When I first read what the "special" blog post was going to be, I was not too ecstatic. I can write for days about what I got from a reading or about what I think about certain situations and topics...but to have to come up with something all on my own, I find that to be a bit more challenging. I do not pride myself on being a really great writer. English was always a difficult subject for me in high school and writing anything seemed like the death of me...so at first I was not too pumped about this short story we were supposed to write. Despite my negative outlook on this "special" blog post, I actually came out of it feeling achieved and excited. I am not going to lie, I surprised myself. I had no idea that I was capable of writing any kind of story...and it turns out that it was possible and my writing actually made sense.

I really liked how Professor Corrigan talked about:

1) how one can begin to read others better when he or she reads character based stories. This may not be true for all, but for me, it is definitely a true statement. As I read stories that discuss different peoples thought processes and feelings (character driven stories), I become more aware of people and the way they are. I begin to pick up on different things about people, like emotions and actions.

2) being vs. doing. I feel as though, in the world that we live in today, doing does outweigh the being. If someone can play basketball really well (doing)....they are gonna go pro even if they lack character/morals (being...who they are). The statement above is not always true but is definitely eminent in our world today. In some places...who the person is is of more importance than the skills that he or she possesses. In my opinion, character should definitely outweigh the gifts and abilities. H. Jackson Brown Jr. said, "Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it, piece by piece -- by thought, choice, courage, and determination." Your gifts take you where only your character can keep you.