Haily Simeral
English 1109 at 10:30am M-W
October 21st, 2020
Journal 6: Takeaways
When we first started reading One and Done by Maurice Clarett and Bob Eckhart, I felt like this book would just be about some kid who life was tough when he was young and it was going to be a simple read and quick to get through, when we actually dug deeper into the book and we started talking about it, the book became more personable and real and raw. I started reading and literally couldn't put my highlighter down because there were so many different passages I thought I could use even in my life. It encouraged me to try to see the light in every aspect in life, even if it's not what I imagined. From his toxic childhood, to, his troubling young adult life, to his life in prison, he always tried to get better, it was always his end goal. He gave me a new perspective on life weirdly enough.
One of the biggest takeaways from his book was Maurice was able to find his true self, even while incarcerated. He worked so hard on himself to be a better partner, father, son, and all-around better person and I feel that that was a huge takeaway to me to know to constantly work on yourself to better you for the future. I feel that in this current time in our lives, we can get swept under the rug with how fast life is coming at all of us right now. Our best interests could not be on the top of our lists but, the only person that can change your life and your circumstances are you, no one else. And Clarett really showed us that by reading that he focused on himself and got better and better mentally, physically, and emotionally.
One of the takeaways I got from our Zoom call, which was a once in a lifetime opportunity was when Maurice said to figure out who you are and what you want in life and to see that through. I really felt that because there are so many things in my life that I thought could fit my lifestyle. Like becoming an author, a veterinarian, a business owner, and an Actor were my major aspects in life. And it made me feel like I was going crazy getting so much information about trying to find the real me, and I felt like I was losing myself putting myself into all these different directions. When he said that, it struck something in me that made me realize what I need to stick to and see it through and know that I can make it. And I feel that for our class, and people outside of it as well. Everyone is put on this Earth for something, and everyone is different. And I thank Maurice for making me realize that something could just not be your niche, and you have to notice it, and take action in it.
Hi Haily, when we first started reading Clarett's book I totally thought the same thing. I like how Mr. Lohre made us really think and dig deep into the book and find different meaning we might not have if we weren't active reading. I agree Maurice found his true self in prison. I think he really grabbed the opportunity to work on himself and it was very admirable of him.
ReplyDeleteHi Haily, I enjoyed reading your blog post and I definitely relate to a lot of the things you wrote about, and in particular your last paragraph talks about how you talk about how Clarett explains that you need to figure out what you want to do in life and your purpose. I'm definitely at a time in my life where Im figuring things out and where I want to focus my purpose on and hearing his advice and experience really helped me figure out my true purpose.
ReplyDeleteHey Haily, I agree with one of your biggest takeaway of the book was Maurice trying to find his true self and find his purpose in life. He went through a lot and it took a lot of wrong turns for him to find who he was and what his purpose is. I think we all have a purpose, it's just going to take us all time to figure out what it is. I enjoyed reading your post!
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