Day 2: Izzy

1. Ruben Barreda is one of the prisoners at the juvenile hall where Mark is teaching.  When he goes to read first Mark discovers that he's not just some dumb kid, but a writer with a purpose.  Ruben's story about clouds was more than just talking about clouds and describing them, but it was really about how he never had time to notice them because he was too busy wrapped up in things that he thought were more important.  He admits that all he cared about was tagging and hanging out with his friends; he never stopped to appreciate what really mattered in his life.  He was too busy being influenced by his peers to realize what was right in front of him and see everything he had.  Being influenced negatively by others brought him down and he was begging for a way out but had no way of coming out and saying it.  He was distracted and his fear of being shunned by his friends shyed him away from thinking and being himself.  On page 20, he says how he was "hypnotized" and that even if he had wanted to see more, his eyes wouldn't let him. He knows what he's done was wrong and that if he hadn't been influenced so heavily and had just opened his eyes he could've prevented being in the situation that he's in now.

2. I think often that I, along with other people my age, get influenced by a lot of our pop culture such as music, movies, and television.  What we watch and what we listen to affects who we are as a person. Sometimes I think it's a good thing, for instance if you listen to music that really makes you think and opens your mind, it can mature you in a way and expand your mind, but sometimes I think the music that we can listen to can affect us negatively and sometimes without us even knowing it.  You may not be a violent person but the music you listen to can hit you on a subconscious level and before you know it you could start acting out.  Often though I believe you are influenced the way you want to be influenced.  If you don't want something to affect you negatively, it won't; if you want something to affect you positively then it will.  As young adults, influence is a large part of our lives and I think it's important for us to open our eyes and realize what's influencing us and how it's going to affect us.