The Jackal

From A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

When he got out of the house, the air was cold and sad, the dull sky overcast, the river dark and dim, the whole scene like a lifeless desert. And wreaths of dust were spinning round and round before the morning blast, as if the desert-sand had risen far away, and the first spray of it in its advance had begun to overwhelm the city.

Waste forces within him. and a desert all around, this man stood still on his way across a silent terrace, and saw for a moment, lying in the wilderness before him, a mirage honourable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance. In the fair city of this vision, there were airy galleries from which the loves and graces looked upon him, gardens in which the fruits of life hung ripening, waters of Hope that sparkled in his sight. A moment, and it was gone. Climbing to a high chamber in a well of houses, he threw himself down in his clothes on a neglected bed, and its pillow was wet with wasted tears.

Sadly, sadly, the sun rose; it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions, incapable of their directed exercise, incapable of his own help and his own happiness, sensible of the blight on him, and resigning himself to let it eat him away.

Nightmares

The first nightmare I had last night was that I was back at CVS, my first school and a massive building, the largest high school in Chicago. I was walking from the parking lot through the lawn. All the students were milling their way in when all of a sudden bombs started falling from the sky. Kids were blown apart everywhere. We all started running towards the school, desperate to get inside. Once inside we could here screaming from outside. The principal was handing out guns and all of a sudden the front door looked like the door to a castle. The door was shaking. The last thing I remember was two students waiting for the door to break down. They were carrying flame throwers.

The next dream that I had was much worse. Behind ACE is a long stretch of empty land where the Robert Taylor homes used to be. In my dream I "woke up" and I was lying on the floor of my classroom. All the books and posters were strewn everywhere. I walked around but the school was empty. I couldn't see except by moonlight that was coming into all the windows. I walked to the backdoor and could see something, and heard a moaning. I walked out into the moonlit field. There was a very tall cast iron fence dividing the field in half. It went on for miles and ended at ACE. The fence was about 10ft high, and made of iron spikes. On each spike was an impaled student, as far as the eye could see. I ran as fast as I could until I reached the fence. Looking up I saw the lifeless face of one of my favorite students. Other students were moaning louder, begging for me to help them. They were too high for me to lift them off of the fence, so I tried to shake it, which hur tthe students but I hope I could pull the pickets off and let the students totter on the spear and pivot to the ground, like a reverse pole vaulter. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a handful of allen wrenches, but none of them fit the hole. I kept running, looking for the right wrench to unattach the picket from the supports. But the students kept dying until I started crying, and sat down with blood dripping onto me from above.

Insulted

We watched a movie called Wetback: An Undocumented Documentary. I obviously was worried about the title, so before I told the students what the movie was, I put up the following Do Now:

What was the worst insult that you have ever been called, or the most offeneded another person made you feel? How did you react? These are some of the answers

I was called a nigger on the golf course

Oe of the worst things that I've been called was a nigger by a white boy in Oak Park. He was playing but I wasn't and me and my cousin chased him but he was on a bike.

I was called a border hopper. And then one time a cop called me a stupid mexican gangbanger that's all I'm good at he going to see me dead in 2 years

The worse thing anyone has called me was cunt. Or white trash. Or bitch

The most offened someone made me was when me and my teamates on the ACE Tech construction team were in a Hilton Hotel in Milwakee. And we were going up the elevator and she called us suspects. I She said I wonder what these suspects can come up with. I don't know what she meant by that but this was very offensive to me.

The worst insult was when a white police called me a ugly nigger. I wanted to spit in his face but I didn't want to get beat up.

The worst thing anyone's every done was call me a Haley but I didn't do anything because it was funny.

The worst thing anyone has ever called me was a bitch ass spic. I handled it by beating the shit out of him.

Someone called me a fat lazy bald headed bitch. I handle it by not saying anything to them and I show them what a fat lazy bald headed bitch can do, by taken their girl and let a lot of female be around me more than his own girlfriend.

The most offensive thing a person has said to me was go back to mexico or shine shoes and make tacos because you are a wetback. The way I handled it was to ignore it and I learned to get over it.

I've been called a lot of names. I usually don't react. Unless they really piss me off.

The worst thing someone ever said to me was that I was too fat to do something. I sometimes get picked on about church and that really depresses me too.

Cuz I don't care what ppl say about me cuz they try wanna B me and I dont let it get to me because ppl try to break you down and I am not going to let them.

When someone told me I looked like Steve Urcle's sister. The older steve urcle without his glasses but it was still an insult. I told that person they looked like a retarded Eddie Murphy and that shut him up.

The worst thing I ever was called was a bastard. That offended me a lot and it still offends me.

I guess when people always call me a lame.