Simone'sBlog

Where We Come From

smbordeaux — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 00:42:11 +0000

Ok this being a little late. I am sitting here this evening adding some finishing touches to my portfolio. It is done! Than again looked to this paper and realized I have one last writing to do. Where do come from? Who helped mold you into the person you are today? How do we share our history with your lives today? How does this effect us?
I do strongly believe that who a person is, is who they are raised to be. ‘Being raised’ meaning not just by family or elders but by everything around you, the entire environment. I am still growing into a strong Lakota Catholic woman, daughter, grand-daughter, sister, mother, auntie and friend and am proud to hold all of these roles. Sitting here thinking about this and going through some of my older sisters writing, it’s funny and amazingly touching how most of our writings are about our Bordeaux family. In the last couple years I have embraced my Lakota traditions a lot more but it has left me wondering if it was even possible to be both Lakota and Catholic. Was I brought up knowing that being both was “a good thing”? Were the beliefs even so much different? Than, why am I even questioning this? Tradions and beliefs? Where do these things together take you? This would be a question for Grandma Rose (Gram). With her being gone now for almost 2 years where do I find this answer. Reading a paper my sister wrote brought me to my own realization. My family has struggled since gram has passed with keeping our regular tradions alive. With the center and heart of our family now gone how would we continue these traditions. I think that is where these questions I have had are coing from. My family and I are still grieving the loss of my grandmother, searching for ways to get our traditions back. Maybe that’s what has happen to our Lakota culture. We are still lost in our grief unable to get back to the center of creation, traditions.
I also think it can be alot more simple. We just need to believe in who we are and go out there and be who we are. I am who I am because of where I come from and how and where I choose to take it.
As my father would say…. I AM Simone Mary Bordeaux.

Narrative Essay

smbordeaux — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:47:06 +0000

The day was a cool summer day. I was at the baseball field in Valentine with my older sisters to watch my younger cousin play a game. The game was about half way through when the clouds began to role in. In my short life I have never seen clouds like that before. This was the day I was in the middle of my first tornado.

I was talking a with a young Valentine resident who lived close to the field. He told me he had ran home and the televison said we were only in a thunderstorm warning. Of corse I experienced many of those every Spring and Summer so didn’t worry about it so much. As the clouds rolled in closer and closer they began to get bigger and bigger. I was there to watch the game but could not keep my eyes off the sky.

The game was now called because of the weather. The wind picked up unexpectedly within a couple of minutes. There was no rain, all I could see was people running and dirt. I was driving my mothers car along with my sister and daughter as passengers. As we left the ball field dupri began to blow everywhere. My oldest sister was right in front of us in her van. She is terrified of storms and could see her panicing as she was trying to drive us out of this. We were right in the middle of a long line of cars that were trying to get to safety. We next came to an intersection which was under construction. Things were flying everywhere. People were honking. I using everything I had in me to stay calm. As my sister yelled at me to GO I pulled into the hospital parking lot and watched my sister get out and run inside. When she came back out she told all of us to go in because personel said it was fine to come in and wait out the storm. They led us down to the basement stairs. At the top was a man standing the door way with a clipboard asking everyone that went down their name and where they were from. “Just in case” he said. Just in case what I thought than. Than, I went into panic mode. I was holding on to my two year old daughter as tight as I could and could see the confusion on her face. I sat in this basement for two hours with my older sisters, neices and nephews and about 15-20 strangers. Personel from upstairs frinally came dowwn and told us it was safe to go.

When I walked outside the sun was shining brightly through the grey clouds. It was beautiful although there was trash everywhere. This was my first tornado experience. It was exciting yet the scariest day of the summer.

My Self Interview

smbordeaux — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:26:07 +0000

I was having trouble thinking of types of questions one would ask themselves in an interview. I didn’t want to just ask the usual everyday questions everybody asks. So I began to think if there was soemthing that comes up in my life everyday or a question I oftem ask myself. I finally came up with something. What motivates me. My schedule changes from day to day. Besides work and class I usually never know what the rest of my day is going to be like. This can get very hectic and confusing. I sometimes find myself wondering how and where I continue to find the energy to get up everyday and do this. What it all comes down to it; it is inner strength. Than the next question comes. Where did I get this inner strength from? I than realize that it is not just an inate behavior but something that is learned. This all comes from the my parents and grandparents. My parents have worked ever since they were able. My father went into the army at a young age than was a carpenter for years. He is now retired but worked for about 25 years doing this. My mother was a teacher for many years before getting her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education and has now been a principle for 11 years. For as long as I could remember my parents have pushed their children to a good education and than have a good carreer and this was instilled into them from their parents. I am very greatful for getting this from them.

June 19th Writing Into The Day

smbordeaux — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:55:04 +0000

I drive alot. I live in Rosebud, work and go to school in Mission so I travel atleast 40 miles daily. I was around 12 when I first sat behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. It was my dads white Buick. At the time, we lived in St. Francis. We had a long concrete driveway that has completed shaded by all the trees in ours and the neighbors yard. I started out driving to straight forward to the alley than realized I needed to go backwards now and the car back tow here it was. So I attempted to reverse. Didn’t work out to well that first time. My oldest sister had to come out, laugh at me than kick me out of the driver seat and move the car back. About a month went by of me just driving back and forth in the driveway. One day I got curious and wanted to go further. I went around the block and about a week later was driving to the store. This is how I learned to drive. No one ever really sat in the car with me and taught me what to do, it was more me watching and than trying it on my own.

smbordeaux — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:54:48 +0000

June 12th Writing Into The Day

smbordeaux — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 19:20:29 +0000

Three things you wouldn't know about me. I am pretty much a what you see is what you get type of person. I try to be honest and be myself with everyone I come in contact with.

I am a caring and giving person. I put everyone's happiness before my own. Which leaves me feeling overwhelmed at times because I abligate myself to so much.

I am a very family orientated person. I have a very big family with 10 aunties and uncles on both sides of my family. We share each others pain, achievments, celebrations and are just all around part of each others lives all the time. This sometimes can get frustrating because even when I want to handle something on my own there is always someone there but over all I like this about myself and am greatful I will always have them to rely on.

I am a 22 year old single mother attempting to work and finish school at the same time. I have about a semester left after this summer than can start my clinicals and am a district-wide attendance secretary with a babygirl going through her terrible two's. Crazy life for the time being. : )

Spooky? or Not Spooky? That is the question.

smbordeaux — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 19:07:36 +0000

The latest spooky story I heard was told to me but my sister and brother in-law. OK I live in Rosebud and they live in St. Francis. One Sunday night they had come over for supper than left around dusk. As they went around the corner just past Two Strike. They had seen a person standing in the ditch. The ditch was pretty low they said so they had to slow down sit up and look down. Standing there was an older Indian woman. The woman was dressed in a tradition buck skin outfit and had a penaltin folded and hangin over her fore-arm. They just glanced at her for moment than continued driving. About week passed, we were all sitting at a basketball game and my sister mentioned the woman she had seen in the ditch, my auntie and uncle had seen the same thing that same night.

Did this really scare you? Come on now, we DO live on an Indian Reservation and Native Americans DO dress like that. And even if it was a ghost (spirit I would say) nothing to be affraid, as long as shes not trying to hurt you.

MyFavoriteFood

smbordeaux — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 19:06:01 +0000

There are several different foods put together that make my favorite food. They all come together and are many different colors; mostly green, red, bright orange, yellow than covered in white. My favorite food can any shape you can think of, as long as its small in size. The taste is mouth watering, fresh and crunchy. Some is smooth and others are ridged. There is really no sound but russled together sounds sharp and crisp but muffled at the same time. It's best eaten with Ranch dressing. This food changes from person to person so is best when self-assembled. I eat my favorite food atleast 2-3 times a week because it is good for you and inexpensive. What is my favorite food.

To The Southwest

smbordeaux — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 19:05:34 +0000

There is one big summer vacation I took when I was younger that I will always remember. This trip was very exciting for me because it was my first trip out of state without my parents and I was allowed to take one of my friends with me. It was the summer of my freshman year. Accompaning me where myself, my oldest sister Roberta, her husband. my nephew and a close friend of mine. We had many stops planned along the way. I was used to the plains we passed through Nebraska but when we got to Colorado I was taken away by the scenery. The huge dominant yet lonely snow-covered mountains and the many tall strong Pine trees that stood in rows like soldiers. We soon reached a small town where we stopped to shop at the rolls of outlet stores. I don't remember the name of the town but I do remember running and looking over a bridge before we got into the car and watching a guy go down the river in a small canoe than tripping and falling on the curb on the way back to the car.

From there we were on our way to our main destination, Kayenta, Arizona. Kayenta is a small Navajo Indian Resevation in the top right corner of the state. This is where my brother in-law grew up and where we stayed for a few days to relax and attend his little sister's wedding. Her wedding was on a small boat on a small lake in Laughlan, Nevada. After attending the wedding we went to Mesa Verde. Mesa Verde is a very old civilization where the people carved there homes into the side of a gigantic sand mountain. I felt very honored to be able to see and experience this sight. San Diego, California was our next stop. Driving along the highway looking at my window at the Mexican border I couldn't wait to get to California. When we got there we checked into our motel room and just relaxed because the next day was Sea World and Disney Land. I really enjoyed Sea World because at that age my dream was to become a Marine Biologist. I caught myself many times almost getting myself lost because I was amazed at the exhibits and kept wondering off alone. I was a little old for Disnay Land but it being the 4th of July that day I was able to watch a great fire works display behind the disney castle, I wasn't too old for that, it was beautiful. They had different types of fire works I had never seen before and never even would have thought could be made. Along with songs and quotes that were recorded by old U.S. presidents. That day I was proud to be an American. : ) After all this we visited some family in San Diego than started our journey back to the Rosebud. I will always look back at this summer vacation and be glad I went.

smbordeaux — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 19:04:09 +0000