The Power of Story, SSTM, post 1

12/13/2012

Blake Mycoskie, author of Start Something THAT Matters, wrote,"Stories are the most primitive and purest form of communication. The most enduring and galvanizing ideas and values of our civilization are embedded in our stories, from those of Homer, whose preliterate epic poems united the Greeks' national spirit, and Virgil, whose poems did the same for the Romans, to those told by Jesus, who used parables to teach his disciples. It seems to be in our genetic makeup to capture our best ideas in stories, to enjoy them, to learn from them, and to pass them on to others" (25).

Many of us use Facebook to share such stories that move us. Write about a time you shared a story (or followed a link to a story) that touched your heart or moved you in some way. You may have been moved to tears, enraged over an injustice, or prompted to act in some way. I'm talking about real stories not the funny, nonsensical stuff that is also often shared. For example, I was moved and inspired by "Caine's Arcade," and it prompted me to share it with you.

Describe the story you encountered, your reaction(s), and then post the link below. Then state why you think this story matters to humanity and how its universal to us all.

ONLY SHARE STORIES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE!

You must write your first name and last initial and class period each time you post. Example: Shelia S, period 1. You must also use academic language. Absolutely NO texting abbreviations. Initial Response is due on Friday. Your response to a classmate is due on Monday.

21 Comments

Janssen F., p. 1

12/14/2012 06:21:48 am

This short story talks about how a common person took a risk and plunged in the fire and chose to try something instead of just waiting for someone more qualified, someone geared up and prepared, to walk into a fire.
http://love.givesmehope.com/True+Love/Today-I-heard-about-a-family-stuck-in-a/9048588

This story matters to humanity because first of all, the grandfather saved his family’s lives. Second, he had enough courage to take a risk and not wait for the “right time” to ensure his family’s safety. He might’ve had second thoughts as to whether the blanket would protect his life, but he didn’t dwell on that thought; instead he made a move and gambled his life for the safety of the majority (of his family), and thankfully, he was successful. This is universal to all of us because when we encounter fear, most of the time we get paralyzed and decide it’s safer to just not do anything. However, this story proves that with a strong incentive, we can make a change. Had the grandfather waited for a firefighter to do the job, he could’ve lost his family. He most likely weighed the consequences in his mind and decided that he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he just stood there waiting for his family to be rescued, and so it didn’t matter to him that he was endangering his own life. The same goes for starting a business or facing any kind of fear. We might miss out on once-in-a-lifetime chances life gives us if we decide to let fear consume us. We have to imitate the grandfather and summon all the courage we can and face our fears in order to make a difference. We might be scared of criticism, we might be scared to make the wrong move, we might be intimidated about not knowing enough on a subject, but we can at least start on something to make a change. Tackle a problem or fear one step at a time and before you know it, you’ve probably made the world a better place.

Stephanie U., P.1

12/15/2012 12:14:36 pm

The recent Connecticut shooting was a tragic event. The day of the massacre I was on facebook and came across the story of Victoria: http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20656736_20657003,00.html
This woman hid all her students in cabinets and told the gunman "her" children were in the gym. The gunman shot and killed her and then proceeded.
This brave woman risked her life for a classroom of students who are not even her own. Victoria Soto was a hero, and the definition of unselfishness.
This story truley touched my heart. It is people like Victoria who people look up to; people who instinctively commit true acts of kindness .

Cindy T., Period 1

12/16/2012 02:37:25 pm

This story was amazing to me as well. It was very touching how this teacher risked her own life to save her students’. Victoria Soto is a true hero who really loved what her occupation was. In the article, it mentions that Soto didn’t even refer to her students as students, but as her kids. Soto truly did demonstrate true acts of kindness.

Isabella G., Period 2

1/16/2013 12:30:37 pm

I also read about Victoria Soto. Her story really touched my heart and made me cry. Unselfish, courage, bravery are among the perfect words to describe Ms.Soto and her story. Ms.Soto went above and beyond for her students, she loved each and every single one of them. She saw them as her own and protected her kids. She is a true hero, I believe she was an angel and is now resting in peace.

Tracy O., Period 2

1/17/2013 11:37:27 am

I have also read and heard about this very sad story. It shows how one person can be so selfless and put others before themselves. To think about what must have been happening around her and how quickly she acted to save the children left in her care. This to me is a true act of bravery.

Janssen F., period 1

12/15/2012 01:14:51 pm

Cynthia H., Period 1

12/15/2012 01:19:41 pm

A few years back, around 2010 I believe was around the time when I started reading posts from GivesMeHope or LoveGivesMeHope and such. One day, I came across a post of how a boy was dying of cancer and needed a very expensive brain surgery. The post said that his family was broke and desperate and could not afford it, so hi 7 or 8 year old sister took her piggy bank savings to a pharmacist. There she asked to buy a "miracle." And what happened was that a neurosurgeon saw this and witnessed the little girl's tears at the counter and he performed the surgery for free. This post moved me to tears, that I just had to show it to my mom. And when I showed it to my mom, she said that this kind of stuff does not always happen. However, I had a solution, and my solution was to donate a few dollars per month to a cancer foundation. And to this day we still donate money to the St. Jude's Foundation as a family.

This story matters to humanity because it shows that even though a neurosurgeon should be paid for his/her job, he had compassion to find the need to do the surgery for the boy.

It also shows that other families or people have it worse than we do and that we should be grateful for things around us. The holiday season is coming around and I feel that everyone should not just buy gifts for friends, but buy a gift and drop it off at an orphanage or something of the sort to give back to the people who need the holiday spirit the most.

Qi Hong C Period 6

12/17/2012 12:19:16 pm

i think this story matters, because it shows how does a neurosurgeon helped a poor boy. the neurosurgeon can ignore this, but he did not ignore it. it's true that neurosurgeons should get paid for their jobs. but i think there is something called sympathy in the world , and this's why this story moves me to tear.

Kaitlin J., Per, 1

12/16/2012 12:38:38 pm

One story that moved me was the story of Avalanna Routh, or as some know her as "Mrs. Bieber".
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/26/entertainment/la-et-mg-avalanna-routh-died-mrs-justin-bieber-20120926
Avalanna had a rare, and terrible cancer called AT/RT that only strikes babies and toddlers. When I heard Avalanna's story, it hit me straight in the heart because she was 9 months old when diagnosed with this horrible form of cancer, and was given a year to live. She died when she was six. She lived to be that old with the cancer due to the intense chemotherapy and radiation she had recieved daily. Despite going through all those treatments, she was still your average, bubbly, lovable 6 year old girl who loved Justin Bieber. The hospital she was recieving her treatments even held a wedding for her and Justin Bieber, it was a poster, which is why she got the nickname, Mrs. Bieber. Her Aunt set up a facebook page to help Avalanna meet Justin, and sure enough, Valentines Day of 2012, Justin met Avalanna for the first time, and has hung out with her numerous times after that just to make her happy.
When I learned of Avalanna's death, it tore me to pieces and I started crying because her story was amazing, and I knew how much she meant to Justin, and being a fan of his, I knew he was going to be heartbroken, and he was. She even made a big enough impact in my family's life, because i told them Avalanna's story, that every month, my family donates forty dollars to help find a cure for AT/RT. It may not be a lot, but it's something, and it makes me happy that my parents care enough to do that for me.

Kevin W., Period 6

12/16/2012 01:14:06 pm

Maybe about 2-3 months ago, I read a story about Nick Vujicic, A person from Australia born with no limbs. And he had published a book called "Unstoppable", I bought the book also. And I read a little some how. He is a powerful inspiration speaker. Some of the famous quote really impact me. Such as " No legs, No arms, No worries." I believe Nick would inspire me in a future of my life.

Kemberly Molina period.6

12/16/2012 01:27:40 pm

The most touching/disgusting story that I have came across would have to be the Newtown shooting at sandy elementary. Most people that know me know how I really don't have a heart for humans or death but ever since my brother was born I've started having a change of hearts and the day I heard about what happened in the Connecticut shooting it was heart breaking and unbelievable. Its incredible how humans could be so cruel and take innocent lives away for no reason. Its been said that he has ammunition to kill more than 100 people and was planning on it.

Matthew I., Period 1

12/16/2012 01:53:26 pm

The Angels center fielder knows what it's like to take on a challenge. But his inspiring story proves your dreams are possible.
http://www.guideposts.org/inspirational-stories/inspiring-story-torii-hunter-overcomes-dads-problems-play-baseball

The first time Torii Hunter saw his father smoke crack cocaine was when he was seven years old. He didn't understand what his dad was doing. Torii tried to do everything he could to get his father off of crack cocaine but he failed. But Hunter had the strength to grow up in a drug household and become a major league baseball player. His struggle entailed living without electricity and having to scrounge for food in his Pine Bluff, Arkansas neighborhood. Torii said, “If you have someone doing drugs, that makes you poor because they take all the money, the lights are turned off, there's no food in the house. When you're sick like that, you're not thinking about anything else but that sickness. You're not thinking about your family or your wife or your kids." The struggle for Hunter involved walking as a boy through the streets with his three brothers, searching in local crack houses to find his father and coax him back home. And there was the humiliation, fear and sense of loss. One day, Torii’s jacket was missing only to find it a week later on his dining room chair while his dad was lying down on the couch so he knew he had it the whole time. So he put it on and wore it to school. Later on that day he raised his hand and something fell out of his pocket, it was a crack pipe that his father left inside the jacket. He picked it up really quickly and asked to go to the restroom, his teacher let him and then he left. He went into the restroom and opened the back of the toilet and put the pipe in it and closed it and left the pipe in there and sat there crying. He was only 13 years old, and in the 8th grade. His mother would sit up crying at night and give him and his brothers hugs, she always said, “Don't ever do your kids like this. And be the best father you can.” And that's what Hunter has tried to do with his life. He's tried to be the kind of father for his sons that his own father was never able to be for him. Torii tells his sons, “You know the way I treat you guys, it's because it's the way I wasn't treated. I was a man before I was supposed to be a man.” His father's behavior also gave Hunter the inspiration to move beyond his drug-infested neighborhood, to build something positive out of his life.

12/16/2012 02:30:54 pm

I was moved and inspired by this story about a Texas teenager, Ben Breedlove and it prompted me to share it with you.
http://news.yahoo.com/texas-teen-ben-breedlove-posted-powerful-videos-christmas-195055124.html

Around this time last year, this featured story about Ben Breedlove had caught my attention when I opened my internet explorer tab. This story is about a Texas teenager that had cheated death three times but had unfortunately passed away on Christmas night last year. After his passing, videos were discovered on his YouTube account that had described his life experiences on simple index cards. His videos had inspired millions around the around the world, and also received comments from celebrities. My reaction after reading this story and watching his videos really left me speechless. It was amazing how without even speaking, Breedlove had spoken so much. This story really leaves you lost for words and you need to watch the videos to receive the full experience. I think this story matters to humanity, because it reminds us how precious life really is and that we shouldn’t take the moments we have for granted. Ben Breedlove, although he lived a short life, lived it to the fullest. Ben Breedlove was truly thankful for his friends and family and just everything and everyone who was a part of his life. I think that this story is universal to all of us, because in most cases, we take things for granted, so through this story we could learn to cherish life and appreciate the little things in life a little more.

Bryan L., Period 6

12/16/2012 04:02:57 pm

While on Yahoo!, I stumbled upon a story about Obama's moving speech in Newton, Connecticut. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-newtown-t-tolerate-anymore-022115820--politics.html

Obama's speech was very emotional that he teared up during his speech. He vowed to take meaningful actions to protect civilians from harm. Obama stated that a change must be made to end the tragedies such as what happened in Connecticut.
I was very moved by Obama's speech. I totally agree with him that we must act to prevent harm against the innocent people, especially to the children, who have such long and exciting journeys ahead of them. The children are our future, the next generation with ideas for the better world. I myself feel very emotional of what happened, and Obama's speech made me realize that I should join a movement to help prevent tragedies from happening.

This story matters because Obama's speech is very powerful, emotional, and filled with meaning. His words are truthful. He is dedicated to help the country from the harm that can happen. Everyone in the world is affected by this because anyone can help join a movement to promote the safety of their homeland.

12/17/2012 12:10:22 pm

i read a story from Facebook before, this story talked about how did Einstein challenged his high school teacher when he was a student in high school. he proved that the teacher was wrong.

this story matters to humanity, because it taught us that teachers are not always right , we can discuss with them too.

i think this story matters, because, when i was in China, all the teachers taught me that you need to listen to your teacher, and follow what they say, although they are not right. this influenced me that teachers are always right and we can not challenge them, but after i read this story, i knew that we can discuss with them, when we think we are right.

Johanna F. Period 1

1/19/2013 02:15:16 am

This story is very relate able because a lot of teachers do believe they are always right. For students that stand up to themselves against teachers or even adults are strong and can speak for themselves in my opinion.

Derek Ing (Period 2)

12/17/2012 02:17:20 pm

This summer, prior to my senior year, my father and I came across a post on Facebook that had a link of a young girl who was going to die of leukemia. She needed a bone marrow transplant match in order to survive. Her name was Janet Liang, and many local You-Tube celebrities were trying to find a way to set up an event with the Asian American population in the San Gabriel Valley to help find possible candidates who could be a bone marrow match for Janet. My father was so inspired by Janet Liang's bravery and the efforts of the You-Tube celebrities that he hosted and organized a benefit dance concert for Janet at our city's Barnes Park Amphitheater in the summer. He had the You-Tube celebrities perform and reach out to the community, emphasizing the importance of hope for this young girl. I contributed to the cause by advertising the event at summer school and to my friends who bought tickets to the show, which supported her cause to fight this cancer. Seeing all of this happen before my eyes made me realize how truly grateful I was to be able to be simply healthy. I don't have the Facebook post because it was so long ago, however, here is a link of the concert that my dad hosted for Janet Liang.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhiHfjM4No8
(it summarizes the whole concert in about two minutes)

I believe this story matters to humanity and is important because it not only offers hope for a girl that was in need, but also it shows how the community responded positively to the situation. I was also proud and inspired by my dad's desire of wanting to help people. Hundreds of people came out and supported Janet Liang, and if they were over 18, they could sign up to see if they were a match for a bone marrow transplant for Janet and other people in need of a transplant.

Michael Jordan once stated, "Failure is acceptable, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." Unfortunately, we couldn't find a successful bone transplant, and she ended up dying in the beginning of the school year. It was truly a tragic moment that devastated many lives. However, despite her death, the fact that we tried, bringing hundreds of people out of the community in order to help, brought awareness to the cause and resulted in many new people registering to be a bone marrow transplant candidate. The dance event shows how caring, kind, and selfless people can be, even to a stranger they have never met. And, it is an example of the type of world we all want to live in - one filled with hope, goodness, and compassion.

1/17/2013 11:32:01 am

While I was on yahoo.com this story captured my attention. A nine year old boy from Kentucky named Dalton Dingus had a dying wish to set a record for receiving the most Christmas cards.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/dalton-dingus-boy-attempted-christmas-card-record-died/story?id=18232432
Dalton Dingus’s dying wish was to set to set a Guinness World Record for receiving the most Christmas cards, he passed away last Saturday. A Facebook post asking people to send cards to Dalton went viral, and then it was picked up the local newspaper and then media from as far away as Israel and Ireland, South Dakota and South Korea. But what moved me was that people from his neighborhood and all over the world started to send him cards to help with his wish.

Kaycel Carlem., Period 6

1/18/2013 12:37:25 am

A couple years back, while I was reading through recent news on the internet; I came across a story of a girl named Kristina Calco. I was intrigued by her story and decided to search further on this 15 year old girl. http://www.jaredstory.com/kristina.html

It turns out this young girl had taken her own life. She was a victim of bullying. During this period of time Myspace was at an all time high. It was widely popular among teens and a adults. And as a result of being teased and picked on, Kristina had decided she could no longer cope with the insults and names that she decided to end her life.

This story matters because there are hundreds of teenagers being bullied over the internet by their peers and even by strangers. Social Media is rapidly spreading but this also means bullying will continue to increase. If we do not stress the importance of how wrong it is to bully other people, there will be more teenagers like Krisitina Calco. We must teach current generations and future generations to support, rather than bring down one another.

Johanna F. Period: 1

1/19/2013 02:11:27 am

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/school_shootings/index.html

When i finished my work in Accounting class i went onto latimes.com to read some random articles. What caught my attention was the Newtown, Connecticut shooting. It was horrifying and disgusting. I didn't know what to think or feel because it just really scared me. What went through my mind was, "Why the kids?" Those poor innocent little children that were excited about going home and seeing their parents died. It only takes one man to take twenty-six people out. It was just so sad and scary to even watch the news because kids as young as 6 or 7 was shot.. I would feel very scared to even let my children go to school the next day. Just imagining myself as the parent I wouldn't even know what to do. Adam Lanza, the shooter was just disgusting to me and I don't understand why people would even do that.

Just 13 days before Christmas, where everyone is suppose to have a great time with their families and spending quality time changed this time of the year. It's horrible to have to go through this and especially right when the year is about to end.

I think this story matters to humanity because it shows that there are different sides of people. As scary as it sounds, people will get violent just like this. On the other hand, people all around were praying and helping with this shooting that occurred.

Danny D. Period 1

1/24/2013 02:40:29 pm

Today during my TA class, the class was watching a documentary about kids in Mexico who had no choice but to travel on their own to attempt to find work in United States. One kid said that almost every single kid in Mexico dreamed of living in the United States and those who attempted to sneak through either got caught by border patrol or died due to falling off train tracks. While watching this, i thought to myself on how i don't really appreciate what i have when there are children who take all these dangerous to be where i am, while I take everything i have for granted.

This story matters because most of us teenagers are taking everything for granted and we need to realize that having a roof over our heads is already enough. I have witnessed a few teenagers, getting a car but then "b*tching* on how they didn't get the car they wanted, or receiving only $20 on their birthday wasn't enough. I believe if everyone took a second to realize that we have a roof over our heads, water to drink, and food to eat, while kids in the 3rd world country suffer for a life that we have.

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The Power of Story, SSTM, post 1

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