Reading Response Day 8 | Jacob

( Mentally Unstable on the RIGHT )

In Lost in Place, Mark Salzman is a boy who never really had friends because everyone thought he was weird because of his passion of Kung-Fu. Later on in his adventure of becoming a zen monk. He befriends a boy named Michael. Michael would bully and mess with Mark for no reason at all at first. When Michael found out that Mark was taking classes from O’Keefe he gave Mark respect for taking classes with an insane guy who has killed someone before.

Mark leaves the kung-fu academy so he can play the cello. Another reason he left was because he got tired of his sensei’s attitude. Coming into the academy drunk, mad, depressed. He would pretty much take out his anger on them. When Michael found out he left to play the cello, he didn’t want to do anything with Mark. Not his friend, not anything.

I’ve lost people in my life, but what I do understand, is that people come and go, in and out of your life. So I was always fine with getting to know someone and then them disappearing out of my life. Something that I can’t really get over with is my crew back at home...”Mentally Unstable” They are my second family. We did everything together. Whether if it was to go practice or literally sit down in my basement doing nothing. We all agreed that we are moving in together when we are older. I moved to Chicago knowing that I’m leaving them behind for my future, but I know I’ll be able to see them soon enough.

My relationship with my second family has changed a lot since I have been in Chicago for the bridge program. I went from talking to them every day to once a week. It sucks because I miss them and wish that I knew what was going on in their lives.