Topic Research: Indian Sports

Story Idea #1:

I could right a story about Rama and his brothers playing cricket in the streets where they grew up.  This story would focus on the relationships between the brothers and their neighborhood friends.  I was thinking I could weave in a lesson about sticking up for people when they are treated poorly.  I could write a story where one of Rama's younger brothers who is not as good at cricket is picked on by some older boys.  Rama would then come in and act like an older brother should.

I could tell this story in 3rd person with dialogue between the characters.

Kids Playing Cricket in India: Pixabay

Story Idea #2:

In the original Rama Wins Sita story, Rama bends a bow that no one else could bend.  In my story, I might have him display incredible skill during a field hockey game to win Sita.  Sita and her father would watch him play with strength, speed, and sportsmanship.

I could try using first person during this story from the point of view of Sita as she watches Rama play.

Story Idea #3:

Rama is banished from Koshala in the Ramayana.  In my story I could set it up where Rama was banished from sports.  This would be something that Rama would struggle to get over, but eventually he would come to peace with it.  His good character would shine through.

I think this story might be most effective from Rama's point of view.  The reader might be able to see into Rama's feelings better if the story was written in first person.

Idea Source Links

Dasharatha's Sons
Rama Wins Sita
Rama is Banished 

Week 3 Story: Bharata Grows Up

After being away for over a year, Bharata returned to his home kingdom of Koshala.  The first person he talked to was his mother, Keikeyi.  He was so excited to see her, but he noticed she did not look as happy to see him.  Bharata asked "what is wrong mother?"  She replied "your father, Dasharatha, is dead and your brother, Rama, is in exile in the forest."

Most that are a son and a brother would be devastated to hear this news.  Bharata on the other hand was quite happy.  His father favored Rama over all of his siblings and Bharata was always jealous.  As a result, Bharata and his father did not get along.  Bharata also knew that Rama was first in line for the throne of Koshala.  Bharata, who was the second eldest son was second in line for king, and always dreamed of being king.  With his brother out of the picture, Bharata could make his dreams come true.

Bharata did not want his mother to know that he was happy, so he responded to her with a fake cry saying "Oh mother that is awful news, I need to go up to my room to mourn."

In his room, Bharata spend a full day devising a plan to become king of Koshala.  He decided he would pretend to go look for Rama in the forest.  When he returned he would lie to the citizens of the kingdom saying that Rama told him to rule.  This is exactly what he did.

As the new king of Koshala, Bharata did whatever he wanted.  He hunted in the woods, planted fruits in a garden, and filled himself with beer.  While Bharata enjoyed himself, the rest of the kingdom suffered from his neglect.  Bharata was too worried about himself, that he did not know his people were angry, sick, and starving.

A messenger visited Rama and told him all that had happened in Koshala.  Rama, who loved his people said "I will go back and rebuke my brother."

Rama came to the gates of Koshala and sent for his brother.  He would not go inside, as he wanted to stay true to his promise of living in exile.

Bharata was struck with fear when he heard that his brother returned.  Rama was always the strongest brother, so Bharata thought he might kill him and take the throne.

Bharata arrived at the gates of Koshala and Rama immediately said, "brother, why have you lied to our people.  You have deceived them and neglected them.  You have hurt the people who have been nothing but good to you your entire life."  Bharata's heart sank to his stomach.  He replied, "I am sorry, please do not harm me.  I will give over my kingship to you, and I will serve you for as long as I live."

Rama, who still loved his brother and also did not want go back on his promise of living in the forest told Bharata, "the kingdom is yours, but you must treat the people the way they deserve to be treated.  Stop indulging in your selfish desires.  Grow up, take care of your responsibilities, and show compassion for our people."  Bharata said, "Oh thank you Rama, I will do as you have said."  Rama went on to say, "I love you brother, but if you do not do these things, I will strip this kingdom from you and feed you to the forest."  Bharata, knowing that his brother was capable of doing everything he said, promised his brother he would take care of Koshala.

Bharata remained king and the people love him.

Authors Note:

My main inspiration for this story came from Bharata Returns from PDE Ramayanama section B.  In the story, Bharata actually goes and finds Rama in the forest and asks him to become king.  Bharata was actually a great brother and wanted to see Rama on the throne.  I twisted the plot and made Bharata the bad guy.  I knew Rama was too moral to go back on his promise and become king so I let him show grace to his brother.

Bibliography

Bharata Returns from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

Image Souce: Bharta Shows Neglect: Wikipedia 

Reading Notes: PDE Ramayana Part B

Bharata Returns

When Bharata returned to the kingdom, he was told by his mother Keikeyi that his father was dead and that his brother was exiled.
He wept because he was sad his father died and because he missed his brother Rama.  He knew that Rama was first in line for the throne.
Bharata said he would bring back Rama so that he could sit on the throne.
This I think is super cool because I often hear stories about younger brothers of the heir to the throne get jealous.
Bharata was not jealous and he did not take over the kingdom for himself.
Instead, he loved his brother and wanted to give him what was rightfully his.

Rama and Bharata

Bharata finds Rama in the jungle and they both mourn after their dead father
Bharata tells Rama he is in line to rule.
Rama still wants to fulfill the vow he made to his father of living in the jungle.
Bharata says that Rama should not keep a promise he made to a dead man.
Then Bharata goes on to say things that would be controversial at this time in India.
He says parents are only a part of your life for a little while.
When you grow up and leave your parents, you do not have to honor them any longer.
He also says that there is life after life.
You only get one life to live so you should make the most of it.
He basically throws the belief of reincarnation out the window and claims that selfish priests made it up.
Rama disagrees and says that the motives are good and that people are defined by their good deeds
It would be evil for him to leave the jungle and go against the commands of his father
He argues saying that if Bharata was right, there could be no good nor evil.
Everyone would just do as they see fit
The wise men condemn evil for a reason
Bharata offers to live 14 years in the jungle so that Rama can take over as King
Rama refuses

The Golden Deer

Ravana comes up with a plan (golden deer) to capture Sita
Maricha took upon the shape of a golden deer to lure Sita in.
The goal was to abduct Sita.
Sita spots the golden deer as she is picking wild flowers.
She tells Rama that she wants to lay on the deer's golden skin.  This kind of reminds me of the crocodile whose wife wanted the monkey's heart.
Similarly to the crocodile, Rama agrees to get the deer.
Lakshmana warns Sita saying that Rakshasa (people eater demon) will change their shape into deer to draw people in

Bibliography

Bharata Returns, Rama and Bharata, and The Golden Deer from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

The Golden Deer Verse from Ramayana, the Epic of Rama, Prince of India by Romesh Dutt

Image Source: Sita Spotting the Golden Deer: Wikimedia Commons

Reading Notes: PDE Ramayanama A

King Dasharatha

Two ancient kingdoms

Dasharatha is Rama's Father

His Kingdom was called Koshala

Mithila was the king of Janka and was the father of Sita

The capital city of Koshala was beautiful.  Everyone was happy there.  It had wide streets, huge decorated temples.  The city was full of flowers, bees, and kingfishers

Dasharatha was unhappy because he did not have a son

Rama: Avatar of Vishnu

In heaven, Vishnu and Ravana were enemies in heaven

Ravana could not be killed by other gods.  He could only be killed by a human or a monkey

Vishnu, in order to defeat Ravana, said he would become human in the form of Dasharatha's sons

This also helped Dasharatha who really wanted sons

Vishnu became Dasharatha's sons, Rama, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna.

Rama was the most beautiful

Rama Wins Sita

There was an ancient and sacred bow that no one could bend

Many gathered as Rama was going to try to bend the bow

Rama bent the bow with ease.

He was very muscular

All around him stood amazed

The King of Janka, Mithila said that he would give his daughter Sita to Rama

Rama then won and married Sita

It seems at the time of this story, there were arranged marriages

An arranged marriage could be a good plot idea.

Rama Goes Into Exile

Rama is banished and has to go live in the forrest

Rama planned on going alone, but Sita insisted that she go with him

Sita was deeply in love with Rama and said that she could not be apart from him

She said she would be happy everyday in the jungle

She also said that she would lighten his burden

Sita was a really good wife

Rama tells here she cannot go because of the dangerous beasts and harsh living conditions in the jungle

Rama also said that his love for her would grow when they were seperated

Sita says she would rather sleep with him on the ground than alone in her bed

She does not fear the jungle

After weeping and pleading Rama allowed her to go

Rama's brother Lakshmana came along too

Some begged Rama to stay

Rama could not go against his word, he must go to the jungle

This is super honorable and could be used in my own story.  A man sticks to his word

Bibliography

King Dasharatha, Rama: Avatar of Vishnu, Rama Wins Sita, and Rama Goes Into Exile from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

Rama Wins Sita Verse from Ramayana, The Epic of Rama, Prince of India by Romesh Dutt 

Image Source: Rama and Sita: Flickr

Wikipedia Trails: From Sports in India to Aravinda De Silva

Sports in India

Cricket is the most popular sport in India but their field hockey team gets the most publicity worldwide due to their eight Olympic gold medals.  India beat Germany 8-1 in field hockey during 1936 Olympic championship game.  Badminton, soccer, basketball, shooting, wrestling, boxing, tennis, squash, gymnastics and table tennis.  There are many championships for professionals in these sports in India and throughout Asia.    Many of India sports arose when they were under British control.  Since India's independence, the country has hosted many sporting events including, the Asian Games, and Ministry of youth affairs and sports, and Cricket World Cup.

Indian National Field Hockey Team: Wikipedia

1996 Cricket World Cup

India hosted many cricket matches in the 1996 Cricket World Cup along with the countries of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.  There were 17 matches played in 17 different cities in India.  Using one of these matches as a setting of one of my stories could be really interesting.  Sri Lanka won the tournament in the final match.

1996 Cricket World Cup Final

The final match of the 1996 world cup was played on March 17 in Pakistan.  The underdog Sri Lanka beat Australia.  In the post, it was really hard for me to understand how the scoring works but I know that Sri Lanka got off to a great start.   Throughout the rest of the game, Australia caught up.  A Sri Lankan player named Aravinda De Silva won the match on a game winning knock of 107 point.  That must have been super exciting!

Aravinda De Silva

Aravinda De Silva was a professional cricket player from Sri Lanka.  He was the captain of the Sri Lankan national team.  He was also known as one of the best batters to ever come out of Sri Lanka and is the only cricket player to play in 3 World Cup finals.  He started his professional cricket career in England and ended his career at home in Sri Lanka in 2003.  After cricket, he served time on cricket administrative committees.  He might be a great character to introduce in a story!

Reading Notes: The Golden Feathers

The Golden Feathers

A poor man looking to provide for his family went away to make money

When he left, a fairy turned him into a goose with gold feathers

Thinking that he could use this gold feathers to give wealth to his family he went back to them

He let them take and sell the feathers a couple times.  

He would fly away and return each time.

Fearing that the goose would not return, the wife took all of his feathers and put him in a barrel.

She was greedy and selfish so the goose flew away when his feathers grew back white.

He never returned to his wife.

There are many lessons to be learned from this story.

1.  Money cannot buy happiness

2.  Family needs to stick together

3.  Greed can drive away the people you are closest to

As the man/goose, it would be extremely difficult for me to leave my family behind.  His intentions to provide for his family are pure I think, but if I was his family I would much rather be with him and without him with a lot of money.  I really enjoy the part of the plot where the fairy turns the man into a golden goose.  I definitely could use this idea in one of my stories.  I might not use a man turning into a goose, but I could definitely turn a man into a different animal.  I could also switch from animal to animal.  This idea connects a little with the reincarnation but it is in the same life.   

This story inspires me to include lessons in my upcoming stories.  An interesting story is great, but it becomes so much better when a theme or life lesson can be learned.  Stories can give rise to wisdom in a reader, and I hope to accomplish that this semester.

A Golden Feather: Public Domain Picture

Bibliography

Twenty Jātaka Tales, retold by Noor Inayat

Feeback Thoughts: Good Mistakes

                   

Happy Little Accidents: Flickr

Why It's So Hard to Hear Negative Feedback: Tim Herrera

Negative feedback can be hard to take.  Often times we do everything we can to avoid it and miss out on opportunities to grow our minds.  I find myself continuously craving comfort.  I do what is easy and reward myself for doing well on tasks that were not much of a challenge to begin with.  I was once told by a mentor in my life that growth comes from doing the uncomfortable.  This article really reminds me of the truth of that statement.  If I step out of my comfort zone, try something new, and receive negative feedback, I have not failed.  Quite contrarily, I am taking a step in the right direction.  Many times in my life I have stepped out of my comfort zone and growth has been the result.  I remember the first time I sang in public.  It was an incredible experience and a learned a ton from my choir teacher who helped me sing even better the second time.

I also really like that this article motivates people to give better feedback.  I find myself sugar-coating my feedback in an effort not to offend whoever I am giving feedback to.  Now, I should not be rude or hateful in my feedback, but I should give feedback that will actually be constructive.

Giving Creative Feedback – A Guide for Those Who Aren’t Creative: Deborah Maue

I love this article because of how practical it is.  It gives step by step instructions for how to give better feedback.  Often times when I try to give feedback I pick apart the smallest details and overlook the big picture.  Other times I do not even know how to critique other's work.  I like that this article gives questions you can ask yourself when trying to respond to someones work.  Some of these questions include "How does it make you feel?" and "Will it accomplish the objective?"  These are questions that I plan to ask myself as I strive to give feedback that will help my classmates grow.

Topic Brainstorm: This is Going to be Fun

Idea 1: Lessons Learned Through Indian Sports

I think creating a storybook about Indian sports using the characters from the readings could be really cool.  As a kid, I played every sport I could and really loved the competition aspect of it.  Sports taught me many lessons about humility, perseverance, and teamwork and I think I could integrate these lessons into my storytelling.  My project would be similar "Rama on the Golf Course," except I would try to use a different popular Indian sport and a new main character in every story.  I know that cricket is popular in India but I do not know what other sports are played.  I would learn a ton and it would be a blast to research.

Idea 2:  Indian Music

I was in choir all throughout high school, and I love music and singing.  One lesson I learned about music is that it is supposed to bring about feeling.  If I wrote a storybook about Indian music, I could tell stories about the impact music had on the lives of the characters I read about this semester.  Music has the power to lighten the mood, excite, inspire, and heal emotionally.  Based on the personalities of the characters I read about this semester, I can show music accomplishing these things.  The storybook Musical Demon Slayers gave me this idea.  The characters in this storybook used music instead of physical action to fight evil.  This storybook would also allow me to add videos of different style of Indian Music.

Idea 3:  Medicine

As someone looking to go into the medical field, it might be super cool to write about medicine.  Many ancient Indian medical practices could be incorporated into stories where noble doctors save those who are ill.  These doctors, named after characters in the readings, could show incredible perseverance as they treat never before seen illnesses.  They would display great problem solving skills.  I did not see any previous blogs on the topic of medicine or doctors, but Character Therapy: Healing in Stories was full of stories where the characters found healing.


Idea 4:  Siblings

Adventures of the Brothers Fite gave me the idea to create a storybook about the relationships between siblings.  The bond between siblings is unlike any other bond.  Siblings can come with arguments and annoyances, but at the end of the day love prevails.  I grew up with two siblings, my brother, Robert, and my sister, Nicole.  I could incorporate my family experiences into stories about siblings in India.  Research might be a little harder for this topic as I would be witting stories mostly from experience.

Personal Photo of My Mom, My Siblings, and Me

Week 2 Story: King Crab vs. King Monkey

Updated Story

"Did you hear the big news?" One fish said to the other.  "The Crane who had been terrorizing our lake for years is dead!  He was killed by a Crab who outwitted him!"  "No way." said the other Fish.  "I have to tell every creature I know!"

So the Fish went out and told everyone the good news of the death of the cunning Crane.  Every animal he told became excited, and these animals went out and told every animal they knew.  Soon, every living creature lake knew about the heroic Crab.

A Frog suggested that the Crab should become king of the lake.  He found the Crab and asked "Do you want to be king of the lake?"  The Crab said "Yes! What an incredible honor!"  But the Crab knew that this was an opportunity to take advantage of all the lake creatures.  He was full of deceit.  After all that is how he was able to trick the Crane.

The Crab started building trust within the lake by outlawing any sort of predation from birds.  All the lake animals loved him.

As soon as the Crab built up trust and power, he started to tax the lake creatures.  He announced "10% of all of your collected food must be given to me."  The Crab no longer had to look for food like all the other animals.  All of his meals were brought to him.  He became huge, strong, and powerful.

The Frog, knowing he made a mistake went out to look for animals that could defeat the Crab king.  He came across a Monkey named Brahmadatta.  Brahmadatta was king of Benares.  The Frog told Brahmadatta all about the abusive Crab king and asked him "will you please save us from the Crab king?"  Brahmadatta agreed to help.

Brahmadatta came to the lake and said to the Crab.  "Wow! What an awesome kingdom you have built up.  Have you heard the nearby area called Benares?  It does not have a king yet!"  The power hungry Crab said "show me this land and I will become king of this lake and Benares!"  The Crab had no clue that Brahmadatta was actually the king of Benares.

Brahmadatta and the Crab went to Benares.  The mate of a Crocodile in Benares saw the big Crab and said to her husband "I want to eat his heart."  The Crocodile said to his wife "I will go get it for you."

The Crab did not know about the Crocodiles in Benares and started to explore what he thought was his new kingdom.  Of course, this was Brahmadatta's plan all along.

The Crocodile attacked the Crab and brought its heart to his wife.

Brahmadatta went back to the lake and said "the king Crab is dead!"  All of the lake animals celebrated and lived in peace in the lake for the rest of their years.

When one is deceitful, mean, and cruel, they eventually get what they deserve.

Authors Note

I really enjoyed the theme of the "Cunning Crane and the Crab."  A line in that story said. "People who try to deceive others often pay for it themselves." I wanted to include this theme while adding characters like Brahmadatta and the Crocodiles from "The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart." I was also saddened for the Crocodile at the end of that story. He was devastated that he could not bring his wife the heart she wanted. I wanted the Crocodile couple to finally have some satisfaction, so that is how I ended the story. I also took the news spreading elements in the plot of "The Foolish, Timid Rabbit" to begin the story.

Bibliography

"The Foolish, Timid Rabbit" from Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. Web Source

"The Cunning Crab and the Crane" from The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse. Web Source

"The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart" from Eastern Stories and Legends by Marie L. Shedlock. Web Source

Image Source: The Lake Kingdom: Pixabay

Reading Notes: Jatakas

The Foolish, Timid Rabbit

A rabbit thought the world was breaking because a coconut fell on the ground near him
He ran and told many others what was happening, they followed and told others who followed
Its like a game of telephone
Could relate it to a story about gossip
The Lion was called the wise beast and discovered that the sound was a coconut falling


The Cunning Crane and the Crab

The fish were in a hot pool of water that was small
The crane, looking for food, asked if he could carry them to the lake nearby
The fish were hesitant to go, but decided to give it a shot because they didn't want to be in the pool any longer
To gain their trust, the crane flew the one eyed fish to the lake to see it
The one eyed fish told all the other fish about the lake and they all agreed to go
One by one the crane took the fish to a tree to eat them
The crane went back to the pool to see if there were any more fish.  He found a crab
The crab was more clever then all the other fish and convinced the crane to carry him while he was clasped onto the cranes neck
The crane started taking the crab to the tree but the crab said he could kill the crane if that happened
The crane flew over the lake and instead of letting go, the crab pinched off his head
The crab lived happily ever after in the lake
A good line: People who try to deceive others often pay for it themselves, and that is what happened to the Crane.
Maybe could expand on the story by telling a story where the crab gets deceived.

The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart

The wife of a crocodile wanted to eat the heart of Brahmadatta king of Benares
The crocodile husband came up with a plan to get the onkey in the water
The crocodile told Brahmadatta about all the fruit filled trees on the other bank of the Ganges
He told the Brahmadatta he would give him a ride
The monkey got on the crocodiles back
Out in the middle of the river the crocodile started to plunge and the monkey calling him "friend" asked "why?"
The crocodile told the monkey about his wife and how she wanted the his heart.
Quickly Brahmadatta came up with the fib that monkeys leave their hearts in trees
The monkey agreed to take the crocodile to the tree of his heart (a one full of fruit)
The monkey climbed the tree and told the crocodile that he outwitted him.  His heart was in his chest just like all the other animals.
The crocodile went away defeated.

Bibliography

Ellen C. Babbitt, The Foolish, Timid Rabbit
Marie L. Shedlock, The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart
W. H. D. Rouse, The Cunning Crane and the Crab

Crane and the Fish: Illustration by W. Robinson

Week 2 Reading Overview

For weeks 3 and 4 I plan on reading Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition.  I like that this version of  the Ramayana comes with many authors.  The many authors have different writing styles and perspectives that I think I can learn a lot from.  The illustrations will help me both grasp who the characters are and where the stories take place.  I will also really enjoy following along with the voice recordings.

The first comic book that caught my attention was Krishna and Narakasura: Confidence Versus Arrogance.  As a kid who really loved sports and played every one I could.  I was told by many coaches to play with confidence but not arrogance.  In sports, believing in yourself is important, but the moment you become arrogant is often the moment you are humbled.  This comic book is not about sports, but I think it is an important lesson.

They second comic that caught my eye was Harishchandra: The King Who Chose Rags Over Riches.  Today's society pushes the idea that money leads to happiness.  Many studies done on this topic show that this statement is false.  I do not think true happiness is found in money so I am curious about what happens to the king who chooses rags over riches.

The first video that I was intrigued by was The Stages of Life.  While Indian culture is different from American culture, I found striking similarities in this video.  The stages are called different names in each culture, but the events that happen in the stages are very similar.  Young humans go to school, young adults get married, older adults retire, and the elders reflect on the most important thing in life.

The other video I really enjoyed was Hindu Creation Stories.  The creation of the Earth has always fascinated and bewildered me.  Every culture has a different explanation, and a lot can be learned about a people group by looking at how they think the Earth was created.  I learned from the video that Hinduism has more than one creation story, unlike many other belief systems.

Brahma, the four headed god who created the Earth:

Wikimedia Commons

Time Strategies

My schedule for this class: 2 hours for reading on Monday, 2 hours for storytelling and commenting on Tuesday, and 2 hours for working on projects on Wednesday will work perfectly!  I am sure I could find some down time to do the extra credit assignments as well!

One thing I have done really well in college is time management.  It has led me to become a successful student who is also able to enjoy free time with friends.  I read The Psychology of Checklists by Lauren Marchese, and I think her advise is spot on.  I've time-bound checklists for the last three semesters and they have been incredibly useful.  I don't forget about assignments that are due.  Consequently, they get completed on time.  Also, there is no better feeling than checking finished tasks of a list and watching the list get shorter and shorter.  Checking an item off a list actually released dopamine in your brain!

The Myth of Too Busy by Tim Grahl is a great article.  I always find myself complaining about being too busy when the truth is that I could have prioritized my time better.  As an effort to combat being "too busy" I plan to start going to bed earlier.  I am really good at wasting time between 10 pm and midnight.  If I used these hours for sleep, I could wake up earlier and have extremely productive mornings!

Check ↗ Check ↗ Check ↗ : Air Force Safety Center

Turning to Technology

Endless Possibilities: Flickr

This class is definitely going to increase my ability to use different technology tools.  For someone who is 20 years old, I am really behind the curve in my knowledge of technology.

I do not know how to create a website, but I will by the end of the semester.  This will be an great skill that I can use later on in my life.  One day I plan to be a dentist.  A dentist needs a well organized website that patients can visit to find information about the practice.

Image editing and graphics creation will be a blast to learn about.  Everything becomes more interesting when cool images or graphics are attached.  Images really draw in people and spark interest.  This blog will get better and better as I get better and uploading images.

The class wiki is really cool.  I have never been in a class that has used it before.  So far the wiki has been easy to navigate through and bookmarking the calendar will help me stay organized.

Technology is growing rapidly this day and age! This blog will help me keep up with it!

Intriguing Assignments

I am especially excited for the reading assignments this semester.  I love a good story, and something tells me that I will read a ton good stories this semester.  I imagine that the Indian stories I read in this class will be unlike any of the stories I read as a kid.  I am ready to dive right in.

The storytelling aspect of this class will really grow me I think.  So far, my college career has consisted of mostly science classes in which the creative portion of my mind is not always used.  I think I will surprise myself with some of the stories I am able to write.

As far as the extra credit assignments go, I see many great options.  The two that spark my interest the most are the Wikipedia trails and the growth mindset assignments.  I think an incredible amount of knowledge can be found following the links on Wikipedia.  I also know that it is often times easier to learn when you are able to connect ideas.  The Wikipedia assignments will help me do that!  I am also excited to learn more about the growth mindset and how I can better myself as a human and a learner.  There might not be a better way to accomplish that goal this semester than through the growth mindset assignments.

                                       Me (Right) in 2006                                                            Me (Right) in 2017

While my body is no longer growing, my mind is!

My Newfound Growth Mindset

I am four days into this semester and am already overwhelmed with all the things I need to do.  I have homework in all five of my classes already, and I have to prepare to take the dental admissions test in April.  This semester might be the most challenging yet.  For the last couple days, I looked at this challenge with the wrong perspective.  I was ready for it to be over. 

After listening to Carol Dweck talk about the growth mindset, I realized that this semester is a great opportunity to grow.  I will be uncomfortable, but as I reflect on the times I've grown the most in the past, they were the times I had to step out of my comfort zone.

The growth mindset proposed by Dweck makes a ton of sense, and I really enjoyed how she supported her claims with her experimental findings.  My perspective has changed a bit, and I am very thankful for that!

Image Caption: Workout Your Brain: Flickr

Introduction to a Guy with A Big Smile

                                               Photo of Me Off the Coast of Florida 2016


Hi! My name is Braden Merrill and I am a junior biology major here at OU with aspirations to go to dental school.  Biology is a super cool major because I get to learn about all the mind boggling processes that give way to life.

The best class I took last semester was Biochemistry.  While it was no doubt-ably the most difficult class I have ever taken, I enjoyed the challenge.  We covered complex biological processes on a molecular level which was incredibly fascinating.  We memorized SO much information and had to apply what we memorized.

Over this last break I was able to go with an on campus ministry called StuMo to a conference called SMC.  Four thousand college students from the Midwest gathered together to learn about Jesus and it was awesome.  SMC lasted 5 days, and these days were some of the most intense and energetic days of my life!  Right after SMC I went skiing with a group of my best friends.  We stayed in Keystone Colorado and skied there for two days.  We also spent a day in Vail, which was some of the best skiing I have ever experienced!

A Photo of Me (far left) and My Buddies Skiing 2019

In continuation to the topic of traveling, I am actually going to spend seven weeks in Mumbai, India this summer.  I am super excited to learn about Indian culture, make new friends, and try new foods.  I really enjoy spicy foods so, from what I've been told, I have a lot to look forward to.

My favorite food is probably steak, while any kind of fish is a close favorite.  Every time my family visits the ocean, we go fishing.  The night after we catch the fish, we cook it and enjoy time together.

One thing I really love is music!  I enjoy almost all genres but my favorites are rock and country.  As a kid my dad always played classic rock on the radio in his car.  My uncle played drums in a rock band call Midwest Kings with the former American Idol winner David Cook.  I can still remember going to his concerts as a little kid.  I love the depth in songwriting in rock music as well as the skilled musicianship.  A good rock band combines all the ideas of the band members to create really good music.

The country side of me comes from my mom.  She had three country CD's that would play on repeat in her car back when I was in elementary school.  These three CD's were by Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, and Rascal Flats.  My favorite part of country music is the storytelling involved.  Country music artists are very skilled at writing relatable lyrics that bring about emotion.  The best music in my opinion, creates emotion.

Glad I can share with you who I am and what I am interested in! This should be a fun semester!

Storybook Favorites: Who doesn't love a good story?

Storybook Favorites

Storybook 1:

One story book that caught my eye from the very beginning was Delilah's Radio Hour.  The title sparked curiosity in me because I grew up listening to the radio but had never seen a radio show in writing.  I think using a radio show themed storybook was a brilliant way to tell stories.  Almost all radio shows have guests speakers, and these guest speakers get to share their stories.  The introduction clearly states the goal of the book and what the readers should expect.  It also includes the topics of some of the upcoming stories.  The book is easy to navigate through because it is clean looking and organized.  Overall, a job well done!

Storybook 2:

The Range of the Mountains storybook tells stories that take place on some of India's well known mountains.  I love mountains so I had to check this storybook out.  This storybook had some of the best visuals of any of the books I viewed.  The introduction and stories not only included incredible pictures, but had their own background.  The backgrounds were awesome but they didn't distract from the writing.  I really appreciated that!  When reading the introduction, I felt that I could see Mount Meru.  Well, I could because there was a picture of Mount Meru right next to the words.  But if that picture wasn't there, I still think I'd be able to see the mountain through the writing.  That's how well written the introduction was!

                                          The Layers of Mount Meru: Point of View

Storybook 3:

The best title I think I saw was Tales of the River Ganges.  In the title I already knew that the book was a collection of stories.  I thought flipping the words "River" and "Ganges" was a genius move.  The title "Tales of the Ganges River" just doesn't have the same affect.  Rivers have always been mysterious to me.  Where does the water come from?  Where is the water going?  The stories in this book seem to answer these questions as well as what happens along the middle of the river.  The introduction itself includes a brief story as an example of what's to follow.  This was a very well done storybook!

My Favorite Place: Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. I have visited Rocky Mountain National Park twice in the last four years.  I went with family in the summer and friends in the winter.  With my family I was able to walk with heard of elk above the tree line where the wind blew so hard it almost knocked us over.  At lower elevations we found glistening lakes tucked between towering peaks.  In the winter my buddies and I trekked through two feet of snow while the woods surrounding us were still and silent.  Waiting for us in our cedar cabin was hot chocolate and a warm fire.  Rocky Mountain National Park is stunning at all times of the year and will always leave me in awe.

Bear Lake in September: Wikimedia Commons

                                                Elk Grazing Above the Tree Line: Flickr

Test Post - Wahoo!

Testing testing testing... 123...  Is this working?  Hi everyone, this is my first blog post ever!