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Friday, October 20, 2017

"Bob Hates Turtles" by Steve M


One day Bob was leaving to school as he normally does every single day. He grabs everything that he always grabs before he goes to school, his chap stick, his headphones, and a water bottle.  Bob continues to go on with his day as he normally does however it is such a hot day that he is constantly taking sips from his water bottle. He eventually finishes his water bottle by third period and he throws it away in the trash can instead in the recycle bin. He does this because the recycle bin was all the way across the classroom, he says, “That recycle bin is all the way over there, I don’t feel like walking over there.” He decides to buy a water bottle again because he is so thirsty. He goes and buys a water bottle for a dollar and then he immediately finishes the water bottle because he is a thirsty little boy. He looks around to see where he is going to throw the bottle away. He asks himself, “Where am I going to throw this water bottle away?” He sees the bright blue recycle bin but however bob is such a bum that he doesn’t feel like walking over there. He decides to throw it away in the trashcan that is closer to him. Bob continues the rest of the day without even thinking about his actions. He goes home and does the usual; he eats, does some homework, and then goes to sleep. The two water bottles that he threw away have different stories. The trash bins are emptied and the water bottles find themselves in two different locations. One of those water bottles ends up in a land fill with all the other trash that was in the trash can. This water bottle will then live the most boring life ever as it is going to stay in that land fill till it decomposes. It takes plastic around 1,000 years to decompose. This water bottle is just going to be chilling there till it dies. The second water bottle somehow makes it into a river, this river then flows into the ocean and the water bottle will just keep on floating in the ocean. It will drift and be pushed by the huge massive waves. The water bottle eventually finds itself close to the shore of some very exotic land. The water around this area has many beautiful fish and other animals like turtles. A turtle sees this water bottle and says, “Hey I’m pretty hungry and I see this strange object that I think is food, I’m going to eat it because I’m hungry.” The turtle consumes this water bottle that is made out of plastic. Plastic is a dangerous product that should not be consumed by anyone. Once digested the water bottle blocks the little turtle’s stomach. The turtle then is not able to digest food. This turtle ultimately dies of starvation. This beautiful animal that was just swimming around trying to live his life to the fullest and is now sadly dead because bob was such a lazy bum who didn’t want to take extra steps to toss the water bottle in a recycle bin. Bob is the reason why that turtle is dead. BOB MURDERED THAT TURTLE!








40 comments:

Lauren Elizabeth Wright said...

This was a really clever way to get your point across. I love how you followed the story of Bob's simple choices not to recycle the water bottles. The description of the poor turtle at the end really did a good job of conveying the sadness of the situation to the reader. Great job!

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh I love this so much! I love the use of present voice in this piece as it adds a sense of action, additionally i enjoy how you jump through time with the beginning starting with a past tense while also jumping into the future 1000 years when following the life of a water bottle. Overall, your telling of this dramatic sequence of events brought light to a very important issue in today's world in a humorous way witch kept me interested but also kept the emphasis needed for a serious issue like this. I will always think of this story whenever I recycle from now on...Great work!

L said...

Steve, this is a very creative way you have chosen to perpetuate the importance of recycling and the harm it brings to the environment. The simplicity of Bob's life although initially boring, does result in a overarching theme that recycling is important and that the lzayness that plagues Americans in their attitude towards the environment. Great job again Steve. Gavin Gnaster

Unknown said...

This entry made me laugh because and it was also sad because a turtle died. This entry really made me think to not litter at all and to dispose of my bottles correctly because if not an animal can really suffer and end up dying due to my careless act so thanks for this.

Unknown said...

I found this story cute and funny, but at the same time sends out an important message. I really enjoyed how you continued to show what happened after Bob threw away the water bottles in a trashcan. This passage was really informative, I had no idea it took a good thousand years for a bottle to decompose. Overall you did a good job!

Anonymous said...

This was a really funny way to talk about a serious issue. I like the simplicity of this piece because it can reach a bigger demographic and raise awareness on environmental impacts, while still entertaining the audience!

Unknown said...

This story had a valuable lesson that actions have consequences. I love how you told the tales of two separate water bottles destinations. Also aww poor turtle! I definitely liked the lesson conveyed here.

Brett Dashinsky said...

From the start of this I was wondering if it was going to take the direction of being environmentally friendly to the planet which we should be. Once it got to the part where you said Bob is a lazy bum I throughout it was funny cause most of the time people don't even care what trash can the bottle goes in, sometimes they don't even throw their trash away. Great job!

Unknown said...

Great piece! It put a smile on my face while destroying my soul. The humor within it masks the hard hitting truth behind one simple action of putting a water bottle in a trash can. By describing Bob as a "bum" and describing the silliness of him throwing the bottle in the trash because he is lazy and He doesn't "feel like walking over there." Definitely a satirical piece that is well-written.

Yanez Sanchez said...

I liked how you made this relevant to everyday society. This not only puts out awareness about the environment but also to consider ones actions. I enjoyed how you put facts and real life situations into your work. Nice Job!!

Unknown said...

Nice story Steve! I like how the story starts off slow with Bob but picks up meaning as the reader traverses from Bob to the water bottle. Also, good job fitting in the importance of recycling into the story while also giving the reader something entertaining to read.

Anonymous said...

This was a very funny story to read to display a message without a striking tone! Its not only funny but very relevant in today's society as many people do this. Highlighting the lives of the water bottles was very clever! Well done!
DeAndre Siringoringo P.1

Anonymous said...

Steve, i honestly loved this story. When i read the first few comical sentences, i felt like i was a child reading a wonderful children's book with a moral at the end of the story. It has a great feeling of emotion on me, and the structure of this story is great too. Amazing job!

Unknown said...

Wow Steve, I am simply at an utter loss for words. This story was humerous but at the same time taught a lesson that I think everyone should take more seriously then it normally is. I am glad that I read this because, sometimes if im being honest, I see Bob in myself and this was really a wakeup call for me. Besides the fact however, good job on this very well written article!

Ikwaak Dhillon said...

This was a very funny story Steve! I loved how you showcased how a simple action that "Bob" gave no thought to resulted in a negative consequence, the cute little turtle dying. This was a very nice story demonstrating the importance in recycling and making the environment a priority. Once again, great job Steve and way to be clever!
-Ikwaak Dhillon P.2

Brittney Berglund said...

Wow I really liked this story! I enjoyed how you used your creativity to talk about a serious issue while still making it funny and cute. This was so cute and the plot of the story was very well developed. Overall, I think you did really good!

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed how you were able to take the horrible truth about today's society, and make it into a humorous story. In today's society we do need to clean up after ourselves more and recycle every chance we get, as our trash can in fact be the death of many sea life, and animals such as birds. Therefore, I thought it was great how you were able to depict that message in your story.

Anonymous said...

Great short story Steve. It was funny and yet serious at the same time. It focused on a major problem that's happening all over the world that could be easily helped. The story also has a influential impact as it can to show others some causes of their actions and change them to do better.
-Austyn Coleman
Period 1

Maya Berdeja said...

I was looking for a blog to read and then I saw your title and thought to myself," Why would anyone hate turtles?". I was then interested in reading your story and find out why Bob hates turtles. After reading, I was able to recognize the purpose of your story which was to incorporate an important message to it. Pollution is a very important issue in today's society and most of it is caused by humans. Like you said, if only Bob picked up after himself, that poor turtle would not have died !

Sophia Popal said...

This is a very creative and funny story! I like how you applied valuable lessons in the story in a humorous way. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Good job on creating a little story about water bottles to bring the message on what affect they have on our environment. Very funny story! This was a knee slapper.

Brandon Yun said...

A great story that teaches the reader of how our actions affect those around us. The domino effect certainly applies to an individual's environmental choices and should serve as a lesson to all to make the smart environmental choice

Travis Ly said...

As someone who overthinks like the speaker, I found this really funny and entertaining. Something that seems as small as throwing away something recyclable can lead to disastrous effects, and the short and single paragraph piece, as well as the writing style makes me imagine someone who speaks fast and with urgency. The title caught my attention and the story made me laugh a little, while informing me to be more cautious about my actions.

- Travis Ly

Brianna Baker said...

This was a very intriguing story. Through being in AP environmental, i've come to see the impacts that we can have on the environment. I think this story will be an eye opener to people who may not realize what a simple water bottle can do. This was a very humourous story, but still gave a great message. Well done!

Anonymous said...

I loved how you used such a comical story with a humorous tone to get a serious point across. This is a great skill to have as you can talk about pertinent issues without giving off such a negative vibe. This is a post I think many people should read. Great job man!

-Zachary Judson p4

Noah said...

I loved this story! You did a great job at showing the unintended consequences of not recycling and the damage it can cause if it was not properly thrown out. It was a very creative was of showing a major environmental problem and I liked it a lot. Good job!

Eliu Jaramillo said...

Steve, a very well written piece. I really enjoyed how you added humor to this very serious topic that we as humans have to fix for the better of the earth. It made the topic easier and more relatable since it wasn't as tense and negative as it usually would be. Also a great way to inform others about environmental issues.

Garrett Denton said...

This story is very simple but has a great meaning behind it. It reminded me of a children's book up until the very end. Personally, I thought that this story was so good that you should make your own children's book.

Anonymous said...

Steve, at first glance from the title I wanted to read more and I had so many questions! Your story was so simple yet it held so much meaning! You made a big problem going on into something funny that everyone would read and understand what you were trying to get across! Great Job!

Jacob Blandino said...

Good job Steve! This piece I feel shows people that stories don't have to be this big amazing adventure that everyone expects them to be. Your story talks about a real issue that our society is having to face and shows that the little things we do in life can have big impacts on the future. I felt you did a good job sharing your opinion and how you want people to become aware of their actions.

Unknown said...

Your piece opened up my mind to the carelessness of recycling and the effects they have on the environment. Such a silly and light-hearted story has really motivated me to recycle my bottles and maybe even one day save a turtle's life. Good job!!!

Andrew Brown said...

I enjoyed your use of common words so that anyone can understand your message which in this day and age is very important. Well written to effectively get the point across that you should take those extra few step to save a life even if it isn't your life. I thoroughly enjoyed your piece keep up the good work!

Ravreet Kang said...

I love how your story starts with Bob's average day. Bob is an easy person to connect with as many of us are too lazy to walk to the recycle bin. I also like how the story transfers over to the bottle's story. This is a very creative way of highlighting the importance of recycling and the harm its dismissal can cause.

Alejandro Quintanilla said...

This story was very humorous and innocent in its delivery but the meaning behind the piece is invaluable. It is very important to create awarness of the repercussion of our daily actions no matter how small it may seem to us.

Mikaela Sillano said...

I hate Bob.

Anyway, you did a great job capturing the reality of pollution and how it effects all creatures of the world, and how it starts with us with humor! Starting out, I honestly expected him to end up stepping on a turtle. (Thankfully not that violent)

Unknown said...

I really enjoyed how you were able to get a serious message across in a humorous way, it was very creative! You were able to talk about a serious topic with simplicity which allowed the reader to not over think the true meaning of your story. Overall, your story had a great message behind it and I know a lot of people will be able to relate to Bob's actions, including myself.

Anonymous said...

At first I was very skeptical about this piece by the title, but as I continued reading I understood how harmful it could be to animals just by doing on little thing like throwing a bottle in the trash can instead of the recycle. Very informative, and great job!

Anonymous said...

The title made me want to read your story because it made me think, "Why would someone hate turtles?" Honestly, I don't regret reading your story. You tried to make a serious situation humorous, but got your point across. Great job!

Unknown said...

It was interesting to see how you were able to tie in the story with the lesson. It is a great strategy in order to get your point across. Well done!

Jeremiah Credo P1

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed how you related the turtle's life to that of a humans. It made it more personal and made it easier to put yourself in the turtles shoes. This was a very clever way to promote environmental concerns, and also does a great job of utilizing pathos to convince people to throw away their trash where it belongs.