Column Response Blog Assignment

          I will be answering the assignment questions about the column "In a Word, a Slice of Perspective".
          1. When people are reading this column, I believe that the author wants the reader to feel a little sad because of all the unfair things people experience in life. Also, she probably wants the reader to feel ungrateful and self-reflective. The article made me realize that I am not very grateful for the things I have. I tend to complain a lot when there are so many people who have much worse things happening to them, so I should be more grateful for all that I do have and not focus so much on the things that I don't. I think that is what the author wants people to think about.
          2. I think the author wants the audience to remember that people should be grateful for what they are given, and not take their lives for granted. Even the author's disabled sister who has a lot she could complain about, said that compared to some of her mentally ill friends who had been abandoned by their families, she had a lot.
          3. The purpose of this column is to be an eye-opener for people. It was written to remind people of just how fortunate they are, and how more time should be spent being grateful, than complaining about your problems in life.
          4. The author uses short, abrupt sentences to get ideas to stick in your mind. For example, after her sister said that she had a lot compared to some people, the author said "She does. So many of us do". Using that sentence structure, the idea pops out and sticks in the readers mind more than it would have if she had put those words in front of a longer sentence where there is more information to be processed. The author uses elevated diction in her column to be more descriptive and create a better impact with her writing. An example of this is where she says, "the death count rises as inexorably as the sun." Using the word "inexorably" instead of a word like "unstoppable", she creates a stronger impact. Also, using elevated diction can make the author look more intelligent and credible.
          5. This column is very valuable in today's society. There are so many people out there that do nothing but complain when they have so much to be grateful for. Hopefully, this column can make a difference by showing people just how fortunate they truly are. This is definitely something people need to be reminded of, myself included. I once heard a story about a woman who really wanted children, but she was not married, and it didn't seem like her dream would ever come true. She was a teacher and she took her frustration and anger out on the kids she taught by being cruel to them and all the kids were afraid of her. When she got old, she was in the hospital, and she finally realized how foolish she had been. She might never have had kids of her own, but she was a school teacher, and she had lots of kids around her all the time. She could have been grateful that she at least had that, and that her life was actually pretty good, but she focused on what she didn't have, and it ruined her life.