I don’t think this kind of education would work for me. If I saw a computer outside, I wouldn’t merely start using it randomly. I think an inside education like school is better because the students meet new people and work together. By knowing a lot of people, it makes you fit into your environment. A computer can probably give you all the answers to the questions you have. But it cannot drive a car for you, or walk for you, or even go to the movies with you. It cannot replace a human brain.

You like when it’s dark, when it’s black. You feel more alive. There’s nobody outside. You get more space. Everything is black and then the lights appear out of no- where. In the day, the lights seem to get lost. They don’t stand out like they do at night, white contrasting with black. All the buildings are lit up like stars. It’s beautiful. Why are the lights still on when most people are done working? There’s no traffic at night. The cars just speed along with their headlights leading the way. You love the height at night. You can look down and see the world from a better view. It’s just you and the city. Down below, the bridges come alive. It’s always windy. It gives you a good feeling. The air brushes by your face and takes away all your problems. You forget about everyone and everything for a minute. Under the bridge, the lights shimmer on the surface of the water. The water looks shiny. It looks blue. Then you hear the police cars moving down the roadway. Don’t be alarmed. The darkness is pierced by their blue lights, which beam like a shield protecting the city.

Baseball is important for people in the Dominican Republic because they love this sport and many are poor. So, a major way out of poverty is to become a professional baseball player because they think they can help their families make a better life. A March article on forbes.com found that over 500 players from DR have made it to Major League Baseball since 1956, including current stars like David Ortiz and Robinson Cano. These days, according to the web article, about one quarter of all players on minor league teams are from DR. Come spring, you will find lots of Dominican teens in Boston practicing their base- ball skills after school in hopes of becoming the next Big Papi.

Have you ever wondered whether a baked potato, a bagel, or a slice of pizza can put you to sleep? Well, it might sound weird, but it’s true. Accord- ing to scientists, your diet not only affects the physical part of your body but also your psychological mood. Dating back to Medieval times, food was used as a recipe to alter your feelings. Too many sweets can make you hyper. Too little sugar can leave you sluggish. Eating carbohydrate-rich food such as pasta can elevate your frame of mind. Drinking too much soda can bring you down after an initial high. It’s all very complex. That’s why medical people recommend a well-balanced diet to keep both your body and psyche fit.

“At least I didn’t get kept back”

I thought I was the smartest kid, and that was my flaw. Any- one below my level of intellect was a weak link. I saw myself as superior to those who were amateur in something I excelled in. I was in the fourth grade and my sister got the brunt of it. Camille was a great sister, my twin sister. She was two inches shorter than me and pretty funny. It was the summer between third and fourth grade when things shifted. “You didn’t pass the third grade?” I heard our older sister say to Camille. I gasped. Camille had most likely responded, but with a shameful set- back like that, I didn’t expect an audible response. She had been kept back and I could tell she felt bad. I felt bad...we all did. The subject died later that day. It wasn’t the end of the world. All she had to do was redo the grade and soldier on. Everything went back to normal as the months passed. But, of course, that made me superior in more ways. I was taller, bigger, and smarter. What I hadn’t noticed was a habit I was developing. A year later, each time we would argue, I’d always bring up the fact that she was kept back in the third grade. I thought it didn’t matter. I remember getting into trouble with my parents one day. Camille was rubbing her freedom in my face as she watched me in my room, grounded. It was an innocent tease since the punishment was minor. All I remember was saying, “At least I didn’t get kept back.” I recall seeing her smile disappear. For the rest of the school year, I taunted her and made her feel at her absolute lowest. I wouldn’t wish that type of degradation on anyone, but I was nine and oblivious and mean. Recently, I’ve gotten to talk to my sister about the issue. Yes, we laughed. There were lots of “oh yeahs” and “I remembers.” I also apologized several times during our conversation. I asked her how she felt even though I knew. “I felt bad. I felt kind of stupid.” I always hated when people emphasized my weaknesses. There was no reason for me to do that to my own blood. She told me she understood, that we were kids then and I didn’t really know what I was doing. “But how you felt was real,” I said. “It happened. And it was my fault.” I didn’t want the conversation to get too deep but I had to learn something. Something along the lines of confronting my mistakes and giving rest to past troubles. The last thing she said to me was, “But hey, it’s over. Now my grades are way better than yours.” I guess I did deserve that.