WA 3 draft 2

Peace and war are usually considered opposites. However, I believe that warfare is a much simpler side of human nature than peace. I am not criticizing peace; on the contrary, I think humans should practice it more often. But I am also saying that it takes a great deal more thought and self-restraint to practice peace than it does to wage war. People don't have to do any thinking to pick up a rock and throw it at someone who makes them angry. But they have to think in order to not pick up that rock and just walk away. Therein lies the problem.

Animals are often at war with each other for different reasons - leadership of a group, mates, territory boundaries, ect. This is natural behavior for them. Fighting is a basic instinct, a way to defend or prove themselves. The one who wins the fight wins the prize. Animals are much more simple-minded than humans in their pursuit of basic needs. If someone has what they want, they fight for it. They don't negotiate or offer to share. However, most animals (sea mammals and primates excluded) lack a developed neocortex. This is the part of the brain that can reason and rationalize. This is the logical portion of the brain. Because most animals don't have it, they can't predict the outcomes of their disputes beyond the very obvious - their most basic goals. But animals who do have neocortexes are capable of reasoning and developing language and rules. Humans have the largest neocortexes. We can not only predict the basic, physical outcomes of our disputes, we can predict the moral outcomes as well. We can deduce whether or not performing a certain action on a living being will hurt it. Most other creatures do not perceive the moral outcomes of their actions, and so do not see their behavior as cruel. They can not conceptualize "cruel."

So when a person chooses to leave someone alone rather than hurt them, are they using their higher brain? I think so. Humans are governed by a certain set of morals and values; we perceive certain actions, such as torture and murder, to be "wrong." Why? Because our morals tell us that intentionally hurting another person is a bad thing to do. Intentionally caused physical pain is disturbing to most humans, partly because we live in a complex, structured society and we are no longer doing whatever we can to survive in the wilderness. 

Which brings me back to the original problem: Peace is harder to enact than war because people have to think and exercise self-control rather than lash out based on their instincts and feelings. If one is threatened or challenged, inaction is frustrating because their instincts tell them to fight back. But acting on what their rationalizing, complex brains are telling them rather than what their instincts are telling them sets humans apart from other animals. We can enact a peace. We can stop a war. We just have to will ourselves to do it. We are not ruled by are baser minds; all that we are, all that we have created, is based on our the complex signals from our highly developed neocortexes. 

WA 3 draft 1

What about peace? 

Well, what about it? Peace and war are usually considered opposites. However, I believe that war is a much simpler side of human nature than peace. I am not criticizing peace; on the contrary, I think it is a very good thing for humans to practice. We should do it more often. But I am also saying that it takes a great deal of thought and self-restraint to practice peace than it does to wage a war. You don't have to do any thinking to pick up a rock and throw it at someone who makes you angry. You do have to think, however, in order to not pick up that rock and just walk away. Therein lies the problem.

Animals are often at war with each other, for different reasons - leadership of a group, mates, territorial disputes, ect. But this is natural behavior for them. Fighting is a basic instinct, a way to defend or prove yourself. The one who wins the fight gets the prize. Animals are much more simple-minded than humans in their pursuit of basic needs. If someone has what you want, you fight for it. You do not negotiate or offer to share. 

However, most animals (sea mammals and primates excluded) lack a developed neocortex. This is the part of the brain that can plan and rationalize. This is the logical portion of the brain. Because most animals don't have it, they can't predict the outcomes of their disputes beyond the very obvious - that they will catch their prey or something like that. But animals who do have neocortexes are capable of reasoning, and developing sophisticated rules and language. Humans have the largest neocortexes. We can not only predict the basic, physical outcomes of our disputes and actions, we can also predict the moral outcomes. We can deduce whether or not performing a certain action on another living being will hurt it. Most other creatures don't bother with the moral outcomes, such as when a cat plays with a wounded mouse. They don't see their behavior as cruel; they are not capable of such developed thought.

So when you choose to leave someone alone rather than hurt them, are you using your higher brain? I think so. We humans are governed by a set of morals and values; we perceive certain actions, such as torture, as wrong. Why? Because our morals tell us that intentionally hurting another person is a bad thing to do. Another person's pain disturbs us and, because we live in such a complex and sophisticated civilization, seems wrong because we are no longer simply a group of primates fending for ourselves in the wilderness. 

Which brings me back to my original problem: Peace is harder to enact than war because peace requires more brainpower and self-restraint than simply lashing out based on your emotions and instincts. Inaction is frustrating to people after a war; often they feel the enemies have not been punished enough or that the enemy has wronged them too much to be left alone. But acting on what are rational, analyzing, complex minds are telling us what to do than what our honest, simplistic instincts are telling us to do is what sets us apart from other animals. We can enact a peace. We can stop a war. We just have to will ourselves to do it. We are not ruled by our baser minds; we are the products of a large and complex neocortex! Let's use it more often.

Arashi sat on his bed. The wooly blanket beneath his uncovered hands itched and felt much too rough to ever sleep on. And yet night after night he found comfort under these coarse layers of fabric. The light was too bright. It was too warm. He knew he was being hypersensitive, but today was the ninth anniversary of the day his father, Jacen, had not returned from war. In the pockmarked off-white wall he could see his father's dancing hazel eyes. He could still recall their last conversation:

"B-but," Nine-year-old Arashi sniffled, wiping his eyes, "I wanna come with you! I don't want you to go alone!"

"I won't be alone. Your uncle will be here, and all the men of the village..." Jacen bent down, stroking his son's hair. "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared for you!" sobbed Arashi, flinging himself into his dad's arms. "I don't want you to die!"

"Arashi. Look at me." He son obeyed. "You need to be brave for me, okay? You have to promise to take care of your little cousin. You're going to be the man of the house while we're gone."

"I promise."

"It's going to be okay. Don't be in such a hurry to grow up. You'll be a man soon enough."

Yeah, well too late for that, Dad, Arashi thought bitterly, feeling the stubble on his chin - he'd quit shaving a month ago. He lay back on the bed, squinting out the window. The weather had been unfailingly sunny all week - an ironic counterpart to his grim mood. There was a stained-glass boat dangling in the window. His father had taught him how to sail a fishing vessel. He'd stuck with the hobby even after he and Tora, his younger cousin, left to settle in the Fire Country.

The door creaked open. Only one person came into his room without knocking.

"Tora?"

He listened to her shut the door and come over to his bed, blocking out the sparkly sunlight. Her face was concerned.

He sat up and regarded his cousin. Tora's shaggy black hair - almost identical in texture to his - framed her dark golden face and fell in an unruly ponytail down her back. She had a slightly more angular jawbone, a narrower nose, and darker skin than him. Arashi touched the indent of his nose and brow. "Look." He reached over to the table and picked up a necklace. It was a cord of leather strung through a pair of wolves' teeth. He slipped it on. "This was my dad's."

She nodded mutely. Somehow she could say more with her silences. 

"Why did he tell me it was going to be okay?" Arashi whispered, mostly to himself. "It wasn't. It's not. He's dead." His voice cracked painfully on the last syllable. "I hate him. I hate him." That wasn't true, but Arashi was angry.

"He didn't want you to worry," ventured Tora softly. Arashi felt the familiar enmity that her father, Mano, had survived, and his hadn't boiling in him.

"Well, that's easy for you to say, isn't it?" he snarled. "Your dad is alive!"

Tora's eyes were chips of ice. They were the only sign of anger in her otherwise neutral expression. "You know what?" she said flatly, sliding off the bed, "Jacen deserves more respect than you're giving him."

"Go away, Tora," he ordered, falling back on the sheets even as she shut the door. An immense wave of guilt rose up in him, making his eyes water. I'm so sorry, Dad...

WA 2 draft 2

Arashi sat on his bed. The wooly blanket underneath his uncovered hands itched and felt much too rough to ever sleep on. And yet night after night he felt comfort under these coarse layers of fabric. The light was too bright. It was too warm. He knew he was being hypersensitive, but today was the ninth anniversary of the day his father, Jacen, had not come back from war. In the pockmarked off-white wall he saw his father's dancing hazel eyes. His voice, Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, little Arashi. You'll be a man soon enough.

Yeah, well, too late for that, Dad, he thought bitterly, feeling the stubble on his chin - he had quit shaving a month ago. He lay on his back and squinted at the window. The weather had been unfailingly cheery all week - an ironic counterpart to his grim mood. There was a stained-glass boat dangling in the window. His father had taught him how to sail a fishing vessel before he died. He had stuck with the hobby even after he and Tora, his cousin, had left their home country to settle in the Land of Fire.

The door creaked open. Only one person came into his room without knocking.

"Tora?"

He listened to her shut the door and come over to his bed, blocking the sparkly sunlight. Her face was concerned.

He sat up and regarded his cousin. Her shaggy black hair - almost identical in texture to his - framed her dark golden face and fell in an unruly ponytail down her back. She had a slightly more angular jawbone than him, a narrower nose, and darker skin. Arashi touched the indent of his nose and brow. "Look." He reached over to the table and picked up a necklace. It was made from a cord of leather that was strung through two wolves' teeth. He slipped it on. "This was my dad's."

Tora nodded mutely. Sometimes she could say more with her silences than by talking.

"Why did he tell me it was going to be okay?" Arashi whispered, mostly to himself. "It wasn't. It's not. He's dead." His voice cracked painfully on the last syllable. "I hate him. I hate him."

"He didn't want you to worry," ventured Tora softly. Arashi felt the familiar anger that her father - Mano - had survived, and his hadn't boiling in him.

"Well, that's easy for you to say, isn't it?" he spat. "Your father is alive."

Tora's eyes were chips of ice. "You know what?" she said flatly, getting up, "Jacen deserves more respect than you give him."

"Go away, Tora," he ordered, falling back onto the sheets even as she shut the door. An immense wave of guilt rose up in him, making his eyes water. Dad... I'm so sorry.

WA 2 draft 1

Arashi sat on his bed. The wooly blanket underneath his uncovered hands itched and felt much to rough to ever sleep on. And yet night after night he found comfort under these coarse layers of fabric. He was feeling extreme physical hypersensitivity on this day. The reason? Today was the ninth anniversary of the day his father did not return from the war with the Village of the Mountains. He gazed at the pockmarked off-white wall and saw his father's dancing hazel eyes. He studied the chestnut wardrobe and his father's lighthearted smile His voice, Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, Arashi-kun. You'll be a man soon enough.

Yeah, well, too late for that, Dad, Arashi thought bitterly, feeling the rough stubble on his chin. He had decided to quit shaving about a month earlier. He lay back on his bed, squinting through the bright light that streamed through his window. The weather had been unfailingly sunny and warm all week, an ironic counterpart for his grim mood. Dangling from the ceiling was a wooden boat that his father had carved for him as a third-birthday gift. His father had shown him how to sail a fishing vessel. He had stayed devoted to the practice even after he and Tora had left the Snow Country to settle in the Fire Country. 

The door creaked open. Only one person came into his room without knocking. 

"Tora?"

"Hey." He listened to her shut the door and then his light was blocked out as she appeared over his face, her brows drawn in concern. 

He sat up and regarded his cousin. Her shaggy black hair - almost identical in texture to his - framed her dark golden skin and fell down her back in an unruly ponytail. She had a slightly more defined jawbone than him, a narrower nose, and very defined eyebrows. Arashi touched the indent of his nose and his forehead. "Look." He reached over to the night stand and picked up a necklace that was sitting on it. It was made from a leather cord, on which was strung a pair of wolf fangs with holes cut into the roots. She nodded.

He slipped it over his head. "This was... my dad's."

"I know."

"Why did he tell me that it was going to be okay?" he whispered, more to himself. He looked down at his hands, rough and scarred from years of fighting and training. "Why did he promise me that? He was wrong."

"You know he was just telling you that so you wouldn't worry about him," offered Tora gently. Arashi felt the old enmity that her father had survived and his hadn't returning. "Easy for you to say!" he snapped. "Your father is alive!" 

Tora's eyes were chips of ice. They always became like this when he yelled at her. "I think Jacen deserved more respect than you're giving him," she said flatly, getting up to leave.

He didn't need any of her wisdom right now. "Just leave me alone, Tora," he rasped, feeling tears sting his eyes. He heard her shut the door behind her. He lay back on the bed and let angry tears course down his face. Why, Dad?

When I was about thirteen years old, I went to my cousin Becky's wedding with my dad. The wedding took place in October 2006. When I was first asked, I didn't want to go. Then I thought it might be fun, and so at the last second, I said yes and packed my bags. 

I'm so glad I did. I've never had more fun at a wedding. My cousin Becky was the second cousin in my family to get married. When it was time for her to walk down the aisle, the atmosphere of the room became decidedly somber. The reason was because a few months earlier, her father had left her mom and the family unexpectedly. We never really learned why. I know that it was really hard on my grandparents and dad, to say nothing of poor Becky and her brothers. Her grandfather was the one to walk her down the aisle. I felt sad for Becky because I know she wanted her dad to be there, but I was also very happy when she reached the altar and the vows were said.

The highlight of the evening was definitely dancing with my dad. It started when I went out to dance to a few songs with my dad, who was my dad, who was my "date" for the evening. After a while, the music became more energetic and more people came out onto the dance floor. And soon I found myself in a circle of family members, dancing like a lunatic, laughing, and wishing I could've been allowed to wear my sneakers. 

Normally when I dance I do it behind closed doors, by myself, and if someone comes in I stop. But being out there, surrounded by people I loved, something happened. I think a combination of excitement and happiness caused me to drop my inhibitions and shyness for one night and just enjoy myself. For once, I wasn't sitting at a table wanting to go home like I often am at parties. I was trying to coax my cousin Laura into dancing. I was doing the conga with my uncles. I was watching my hyperactive second cousin run around on the dance floor in her little white-and-red dress. I even took off my shoes and danced barefoot at one point.

I think that being happy can sometimes override every other emotion in your mind, such as the fear of looking foolish and embarrassment at having to wear the stupid pink sweater my mom picked out for me. It even overrode the sadness I felt for Becky in her father's absence. But that's just fine. It's nice to simply be blissfully, innocently joyful sometimes. 

WA 1 draft 2

When I was about thirteen years old, I went to my cousin Becky's wedding with my dad. The wedding was in October 2006. At first, I hadn't really wanted to go. Then I decided - at virtually the last second - that it might be fun, so I changed my mind and packed my bags. 

I'm so glad I decided to go. I've never had more fun at a wedding. My cousin Becky was the second cousin in my family to get married. When it was time to walk her down the aisle, I remember how everyone got all quiet and solemn. The reason was because a few months earlier, her dad had unexpectedly broken up with her mother and left the family. We never really knew why. It was really hard on my dad and grandparents, to say nothing of poor Becky and her brothers. So, her grandfather walked her down the aisle instead. I felt bad for Becky because I knew she wanted her dad to be there, but when she got to the alter and vows were said, we all cheered because we were very happy for her. 

Still, the highlight of the evening was dancing at the wedding reception. It started when I went out to dance to a few slow songs with my dad, who was my "date" for the evening. After a while, the music became more energetic and more people came out onto the dance floor. And soon I found myself in a circle of family members, dancing like a lunatic, laughing, and wishing I could've been allowed to wear my sneakers.

Normally when I dance I do it behind closed doors, by myself, and if someone comes in I stop. But being out there, surrounded by people I loved, something happened. I think a combination of happiness and excitement caused me to drop my inhibitions and shyness for one night and just enjoy myself. For once, I wasn't sitting at a table wishing to go home like I often am at long parties. I was trying to coax my cousin Laura into dancing. I was doing the conga with my grandpa and uncles. I was watching my second cousin run around the floor in her little white-and-red dress. I even took of my shoes and danced barefoot at one point.

I think that being happy can sometimes override every other emotion in your mind, such as the  fear of looking foolish and embarrassment at having to wear the stupid pink sweater my mom picked out for me. It even blocked out the sadness I felt for Becky for her dad's absence. But that's okay. It's nice just to be blissfully, innocently joyful sometimes.

WA 1

One of my most recent memories of a really fun experience was in 8th grade when I went to my cousin's wedding with my dad. It was in October 2006. Originally, I hadn't wanted to go, but at the last minute I changed my mind. 

I'm so glad I did. It was the most fun at a wedding I've ever had. My cousin Becky was the second cousin in my family to get married. When it was time to walk her down the aisle, I remember how everyone got all quiet and solemn. The reason was because her father had left a few months ago, unexpectedly. It was really hard on my dad and my grandparents, to say nothing of poor Becky and her brothers. I didn't really understand what had happened at the time, but I felt really bad for Becky since her parents had been together since I could remember. Still, when she got to the alter and the vows were said, everyone cheered, because we were all really happy for her.

But the highlight of the evening was dancing at the reception. It is difficult for me to explain what happened, but this is how I can describe it best. It started when I went out to dance to a few slow songs with my dad, who was my "date" for the evening. After a while, the music became more energetic and more people came onto the dance floor. And soon I found myself in a circle of family members, dancing like a lunatic, laughing, and wishing I could've worn my sneakers.

Normally when I dance I do it by myself, behind closed doors, and if someone comes in I stop. But being out there, surrounding by people I lived, something happened. I think a combination of happiness and excitement caused me to drop my shyness and inhibitions for one night and just enjoy myself. For once, I wasn't sitting at a table waiting to go home like I often am at a party. I was trying to coax my cousin Laura into dancing. I was doing the conga with my grandfather. I was watching my second cousin run around like floor in her little white-and-red dress. I even took off my shoes and danced barefoot at one point. 

I guess that being happy can override every other emotion in your mind sometimes, because I think that's what happened to me. But that's fine. It's nice not to worry about how you look to other people sometimes.

Testing test first post...