Blog post #4

SunRay Kelley is a transcendentalist if I ever saw one. After being kicked out of his elaborate Sky house by his ex-wife, Kelley devoted his life to being an all natural-materials builder.  His connection with nature delves deeply into the spiritual so deep, in fact, that it's almost to a point of insanity.  From his building materials, to his enormous garden, to the over 200 apple trees he owns, Kelley's world revolves around nature, and vice versa. Each and every house and hut that he has designed and built, including his own, consists only of materials from nature.  By using twigs, trees, rocks and mud, Kelley has successfully created 50 some complete structures throughout the continent.  Although praised by many, he always looks forward to returning to his 9 acre secluded homestead that consists of over 7 houses, 10 ponds, a hermit hut, and a 17 foot tall maple wood Jesus.  Each and every piece of his beloved home was built by him, using only handcrafted and all natural materials.

To say Sunray Kelley is an individualist would be an enormous understatement.  How many hut building, hermit looking, barefoot and bearded old men do you know? (My guess would be none)  His life works are different from any other and so are his values.  Kelley claims that he "listens to nature", not only when taking items to build with, but also when replanting in his garden at home.  Many things make him different from others, especially his resistance of conformity. Although divorced for some time know, Kelley's own ex-wife claimed that living with him was always "an adventure and a tribulation."

I would consider Kelley a successful man by many means but this does not matter to him.  He is happy as a clam in his garden, chatting with guests, or designing a new house.  Typically I would associate being rich with the upper class famous and stuffy, yet neither of these names could characterize Kelley. He is simple in many ways, yet complicated in others.  His life can be seen as simple in the way he lives, dresses and acts but complicated because of the things he doesn't do, things such as conformity.  If you asked him why, Kelley would have an answer. Kelley practices what he calls evolutionary architecture.  Basically this means that he doesn't stick to the plan when building new structures.  Although he uses evolutionary architecture to describe the way he builds, I find that it also describes everything else about him. Kelley didn't just veer from the path that society paved, he completely altered its course (changed the plan) and made a life of his own. 

Sky House:

SunRay Kelley= Hottie

A few of his MANY works:

Blog Post #3

Although they have only talked a few times, Gatsby and Tom appear almost aggressive towards one another.   Do you think something other than Daisy might be the underlying cause? If so, what is it? If not, does Tom have the right to be possessive of Daisy when he is having an affair of his own?

Poetry Wrap-Up

Although poetry is a twist of words that have numerous meanings, they all have value. Being able to understand and analyze the poems of some of the top poets, such as Mary Oliver, Maya Angelou, and Robert Frost is a gift, even if not everyone sees it that way. As we get older and begin to take on more challenges we see that communication is an important part of success. Communication is important in sports, class, and just life in general. To some, poetry may just look like a complex jumble of words; a few years ago I would have included myself. Now, I view poetry in a whole new way. A poet communicates to a reader, using in depth and emotional concepts that are very personal subjects. I believe that the reason so many poems are found difficult to understand is because the poet intended them to be. Because many of the subjects are so personal, they are not meant to be analyzed at first glance. A poet has the intention of getting the reader to dig deep and take time to find the true meaning of a poem. I find that when a reader takes time to understand a poem, it gives it importance. Being able to understand, observe, and feel the emotions and thoughts of a poet is a gateway to understanding people in general. Poetry enables a connection through understanding and relation, skills I believe can be useful no matter who you are or what you do.

In the past when I was told that poetry could mean whatever I thought it did left me feeling uncertain. Last year, when I learned that this actually was not true, and that a poem only really has one true meaning, I felt better, knowing that there was a correct and wrong answer that could be found if a poem is analyzed correctly. Having analyzing skills has changed the way I feel about poetry. A poem may not always mean what you think it might, at first glance, but if you take time you will eventually understand its meaning. It reassures me to know that. In conclusion, poetry has become easier to analyze and more relatable through practice and skill building and that has made all the difference.

 

The True American Dream...?

To me, the American dream starts with freedom and all other basic rights. People who immigrate to America look forward to not only these rights but also other opportunities that come with them. Many come to America to find success and become prosperous. To do this requires a good work ethic, little luck, a chance to receive an education and  the freedom to freely voice your ideas, things that many people would not be able to do in their home country. Although the American dream cannot be categorized into one specific idea, i believe that they all want the chance to better themselves, their lives, and the lives of their children.

Compared with the "usual" American dream, mine is only a small chunk of words. The "usual" American dream is different for everyone because of the different people from all parts of the world. Generally I believe that most people want to find prosperity and achieve greatness but i don't really know. I'm not them. Each person has their own ideals and views of the world, only they know what a true American dream is, I'm sure mine is just one of many.