Journal 5 by Tony

Part One 

Two specific writing techniques that I noticed while reading chapter 17 was that Beah had used very descriptive language when talking about his flashbacks and dreams. And another thing that I noticed was that he explained everytime that the staff members of the center told the children affected by the war that everything they were doing was, "Not their fault." I think this these things are interesting because the descriptive language puts a picture in your mind (not a pretty one). This is helpful because it shows the horrors that Beah endured as just a child. I chose the staff members' phrase because it shows that they are trying to bring these children back down to earth and show them that they are only children and what they did was not their faults at all. This is helpful to me because it shows me that people were there to help Beah (even though I know he was helped because he wrote a book, but still). 

Part Two

A friend of mine that I have already written about in this class was my cousin, Darian. I have chosen to write about him again because in the last journal, I couldn't explain his struggle in as much detail that I can now. It all started once he got his license around 2012. After he got his license he started skipping football practices. I instantly knew something was amiss because he always told me everything and didn't tell me anything on the days when he'd skip. After about three weeks of missing  a few days a week, he quit football. This had really upset me and I knew something or someone else was to blame. I mean, I worked my butt of in the weight room so I could have a chance to play varsity football with him my freshman year, his senior year. But I never had the chance to play a down with him. He had gotten into drugs and alcohol and quickly spiraled out of control. It was only until he was arrested and endured life behind bars, that I got my cousin and best friend back. We just recently spent a day together and he told me about how much he wants to change. I am currently trying to get him to enroll here at OSU Marion, so I can monitor him and help him even more. And now that I think about it, having his license and crappy friends, eventually put him on the path of destruction. Their bad ways and his license and car to go where he wanted was definitely the factor that sent him down the path that eventually landed him in jail.