Identifying a Myth in a Mass Medium

having been 12 years old when the world trade center towers collapsed, i had never been very educated on the whole story. there are so many details that had been left out in my case because i had been so young and careless. i remember my mom coming to pick me up for my orthodontist appointment on september 11, 2001 and i had initially had no knowledge of anything happening. we were listening to talk radio the whole entire time and i was bored to death because none of it really pertained to my life.

being much older now and more concerned about society, and america in general, i realize that there is so much more to this story than what had met a 12-year-old's eye. my friend suggested that i watch this series of videos on youtube entitled "9/11 coincidences (part x)". it explains countless circumstances that many would consider coincidences on that tragic day but they put it in a perspective of all of these things being part of one giant conspiracy. whether anyone believes them or not is up to their imagination and how they allow their mind to wander... i, myself, still don't feel educated enough on this particular topic to have a firm opinion on what happened that day but i think that this series of simple youtube videos is a perfect example of a presence of a conspiracy.

in his name,

melanie

Formative Media Text

Prompt: Write about some type of media that has had importance in shaping your life. It could be something that you encountered as recently as a week ago, or something that impacted you when you were five. Describe the text, your connection to it, and the impact it has had on your worldview, your opinions, or your life in general. Describe what it's like for you when you experience this media--describe it as if the reader has never experienced it before.

The particular type of media that I have held as the most important in shaping my life is an actual, literal book. I can't help but notice that "kids my age" tend to lean more towards reading articles in magazines such as US weekly, People Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Rolling Stones. Though I am guilty of being an avid reader of each of these popular media texts, I have been most impacted by a book entitled Tears for Water by the singer/songwriter/pianest/poet, Alicia Keys.

This book is FILLED with pages of words, poetry, and lyrics which all can be put together as just simple inspiration. Her life was clearly not a part of the "American Dream" and she had definitely faced struggles and heartache in her life that many of us are fortunate enough to never be able to fathom. Being inspired easily by music and poetry, I am easily able to relate myself to finding no other logical way to express my feelings than through pen and paper. I find this book to be SO inspiring that I have actually lost count of how many times I have read it. I have multiple pages marked for reference in case I ever need a (metaphorically speaking) "helping hand" in getting through tought situations. I love it... I love that book. I can honestly say that it changed my life. :)

in his name,

Melanie