After watching the short film,
"Moments," by Will Hoffman, think back over the last week. Now freeze, in your mind, a single moment. What makes it stand out from the millions of other moments you've experienced this week? What colors, textures, and sounds define this moment for you? Try to describe every detail, paying special attention to the infinitesimal (the very small): What did the ground feel like beneath your feet? What did his voice sound like when he said that thing that hurt, made you smile, or made you turn and walk away? Your moment might be something monumental or very simple. It's your choice. Don't get bogged down by explanation. Try to capture the moment as you felt it.
Each week, I'd like you to capture at least one moment from your life to portray in your journals. At midterm, I'll collect your journals to ensure that you've been keeping up, and at the end of the semester I'll collect them again to configure your grades (journals are worth 10% of your final grades).
For a participation point, I'd like all of you to post your first journal entries in the comments section of this post. I've already posted one of mine to be referenced as an example. Please add yours by next Tuesday, February 9th by noon. As a rule, weekly journal entries will be expected each Tuesday.
The reading room at night contains a stillness almost nauseating, set, as it is, against the dark waves of the Hudson. In a straight-backed chair, with the lights out, I sit and feel the city shift around me, not touching me, not even close. Through the windows I see the lights like slack stars of the Jersey City skyline--tepid and weary, growing dimmer every second. I feel relieved sitting here, exhausted among the thousands of unopened books without enough light by which to read even a single page--discovery and wonder still preserved on their shelves. I think of all the poems I've committed to memory, rendered to rubble, mere beats and phrases in the recesses of my mind, and I feel glad about that: relics of another time, the self emptied like a vacuum bag, ready to start all over again.
ReplyDeleteIts Tuesday afternoon heading home from school. Of course, its a must to take public transportation if you have no car. Just got off the train and waitng for the MTA New York City bus. Its cold outside and there is a lot of people waiting at the bus stop. I look down the street. I see the bus getting near. My first thought is I'm cold, ready to go home, and no doubt I will get on this bus. I defianately don't want to wait for the next bus, which would take another 15-30 minutes. Well the bus arrives and I could barely get on. Therefore, that means I am up close and personal with the bus driver.Ugh. Can't wait to get off the damn bus now. One stop before my destination and these two ladies decide to get off at the same time. Keep in mind they're both BIGGER than I am. In size that is. The lady front of me gets up trying to squeeze her way to the door, and the lady behind trys to squeeze her way out also instead of just waiting. Therefore, I'm some type pf sandwich now. Of course , this is where I get an attitude. Well next stop is mine. My day is temporarily not going in the right direction. Thanks to the BIGGER ladies.
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ReplyDeleteI was at some doctors office with a friend of mine cause she needed an mri so she asked me to come along....we get there and my metro card was empty and no one sold them around so I had to go from spot to spot trying to get a bunch of quaters...I walk into a store with a coin machine and as I make my way I see a figure that catches my eye so I decide to play dumb about the machine and ask where it is the ....chick turned around and for the first time I feel that I'm lost for words....everything god gave her was a gift....gift doesn't do it justice.... I make my way down from the hair(brown with streaks of blond)...eyes..(greenish blue)...lips(juicy).........I'm happy already....outfit gray baby phat sweats with a leather jacket and jordans to match....she said right down the hall way..and the moment was gone...a sense of failure rained down upon me as I walked to the change machine...."damn... what was that about amir?.....u effed up"....so I get what I needed and I walk towards the door.....as I pass her for the second time she throws a smile at me so I smile back..I push the door open and as I'm walking out I look over my shoulder and notice she was still looking at me and the sense of failure jus went away as it never happend...yeah..I'm gunna be on her mind later....ill take that
-amir
Its 1:03 in the morning and I’m wide awake, which is probably because I slept during the day. I guess you can call me nocturnal because this isn’t anything new to me. My Television is on, yet the show that's on doesn't interest me one bit. I see it through my peripheral vision, which makes it seem like a blur of colors and light moving around on the television screen. The volumes low but I can still hear the voice of the colors. My eyes are focused on looking through my window, which is a view of the naked night sky and different cars that pass by about every 20 minutes. My mind seems to wonder why I don't see a single star in the sky. The only sparkle I see is the street lights that give off an orange light. Why am I so interested, I don't know. Maybe it’s because I'm bored and can't sleep, so something so small interest me in a big way. Seeing no stars stole all my attention in this one exact moment. Maybe I just don't notice the stars but I know their up there somewhere.
ReplyDeletei was watching a cop at an intersection as i was going through it. i remember thinking to myself, "what an idiot, he is in such an obvious place nobody is going to not see him as they're coming up to the intersection, everybody is going to slow down before he guns them, he probably wolnt catch anybody here" as i thought that to myself, i looked up at the light i was just about to go through and it was yellow. My heart dropped into my stomach because i couldn't remember when it turned yellow, if it turned red he would see me go right through it. Luckily it didnt turn red until i was through it. It was one of those moments that reminds you that sometimes you're more scared of cops than you think.
ReplyDeletei was heading home from queens, so i took the whitestone bridge to the bronx. As im crossing over, i turned to my left and i couldn't help but stare at sky.at that very moment i saw the rays of the sun pierce through the cloud as city stood quietly behind it.A smile grew on my face as i begain to realize that i was still driving and staring at the same time.Natural scenery such as that one make it hard for me to believe there isn't a God.
ReplyDeleteWhen your body is idle and all is still you can’t help but treasure the seldom moments of peace and quiet. All of a sudden, I start hearing low grunts … what? Grunts… turned into yells. “THAT’S BULL****!”, “C’MOOONN” “9-9 and I win nine grand!” Ah, so I escaped my own somewhat boisterous home for some peace-failing to remember that it was the infamous Superbowl Sunday. The walls felt like they were paper thin, I heard every remark and comment about the game. What is so fascinating about men attacking each other in spandex, fighting over an oddly-shaped ball? Of course, I wouldn’t say this thought out loud, my brother-in-law would be the first to tackle me. I would’ve rather kept hearing the constant humming sound of the fridge instead of roaring fans that were dragging down the decibels of my hearing. My sister came back mortified from her neighbor’s apartment recanting her tale of how a drunk kept insisting on a hug. She took a seat on the couch tired; well I guess those football fans stole all of her enthusiasm, good thing it doesn’t come back for another year …
ReplyDeleteSaturday. Most intense day i ever had in so long. All the people w red and white flags yelling and cheering. i went to a boxing match and it wasn't my first time going. but, it felt like my first time because, it was so intense in 12 rounds all you hear is screaming thinking Ur boxer might not have this fight. at the end all you hear is silence when the boxers go to their corners. Then the scores were told and within seconds you have 15,000 polish people jumping from there seats screaming so loud that the next day no one had a voice. one of my hero's tomasz adamek still has his belt. and my stress and the intense moments left me w no voice for the next few days. great.
ReplyDelete_marta lapinska
thursday... i could not believe how so out of shape i was.. as im hitting the heavy bag i am so tired. my arms feel like they want to fall on the floor..i drink a little bit of water and get my energy back...throughout the whole work out i feel way out of shape.. it wasnt a good work out at the gym.. now im just motivated to get back into shape asap.
ReplyDeleteThursday afternoon I got a called from my mother, her voice was not like usual. She sounded very worried. She told me she got a called from the doctor. They told her that she had to repeat the sonogram she had done a week ago. My heart sank, I felt like I was in a giant cup of water which I couldn't escape. I felt lost for the entire day, my body was here but my mind was somewhere out of this world. I was devisated, but I knew God wouldn't leave me alone.
ReplyDeleteAs Im walking home under the street lights on a typical Tuesday night, due to rush hours the honking of different vehiclese rushing to get home, the loud siren of the fire trucks and the construction work going on on the side walk, i thought to myself this is what its like to be live in new york city. Its chaotic yet normal, its noisy yet quite... As i wait for the light to turn the cast shadow of the tree covered my entire body and i felt calm and serene for a moment in all that noise and chaos.
ReplyDeleteI was at my grandmothers house sleeping the whole day thinking a snow storm was going to come. I didnt know that it was so sunny outside. It was about 7pm and i was so mad that i spended a good saturday locked in a room with the lights off. I like to sleep when is snowing and it helps me relax. i know its pretty weird but i loved it. Well today is tuesday feb 9, 2010 and is suppose to snow. This time im actually going to look outside and make sure it happens. I cant wait to watch the snow, while i'm in bed listening to my ipod and relaxing.
ReplyDeleteahhhh man....
ReplyDeleteSo I go to sleep in front of a panasonic 50 inch screen t.v. while watching The Nanny, listening to the annoying sound of the nanny's voice I want to scream. Laying in my queen size bed I hope and pray the snow storm comes because I'm in dying need of a FULL DAYS REST.
As 1 am hits and I don't see any snow, I feel my hopes and dreams have been runied. As 2 am hits the wonderful snowfalkes of the winter begin to fall, My oh My am I happy " No school" I say out loud as i close my eyes and go to sleep!
Its early afternoon and I've just enter my home. The living rooms air is filled with my fathers cooking. I know better than to disturb my father while he cooks dinner. I still stand outside the kitchen and watch him chop the plaintains and oxtail into small bits and places them into their respective dishes. Im having oxtail with plaintains for dinner. Its my favorite dish and I know after i eat it my day will be slightly more comforting.
ReplyDeleteit's a typical sunday and im working of course, I work at a supermarket and it's always busy and I always get rude and nasty customers. Customers are always racking up groceries like its the end of the world so anyway im tired my shift's about to be over and some older lady comes on my line and we had a sale for the tuna fish, 3 cans for 6 dollars so after i ring everything up she starts screaming at me telling me that i overcharged her meanwhile its right in front of her face on the computer screen that it took off the regular price and gave her the discount so she's complaining and im like okay whateva. she calls the store about a half an hour later asking to talk to my manager and my manager gets off the phone wit her and is cracking up telling me that the woman said it's all my fault and that shes paying to much for tuna fish and she cant afford it and that shes going to return it so my manager tells her that its not my fault and she knew that the tuna fish was 3 for 6 dollars so she shouldnt have bought them. Anyway this story was just to say how stupid people can really be thank you.
ReplyDeleteOn my way back from Hawthorne, on the 6:40 metro north, after a long day I found my self fighting to keep my eyes open and not fall asleep, after the "last stop" announcement was given i guess i let my guard down and I don't know how it happened, because according to me i still had my eyes opened but, I was asleep thankfully someone passed by and touched my shoulder, and woke me up, I jumped, confused, disoriented and embarrassed and ran out of the train, to find out that the ramp was totally empty, and the train came full, so who knows for how long I was there, and still now, i believe my eyes were opened or maybe i was so tired that my brain tricked me into thinking i was awake.
ReplyDeleteIts Valentines Day! I wake up and it feels as though my face is glowing like a light blub. For some reason it felt like my day was going to end on a good note. I get up knowing that its sunday and im going to chruch to praise the lord. Maybe I was just excited because it Valentine's Day and I am going to spend it with my love, or maybe it is both. What ever it may have been I sure did enjoy myself. What an amazing day it was.
ReplyDeletei am matt tooker i actually have two good moments this week first was this saturday the team that i coach won it semifinal game after being down 12 to 2 at the end of the first quater they will be playing this saturday for the chapionship and the seconds was valentines day i had an excellent day with my girlfried it was a great weekend
ReplyDeletematt tooker, this week was a good one the best moment of the week was playing in the snow with my little brother it was fun takeling hi, down into the snow and and building snowmen and having snowball fights it was a great weekend
ReplyDeleteI feel so much at peace while at church. today my mom yelled up to the third floor where my room is "Naya,wake up,time to get ready." i lay in the bed still, i hate when she wakes me up like this. Feels like chaos running through my body. i lay there for a while trying to embrace the early morning. as i let the light from the sun through the windowi feel my body accepting the day more and more. Finally i get ready and we are on oour way to sunday skewl
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