De Ja Vu

So I'm back again. Same story, different day. I guess coming here to write helps loosen me up. Life has been kinda crazy lately. I fractured my thumb playing basketball; reached out trying to deflect a pass out of instinct instead of intention. Stupid mistake. I thought it was just spranged until about three days after, when the swelling didn't go down and the bruising turned blue and extended all the way to my hand. 

While on the subject of basketball.....

Derrick Rose is a monster. I hear that he keeps a journal of everything that works for him during a game. With that in mind, seeing as how I wont be playing for 4-6 weeks, I've decided I'll try to study the game more and see how to improve upon my own.

Goal 1: Getting my hesitation down. Hesitation and stutter step moves are so important to the offensive aspects of basketball its crazy. What's crazier is that they're so subtle. Changing speeds from slow to fast or fast to slow really throws a defenders timing off. While I was watching Rose cross up Andre Miller nasty like 7839201409 times on replay I noticed that the hesitation is what set it up. That, and the fact that Rose is stupid fast. He didnt even break stride during the crossover and the hesitation is so stop and go fast that the second the defender even begins to recognize it he's already gone. 

Goal 2: Footwork! Watching Kobe Bryant out of the three point stance is amazing. He'll oftentimes get his defender out of position before he even takes a dribble. Its a thing of beauty. I need to learn to be more mental in my approach to the game while playing. Reflex takes over too often and I lose track of what I'm trying to work on.

More to come after I've studied some more games :) 

So my roomates Uncle died during Thanksgiving weekend. I was shocked to hear the news. I dont even really know how to express my condolences right now.... It's kinda weird with all the tragidies going on around me, sometimes I think I'm heartless.... I can totally empathize with them, but the fact that it doesnt touch me on a personal level really makes me wonder whats going on inside my head or my heart or whatever it is that makes me feel how I feel. I'll oftentimes get more emotional during t.v. shows than in real life. Maybe I'm just deflecting real emotions for fake ones. Maybe by detaching myself from the situation I wont get as hurt. I dunno man but I just hope these people in my life know I care about em, even if I'm all smiles and jokes most the time....

Onto some brainstorming for my essay....

1. Morrison explores within "A Mercy" an America devoid of any ideological pretext. It is an America as "Tabula Rasa," still trying to discover an identity and motivation for its presence within the world.

2. Slavery is not racially biased during this time. Morrison explores throughout the novel how slavery becomes a socially justified behavior. Moreover, she tries to explain how slavery becomes racially prejudiced to a predominately black community.

Outline:

-Intro

1. Slaves as commercial gain and profit.

2. How slave trade becomes a predominately black enterprise. Reasons include fear and prejudice, underlined by the greed of property. All this is masked behind a veil of "mercy" for people who are seen as inferior. 

ex) Floren's time with the widow and daughter jane. The screaming child as symbolic of the salem witch trials.

ex) The Blacksmith's interpretation of Floren's as "wild." Outside influence which perpetrates a racial profile that all Blacks are wild and savage, unable to care for themselves. <-- Excuse which allows "whites" the freedom to justify their actions.

3. Descrepency between white and black slaves by the end of the novel. Mainly Florens and Sorrow. Sorrow is able to "find herself" within the birth of her child. Symbolizes the hope of white indentured slaves. Even if she is to escape, the reality is she is much more likely to become free than Florens, her black counterpart. Her skin will forever set her apart. Displacement of a people from their natural home will not allow for equality.

4. Conclusion?

- The patriarchically male dominated society has always justified it's actions behind an ideological belief that they are performing "merciful" acts. Whether it be enslaving a lesser race such as blacks or indians in order to "save" them, or keeping gender inequality in check, the "mercy" of male dominated society has given rise to horrid things in the name of "mercy." The title of the book, then, becomes a sarcastic critique about the lies and decent surrounding the justification of early American life.

Hmmmm..... I hope that'll be enough for ten pages.... I should be able to make it work as long as I can explain everything in detail.... as long as I have the energy to continue writing...

Ok gotta get back to work!

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Free Writer