Week 6, Storytelling: Cop Connor

Cop Connor

Connor Wilkins is known for his big heart, and caring soul.  Most of Connor’s childhood was sad and depressing, he didn’t get ice cream on the weekends, and wasn’t tucked away at night by his mother, and never got an “I love you” from his dad. For Connor it was more like “Bring me another beer, boy”, or having his mom constantly yell at him for not helping around the house.  You see, Connor’s dad was a major alcoholic and his mom was so depressed and stressed that she didn’t care about her sons. The only good things from Connor’s childhood were his three little brothers.  He loved his brothers more than anything, and realized at a young age that he was going to have to step up and take care of them. 

Even though Connor’s family lived in a small two-room apartment, and barely had enough money to survive off of, he made sure that his brothers always had something to eat at nights, even if that means he didn't eat.  He always tucked them into their beds, making sure that they knew they were loved and that he was always going to be there. 

Connor’s life got even more terrifying by the time he turned 19 his father had died from liver cancer, shortly after he died his mother committed suicide out of depression.  His brothers were still in grade school so Connor supported them by working three jobs.

Connor always knew what he wanted to do with his life, and that was being a cop.  He knew this because he never minded working three jobs to help his family; he knew he wanted to make a difference in someone’s life besides his brothers.  Connor cared for his surroundings and knew that being a cop would be bringing him joy in everyday life. 

After his three brothers finally graduated from high school he was assured that he would make an excellent cop.  He saw how he had taught his brothers wisdom and goodness, and most importantly how to be warriors.  All three of his brothers went college, so it was time for him to start his dream of being coming a cop.

After a year of training Connor landed a cop job patrolling one of the worst spots in town.  Everyone in this neighborhood knew Cop Connor, and everyone loved him.  After Connor would get off work he would drive through the neighborhood passing out drinks and snacks and brown paper bag lunches and dinners, for those kids he knew were suffering in their home life’s.  Connor would even sometimes play outside games with them like hop scotch with the little girls and tag with the boys.  He would hang out with them for hours seeking out to teach these kids that life will move on, and that if they keep their head held high, and back up straight that they can do anything they possibly want. 

(Source: Google)

Authors Note: “Cop Connor” is based off the reading from Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata.  I focused on the character Drona who was a teacher and taught the sons’ wisdom, goodness, and to be great warriors.  Drona also had a hard upbringing.   Connor is clearly Drona in this story by wanting to spread his love and care for helping others. 

Bibliography: This story comes from the reading diary Mahabharata: Public Domain Edition, focusing on the story of "Drona". 

Week 6 Reading Diary: Mahabharata

Reading Diary from Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata, reading part A. 

Arjuna statue in Bali

(image source) 

Part A

Vyasa and Ganesha

-The first interesting part of this story was that they had a crystal car that allowed them to travel through the sky.  Also it’s kind of funny they related her by her “fishy smell”

King Shantanu and Ganga

I can’t believe that she casted her son to the Ganges, usually it is the men who send away their sons.

King Shantanu and Satyavati

-The old king finds beauty in this woman even though she had a fishy smell, he even said it was perfume like.

Devavrata’s Vow

-If his daughter is not queen then he will never accept the throne, nor marry, or be a father to children.

Bhishma at the Swayamvara

 -A little fun competing happening between three daughters of the king, and the women must battle.

Amba

-The oldest daughter has her own story and does not want to become a wife with her two other sisters.  Her goal is to slay Bhishma. 

Dhritarashtra and Pandu

-Because the son was pale they named him after a word that meant “pale one”, it's just interesting to remember that there was a time that people made names up for the way one looked.  

Kunti and Her Son
-I like the way they describe the new born child, also I feel like I know this story of a baby in the basket. 

Pandu and His Wives

-I find it interesting that the King got scared, and out of his frear he took vows of celibacy and gave all of his possessions away.  Just goes to show that he is all about fairness in a way.

The Sons of Pandu

-King Pandu dies, but is it because of his own doom?  Then all the wives were fighting who would get burned with his wife.. they were literally fighting over who would die with the king

Gandhari and Dhritarashtra

-A fight breaks out between Pandavas and Kauravas.  Also interesting that they are worried about making sure someone or something will always be casted off.

Pandavas and Kauravas

-They end up living together, which I think is cool that he raises his sons but also the other five boys. 

Bhima and the Nagas

-So he was poisoned and then snakes that had the same poison only woke him up.  People thought he was dead but really he was just in a deep sleep.

Drona

-I really like the character Drona who is like a teacher, but I like that he had had a hard background story and maybe this is why he becomes such a good teacher. 

Drona Trains the Princes

-See this just proves that Drona is a great teacher because, as he teaches the sons they learned wisdom and in goodness, and were great warriors.    

Ekalavya

-It was interesting that Drona wanted the thumb, did he do it to teach a lesson?

The Contest

-Pandavas and Kauravas take what they have learned about being warriors and compete in a tournament. 

The Arrival of Karna

-Arjuna being the toughest of all the brothers it seems that he is going to be the winner of the contest.  But just as we think he is going to win Karna arrives.

Drona’s Revenge

 -Drona knows what he wants and that is that the boys should owe him for all of his teaches by bringing revenge against King Durpada

Duryodhana’s Jealousy

-Duryodhana becomes so jealous they he decides to get rid of the Pandavas and Kunti.

Week 4, Storytelling: 'Orange Cancer'

Orange Cancer

(Aloe, Source: Google)

There once was a man named Fitz who had a very strange type of skin cancer that turned his skin orange.  Fitz and his mother lived in the valley with mountains sounding them.  When Fitz was born there were no signs of his skin cancer.   It wasn't until he was six years old that he saw his first orange spot.  After his mother tried over and over again to scrub it off in the bath she knew it must have been a birthmark that had just formed.  It wasn’t until Fitz was eight that he got his second orange spot, but this time it was much bigger.  Fitz’s mother got concerned so she took him to the doctor, but that was no help because the doctor had no clue to why his skin was slowly turning orange.  Fitz went to doctor after doctor searching for an answer to why his skin was turning orange.  By the time Fitz was twelve he had seen nine different doctors, taken hundreds of test, and worst of all almost all of his legs were turned orange.  Fitz was embarrassed of his orange skin, and tried to keep it covered as much as possible.  He only wore jeans so that his orange legs stayed covered, and wore all long sleeves shirts once his arms started to become more orange.  Fitz hated wearing so many clothes just to cover up his skin, sometimes it was extremely hot outside and he still wore clothes to cover his skin. On Fitz’s 15^th birthday he got a call from a doctor saying he knew how to help him.  Fitz and his mother meet with this doctor to find out that there was a cure for him.  The only catch was that the cure was in a special aloe plant at the top of the highest mountain.  With this plant Fitz will have to squeeze out all the aloe and rub it into his skin to cure the cancer. Fitz set out to hike this mountain, and by the time he reached the top his whole body was almost orange, his head was the only thing that hadn’t turned orange. It took Fitz 4 years to climb the highest mountain, but he never gave up, all he had to do was look at his orange skin to motivate him to keep going. Once Fitz reached the top he found the aloe and immediately started rubbing it all over his body, and the orange started to disappear.  It had been 14 years since Fitz got his first orange spot and now he will be orange free for the rest of his life.

Authors Note: In the episodes of PDF Ramayana Rama was sent to exile for 14 years.  Fitz’s fight wasn’t as hard or instance as Rama’s, but he still waited 14 years to find happiness by getting away from his orange skin. 

Bibliography: The source from this story of Public Edition: RamayanaPart D.

Week 4 Reading Diary: PDF Ramayana

PDE Ramayana: Part D

The Bridge

-I love how Rama is fighting with an army of monkeys and bears, to get to Sita.

Rama Attacks

-“..Of mind rather than matter..”   Interesting that Sita had counterfeits and vain illusions

Indrajit

-I like how night was the rakshasas’ time of strongest.  It was nice to read that the sons of Dasharatha were healed.  But they have it all wrong I still have faith that Rama is going to get back Sita.

Kumbhakarna

- I would not wan to wake the demon, and I can't believe that elephants couldn’t wake him up.  I don't like how he ate so much when he woke up.  And then it was so easy for Rama to kill him, so why is he just now being killed?

Hanuman and the Mountain

-I liked how they had labor done for the Monkey’s, because he knew that they were great help.  Wow, he just rooted the whole mountain because he wanted to.

Lakshmana and Indrajit

- They keep trying to convince Sita that Rama is dead to make her sad, but Sita isn’t dumb and if she knows Sita is dead she will want to be dead,

Ravana’s Lament

-I don't understand why Lakshmana slayes his son, and why would Ravana have revenge? 

Ravana and Lakshmana

- I like how he almost wins; nothing in this story has been easy so why should this be easy?  “But the love of the faithful brother is rarely found” this is a sad quote to me, brothers should always be faithful.

Indra’s Chariot

- Flashback to the beginning when the gods sent Rama to defeat Ravana,the battle continues.

Battle of Rama and Ravana

- It’s good to always make nice and friends with people, for example how Agastya meets Rama in the forest to help him in the final battle. 

Ravana’s Death

-Finally Rama is able to kill Rama using the Brahma-weapon.  I like how they used the word “expired” to explain his death.  All around the earth knew of this death, because even the winds congratulated him.   

Mandodari’s Lament

-I don't like how they are confusing us with Mandodari being like Sita.  I like how they refereed to Rama as the “Messenger of Fate”

 Sita and Rama

- Finally Sita and Rama will be able to be together again.  But of course it couldn't be a happy re-gathering. 

Sita Tested

-To regain her honor Sita wants to be tested, and she does this test by calling upon the fire-god to witness her fidelity to Rama

Pushpaka

-I think that's it’s cool that Rama and Sita see all the places they have been since the 14 years of exile.  They have missed a lot from each others lives, this way they can feel for each other. 

Rama and Bharata

-I love that the sandals were brought up at the end of this story, just in time for Rama to get his sandals and reunite with his brother, and what better way to celebrate than a Hindu festival!

 Rama Crowned King

-Finally Rama has become king after 14 years!

(Rama's Coronation) 

 Valmiki’s Hermitage

-Wow this is ridiculous that Sita is in exile again, why couldn’t it end happy.