The Time Machine

     If I were to build a time machine, I don't think that I would go back in time. I would want to go to the future. I don't want to go back in time because to me the past was just the past. What happened during the past, happened already I wouldn't want to change anything. I believe that everything happens for a reason, so I wouldn't want to change the past. I would want to go to the future because the future seems for interesting then the past.

     If I were to go to the future I would want to travel multiple times, so that I could see things that happen throughout my life. I want to go to the future to see how the world has changed, for the good or the bad. Right now in the year that we're living in I think that the future is going to be full of technology. I think of solar powered cars, and everyone having the ability to travel through time. I want to and believe that the world is going to be a better place for everything, in the future. When I think of the future I don't think of the problems that everyone is facing now, I think of everything changing and the world being a much better place. There wouldn't be anymore pollution, and the Earth would be pure and clean. 

     When I would travel to the future, I would first want to go about 15 years later. I would want to to go that many years later because I want to see if I have the dream job and I want and to see if I am where I want to be in life. I were to be able to see that I am doing my dream job then, I think that if I were able to see my accomplishments then it would give me more courage to start now. To me being able to see the future, you can be ready to expect the unexpected. When I think about having the ability to travel through time and be able to see what is going to happen next, then I don't think that I would want to travel. To have the choice to see what is going to happen next, doesn't give life anymore meaning. If I were to know what happens to me in the next few years then there isn't any excitement or ambition  for what's going to happen next.

     To me I would rather keep my life a mystery and keep myself guessing. I don't want to know my life before it happens. To  know what is going to happen next and to know your life. If I didn't like something that was going to happen next I still wouldn't be able to change it because it would happen anyway and I still would be disappointed. My decisions would keep my life exciting, it would always be changing and I could look forward to something instead of knowing what's going to happen. I want to keep my life a mystery and let things fall where they may. I don't want to go to the past because the past happened already and I don't want to re-live it, if I wanted the result to change I should have done it then, and I don't want to go to the future because the future is a mystery and I want to keep it that way. 

Ancestor Story

      My name is Cassandra Marie Leyba. My parents are Beniva Abeyta, maiden name Salazar, and Dwayne Leyba. My grandparents on my mom's side are Jesse, and Benny Salazar. My grandma Jesse's maiden name is Baker. My grandparents on my dad's side are Rose and Valentino Leyba. I have two uncles and one aunt form my dad's side of the family. My two uncles names are Michael and Valentino Jr, Leyba. My aunts name is Carla Chavez. On my mom's side I  also have two uncles and one aunt. My two uncles names are Scott and Rick Salazar and my aunts name is Tina Driggers.

      My grandma Jesse is 70 years-old and was born in Pennsylvania, I don't know what city she was born in but she did live there. She now lives in Chama, New Mexico, alone. My grandpa Benny was 65, going on 66 when he passed away. He is of Hispanic descent, and had lived in New Mexico all his life. I don't really remember him because by the time I was old enough to have some memory of him, before he passed away, he was already getting sick. Which enabled him to speak much, but I do have some memory of him and I'm glad that their all good memories, I sometimes see my grandma Jesse, but mainly on holidays and occasional visits. I talk to her hardly ever. All that I know, and what I have learned from my mom was that she was born in Pennsylvania and she is of German descent.

      My grandma Rose is Choctaw Indian and my grandpa Val is from San Felipe Pueblo. My grandpa Val is 75 years-old, has lived here his whole life, and even went to the University of New Mexico (UNM). My grandma Rose is 74 years-old, going on 75. They are the healthiest people that I know. They are the closest people that I have to family, besides my parents. Ever since I was little, I have never spent time, or even saw my family much. The only people that I really have contact with are my parents, my grandpa Val and my grandma Rose. My family that are on my mom's side of the family mostly live in Pennsylvania, and my uncle Scott lives in Ohio with his family. My dad's side of the family mostly everyone lives here but I still don't have much contact with them. The closest cousin that I have, is my cousin Melissa and she lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

     I sometimes wish that I was much closer with my family because then I would know and understand where my ancestors really came from. I would know about their times and what kind of problems or achievements were happening during their time. I would really like to come closer to my family, from both sides, because I have cousins that I never see and I believe that if I don't start learning about my own heritage and where my families came from, I won't be able to tell other people and maybe I won't even be able to tell my future kids or grandchildren. I want to be able to talk to my whole family about their past and what they know.     

     My family and I don't really have a tradition that I know of, because like I said before I don't spend much time with them. The only thing that I think of that my and I do, are for Thanksgiving and Christmas we always go to my Aunt Tina's house. For years now, we have been going there for Thanksgiving and Christmas because there my grandma Jesse and we can meet there for that night. Other then that I can't think of anything else that could be considered as a tradition. 

     My grandma Rose and grandpa Val are the only people that I can rely on. I see them a lot and I am so thankful for them. I, Cassandra, am German, Choctaw Indian, San Felipe Pueblo Indian, and Hispanic all put into one. The End!

The Starfish Story!

     This story to me, met that it doesn't matter how small of a change that you do, it still makes a big difference to someone, or something. Not everyone can make a huge difference by themselves, they always need other people to help them, but when you do something small and simple you can do it all by yourself. I really enjoyed reading this story because it makes you start thinking about all the little things you can start doing to make a difference.

      To me, I think that the author is trying to tell people that we really can make a difference, even if we don't really make a big difference our self. You do not have to do something big, like going to poor parts of  the world and help them there, because many people cant do that, but if you do small things , like adopting a new puppy from the shelter, it can make a big difference. Many people know that you can not make a difference in one day and do it all by yourself, but if you take one thing at a time it makes a difference to that one thing.  

      The world is a big place and I believe that if you really do take one step at a time and not over pressure yourself you can get more things done, and make the difference that you want to make. The tiniest bit of good can make a big difference to everyone around. 

Stop the Abuse!!

     Animal Abuse stood out the most to me because their are a lot of animal abuse going on all over the world and we really do need to stand up for those animals in need of help. There are so many animals that need to be rescued from abusive homes, but aren't being recognized. There are also homeless animals that are in the need of help. There are so many ways to help abused animals. You can take the action of actually helping those animals, or you can "secretly" help those animals by using the great usage of technology. For example, I read a story that in the new Tim Burton movie "Alice in Wonderland", animals take a huge part throughout the whole movie and some of the characters mention that they will not harm any living thing. There are other ways that you could be abusing your animal. Most people think that neglecting, and physically abusing an animal are the only ways of abusing. That's a lie. Other ways of abusing an animal is not giving it enough attention, and not properly grooming the animal if they need it. Your animal could have fleas, or some other kind of illness and you wouldn't know because you don't give them enough attention. Animals could be suffering severely, but no one would know because they can't talk and take care of themselves. We need to be the voice for the abused animals out there, but are you willing to stand up for them? I am.  

The Great Debaters

     "The Great Debaters" was a good and inspirational movie. The movie took place in the time of the 1930s also known as "The Great Depression" time. During this time blacks did not have the same education and rights as the whites did. After watching this movie I became inspired because it showed me what dedication and hard work can do. Even though they were going through a hard time and many people thought they weren't able to accomplish their debates because they were African American's going against whites, but they did and did much better for themselves after that. A quote that I remember the most from the whole movie, was what James Farmer Jr, said for his last debate against Harvard University. The quote says, "In Texas they lynch Negroes. My teammates and I saw a man strung up by his neck and set on fire. We drove through a lynch mob, pressed our faces against the floorboard. I looked at my teammates. I saw the fear in their eyes and, worse, the shame. What was this Negro's crime that he should be hung without trial in a dark forest filled with fog. Was he a thief? Was he a killer? Or just a Negro? Was he a sharecropper? A preacher? Were his children waiting up for him? And who are we to just lie there and do nothing. No matter what he did, the mob was the criminal. But the law did nothing. Just left us wondering, "Why?" My opponent says nothing that erodes the rule of law can be moral. But there is no rule of law in the Jim Crow south. Not when Negroes are denied housing. Turned away from schools, hospitals. And not when we are lynched. St Augustine said, "An unjust law in no law at all.' Which means I have a right, even a duty to resist. With violence or civil disobedience. You should pray I choose the latter.'' This quote stood out the most to me because I thought that it was the most important one throughout the whole movie, and to me it also put the main idea of the movie into one powerful quote. During this time blacks were killed for no reason, their family and friends had to stand back and watch because they couldn't do anything about it. Blacks didn't have the power like whites did, and they didn't deserve the treatment they got. This quote is telling everyone how bad blacks had it, but they weren't able to do anything about it. The law didn't do anything to help those people that were in need of it, and I think that if they are going to work for the government then they have to stand up for everyone, not just the whites. I am so thankful for the change that we now have for blacks and every other race there is, but their is still racism all over the world and we need to end it now. 

Diego Rivera

This painting was painted my the famous painter Diego Rivera. When I first saw this painting the things that were going through my mind was the hard work and effort that women had to put into their days so that their family could survive. When I look at the painting and see the effort and hard work that women and children did for themselves and their family, I know that the times that we're living in now are much better and relaxed then the times where EVERYONE had to work and didn't care much for their education. During that time, everyone had to work to help their families, even little children. There are still places where everyone works, and they don't care for their education. I think for the children they should have to go to school because their education is important too. This picture tells a story. A story of a hardworking mother and her children.  

The Statue Of Liberty

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

(Lazarus, Emma)

To me this poem can be inspirational because when I read it I can get an idea of the real history behind the Statue Of Liberty. While reading this poem there was the power that lies behind the true story of the Statue Of Liberty. Not very many people know or notice that there is a powerful statement that goes along with the statue and if you really think about the meaning of the poem you can understand the word "Liberty".