By Gabe
February 18, 2019

Being happy is important. Blessings lead to happiness. Being thankful leads to both. Having a grateful heart is one of the things that brings you to Heaven because it is a righteous. In the Bible, God even says that we should devote ourselves to thankfulness. I am particularly thankful for my parents, who are patient and spend precious time with me. Since I enjoy eating, I’m also appreciative of abundant yummy food.

Thankfully, my Mom and Dad provide everything I need. I receive healthy food, a warm house, entertaining games, and a quality education. Since I live in an extremely safe neighborhood, I can wander in the woods as much as I want. My parents give me a terrific bed so I can lie down and pull the cozy blankets over my body, which is cold and fatigued like a hiker in Antarctica. My Dad works hard to earn money, and my Mom homeschools us. Although I have to clean the house and sometimes get frustrated over schoolwork, my Mom is often patient with me and usually helps me. Throughout the week, I can sometimes play video games with my Dad and my brothers as a reward. I’m profusely happy that my Mom and Dad are so nice and fun.

Because it’s essential for life and it’s delicious, I’m also grateful for food. Not all people enjoy spicy, weird food, but since my Dad cooks so amazingly, he introduces us to lots of tantalizing flavors. My Mom shops and lets us choose yummy snacks, which we devour like hungry bears eating campers. I’m ecstatic I live near a store and don’t live in Greenland where the first settlers once had tiny amounts of food and were small, but we eat nutrient food to grow tall and strong. We’re treated to cheesy, crispy pizza and greasy burgers that melt into my mouth. When my Grandmother comes to visit, she buys us creamy, delectable ice cream. On top, we smother it with chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream, and chewy, gooey gummy worms.  Fortunately, the food is awesome and is abundant where I live.

My Mom and Dad selflessly provide everything I need. In life, food is necessary for survival, and it tastes finger-licking good. Most importantly, my parents sacrifice for me. I like food, and I’m fortunate that I get to eat lots of fun flavors. Since not all kids have nice parents, I’m grateful that I have a Mom and Dad who love me and give me plenty of food to eat. Because of these thing, I feel blessed.

By Zeke Dillingham
September 26, 2019

In socialism, everybody gets the same rewards even if they work harder. Atlas the Strongman contributed much more to the circus than the other performers like the clowns, yet got the same pay and as them, so he found other employment. The circus went downhill after Atlas was gone, and fewer people showed up to the events.

Usually, Atlas helped lift the large tent poles but without him, the ringmaster had to hire a construction crew to do it. The other clowns thought Atlas was inconsiderate for leaving the circus.

“This circus made him who he is. He shouldn’t have been so selfish,” said Kroogie the clown. Even though the circus wasn’t making as much money as it had been, the other clowns had been using Atlas’s old massage table and eating his special foods. The Russian calliope player, Alexander, told the clowns they had been acting like socialists because they were getting the same rewards as Atlas, even though he did much more work and had a more difficult job, which required talent and special skills. He had put more time and effort into his work, and that is why he quit.

Cannonball the acrobat and all the Tuttle family went around the nearest town looking for Atlas, and Cannonball found him in a gym. Atlas told them that the other clowns had been pretending to be victims, and the twins realized that the clowns were the ones being lazy and selfish, not Atlas.

Atlas told the Tuttle twins that he used to be a clown. The last strongman, Hercules, suggested that when he retired, Atlas should become the new strongman because he was such a dedicated worker. Atlas then explained the difference between supply and demand.

If you were in a desert, you would pay more money to get water, but where there was an abundance of water, you would pay less. But in socialism, you would have to pay the same amount of money in both places. Atlas is similar to water in the desert because you can’t find an abundance of strongmen.

“That’s the problem with socialism,” said Mr. Tuttle. “Nobody would be a strongman if you got the same reward as the clowns.”

The next evening during the show, one of the tent poles wasn’t secure and it started to fall. Then, out of nowhere, Atlas came running from the crowd and secured it back in place. After the show, the ringmaster agreed to pay Atlas more because he had more value, and he rejoined the circus. Thankfully, Atlas got to enjoy the rewards of his labor.