Blog 9: Heroic Acts and Heroic Personalities

     Is a hero someone who commits heroic acts or someone whose behavior and personality fit our idea of what a hero is like? People rarely realize that we are all heroes without a cape. Animals too are heroes. A hero isn’t someone who commits heroic acts, but someone or something who can help benefit in some way.

     We like to portray firefighters as heroes, simply because they risk their lives to save others. Though, have you thought about it like this? A regular person who lives in a society where very few people know him as a bother, can risk his life to save a life just like a firefighter can. In the film “Hero,” Bernie LaPlante, a criminal who’s afraid of incarceration, randomly rescued survivors of a plane crash. Although, he was betrayed by a passenger who he had given his shoe to just to help out, his heroic choice wasn’t even recognized until later on. He didn’t wake up that morning thinking he ware going to save lives, nor did he think he was leaving the house to meet his near death.

     Your dog, with the help of your next door neighbor can also be a hero. I have once seen a clip on ABC News where a dog, Danny, saved his owner’s life. Bethe Bennett had fell in her home, Friday, on the floor and broke her femur. She was aware that she was not expecting any company until Tuesday so she had lie on the floor in pain, with the thought that she was going to die, suddenly going into shock. Danny, who is a trained service dog and used to care for Bethe’s mom who is now deceased, went along to help her. After she asked him to get the phone, he ran back and forth, jumping until he finally knocked the phone down and pushed it towards her with his nose. She realized soon after that the paramedics would not be able to get into a locked house so she yelled out “Paper!” Alarming Danny to bring her over sheets of papers in which her neighbors’ number was on one of them, she got in contact with one who used a hidden spare key to unlock the door right when the paramedics arrived. Shortly realizing after that her life had been saved by he own dog.

     Cops who are considered heroes are the main people who take lives away every day. Who’s to say that a baby can’t save a life? I’ve read in an article, “Magic cells: babies who save lives,” by Joanna Moorhead that a new born baby, Princess Gracie, is now a life saver. With stem cells containing a cure for other children or adults diagnosed with leukemia or any other blood disease. Mother and father, Charlotte Cribben and Andre Kum, had no idea that they were bringing a little hero into the world.

Someone whose behavior and personality that fit our idea of what a hero is like is considered a hero. Everyday our lives are saved by regular people, animals, even babies, and we don’t even realize it. A life isn’t always necessarily by someone who commits heroic acts.

Blog 8: Revision CATW Practice 1

In this passage, “Is Music a Good Tool for Healing?” the writer, Elizabeth Scott, is discussing how a health care tool called music therapy is used to heal people and ease their pains. Research shows that hospitals now use music to help patients with pain management, depression, to promote movement, calm patients, ease muscle tension and other benefits, which in other words, is known as music therapy. For instance, studies show that music with a strong beat can help make brainwaves more active to synchronize with the beat. The faster the beat is, the sharper your concentration is which allows you to think more alert. A slower beat can result in a much calmer, meditative state of mind. Like Scott, I also believe that “This is not surprising, as music affects the body and mind in many powerful ways.”

The writer explains how breathing and heart rate may be influenced by the changes music can bring, possibly meaning slower breathing, heart rate, and an activation of the relaxation response amongst other things. The writer also states that this is why music and music therapy can help prevent the harsh effects of chronic stress, thereby aiding not only relaxation, but also health. To calm down my attitude and take stress away I listen to mellow music. This type of music helps me keep a positive mindset with a smile upon my face, making my day much easier and joyful.

Healing patients with music is an immense significance. I feel it is because I find this idea to be slightly true. While my mom was in a coma, the doctors played soothing music just above her head to help the pressure in her brain calm down and promote movement. It showed that since they started playing soft music she was more relaxed and fought to show little movement.

Another example of mine is when I was in physical therapy for my knees. My therapist played music to help motivate me to move more during the exercises we did. When we would do slow exercises with little movement to relax my muscles, she would play soft music. When it was time to enhance the exercise, she’d play a more up-beat song. Also, the music would not only relax my body, it would relax my mind as well.

This shows that music can be used to bring a more positive state of mind, to help keep depression and anxiety under control. It is very affective towards the body and mind in various ways. It is also a good used tool to help people.

Blog 7: CATW Practice 2

     Whether if they’re alone or in a group, individuals think and act their differently than they do on their own. In the article, “Individualism in Groups,” written by Carol Tavris, the writer explains how an individual acts in a group or alone. People react slower to danger when they are in groups than they do individually due to the nature they’re in. The scientific form, “diffusion of responsibility,” where people think the lazier they can become only because they’re in a group, explains how each individual in that group feel there is no need to take action towards something. I agree with the statement, “They think and act differently than they would on their own,” simply because it’s true.

     I’ve once seen in a Lifetime movie that a girl only tortured another girl because she had her group of friends with her. She thought and acted differently whenever she was on her own. When “the bully” is alone, she is nice and quiet, but the moment her clique comes around her she is a complete different person. Even at home she is sort of nice. She only felt superior whenever she had her group of friends to back up her every word.

     I too think and act differently in or out of groups. Another example of mine is when I am at a party. Depending on the group of people I am with, and my feelings s well, I sometimes hold back and choose not to dance. Even if I’m alone I’ll decide whether or not if I really want to dance. It’s always good to show that you’re having a good time, but it’s hard to have a good time partying without your group of friends.

     Relating to the experiment, “diffusion of responsibility,” most guys around my way who travel in groups handle situations very differently in or out of groups. For instance, if there was a car accident the boys in groups would stand around and watch the scene, but it would take an individual to take action and try to help. Also, if one of the boys in the group was alone then he would’ve most likely helped. This relates to the article because it shows how different individuals think and react to most things and how lazy they become when they’re in groups.  

CATW Practice 1

     In this passage, “Is Music a God Tool for Healing?” the writer is discussing how music affects the body and mind in many powerful ways. Research shows that hospitals now use music to help patients with pain management, depression, to promote movement, calm patients, ease muscle tension and other benefits, which in other words, is known as music therapy. For instance, studies show that music with a strong beat can help make brainwaves more active to synchronize with the beat. The faster the beat is, the sharper your concentration is which allows you to think more alert. A slower beat can result in a much more calm, meditative state of mind.

     The writer explains how breathing and heart rate may be influenced by the changes music can bring. Possibly meaning slower breathing, heart rate, and an activation of the relaxation response amongst other things. The writer also states that this is why music and music therapy can help prevent the harsh effects of chronic stress, thereby aiding not only relaxation, but also health.

     Healing patients with music is an immense significance. I feel it is because I find this idea to be slightly true. While my mom was in a coma, the doctors played soothing music just above her head to help the pressure in her brain calm down and promote movement. It showed that since they started playing soft music she was more relaxed and fought to show little movement.

     Another example of mine, is when I was in physical therapy for my knees. My therapist played music to help motivate me to move more during the exercises we did. When we would do slow exercises with little movement to relax my muscles, she would play soft music. When it was time to enhance the exercise, she’d play a more up-beat song. Also, the music would not only relax my body, it would relax my mind as well. This shows that music can be used to bring a more positive state of mind, to help keep depression and anxiety under control.