Corwin and the Magic Toliet Paper Roll

I believe this was written in 11th grade for creative writing. The assigment was to tell a story about your childhood. 

Corwin and the Magic Toliet Paper Roll

It was a staple in my household when I was younger to have what is known as the craft box. Said box was filled with every little thing my mother saw fit from bits of string, colored paper to glow in the dark sticker sheets. It was from this box that my brother, Emman saw to make a smoke bomb. Now being quite young and having no real idea of the basics of pyrotechnics my brother’s smoke bomb was fairly simple. He had filled a used toilet paper roll completely with flour then covered the ends with paper and finally stuck a piece of string through the top for a fuse.  

So the bomb was made and showed off to the friends of the apartment. We all thought it was brilliant but realized that when you are less than 10 years old there is really no reason for one to have a smoke bomb. So after a bit of brainstorm the plan came into effect to trick the neighborhood idiot, Corwin. Now unlike the rest of the kids we normally hung out with in my apartment, Corwin lived two houses down. He was always coming up with one way or another to try to get the girls of my apartment to kiss him but it never worked and would usually backfire. 

The plan was simple the three girls in the apartment, my sister Michelle and the two girls who lived downstairs Nichole and Stephanie would dress up in genie esque attire, which was also used during our home made performance of Disney’s Aladdin where I played the role of the Sultan, and they would hide behind the big tree in the backyard. My brother would then set off his smoke bomb next to the tree and out would pop the girls to trick Corwin. My role in the whole thing was to make sure Corwin would never advance far enough to see the girls behind the tree. So we put the plan into action and as the girls hid behind the tree trying their best not to giggle, my brother lit a match and put it to the fuse of his McGiver smoke bomb. Lighting flour smoke bombs in attempts to make and explosion is as pointless as playing catch with Stevie Wonder. However my brother didn’t give up just yet. In an act of desperation he picked up and threw the toilet paper roll at the tree with such force that the contents exploded everywhere. So when the dust settled all Corwin saw were three genies.

Doing an impressive job as genies the three girls semi danced their way forward to Corwin while my brother and I tried our bests not to laugh. Corwin was completely dumbfounded, whether it was the makeshift bomb or the elaborate costumes, he fell completely for it. So then of course was the time for wishes. The three “genies” asked him his request and to what should have been no surprise he immediately asked to kiss the genies. We had no plan for this but, thanks to the cunning wits of the girls and our extensive knowledge of Aladdin and therefore the rules of genies, he was told that genies cannot grant wishes of love and the three girls scurried quickly inside leaving Corwin shocked and utterly disappointed

Sermon

This was a sermon I wrote and read at church last year for Youth Sunday. I meant to post it last week but things happen and I became very busy. The sermon is about the passage John 9:1-41 

The first time I heard this story was about a month or so ago during Sunday school. Then last weekend during the youth winter retreat we found out it would be our scripture text for youth Sunday. We went through several exercises and different methods of learning the text, including acting it out in two different groups. I will never forget the long awkward pause as Jeff rubbed imaginary mud into Jordan’s eyes. But for the first time I had spent a weekend really looking over one story of the bible. And with each reading you look deeper into it and see things that may not have jumped out at you the first time around. 

The second time looking at the text that weekend we were told to get into small groups and answer some questions. Among the list of questions  was : who in this story is blind? Well the first thing to pop into my head of course is, well the man. That’s what the story is about. But as it was brought up in my group. I took another look at it. I made a sort of jokingly rebellious mark about how it was the Pharisees who were blind to Jesus when I realized there was actually some truth to that. 

While the Pharisees may not have 20/20 vision they can most likely see. But as I am sure you can tell I am n not talking literally about their sight. But more so their inability to welcome a new idea, one that while it goes against a lot of what they believed, offers hope. When they first hear of this man being healed some say that Jesus cannot be from God because he worked on the Sabbath, while others think that no sinner could perform such miracles. For me nowadays I have always found it hard to imagine no one working on Sunday. So it requires a strong imagination for me to understand that this guy is doing a big no-no worthy of one heck of a time out.. But even so couldn’t they get over themselves and realize: man was blind - now sees - happened on a Sunday. They were so deeply rooted in that he did one wrong, they completely overlooked the right. 

It was a year or so ago when I heard what was at the time dreadful news. The Followers were to switching rooms. We would be leaving the room that I and am pretty sure at least 15 years worth of followers have found a home in, to go the kids room. There were a few reasons why, a big one being that the group would be getting larger. But I and a few others wouldn’t stand for it. Sure I had only been in there for four years but that’s not the point. It’s the Followers room, our room, the room we would try to sneak peeks in before we were in the group, only to be shoved out by that age of Followers. Not to mention the walls adorned with writings of Followers past. We can’t just switch rooms. I was quite against the idea and that showed during Youth Council meetings. Although against my wishes the switch happened any way. I just couldn’t realize small room, big group, we won’t fit. 

We need to open our eyes. Change is all around us and will be for the rest of our lives and we don’t have time to get hung up on every little bit of change that is wrong. We need to open our eyes and look at what good change can bring about. What if the Pharisees looked deeper and noticed this man who walked the earth with the ability to heal the weak. The could have helped spread his word like no other. It has been 6 months since Followers practice started this year. Now I can safely say, thank god we had a bigger room available. With high turnouts and way bigger youth group than before there would have been no way we could have fit everyone in the other room comfortably. Change happens, lets open our eyes and be a part of it.

Kid Satisfies Hunger

While looking through old files I found this one that I did for the newspaper in 11th grade towards the beginning of the school year. It wasn't for the actual paper but just a practice assignment.

KID SATISFIES HUNGER WITH PIRATE SHAPED CEREAL
Daniel Mauleón


On a hot lonely night last summer hungry sixteen year old Daniel Mauleón feasted on a bowl of cold cereal. After entering the kitchen from the basement stairs Daniel inspected the kitchen in search of a late night snack. Opening a cabinet underneath the silverware he found something worthy of his pallet, a bag of Marshmallow Mateys. He poured the cereal and was about to pour milk when to his surprise he found out there was no more milk in the fridge.
“I was about to give up when I remembered that there might be milk downstairs,” said Daniel “, I’m glad I took the time to look.” After receiving said milk he ascended the stairs and poured it into the plethora of tiny shapes or grain and marshmallows that made up the cereal. After putting away the bag and milk, he grabbed a spoon and began to eat.
The contents of the bowl were consumed in about eight minutes while Daniel watched the rerun of Futurama where Bender sells his body for money. During the first commercial break he went back for a second helping.