Journal 1

September 12th, 2018

               On this day 335 years ago, the fate of all Christian Europe rested on the shoulders of one man; John Sobieski the king of Poland. For almost a month the city of Vienna had been under siege by Ottoman forces, with there food and ammo running low the city was hanging on by a thread. Due to Ottoman undermining there were multiple breaches in the city’s walls, and one more attack would be all it took for the city to fall. However, unknown to the Ottomans a coalition of Polish-Lithuanian and Austrian forces had arrived the night before on a hill to there rear. As the Austrian infantry attacked the Ottoman assault on the flank, Sobieski readied his feared Winged Hussars and Uhlan lancers. As Ottoman Cavalry moved to flank the Austrians Sobieski ordered the attack. The Polish heavy shock cavalry hit the Ottoman light cavalry, and almost instantly shattered them. The Hussars kept pushing, smashing into the force defending the Ottoman camp. In just thirty minutes the Ottoman army was in a full rout and the siege of Vienna had been lifted.  

 

Journal 2

Today I had to preform one of my pacemaker checks. Its not very hard, but its weird feeling your heart speed up and slow down so quickly. I got the pacemaker when I was 15 after an accident during weight training for track and field. After receiving a blow to the chest, I quickly lost consciousness; I came to just moments later. After being checked out by the athletic trainer I was sent home to sleep it off. However, after blacking out two more times it was decided that I would be sent to the hospital. As soon as the ambulance arrived it was obvious that something was off. None of the equipment they had on board could get a pulse reading. So, they quickly loaded me into the ambulance and took me to the nearby hospital. When I got there they asked my many times how I felt, but I felt fine nothing seemed off. However, it was soon revealed that I was in heart block. My pulse since I had first lost consciousness had been 20 Beats per Minute. They quickly informed me that I would be sent to CHKD and I would be receiving a pacemaker. During the ride there, my heart went back into rhythm and began to beet normally again. I stilled had the pacemaker installed, because it was better to be safe than sorry. The doctors told me that I was lucky that it happened were it did because had it been while I was camping; there was a good chance I would not have survived.

 

 

Journal 3

Some days I find myself looking back on my life and wonder if I accomplished anything in it. After all, with how close I have come to death, I should do all I can to make the most of the time I have. However, the one thing that I know says I accomplished something is one badge that sits on plaque in my room. That badge is the badge of an Eagle Scout, the Boy Scouts highest rank. Although through scouts I have done a lot; held various leadership roles and traveled around the country, none make me as proud as that one patch. The rank of Eagle Scout shows one’s dedication to the scouting movement and tells people that this person is a hard worker. For one to become and Eagle Scout one must be proficient in several skills, represented by merit badges. Some of these skills include cooking, first aid, survival skill, and lifesaving. The most well-known part of the Eagle requirements however is the service project. I built a playground for a church that had a large influx of young children come in. People respect the rank of Eagle and look at those who have earned it, as a step above the rest. I earned mine when I was only 14. I was going to wait but family circumstances pushed me to get it at such a young age. There are many things I won’t tell people ten years from now, but I will always tell them I am an eagle scout.

 

 

Journal 4

September 11th

            December 7th, 1941, one of the few days in American history that truly shook the nation. After the attack on pearl harbor the US thought we would never have to face this kind of tragedy again. However, on September 11th the nation was once again rocked to its very core, when to planes were flown into the twin towers of the world trade center, and the pentagon. I was one when the attack occurred, as such I don’t remember what happened on that day. I only know what I have heard, such as the heroism of the passengers aboard flight 93. This act of terrorism that resulted in the death of thousands of American civilians and first responders, as well as other attacks such as the one on the USS Cole was enough to ignite the American spirit and put us on the path for war. As in the words of Admiral Yamamoto of the Imperial Japanese Navy “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” The American people refused to take this sitting down. They quickly rallied behind the call to war as we prepared to make those that hurt us pay.

 

Journal 5

               In the recent years there has been growing tension between those that sit on the left and on the right of the political spectrum. This tension has continued to build and, in some cases, turns to violence. One of the paces were this has become most prevalent is on college campuses. With most students and faculty on major campuses leaning to the left, it becomes difficult and, in some cases, impossible for those with different political views to share their opinions. When political speakers with a conservative point of view must be escorted on campus by armed police, and people must be snuck in the back door just to hear him speak haven’t we gone too far. The worst part is that most administrations do nothing about it because, they either agree with those on the left or fear what might happen if they try to oppose them. This is not to say that conservatives are not guilty, the violence in Charlottesville is proof of that. However, this does not change the fact that a college campus should be a place for young adults to find their belfries and morals on their own terms. Not a place for them to feel oppressed and constrained by what another group says.