A Clean, Well-lighted Place- 2 paragraph

From the short story to the film, I think that there were both similarities and differences in the storytelling of each. Initially, I thought that just by looking at the aged man in the film it didn't replicate the old and lonely man in the short story. Certain things that could contribute to this is the lighting. Emphasized numerous times in the written story that the eldest customer always sat in the shadowed area of a tree that was just outside in the cafe's outdoor space. In the short story, they always said how it was light, clean, and put together in the cafe, but the man chose to sit in the only shadowy part of the cafe. This helped show the old man's lonliness and depression.

Furthermore, there are some similarities within the short film and stories. One thing I thought they did really well on was making sure that the difference between the bar and the cafe were significant. The cafe was obviously well lit, orderly, and everything was perfectly in tact. In the cafe the floors were shining and all of the chairs were set perfectly with a polished bar. On the contrary, the bar that the middle-aged waiter went to was dirtier and filled with people. This shows that there needs to be a place for people to go, into a clean and quiet environment, that doesn't have the people, noise, or dullness.

A Clean, Well-lighted Place

How does Hemingway use light and dark as symbols? How do the shadows fit in?

In this short story, the light and darkness of the café really carry throughout this piece. Initially, the lighting in the café represents life and being able to, or allowed to, provide for strangers. The older, and wiser, waiter constantly mentions the fact that the café is very well lit, clean, and pleasant for visitors. He also mentions the fact that people may want to come into the café at a late hour for the comfort of the lighting and warmth of the café. This is interesting, though, that the younger waiter mentions nothing about the lighting because all he wants is to go home. Lighting in this piece could also represent grace and lovingness towards others due to the care that the older waiter is showing while mentioning the well lit café often, compared to the younger waiter who does not bring up that fact. Additionally, the darkness symbolizes what they are discussing. The older, drunken man that was sitting in the only shadowed place in the café symbolizes the topic the waiters were discussing. The two waiters were talking about the man, specifically about the fact that he is always showing up drunk late at night when all they want is to head home to sleep. If it wasn’t for the shadowy corner, there would be no man and no topic to talk over. 

Poetry

Author's Note: I wrote a collection of poems for one of my goals. I actually had a lot of fun putting these together because I normally don't write a lot of poems so it was fun to experiment. These poems share the similarities of ending with a depressing tone. I tried to make these poems so that anyone could relate to it. Personally, I relate to each of these in specific ways, can you?

Waiting For the Future
Near in the future,
The wind breathes warmth.
Where the flowers are blooming,
And the grass is rising.
When the children are laughing,
And smiles are beaming.

Though for now we are stuck,
With our feet sticky in the mud.
Washed into the silence of daily life.
Dark clouds haunt mornings,
While tears streak windows.
All we can do is wait.
Until the storms clear,
Until our heads are straight,
Until right meets wrong,
All we can do is wait.

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Don't Return
Warm wind brushes my cheek,
Though, you see, each day is unique.
Some days it's pouring,
Leaving me in mourning.
Some days there's sunshine,
Leaving all the pain behind.
But either way I go,
I always know,
Its return is near,
Now I'm here,
All in fear.

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It Was Clear
Clear and there.
If you ask me,
That’s what I saw.
Broad as daylight.
Arising from the dust,
We all made it.
We were right there,
So close,
I thought I was grabbing it.
But somewhere in time,
Those last ticks on the clock,
My hands became too sweaty,
I slipped.
Finger by finger,
My grip loosened,
And loosened,
Until all I arrived for,
Was gone.

Migraines At Their Finest

Author's Note: This piece is a research essay and I chose the topic of migraines because I've been having migraines. My type of migraines were complicated and confusing, though, and I figured if I established the basic knowledge of it, I could be more understanding of what's going on in my head. The footnotes I used carry on throughout the specific body subjects because I used one website per paragraph. Unfortunately, the footnotes got a little messed up when I tried transferring them onto my blog.

The pain kept drilling within my head. Mornings came and went, and it was still there mocking me every time I looked in the light, or even hearing the sound of the water running in the bathroom was torture. No one understood the knives that were in my brain, how horrendously it hurt to simply smile, or the thought that veered into my mind that maybe this won't ever go away. What's the secret behind migraines? Why are they so complicated and unique to everyone? There must be a solution to the complications of migraines; where can we find those answers?

Migraines aren't simply headaches, they are excruciating pains to one or both sides of your temples. For most types of migraines, they can be described as a throbbing pain that may cause vomiting and nausea, along with sensitivity to light or sound. Lasting from 4 to 72 hours, headaches like these cause 90% of sufferers to not function correctly during an episode. Among the top 20 disabling illnesses, migraines can cause depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Personally, I become extremely annoyed with events that are uncoiling around me, even if it's someone talking casually. This neurological illness majorly affects day-to-day lifestyles; engaging in jobs, completing school work, providing for family members, and partaking in pleasures become next to impossible.[1]

While comprehending the basic outline of this disability, arrive to the idea of likely causes that demonstrate potential. Although each person presents their own exclusive headache, there are countless possibilities for the cause. Foods, sleep patterns, sensory stimuli, and genes are only a fraction of the many catalysts. Typical food suspects are alcohols, aged cheeses, chocolates, aspartame (artificial sweetener), caffeine overuse, Asian foods, and processed foods. Skipping meals or dieting can generate monstrous headaches. Furthermore, too much or not enough sleep can disrupt your head along with extravagant changes in your sleeping patterns. Jet lag can be a factor as well. This is the drowsiness felt after a long flight through multiple time zones. As strange as it may seem, your senses can also play a role in migraines. For example, disturbing smells, paint thinner, secondhand smoke, pleasant smells, sun glares, strong lights, and loud noises can activate attacks. Finally, headaches are genetic. There's a possibility that if you have a problem, it could be coming from your genes, too.[2]

Though pinpointing the source of a migraine is essential, if or when you have one, it wouldn't hurt to have a few cures up your sleeve. Medications used are categorized into two: pain-relieving and preventive. Pain-relieving is for acute problems and fast relief. Preventive is taken daily and helps to keep headaches and their brutality away. Ibuprofen is listed under pain-relieving, but if this medication doesn't cover the severity, there are a few heavier prescriptions that might. Few of the many pain-relieving medications are Triptans and anti-nausea drugs. If Triptans are successful, they should eliminate all of the symptoms migraines provide. The pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity should all be decreased completely or become very minimal. Even if you don't have the vomit-related symptom, the anti-nausea medication still helps relieve the pain or dizziness that may be prevalent. Suppose the pain is reoccurring, or under the preventive category, some medications could be cardiovascular drugs or antidepressants. Cardiovascular drugs are usually used to treat high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, but can also reduce the amount of headaches and their pain levels. By affecting the serotonin and other brain chemicals' levels, antidepressants do a fantastic job at erasing migraines. Keep in mind that you do not have to be depressed in order to take an antidepressant. This drug can really help dreadful conditions of headaches.[3]

To this day neurologists still struggle with the meticulous aspects of migraines; the definitions, causes, and cures here are only the basis to what advanced doctors know. Endless mysteries still linger, but the more people that diagnose their problems, the more we can come to understand the confusions. Leaving behind the disastrous stages of a migraine is as if I was a feather. I felt light and free, where smiles came naturally and laughter wasn't a punishment. The cage was set free for me, and while I'm in high hopes of no return, I plead to share the news wishing for no one else to experience this agonizing illness.

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[1]Migraine Fact Sheet

[2] Migraine: Causes

[3] Migraine: Treatments and Drugs

Works Cited

"Migraine Fact Sheet." Migraine Research Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. <www.migraineresearchfoundation.org/fact-sheet.html#top-wholepage >.

"Migraine: Causes - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120/DSECTION=causes>.

"Migraine: Treatments and drugs - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.   <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/migraine-headache/DS00120/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs>.

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