I’ve always loved writing.
Apparently, I haven’t always loved to write well.
For some reason, I was poking around my email’s sent folder recently, and of course, the newest ones were on top. But there was an option to put the oldest emails on top, so I figured I’d get in my time machine and see what was there.
It goes back to 2007. Yes, that 2007. I was almost 14 years younger and many pounds skinnier. Both of my grandmothers were still alive (God rest their souls). Bob Barker was still the host of The Price is Right. My beloved Buffalo Sabres were actually good (more on that later). I did not have Facebook. I did have a Tracfone (because, obviously, I was the coolest kid in my 80-person strong graduating class).
At the time, I was a senior in high school and one of the editors of the school newspaper (and the lone male on the staff). I wrote about everything: school news, sports, politics, culture, the whole nine yards. “Nine yards,” in this context, is not hyphenated, but “nine-yard reception” (which is pretty much as far as my fantasy football receivers ever want to go with their catches) is. As you’ll see later, I wasn’t aware of that at the time.
For those who don’t know, my original career path was journalism. Well, technically, it was meteorology, then journalism, then education, but who’s counting? I wrote articles for the newspaper as practice for the real world. My sent folder is so old that it actually still has these, uh, pieces of journalism that originated during George W. Bush’s second term.
One bachelor’s degree, one master’s degree, and nearly four years of teaching experience later, I look back and them and cringe. Thank God they were just “practice.” Seriously.
Just to give you a little disclaimer…these have not been doctored or edited in any way; they are exactly as they are when I wrote them (before my nephews were even born).
Anyway, without further adieu… (fun fact: Jacques Chirac was the President of France when I wrote these.)
Article #1: Super Bowl XLI Recap
The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears, 29-17, to win Super Bowl XLI on February 4. The game, held at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, was seriously affected by turnovers because the rain noticeably made simple tasks such as gripping and holding the ball difficult.
The Bears wasted no time jumping out in front. Devin Hester, Chicago’s kick return specialist, returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. The Colts responded midway through the first quarter, as quarterback Peyton Manning found Reggie Wayne for a 53-yard touchdown pass. However, the weather haunted the Colts on the extra point attempt that followed. Punter Hunter Smith, who was holding for kicker Adam Vinatieri, fumbled the snap. The Colts could not kick the point after, so the Bears stayed in the lead, 7-6. However, the Bears extended their lead when quarterback Rex Grossman found Muhsin Muhammad for a four yard touchdown pass. This made the score 14-6, which was the count at the end of the first quarter. The Colts came alive in the second quarter. After a 29 yard field goal by Vinatieri made it 14-9, Colts running back Dominic Rhodes ran it into the end zone from a yard away. This gave the Colts their slim 16-14 halftime lead.
The Colts dominated the second half. Vinatieri kicked a pair of field goals to extend the Colts lead to eight, 22-14. After Robbie Gould kicked a field goal for the Bears, Bears quarterback Rex Grossman threw one of two interceptions. Colts defensive back Kelvin Hayden was able to run the return back for a touchdown, sealing the deal for the Colts. This made the score 29-17 in favor of the Colts, which turned out to be the final score.
The Colts won their second title in franchise history, and their first since leaving Baltimore in 1984. Peyton Manning, who was always called out for not being able to win the “big one,” finally did so and was named Super Bowl MVP. In the first Super Bowl ever which featured two African-American head coaches, Tony Dungy of the Colts defeated Lovie Smith of the Bears to become the first black head coach to ever win a Super Bowl.
Next year’s Super Bowl will be played in Glendale, Arizona, outside Phoenix.
Peyton Manning’s only ring. And of course, like the hopelessly amateur journalist I was at the time, I called him Peyton Manning again on second reference (I think even the most casual football fan could tell you that I could’ve just left it at Manning, as Eli never suited up for the Colts). Apparently, I wasn’t too fond of hyphenating when I talked about yardage. The Bears “wasted no time jumping out in front?” Such a cliche. My writing had a lot of those back then. My organization wasn’t very good, either. I probably should have put the bit about the African-American head coaches earlier in the piece. Oh, and that “next year’s Super Bowl” was only the triumphant takedown of an 18-0 Patriots team. Lastly, if you ever feel like you’re bad at your job, just remember that Rex Grossman (who I was told I looked like in high school) made it to a Super Bowl. He threw one of HIS two interceptions to Kelvin Hayden and the game went to Indy. In addition to Sexy Rexy, we had the likes of Dominic Rhodes, Muhsin Muhammad, and Hunter Smith (who went to Notre Dame) mentioned in the article. It’s like the Random NFL Players Hall of Fame.
Article #2: John McCain’s Presidential Campaign
Senator John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, has emerged as one of the strong contenders in the early stages of the 2008 Presidential campaign. McCain has been in the Senate since 1987, and had an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 2000.
John McCain was born on August 29, 1936. He was born near a submarine base in the Panama Canal Zone. His father, John McCain, Jr., was a submarine commander in the U.S. Navy and fought in the Vietnam War, among other conflicts. Senator McCain attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis from 1954-1958. McCain married his first wife, Carol Shepp, in 1965, and was sent to Vietnam. In 1967, McCain escaped a devastating aircraft fire. Later that year, he broke both arms and a leg in a plane crash, and was taken prisoner at the Hoa Lo Prison. He was mentally and physically beaten daily. He was not released until 1973, and went back to the Navy until 1981.
McCain divorced Shepp in 1980 and married his current wife, Cindy Hensley, the following year. In 1982, McCain won a congressional seat in Arizona, and was elected to the U.S. Senate four years later. McCain has been re-elected to his seat several times since, but he lost to George W. Bush in the 2000 Republican Presidential primary. He has dealt with health problems such as melanoma, a skin disease for which he has had two surgeries. He has also written many books, including Faith of My Fathers, a story which tells of McCain’s traumatizing experiences in Vietnam.
McCain has publicly taken many strong stances on certain issues. He supported the invasion of Iraq, but has warned the Bush administration that certain changes need to be made for Iraq to prosper. McCain is against same-sex marriage, but doesn’t think a Constitutional amendment is necessary, and that the individual states should decide their own gay marriage policies. McCain supports stem cell research. He is concerned over global warming, opposes drilling in the Arctic, and opposes ethanol subsidies. He wants millions of illegal aliens to be given citizenship as soon as possible. Also, in the Middle East conflict, he is clearly pro-Israel. He appreciates tax cuts, but says gradually getting rid of the deficit is also important. He has sponsored many pieces of legislation regarding campaign finance reform, including the McCain-Feingold Bill. Like many republicans, McCain supports the death penalty. He is also an advocate for strengthening and maintaining national parks. He worries about homeland security, saying that the children of America need a strong nation to grow up in.
McCain lives in Phoenix and has seven children and four grandchildren. He has formed a Presidential exploratory committee and is currently looking to raise money for his campaign.
This is actually difficult to read, not just because one of the finest Americans in the history of our country is no longer with us, but because he deserves a much better rundown of his life. This sounds like a Wikipedia blurb. And a boring one at that. Actually, it might just have been that. It would be another two years before I took a journalistic ethics course; I had no idea what “attribution of sources” was. The comma after 1987 in the first paragraph is disgraceful. I did something similar in the second paragraph. And the third. And the fourth. You get the point. Bonus points to anyone who finds them. Needless to say, I didn’t know my comma rules. Maybe I should use these with my students as example errors. Maybe the worst of all (not a comma mistake, but still facepalm worthy) is this beauty: “McCain has publicly taken many strong stances on certain issues.” What are painfully bland topic sentences for $600, Alex? (I’m always going to say “Alex” at the end of that.) I also failed to capitalize the word “Republicans.” Embarrassing.
Article #3: NBA and NHL Updates
The NBA and NHL are two of the most prominent sports leagues in the winter. Both circuits are having interesting seasons, full of surprises, disappointments, and great games with clutch performances.
The best team in the NBA right now is the Phoenix Suns. As of January 28, the Suns are 35-8 with an astonishing winning streak of 16 games and counting. However, they continue to be tracked by the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs, led by Dirk Nowitzki, have a record of 36-9, second best in the league behind Phoenix. Other good teams out west include the usual suspects such as the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers, and teams which have been surprising such as the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets. The Eastern Conference is much weaker than the west. The Atlantic Division is the worst division in basketball. As I am writing this article, every team in the division is below .500. The best record in the East belongs to Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards. The Wizards currently are at 25-17. The Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Chicago Bulls are battling for first in the central division, with the Indiana Pacers right there as well. The defending NBA champion Miami Heat have been a disappointment. The Heat have endured injuries to Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, and are 19-25, only good enough for third place in the Southeast division.
The NHL continues to roll on in its second season following a lockout which cancelled the entire 2004-2005 season. The league recently had its first All-Star Game since 2004. The game, held in Dallas, was won by the Western Conference by a score of 12-9, with Buffalo’s Daniel Briere winning MVP. Briere and the Sabres have been sitting atop the east for most of the season. The team had three starters in the All-Star Game and began the season with a 10-game winning streak. However, the Sabres’ main competition in the east appears to be the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have a lot of scoring talent, and goalie Martin Brodeur is as good as ever. Other good teams in the east include the Atlanta Thrashers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. The east also has the embarrassment of the league in the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers have lost their last ten home games and have won just 11 games overall. Coach Ken Hitchcock was fired early in the season and the Flyers, who sit 15thand last in the east, are 21 standings points behind the next worst team in the conference. The Western Conference also looks very competitive. The Nashville Predators have the best record in the league, but are tracked by teams such as the Anaheim Ducks. The Northwest Division is probably the most competitive division in hockey. As of January 28, the five teams in this division are separated by just five standings points. Other teams to watch in the west are the San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, and Dallas Stars.
The NBA and NHL will decide their championships in June. The next few months should be very interesting in both leagues.
Okay, for this one I have to say that the hardest sentence for me to swallow has nothing to do with the quality of the writing. It’s this one–“Briere and the Sabres have been sitting atop the east for most of the season.” My Buffalo Sabres were actually good. Believe it or not, it has happened before. It may or may not happen again in my lifetime. Moving on, can any of today’s aspiring journalists think of a more BORING introductory paragraph? I doubt it. I didn’t actually learn to write good intros until college and it shows. “Teams which have been surprising?” Holy wordiness, Batman. I find it amusing that the Phoenix Suns, not dissimilar to my blue and gold-clad boys on the rink, were actually relevant. Speaking of my NHL paragraph, how tremendously redundant are the first few sentences of it? Good lord.
Article #4: Afraid of Driving in the Dark?
Many people simply don’t like to travel in the middle of the night. However, I find it very enjoyable. Traveling in the early morning hours gives you some alone time with the road and the night. I have become accustomed to traveling in the dark so much that regular getting around during the day feels weird after a while.
My fascination with traveling in the dark began at a very young age. When I was six, my parents and I had to take my sister to Notre Dame for the first time. This was about a 14 hour drive. I remember that we borrowed my aunt’s Nissan Quest for the trip, and we left our house at around 2 a.m. I wasn’t tired, and I enjoyed seeing the road signs in the dark more than anything. I realized that I brought a pillow and blanket I didn’t even need. This was the first of many experiences I have had traveling in the dark.
For each of the last four years, my mom and I take a vacation to Cape Cod. We have to leave sometime, and my mom knows I like to leave in the middle of the night, so we have a ritual every year at the start of our vacation. We leave our house at about 3 AM, keeping in mind we must be very quiet not to disturb our sleeping neighbors. We drive to Cohoes to get on the highway, stopping at the Dunkin’ Donuts at the bottom of the hill. It is really nice traveling at this time and having something to look forward to like a vacation. You might think that traveling the same route at the same time of the day every year is really boring, but it isn’t at all.
Obviously, when traveling during the early morning hours, some factors have to be considered. You must worry about drunk drivers, because they are still out at those hours and we all know not everyone is responsible enough to find a designated driver. Weather is another key factor. You would like it to be clear, but I have dealt with rain before in the dark. The rain isn’t a big problem since there are fewer cars on the road, but it can be a pain. The road signs can become obscured, so you really have to rely on your vision and your lights.
Why do I like to travel in the middle of the night? There are obvious reasons such as the fact that fewer cars are on the road, but it goes deeper than that. I have always been an early riser, and I am not afraid of the dark. My mom said that my grandfather always loved traveling in the dark when he was alive. I feel that you have a greater sense of peace with your surroundings and can become one with the road easier. I actually like seeing businesses closed up and things like that, because I don’t think these places are ghost towns, but interesting fixtures of my trip. My advice is to travel in the middle of the night as much as you can, especially on a long trip. It is a different way of traveling. Make sure you pack your car the night before, so you can quietly get up and go and not disturb anybody. You can get through traveling in the middle of the night with few problems, and whatever problems you have you can easily get through. For example, last summer when I went on my vacation, we left our house in a pouring rain and when we went through Cohoes, part of the city had no power. That was a memory to me, and you can make memories traveling when no one else is around. I believe it is unfortunate that I only get to practice my love of “Midnight Traveling,” as I call it, only two or three times a year at the most.
Ah, to be young, in love, and an early riser again! Wait…those last two parts aren’t actually true. It’s interesting that 17-year-old me knew what accustomed meant, but made a terrible grammatical error in this gem: “For each of the last four years, my mom and I take a vacation to Cape Cod.” Had the present perfect tense not been invented yet? If any of my students see this, I want them to know that yes, even I used to make mistakes at one time. Okay, let’s be honest, I still do, because nobody’s perfect. As for more mistakes, why did I feel the need to write “a.m.” correctly in the second paragraph and then proceed to get it horribly wrong in the third? And we went out “in a pouring rain?” Yikes.
But this article (and my poor use of articles) did bring back some fun memories, like my aunt’s Nissan Quest and Dunkin’ Donuts trips at 3 a.m. Ultimately, it was my love of midnight traveling which fueled my love of traveling as a whole. Without my love of traveling, I would have never made it to Prague. Maybe this article, unbeknownst to the dork who wrote it nearly a decade and a half ago, was the start of something special.
It makes me think about what I would say if I wrote a letter to my 17-year-old self, and what the high school version of me would say about me living in Prague. Personally, I believe that the younger me’s jaw would hit the floor. He’d have a boatload of questions, that’s for sure. Seriously: I don’t think I even knew what the Czech Republic was in 2007. But then, I think Mike Jr. (which we’ll call him from here on out) would be super proud of his older brother (not exactly, but let’s go with it) for taking a leap. In 2007, my major debate was if I would stay home for college or go two or three hours away. It’s quite fascinating that in nearly 14 years, two or three hours away has evolved into an entire ocean away.
Yeah, I think Mike Jr. would be very happy about what his older brother has gone on to do. He’d finish putting on his acne medicine, turn the Tracfone off, and smile with immense pride.
Czeching Out the World of TEFL 