From time to time, I've been known to do something incredibly stupid. The most recent "dumbass" incident is wrecking my truck. Now, you're probably thinking, "Joey did something stupid? That's impossible. He's the wisest man ever to walk the earth." Sad to say, that's not always true. (Please note: this post may have several hints of sarcasm. Do not take them seriously.) I'll explain how this happened, but to do that, I need to go back a little.
My dad recently bought a 55 gallon aquarium. Why he did that would never be fully known to me. So he filled it with water, and put a dozen minnows in it, the kind you buy at a store where you can rent a movie and buy gas at the same time. So we had a bunch of little 20 cent fish swimming around in a $160 aquarium. I thought it was a little boring to have tiny silver fish swimming around, so I took my dad's minnow trap and drove out to the creek and try my luck and catching some perch. It just happens that between our house and the creek is 3 miles of unpaved road. After soaking the trap for a few hours, I drove back out there to pick it up and see if I caught anything. I peeled out a little at the first turn and had such a thrill from it, that I wanted to try it again. So the next turn, I pressed the gas pedal a little more to give it some more spin. The truck skidded to the right, I turned into the skid. It worked great. It turned around to the left, and I turned to the left, and it worked...kinda. It seemed I miscalculated the speed going around the curve and just ran right into a 3 inch steel fence post. Luckily for me, the fence post was fine. My truck, however, wasn't fine. It folded the bumper from a 180 degree angle to around 120, cracked the grill and the brand new header panel I had just replaced, and dented the hood a little. The license plate took the form of the fence post and made a perfect half-circle, along with the bumper that was behind it. What's even more lucky is the new radiator I replaced only weeks before showed no signs of leaking. So my truck has experienced trauma from 3 sides; the driver's side, the passenger's side, and now the front. All I need is a wreck from behind and my truck will become a compact truck.
Anybody want an old banged up Ranger with over 212,000 miles on it? It's a standard and drives like a dream...a red and black mediocre dream.
Oh, if you're a fan of John Lennon, I strongly recommend you watch "Nowhere Boy." Usually a biopic movie doesn't always turn out good, but this one is a must-see.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I wanna be a teacher...or an airborne Ranger.
I had to type up an introduction paper stating the reason why I want to become a teacher. I had also noticed I hadn't updated my blog in a while so I thought I'd amuse everybody and post what I typed up. Please note, I typed this up in, like, 30 minutes. I've very well known to do things at the last minute.
Corny, I know.
Joey Bartlett
TED 1312 – Sharp
1/19/2011
Introduction: Why do I want to teach?
If someone had told me in high school that I would be going into education at Baylor, I would have thought that was the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard. The thought of becoming a teacher was the last thing in my mind. But sometimes the plans we make take an abrupt left turn and we find ourselves following a path where we don’t know where it will end up. All through high school, I loved going to my math and science classes. When I was a kid, I would design and build things from Legos, things that would astound my parents. My father told me I would become a mechanical engineer when I grow up. Sure enough, after graduation, I went to Texas Tech and majored in mechanical engineering. While I had enjoyed the classes immensely, I wasn’t motivated enough. I flunked out and moved back home, where later I went to Texas State Technical College and graduated with an associate’s in mechanical engineering technology. During my time at TSTC, I took up a job as a tutor for the deaf students who have problems with their math homework, and even help out with their English assignments sometimes. There was one student in particular whom I’ve enjoyed working with, and caused me to realize I might enjoy teaching. All semester, that student came into the tutor lab and we sat down together and discussed the homework assignments, went over the methods used to solve various problems, and practiced on theories that the student’s teacher talked about in class. As the semester progressed, I started noticing that I have a lot more patience than most people when it comes to teaching. Practically all my friends have told me I should become a teacher, and when I told them I was going into deaf education, they, along with my family, gave me their full support. Currently I teach American Sign Language to the parents of deaf children at Viking Hills Elementary. During both experiences, at Viking Hills and at TSTC, I have enjoyed not only teaching, but seeing the student’s face when they finally understand.
I made this decision about four weeks before the semester started. I was in complete denial that I would succeed in the school of education because I was concerned about not being motivated enough. One professor at Baylor, who teaches Deaf education, gave me some advice. Before, I had felt panic and doubted myself, but after the discussion, I was suddenly at peace. It was at that time everything made sense. God made me to be a teacher for the Deaf. I have the patience for it, I’m always willing to teach something new to people, and I love to interact with the Deaf community. So after I made the decision to go into Deaf education, I started to ponder what I want to teach. The answer was quite simple. I want to teach high school math. Many Deaf students graduate from high school with the minimal amount of knowledge in mathematics, and that makes them limited to the potential they so deserve. So my goal is to give them as much as they want, so they can grow up to be engineers, architects, chemists, physicists, and whatever else they aspire to become. The mind is a powerful tool we use daily, and it’s a shame to watch it go to waste and never know what we are capable of.
Corny, I know.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
The sound of silence is the loudest thing I can hear.
A woman once said, "I seldom think about my limitations, and they never make me sad. Perhaps there is just a touch of yearning at times; but it is vague, like a breeze among flowers." Helen Keller grew up unable to hear or see. But her limitations did not prevent her from becoming one of the most well known people in the world, even today. She is one of several people I look up to for inspiration when things are looking down.
When I started losing my hearing at around 18 months old, I wasn't affected by it because I was so young. But for my parents and two older sisters, their world was turned upside down the day they found out I was becoming deaf. One of the most common questions I've been asked while growing up was, "What is it like being deaf?" Even though I consider that an idiotic question, I do understand their curiousity. Honestly, I can't really give anyone a straight answer. I've been deaf for over 23 years and have never experienced the ability to hear as well as any other person. There are still some sounds I can barely hear, like a firecracker going off or a gunshot. Even with hearing aids on, it was not sufficient enough to perceive sound and decipher what is noise and what is not. I wore hearing aids from when I was very young until my junior year in high school before I decided that I had enough. Sometimes the world around me gets too loud, I just can't stand it.
High school is a time when a teenager's self esteem is based on their popularity status. Being the only deaf student in my class, my popularity was nonexistent. Nobody spoke to me, except a few. I always ate lunch alone, did my homework alone, and was almost always chosen last for partners in chemistry lab. My self esteem was naught, and I then became introverted and did not socialize with anyone, not even with the deaf community. I refused to sign with my mother or my sisters, or with anyone. I guess I was ashamed of who I was and felt that I would be an outcast for the rest of my life, because of my "disability." High school was over and I graduated and was more than ready to leave that place. When I arrived at Texas Tech, I was greeted by three of my roommates, all who were deaf. The mode of communication used was sign. For the first time in so long, I didn't feel left out. Every time something was being said, I didn't miss it. I didn't have to ask my mother to interpret for me. I didn't have to apologize and ask to repeat what was said. I didn't have to nod my head and look like an idiot when a question was asked. So then I promised myself that I would make more friends, and met every deaf student at Texas Tech. I had developed strong friendships with them, and I still keep in touch with them, even to this day. My self esteem soared during my time at Tech and my confidence as well. When I moved back to Waco, I became more involved with the deaf community and renewed old friendships. I became a different person.
On several occasions, I've wished I could hear. But after the life-changing experience I went through at Tech, I became more content with who I am. I can now honestly say I never want to become a hearing person, because it would literally destory the person I have become now. Patience, understanding, and perserverance are the things I've gained as a deaf person. It is a tough journey, this life I'm living now. But there's no checkered flag at the end of the race. No trophy I will win when I get to the end. Only thing I gain from this life is life itself. The privilege of being alive is something many people neglect. We are put on this earth not to live, but to be alive. Being alive doesn't mean breathing and eating. Being alive means to accept ourselves for who we are, to take chances without regrets, and to appreciate everything has happened to us, good or bad.
From Stranger Than Fiction:
"And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives."
Enough seriousness for now. I need to go wash off the red ink from my thumb. Apparently a red pen is a great tool to help prevent boredom.
When I started losing my hearing at around 18 months old, I wasn't affected by it because I was so young. But for my parents and two older sisters, their world was turned upside down the day they found out I was becoming deaf. One of the most common questions I've been asked while growing up was, "What is it like being deaf?" Even though I consider that an idiotic question, I do understand their curiousity. Honestly, I can't really give anyone a straight answer. I've been deaf for over 23 years and have never experienced the ability to hear as well as any other person. There are still some sounds I can barely hear, like a firecracker going off or a gunshot. Even with hearing aids on, it was not sufficient enough to perceive sound and decipher what is noise and what is not. I wore hearing aids from when I was very young until my junior year in high school before I decided that I had enough. Sometimes the world around me gets too loud, I just can't stand it.
High school is a time when a teenager's self esteem is based on their popularity status. Being the only deaf student in my class, my popularity was nonexistent. Nobody spoke to me, except a few. I always ate lunch alone, did my homework alone, and was almost always chosen last for partners in chemistry lab. My self esteem was naught, and I then became introverted and did not socialize with anyone, not even with the deaf community. I refused to sign with my mother or my sisters, or with anyone. I guess I was ashamed of who I was and felt that I would be an outcast for the rest of my life, because of my "disability." High school was over and I graduated and was more than ready to leave that place. When I arrived at Texas Tech, I was greeted by three of my roommates, all who were deaf. The mode of communication used was sign. For the first time in so long, I didn't feel left out. Every time something was being said, I didn't miss it. I didn't have to ask my mother to interpret for me. I didn't have to apologize and ask to repeat what was said. I didn't have to nod my head and look like an idiot when a question was asked. So then I promised myself that I would make more friends, and met every deaf student at Texas Tech. I had developed strong friendships with them, and I still keep in touch with them, even to this day. My self esteem soared during my time at Tech and my confidence as well. When I moved back to Waco, I became more involved with the deaf community and renewed old friendships. I became a different person.
On several occasions, I've wished I could hear. But after the life-changing experience I went through at Tech, I became more content with who I am. I can now honestly say I never want to become a hearing person, because it would literally destory the person I have become now. Patience, understanding, and perserverance are the things I've gained as a deaf person. It is a tough journey, this life I'm living now. But there's no checkered flag at the end of the race. No trophy I will win when I get to the end. Only thing I gain from this life is life itself. The privilege of being alive is something many people neglect. We are put on this earth not to live, but to be alive. Being alive doesn't mean breathing and eating. Being alive means to accept ourselves for who we are, to take chances without regrets, and to appreciate everything has happened to us, good or bad.
From Stranger Than Fiction:
"And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives."
Enough seriousness for now. I need to go wash off the red ink from my thumb. Apparently a red pen is a great tool to help prevent boredom.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me." -Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New Living Translation)
Hello again,
Here I am sitting here again, watching Bourne Ultimatum, and it's after midnight on Christmas Eve. So I thought I'd get back on here and post something new.
I went out on the lake today with my dad in his brand spanking new Jon boat he bought with his Christmas bonus from work. We spent about an hour puttering around trees and down the river, and even stopped for a few minutes to do some crappie fishing. No luck in catching anything and my face was nearly frozen by that time. But all in all, it was awesome being back out on the lake again. We saw a group of pelicans on an old tree and that is a rare sight to see on Lake Waco. I had heard there was a couple of bald eagles living on the lake somewhere but did not get a chance to see them today. Ducks, blue herons, and seagulls were around every corner. Every now and thing a carp would roll across the surface of the water before going back down where the water is warm. Times like these make me wish we lived much closer to the lake.
So here's the update on college. So far, I've attended three schools: Texas Tech University, McLennan Communtiy College, and Texas State Technical College. The fourth one is a shocker to me since I never would think to attend there. But in the spring, I will be starting at Baylor University, and will go for a bachelor's in deaf education. Previously, I had worked towards a mechanical engineering degree and had planned on being a teacher afterwards, but something (or someone) told me that I needed to make a big change. So I'm nervous, not only because it's a new school, but also because it's a new major that is completely opposite than what I'm used to. But everyone has told me I should be a teacher, so if I screw up, it's not my fault :)
My oldest sister came to the house today to spend Christmas with the family. She brought her dog Daisy along and it made me realize how much I miss my blue heeler. It will be three weeks tomorrow since I gave him away and it still feels weird to drive up the driveway everyday and not see Blue sitting on the porch, waiting for me. But I know he's much happier where he is now.
I think that's enough for now. I'm starting to get a headache from not being asleep. Merry Christmas, and have a happy new year.
Hello again,
Here I am sitting here again, watching Bourne Ultimatum, and it's after midnight on Christmas Eve. So I thought I'd get back on here and post something new.
I went out on the lake today with my dad in his brand spanking new Jon boat he bought with his Christmas bonus from work. We spent about an hour puttering around trees and down the river, and even stopped for a few minutes to do some crappie fishing. No luck in catching anything and my face was nearly frozen by that time. But all in all, it was awesome being back out on the lake again. We saw a group of pelicans on an old tree and that is a rare sight to see on Lake Waco. I had heard there was a couple of bald eagles living on the lake somewhere but did not get a chance to see them today. Ducks, blue herons, and seagulls were around every corner. Every now and thing a carp would roll across the surface of the water before going back down where the water is warm. Times like these make me wish we lived much closer to the lake.
So here's the update on college. So far, I've attended three schools: Texas Tech University, McLennan Communtiy College, and Texas State Technical College. The fourth one is a shocker to me since I never would think to attend there. But in the spring, I will be starting at Baylor University, and will go for a bachelor's in deaf education. Previously, I had worked towards a mechanical engineering degree and had planned on being a teacher afterwards, but something (or someone) told me that I needed to make a big change. So I'm nervous, not only because it's a new school, but also because it's a new major that is completely opposite than what I'm used to. But everyone has told me I should be a teacher, so if I screw up, it's not my fault :)
My oldest sister came to the house today to spend Christmas with the family. She brought her dog Daisy along and it made me realize how much I miss my blue heeler. It will be three weeks tomorrow since I gave him away and it still feels weird to drive up the driveway everyday and not see Blue sitting on the porch, waiting for me. But I know he's much happier where he is now.
I think that's enough for now. I'm starting to get a headache from not being asleep. Merry Christmas, and have a happy new year.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Greetings, I come in peace...no, not really
Well, where to start?
Maybe I should explain the website's name, http://www.unclejoescyclopstoe.blogspot.com/.
I'm certain most of you know that the word "uncle" means at least one of my siblings has at least one child. However, I'm not an uncle yet, not until late Februrary. My youngest sister is now 32 weeks into her pregnancy and I could not be more excited to be an uncle. The gender is unknown as of right now, but next month it will be announced whether she will be expecting a boy or a girl. It really doesn't matter to me either way. If it's a boy, I can take him fishing, teach him how to drive a stick, chew bubble gum just like the baseball pros do, and set off firecrackers in the backyard swimming pool. If it's a girl...well, I can buy her chapstick.
Cyclops' Toe. Yes, I do have one. When I was a kid, I had problems with ingrown toenails on both of my big toes. Several times, I had to have the nail removed so it could grow back again the right way. During one of those times, my left big toenail did not grow out the right way. So I had to have a minor surgery to correct the nail, and the result was a smaller nail which was about half the size of what would be normal. Then a few years later, I dropped a folding table on it. Needless to say, it hurt...a lot. Two weeks later, I lost the nail again. When it started growing back, the nail was thick, small, and unusual, and it only had to be trimmed once every 6 months. Last year, a friend of mine had named my toe Cyclops, because it had looked like a creature with one eye. So put all that together and you get my website's name. Not the prettiest name in the world, but it'll do for now.
So why a blog? Frankly, I don't have much to do. All I do now is watch the Discovery Channel, eat Flaming Hot Cheetos, and spend way too much time on the internet. I have dial up at home so it takes forever to do something, which would explain why I'm always on.
So to properly start off this blog, my name is James Joseph Bartlett II. I was named after my father's father, the original James Joseph Bartlett. My nickname was supposed to be Jimmy but my grandmother was against the idea of naming me after her ex-husband. So I was then nicknamed Joey. I absolutely forbid anyone to call me Joe, except for my family. I'm deaf, not hearing impaired, and have been for the last 23 years of my life. Some people would ask me, "What's it like being deaf?" There were times I wanted to ask back, "What's it like being hearing?" Stupid question, right? My point exactly.
So anyways, that's enough for my first blog. More will be written at a later time, if I can get myself to continue updating this blog, which I'm really terrible at doing.
So until then, live long and prosper
Maybe I should explain the website's name, http://www.unclejoescyclopstoe.blogspot.com/.
I'm certain most of you know that the word "uncle" means at least one of my siblings has at least one child. However, I'm not an uncle yet, not until late Februrary. My youngest sister is now 32 weeks into her pregnancy and I could not be more excited to be an uncle. The gender is unknown as of right now, but next month it will be announced whether she will be expecting a boy or a girl. It really doesn't matter to me either way. If it's a boy, I can take him fishing, teach him how to drive a stick, chew bubble gum just like the baseball pros do, and set off firecrackers in the backyard swimming pool. If it's a girl...well, I can buy her chapstick.
Cyclops' Toe. Yes, I do have one. When I was a kid, I had problems with ingrown toenails on both of my big toes. Several times, I had to have the nail removed so it could grow back again the right way. During one of those times, my left big toenail did not grow out the right way. So I had to have a minor surgery to correct the nail, and the result was a smaller nail which was about half the size of what would be normal. Then a few years later, I dropped a folding table on it. Needless to say, it hurt...a lot. Two weeks later, I lost the nail again. When it started growing back, the nail was thick, small, and unusual, and it only had to be trimmed once every 6 months. Last year, a friend of mine had named my toe Cyclops, because it had looked like a creature with one eye. So put all that together and you get my website's name. Not the prettiest name in the world, but it'll do for now.
So why a blog? Frankly, I don't have much to do. All I do now is watch the Discovery Channel, eat Flaming Hot Cheetos, and spend way too much time on the internet. I have dial up at home so it takes forever to do something, which would explain why I'm always on.
So to properly start off this blog, my name is James Joseph Bartlett II. I was named after my father's father, the original James Joseph Bartlett. My nickname was supposed to be Jimmy but my grandmother was against the idea of naming me after her ex-husband. So I was then nicknamed Joey. I absolutely forbid anyone to call me Joe, except for my family. I'm deaf, not hearing impaired, and have been for the last 23 years of my life. Some people would ask me, "What's it like being deaf?" There were times I wanted to ask back, "What's it like being hearing?" Stupid question, right? My point exactly.
So anyways, that's enough for my first blog. More will be written at a later time, if I can get myself to continue updating this blog, which I'm really terrible at doing.
So until then, live long and prosper
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