Something Called the Pony Express?

It was a nice spring day, very nice actually. I walked under the blossoming weeping willow tree, then I looked up. There was a faint noise coming from the dirt road, three men riding on their trusted steeds came storming by and were gone in a flash. I raced up the road to see what all the commotion was about. They had stopped right in front of my tiny home. Banging on the door with all of their force and power in their big bulging arms. My mother answered the door, that’s when I knew something was up. I could hear them mumbling a little bit, I couldn’t make up any of the words they said. There was one word I did understand when I was walking up there. Mother screaming “No!” straight in their faces, getting spit in their faces. The door was slammed shut. The men looked at their notebooks, saying to each other “Better go find the next 19 year olds house for recruitment” saddling up for their next journey to get recruits. Opening the front door, my mother was sobbing. Being only 11 years old, I didn’t like seeing my mother crying. That was when my 19 year old brother walked into the room. He’s about 5’11 and really muscular. His arms are about as big as my entire head! His leg muscles were ripping through his already torn jeans. He didn’t like mother crying either. He sat down next to my mother. He slowly asked “What did those men want mother, why are you crying?” showing a lot of sympathy towards her. “These men—William H. Russell, William B. Waddell, and I think Alexander M-- Majors (Lass).” She said crying through the word Major. “They wanted you my boy, to come join them in delivering mail to people that have now moved west.” My brother then left and asked around town about the recent happenings. I was scared out of my mind. Would my brother really have left to join this? I would hope not. After, the death of my father I cannot bear to lose him. He has been like my father even though he is barely older than me—he is so mature, I want to be exactly like him when I grow up. Then he came bolting through the door. Saying he has learned about these men and what they are planning to achieve and accomplish. “Okay, I asked John and he said they are going around looking for about 200 riders. They have bought 500 of the finest horses that money can buy you. They are planning to built 182 service stations along the 1,966-mile route that runs by Fort Kearny, the Platte River valley, South Pass, and Salt Lake City (Lass).” I was stunned. I was shocked. I was interested. Taking my hand out of my pocket, I tried to count all the way to 1,966 but I couldn’t do it. It was to long of a number. He later told us that their journey would be almost 2000 miles and that they would try and ride 250 miles per day (Lass). All of this ruckus was over within about a week in the town we lived in, and nobody talked about it anymore. ___________ About a year and half has pasted now, since that day were my mother was crying and my brother was getting the latest gossip news on what had happened. I was laying on my bed when the door opened. I could hear my brothers voice. I was so excited to hear his voice and see him. After everything that had happened, he went off to start a lumbering company and start a family of his own. He lived so far away, and we weren’t expecting him to stop in today. He came up to my room and gave me a huge bear hug and I loved it. Then he bent down a one knee asking me a question. “Do you remember that day when those men came to our door and try and take me away from you guys?” I replied with a yes. “Well, it has now ended, that men have lost over $200,000 dollars and have gone bankrupt (Lass). Even though this happened, it is still very historic. People will be talking about this forever. It is known as the Pony Express (Lass).” I looked at him in amazement, this was now over. I had been receiving mail from distant relatives that I had no idea I was related too. But, now I could tell people I was a part of history and it made me feel proud of myself. I was a part of the historic Pony Express Mail Service (Lass). Works Cited Lass, William B. "Pony Express." 1 March 2013. Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. 1 March 2013.

Are You Really That Good?

5…4…3…2… The shot was released. The orange and black leather ball was floating in the air for what it seemed like an hour. It was spinning with a crazy rotation that seemed to have worked only for this particular person. On the way down everyone watched -- The startled players of the other team, the anxious faces of his teammates and coaches, and his very loud and obnoxious parents that could not shut up the entire game finally did—with their eyes glued and glaring at the ball and their tongues hanging out of their mouth getting spit everywhere. After what seemed like a century, the ball came down. It clanged off the back of the rim, up so high you would have thought it was a round shaped bird slicing through the sky. Miraculously, it came down at the perfect angle, to go “SWISH” right through the hoop. Darius Miller just won the 7th grade Division One middle school state basketball tournament for Wichita, Kansas. As the fans bull rushed the court for their beloved all-star they all never thought of the question “Is Darius Miller really that good?”. But, he was their hero for the time being. Their champion. Their all-star. Their MVP. “Yeah baby!!!! All me!!!! I just dropped 33 on your trash team! HAHAHA you think your good don’t you?! You ain’t never met DARIUS MILLER!!!” New town. New team. New Darius. That’s what he was told when his dad got a job in some town called De Soto, Texas. Darius was devastated, he was THE man around town. All the girls wanted him, all the guys wanted to be friends with him, and all the parents loved him. He would now have to start all over. Of course he didn’t want to. He had dreams of playing at Wichita North in Kansas and winning his high school state championship. Those dreams were now crushed. Darius laid their on his bed, thinking about these dreams and wishes—then closed his eyes and let out blubbering tears of sadness. “You must be that new kid Darius. I heard what you did up there in Kansas dog. Props to you my man. You’ll have to be all that if you really can make our “A-Team”. We’ve got some real monsters, they will eat you for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. “ That guy wasn’t kidding. Darius standing at about 5’11 was a midget compared to the towering 6’5 twins that were dunking over each other. He was a little boy compared to the kid with a goatee who was still about 3 inches taller than him. He was a second grader compared to the smaller and quicker guards who were dribbling the ball at a ridiculously fast pace. He read the sign “Welcome to De Soto Middle School” and thought this was not the place for him. As names were being called off for roll call, the coached stopped at the “M” section. “Mr. Darius Miller. You’ve been the story around town. Unlucky for you we only have 4 spots left on our top team. If you can’t prove yourself today—I’m going to have to put you on the “B Team”.” The coach’s rusty whistle was blown and a faint noise came out, letting everyone know that it was time to show what they had, if they weren’t already safe. The first drill was a shooting drill. Not Darius’ favorite because he had a funky rotation on his shot. He let all of the players go in front of him. They all came out hot, drilling every single shot they rose up for. Unlike Darius who was ice cold and could not hit a shot to save his life if he had to. Next was a dribbling drill. A little more in Darius’ forte. He knew he was a good ball handler, but there were many quick guards that schooled him. Every crossover he did, he got his pocket picked. Every through-the-legs move he did, clipped the back of his kicks and caused him to slow down. Every behind the back he did, got caught on his back and got called for a carrying violation. He had 30 minutes left to prove himself. It was scrimmage time. He was paired up with this kid who had no chance of ever making the team. The kid was about 5’6 with RecSpec glasses and snot dripping from his nose. His acne covered his entire face and his legs were hairier than King Kong. Darius was scared to touch the kid because he thought he would get a disease. The rusty whistle was blown again and the scrimmage started. Darius came out hotter than the sun. He canned some 3’s and was all over on defense. He then started to cool down. Being a facilitator to his teammates and working the ball around. With five minutes on the clock, coach subbed King Kong out and put a lock down defender on him. He turned the ball over 6 times with this new man on him, he didn’t score, he didn’t assist his teammates, NOTHING. The buzzer sounded—and the tryout was over. As the coaches posted that white piece of paper, 4 out of the 8 people trying to make the team would be happy and 4 wouldn’t be. Darius slowly walked over as everyone else walked away, he read names. His was not there. Darius Miller—had made the “B Team”.

Fear

Bullying. It happens every day. Every hour. Every minute. Some people are victims—Some are the people who start everything. Tyro Bergen likes to make peoples life miserable—especially young Bart Rangely who just lost his father in the attacks that happened at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The board of educators decided that they needed a kid like Bart in their school because he was as the newspapers called him “A Miracle Boy”. He was then, enrolled into Baileywell Preparatory Academy; Otherwise known as Bullywell. In the book Bullywell by Francine Prose it shows how Bart matures through being bullied and losing his father. It shows his triumphs and misery through being bullied in a middle school/high school. But, that is just how middle and high school both work. You will get bullied. You will get in trouble. You will have the time of your life. All of those things are normal in a teenagers life during that time period.  Some people however may push someone over the edge, and that is what happens at Bullywell.

Tyro’s Point of View- (Scene 1) I can’t believe this little kid just gets to come here for free, just because his dad died in those twin towers! And better yet I have to be his stupid “Big Brother”, what a trash school! This is outrageous! This is painful! This is agonizing! Oh boy, here he comes with his mother. Dressed all nice, probably the nicest clothes he has. That is an awful outfit. Now, I need to take this fake smile off and introduce myself to this worthless kid. (Scene 2) Oh, this kid is really dead now. Trashing my SUV! That is a brand new top of the line $60,000 Escalade and he just—ruins it like that! The concrete when through my windshield like a knife going through hot butter. The scratches from the keys seared through the metal that I adore so much! And he slashing my new tires! I am officially done with this kid!

Bart’s Mom’s Point of View- (Scene 1) Explaining to my son that his father and my husband are now splitting up is a harsh and painful truth that he needs to understand. He left me, for someone. Prettier. Smarter. YOUNGER. Then I am, I have to face the facts. Bart may be angry, shocked or confused. None of this is his fault. I just want him to know that I will always love him. (Scene 2) After everything that has happened recently, I think it is good that I am getting out of the house and looking at this new private school for Bart. I was astonished when we received news that Bart was getting a full scholarship to go there! I’ve always wanted him to go to the nicest school in the state and now he gets too! Of course—on some not so great terms. But, I am excited for my baby boy Bart to finally get the education he truly needs!

Nola’s Point of View- (Scene 1) Today, I met a boy named Bart. He visited me at the hospital. I’m in this place because of my terrible skin disease.  Apparently, Bart is doing time for his crime. The crime of trashing an Escalade. He struck out with the other two patients and now he met me. We talked, and talked, and talked! It was a very enjoyable time for me and I hope he visits again soon! (Scene 2) I’m really sick. I want to see Bart! Instead, I’m stuck in this terrible room with this tubes. I know my time is short, I read the doctors notes.  All I want is Bart. He is the only one in this world who truly understands me!

Being a teenager is tough already. Then losing a close family member, a close friend and being bullied can take a real mental and emotional toll on a kid’s life. All of the terror, horror, and torture that he is put through. We’ve all bullied someone. Calling them a name, pushing/shoving them, and anything you wouldn’t like someone to do to you, you would to them. You really don’t think your causing them pain but you are. Life lessons on this is to always treat people how you want to be treated and be a good person. In your life, you will meet good people and bad people. Bart met good and bad people. He changed his life because of Bullywell. No one should change because of bullies. You have to fight to keep yourself. You have love who you are. You have to be you. Bart learned valuable lessons from the school and everyone today learns lessons from school. However, sometimes it’s what to be more street smart than actually learning things in school.

The Funeral

As people filed into the door at the old funeral home in late November of 1999. People grieving of the lost of their good friend . Beautiful bouquets of red and white flowers were hanging in the dull funeral home. Family and friends gathered for this horrific event. Many people attended, but only a few could say they knew him. His best friends whom he spent every Sunday morning with, drinking hot coffee and eating scrumptious French toast. His two daughters and one son whom he loved spending time with. His beloved grandchildren and how he spoiled them to death like every other grandparent does to their grandchildren. That was Roger Wilson, a good man even if he did some things that he regrets. 

Visitors and friends lined up to share their thoughts to the family members of Roger. Every remark that was made, made each family member slowly start to feel water rushing to the eyes. Roger, was loved by many people. The person who really turned Roger around was Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Roger had told this story to his children and grandchildren many times. He wanted new shoes but he didn’t have the money to get them so he thought that gave him the right to steal it from someone else. Which was how he made a mistake, and could’ve really paid a price for it. Luckily, he met a woman who was willing to turn him into a young man, when he had no parents for him. He lived, in a ratty apartment in the middle of a rotten alley. Roger, was left it alone. When he finally got his life together, he never got the chance to thank her ever again. He always meant for it to happen, but it never did…

The funeral was ending, people were weeping and saying there last condolences. With workers clearing out the beautiful flowers and other used items, people heard a squeaky nice coming from the hall. Every person in the room looked up with their eyes glowing in wonder. They looked up and saw a nurse wearing green scrubs, and a woman in a wheelchair. The nurse spoke.

“Is this the funeral for Roger Wilson? My patient, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones asked me to come take her here.”

When they heard that name, Roger’s entire family went up to talk to her. She spoke and asked to see Roger’s body, that was laid to rest. She saw him, and broke down crying. The last thing she said to his family was..

“My dear boy Roger, I’m glad you turned your life around”

And then she exited the dreary funeral home.

Loyalist or Patriot?

Nobody wants to be controlled, especially by another person. You want to be strong. You want to show that you are independent. You want to show you are mature. Parents and adults think they can control you but they really can’t. In the book, My Brother Sam is Dead by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier it is about a family being divided by the war brewing between the patriots and British. One of the main themes in this story is loyalty vs. rebellion. Sam Meeker, the oldest son wants to fight with the patriots. His father however, is a true loyalist. Tim and his mother are caught in the middle. They are the type of people that want do what is right. But with both family members fighting for different sides, they don’t know what to do.

Loyalist or Patriot? That was a frequently asked question in the 1600-1800's. Some people felt like they needed to be loyal to the king and how he ran everything. Others however, thought since he was so far away from everyone he didn’t deserve the right to be ruling everyone. The reasons patriots wanted to fight were because they were taxed, pushed around, and were forced to do things the way the British wanted them too. Sam Meeker was one of those people who was completely fed up with the King of England. He was a headstrong , strong, and had a true heart. Most kids his age, were in college but he chose to fight on the frontlines with others who thought that America should be free. He shows rebellion in this because he does not want to be told what to do anymore, by anyone including his own family. I respect his choice and would have probably done the exact same thing. I feel like I am headstrong and will always fight for what I believe in, like Sam Meeker.

Lobsterback, Tory, Redcoat, etc. those are just some names patriots called the British Army—Well, just some acceptable terms in the early society. The patriots were very out manned, out gunned, and out powered. There was one thing they had to their advantage in the war though. They used the land they knew and loved to take over the British. Most people felt like the British would win, and historically no one really knows how they lost to the weaker Americans. A person who was pulling for the British was Sam Meeker’s Father, “Life” as they called him. He was always a loyalist and no one was going to change his mind about that. Life was a loyalist and Sam was a patriot. This war divided many families, causing many wars between many people, not just with a country and people fighting to be a free country. This war took many lives, and sometimes—family members were shooting at family members without evening knowing it, that was the effect of the Revolutionary War.

Family can be a tough, sometimes you don’t know what you could do with them and sometimes you wish you lived your life without them. That is just how family works, they are their whether you want them to be or not. Sam Meeker is one of those people who wishes sometimes his family doesn’t exist. Throughout the book, Sam turns his family away and wishes to be free. Many people now a days are like that as well but it wasn’t as common back in the 1600’s. Sam rebelled and turned his family away, he fought for freedom and that is what spirit every other patriot in the colonies had. Loyalists however showed loyalty to the king of England and made influences on the people around them to become loyalists. Whether you were a loyalist or a patriot didn’t really matter-- what mattered was showing honor to what your family believed in. Or did you bring shame upon your family’s name?

British—Continental?  Patriot—Loyalist? Did it really matter what side you chose? Whichever side you did pick had many advantages. It also had disadvantages. Many people chose to rebel against the British because they wanted to be free, after all that was the reason they came to America in the first place—A new life. Others however were loyal, they felt that they needed to stay true to the king. Whether you rebelled or were loyal during the Revolutionary War, everyone played a big part in the war. Being strong for either side was a key component to have. Being tough was a skill in battle. Being a leader was another, helping fellow country man. Those are the things that made America the way they are. A free country, with free people, and with free rights.

True Glory

Starting out as an inner city kid, is tough. You could get shot, get in to drugs, or go to prison. Many parents that live there, don’t want their children to grow up running with gangs or end up in prison because of the choices they make when they are just teenagers. For young, Drew Lawson in the book Game by: Walter Dean Myers he wants to be a “mega-baller” and make the pros. But, can he overcome some new teammates that think they are “all that” and get himself a college scholarship to achieve his lifelong goal of reaching the pros?

After the heartbreaking loss in the state tournament, Drew Lawson finally got what he wanted. After his teammates got their scholarships -- after his countless hours in the gym -- he finally got it. A scholarship to a Division 1 school. DePaul University wanted to take a chance on Drew. His basketball skills would now be up against some of the top players/teams in the country. I predict that Drew will beat his competition because of his hard work, dedication, determination, and skills. He wouldn’t back down a chance to prove he is the real deal. There are many things you need when you are playing basketball, not just skills but other things that you wouldn’t think play a role. You need confidence to beat an opponent because you need momentum to eventually beat them and you can’t do that without being confident in yourself and your teammates. You need swag to also beat an opponent, when people think of the word swag—they think of you being cocky and think you are all that. In reality, you aren’t swag comes from your heart and how good you think you can be, if you think you are the best then go out and prove it. You need to have fun in the game of basketball, if you aren’t having fun—then why play the game? Drew has all of these necessary tools and skills to achieve his lifelong goal.

Although you need skills and tools to be good at the game, you also can’t get in trouble or do anything stupid because then all of that will be gone. Just because Drew got a scholarship doesn’t mean he is off the hook yet. He could go to jail, get shot, or start robbing people like in the book Black & White by: Paul Volponi. Two young teenagers named Eddie and Marcus also known as “Black & White” earned themselves plenty Division 1 college offers but messed it all up by pulling “stickups”, they really paid the price for that. I don’t think anything like that will happen to Drew. He is a smart kid, and knows that this is his shot and will not blow it. That is what makes him different from every other kid in the hood playing ball, he actually cares. Which makes him strong and a true basketball player, like every kid should be.

Making mistakes, is part of being human. Sometimes they are minor mistakes like forgetting to let the dog outside, not doing your chores, etc. simple things like that. Sometimes they are major shooting someone, or robbing people etc. major things like that. Some kids mess up, other don’t. It is all part of life. Whether you are the best player ever, or the weakest. We all have something that makes us who we are. And we all need to live up to that potential. For good or bad, we all have something in us that keeps us living ever day of our lives.

Orange and Black Fever

It started with a sun-beaten peach basket, a deflated ball, and a man with a dream. Rainy days are what caused wonderful game to be created. Dr. James Naismith, a professor at Kansas University created this game in Springfield, Massachusetts. He wanted athletes everywhere to be challenged by it.  Now, today all young kids who play basketball have dreams of being the best, and making money for doing it. Select basketball, AAU, High school basketball, College ball, etc. are what players who are considered “great” do. They play the game anyway they can and that is all they do. They—Eat. Sleep. Dream. Basketball.

Basketball is a beautiful game. The way the game was made up, fascinates me. In, 1891 Dr. James Naismith thought of a vigorous game that would help his students stay in shape on a rainy day. After rejecting all of his other ideas, he finally thought of taking a peach basket and nailing it up on a 10-foot board. The object was to shoot the ball into the peach basket, you got one point for the ball going through the hoop. Peach baskets were used until 1906 when metal hoops and backboards were put into place. Soccer balls were then used until 1950 when brown leather balls were introduced to the game. The first ever game was played in Albany, New York. There were only nine players playing and the game ended in a 1-0 win. The shot had been made from 25 feet out on just a half-sized court of a regulation National Basketball Association (NBA) court or Streetball court. Nobody knew what to make of the new game, but everyone started getting involved—then it was known as “Basketball”.

Although, there is so much history in the game of basketball there are so many different levels that people today play at in today’s age. High school and College is what many people hope to achieve. They want to lead their team to a state title in high school. Being the league scorer and keeping your team in it. In college, they want to prove they have what it takes to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Only so many can make it into this elite group of players. But, if you have your mind set on making it to this league, then you have a chance too. I dream to play high school basketball, and even college. Putting constant effort into everything I do, just to have a shot at doing this. I’d risk everything to be in a position like that. Athletes young, teens, elders, etc. that have played basketball wish they could’ve done only what a few people ever do, but at least they tried—and that is successful enough.

With all the different levels people play at, rules are very important to the game. When the game was first created, there were only basic rules like make the ball into the hoop or pass and dribble the ball. The objective is to outscore your opponent. You get 2 points for a shot inside 23 feet and 3 points for a shot behind that. NBA quarters are played at 12 minutes, FIBA (International Basketball) quarters are played at 10 minute quarters, High School Varsity games are played at 8 minute quarters, and NCAA (College) are played at 20 minute halves. 5 people play on each side and you have unlimited substitutes which come in when play is stopped for players who are tired or in foul trouble. A foul is when a person illegally hits, bumps, shoves etc. a player. If he is in the act of shooting you get two shots at the free throw line. There are also, many violations. You cannot travel with the ball which is when you pick up your dribble and take more than two steps. A double-dribble is when a player stops dribbling, and starts dribbling again. Carrying the ball is also illegal, you may not cup your hand under the ball and keep dribbling. There are so many rules that are put into the game of basketball, if you know most of them, you should be in good shape to play the game.

Basketball is a game real men play. You need to be tough, strong, and have the will to win. There may be rules, that hold you back—but if you follow those rules you can be the best. There may be players who are bigger, better, and stronger than you. They think they are the best, but you can do it and strive to beat them. You want to make history with your game, so do it. Anything is possible in the game of basketball. I just want to be a part of the game as long as I can, and help people around me that want to be the best. That is what inspires me to play basketball, I’m sure many people have their reasons to be playing the game too.