221 In On the sidewalk bleeding, i think that Andy begins to realize what life is really about. He really at first doesn't realize that being in a gang isn’t all that. He thinks that being a Royal is his life. Truthfully, its a death wish. I also think that they didn’t stab Andy as a person. They stabbed the purple jacket that symbolized being a Royal. When he was dying he realized his mistakes and that he would miss so much of his life. I think that if Andy would have known the consequences of being in a gang, he would have never done it. This story relates to my life because when I make a bad choice, I normally get myself on a guilt trip. I feel bad for what I've done. I don’t know about you but sometimes when you make a mistake, you think about it for a long time and wish you never did it. That’s what I think Andy was thinking when he was dying of the sidewalk bleeding. That’s how this story relates to me and what I think about this story.
205 My thoughts on #1 are as follows. I guess Andy realized how stupid the whole being in a gang thing was. After the thoughts went through his head it really makes things sound stupid. Some random people stabbed Andy, not because Andy did anything to them, but because the jacket did. The title is worthless because he might have been one of the cool and the baddest but that means nothing when you’re dead or when you are somewhere else in life. My thoughts on #2 are as follows. Andy stuck to his morals even though he knew he was dying. He knew he was a Royal and was glad that even if he died he would die for the title. He knew he would die as a Royal, and that’s what he wanted. My thoughts on #3 are as follows. The world didn’t care. He knew that if someone found him that he would just be a Royal, not an Andy but a Royal. He knew that no one would care if they found another Royal dead but if they found Andy it would be different. My thoughts on #4 are as follows. The jacket just meant he was one of them. People could look at him and not think that he was Andy they would look and go just a Royal. The title changes how important he is to the world. With the jacket he is just another one but without it he is Andy and he is original.
Andy decides that his life is ruined because of being a royal. He thinks that he wouldn’t have been killed if he was just Andy and not a royal. He realizes that he had thrown his life away and can’t go back and fix it. He realizes that because of his choices, he will die with the world not knowing him, but knowing that he was a Royal.
I have learned from Andy’s experience, that I should just be me. I shouldn’t get caught up in bad things, but be my self. With the world knowing me and not just knowing a group I’m in, I may live better. I might have a chance of living longer, and I can make something of my life.
I can connect to Andy because people used to judge me because I played violin or that I had played any of my instruments or sports. I felt judged with out people knowing me or why I did those things. I keep doing these things but now I don’t talk about it so I am not judged quite so much any more.
205 @221 I definitely get what your saying. When I do something I know is wrong I always get caught up in guilt. Most of the time its a lot of small things that end up making one big thing. Nice post!
To: 221 From:202 When ever I do something wrong I do think about it for a long time. If it was something I never would have done I would feel dead inside. I like you connection because you told how you felt about the whole thing.
205 @212 I've been influenced by a lot of things too, and this story really made me stop and think about things differently. I guess any decision you make about anything you really have to think about the long run. Good post.
218. Andy thought being in one of the biggest gangs had meaning behind it, but after being stabbed for being a Royal, he soon realized there was no point to being it a gang. What was it worth? Not dying over a title, over a name on a jacket. It wasn’t worth losing his life over something incredibly small and stupid. Being in a gang meant what? Claiming to be something for someone and known as only that, but not known for yourself wasn’t worth being in a gang.
Towards the end after realizing all of this, Andy is mainly focused on getting this dumb jacket, title, off of him. Dying and being known as dying a royal, but not Andy wasn’t right to him. He was determined to make it clear he was Andy, not just some part of a stupid gang.
After reading about Andy’s experience, my opinion about gangs was clarified even more. They showed me that, being in gangs isn’t as cool as something people really think it is. They fight, sometimes even kill each other for what!? For people supposedly claiming a certain territory of their location, when in fact that place never really belonged to thing in the first place? It doesn’t make any sense for so much violence to be caused over something as stupid as gangs.
I kinda can relate to Andy’s experience to my life, because my brother used to be in a gang too, one of the biggest two. (bloods and crips) He could of easily been in the same situation Andy was in! How would our family cope with that had that happened?! I can also relate to his experience, because I have friends who are in gangs. I know some of them who have been stabbed or shot at, or visa versa.
209 In my opinion I don’t believe that they knew Andy was a royal. He owes his death to the title of being a royal and his purple silk jacket. The person who stabbed him said something sort of like” take that you royal” not take that ANDY. The rival gang had simply stabbed him due to the fact that he had the purple silk jacket on. He was stabbed as a royal NOT Andy. This title does not serve as any good if your dying because you are dying as a royal not yourself. Andy could of prevented this by just not wearing the jacket.
The quote “even in his pain, there had been some sort of pride in knowing he was a royal” is ironic. The reason he is on the ground dying is because he choose to be a royal. There is a certain pride to a title but what good is it if you die for it? What good is it to die because of a hate for the jacket rather than Andy? I think Andy had some sort of pride in being a royal because it really meant a lot to him. It maybe even helped him feel accepted. I think as Andy laid in his pain he realized that the jacket was worthless and the jacket was what got him killed. He did not want to die a royal but Andy.
Andy’s life and his mistakes practically flash before his eyes while he’s lying on the sidewalk bleeding. He thinks about all the things he wished he could have done before this moment. He thinks of his girlfriend Laura and how their lives would have gone. Andy realizes that he wants nothing to do with the gang he is in. The only reason he was stabbed at all was because of a jacket. He realizes he wasted his time hanging around this gang instead of doing what he really wanted to. Although now it’s too late.
I learned from Andy’s experience that you should experience as much of life as you can before you die and it’s too late. Instead of trying to fit-in and be someone you’re not, you should be your-self, and not let anyone else’s opinions influence your decisions.
I can relate to Andy’s life because I know what it feels like to feel like you’ve never accomplished anything in your life. I also understand how he feels like no one is noticing him or even cares about him. The fact that no one will help him because of who he is, I can relate to that as well.
#202 Andy thinks about his whole life because he knows that he is going to die. He thought about his girlfriend Laura and how one day he will marry her. He knows though that he will never get the chance. The main thing Andy thinks about is that if people really knew him as Andy or if they only knew him as a Royal. He wants people to know him for him not from a label that is on his jacket. That’s why in the end he takes off his jacket so he can die as Andy. Not a Royal but as Andy. Andy decides that his life changed when he became a Royal. He thought it was so cool at first but then it made his life worst. For one thing he got stabbed and another it label him. He didn’t want to be know as a gang member because it wasn’t him. In the end he changed back to just being Andy because that life was way better than being a Royal.
Andy learned to be only himself and no one else. I can relate to Andy because when I was elementary school I thought we were really cool. Everyone knew us and we thought we were all that. My friend and I grew apart because she got jealous. I had some other best friends and she thought she was the best. She went her separate way and I went mine. I realized that she only made life seem cool but I made it cool on my own.
218. 205.. I have to disagree that he wanted to die as a royal, because in the story he takes off his jacket. In attempt not to die as a royal, but as Andy.
The thought process in which Andy goes through is he thinks about his girlfriend Laura, and how when he’s older he would like to get married, and have children. He also thinks about the decisions he made about becoming a Royal, he thinks that maybe he shouldn’t of became one. By the end of the story Andy decides that his life is over, that he’s dying. He thinks about why they stabbed him. He also wonders if they stabbed him Andy, or did they stab the jacket that he was wearing. What I learned from the story was that everyone makes mistakes in their life that they will regret, and they learn from those mistakes. Some things get you into more trouble than others do. I also learned that when you make mistakes that sometimes you don’t really know that it was a mistake until something happens form that mistake. This story relates to my life because I lost someone that I was really close to, and that I loved just like Laura did when Andy died.
Near the end of the story Andy decides he hasn’t done much with his life. He believed that being in the gang made him unable to do what he wanted to do in life. He also decided he didn't want to be in the gang anymore. What I learned from Andy’s experience is to never be involved in gangs. I could get hurt or even killed. I also learned that it would be holding me back from what I want to do. I can relate Andy’s experience to my life because my brother was stabbed. He was trying to get drugs but didn’t pay. The guy who stabbed him was in a gang. The only difference was my brother lived
Dear 225, I understand what you mean when you say you've been judge by what you do and not by who you are. I think everyone goes through that. I'm glad you're not judge as much anymore!
I agree with you that when people judge you, its horrible! I also think that they judge Andy by his "Cover" He wanted to just be Andy I also get judged for certain things too.
#201 The thought process that Andy goes through about his life is that he made a stupid decision to become a Royal. Being a gangster is what got him shot, and now he won’t get to marry his girlfriend and have a life with her. Andy at the end of the story decides that he does not want to be a Royal anymore. He then takes off his Royal’s jacket and tries to get as far away from it as possible. Andy does this so that when whoever finds him won’t think he’s a Royal, but Andy. What I learned from Andy’s experience is that joining a gang isn’t a good thing. Like Andy, many who are in gangs lose their lives early. Andy was only sixteen, and he had the rest of his life planned out. Only to get them taken away from him because of a gang. I cannot relate to Andy’s experience in my life because nothing like that has ever happened in my life.
218. 225 I think being judged is a little different from how Andy was being looked at. It wasn't so much him being judged, more him being disliked because of the group he was in..
Blogger#221, I agree with you about how Andy was only stabbed because of the jacket. I also see what you mean about guilt trip. Andy did look back at his life, feeling sad.
Your response used a lot of details. I love how you explained your response and said what you thought of it. I really enjoyed you response nice job. From 212
To:225 From:202 That's sad that you were judged for begin you. If you have true fiends talk to them about it. Don't let yourself be shut out you might miss something. I like how your true about your connection. Good job.
213 I think Andy’s thought process and what he decides about his life is that he wants to live. while he was in the alley he was thinking to himself about that he wanted kids and marry Laura. Andy now knew he didn’t want to be known as a royal he wanted to be Andy. What I learned from Andy's experience is that I shouldn't be in gang. I want to be known as me I don't want to just be known for being in a gang. People in gangs die at early ages and dont get a chance to live. I can relate this to my life. Some of my family have been in gangs but none have died. I’m not close to any of those people but I know when there in jail and stuff.
I mostly agree with you except on 2. You said he was happy he would die as a royal even though,in the end, he tries so hard to get the jacket off. He does NOT want to die for that title, the story even says so.
I think that Andy had a lot of emotions going through his head. I know if I was laying there dying with blood oozing out of my body, I’d have tons of emotions running through my head. Andy decides that he wished he was “just Andy” instead of being “A Royal”. He was hoping someone in the world around him would hear him and call for help or call a police officer.
From Andy’s experience i learned to never try to be a part of something that is more than you can handle. Andy is a boy just like I am a girl and getting involved in gangs and stuff at this age is dangerous. It’s dangerous at any age and I wish people wouldn’t have created gangs.
I can’t really relate to Andy’s experience because i have never been stabbed, or seen anyone being stabbed or already stabbed. The closest thing I’ve been to being stabbed was in a bike accident. I flipped a couple times and I had a huge gash on my leg oozing out blood. It felt like someone took a knife and peeled layers and layers of flesh off.
blog#204 Andy’s thought process was that he wasn’t dying and he had just been in a fight. Then he realizes that he’s been stabbed, but he still doesn’t know that he’s dying. When some old drunken person comes and practically laughs at Andy he realizes that he could die from this. Then he goes on to wonder if the attacker was a Guardian. “Had they stabbed him Andy or had they simply stabbed the title”. The Guardians were a rival gang to the Royals which had been the gang Andy was in. So he wonders if the attacker even knew he was Andy or had they just seen that he was a royal and attacked. Then he believes the jacket was getting him killed. He doesn’t care if he died because of it but he wanted to take off the jacket. He did so with great effort, but just because he took off the jacket, it didn’t stop him from dying. A couple hours later Andy’s girlfriend Laura finds him dead. The cop that was on the scene with Laura looked at the jacket and didn’t care that his name was Andy, just that he was a Royal. What I learned from Andy’s experience was not to get involved in a gang. I can relate Andy’s experience to my life but I don’t want to share how.
I think that they didn’t stab Andy because they didn’t know who he was. They only knew that he was a Royal. Andy had pride for being a Royal because it was a very big gang and he felt “cool”. Nobody really cared who he was they just mainly cared what gang he was with. People decided not to help him because he was a Royal. If it wasn’t for the jacket he probably wouldn’t have been stabbed. Andy made a bad decision joining a gang. There are too many risks being in a gang and they’re not worth it. I think that Andy should have used more thinking and actually seen what happens when you join gang and all of its consequences. All because of his choice of being in the Royals made him lose his life at a young age. This story shows how much is at risk when you join a gang. Being in a gang isn’t worth it. You might think your “cool” and top of the line but it’s just a mix up of trouble. You could get arrested and put in jail for some of the things gangs do. If I ever joined a gang I would regret it later in life. To me it has to be one of the worst life choices.All in all, being in a gang will just cause inconvenience.
to 221 from 213 I can also relate to the story in that way. I get in trouble and make bad decisions myself. I hope that what me and you do doesn't lead us down the wrong path.
218. 214..Great post! I agree completely with the statement you put about his life flashing and him not accomplishing much of anything. As he's dying it really hits him how stupid this gang is, to not even live his life for that title. Awesome post.
What Andy finally thought about his life is that he didn't want to be a royal any more. After he got stabbed, the jacket was just a stupid symbol. He would still be alive if he was not wearing the jacket. The boy did not stab him, he stabbed the jacket. In the story he said he wanted to get the jacket off of because he did not want people to know a royal died. He wanted people to know that Andy died.
From Andy’s experience I learned that gangs are no good. Being part of a gang is just a symbol, it means nothing. It is not worth dying for. If you do die from being in a gang its not because they hate you. It’s because they hate the gang you’re in.
No, I can’t relate Andy,s life to mine. I have never been part of any thing bad. Nothing bad enough that people would hurt me just because I am wearing the color of the group.
205 @218 I meant at that point in time he thought it was cool that he was in a gang fight. He didn't even know he was dying yet. Sorry, I guess that was kind of confusing.
#216 This first quote means to me that they didn’t stab Andy because of who he was, they stabbed Andy because of who he was involved with, or who he associated with. They stabbed him because of the jacket, not because of him.If Andy wouldn’t have been wearing the jacket at the time he got stabbed, he probably wouldn’t have gotten stabbed. To me this second quote means that even though he got stabbed because he was a royal, it still felt good to be in one of the biggest gangs. Many people think it’s cool to be in a big gang but truthfully I don’t think it is, it’s just unnecessary violence. It doesn’t make much sense to me because if being in the gang was the reason you got stabbed, then why would you have pride calling yourself a Royal? This third quote means that the world didn’t know he was Andy, they didn’t know he was alive, nobody knew his name, all they knew about him is that he was a Royal and that’s all they cared about. Nobody knew that he was Andy, that he had a pretty good life, all they knew is that he was a Royal. The fourth quote meant to me that Andy didn’t care about the jacket now. It was the jacket’s fault he had a large cut in his chest, the jackets fault he was dying. By now Andy didn’t care about the jacket all he wanted to do is go back to his girlfriend.
205 @209 Your blog makes a lot of sense. I think the same thing about the title being no good. I also agree with the fact that they stabbed him as a Royal. It's a really good post!
205 @209 Your blog makes a lot of sense. I think the same thing about the title being no good. I also agree with the fact that they stabbed him as a Royal. It's a really good post!
Blogger #228 At the beginning of “On the Sidewalk Bleeding”, Andy feels proud of being a Royal. As the story goes on, he starts to think that the decisions that he has made were foolish and stupid. He decides that being a Royal hasn`t done anything for him, except get him stabbed. In the end, he decides that he wants to take off the jacket. He struggles in pain to do so.
I have learned that being in a gang doesn`t do anything for anybody. It only brings pain and death. I did already know that, but his experience helped remind me of that.
I can not relate to Andy`s experience, for I have never been in, or seen a gang. I would though want to be know as me, and not something else. I would never even want to join a gang, for I can do better things with my life.
218. 222.. You said ,"Some things you get in more trouble than others". I don't really think it was trouble he got into, more of a consequence suffered rather than trouble. As you say, some suffered harder than others.
205 @225 I was writing about that moment in time. Not about the end, but in that moment he thought it was cool to be in a gang fight. I know it was confusing, sorry.
to 206 from 213 that is a good point you made about that he doesnt want to be a royal any more. He wanted people to know hes andy. I think when he took off the jacket was huge part of the stroy.
219 Andy is a bandwagon junkie at first. He thinks being a part of something will make him better than who he really is. Andy is convinced that wearing a jacket that has the name of his gang on it, will make him invincible to the outside world. It took a knife impaling his stomach and an hour of fluent blood flow running from his body to realize that he is human. He figures out that the jacket doesn’t define him, or at least he doesn’t want it to. Andy knows the jacket only has meaning to those who read it. He doesn’t want to follow others. Andy wants to be an original among copiers. Andy wants to be Andy. Andy’s personal image alters my opinion of who someone really is. I learned that the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” stays true. You cannot look at someone and assume you know who they are. You don’t know anything until you personally get to know them. Humans are a specie that strives on being social but also on being private with themselves. Not a single person can guess another some one's intentions. When Andy wanted to take off the jacket as the last thing he did, I knew that Andy was now realizing that people are too quick to judge. He knew that people’s opinions about someone can be persuaded by inanimate objects. Relating Andy’s story to my life is somewhat difficult for me to do. You see, Andy was a ‘follower’ as he did what he thought was “cool.” I am not like that. I have been and always will be a leader and true to myself. One thing I do have a correct correlation to though, is that the people who tried to help him were scared of who they thought he was. I was one of those people. I was too quick to judge. That factor of me has changed after reading this because I know there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.
216 @209 I agree with you because if Andy wasn't wearing the jacket he wouldn't have gotten stabbed and he wouldn't be lying there on the sidewalk. It was his choice to be a Royal he didn't have to be one, he chose to be one.
#226 When Andy is laying on the sidewalk bleeding he starts thinking about all the decisions he has made in his life. He was sort of convincing himself into thinking he wasn’t dying. The whole time he kept thinking about Laura. He was thinking about how he wanted to get married and have kids with her. He soon realizes that his dream might not come true. In his sorrow and pain he starts thinking about how being part of the “Royals” was a very stupid decision. He wish he would die as Andy not as a Royal. Andy tells himself that they did not hate Andy, they hated what the jacket symbolized. I think it was a very powerful moment when he took the jacket off, and died as Andy.
Andy’s experience impacted me in a huge way. I think he became a Royal because he wanted to fit in. Now, I’m not in a gang or anything, but there has been times in my life where i want to fit in. I do have a lot of friends at school, but sometimes I just feel alone. When I read the story it just made me realize how it is not that important to fit in. To just be myself, and if someone wont except me, I don’t need to keep trying to be like them. There is way more people in this world that will except me just the way I am!
I actually can relate this to my life. About five years ago my uncle was almost murdered. It didn’t really have to do with any gangs though. Two of his employees called him one night, because their car “broke down”. When my uncle got there, they beat him with the bat and left him unconscious, they thought he was dead and they threw him into a river. He survived, but while that was happening he thought about all the mistakes and decisions he had made. When he recovered, he turned his whole life around. Even though Andy didn’t get a second chance, he still left this world in peace knowing he died as Andy!
Dear #225, I liked how you added examples from the story. The part were Andy was telling him self that no one will know that Andy died, they will only know a royal died. I thought that was a good part to add.
to 221 I agree with you that being part of a gang is a death wish. You never really know the consequences of really anything until it happens but you know he probably wouldn't have joined if he had known what was in his future. I give myself guilt trips too.
205 @209 Thank you, its kind of hard to reply to that response though. Can you give me some more examples of things you liked, or that don't make sense, or that I could change?
I'm glad you realize that you should just be you. This world is full of fakes. Besides originals are worth more. You shouldn't afraid to share that you play violin because you think you'll be judged. Let the 'judgers'think what they want. Being true to yourself is more important.
218. 224 Gross! The way you put that in words sounded awful. I could just imagine how much pain you were in. Just picture being STABBED in the knee. Ouch!
Some people do things to people just because of what they do, or in Andy’s case, what they’re wearing, “he was a Royal wearing a purple silk jacket”. Also, by just wearing something can make people not like you. Even when something bad happens to someone (getting stabbed), they can still feel like they actually belong somewhere (with the Royals). “There had been some sort of pride in knowing he was a Royal.” Sometimes people feel like they’re all alone in the world. So, when they’re feeling like that, they feel as though nobody knows that you even exist. "The world didn't know he was Andy. The world didn't know he was alive."
When people wear things (the Royals jacket), that it has a meaning. A meaning that probably everyone will see it differently than other people. Regular people would be like; “oh, he’s a Royal, better stay away from him.” While other gangs like the Guardians would think; “oh, he’s a Royal, let’s go kill him”
People who choose to join a gang know that they’re hated by other gangs, and could get themselves killed, but they still join. Andy just wanted to belong to something, so he joined a gang. He also, knew that he was going to have to watch his back 24/7, but that still didn’t happen. When someone joins a gang, they’re practically signing their life away. All-in-all, joining a gang pretty dumb, because you’re going to end up dead sooner or later.
210 Andy’s thought process went slow as he ponder about if he was going to live or die. He thought of how the people that cut him. They didn’t cut him because he was Andy, they cut him because he was a Royal. He thought about Laura, and about how he only wanted to be himself. He thought if he got out alive he would not be a Royal. He thought about what people would say when they found him. Would they think he was Andy or “just another royal.” He takes off his jacket proving he has no respect for the Royals anymore.
Andy decides He to take off the jacket. The silky purple piece of cloth with the word Royal on the back destroyed his life, at only 16 he was going to die.
On The Sidewalk Bleeding reminds me of where i grew up. How everyday and night gangs roamed the streets looking for a fight. Looking for someone that didn’t belong. Looking for someone they didn’t want there. Andy was stabbed because the Guardians didn’t want him there. The Guardians were looking for revenge or some way to show the Royals that they were better. The setting reminds me of where I lived. Walking down the street at the wrong time could be absolutely deadly, and for Andy, it was.
223 I think that quote number one means “Had they stabbed him because of gang related things or because he was Andy?”. I think that the other gang killed him because of the Royals’ jacket because people don’t normally kill other people for no reason, so they couldn’t have known who he really was much less care. Personally, gangs disgust me. I mean, what are you trying to get out of it? Andy thought after he was stabbed that he didn’t want to be a Royal any more. He did not want his life to end so soon. He says that he didn’t even life live at all yet. Andy tells himself at the beginning that he isn’t dieing. Not exactly reassuring, but I don’t know if he lives or not. I learned from Andy’s experience that you shouldn’t waste your life by joining gangs and such. Is it really worth it? I’d like to go back in time and talk to one of those gang members to see why they joined. They’d probably say, “I love to get in those rumbles!” Really? Well, that’s my pet-peeve. I can’t relate this story to my life because I would never join a gang. It’s just a bunch of stupid people that fight and kill. I can’t really say much more.
69 comments:
221 In On the sidewalk bleeding, i think that Andy begins to realize what life is really about. He really at first doesn't realize that being in a gang isn’t all that. He thinks that being a Royal is his life. Truthfully, its a death wish. I also think that they didn’t stab Andy as a person. They stabbed the purple jacket that symbolized being a Royal. When he was dying he realized his mistakes and that he would miss so much of his life. I think that if Andy would have known the consequences of being in a gang, he would have never done it.
This story relates to my life because when I make a bad choice, I normally get myself on a guilt trip. I feel bad for what I've done. I don’t know about you but sometimes when you make a mistake, you think about it for a long time and wish you never did it. That’s what I think Andy was thinking when he was dying of the sidewalk bleeding. That’s how this story relates to me and what I think about this story.
205
My thoughts on #1 are as follows. I guess Andy realized how stupid the whole being in a gang thing was. After the thoughts went through his head it really makes things sound stupid. Some random people stabbed Andy, not because Andy did anything to them, but because the jacket did. The title is worthless because he might have been one of the cool and the baddest but that means nothing when you’re dead or when you are somewhere else in life.
My thoughts on #2 are as follows. Andy stuck to his morals even though he knew he was dying. He knew he was a Royal and was glad that even if he died he would die for the title. He knew he would die as a Royal, and that’s what he wanted.
My thoughts on #3 are as follows. The world didn’t care. He knew that if someone found him that he would just be a Royal, not an Andy but a Royal. He knew that no one would care if they found another Royal dead but if they found Andy it would be different.
My thoughts on #4 are as follows. The jacket just meant he was one of them. People could look at him and not think that he was Andy they would look and go just a Royal. The title changes how important he is to the world. With the jacket he is just another one but without it he is Andy and he is original.
#225
Andy decides that his life is ruined because of being a royal. He thinks that he wouldn’t have been killed if he was just Andy and not a royal. He realizes that he had thrown his life away and can’t go back and fix it. He realizes that because of his choices, he will die with the world not knowing him, but knowing that he was a Royal.
I have learned from Andy’s experience, that I should just be me. I shouldn’t get caught up in bad things, but be my self. With the world knowing me and not just knowing a group I’m in, I may live better. I might have a chance of living longer, and I can make something of my life.
I can connect to Andy because people used to judge me because I played violin or that I had played any of my instruments or sports. I felt judged with out people knowing me or why I did those things. I keep doing these things but now I don’t talk about it so I am not judged quite so much any more.
212, I think you did amazing in your blog and I love your word choice!
#201
205
@221
I definitely get what your saying. When I do something I know is wrong I always get caught up in guilt. Most of the time its a lot of small things that end up making one big thing. Nice post!
#205, I don't think you did this blog correctly. You should reread the instructions and try again.
#201
#221 to #212
I agree with you sometimes what/who may seem cool could get you into trouble or hurt.
To: 221
From:202
When ever I do something wrong I do think about it for a long time. If it was something I never would have done I would feel dead inside. I like you connection because you told how you felt about the whole thing.
205
@212
I've been influenced by a lot of things too, and this story really made me stop and think about things differently. I guess any decision you make about anything you really have to think about the long run. Good post.
218. Andy thought being in one of the biggest gangs had meaning behind it, but after being stabbed for being a Royal, he soon realized there was no point to being it a gang. What was it worth? Not dying over a title, over a name on a jacket. It wasn’t worth losing his life over something incredibly small and stupid. Being in a gang meant what? Claiming to be something for someone and known as only that, but not known for yourself wasn’t worth being in a gang.
Towards the end after realizing all of this, Andy is mainly focused on getting this dumb jacket, title, off of him. Dying and being known as dying a royal, but not Andy wasn’t right to him. He was determined to make it clear he was Andy, not just some part of a stupid gang.
After reading about Andy’s experience, my opinion about gangs was clarified even more. They showed me that, being in gangs isn’t as cool as something people really think it is. They fight, sometimes even kill each other for what!? For people supposedly claiming a certain territory of their location, when in fact that place never really belonged to thing in the first place? It doesn’t make any sense for so much violence to be caused over something as stupid as gangs.
I kinda can relate to Andy’s experience to my life, because my brother used to be in a gang too, one of the biggest two. (bloods and crips) He could of easily been in the same situation Andy was in! How would our family cope with that had that happened?! I can also relate to his experience, because I have friends who are in gangs. I know some of them who have been stabbed or shot at, or visa versa.
209 In my opinion I don’t believe that they knew Andy was a royal. He owes his death to the title of being a royal and his purple silk jacket. The person who stabbed him said something sort of like” take that you royal” not take that ANDY. The rival gang had simply stabbed him due to the fact that he had the purple silk jacket on. He was stabbed as a royal NOT Andy. This title does not serve as any good if your dying because you are dying as a royal not yourself. Andy could of prevented this by just not wearing the jacket.
The quote “even in his pain, there had been some sort of pride in knowing he was a royal” is ironic. The reason he is on the ground dying is because he choose to be a royal. There is a certain pride to a title but what good is it if you die for it? What good is it to die because of a hate for the jacket rather than Andy? I think Andy had some sort of pride in being a royal because it really meant a lot to him. It maybe even helped him feel accepted. I think as Andy laid in his pain he realized that the jacket was worthless and the jacket was what got him killed. He did not want to die a royal but Andy.
214
Andy’s life and his mistakes practically flash before his eyes while he’s lying on the sidewalk bleeding. He thinks about all the things he wished he could have done before this moment. He thinks of his girlfriend Laura and how their lives would have gone. Andy realizes that he wants nothing to do with the gang he is in. The only reason he was stabbed at all was because of a jacket. He realizes he wasted his time hanging around this gang instead of doing what he really wanted to. Although now it’s too late.
I learned from Andy’s experience that you should experience as much of life as you can before you die and it’s too late. Instead of trying to fit-in and be someone you’re not, you should be your-self, and not let anyone else’s opinions influence your decisions.
I can relate to Andy’s life because I know what it feels like to feel like you’ve never accomplished anything in your life. I also understand how he feels like no one is noticing him or even cares about him. The fact that no one will help him because of who he is, I can relate to that as well.
205
@201
I did it a little different because I still answer everything on the board, I just organized it differently.
#202
Andy thinks about his whole life because he knows that he is going to die. He thought about his girlfriend Laura and how one day he will marry her. He knows though that he will never get the chance. The main thing Andy thinks about is that if people really knew him as Andy or if they only knew him as a Royal. He wants people to know him for him not from a label that is on his jacket. That’s why in the end he takes off his jacket so he can die as Andy. Not a Royal but as Andy.
Andy decides that his life changed when he became a Royal. He thought it was so cool at first but then it made his life worst. For one thing he got stabbed and another it label him. He didn’t want to be know as a gang member because it wasn’t him. In the end he changed back to just being Andy because that life was way better than being a Royal.
Andy learned to be only himself and no one else. I can relate to Andy because when I was elementary school I thought we were really cool. Everyone knew us and we thought we were all that. My friend and I grew apart because she got jealous. I had some other best friends and she thought she was the best. She went her separate way and I went mine. I realized that she only made life seem cool but I made it cool on my own.
218. 205.. I have to disagree that he wanted to die as a royal, because in the story he takes off his jacket. In attempt not to die as a royal, but as Andy.
209
@205
I liked how you tell why Andy got stabbed. Good job!
On The Sidewalk Bleeding
#222
The thought process in which Andy goes through is he thinks about his girlfriend Laura, and how when he’s older he would like to get married, and have children. He also thinks about the decisions he made about becoming a Royal, he thinks that maybe he shouldn’t of became one. By the end of the story Andy decides that his life is over, that he’s dying. He thinks about why they stabbed him. He also wonders if they stabbed him Andy, or did they stab the jacket that he was wearing.
What I learned from the story was that everyone makes mistakes in their life that they will regret, and they learn from those mistakes. Some things get you into more trouble than others do. I also learned that when you make mistakes that sometimes you don’t really know that it was a mistake until something happens form that mistake.
This story relates to my life because I lost someone that I was really close to, and that I loved just like Laura did when Andy died.
#220
Near the end of the story Andy decides he hasn’t done much with his life. He believed that being in the gang made him unable to do what he wanted to do in life. He also decided he didn't want to be in the gang anymore.
What I learned from Andy’s experience is to never be involved in gangs. I could get hurt or even killed. I also learned that it would be holding me back from what I want to do.
I can relate Andy’s experience to my life because my brother was stabbed. He was trying to get drugs but didn’t pay. The guy who stabbed him was in a gang. The only difference was my brother lived
214
Dear 225,
I understand what you mean when you say you've been judge by what you do and not by who you are. I think everyone goes through that. I'm glad you're not judge as much anymore!
#221 to #225
I agree with you that when people judge you, its horrible! I also think that they judge Andy by his "Cover" He wanted to just be Andy I also get judged for certain things too.
209
@221
I like hoe you relate your life to the story!
#201
The thought process that Andy goes through about his life is that he made a stupid decision to become a Royal. Being a gangster is what got him shot, and now he won’t get to marry his girlfriend and have a life with her. Andy at the end of the story decides that he does not want to be a Royal anymore. He then takes off his Royal’s jacket and tries to get as far away from it as possible. Andy does this so that when whoever finds him won’t think he’s a Royal, but Andy.
What I learned from Andy’s experience is that joining a gang isn’t a good thing. Like Andy, many who are in gangs lose their lives early. Andy was only sixteen, and he had the rest of his life planned out. Only to get them taken away from him because of a gang. I cannot relate to Andy’s experience in my life because nothing like that has ever happened in my life.
218. 225 I think being judged is a little different from how Andy was being looked at. It wasn't so much him being judged, more him being disliked because of the group he was in..
Blogger#228
Blogger#221, I agree with you about how Andy was only stabbed because of the jacket. I also see what you mean about guilt trip. Andy did look back at his life, feeling sad.
To-209
Your response used a lot of details. I love how you explained your response and said what you thought of it. I really enjoyed you response nice job.
From 212
To:225
From:202
That's sad that you were judged for begin you. If you have true fiends talk to them about it. Don't let yourself be shut out you might miss something. I like how your true about your connection. Good job.
213
I think Andy’s thought process and what he decides about his life is that he wants to live. while he was in the alley he was thinking to himself about that he wanted kids and marry Laura. Andy now knew he didn’t want to be known as a royal he wanted to be Andy.
What I learned from Andy's experience is that I shouldn't be in gang. I want to be known as me I don't want to just be known for being in a gang. People in gangs die at early ages and dont get a chance to live.
I can relate this to my life. Some of my family have been in gangs but none have died. I’m not close to any of those people but I know when there in jail and stuff.
225
to 205
I mostly agree with you except on 2. You said he was happy he would die as a royal even though,in the end, he tries so hard to get the jacket off. He does NOT want to die for that title, the story even says so.
224
I think that Andy had a lot of emotions going through his head. I know if I was laying there dying with blood oozing out of my body, I’d have tons of emotions running through my head. Andy decides that he wished he was “just Andy” instead of being “A Royal”. He was hoping someone in the world around him would hear him and call for help or call a police officer.
From Andy’s experience i learned to never try to be a part of something that is more than you can handle. Andy is a boy just like I am a girl and getting involved in gangs and stuff at this age is dangerous. It’s dangerous at any age and I wish people wouldn’t have created gangs.
I can’t really relate to Andy’s experience because i have never been stabbed, or seen anyone being stabbed or already stabbed. The closest thing I’ve been to being stabbed was in a bike accident. I flipped a couple times and I had a huge gash on my leg oozing out blood. It felt like someone took a knife and peeled layers and layers of flesh off.
blog#204 Andy’s thought process was that he wasn’t dying and he had just been in a fight. Then he realizes that he’s been stabbed, but he still doesn’t know that he’s dying. When some old drunken person comes and practically laughs at Andy he realizes that he could die from this. Then he goes on to wonder if the attacker was a Guardian. “Had they stabbed him Andy or had they simply stabbed the title”. The Guardians were a rival gang to the Royals which had been the gang Andy was in. So he wonders if the attacker even knew he was Andy or had they just seen that he was a royal and attacked. Then he believes the jacket was getting him killed. He doesn’t care if he died because of it but he wanted to take off the jacket. He did so with great effort, but just because he took off the jacket, it didn’t stop him from dying. A couple hours later Andy’s girlfriend Laura finds him dead. The cop that was on the scene with Laura looked at the jacket and didn’t care that his name was Andy, just that he was a Royal. What I learned from Andy’s experience was not to get involved in a gang. I can relate Andy’s experience to my life but I don’t want to share how.
#215
I think that they didn’t stab Andy because they didn’t know who he was. They only knew that he was a Royal. Andy had pride for being a Royal because it was a very big gang and he felt “cool”.
Nobody really cared who he was they just mainly cared what gang he was with. People decided not to help him because he was a Royal. If it wasn’t for the jacket he probably wouldn’t have been stabbed.
Andy made a bad decision joining a gang. There are too many risks being in a gang and they’re not worth it. I think that Andy should have used more thinking and actually seen what happens when you join gang and all of its consequences. All because of his choice of being in the Royals made him lose his life at a young age. This story shows how much is at risk when you join a gang.
Being in a gang isn’t worth it. You might think your “cool” and top of the line but it’s just a mix up of trouble. You could get arrested and put in jail for some of the things gangs do. If I ever joined a gang I would regret it later in life. To me it has to be one of the worst life choices.All in all, being in a gang will just cause inconvenience.
To 221 form 212
Nice response. I especially liked how you said what you feel after you are influenced. I know how you feel about that. Nice explanation.
to 221
from 213
I can also relate to the story in that way. I get in trouble and make bad decisions myself. I hope that what me and you do doesn't lead us down the wrong path.
218. 214..Great post! I agree completely with the statement you put about his life flashing and him not accomplishing much of anything. As he's dying it really hits him how stupid this gang is, to not even live his life for that title. Awesome post.
224 to 205
I agree. I think if Andy hadn't been wearing the purple Royal jacket he wouldn't have been stabbed. Good post!(:
Blogger#228
Blogger#225 Agree with what you say about Andy`s thought process, but I wrote different then you. All in all, a good response. Good job!
#206
What Andy finally thought about his life is that he didn't want to be a royal any more. After he got stabbed, the jacket was just a stupid symbol. He would still be alive if he was not wearing the jacket. The boy did not stab him, he stabbed the jacket. In the story he said he wanted to get the jacket off of because he did not want people to know a royal died. He wanted people to know that Andy died.
From Andy’s experience I learned that gangs are no good. Being part of a gang is just a symbol, it means nothing. It is not worth dying for. If you do die from being in a gang its not because they hate you. It’s because they hate the gang you’re in.
No, I can’t relate Andy,s life to mine. I have never been part of any thing bad. Nothing bad enough that people would hurt me just because I am wearing the color of the group.
209
@212 Thanks! Is there anything I could change to make it better?
205
@218
I meant at that point in time he thought it was cool that he was in a gang fight. He didn't even know he was dying yet. Sorry, I guess that was kind of confusing.
#216
This first quote means to me that they didn’t stab Andy because of who he was, they stabbed Andy because of who he was involved with, or who he associated with. They stabbed him because of the jacket, not because of him.If Andy wouldn’t have been wearing the jacket at the time he got stabbed, he probably wouldn’t have gotten stabbed.
To me this second quote means that even though he got stabbed because he was a royal, it still felt good to be in one of the biggest gangs. Many people think it’s cool to be in a big gang but truthfully I don’t think it is, it’s just unnecessary violence. It doesn’t make much sense to me because if being in the gang was the reason you got stabbed, then why would you have pride calling yourself a Royal?
This third quote means that the world didn’t know he was Andy, they didn’t know he was alive, nobody knew his name, all they knew about him is that he was a Royal and that’s all they cared about. Nobody knew that he was Andy, that he had a pretty good life, all they knew is that he was a Royal.
The fourth quote meant to me that Andy didn’t care about the jacket now. It was the jacket’s fault he had a large cut in his chest, the jackets fault he was dying. By now Andy didn’t care about the jacket all he wanted to do is go back to his girlfriend.
To 201-
Thanks for the feedback. (: I enjoyed you response as well. You used good description.
212
205
@209
Your blog makes a lot of sense. I think the same thing about the title being no good. I also agree with the fact that they stabbed him as a Royal. It's a really good post!
205
@209
Your blog makes a lot of sense. I think the same thing about the title being no good. I also agree with the fact that they stabbed him as a Royal. It's a really good post!
225 I like that you didn't stop doing what you loved just because other people judged you. I also like the way you described your paragraphs. 222
Blogger #228
At the beginning of “On the Sidewalk Bleeding”, Andy feels proud of being a Royal. As the story goes on, he starts to think that the decisions that he has made were foolish and stupid. He decides that being a Royal hasn`t done anything for him, except get him stabbed. In the end, he decides that he wants to take off the jacket. He struggles in pain to do so.
I have learned that being in a gang doesn`t do anything for anybody. It only brings pain and death. I did already know that, but his experience helped remind me of that.
I can not relate to Andy`s experience, for I have never been in, or seen a gang. I would though want to be know as me, and not something else. I would never even want to join a gang, for I can do better things with my life.
to 215 from 220
I really liked how you worded your paragraphs. I did notice some mistakes but good job
214
Dear 220,
I'm so sorry about what happened with your brother. I'm glad he survived. It's amazing how dangerous the gang world can be.
218. 222.. You said ,"Some things you get in more trouble than others". I don't really think it was trouble he got into, more of a consequence suffered rather than trouble. As you say, some suffered harder than others.
To:201
From:202
You used a lot of detail from the story in you blog. It was good. I also like how you explained why Andy took off his jacket.
205
@225
I was writing about that moment in time. Not about the end, but in that moment he thought it was cool to be in a gang fight. I know it was confusing, sorry.
to 206
from 213
that is a good point you made about that he doesnt want to be a royal any more. He wanted people to know hes andy. I think when he took off the jacket was huge part of the stroy.
218. 220 That's crazy your brother got stabbed at, I know the feeling of knowing that experience. It's hard. Thank god your brother survived.
219
Andy is a bandwagon junkie at first. He thinks being a part of something will make him better than who he really is. Andy is convinced that wearing a jacket that has the name of his gang on it, will make him invincible to the outside world. It took a knife impaling his stomach and an hour of fluent blood flow running from his body to realize that he is human. He figures out that the jacket doesn’t define him, or at least he doesn’t want it to. Andy knows the jacket only has meaning to those who read it. He doesn’t want to follow others. Andy wants to be an original among copiers. Andy wants to be Andy.
Andy’s personal image alters my opinion of who someone really is. I learned that the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” stays true. You cannot look at someone and assume you know who they are. You don’t know anything until you personally get to know them. Humans are a specie that strives on being social but also on being private with themselves. Not a single person can guess another some one's intentions. When Andy wanted to take off the jacket as the last thing he did, I knew that Andy was now realizing that people are too quick to judge. He knew that people’s opinions about someone can be persuaded by inanimate objects.
Relating Andy’s story to my life is somewhat difficult for me to do. You see, Andy was a ‘follower’ as he did what he thought was “cool.” I am not like that. I have been and always will be a leader and true to myself. One thing I do have a correct correlation to though, is that the people who tried to help him were scared of who they thought he was. I was one of those people. I was too quick to judge. That factor of me has changed after reading this because I know there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.
to 225 from 220 I liked how deep you went with your paragraph and i don't see nothing wrong with playing the violin
216
@209
I agree with you because if Andy wasn't wearing the jacket he wouldn't have gotten stabbed and he wouldn't be lying there on the sidewalk. It was his choice to be a Royal he didn't have to be one, he chose to be one.
#226
When Andy is laying on the sidewalk bleeding he starts thinking about all the decisions he has made in his life. He was sort of convincing himself into thinking he wasn’t dying. The whole time he kept thinking about Laura. He was thinking about how he wanted to get married and have kids with her. He soon realizes that his dream might not come true. In his sorrow and pain he starts thinking about how being part of the “Royals” was a very stupid decision. He wish he would die as Andy not as a Royal. Andy tells himself that they did not hate Andy, they hated what the jacket symbolized. I think it was a very powerful moment when he took the jacket off, and died as Andy.
Andy’s experience impacted me in a huge way. I think he became a Royal because he wanted to fit in. Now, I’m not in a gang or anything, but there has been times in my life where i want to fit in. I do have a lot of friends at school, but sometimes I just feel alone. When I read the story it just made me realize how it is not that important to fit in. To just be myself, and if someone wont except me, I don’t need to keep trying to be like them. There is way more people in this world that will except me just the way I am!
I actually can relate this to my life. About five years ago my uncle was almost murdered. It didn’t really have to do with any gangs though. Two of his employees called him one night, because their car “broke down”. When my uncle got there, they beat him with the bat and left him unconscious, they thought he was dead and they threw him into a river. He survived, but while that was happening he thought about all the mistakes and decisions he had made. When he recovered, he turned his whole life around. Even though Andy didn’t get a second chance, he still left this world in peace knowing he died as Andy!
225
to 221
Honestly I think it's horrible to get judged for anything. I am sorry you get judged too.
#206
Dear #225,
I liked how you added examples from the story. The part were Andy was telling him self that no one will know that Andy died, they will only know a royal died. I thought that was a good part to add.
to 221
I agree with you that being part of a gang is a death wish. You never really know the consequences of really anything until it happens but you know he probably wouldn't have joined if he had known what was in his future. I give myself guilt trips too.
203
214
I liked the way you described everything in your story,especially they way you started your first paragraph! 222
205
@209
Thank you, its kind of hard to reply to that response though. Can you give me some more examples of things you liked, or that don't make sense, or that I could change?
214
Dear 218,
Thanks! I was worried some of the parts would be hard to understand. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
@225
I'm glad you realize that you should just be you. This world is full of fakes. Besides originals are worth more. You shouldn't afraid to share that you play violin because you think you'll be judged. Let the 'judgers'think what they want. Being true to yourself is more important.
--219
218. 224 Gross! The way you put that in words sounded awful. I could just imagine how much pain you were in. Just picture being STABBED in the knee. Ouch!
#217
Some people do things to people just because of what they do, or in Andy’s case, what they’re wearing, “he was a Royal wearing a purple silk jacket”. Also, by just wearing something can make people not like you.
Even when something bad happens to someone (getting stabbed), they can still feel like they actually belong somewhere (with the Royals). “There had been some sort of pride in knowing he was a Royal.”
Sometimes people feel like they’re all alone in the world. So, when they’re feeling like that, they feel as though nobody knows that you even exist. "The world didn't know he was Andy. The world didn't know he was alive."
When people wear things (the Royals jacket), that it has a meaning. A meaning that probably everyone will see it differently than other people. Regular people would be like; “oh, he’s a Royal, better stay away from him.” While other gangs like the Guardians would think; “oh, he’s a Royal, let’s go kill him”
People who choose to join a gang know that they’re hated by other gangs, and could get themselves killed, but they still join. Andy just wanted to belong to something, so he joined a gang. He also, knew that he was going to have to watch his back 24/7, but that still didn’t happen. When someone joins a gang, they’re practically signing their life away. All-in-all, joining a gang pretty dumb, because you’re going to end up dead sooner or later.
210
Andy’s thought process went slow as he ponder about if he was going to live or die. He thought of how the people that cut him. They didn’t cut him because he was Andy, they cut him because he was a Royal. He thought about Laura, and about how he only wanted to be himself. He thought if he got out alive he would not be a Royal. He thought about what people would say when they found him. Would they think he was Andy or “just another royal.” He takes off his jacket proving he has no respect for the Royals anymore.
Andy decides He to take off the jacket. The silky purple piece of cloth with the word Royal on the back destroyed his life, at only 16 he was going to die.
On The Sidewalk Bleeding reminds me of where i grew up. How everyday and night gangs roamed the streets looking for a fight. Looking for someone that didn’t belong. Looking for someone they didn’t want there. Andy was stabbed because the Guardians didn’t want him there. The Guardians were looking for revenge or some way to show the Royals that they were better. The setting reminds me of where I lived. Walking down the street at the wrong time could be absolutely deadly, and for Andy, it was.
to 209 i agree with 212 you had alot of details.
203
224 to 225
I don't think that Andy thinks his life is ruined because of being a Royal. He just wishes he hadn't become one.
223
I think that quote number one means “Had they stabbed him because of gang related things or because he was Andy?”. I think that the other gang killed him because of the Royals’ jacket because people don’t normally kill other people for no reason, so they couldn’t have known who he really was much less care. Personally, gangs disgust me. I mean, what are you trying to get out of it?
Andy thought after he was stabbed that he didn’t want to be a Royal any more. He did not want his life to end so soon. He says that he didn’t even life live at all yet. Andy tells himself at the beginning that he isn’t dieing. Not exactly reassuring, but I don’t know if he lives or not.
I learned from Andy’s experience that you shouldn’t waste your life by joining gangs and such. Is it really worth it? I’d like to go back in time and talk to one of those gang members to see why they joined. They’d probably say, “I love to get in those rumbles!” Really? Well, that’s my pet-peeve.
I can’t relate this story to my life because I would never join a gang. It’s just a bunch of stupid people that fight and kill. I can’t really say much more.
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