Where's the time gone?

The almost two years that I've had here at Millbrook and in North Carolina have consisted of a lot of new people and experiences. Having had experience with changing schools and meeting all new people that part wasn't going to be a challenge really, it's just that you never know what to expect. What kind of people you'll meet, what they do in their free time, what activities are available to participate in. Yet I was presently surprised. I have met some of the coolest people and become closer to them than I ever expected I would. How many people can say their best friend is the best high schooler for tae-kwon-do in the nation? That almost anywhere they go they will have someone they know, or know someone who know's someone? Is part of an IB class where the majority, if not all, will go on to be extremely successful in what they love?

On top of all of this and the individual relationships, it is the sense of family and home created through all of this that cannot be matched. I've been blessed with friends, both here and around the world, that I will be able to keep throughout college and into my adult and professional life.

I'm sorta rambling because I can't get my thoughts straight as there's so much I could and would want to talk about but I can't fit it all in here. Just sitting down to write this has made me realize a lot of different things about the friends I have or those I wish I had made an effort to get closer to sooner. The adventures I did take part in and others I wish I had had a chance to.

I'm going to miss these people so much as I'm kind of tired of having to start over every couple years and it only gets harder, but there's not much I can do but hope I'll be able to find people as the ones here. Love you guys.
 

Witty Whitman

Having looked through the document of the scanned pages of Whitman's notebook, there were several different things that really stood out to me visually. The first was his handwriting. Being a master poet and one of the most famous writers in history, I expected his handwriting to be neat, if not flowy due to the time period that he was writing in. However, it was the exact opposite. He kind of wrote wherever on the page he felt like and it was quite messy (no wonder there have been translation and publication errors). I also noticed in his language that he seems to respect, have a desire to visit, or is fascinated with foreign countries, possibly seeing in them what he wants to become a reality in America. He incorporates throughout his poems many words from foreign languages, especially French, and also in his notebook references the "Queen of Spain." He also references some of his interactions with Abraham Lincoln, as well has having drawn him several times at the end of the document. He acknowledges some of the different emotions that arose within the conversation and from Lincoln himself on some topics, possibly reflecting his presidency or what was to come of it.

The yellow notes help clarify some of the different sections of his notebook by revealing different opinions, events, or dealings that occurred at the time. They reveal Whitman's personal political positions and his opinions on society as he saw how divided it was over the topic of slavery. They show that he hated slavery, which follows his other standpoints as he was for equal rights between men, women, and all people, which also showed how much he liked Abraham Lincoln and his ideas as they aligned with each other. The notes also help show Whitman's respect for Lincoln as he compares him to the captain as a ship. This shows respect to both his rank, that he will follow what he says to do, but also that he knows Lincoln will go through tough times but come through. Or, in a more grim view, that he will go down fighting what he believes for as a captain is said to always go down with their ship.