TWYH pages 141-176

This sections stood out to for two reasons, both of which are tied into personal experience. The first thing that stood out to me was the profound experience of going to DC. I went to our nations capitol for the first time last spring during spring break. It was a quick trip, a spur of the moment trip. When the group of people that I went with and myself learned that a round-trip bus ticket from new york (where we were actually going on the break) to DC was only $30 we decided we should take advantage of the opportunity to see our nations capitol. I don't think i will ever forget that trip. true, the weather was miserable, but even though it was cold, rainy and windy and i didn't even have an umbrella with me the trip was awe inspiring. I have never really been somebody with a deep sense of patriotism but that trip made me realize the beautiful principals our nation was built around and stands for. I left that day thinking that even if our country wasn't perfect we did attempt to build a country as perfect and liberated as possible. I thought maybe Keith at least had a similar experience. The second thing that really stood out to me was the notion of the buttons worn for the people they knew that had died. When i was 16 i suffered the unspeakable pain of having my cousin, my best friend, take his own life. To this day i still have on my car dashboard a sticker with the number 27 (Jason's number from football),as well as a green and white ribbons pinned to the ceiling in my car (green and white are the colors of winthrop school system which is kind of like a second home to me.) . The idea of the buttons being worn in remembrance reminded me so much of my own means of holding the memory of a passed loved one that at points the section of reading was almost impossible. Also, I thought Erin was more the teacher that she should be in this chapter. I highly respected her for taking Henry aside and telling her an F was a "fuck you" and unless he could say that her she would not fail him. I respected her willingness to engage her students in a non-traditional project and trust them to produce earnest material.