This memorial website was created in the memory of our beloved son, Sean Powell who was born in California on October 24, 1988 and passed away on March 10, 2007 at the age of 18. In his junior year at West High School, Sean loved playing football and rugby. Entering his senior year, Sean had hoped to play rugby and obtain a scholarship at ETSU. He had received Most Improved Rugby Player of the Year in 2006.
When he was younger, Sean had the opportunity along with his brother, Joey, and cousin, Josh Ledford to attend UT Football camp with Peyton Manning for several summers. He cherished the football signed by Peyton Manning. Sean attended Camp Montvale during the summers along with participating in Deane Hill Recreation program with his brother, Joey, and sister, Jessica.
Sean loved writing songs, poetry, and short stories. He loved his friends and enjoyed the family animals: (4 dogs) Toby, Trisha, Sabrina, Katie, (rabbit) CocoPuff, and (cat) Mercedes (nickname: baby). He was a great big brother to John and was close to his big brother, Joey, and big sister, Jessica.
We miss you and love you very much.
Love Mom and Dad
Tributes and Condolences
Get to Me by Train / Scarlett Powell (mom)
Well an airplane's faster than a Cadillac And a whole lot smoother than a camel's back But I don't care how you get to me Just get to me
Parasail or first class mail Get on the back of a Nightingale Just get ...
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When I look to the Sky by Train / Scarlett Powell (mom)
When it rains it pours and opens doors And floods the floors we thought would always keep us safe and dry And in the midst of sailing ships we sink our lips into the ones we love That have to say goodbye
Calling All Angels by Train / Scarlett Powell (Mom)
I need a sign to let me know you're here All of these lines are being crossed over the atmosphere I need to know that things are gonna look up 'Cause I feel us drowning in a sea spilled from a cup
Finding / Scarlett Powell (mom)
Finding strength through suffering Finding happiness through sorrow Finding hope through saddness There will be a day to celebrate but not today In the meantime, I will hold on to the memories of the loves ones who...
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Life Beyond / Debra Reagan (Angel Mom )
Life Beyond I believe there is a worldbeyond this world where every soulfinds peace..........There is a life beyond this lifewhere loves goes on and on.....Author Unknown
Jeremiah 20:11-12 "But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten." "O LORD Almighty, You who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause." Jeremiah 20:11-12
So,, as I was saying (Sean's own words - journal)
So,, as I was saying (Sean's own words - journal)
Life within a moment can be so complex that living that life can become confusing. But living with my (birth) mother (Feb. 9-20, 2007) has helped me to break free of the self-pity for seeing her makes me feel perfect. But in this moment that we all love, the one that we live in, we can become something original like a butterfly. Having no idea of the life ahead of me like a caterpillar I only want to be something original and new - but how many butterflies have I seen? Quite a few if I may say, especially at Ijams Nature Center on a field trip away from 1st grade--but the point is at this time... it is to realize that like any butterfly, similarity varies but wings keep us together and on our way.
Love Sean
Sean Austin Powell Sean’s own words: It is everyone choice or “free agency” to make good or evil choices and sometimes people makes bad choices based on the wrong emotions, usually anger. The product of which has no positive outcome.
Check with sincerity – be genuine Help out as much as you can & at every opportunity Look at help as something that is positive and not as something negative Follow up with solutions when you call someone or are called out on a problem Use the solutions that you give out to other people for yourself Don’t check people while you are in a bad mood, and don’t assume things about the person
Sean’s skills:
Speak fluent Spanish Extensive background in electronics and computer applications Strong leadership skills Developed negotiation skills
Sean’s favorite quote:
Risks
To laugh is – to risk appearing the fool. To weep is – to risk appearing sentimental To reach out for another is – to risk involvement To expose your feelings is – to risk exposing your true self. To place your dreams before the crowd is – to risk their loss. To love is – to risk not being loved in return. To live is – to risk dying. To hope is – to risk despair. To try is – to risk failure.
But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love – live. Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he has forfeited freedom. Only a person who risks is free.
His mom’s favorite quote: “A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself -- to laugh with me, but never at me; to cry with me, but never because of me; to love life, to love himself, to love being loved. Such a relationship is based upon freedom and can never grow in a jealous heart.”
Slaughterhouse Five Essay
Sean Powell English three Langley 11/2/05 Slaughterhouse Five Essay
“Slaughterhouse five” speaks about a time of despair and confusion as seen through the eyes of a young American soldier named Billy Pilgrim. Billy is a modest, yet detached Chaplains assistant of the Second World War and survivor of the Dresden fire bombing. The readers may find themselves believing that Billy Pilgrim portrays Vonnegut’s own deepest feelings about the war, and the many misfortunes that presented themselves during that time. In this novel, the reader follows Billy Pilgrim through the war as he expresses his experiences as an American prisoner of war. Billy has a problem with how he perceives reality, and he expresses his life as one big “time trip” in which he continuously goes back in to time recalling certain memories that help him understand the concept of life and war. Billy easily discerns for himself as many others might, that everyone dreams but the American dream is one of great pride, and pride can lead to conflict. Citizens in “America” have their own false realities about “American policy,” war, and society. Generally speaking, the American nation as a whole tends to believe that they are in complete control of everything, and this belief often leads to disaster. Billy Pilgrim is portrayed as having these very thoughts and opinions flowing through him in almost every chapter of “Slaughterhouse five”. Billy becomes aware of these feelings in the first few pages of the novel by explaining to the reader how the physical demands of war have broken his mentality; this along with becoming a prisoner of war causes him to become “unstuck in time.” It is this term that stands out to show us that we truly are focused on things of no importance at all, and sometimes sadly, it takes something as horrible as war for us to realize that things are not as perfect as we previously had thought them to be. Life can change in an instant, as most may already know. Billy was reminded of this soon after he surrendered to the Germans. Despite of his new position in the war Billy continues to dream, but not in pride; America does.
As Billy continues to press himself forward despite his biased feelings about the war, he begins to daydream even more, often scaring his fellow soldiers and causes them to fear and hate him. He journeys back and forth in time discovering the meanings to his memories. He does so in one instance, when he recalls his relationship with his father. Billy expresses that his father was very demanding, and Billy unable to meet those specific demands of his father, represses the memory and moves on. These thoughts closely relate his past experience with his father and how he handled that, as to how he handles the war. War is demanding; it is gruesome and ugly; and many people are afraid to die. Billy feels those harsh demands and knows that war is ugly, but Billy is not afraid to die. Billy lives a life full of indignity and so, has no great fear of death, and continues to float on with new thoughts and ideas about war and life and even goes as far as to imagine being abducted by aliens called Tralfamadorians. Billy claims they help him to see that life should be viewed in many more ways than just one, and gave him the philosophy of death as a beginning and not an end. Billy continues to dream of peace, but America believes that war is the only way to obtain it.
At this time, irrational things are happening and the constant irrational thoughts that flow through Billy’s head can be confusing. Vonnegut uses Billy to show the world the unfortunate reality of death, and how lonely death can make us feel. Again, it is the personification of death that gives this novel its meaning. All around Billy, people die; his family, his friends, his compatriots; and yet somehow Billy stands alone, untouched by death. The irony of death in this novel is that Billy is a weak, untrained, poorly outfitted assistant of the Chaplain, and he does not have a weapon. The other soldiers have been trained, outfitted, and carry weapons; but somehow Billy is the one who survives. He walks through the entire war in a daze. Yet every other trained soldier dies. This emotional experience cracks his mental capacity toward the end when he finds himself in an asylum.
Billy’s belief of war and his bitter experiences in the “schlotoutfunf” as a prisoner of war, allow him to conclude that war has no good side; it is not beautiful for the outcome is tragic. And that “war is like a glacier they will always be here on earth, and you cant stop their motion”, meaning that a glaciers massive size is impossible to stop from continuing to move; similar to how war and its unreasonable meaning is hopeless to try to prevent. The entire meaning of this novel narrows down to a “dream” and its place in the hearts of men. It is most unfortunate, that so many must die for a cause that has no positive meaning. “a struggle for power, is a struggle for death” meaning that anything that has to be named a struggle is not positive; and if one must struggle to obtain power than they most likely don’t care what the cost of their struggle will be, even if it involves bloodshed.
WORKS CITED
The dead cannot speak …
This poem is submitted in memory of Charlie Prater and all crime victims, by Charlie's Sister Melissa
THE UNDEFENDED VICTIM
For me no gavel hammer the scales were never weighed. My crime was that of a victim my life was the price I paid. And when my life was taken why weren't my rights read? And the statement, "overruled" when they pronounced me dead?
I'll never hear my rights nor take the witness stand no attorney will defend me, my fate was in the killer's hand. Now the courtroom's crowded as the defendant pleads his case, with just a glimmer of a tear, cold eyes on a straight face.
But oh, that I could take the stand if they could witness my last breath could they live with the terror that I went through in death? If they could hear my pleading cries and see the hatred in that face, at last, we'd know, the scales had "been balanced" in this case.
If I could tell the jury exactly how it was the fear and the pain that I went through struck down without a cause. Did the jury weigh it all as they listened to the plea? There were no emotions showing now, just the hopes of going free.
The final verdict now is in as the defendants stand in tears. If only I had done as well..... Given ten to twenty years.
Tributes and Condolences
Love Sean
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