Outisde Reading Week 5 Part B- The Final Post

I'm sad to report that this is my final post for my outside reading project. I have just recently finished October Sky and for my last thoughts on the book, I've decided to write a review type thing.

October Sky by Homer Hickam
Homer is a simple boy from Coalwood, West Virginia whose destiny has always been the mine. His dad is the superintendent and it seems perfectly natural for Homer to go down beneath the earth where he belongs, where any Coalwood boy belongs. But everything changes when Sputnik is launched. For the first time in Coalwood history, there are people who care more about something else rather than high school football and the mine. From that, the Rocket Boys are born. Even though people had little hope in them at first, the Rocket Boys proved everyone wrong and became a sensation in the dreary town of Coalwood when it seemed nothing would be the same again. The Rocket Boys kept the town together through the troubles of the mine and proved to everyone that just because they are from West Virginia, it doesn't mean they can't accomplish something. They showed the people of Coalwood that there are other ways to live life besides breathing in coal dust and getting a football scholarship. They brought joy and hope to Coalwood and influenced others to help them in their journey. There was Miss Riley, their science teacher who first inspired the Rocket Boys to entire the science fair. Mr Caton, their main machinists who built and manufactured the many rockets the boys launched. Elsie Hickam, Homer's mom, who always wished for her son to find a way out of Coalwood. Mr. Turner, the principal of Big Creek High School, who gave the Rocket Boys a chance and in turn, they brought Big Creek fame and respect. And lastly, Homer's dad, who may have had a rocky relationship with his son, but who also knew that it was Homer's rocket building that kept the town, and even their family, together at the most dire of times. Each Rocket Boy went on to leave the dying town of Coalwood and attend college. They achieved their dreams of not only winning the science fair, but of going into space as well. As their rockets raced across the sky, it took with them not only the dreams and hopes of the Rocket Boys, but of Coalwood, of McDowell County, and of those that join Homer in his journey to show the world that anyone is capable of reaching their dreams, even a boy from Coalwood, West Virginia.

Outside Reading Week 5 Part A

Vocab:
guile (273)- crafty or artful deception

adiabatic (248)- occuring without gain or loss of heat

Appeals:
"If Dad didn't let me have the materials I needed, I'd still get them, one way or another, no matter what it took-guile, tricks, or outright theft. I didn't need Dad. I let every juicy morsel of anger and bitterness well up inside me, making no attempt to stanch any of it. Instead of hating the feeling, I gloried in it. I was becoming tough, just like him" (273). This to me is an emotional appeal because it shows Homer's growing independence and his still existing ignorance, which is common among most teenagers in any era. Homer may think he is becoming tough and independent like his dad, but I think the truth is that he has reached a breaking point, where all he wants to do now is rebel. The style with which this phrase is written is almost reflective. Homer chooses very descriptive words to convey his feelings and his tone is even a little shameful of himself.

"...I felt my soul curl up and die, and then all the blood that was in my body drained completely to my feet. I was numb and in exquisite pain at the same moment" (280). I thought this was also an emotional appeal. The word choice is clearly used to express an emotion that Homer is feeling, and maybe even to relate to the audience. The words are intense and very strong, but they would probably match the feelings of someone getting their heart broken. When I actually stop to analyze the situation, I realize that Homer kind of had it coming and that it's probably not as big of a deal as he makes it. But because of the word choice, I can understand his side of the story and feel exactly what he felt at that moment.

"I looked and knew the reason for the failure when I saw a deep rent right at the nearly invisible strip of weld. A butt weld was where the two ends of the steel sheet that made the tube were simply pushed together and welded" (272). Homer describes the type of weld that had held the rocket together. Because this phrase is merely a description that paints a picture and helps the reader decipher between the different types of welds, it is a logical appeal.

Quote:
"My whole life, I had always been busy with some scheme to make things go my way. Now I knew there was nothing I could do to make things right, not now, not ever....The worst thing I had ever felt in my life had taken control of me. I felt: nothing" (292). I wish that I could write down this entire paragraph because it's a very strong quote, but I think this little bit will have to suffice. After the accident at the mine, Mr. Bykovski's death, and his dad's injury, Homer feels like his whole world is crashing around him. He believes that Mr. Bykovski's death was his fault and he probably wishes that he were nicer to his dad, who could've died that day. A realization hits him that although his future is at stake, not everyone has to sacrifice themselves to get him there. Even though Coalwood is dying, it is still functioning. And even if Homer has his eyes set up into the sky, there is still life occurring beneath him down in the mines. Being a naturally well-meaning person, Homer wants, more than anything right now, to help fix the problem, to take back what he's done, but he knows that he can't. It seems the dangers of the mine has finally made an impact on him, and I think that Homer has come to realize that the real world is not a friendly place. Accidents happen and there will be nothing he can do to stop them. His problems with Dorothy and fight against his Dad mean nothing in the real world. He might think he's tough and independent but it seems he's come to realize that he's not. There is so much more Homer can learn before really growing up.

Theme:
You can't control the world, but make a difference with what you're given.

The 400 Blows Review

Languages are barriers throughout most worlds, including the cinematic one. I’ve never been a big fan of foreign films, and it doesn’t help that I have no idea what the heck the actors are saying. Of course, there are some languages that I happen to understand, but unfortunately, French, is no such language. Yet I found The 400 Blows to be quite refreshing compared to the other foreign films I’ve watched. It was humorous in an almost disturbing way, mocking yet insightful. I won’t deny that it was just plain wacky and awkward at times, but I found it to be a film that people can sympathize and relate to. François Truffaut’s style of directing is unique and hard to find within the mainstream blockbuster films commonly shown in the United States, which makes this film different and, in my opinion, quite a cinematic treat.

Told through the eyes of a third person observing, we are introduced to Antoine Doinel and his pathetic existence. Antoine is a simple French boy living in the city of Paris with his mother and step-father. He goes to school, does chores, and often wanders the city streets with his best friend René. Our story begins in a classroom with Antoine in trouble with the stereotypical mean teacher. From there, the snowball continues to roll and Antoine’s troubles not only increase, but gradually grow in size. After his disastrous day in school, Antoine and René decide to be truants and take to the wonderful city of Paris. It seems that only in those moments when Antoine is free, out on the city streets, that he is truly happy. At home, he is suppressed by his parents and their inconsistent techniques. They punish him, they praise him, they bribe him, and they ignore him. It’s clear that Antoine isn’t wanted at home and the longer he stays, the more neglected he feels. Not only is there conflict occurring between Antoine and his parents, but his mom and step-father are constantly yelling, the only constant thing in his household. Money is always an issue, but when Antoine catches his mother cheating on his step-father, it’s evident that there is more than money tearing his family apart. Antoine’s mother is a tawdry person who seems to care more about appearances than anything else. Meanwhile, his step-father is just trying to get by, but can be very irrational. At first, it seems that his step-father is the kind one, while his mother is an angry cumulous nimbus cloud hovering over Antoine’s head, but all that can change with the snap of a finger. They’ve had tough times and sometimes, it seems Antoine is actually the one who takes the hit. Antoine himself isn’t exactly a prize-winning child either. He’s sneaky and a mastered liar, but he also seems to have much potential that is wasted. The day after he played hooky, Antoine returns to school and gives his teacher the excuse that his mother has died. René, a crafty child as well, had given Antoine the idea. Once it is discovered that this was a lie, Antoine decides to run away. He is determined to make money and live out on his own and in turn, steals his father’s typewriter. Unfortunately for Antoine, he gets caught and is later sent to an “observation center.” From there, Antoine escapes and goes to the ocean, the one place he’s always wanted to go, and the place where he feels freedom and possibility, the only things he’s ever wanted.

Enhancing the already complex and intriguing plot are the dramatic aspects of the film. The actors are fittingly chosen and play the part quite well. Patrick Auffay portrays upbeat and clever René with enthusiasm and believability. He adds a good portion of humor to the film that makes it lighthearted, even in the most desperate of times. Guy Decomble plays the French teacher. Although the part requires some physical activity and lots of yelling, Decomble pulls it off with poise and ridiculousness. He’s an easy character to relate to, as we’ve all had teachers like that, which makes the story more believable and enjoyable to watch. The French teacher is the character that I love to hate more than anyone else in the film. Lastly, there is Jean-Pierre Léaud who plays none other than our Antoine Doinel. Léaud accents and adds to Doinel’s personality. He brings Doinel, who is a representation of the director himself, to life. Even though the story is told through a third person perspective, I am able to feel his hardships, his joy, his sorrow, and his desire. The costumes and set design also add to the dramatic aspects of the film. The costumes enhance the characters’ personalities. For example, Antoine’s mom, Gilberte, doesn’t have a lot of money but enjoys wearing fancy clothes anyway. It shows how much she cares about how she looks to others. Also, the costumes distinguish between social class and wealth. René’s clothes are much tidier and more gentlemen like than Antoine’s. Their costumes show the social class difference between the two best friends. Set design and lighting play important roles in augmenting the story. The drearier settings in the film are usually bland and poorly lit, like the school and Antoine’s room, while the happier places are well lit and beautiful, like the Parisian streets and the beach. The dramatic elements are just another plus in this wonderfully recounted story.

Another fantastic part of this movie is the cinematography. A great plot and dramatic elements are good, but a great movie is made with excellent cinematic aspects as well, and The 400 Blows definitely had cinematography working for it. Truffaut clearly made many stylistic choices in his memoir movie; the first of which is his camera work. There are a variety of shots that he uses. In the best of times, the happy and free moments, Truffaut tends to use wide shots that emanate from the subject and expands to reveal a wide downward angle that shows not only the actor, but his or her surroundings, giving us a sense of freedom and even flight. In the worst of times, the camera is usually focused on his subject. Truffaut zooms in on Antoine many times to catch his expression after a significant event occurs, like when his parents are yelling in the next room when Antoine is pretending to asleep, or when his parents discovered he told his teacher his mom was dead. And even other times, the camera moves along with the action, especially in all the escape scenes, when Antoine is running around town and when he escapes from the juvenile detention center. Besides the camera shots, there is also editing and music to consider. The score of the movie is basically the same melody repeated over and over again, only varying in tones and keys depending on the feelings of the scene. The music was more upbeat and in a major key when Antoine and his friend René went to an amusement park after ditching school. The music became sullen and in a minor key when Antoine was traveling in the back of the police car, his fate unknown. And it was hopeful at the end, when Antoine finally escaped and found his way to the ocean. The only cinematic element I didn’t like was the editing. It was very choppy and clearly an attempt at a stylistic choice. The scenes weren’t even that resolute. They just sort of ended and Truffaut would go on to focus on another subject. They also tended to skip around. One time, Antoine would be running around town, then the next he’d be back in his apartment. Although the editing was full of cuts, I still found the cinematic aspects to be quite enticing. For a film fanatic like myself, I appreciated the many stylistic choices Truffaut made, and those choices made an already wonderful movie even better.

There are many memoirs, whether they are movies or books, which share similar qualities to Truffaut’s The 400 Blows, including Richard Wright’s Black Boy. Although the two stories are set in completely different places, one in Paris and the other in Southern USA, there are many similarities between the two protagonists. None of those similarities are physical. Antoine is a French boy who is not officially discriminated against, while Richard is a black boy living in a white dominant south where the law basically condemns him. But both boys want love from their families. Antoine has always seemed a burden for the Doinel family. He’s been moved back and forth, from his grandmother’s to his own home, but it never seems that his mother actually wants him. All Antoine wants is a little love and affection from his mother, not just the fake kind he gets so to keep him from running away, but the real kind, the kind that your mother is supposed to give you. Richard is also held back by his family’s dislike of him. His grandmother disapproves of his “sinning” ways and like Antoine, most of his relatives find him to be a burden. Once again, he just wants to be accepted and he tries, but without their cooperation, it never ends up happening. The main difference between Richard and Antoine’s turmoil in their families is that Richard still loves his mother and she loves him back. She is the reason he tries to head north. He does what he can to better her life as well as his. The other thing that Antoine and Richard have in common is their desire to escape and be free. Antoine is suppressed by the people around him including his parents and his teacher. They don’t understand him and in order to cope, he escapes to the movie theater where he feels like he truly belongs. Richard finds solace in the creative arts as well. He finds his escape in books. But for both of them, neither the movie theater nor the novels are a permanent answer. For Antoine, it will be the ocean. He runs there at the end and it can be inferred that he began a new life. For Richard, it was the north, where he took his mother and brother. There too, he started over.

As Antoine’s face stays emblazoned on the screen, the credits begin to roll and our journey is brought to a close. A creatively crafted movie memoir, The 400 Blows is not your average foreign film. The language barriers still exist, but I know subtitles were made for a reason. Touching, moving, and full of hope, this movie leaves you with a joyous feeling inside your heart. Even if it does have its weird moments and even if some stylistic choices might not be pleasing to everyone, it’s a movie well worth your time. It follows the common theme of struggle within most memoirs, but differs from most memoirs because of the protagonist, Antoine Doinel. A clever and doomed child, Antoine learns to shed his ignorant shield of innocence and embrace the reality of life. Truffaut captures the emotions that come with coming of age and helps us understand Antoine’s many struggles from his teacher to his parents to the time he spent in the observation center. Although this film doesn’t exhibit the movie magic and technology of today, this simple black and white story emotionally touches most that watch it. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who wants to give it a try. It might seem trivial compared to the multimillion dollar action films of the 21^st century, but The 400 Blows contains something that those movies will never have: essence.

Outside Reading Week 4 Part B

Homer's relationship with his family is something that constantly changes. There is almost absolutely no consistency, unless you argue that their fighting is consistent. Last week, everything seemed fine. The Rocket Boys were getting along, they were making progress, Coalwood was supporting them, and Homer's dad seemed to have finally realized how much potential he has. But I think I was mistaken. Homer's dad is a manipulator. He pulls tricks on people to try and get them to do things his way. "' You're my boy,' he said... 'I was born to lead men in the profession of mining coal. Maybe you were too.' You're my boy. In the dark, I could savor the words without embarrassment" (202). Homer must have felt real pride and happiness to see that his dad really does care about him, but I don't think it's true. Homer Sr.'s life is the mine. His family is the mine. The only thing he cares about is the mine. If one of his sons can help benefit the mine than he'll most likely show preference to them, like he did with Homer. But it's clear that he knows nothing about his son. There's a huge difference between being a mine engineer and being a rocket engineer. Working for the mine means that Homer will be like his father, and anyone can see that they are completely different. "'A mining engineer?' he pressed. He had me. I had no choice but to tell him the truth. 'I want to go to work for Dr. von Braun, Dad.' He didn't hide his disappointment (203). It's very clear here that Homer's dad doesn't understand his son and he doesn't try to. For some reason, he thinks that just because Homer wants to be an engineer, he has to be a mine engineer. He doesn't consider that fact that Homer doesn't want that. He doesn't even think about how Homer might want a different life. Homer wants to explore space, to look up, not down, and I don't understand why it's so difficult for his dad to grasp the concept.

Another important character in this family drama is Homer's mom, Elsie Hickam. Homer Sr. doesn't even seem to love his wife more than he loves the mine. Like I mentioned before, the mine is his life and the one thing he loves more than anything else. He doesn't understand his family. He doesn't understand Homer's needs of being accepted and embraced by his father. He doesn't understand how much it hurts his wife when he picks the mine over her. "You always wanted diamonds, but these are the best I can do. I wish they were real. The next morning, waiting for him on the table was Mom's note of reply: I never wanted diamonds. I only wanted a little of your time. That's still all I want" (198). And more importantly, he doesn't understand how the mine is tearing his family apart, or even how it's tearing him apart. "She pulled back. 'This mine's killed you, but it's not going to kill my boys!' "(205).

There is a lot of sad realization that happens within this chapter. I think Homer has always known that his parents don't get along, but never has such a public display occurred. It just pains me, and even surprises me, that Homer's dad can be so oblivious and stubborn. That he doesn't understand what's important in life. That he would throw away his family, the people that are always unconditionally there for you, for something like the mine that would only want Homer Sr. as long as they thought him useful. I'm really close to my family and it's hard to imagine someone like that. I guess he truly is a company man through and through.

Outside Reading Week 4 Part A

Vocab:
laquered (169)- to give a sleek, glossy finish to.

coalescing (170)- to grow together; to unite; to blend; to come together.

Appeals:
"One morning, dad plunked bread slices in the old toaster...the handle on the toaster was still down, but nothing was happening. He discovered the heating element was gone, mainly because I had taken it to see if my plans for an electrical-ignition system would work" (171-172). Although I couldn't fit the entire quote here, I found it to be a rather humorous one. I thought it was both a logical and emotional appeal. The logical portion comes from Homer describing the events that happened on that particular morning while the emotional comes from the tone of voice. Instead of saying that he took the heating element so his dad's bread couldn't be toasted, he found a way to make it more interesting by saying that the toaster wouldn't work and then adding, "oh yeah...by the way, i took the heating element." It makes the passage more enjoyable to read and shows off Homer's writing style.

"No teacher had ever confided in me anything about anything to do with her personal life the way Ms. Riley had just done, almost as if I were her equal. She kept smiling at me, and I felt at that moment like I was the most important person to her in the world" (179). In my opinion, this demonstrated an emotional appeal. Homer is describing his experience with an important teacher in his life. For most people who have attended school, or are attending, this is something that can be easily related to. It's almost a guarantee that there has been at least one teacher we have met that has changed our lives somehow. And with that, he is evoking a feeling and connection with us as the reader.

" 'Attaboy,' he said, and then kept going. Startled, I turned and watched him go up the steps. Attaboy?" (181). This quote kind of a confused me a little. Homer's dad asked him if his propellant exploded, how high it would go. Homer told him about 1 to 2 feet and he responded "attaboy." That one word has so many different meanings to it and it's hard to tell exactly which one it is. Even Homer is confused. Those two points make this an emotional appeal. Maybe his dad has turned around and decided to support Homer's experiments or maybe he just liked the fact that the propellant could blow up the house. I don't know if we'll ever find out. Maybe, it's all up for interpretation.

Quote:
"Someday, I was convinced, we could go there. Not just mankind, but us, the boys on that roof....That's why I decided, up there on that roof, that we would melt saltpeter and sugar" (184). I liked this quote because I thought it was really inspirational. Throughout the book, it can sometimes seem that Homer and the Rocket Boys are just building rockets to be rebels, but through this quote, it's clear they have a goal. And because they have a goal, they are able to sum up courage and travel into the unknown to try and reach it.

Theme:
A theme that I think was evident in this section is, in order to reach your goal, sometimes you have to try something that is outside the box.

Outside Reading Week 3 Part B

There haven't been as many issues for the Rocket Boys since my last post. A lot of changes have been happening in Coalwood, "Big Creek High School, Mr. Turner said in his shrill voice, had been placed on football suspension for the 1958 season" (131), and "A more challenging academic curriculum was to be installed" (132). It looks like a shift has occurred in Coalwood. Now, instead of the town worrying about whether or not their football team was going to make it to state, they were going to worry about whether or not the Rocket Boys could get their rockets to fly.

Things have been improving for Homer and his friends. They were able to find a place to launch their rockets and dubbed it Cape Coalwood. Not only were they allowed to launch rockets, Homer's dad granted them some scrap materials to build a blockhouse and launch pad. It seems that Homer Sr. feelings towards his son have changed and in turn my feelings about him have changed as well. Last week, I thought him to be a tyrant to some degree. He wouldn't let Homer build his rockets and ended up reassigning the man that helped him. He wasn't able to support his son's decision or be proud that Homer is trying something different. He couldn't quite grasp the fact that Homer deserved better and could do better. But now he's trying to help. "There, beside the locked door to the fan controls, sat four bags of cement. They hadn't been rained on at all. There was also a pile of sand and gravel, equally intact" (151). Homer's dad had gotten all of this just for his son. Although he hasn't admitted it openly, I think Homer Sr. wants his youngest son to succeed. Maybe he just didn't want him to face disappointment or maybe he wanted at least one son to take the mine over when he was gone. I'm not sure what exactly it was that caused Homer's dad to be so against his rocket building, but clearly the wall has fallen away. I suppose family is family and they're here to support you no matter what happens.

Outside Reading Week 3 Part A

Vocab:
galvanize (152)- to coat with rust-resistant zinc.

entropy (160)- inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

Appeals:
"Another traditional miners' vacation spot was Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At Mom's insistence, that's where we went. It was the one time of the year she got Dad off to herself and out of the mountains....Mom cried when we loaded up the Buick to come home" (157). The miners of Coalwood usually got two weeks off in early July for a vacation. Homer's family went to Myrtle Beach, his mom's favorite place. This is an emotional appeal because Homer connects to the reader by talking about his family life. Not only do we learn more about his home life, we also know or can imagine what it would be like if our parents never talked or got along. Besides building rockets, I think Myrtle Beach must have invoked happy memories from Homer's childhood when things were simple and easy.

"He smiled. 'Because even though I know it to be true, I don't want it to be true. I hate that it's true. I just can't imagine," he concluded heading back inside his office, "what God was thinking.'" (160). The thing that Homer's dad is talking about in this quote is entropy which he goes onto explain is that no matter how perfect something is, it will all be destroyed eventually. This gives the reader a lot to think about. Is the fact that Homer Sr. knows about entropy the reason he has such a bland outlook in life? Is that the reason why he didn't originally support Homer's rocket building or the reason he decided to support it anyway? Is this the reason that causes him to become such a "company-man" and somewhat doom his marriage because of his work? Although it might not seem like it, this quote reveals a lot about Homer's dad and the reason why he lives his life the way he does.

"I thought how ironic that Jake's telescope could see stars a million light-years away, but not the town it was in. Maybe I was that way myself. I had a clear vision of my future in space, but the life I led in Coalwood sometimes seemed to blur" (162). Being a teenager I can definitely relate to what Homer says here. Most of our lives are dedicated in living in the present. We don't always think about our future or reflect on the past. It's not always clear to us what we want to do or what we've been doing, but there have always been those moments when we realize exactly what has been happening. For Homer, this is one of these moments and it makes a great emotional appeal. There are always those times in one's life where we feel lost, but occasionally, we're able to find ourselves.

Quote:
"I considered the implication of what O'Dell was saying. Was Dad helping us?" (152). Homer's father had let him have some cement for his launch pad at Cape Coalwood. He had said it was ruined, but when O'Dell and Homer discovered the cement, it wasn't ruined at all and there had been exactly four bags, the amount Homer thought he needed. Even though Homer Sr. has never shown any open support towards his son's rocket building, it seems that he is beginning to turn around. Maybe he's just interested in seeing what Homer Jr. can accomplish. Or maybe he wants to know that someone can beat the Russians. Or maybe, he wants to support his son.

Theme:
A theme that's becoming more evident in my memoir is that of teamwork and friendships. The Rocket Boys couldn't have done what they managed to accomplish if they hadn't worked together. Building a rocket is one thing, but to build a team of people who can work together and accomplish a task is another. "One by one Sherman, O'Dell, Roy Lee, and Quentin placed their hands on top of mine. 'Rocket Boys,' I said. 'Rocket Boys forever!'" (156).

Outside Reading Week 2 Part B

Dear Homer,

I would just like to say that I admire everything you've done so far. I know that it must be difficult living in Coalwood where everything is about the mine and football, and not being able to contribute much to either. But that doesn't mean you don't have potential or that you can't help your town. None of that means anything if you can find something that you are good at, like building rockets.

At one point you claimed that you didn't know why you should build rockets and leave Coalwood, "'How do you know I don't belong here too?' I wondered....'Anybody raised here belongs here. You can't belong anywhere else.' ... 'Then I don't understand why I'm supposed to leave!'"(81). When you asked Mr. Dubonnet about this, he said that the mine is dying and so is the town. There will be nothing left for your generation, but I think there's more to that. Coalwood isn't good enough for you. You can do better and you deserve better. I know you want to go to college and I'm betting that your dream job isn't to run the mine. And since there are so few things that can get someone out of Coalwood (mainly just football), building rockets is something that can help. There's so much more to life and it's all out there, but first, you have to get out of Coalwood to see it.

The second thing I wanted to comment on is your determination. I'm glad that despite your father's disapproval, you have continued to build rockets. Although it wasn't exactly the best idea for you to launch the rockets so near the mine, it was still extremely unreasonable for your father to dump all your stuff down the river and to reassign Mr. Bykovski to the mine. There's another reason you should continue building rockets, for Mr. Bykovski. That would mean that his work wasn't done in vain. I just hope that no matter what happens, you won't let your father sway you. The entire town, minus all the "company men" and possibly the football players, are rooting for you, but they don't matter. "Company men" and football players already get enough attention and have ranks in this town. It's about time someone showed them there was more to life than coal and football. Maybe they don't want you to succeed because then it would uproot all the values in Coalwood, but I think it's time for change. How could anyone possibly think Coalwood or even the world would stay the same, especially after the launching of Sputnik. It's clearly unreasonable.

I guess all I'm trying to say is don't give up. Even if you fail, keep trying. Your entire future depends on whether you succeed or not. Maybe that doesn't really matter to you right now, but at least do it to prove all the nonbelievers wrong. Make a statement and secure a spot for yourself in Coalwood history. Just remember, everyone is cheering for the rocket boys!

Sincerely,
Amy