A Bunch of Loons

Loon: A type of bird symbolic of the north often found in Canada or the northern United States. (Thank you allaboutbirds.org)
Loon: A person who displays behavior that seems or appears out of the ordinary and some may view said person as crazy (Thank you dictionary of Dani Boucher.)
I find my use of the word loon ever increasing. The more I think about the word loon the more I use it. Often times I say it about my friends “ Oh your such a loon” “Oh you’re loony”. At times I feel the courage to use the word with myself. Yesterday while at my girlfriend’s house I thought or spoke (look at the pristine memory I have) while we had a snowball fight “We’re just a bunch of loons”. As I sit and think about school and my life and the life of those around me (I know, why don’t I just think about the whole universe and the meaning of life) I could think of no better way to describe it. I, or we, live in a society full of social normalcies and unspoken rules that no one truly knows, but simply abides by. There are things in this “society” that no one should speak of, that we all must abide to. Why? (That’s rhetorical (I felt the need to inform you of that due to I never know if a presenter of questions intends their question to have an answer giver or not)) I have theories upon theories of this. Some nights when I can’t sleep or other times when I should sleep, but would much rather play my guitar. I wonder where they stared and why do generations see them differently. I see no better example of this generational gap then with in my own family. My grandmother (Best grandma ever) believes girls should not have their ears pierced and God made the body as a temple tattoos are a disgrace to that temple. My Mom (sometimes I call her Debbie she does not like that) says its ok to have your ears pierced and have tattoos, but an excessive amount is frowned upon I think, if some one has a body they should do with it as they please. I can’t tell some times if this gap stems from generational gaps or from social changes and influences or own personal beliefs (that’s the topic of my Original Oratory speech). Social stereotypes arise everywhere. If one goes to McDonalds and asks for a happy meal they find themselves faced with the question “Boy toy or girl toy?” (this was always a problem in my home. Hot wheels are so much cooler then Barbie’s, and so is Gi Joe for that matter). Why do we categorize toys? A more age appropriate example: clothes. Storeowners divided their stores into men and woman’s clothing. For some one like me this makes shopping quite interesting. I don’t like tight clothes, I don’t like sparkly or frilly or stylish, I like plaid and flannel. I like loose jeans and cargo shorts and finding me outside of school, church, or debate without a hat on my head; well that’s the apocalypse. My style and comfort level leans more towards the societal view of masculine clothing. They are the clothes I like to wear though. Sometimes I sit in English and look around the students in this class arise as the best writers in Chagrin more often then not. I worry though with that thought. We all have so much power with our words, how will we use it? Will these students, friends, classmates weld their words to hold up and abide by the social normalcies that I see plaguing our society, or will they write for change? I worry every time for the future of our country when I get strange looks walking down the street in my overly baggy cloths with my baseball cap laughing with friends. I worry that we forever will stay in this awkward place of discontent with ourselves and unhappiness due to societal expectations. I worry that this world will never change. That I will always get strange looks holding my girl friends hand as we walk down the street. Its late now though the hours have fallen back into single digest and if I play my guitar any louder my mom might come scold me for never getting enough sleep. How long will we stay a bunch of loons abiding by unspoken social norms?

5 Thing's They Will Never Tell You About Writing

1. We do not have the same voice- I have learned this year that my writing voice arises much like my speaking, witty, cunning, and charming. (I do sound like that right?). We might (probably) have different voices and that’s all right.

2. All topics come back to me- Although not often liking the center of attention role I find in my writing, I am learning more and more to write about me. Whether that simply means my opinion or some way to connect a book to my life.

3. I need to write- I found that I need to write and write and write(or talk) in order to understand my own ideas. Writing helps me organize the crazy spastic world of my mind.

4. I am much more open in my writing- I find that when I write I am much more open about me as a person. I say things I would never normally say and am much more open with who I am.

5. Life depends on writing- Everything I learn about writing matters today and tomorrow. My writing, no matter what I choose later in life, will matter in some form or another.

Super Dani, The Titanic, and Laurel

As I read the prompt today for English as every great AP English student does I focus so intensely that my eyeballs almost popped out of my head. All right, maybe I caught my self in that incredible unfortunate place where my mind wondered. I never mean to do it, I look up at the clock and I start thinking about time, which leads into thinking about how this week filled quickly with activities. Packed with getting new snowboard bindings, homework, the art project I need to finish, the tournament at Chagrin this weekend, and then Wednesdays. Oh Wednesday, middle of the week Wednesday. Wednesday the day I normally attend Speech practice, but this week I do not have a typical speech practice. Oh no this week I have the opportunity, to go practice at Laurel. Now for those out side of the speech and debate world. I, Dani Boucher, am in Original Oratory. I will not disclose the overly boring details of it except this one, Laurel dominates in this area of Speech and Debate. When I say dominant, I mean it almost never occurs for only one Laurel O.Oer to place. Now if that wasn’t enough to get my panties in a pinch, Clair (an O.Oer (that’s original oratory for the speech and debate impaired) at Laurel, among other things.) informed my that every one and their cousin shall attend the practice on Wednesday simply due to my presence. I don’t scare easily, I have very few fears, I am normal the oh so calm one who comes in, in scary situations and says the oh so calming words “Don’t worry, I am here, I will handle it”(picture cape and dramatic heroic music). This situation though, the Laurel practice with every one and their cousin, scares me though to the point of wanting to crawl back into bed and cuddle with my bear dog (not a typo, it’s a dog from Build a Bear). The Laurel girls only have kind words to say to me, along with incredible accepting spirits, but I find my self scared to death. The reason I know though, I sit in rounds with these girls each weekend and I listen to their speeches. All have an incredible amount of eloquence, their all so poised, and incredible intelligent, and I find my self humbled. I often find myself walking into situations where I have to talk saying oh I can do this; I am the president of speech and debate, as though that should mean something. Then Saturday rolls around and I listen to Megan Zupon talk about the need for thinking in politics with brainwashed Americans, Or Maggie’s pledge for global education for all people, Or Claire’s incredible intelligent thoughts on understanding gender identification. My descriptions of their speeches do no justice to the string of words and emotion and well thought out points of view they all present, and I sit there every single weekend laid flat down on the floor with humility. I find myself questioning the overly cocky nature I explode with at times. I think myself so powerful nothing can ever stop me. Like those who built the Titanic who proclaimed, “God himself could not sink this ship”. My cocky smirk probably resembling the one the above ironic speaker displayed when he spoke the phrase. Although the Titanic inevitable sank due to the fate of one very large iceberg, humbling those humans who dared to test fate. The Laurel girls although not even close to as painful as the iceberg; they serve about the same purpose when I rise far to high upon my horse that I am only human. Although I like the thought of Dani the super hero I have many areas of kryptonite, and thankfully I have friends, even though from different schools, who keep my sometimes overly large ego in check. As for English that ever so loud ticking clock brings back my wondering mind to the task at hand, the easy…. now focus.