The Christianville Spirit: In My Brother, Michael's Honor

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

October 27, 2011- TCS # 272

So, I’m sure that a lot of You, My lovely readers were thinking last night, “Where is Christian’s Newsletter?” because it usually is released on Wednesday and it hasn’t come out. Well, first off sorry for the late release but, yesterday was My Brother, Michael’s birthday and I wanted to celebrate with him. So, in honor of My Brother, I’m going to write about him. I guess it’s my way of wishing him Happy Birthday other than a Birthday Card (which I got him also). You See, My Brother, Michael has been my brother since October 26 of 1988 and I’ve loved it ever since. Now, yes My Brother drives me a little crazy sometimes but, that’s normal. It’s called “Brotherly Love”, it’s the best love you can get from a man without going overboard. So, Here’s something I didn’t think about until now. Last Night I was watching a recording of Erin Burnett OutFront on CNN, She interviewed someone who did a study about siblings, apparently Siblings are the most influential people of your life and here’s the shocker; Even more than Your Parents or Friends. At first, when I heard that I didn’t believe it because I thought your parents were the most influential but, it’s your siblings. I remember one time when I was younger, we were driving the road in San Antonio when I saw a nice neighborhood entrance that had Live Oak Trees that had good trucks for Pictures and I told My Dad, “I wanted to take pictures of Me and My “Beautiful Brother” so, we turned around and we stopped to take pictures; They actually turned out pretty great. Now, at that time My Brother didn’t really want to take pictures, he just wanted to get home and play video games. Of Course, now that My Brother and I have grown older he and I are both very proud of each other. My Brother is so proud that he can help explain about me and PTLS to as he knows about it and here’s the toucher for me, he calls it by name. Of Course, sometimes when I mention a PTLS Family Members‘ Name, he forgets sometimes and asks “Who’s that?”. Then, My Mom or I have reminder him who they are. To show how proud I am of My Brother, in The City of Christianville, I even named a major street in downtown after him called W. Michael St. and I’ve made it the street where people hang out and there’s entertainment. Another showing of how proud I am of him is that he made me a shirt for My Birthday with a drawing of how he depicted me and I wear it quite often. Sometimes, I even show it to some of his friends to see what they think and they think it’s awesome. For some reason, however the only problem is that I commonly misspell his as “Micheal” instead of “Michael”. All in all, I had an awesome by My Brother last night and I wouldn’t trade him for The World, he is AWESOME!

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. A relationship with Your Sibling is very influential. Cherish it!   

The Christianville Spirit: My Thoughts on Anti-Bulling

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

October 19, 2011- TCS # 271

So, My Readers, I’m going to Write to You about a View that I have about something. This is about getting along with and making Friends. You See, with most people with Special Needs, there is an issue about Staring at or feeling uneasy about talking to us people with Special Needs, Disabilities, or “Intellectual Disabilities”. I heard something a couple days ago, that they said on CNN as a preview to Anderson Cooper’s Anti-Bullying Campaign and they said that people bully because they think, “Someone who is different is Scary”. Now, even I can understand that with others with Special Needs but, that’s because (that least for me), I would be most afraid of offending that person by something I say or If I want to discuss what Special Needs they have. Of Course, considering that people were nicer in My Day, I really didn’t have any issues making or having friends. After My Mom explained to them about what I had (which at that time was just known as Dup17p11.2) and they wanted to play and hang out with me. I mean, Our Neighbors that lived next to us when we lived at Mr. Jeff’s House or now known as Our Childhood Friends, one of them offered to beat up a kid who was bullying in 5th Grade. Now, as far as the bullying front goes, I’ve only been bullied once by kids in the 5th Grade and they kept throwing spit balls at me. As a Young Adult, I still have many of same friends and ones that I had since High School. Of Course, the new ones I make like hanging out with me and I’m thankful to My Brother also helping his friends understand me because they like to hang out with me when they come over to jam with My Brother. As My Mom says, however, I do a good job ignoring those people who don’t understand me. Usually, I do that only if people don’t understand me, don’t try to understand me, or lean over to My Mom and ask, “What did he say?” instead of asking me to repeat myself. I mean, I don’t feel like I should waste my time with People who don’t understand, so I just shut down and ignore them. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do make good friends and I talk to them often. When I was Young, I didn’t understand what was going on because I always saw the good in People and I didn’t see the Bad. Now, that I’m a Young Adult, I still see the good in people because it’s the way My Brain is wired and it’s not really my choice. However, If I did have the choice I would stay the same. However, I’m also aware of the bad people of The World and People being bullied and it bothers me. I’m also unfortunately aware of all the mean words against people including those with Special Needs which is used often. But, I don’t want you to think that I do so. All in all, Just because people have gotten meaner since My Day doesn’t mean that you should be Mine also.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Just because your child has Special Needs doesn’t mean that they see the Negative in Everyone. You’d be surprised to see that they don’t see the evil in People.       

The Christianville Spirit: How to Become an Honorary Local

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

October 12, 2011- TCS # 270

So, I was watching this show on The History Channel called Around The World in 80 Ways, it’s about these Americans who travel The World using 80 ways in Transportation like a Zip-Line or Monster Truck. Anyway, on the show Last Sunday, there was one point of the show where their walking down the street of Rio De Janeiro, asking in English, “Do you know a Good Restaurant?”, “Do You speak English?” and most people answered “No” or didn’t know what they were saying. After a couple tries, one of guys says something along the lines of “Speak Spanish because they speak it here” and the other guy responds “This is Brazil, They speak Portuguese”. Anyway, I thought about that part of the show, late that night and I thought, “Learn or at least TRY to speak the Language!”. So, I going to tell you what I think in what I’ll call “How to Become an Honorary Local”. The first thing is the Language of The Country or to us Americans, known as the “Language Barrier”. Learning the Language can accomplished to two ways, You can earn extra points with the locals if you learn The Language and have a conversation. Now, of Course that is harder than it looks to learn a whole new language and you don’t have to learn the whole thing if you don’t want to. But, know enough to have a good conversation and that is the most you can do to impress them. The next way is the easier way and it shows that at least your trying to learn the Language, which in turn will impress the locals. You know those Language Guidebooks they have at the book store, you should get one to help you speak the language because can that help. Of Course, there are other options including your own iPod or iPad(I have the iTranslate app), There’s Google Translate, and finally, having a Personal Translator come with You. But, it doesn’t matter what method you use as long as you Try to speak it and it’ll impress them as well as show Respect towards their country and them. Of Course, luckily in some countries in The World like in certain places in Europe do speak English but, more as a second language and their language first. In that situation, because you don’t know if they speak English, talk to them in the national language and then, ask in their language if they speak English. Now, the only problem with trying to speak a language and how to find the right way to say something is pronunciation of the word or phrase. So, My advice is to the do the best you can or it helps to say “How do You Say...”. In Spanish (because it’s the language I hear the most) it’s “Como se dice’...”. So, the next thing to become an Honorary Local is often overlooked and can get you in Trouble, considering how certain places feel around Americans. Now, any Lady reader will jump at this one, it’s mostly Looking and Dressing like them. Of Course, to Women that means Shopping! And to Men, well what can you do. However, though (both Men and Women) it’s for a good cause. Now, looking like a Local is no easy feat because it requires more research on the country that your going to and figuring out what they wear. The general rule of packing of what to wear, is wear nothing that makes you look American, including; Tennis Shoes, T-shirts, anything with the American Flag (by the way, that’s not a good thing for me because I have many of them), or anything that makes you stand out. Now, because they may or may not sell the clothes that locals where in that country, you wear comfy clothes to get there and then, find Local Clothes at The Airport or a store once you settle in at The Hotel. After you’ve done the Language and Clothes, then comes the fun part and that is Join In with the traditions of where your at or also People Watch to see how Locals behave and Imitate them (without making fun of or mocking them). The final thing deals when it comes to Eating and that is pretty easy, Just watch those around you how they eat and eat like them. Now, why am I telling you this? Because in some countries, they can tell that your a tourist or not from around by the way you eat. All in All here, The Most Important thing is to have some respect toward the country of where your at and it’s people.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. When in a new country, do what the Locals do.               

The Christianville Spirit: My Thoughts on Halloween

The Christianville Spirit

The Spirit that Sparks Your Heart

October 5, 2011-TCS # 269

So, As most of you know, it’s that time of year again. Now, usually I write that during the Holiday Season but, this time I mean Halloween which is My Least Favorite time of year. You See, I’ve always had some kind of dislike of the holiday known as Halloween, even when I was younger but, I hate it more now than I did. There are several things that I don’t like about it. First, the scariness of it, like for example, Haunted Houses, Anything with Blood in it, and stuff that it seems like it came out of a Horror Movie. Next, the thing that bugs me the most, Costumes. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind seeing the cute ones of Children and I can see their face. But, I don’t like the Masks, any kind of Mask; Scary Ones, That Scream Mask that bleeds(that by the way, makes me sick), Alien Masks, and any other kind of Mask. I don’t like Masks because I like to see the persons face, I mean it’s weird when your used to talking to a person’s face, instead your talking to a Mask or when someone says, “Talk to The Hand”, I’d rather not talk to a Hand. Now, because I told you this, I should tell you that I did do it when I was a Child but, I didn’t really comprehend how much I hate Halloween now than when I was younger. I can tell you that the only thing I like about Halloween is the candy, especially the Caramel Candy Corn. My Mom would always say, when I asked “Why do we have Halloween?”, She would say, “It was to celebrate the Fall Harvest but, I think that Satan got a hold of it and made it scary”. I think one of the reason I don’t like Halloween more now Vs. When I was Younger is because Halloween was a little more innocent then. Now, It’s more scarier than it was. Now, believe it or not, I do have a Favorite Halloween Memory (even I don’t like Halloween) from when I was Younger. You See, My Brother, The Barsi Kids(Mr. Jeff’s Kids),The Herricks and I were one of the lucky children of Plano because we could run through four yards without running into a fence and we lived on a cul-de-sac. So one year, We decided to have a Halloween Block Party on our Cul-de-sac. After it was all set up, we ate dinner at the table on the cul-de-sac then, they assigned one of the parents to take a group of us kids to go Trick-or-Treating. After we went Trick-or-Treating, we went back to the party, we hung out for a while, and then we went back inside. However, that was a fun Halloween. All in all, try to remember that not everyone likes Halloween, it can be a scary thing especially for those who can’t express themselves.

Thanks for Reading The Christianville Spirit. Try to step into others ‘ Shoes. You might see a different world.