It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare,

it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.

~Seneca

“Bullet And A Target” Healthy Risk-Taking Activity

Students read the lyrics to Citizen Cope’s “Bullet And A Target”, listened to the song, and chose one or more of the following activities to complete…Scroll down this page to read the song lyrics and to view student responses which are posted in different colored fonts.

1) Write a healthy risk-taking personal mission statement.

2) Write a healthy risk-taking song lyric.

3) Write a healthy risk-taking poem.

4) Write a healthy risk-taking slogan ( t-shirt, bumper sticker… )

5) Create a healthy risk-taking image or logo

You only get one, just one shot at life...so don’t blow it !

Life has many chances just like gambling

Don’t be afraid to try new things and take the leap of faith

Always try to do what is right which will lead you to

Living a happy and successful life

http://www.uberreview.com/2007/09/high-speed-bullet-art-sends-a-shot-through-photography.htm

“Bullet And A Target”

Mr.Dali Lamas
Another sister's shootin' heroin tomorrow
Amputees in Freetown
Sierra Leone's
The church wasn't honest
The state put the youth in a harness
Creatin' hostility among us
Teacher said no college
Still the kid's gotta get a check with a couple commas
People wanna bomb us
More people gotta scatter and run from us
You can blame it on Zeus and Apollo and Adonis

But what you've done here
Is put yourself between a bullet and a target
And it won't be long before
You're pulling yourself away

But what you've done here
Is put yourself between a bullet and a target
And it won't be long before
You're pulling yourself away

I've been knowing her for years
I've been seeing her for years
She got dark, dark wavy hair
With a voice like she just don't care
She got a skirt with a halter top
She's got a dad who never gave a f #&%
She drinks a beer with her mom 'til dawn
She got knocked up in a pickup truck
But she got engaged when she was nineteen
To this dude who was acting insane
Had a .45 that he always cleaned
Said one day one day one too many days
Now she ducked and she ran away
Never to be heard from, never to be seen
I check the cover of a magazine
I'm just wondering how, just wondering how

But what you've done here
Is put yourself between a bullet and a target
And it won't be long before
You're pulling yourself away

“...Part of what "Bullet and a Target" is about is people that put themselves in situations that are dangerous that have a self-destructive quality. Part of it is where society is putting them in that situation. There's people that were born into it, people that choose to do it, and there's people who are thrown into it. "Bullet and a Target" deals with a lot of things.”

~ Citizen Cope ( interview ) – imaginary char, Features, December 7, 2004

Don’t let time pass you bye,

take chances and maybe you’ll fly

Everyone in life has their own voices

It’s good to make healthy risk taking choices

In life if you do good things, they will be seen

Don’t mess up and be really mean

Always make good choices wherever you go

Don’t be a bully and make people feel low

Do what you have to do, to be a good person

It’s good to do things without cursing

Make this world full of lovers

All you have to do is be nice to others

Some times risk taking gets me in trouble

because I don’t take time to think about it

But other times risk taking can make you happy

and you will have good things in life

~ * ~

If you think before you act

the consequences will have a positive outcome

instead of a negative outcome

What’s the point in skydiving

If the plane never leaves the ground

Or is it just a matter of how high

You are from the standards bar

So instead of enjoying the nice relaxing fall

You fall flat on your face with no success

Maybe next time it may leave the ground

And you’ll see why you missed out before

Forget the past

Here’s to the future

You are your own person

And the decision is yours

To be a better risk taker

And make your life more

Take 5 seconds to breathe

To look before you leap

To check the sky for clouds

And the ground for leaves

Now push them all away

Remove your obstacles today

Believe in yourself

And take the risk...

Before your courage falls away

If you’re up high

And you won’t let go

Take a deep breath

And just let it go

It may take a couple of tries as you go

But in the end

You can say “Wow I can do that !”...

Just don’t ever forget

That you yourself are your own coach

And you are your own star

And no one can change that

~ * ~

Do now...Make a choice and stick with it

Life with fear isn’t life at all

Take a risk

1 life...many choices

Stand up before it’s too late

For sitting...there is a risk not willing to take

~ * ~

Take a stand

Make a difference

It’s your life

The risks you take

Will pave its way

* ~ *

Think before you make a decision that

could really mess up something you have.

© Megan Reynolds

Life is an opportunity in itself and risks are always presented. So follow

the path that leads to success and be true to who you are. Don’t fear

possible rejection but fight for your opinion in a perfection.

From behind you see

from the back of the room

one hand was in the air

shyly she offered rejection

hoping she’s right for her own protection

among many, risking it all, she answered

quietly she whispered as all stared

one chance either right or wrong

the power to raise her hand

led to her success in the end

Wake up in the morning and think something good

Don’t get up and mess up in the neighborhood

Go to school and take that dumb test

It ain’t worth your parents arrest

If you skip school it’s against the law

And if you do, your parents take the fall

It isn’t that hard to go to classes

Just be smart and save your asses

After school you can have some fun

It’s better than school calculating the sum

Go hang out with your best friends

Or go chill in your Mercedes-Benz

But to get that car you need some cash

So get a job and make sure not to crash

Then at night go home and do some homework

Then work on your car and give it some tork

And then put it on the road and go fast

But don’t get in a race and come in last

Don’t get caught by the state troopers

You know there really big party poopers

Then now you get a speeding ticket

And then you won’t be able to chase and kick-it

You’d get a ticket and you’d get grounded

You’d probably think you were surrounded

You’d feel bad about the ticket it was a bad choice

You’d be in trouble and all you hear is their voice

You forget about it, it would be the last time

It be the last thing, the last crime

Now don’t break the law, it’s not worth it

Because everybody around you will have a fit

It’s not worth getting arrested, it’s not worth jail

It’s not worth it, it’s not worth your fail

It’s not worth it, you can’t afford bail

“One Chance”

In the casino, a long way from home

fifty bucks in the pocket

I try not to be alone

I search for a table

far across the room

I shuffle my feet

like the sound of a broom

An open seat, I spot with my eye

fifty bucks, it’s worth a try

Holdem’s the game

The dealer says to me

“Ya know how to play?”

“well, lets play and see”

The man to the right

his face full of hair

Slides on his glasses

and gives me a stare

“I bet fifty”

as his chips stand tall

I look at my cards

I give it a call...

( you finish )

http://www.buckleshop.com/gambling_belt_buckles.htm

The more chance you take

The more opportunities you will get

Choose wisely

Challenges will await you

Failure can come too

But failure will lead to success

An energetic time and we had a ball

But no one expected we’d ever fall

All the fun we all had

Never expected it to go bad

We did a little frisk

Didn’t understand the risk

Didn’t have a condom

Where did the baby come from?

"...All our lives get complicated Search for pleasures overrated..."

( 10th graders visual interpretation of Fuel's,"Innocent" )

RISK

You think it’s hot,
Smokin’ weed,
Pumpin’ pot,
Something you don’t need,
But it’s not,
Powered by greed.
This is your last shot.

Unnecessary risk,
Dying by the hands of shrooms,
This ain’t like a compact disc,
Poppin’ in your room,
Downloadin’ into your hard disk.

THIS IS LIFE.
Your life,
Not his life,
Or her life,
No one else matters.
It’s you.

This problem isn’t gonna go away,
Just like you think those pills might do,
It’ll stay,
It’ll look you,
In the eye, and say,
“There’s nothing you can do!”

Is this the way to die?
The way to lie?
To your parents, your friends,
It’s you who needs a helping hand.

Find your anti-,
Even if it means just barely getting by,
And try!
And I’m asking why?
Why do you have to do this to your friends and I?
To yourself and find a new way to die?
Is this why you been so shy?
A drug addict, no normal guy?
Well, fine!

If your not willing to let me help,
You’ll find out, you little whelp.
This is how you dealt.
Hope your better….
Cause there’s no one else to fix this but you!

You’re the factor,
Between death and a life,
Just behind the open door,
You need to handle the strife,
And not fall on the floor.
Do what’s right!

For you.
Your family.
Your friends.
Your community.

It all adds up to you.

So tell me what your choice is now.

“Help me.”

That’s the first real risk you just took.
Now let’s put it into action.

"She don't lie, she don't lie, she don't lie, cocaine..."

( 10th graders visual interpretation of Eric Clapton's, "Cocaine" )

Get ready to go sell those pills

Get ready to go give those kills

Make yourself ready to go get that green

Go fetch that green like you’ve never seen

It’s not cool, your job is freakin mean

Think about the people you sellin to

They probably got family you stupid foo

Or think about it, it could be a cop

Then your life comes to one fast stop

It’s mad dumb you could kill someone

Even yourself or your innocent son

Now stop and have a life changing vision

You could get caught and go to prison

Now stop the stupid drug stuff...what do ya say?

Before you get KILLED or get LIFE...locked up and away

"...Walk a little straighter daddy You're swaying side to side..."

( 10th graders visual interpretation of Billy Currington's, "Walk a Little Straighter" )