave, and it was pretty big! Smelt like "skunk" in there though.
   
After we found the cave we decided to keep going till we got to the end of Rock Canyon Trail. We made it to the top and to our surprise there were two little old ladies picking around at the ground around this campsite. We said our hellos, just expecting a quick exchange and then to turn around and hike back down, but these two little ladies, "Mary and Mary", decided to tell us there life stories and how they've been friends since the dawn of time and just when we thought it was our cue to leave, they insisted that we see their antique collection of broken bottles and rusted axes they've found. Then they proceeded to teach us what was trash and what was treasure. At this point we figured they just needed the company, so we sat and listened for what seemed like hours. Before we could leave the women asked to exchange emails in case we wanted to go on one of their adventures. They were some of the sweetest most talkative women I've ever met.

11) I'd Rather Be Hiking Part 4

Hike #4:
BRIDAL VEILS
*Hiking ad climbing beyond this point is strictly prohibited*

Welp... We did it anyways. It was hard! And steep! And Scary! We were relying on slick slippery OLD ropes. I practically scaled a mountain just to make it to an old rusty abandoned restaurant. The view at the top was way worth the pukey feeling I got on the way up.
 
At first I was scared to even look over the edge because I knew we were way high up on a ledge that could send me to my death.

It may look like I was gonna jump, but the only thing that was going through my mind is HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE. I am not scared of heights, just the possibility of falling. And oh boy I felt like this rickety building was going to tumble down this cliff.


Finally I got comfortable with the structure and got my adrenaline pumping to take these awesome pictures. This was the most rewarding hike I've been on in Utah. The view was to DIE for. Literally I thought I was gonna die up there.

10) I'd Rather Be Hiking Part 5

Hike #5:
Y MOUNTAIN PEAK
So I don't know the exact name for this mountain, but its the one with our school letter on it...

This mountain, but the highest peak... It was the hardest hike I have EVER been on, it was cold and windy, and I was so so tired. It was hard to see things... Oh yeah i forgot to mention we did it at 4 O'clock in the AM. Yes, it was crazy! No flashlights, no jacket, and no sleep. :( And for any of you who know me, this is a BIG deal for me. I love my sleep!

This was our view from half way to the top of the Y Mountain. And we didn't even need a flashlight because the Provo streetlights lit the side of the mountain just enough to get us to the valley that we had to walk through. Which is pictured below!

And we finally made it to the top when the sun was rising and it was such a rewarding experience!

We ended up freezing our butts off at the summit, and it was a race to the bottom, so that i could make it to my eight o'clock class, but so worth it and so fun!

9)Trek to Provo Utah

So here I was. Driving eleven hours from little El Dorado California, to the bubble of Provo Utah. The drive seemed like days. I was stuffed in my tiny car with more possessions than should have really fit in my trunk and backseat. As you can tell I was bored out of my mind. Don't get me wrong, the mother daughter heart-to-heart we shared was something to remember! I was ready to get my new college life started, but I-80 seemed to never end. The thought crossed my mind a time or two that Nevada should just sink so that the drive to Utah would be cut in half. That way I would be happier, and what Utahan wouldn't be happier to be closer to sunny California? Its a Win Win!

On our adventure through Nevada, we hit a thick fog and some crazy rain. Coming from California were it was in the worst drought it's seen in decades, and pretty much half of California was set on fire because it was so dry, I was hoping that even just half this rain storm would find its way towards my hometown. Nevada has a depressing vibe and driving six hours on a straight road in this dismal state made me think a little. It made me think that i would have to drive this stretch EVERY time i wanted to go home. These extra six hours are in the way of me and my home.

It seemed as though things were looking down. Just when I thought the worst, like I'm not gonna make any friends, I'm gonna hate my roommates, or I'm gonna get so homesick... there was a sign sent from God in all this misery.   Not a small rainbow, but a full rainbow. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It made me practically slap myself in the face for thinking the worst. Why do I always make situations seem worse than they really are. I mean how bad could BYU be right? All I've ever heard is good things from this place. At this point I was still a little nervous. I had chosen to live off campus and skip the traditional "Freshman Experience".

I knew this would back fire and blow up in my face. I was nervous about the regret I would feel for not getting to know more people. This is where I was thinking if i did not like my roommates, then there is no turning back. I could not just walk down the hall to find other friends to turn to.

As I pulled into my apartment I was nervous to even walk up my stairs. This was it and this place was my new life. Things were awkward at first. I didn't know what to think. Did I like my new old dingy apartment? And the awkward small talk with the roommates. I wondered if this would ever feel normal. At that point i couldn't tell if we were gonna be friends or just acquaintances. If we'd enjoy each other's company, or if we'd just stick to the casual "hi" on the way through the front door, then go into hiding in our rooms.


This was our first roommate picture. We awkwardly sat in the living room and awkwardly suggested a roommate picture. After this picture I'm pretty sure we all went our separate ways without saying a word. Don't let our smiles fool you. It was Weird. After a couple days we started to have real conversations with each other. We actually got to know each other!

As of now I feel so blessed to know these girls! Even though we are all completely different, these are girls I'll never forget. I am so grateful that I have met these amazing people, and they have become some of my best friends. From that first day, I'd never believe that I'd be this close to these people. And I'm so glad things turned out the way they did. We share so many laughs and great memories. And I wouldn't trade this experience for any typical "Freshman experience".

There is never a dull moment with these ladies!

8) BYU Experience

I knew BYU would be this crazy religious college that would have such a dense religious culture, because i thought all of Utah was like that. Here we are at college and we are living in this big ol bubble called Provo. I haven't seen a single hobo, overflowed trash can, and not to mention more doors have been open for me than I've had in my entire life. I don't even remember what cigarette smoke smells like. I can run at night and not worry half as much I did at home that someones gonna snatch me because there are a dozen other people running as well giving me a friendly nod as I jog by. Everyone is so friendly here, i cant tell if they're faking the over friendly or if that's just how they are. Everything's better here in Utah. Well not everything, because Utah sushi cant even compare to California sushi, and the produce here is kinda bland, but oh my goodness... That Creamery Ice Cream is to DIE for. And not to mention those Utah Truffles! And in the BYU bagels are heaven on earth. No wonder the freshman 15 exists. Its a curse! But juggling work and school is starting to get rough. Its about that time management and all that jazz that people have been trying to cram in our heads the past few years. Responsibilities and such. I've been making my own meals and realized, hey, i'm not such a bad cook after all. Or maybe my expectations have gone down a few levels. Any ways, BYU is treating me wonderfully... except for this cold weather and the fact that all my loved ones are in warm sunny California. Other than that, I am loving my experience.

7) My Personal Narrative

We all do things in our life that we regret, whether it be the big mistakes, or the small opportunities we miss out on. Every person can pick a moment in time that they are not proud of themselves or their actions, and it is times like these when we can hopefully choose to learn a lesson from these situations. And that brings me to my story dating way back to the year two thousand and one. Back to the days when my personality didn't exactly match my sweet, innocent, kindergarten face.

I had been running on the playground ALL day. I ran from the swings to the low hanging monkey bars, back to the swings. Not having a single destination in my head and no real reason to run around other than the fact that every other five year old was doing it so why shouldn't I? My cheeks began to burn and I can only imagine my face has flushed to the shade of a ripened tomato.  But I don't care about any of that. The only thing I can think of is stay away from those booger infested boys. That's where there cooties come from, boy boogers, because Megan told me that the first day of school when we were hiding behind the kindergarten playground tree. And who were we hiding from? Let me rephrase that. What were we hiding from? Boys.

Everything about them was yucky. Not like my brothers back home. No way. My four brothers were gross, don't get me wrong, but all they did was pick on me. These kindergarten boys were EVEN more gross, not because they'd pick their cootie boogies, but because they were mean to us and they wanted to kiss us! Recess was no longer a time to play. This playground has become our battlefield and it is do or die. When that clock struck 11:15, it was go time: Chase or be chased. I was running along side my friend Megan as we sought for refuge, and we finally found it underneath the kindergarten tree that we had conspired behind the previous day. They are sure to never look here. Without any warning, Derek whipped around the side of the tree with his arms high up in the air, green paste dripping down from his nose to his lip. Now that's cooties if I ever saw them. Megan and my scream probably stretched to a 20 mile radius. But it was instinct.

We had been approached by the cootie monster himself and began bolting the opposite direction as fast as our nubs of legs would take us. There was no looking back at top speeds like this. But I had to. What if he’s right behind me? So I did, I turned my attention to what was chasing after me and in that exact instant i collided with something that felt as hard as a brick wall. It laid me flat on my back in point two seconds. OUCH. . . I must have hit my head on a pole or something. The pain was shooting throughout my head, but my eye felt the after shock of it all. I pressed my hand over my eye and looked up at the object that halted my progression. Even though my brain may have been impaired, there was no doubt in my mind who this culprit was. Kylie Breakbil. As if I didn't already hate her enough. She was the talk around the play ground. Her name was whispered during sleeping time as well. “Did you heard Kylie kissed a boy in the sandbox”  “Kylie talked back to the teacher” and “Kylie cheated at foursquare”. Oh man this girl made my blood boil. As she stood up with the nastiest look on her face she spit the words “Watch where you're going!” If only she knew how ugly her personality was.

It was a easy loathing. I didn't even have to try, it just came naturally. I just let her walk away without a single word to defend myself. Gosh dangit McKaela. Part of me wished that she wouldn't walk away from that collision without a bruise of some kind. My mind was no longer lingering on the fact that there was a boy chasing me and by the looks of things he wasn't interested in me either, instead he picked up his running in the direction of thee Kylie Breakbil. I mean thank goodness for that but that didn't make me hate her any less. One day i thought to myself, one day ill say something to her. I began walking to the drinking fountain, because after a crash and burn like that i needed refreshing gulp of water. I kicked the loose gravel as i meandered forward. As i watched the gravel pebbles bounce off each other like a game of pinball and looked up as soon as the recess bell rang. Danggit. Every good kindergartner knew that you have to be seated on the benches so that our teacher could come pick us up and take us back to the classroom in our orderly lines. My throat was burning and my stomach empty, nothing was more important than this drink of water, and nobody was gonna stop me. I quickly made it to the fountain and began to drink. A sense of relief came over me and the thirst was quenched. I heard a voice nagging at me from behind.

“One, two, three that's all you need, and don't you know you aren't suppose to be over here after the bell rings?!?” Kylie Breakbil, uggg. As if her presents wasn't enough she started to scream, “YARD-DUTY!”

“Fine! I'll go sit down,” I began to walk to my designated seat when in the corner of my eye I saw Kylie drinking water after the bell had rung like she told me not to! I was furious and now was my time to show her who’s really boss around here. I turned my little fanny around and trudged right back to the drinking fountain shoulders hunched and my little hands in fists. What would I say? I want to punch her, but I don't know if i have the courage for that sort of thing. Maybe I'll tell her shes mean. Wait no, my brothers laugh at me when I say those kind of “childish” things to them. Well here it goes. I didn't the first thing that can to mind and i cupped my hand under the water she was drinking and splashed it in her face. Not my initial reaction, but good enough. I think I got my point across and so i turned around to once again find my seat. Then in the distance I heard a cry. Wait was she really crying? But it was only water. Immediately two yard-duties were surrounding her, comforting her and questioning what happened. I didn't hear any words, but i definitely saw her point her bony little finger in my direction. Shoot. I'm in trouble. I pretended to not see what happened, hopefully try to disappear into the crowd of other kindergartners as they walked back to class with their teachers when out of no where a yard duty snatched me right out of my line. 

She began writing on a notepad and gave me a lecture that its not nice to fling water in other peoples face and that I was gonna be sitting on the bench for five minutes tomorrow during recess. Five minutes?! That's practically a lifetime! That was it… I never wanted to get a bench slip again in my life. Nothing was worth this misery. From that day on I swore to myself that id never get a bench slip again. No matter what, id avoid getting a bench slip at all cost.

Even though a bench slip may seem like a small consequence, it taught me a huge lesson in my life. I was so scarred from this experience, that it taught me to think before I act, instead of functioning on bad instinct. From this point on i realized that it is better for me to take a step back and learn how to think through situations instead of taking out my anger on others. I learned to not get offended easily and to not have others indicate my feelings. My life has been so much more enjoyable because I have learned that i am in control of my own feelings and actions, and that I personally benefit from avoiding confrontation.

6) Writing Reflection: Research Paper on my grandma buying in bulk

When writing this essay I found it enjoyable as well as a struggle. It was hard for me to find something about my family that I could really research on. I felt like it came much more quickly and easily. It was one of those times I was hoping that a miraculous idea would come to me. It wasn't that easy in the slightest. I called my mother and sisters and even asked my brother for advice... nothing. I was really struggling with a topic.

It was so hard for me to connect a narrative with a research aspect and for some reason the idea of it didn't really wrap around my brain. I did some family research and found many different stories. One about my great great great grandmother and how she had passed away while making dinner. She was in her tiny kitchen probably 6 feet by 6 feet and her apron caught on fire. I thought this was an interesting story, but how could I write a research paper on someone I didn't even know?

That's when I decided that it would be more personal to me if I wrote about my living grandma Onieta who is such a odd ball. But I enjoy her company none the less. This way I had a ready and available source and she could tell me information I couldn't find on the internet. After the up hill struggle of trying to find a topic, it was all easy from there. Not necessarily writing the paper, but writing about something I was interested in and something that was going to be beneficial to me later in my life.

 Through this essay, I have created a stronger relationship with not only my grandmother, but with her mother as well, whom I have never met. I was able to hear many many stories about my great grandmother (even ones that didn't have to do with the essay) and it made me grateful for my family and technology, giving us the means to connect to those who are far away.

 By the looks of things, my grandmother doesn't only hoard stuff, but children as well!

5) My Own Family Narrative: Vonasek Legacy

Reading through a recent assignment in Writing, we were encouraged to find our family narrative. What makes my family so special? What are some traditions? Well I could name a million and one reasons why I love my crazy family so much, but I don't want people to get too jealous... Anyways, they are great. Growing up as the youngest of eight, I was labeled as the "Mormon". So in a little place like El Dorado California, because we were one of the few Mormon families, we gave the town a proof of a stereotype. People believed "Oh, since the Vonasek family has a million kids, so does every other Mormon," although they may be correct to a certain degree, the Vonasek name was famous in our little town. I'd always start a new year at school and have my teacher read my name off their role. "McKaela..... Vonasek??", "do you know a (insert siblings name here) Vonasek?" I would always reply, informing them that yes, those were my older siblings. Every teacher, coach, and friend I've ever had has taught, coached, or had an older sibling who was friends with my sibling. My teachers would say, "Well Morgan was a real goof-ball in my class" or "Awe, I loved Mitchell, he's such a sweet boy" while all my coaches would say, "Ashley was the best female athlete I've ever coached, I hope you can live up to it Vonasek" or "I thought for sure he'd be playing in the NBA by now." Even my junior year of volleyball my coach asked if I knew an Aaron Vonasek. Turns out she went to high school with him back in the day. My boyfriend in highschool even had connections to my family. Anyone with an older sibling was sure to have known of the crazy Vonasek Mormon family, and that was the first question I'd always receive when meeting someone: "You're Mormon right?" This didn't bother me, but it made me wonder if that's all people cared about around here, and yes I was worried I would be judged just for being "Mormon". I know that that was a silly thing to be worried about, but it's true! I was scared to death that people would judge me for who I am, because it really does define my life. Being Mormon has dictated my entire life. Its made me who I am. It dictates my thoughts, words, and actions. If I were not Mormon, I do not know where i would be in my life, and why would I ever want to imagine what it would ever be like without this blessing in my life. I quickly learned that being "Mormon" wasn't something to be ashamed of, but something I wanted to embrace. Why not share a beautiful thing with people who don't have it? And that's exactly what I began to do. I didn't start forcing people to read the Book of Mormon, or go to church by shoving it in their face, but I decided to be the best example I could be. I wouldnt bring up religion in casual conversation, but the many time I was approached and asked questions, I was more than willing to share. I wanted to invite people in instead of scaring them away with a Mormon rant. I believe this is what my family narrative is about. The Vonasek Family is always determined to do their best, whether it be in school, sports, or the social aspects of our lives. We try to stand out, but not become boastful. We try to excel, but not be full of pride. We try to live our beliefs, but not force it upon others. and that's the Vonasek Family Legacy.

4) Research Thesis Statement

Intro:Growing up, I had always enjoyed visiting my grandmothers home. She had everything. My grandmother could have all the fun things you could ever think of toys, food, and so many amenities. My grand mother had it all. As I grew up, I didn't quite realize how much "stuff" she really had. When my grandmother and grandfather realized they could no longer afford to live in Santa Barbara California, they decided to pack up and take moving truck after moving truck to El Dorado California, where housing wasn't so expensive.  It was in my grandmothers plan to be able to live a comfortable life without having to worry about the financial aspects of life.


Thesis: I have always questioned her crazy ways of buying in bulk, until I did some further research. My sources proved that buying bulk was beneficial in many ways. The average american would benefit from buying bulk by being able to save money, save gas usage, save up for food storage, and ultimately saving your precious time.

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3) General Conference: Elder Eduardo Gaverret- October 2014

This year I was privileged to attend General Conference in the conference center in Salt Lake City Saturday afternoon. It was only my second time being there, my last time being six years ago for a young woman's broadcast.The experience was different, but the feelings I felt stayed constant. There was an overwhelming feeling of the spirit and I especially was pleased with one talk in particular.

Elder Eduardo Gaverret was the most inspirational speaker in my eyes because he really captured the audience by telling stories that an audience as a whole can relate to, and by using repetition.

He opens with a story we can all relate to,  "I felt confident I was following the right voice. When we arrived at the cultural hall of the chapel, we were asked to take off our blindfolds. When I did so, I realized that there were two groups and that I was in the group that had followed the wrong voice." How many time in our lives have we made mistakes, and followed the "wrong voice." We all make mistakes and Elder Eduardo Gaverret Shows us that not only do we make mistakes, but that we can fix those mistakes, and get on the right path so that we may be able to say "Yes Lord, I will follow thee."

He spoke of following the lord and repeated the saying "Yes Lord, I will follow thee." This phrase is so simple but it takes so much faith. I thought to myself, I wish I had the courage and faith to be able to say "Yes Lord, I will follow thee," without hesitation no matter what situation I am faced with. Whether it be big or small, "Yes Lord, I will follow thee." Even tho it was being spoken in a different language, I know everyone was united by the powerful message that Elder Eduardo Gaverret was presenting. It is my wish to be able to stand up and say unfailing, "Yes Lord, I will follow thee."

1) Reflecting of my Writing Process

For my analysis assignment, I made a huge mistake on trying to write about the topic of abortion. I was something I feel very strongly about personally, but when I was analyzing the woman's speech, I felt like she did not do the topic justice. I was frustrated with my writing and I couldn't put my own opinion within my essay, so then I found myself starting over and and finding a speech I was both passionate with and one I wasn't going to get bored with. I found the descriptive and persuasive speech by President Ronald Reagan commencing the 40 year anniversary of D-Day. He made it so enjoyable and intriguing to read and write about.  

2) "Things As They Really Are..." -David A. Bednar

In a society where technology is everywhere, we must stop and ask ourselves, What role is technology playing in my life? Recently, I was assigned in my Writing class, to read the article 'Things As They Are' by David A. Bednar. This Article reaches out to me and makes me think twice about the world I live in. How much of my life is being consumed within the technology that surrounds me everyday? This is a hard question to answer. There is no fine line as to know when technology is overpowering your life. It is only in extreme cases when people really understand that they have a problem. These cases are what really blow my mind. There are people who engage themselves so deep into the pixeled world that they become that created figure. They forget their physical self, and depend on the fictional life they have created themselves. We become these online gods and believe that we can make what ever we want and control things without consequences. But there are consequences. We are caught under the swell of power and control. At times I feel as though I am being caught in the undertow along with the rest of the earth. Don't drown in the worldly aspects of technology, instead rise above it.