Going into Hiding Part 13(Final)

Dear Diary,

       Today we have all gathered at the radio to hear some urgent news. The food supply has been restored...Finally. My dad had to pull a couple of strings but we got it. The news reporter has just stated that Markos, the man who caused all African Americans all this trouble, has committed suicide because government officials were looking to bring him to justice. After the news was shared, we all cheered and thanked God for keeping us alive. 

       We then waited for a couple more weeks and we came out of hiding. Many people were shocked to hear what we went through for the past five years. We were even invited to interviews with news stations like CNN and talk shows like Ellen, Oprah, Good Morning America, and The Steve Harvey Show. Our experiences and many others like us went viral. I embraced the publicity at first, but then after a week it started to get to me. 

6 months later.....

       

     After all the excitement went down,we all went back to our somewhat normal lives. My dad got a huge promotion and now he works with Bill Gates in Microsoft. My mother is now one of the top managers in the VA. My older brother now works as doctor alongside Ben Carson. My little brother and I attend a rich private school in the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York along with our cousins. Aiden and I are finally together and we have been going strong for a couple of months now. Don't worry we are not like those lovey dovey couples that can't live without each. We are a couple that are still best friends but at the same time we know that we're together. 

    God had it planned it out all along. A couple of years ago, I would've never thought that I would be here alive in my right mind. Although we lost some people along the way, we came out stronger in faith than to we have ever been. 

Goodbye Diary I will miss you!

Forever and always,

Shannon

Going into Hiding Part 12

Dear Diary,

I'm in full out panic mode! Tomorrow our food supply will run out! Noooooooo! I started hyperventilating when my father shared the news to us during breakfast. I completely lost my appetite after the announcement and went to my room to cry and think. Aiden came and comforted me and told me that it was going to be alright when in truth it was not. We talked about and tried to figure out why the food disappeared. We were just mindlessly speaking our thoughts when I discovered why. During the snow storm and even after everybody at least went into the fridge once or twice per hour. So we came to th conclusion that everybody was to blame. 

We went and told everyone this and they agreed. The next question was what are we going to do now? The answer was to put it in God's hands and that's whale are currently doing. I pray that some way somehow food will turn up.

Yours truly, 

Shannon 

Going into Hiding Part 10

Dear Diary,

Right now my family and I have been preparing for a terrible blizzard that's supposed to be coming our way in a couple of hours. I don't really see why we have to prepare considering that we have a fully stocked fridge, lots of clothes for all seasons, and things to entertain ourselves with. My mom said we may have all of this stuff, but we still need to prepare for a power outage. We had to fully stock on batteries, flashlights/lanterns, and canned food. 

The storm has arrived and I am extremely scared. I'm curled up next to heater embracing the heat that it has to offer alongside Aiden who has become my best friend over the past couple of months. We talk for a couple of hours and before we know it the storm had passed. Despite the storm ending, we continue to talk about various things from food to what we wanted to be when we grew up. 

It's finally bedtime and I am so tired. Today was actually one of the few good days that I have had since I went into hiding. I might even have developd a crush on him......maybe. Let's just keep this between you and me just for the time being until it's official. 

Wish me sweet dreams,

Shannon 

Going into Hiding Part 9

Dear Diary, 

Guess what? We are going to relocate and I am adamant of leaving.This place was just starting to grow on me. The reason we had to move was because the weather was changing. The place that we were staying in was meant for spring and summer so we had to move into the mountains for the cold months ahead. Our shelter for the time being was a camouflaged house located in the Rocky Mountains that my father had built a couple of years before. 

The problem is that we need a form of transportation to get there without being seen. My father who was recovering reassured us that he would find a to get us all there in one piece. He finally came up with a plan that stated that we had to travel in the tunnels underground the city and take them all the way to edge of town and finally come near the woods and walk half the say there. The rest of the way we would take our bikes to the destination. Of course we would cover our tracks and make sure that nobody is following us. 

The day of we had to say our goodbyes to the Beamans' who have felt like an extended family to us and everything that we hav ever grown accustomed. I'm hoping that we have more room in this new house. We can't be tumultuous or else we would have a greater chance of getting caught. Throughout  this my brother kept a sullen expression on his face. 

After the discussion, I asked him what was wrong. He told me the positives and the negatives of moving and how we could get caught during the move. I reassured him and said that we will be fine and God will take care of us. To make him feel better, I prayed with him and stayed by his sir until he went to sleep. Tomorrow night is the big move. I pray that we get there safely. I'll write as soon as I get the chance and tell you all about it. 

Yours truly,

Shannon

Going Into Hiding Part 8

Dear Diary, 

I am having a really bad day. For starters I didn't actually wake up on the right side of the bed this morning because my little brother kept on waking me up! He said that the reason was important......for an 11 year old! He got me up for helping him with a puzzle. Are you kidding me!! Next, he decided that he wanted to prank me knowing that I was mad at him from earlier on. He along with my father decided to for this at lunch. Here's how it went down.

Everyone was just coming to the table. Being the lazy person that I am, I arrived last. Before I could even sit down, my brother pulled the chair from underneath me. As soon as sat down I fell to the floor. The whole table burst out laughing except me. I gave Jared a death glare saying that he WILL pay big time for this.

The opportunity came when everyone was in the family room playing board games. I got some ice from the freezer and put it inside Jared's shirt. He leaped up out of his seat and starting jumping around like a mad man from the freezing temperatures. Everyone started laughing so hard that some of us fell out of our chairs. Jared looked at me like he wanted to strangle me. I just gave him a smug look in return that said "we're even". 

After that we all went to dinner and then headed to our rooms for bed. I stopped in Jared's room and apologized and he did the same. 

To sum everything up, it was a pretty eventful day and I am exhausted. 

Goodnight,

Shannon

Going into Hiding Part 7

Dear Diary,

I have some terrible news! Don't worry nobody died, it's just that my dad is really sick with the flu and I must say he is a wreck. My mother says that if he doesn't get treatment soon he could develop lung complications such as acute bronchitis. Acute bronchitis occurs when your windpipes, the organs that help carry oxygen to your lungs, swells up. The symptoms include a persistent dry cough, discomfort in the chest, fatigue, shortness of breath, and a headache. Another lung complication is pneumonia. Pneumonia symptoms include fever, vomiting, weakness, chest pains, coughing, chills, and shortness of breath. 

I don't even want to continue. It gets even worse. Everyone in our hiding spot stopped today at twelve and prayed silently for him. We continued throughout the day and stopped to eat only once. Thankfully my mother and my aunt were both nurses before the crisis. They gave my father some herbs in the form of tea and slowly but surely is becoming better. We continue to pray everyday for him and at this rate he will definitely be alright.

Yours truly,

Shannon

 

Going into Hiding Part 6

Dear Diary,

I'm just reflecting on the fact that all my technology is gone and I won't be getting it back anytime soon. I don't mean to sound ignoramus or anything, but I had a tech savvy house. I had an iPad that I used for school and it really made my schoolwork seem less stressful rather than using pencil and paper. I also had a Windows 8 laptop that was used for entertainment, paying bills,and schoolwork help for my little brother. The TV really want being used because we didn't have a carrier. There several reasons and all are personal. 

On the day that we left, I felt upset cause I was leaving apart of home. My little brother almost surreptitiously brought his 3DS with us, but my father put an immediate stop to it thank goodness. 

Now that we have gotten used to the conditions, Jared is not as saucy as he was a couple months ago when we did go into hiding. He thanks God everyday for almost getting us caught before we could even disappear. He still acts like a ruse bum, but it's an improvement from earlier behaviors and I'm not complaining. 

Yours truly,

Shannon

The Diary of Anne Frank Part 2

     Hello again, I am currently reading about Anne's internal battle. She is thinking that her sister is always getting off easy when it coms to getting in trouble and she is getting the bad side if it. Her mother clearly doesn't care about her and Anne feels the same way. She only looks up to her father but is starting to have doubts about him because of his treatment to her sister, Margot. Anne is not jealous of her sister in anyway but she just wishes that her parents will love her for who she is. A clown and a mischief maker. 

I used to be in her position a long time ago. When my little brother first came into the world and as we grew up to together, I felt that my parents always took up for him and not for me. I felt neglected and unloved except my olde brother who treated me like a princess. Now that I have matured a bit, I feel so stupid about my behavior because it was jealousy that made me feel that way. My brother was treated a certain way because he was younger and he needed more attention. 

Currently, my brother and I receive the same I amount of attention and scoldings alike. I just hope that everything works out for Anne like it worked out for me in this situation.

The Diary of Anne Frank

     Good morning to all my readers! I hope you all are having a great day. Today's weather in Atlanta is what I would call a stuff yourself with food and watch tv all day type of day. In other words, it is a rainy day. Unfortunately, I am at school. The bright side is that we only have 6 weeks left. Woohoo!!

Anyhow, I am blogging about this book that I have been reading over the past couple of weeks. The book is titled the Diary of Anne Frank. This story take place during World War Two and is about this Jewish girl's personal experience on the time that she is living in. Her father came up with the brilliant idea to go into hiding until the war was over. So far, I am up to the part where she is rooming with this family called the van Daans. Anne has various views on each van Daan. Anne has a huge disliking towards Mrs. van Daan because she always insults her everytime she does something that's wrong in her eyes. Mr. van Daan is like a second father to Anne and treats like she really matters unlike his wife. Peter van Daan is classified as a humorous, hypochondriac boy. He like Anne is a clown and likes to make people laugh. 

So far I think this story is going pretty well and I hope that I learn to treasure my life more from this book.

Going into a Hiding Part 5

Dear Diary,

     Right now I just want to give a big 'round of applause to Ms.Beaman. In case you don't know who she is, this is the brave and beautiful woman that is taking of my family along with her husband. They are both young at heart and very sweet people. They always argue at the littlest of things but yet when they make up it's the most adorable thing ever. Ms.Beaman always gives me good advice on teenage life and gives me school lessons when she is up for the task. The Beamans also have children. Caleb, Jaiden, and Felicia are their names. Caleb and Jaiden are my older brother's age and Felicia is my age. They are really great company when they come over as well. The Beamans help us in terms of food, clothing, and when needed plumbing. 

I'm really scared for their lives because what they are doing is taking a huge risk that could result in death. I tell them this all the time, but they just normally brush me off and say this is what Jesus would do. I agree with them whole heartedly, but I still fear for their lives. I just pray that God will keep them safe.

Yours truly,

Shannon

Going into Hiding Part 4

Dear Diary,

Today is what I would call a lazy day. I did no chores and I didn't have to babysit my niece today because everyone said that I needed a break that I could not refuse. 

Today my family and I were reminiscing the good times that we had before these hard times came upon us. I especially liked when my dad brought up the living room which we always had good laughs in. Just thinking about it makes me smile and feel upset at the same time. We had almost everything in there. We had a couple of mom's diplomas hanging on the wall which had a couple cum laude listed on a couple of them. 

We also had a few bad memories in that room as well. My serious case of lumbago started in that room when I slipped and fell on my back because of my little cousin's mayhem like behavior. Grandpa also had his fall in that room which resulted in grandma being hypochondriac about him ever since. 

That is only the tip of the iceberg and I wish I could tell you all about but I am afraid that I am running out of paper. Yikes! I have to go anyway. My cousin is planning on giving me a makeover and I don't even know why. Good bye cruel world!

Yours truly,

Shannon

Going into Hiding Part 3

Dear Diary,

I have some shocking news! My friend Kayla and her family have been taken to prison and no one knows why. The news was shared with us through my father during dinner. Talk about bad timing because after the announcement, the atmosphere turned from blithely to tense. I then excused myself and went to my room which is where I currently am now writing in you. 

At least I can talk to Aiden about it. He has become by best friend or beau like my cousin put it. I don't really se him as boyfriend material. I told my mom this and she said not yet at least.*Sigh* I won't say that she is right but I can't help but feel that sense of ardor when I am around him. I don't want to tell him that because I'm afraid of rejection. Kristal tells me to go for it but I say otherwise. I told at the right time and place.

Oops I ran out of time to write again. My little brother is going to be cheering me up right now. I doubt his plan will work but with his ingenuity I think I'm in for a wild day.

Wish me luck,

Shannon 

Going into Hiding Part 2

Hey Diary, 

I am so eager to tell you what happened today. I just found out about some news from the Catholic Church through an Angelican pastor and let me tell you, things are about to take a turn for the worst. The Catholics are saying that all church denominations need to unite and become one as "brothers". I think that is outrageous. All they want to do is to take over like they did during the Dark Ages. Sadly, this event has to occur before Jesus returns again so we have to let it be. 

To tell you the truth, I am really scared but my mom tells me to have faith. I try but every time I think about it, I want to pee my pants. It's not an easy thing to process especially since something like it happened so long ago. Oh! I hear my mother calling me for dinner. Mmmmm it smells like Mac and cheese. 

Until tomorrow,

Shannon

Going Into Hiding

Before anyone starts to freak out about the title, let me reassure you that it's not what it looks like. I was given an assignment today saying to imagine myself going into hiding for a reason that I came up with. The reason is because I am an African American.

Hey Diary, it's me....again. These days I have nothing much to look forward to because half of my freedom has been taken away from me. I have to go to an all black school. I can't associate with anyone outside my race. I have to be home by 8 P.M. and I can't hang out with other Christians at their homes. My family and I can't even drive in our own car! These laws make me so mad and yet we can't do anything about it. 

I just can't wait until this all ends and when it does I will have a big party to celebrate our freedom. Until next time,

Shannon

The Holocaust

Hey guys! It has been a minute since I last blogged about something. I admit I've been having an eventful couple of weeks so there has been no time to post anything.

Anyhow I was given another assignment today. I was told to write about the Holocaust. Interesting topic right? I know a couple of things about the Holocaust that you all might know as well. It consisted of the death of 1 million Jews which was caused by Hitler and his belief of a perfect race. The majority of the Jews died in concentration camps. After the war, the world was shocked to find out about the horrors of the concentration camps from the survivors who lives through it.

I learned this information from books like Hana's Suitcase and movies like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I also went to a couple Holocaust museums that each gave intriguing information.

Like most people that's only the tip of the iceberg to what I know about this gruesome time in history. There some things I would like to know about the Holocaust. How were the survivors able to survive? What did they do once the war was over? How did it feel to be hated by the world?

There are some things about the Holocaust that we will never understand. We can't change what happened in the past. All we can do is to prevent this type of genocide to never happen again in the near future.

The Importance of Writing

    On Friday, I was given an assignment to read two articles about writing and how it affects today's economy. They explained that writing is the most used subject in today's society. From social media to the workforce writing is apart of everyday life.

    In the first article, the writer gave three tips about why writing is important in any profession. The first reason is that it forces you to think. In other words, it is challenging your brain to think outside the box. When this occurs, it allows your brain to expand. The second reason is that it allows you to take on a different viewpoint. This allows you to view on other people's feelings or "putting yourself in someone's shoes". The third reason is that you will be better at communicating verbally. By writing really well you will also learn how to talk very fluently as well. I learned from this article that writing can be your way to communicating well or even becoming a better person.

The second article was about the importance of good writing. The writer used real life examples to get the point that they wanted across. All of these examples took place in the workforce. I learned from this article that writing matters, especially if you want a good laying job.

Letter to a Celebrity

Today in Mrs.Bacon's class we were told to write a persuavive letter to a celebrity that advertises bottled water. My thoughts were why would a celebrity listen to a bunch of highschool kids that have nothing better to do with their lives. Then I reassured myself and said that it really wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Here's what I put.

Shannon Lewis
P.O. Box 360278. Decatur,GA 30038
shannon.lewis@aaa.edu

February 10, 2014
Jennifer Anniston
9150 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills,CA 90212

Dear Ms.Anniston,
I have an issue concerning the product that you are advertising. I have learned that bottled water is not a very good thing to use as a source for a drink. It may be more efficient but it has its many flaws. Have you ever wondered where your water bottles go after you use them? Well, some water bottles that are supposed to be recycled end up going into land fills and pile up in someone else's backyard in a different country. I find that extremely unacceptable.
Another thing that the water companies are not telling you is that the water that is contained in those bottles was stolen from a river in this country or somewhere in the world and shipped here to be sold. People in third world countries can't have access to free clean water because these companies have taken over and controlled where the water goes. These companies are stealing their water and selling it back to them three times the price and it seems that they can't do anything about it.
We here in America can make a difference. Ms.Anniston since you are a celebrity you will have a larger influence on people. If we can have your support it will be greatly appreciated. I believe that we can all come together as one and contribute into making sure that third world countries will have clean drinking water each and everyday.
Thank you in advance for answer the letter.
Sincerely,

Shannon Lewis

Water Filled Day

Today is what I would call a water filled day. We had so many water based things to do in class, it was overwhelming. Of course it was an assignment so I had to go along with it.

The first part of class consisted of us taking a bottled water survey. The questions were a breeze. The next part of class consisted of us taking a water tasting test. We were to comment on a scale from 1 to 5 on how good or bad the water tasted under three columns which were flavor,odor, and aftertaste.
The first sample of water was nasty but bearable. It had no odor and the aftertaste was weird. The next sample was the most wretched thing I have ever tasted. The odor was unbearable and the taste made me want to vomit, but I drank it all anyway. The final sample smelled like chlorinated water but it tasted so refreshingly good.

After everyone finished putting down their opinions, our facilitator told us what each brand of water the samples were. The first sample was Purified Water from Sam's. The second sample was Deer Park and the final sample was tap water.

Following the activity, we watched two videos based on water bottles. The first video was about how water bottles are made and how companies claim that tap water is bad when reality it is good for not only you but the environment. I learned that even though they claim it is terrible, they still use it in their best selling water bottles. Coca Cola's Dasani and Aquafina both are made with tap water. I also learned that a majority of our water bottles are sent into landfills to be left there or to be burned up. The rest of the bottles are recycled which is not as much as you think it is. My thoughts on the video are that people, including me, need to give tap water a chance. It is not so bad as companies putti out to be.

The second video was about people saying that bottled water was better and healthier than tap water. In the video scientists were checking to see if there was any difference among the two and they confirmed that it was just water and there is nothing different about them. People in the video did a water tasting test just like we did and most of them little did they know checked off tap water as the best tasting one. Evian was voted as the worst tasting one. My thoughts on this video are that it doesn't really matter if you drink bottled water or tap water but at the end of the day it is still water and it is still essential to Earth's survival.

Thoughts on Water Based Video

Today I was told to watch a video about water from charitywater.com. I was a little resistant at first,but I thought it wouldn't kill me just to do it. After all it is an assignment. I followed my teacher's directions and clicked the link for the video.

The video explained how women and children alike travel three hours a day just to get to the nearest swamp, pond, or river just to get water. The water has been sitting out in the open exposed to many forms of bacteria. The journey returning is tough and dangerous because they are carrying 40lbs of water and often get hurt or attacked. The water they collect is contaminated and causes many diseases such as diarrhea which results in death. Over 1 billion people are living this way in the Subsaharan region of Africa, Southwest Asia, Latin America, and other developing countries.

What I felt after I watched the video was guilt because people in the United States including me waste water, a precious resource, everyday when it is needed by so many people. It allowed me to think about things that I take for granted and I think I came up with a pretty good list so far; Food,clothing,my education(sometimes),house,and family. The list goes on and on.

But thank God there is always a solution to every problem. Charitywater.com has given each person an opportunity to donate just $20 to this solution. Pumping wells that are built in villages can allow women to take only a fifteen minute trip which allows women to get an education, tend to families, and set up a business. This will allow children, especially girls to go to school and allow to fulfill their dreams.

I honestly think that those three minutes of my life have changed the perspective of how to live my life. It has showed me to always care and be thankful for everything that I get because God has blessed me with whatever I have gotten.

Is Water Really A Renewable Resource?

Question: Is water a renewable resource? Is the earth in danger of running out of water?

Answer: Yes water is a renewable resource. The Earth will always have the same amount of water and will never run out but since certain stages in the water cycle take awhile to complete, the water can sometimes be hard to get to. Water spends a small quantity of time as rain or snow but water in lakes take up to decades to cycle. Water in oceans and glaciers can take up to thousands of years to cycle. Places where water is scarce, it becomes non-renewable. After the water is used up, it won't come back which will be catastrophic for Earth's inhabitants.

 In conclusion,water is a very precious resource and it should not be taken lightly. When it is all used up, the world's animals and people alike would die off before anymore water comes back.

The Reflection of DHMO

Today I checked out a website that explained about the effects of DHMO in our enviornment. The information that I received was mind blowing. DHMO is practically water,but is deadlier. DHMO can cause life threatening injuries and death. If not put under control, it can cause enviornments to be put in danger.

 DHMO was found as one of the "enabling components" in acid rain. It is also an ally in causing soil erosion which is another big problem that environmentalists face today. DHMO exposure has also caused devasting hurricanes Katrina and the Indian Ocean hurricane were both a product of DHMO.
DHMO is also responsible for quite a few types of cancer such as Leukemia and Fwing's Tumor.

All of these have a major effect on mankind and the enviornment. This goes to show that DHMO is bad for us. I am not saying that it should be destroyed, it just needs to be put under control.

 Water is one of the many things that keeps us alive. It covers 75% of earth's surface. It comes in the form of oceans,rivers,streams,and lakes. It gives every living creature the sense to quench their thirst.

 Water comes in many types of weather forms. Rain, snow,sleet,and fog are one of the few forms that water comes in. Water is essential in all parts of the world. From the cold,barren Antarctic to the tropical rain forest of the Amazon, water helps people and animals alike to survive on this planet called Earth.