Physical Activity

Author's note: I wanted to see how my gym essay would score on the LA rubric. 

While I take my deep breathes to relax, I see a cloud of air from the cold weather. Jumping a little to keep myself warm, and mentally trying to focus. It may seem like another soccer game but to me it means more than just the game. Sometimes I have moments were I don’t want to be at soccer or ever basketball but I realize how much I am actually benefitting from these activities. Devoting most of my time to physical activity such as soccer or basketball provides me so much more than just the memory of the event or the fun of it.

Mainly basketball and soccer for me is a great way to stay in shape. Which is one of the main reasons I like playing these sports, to stay active. Eating well may be one way to stay healthy but the other half is exercising daily which I get to do by my two favorite sports. Staying in shape and healthy makes me feel better about myself, it makes me actually do something good with my day besides sitting around doing nothing. Usually after I exercise it puts me in a better mood.

Not only does it make me feel better, but I find it enjoyable. I get to exercise while it seems like I am playing just a game for fun with my friends. Which is why I do sports for a fun activity that I get involved with other kids. From playing soccer and basketball I have such great memories like winning close games by a basket or even a goal during the last minute.

Being able to do something that creates wonderful moments is always fun, but when it is with friends it makes it even more fun. Many of my friends play the same sports as me so we usually get on the same team. Since I play sports with my friends it makes it more comfortable. Also we usually talk about the memories we had with these sports from 3 years back.

Overall physical activity provides a lot more for me and others then we all think. I hope to continue playing sports in high school and beyond because it is a great way for me to stay healthy, interact socially with friends and just for the fun of it.

Book vs. Movie

Author’s note: Recently I just saw the movie “Safe Haven” and was a little disappointed because the book was so much better. Therefore I thought I would write an essay analyzing the book verse the movie. 

With a bit of a thrill Nicholas Sparks creates another outstanding love story, named Safe Haven. After reading the book it really made me wonder what the movie was like, especially since Katie had such a thrilling adventure. Therefore once I was finished watching the movie, it was not up to my expectations of what it seemed like it was going to be.  There were many minor changes but there were some clear aspects in the book that you didn’t get from the movie.

One of the main aspects that you miss in the movie is when Katie is planning her escape from her abusive husband, Kevin. The movie begins with Katie fleeing from Kevin; making the escape seem like she actually didn't know what to do.  Although the book made her escape planned out. Without him chasing her right away, she was able to leave and it seemed like it was just another day to him. When he called she answered because the call was forwarded to her pay as you phone that she purchased. This created the readers to think she was a smart woman caught in a dysfunctional relationship.

Not only the escape plan was different but some events in the story created more of a suspense in the book then the movie. For an example once Kevin figured out where Katie was, part of the book was telling his point of view. By exposing all of the thoughts that were going through his head made readers really worry for Katie and the kids. On the other hand when watching the movie we had no idea that he was really thinking of killing her until the final fight. Which is the downfall because in the movie Kevin’s real personality wasn't shown. It seemed like he was just trying to ruin the romance between Alex and Katie.

Similar to not giving Kevin’s thoughts a lot of detail, the film doesn't give Jo Katie’s neighbor, that much of a role either. Which Jo was the major twist in the whole story. The book showed that Jo was Katie’s confidant. Making it actually seem like Jo was a real person and telling Katie her own background that informs some conversations that they had. However the movie seemed to just show the two talking whenever it was convenient. Basically just giving Katie someone to talk to. Wasn’t until the ending we finally figure out who the mysterious women is.

Overall the movie and book were very similar but the movie missed key components.  I recommend watching the movie then reading the book because then you get to understand more in depth about the main events within this story. In conclusion this was a phenomenal story line.