Transition from Undergraduate to Law School

I graduated from the University of Oklahoma in the Fall 2016. This blog is going to transition as my journey through law school begins. It was nerve racking waiting to receive my official LSAT score and acceptance letters for law school. After taking the LSAT two times I am thrilled to announce that I have been accepted to Oklahoma City University School of Law.

Reading Notes: Cherokee "First Fire"

This is the Cherokee Indian's story explaining how fire was first discovered or achieved. The Thunders placed fire on the cold earth within a hollow tree. Several animals tried to get close to the fire to discover it but were unable due to the fierce heat coming out of the top of the tree and the water that surrounded the tree. The Indians use those the outcome of each animals attempt to possess the fire as a way to explain why the animals have red eyes or why they are black. Eventually a water spider was sent to try and possess the fire. The spider put a burning coal in its bowl and we have had fire ever since.

My thoughts: this was a cute way to explain how animals and fire developed and could make an interesting story for week tens writing assignment. I could use any animals I wanted and maybe even change the element the animals are seeking out.

Bibliography: Cherokee "First Fire" Myths of the Cherokee written by James Mooney (1900)
Cherokee: First Fire

Fire

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Famous Last Words "My Dogs Are Like Family"

Dozer

We have all heard stories of children claiming their family dog ate their homework. I know most of us think that the likely hood of such a situation taking place is unrealistic. Don't think my purpose is to change your opinion, but on occasion I KNOW that it does happen. Ask me how i know, go ahead ask me. That's right, I know because my dog ate my homework. In fact, it must have been a conspiracy between my three dogs; Dozer, Toby, and Lexi. While Dozer, my bulldog, pulled everything out of my backpack. Toby, my male shitzu, found his favorite thing to chew on, my pencils. He must have gotten bored of the pencils because he moved on to my notebook, which contained my homework. To top things off, Lexi, my female shitzu, decided to eat through my tablet charger and that was only the beginning of my week.

Lexi

Toby

Over the weekend, Dozer decided to aid the smaller dogs in another adventure. As I was doing my homework, I put the dogs in the backyard to play. After about fifteen minutes, my stepson came to be me yelling that someone had my dog and was walking away with her. Now you might think after the events that occurred earlier in week that I might just let them have her, but no. Anyway, I walked outside to find my neighbor holding Lexi and trying to get Toby out of her backyard. My neighbor handed me Lexi, who seemed excited to see me,  and helped me get Toby out of her backyard. Naturally, I thanked her for her help and for watching out for my dogs. After all they are part of my family. Once again, I found myself asking how my dogs were able to get themselves into such a situation? As I walked into my backyard, I discovered that Dozer ate through our fence. He made a hole just big enough for the two smaller dogs to escape. It is truly amazing that my famous last words are still my dogs are like family.

Story: "The Gods Confidence"

Men and women have worshiped pagan gods for as long as I have been alive. Considering that I am seventy years old, I consider that to be a considerable length of time. My great ancestors have passed down stories of the gods for many generations before mine. For many generations to come the stories will live on. The gods have favored many men, while imposing their wrath on others. When I was younger, I questioned the gods confidence. Who were they to decide the fate of the humans? Who were they to decide my fate?

My father took his family to the pagan temple everyday. Everyday he would pray for mercy from the gods. He would always offer the gods the best sacrifice he had to offer. Sometimes his sacrifice meant I would have nothing to eat that night. My father's faith in the gods never wavered despite his families' hunger. He praised the gods until the day he died, poor and hungry.

My family carried on my father's religious rituals. They continued to visit the pagan temple and pray for mercy from the gods. They believed that my father was given passage to the next world through the gods favor. Why were they so sure my father was favored by the gods? Had he not died poor and hungry?

After my father passed, my brother and sister became deathly ill. They refused to buy medicine. Instead, they offered what little money we had to the gods. I was furious! What had the gods ever done for my family? What had the gods ever done for me? My brother and sister became so ill that they could no longer make the journey to the pagan temple. My brother gave me the last of our money and told me to visit the temple without them. "Hurry along, your sister is not expected to live through the night, my brother said."

Sacrifice to the gods

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As I walked to the pagan temple I became enraged. I entered the temple, but I did not make the sacrifice. How could I place my brother and sisters fait in the gods hands? I couldn't! At first, I just stood in front of the wooden statue sobbing. Then I picked up the knife that was used to make sacrifices to the gods. I swung the knife at the statute as hard as I could. The statue's head rolled away from its body and stopped in front of my feet. What had I done? I looked around to see if anyone was coming. Maybe I can just put the head back on before anyone notices, I thought. As I approached the statue with its head, I saw something shiny. Gold! It was filled with gold!

 I loaded my pockets with as much gold as they could hold. On the way home, I bought my brother and sister some medicine with the favor of the gods. Never again did I question the gods confidence or that my father found safe passage to the next life. I know one day my brother, sister, and I will be reunited.



Author's Note:
"The gods Confidence" was inspired by "Humans and Gods." The original story goes like this. In the old days men used to worship stocks and stones and idols, and prayed to them to give them luck. It happened that a Man had often prayed to a wooden idol he had received from his father, but his luck never seemed to change. He prayed and he prayed, but still he remained as unlucky as ever.

One day in the greatest rage he went to the Wooden God, and with one blow swept it down from its pedestal. The idol broke in two, and what did he see? An immense number of coins flying all over the place.

Bibliography: "Humans and Gods" written by Jacobs 41. The Man and the Wooden God (Perry 285)

Humans and Gods

Reading Notes: "Humans and Gods"

Wooden Idol

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In the old days men used to worship stocks and stones and idols, and prayed to them to give them luck. It happened that a Man had often prayed to a wooden idol he had received from his father, but his luck never seemed to change. He prayed and he prayed, but still he remained as unlucky as ever.

One day in the greatest rage he went to the Wooden God, and with one blow swept it down from its pedestal.

The idol broke in two, and what did he see? An immense number of coins flying all over the place.

My Thoughts: I think this story will be a great inspiration for this weeks story assignment.

Bibliography: "Humans and Gods" written by Jacobs 41. The Man and the Wooden God (Perry 285)
Humans and Gods

Reading Notes: Native Americans: Hiawatha "Four Winds"

This story was very interesting not so much for its content but because it was written in the form of a poem. I think I would like to write a story using this kind of format. The story describes some of the hunting practices of the Native American Iroquois tribe. The story is called the "Four Winds." The name of the story is what first caught my attention. I studied Cherokee language and culture for a year and a half. I find Native American culture to be very fascinating. I am going to copy an excerpt from the poem to show how beautiful this poetic style of writing is. The picture I have included is a book cover for a story about Hiawatha, an Iroquois Indian.

Shades of Hiawatha

Photo & Book Info

 Silently he stole upon him
Till the red nails of the monster
Almost touched him, almost scared him,
Till the hot breath of his nostrils
Warmed the hands of Mudjekeewis,
As he drew the Belt of Wampum
Over the round ears, that heard not,
Over the small eyes, that saw not,
Over the long nose and nostrils,
The black muffle of the nostrils,
Out of which the heavy breathing
Warmed the hands of Mudjekeewis


Bibliography: The Song of Hiawatha. "Four Winds" written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1855). Hiawatha: Four Winds

Reading Notes: Cherokee "The Owl Gets Married"

Beautiful Owl

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The Cherokee story "The Owl Gets Married" is similar to some other stories I have read from different cultures. A young maiden is looking for a husband. Her parents advise her to marry a good hunter. Several suitors made proposals and eventually she picked one. The young man claimed to be a good hunter, but after they were married that did not appear to be the case. One day the women followed her husband. She watched him turn from a man into an owl. She confronted her husband that night and kicked him out of the house. The owl sat in the forest. He was consumed by grief until nothing remained but his head.

My thoughts: The ending of this story is horrific. It could be used as inspiration for a very dark tale.
Bibliography: Cherokee: "The Owl Gets Married" written by James Mooney (1900).
The Owl Gets Married