Seniors #2 Journal--Personal Essay Warmup
Young writers who feel as if they have nothing to say to the world actually do.You do, too.
In your short 17 or so years on Planet Earth you have already experienced people and events that have molded your image, touched you to the core, or have changed your life.
If you try to deny this, then answer this question--are you anything remotely like the helpless, crawling, bawling, slobbering infant that lay in the crib? Someone encouraged you to walk, talk, and close your mouth when you ate your food. Someone, and some key events in your life, that undoubtedly involved other people, helped you to become the miracle merging of body and soul that is you.
Bet you never thought about it that way.
So here's the journal assignment: briefly (25 blog lines or 200 words) tell us here at Schoolsville about a person or event that deeply affected your life. I think we all can learn something from your story.
Save the ENTIRE story (if you wish) for your personal essay based on basically the same prompt (3-4 pages typed) that's due September 16. Consider this journal posting a flexing and stretching of your writing muscles for that final paper.
In sharing your experience, you'll be participating in bettering the human race. That's right. You'll be educating the entire world community here at Schoolsville, a world that could stand to learn that no two people, let alone races, religions, or nations, are exactly alike. The world can learn from your story, or at least begin to develop some much needed emotions of empathy or sympathy. Wouldn't you be interested in reading about how some Afghan teen, his country ravaged by foreign and civil wars, responds to the same writing prompt that you've just been given? Would his paper help you to understand his hopelessness, his fear, his distrust of foreigners?
OK, I'm only pretending that the existence of Schoolsville, or the completion of your personal essay paper, is vital to the future of the human race. But the point of my exaggeration is this: reading what others have to say is important, whether they live on the other side of the globe or in the neighboring cul-de-sac. Understanding them might help us to decide if we want to invade their country or invite them to our Labor Day barbecue.
Communication with others is the first "baby step" in learning how to get along. If we can't "walk in someone's shoes," then at least we should be willing to slip on someone's sandals and wiggle our toes for a spell. We just might learn that everyone in the world is not wearing the same 9 1/2 B's.
Respond here before Friday, Sept. 10. The essay is due Sept. 16.
To get some ideas, you may review the comments given by last year's seniors by visiting the archived post for September 1, 2009.
posted by JTF @ 9:44 PM
51 comments
51 Comments:
In my short lifespan here on planet Earth there are many people who have influenced my life, whether it was for better or for worse. But of course, we like to live on the positive side of things so I will share with everyone someone who has influenced my life for the better in many different ways. This individual who helped shape me as a young man was my grandfather Raymond Goss. Ray helped build me up as a solid member of society from birth. While my parents were away at work during the day I would stay with him and my grandmother until clear after dinner when my father or mother got off. During our days in the summer we would focus on outdoor activities whether it was improving my swing at the baseball field or improving my jump shot at the basketball courts in the neighborhood park. When it was time to come in for lunch and rest we would strengthen our minds by reading picture books to classic novels. Ray always emphasized that school was the most important thing in my life and that it was crucial to “keep my marks up”. During the school year he would pick me up from Holy Angels and we would discuss how our days were on the ride home. Ray helped me strive to be better in every task I undertook and was always proud of me no matter how successful I was as long as I gave it my all. I cannot say I would be the person I am today if it wasn’t for his guidance and love and compassion.
Everybody that cmes into my life has some effect upon it, however small or however large. When I think of all the peoplethat have come into my life and have made the greatest impact or influenced me the greatest, I think of my grandmother. I cannot begin to explain and express my feelings, emotion, and love for this woman. She has been one who I have always looked forward to seeing, however briefly. She has taught me lessons no other person could. I have lived with her, visited her in the hospital, and woke up several mornings to the familiar sight of my grandmother clipping coupons at the kitchen table. She urges me to be the best human being possible and I take that to heart. She is truely one of the only people that I could use to increase my motivation. From my earliest memory she has been present, and will always be there in my heart and soul.
Although a lot of great moments molded me as the person I am now, I decided to be the bearer of bad news. Tragedies, misfortunes, and sorrowful moments make up about half of the person I’ve come to be. As I’ve learned in my Child Psychology class, I as an adolescent could take this bad news and make it a negative impact, or a positive one. The first of these tragedies was my grandmother on my father’s side was admitted to the hospital in terrible condition. My dad skipped work to see her in the hospital. When I got home, no one was home and no one came home for a very long time. The next day, both of my parents skipped work to go to the hospital and again, they didn’t come home for a very long time. A few more days passed and it was the same routine: My parents skipped work to go to the hospital, and I was home alone until about 10 at night. I didn’t blame them for leaving me alone; it was just hard with the silence and the everyday fast food dinners alone. I went with them to see her one day even though they said I might not like what I saw. We sat in the waiting room for a long time. My dad’s side of the family was all there; aunts, uncles, cousins, even my relatives from New York came. That was how I knew things weren’t going to get better. It was finally time for me and my close cousin to go see her. We walked in the room and the first thing I saw was those purplish legs. They had put her under because she would be in too much pain if she was awake. She had been under the whole week since she got there. We all cried. Not too many days after, my grandmother died; almost on the same day as my grandfather. It wasn’t easy to see my dad cry. I also took this as a positive learning experience. I was sad, but I grew stronger. Maybe if everyone looked back on a difficult experience they had, they could see how it changed who they are. If that experience changed them negatively, they can see the error of their ways and become a stronger hearted person.
One of the biggest events that impacted my life was transferring to St. Marks my sophomore year. It sounds pretty cliché but it was life changing. I had just experienced ultimately, the worst year of my life that past year. I found out two weeks before school was starting that I would have to start all over again in a new school. My whole life had been turned around, and none of it had been by choice. I was angry at everything and hated St. Mark’s. I joined a few clubs and talked to a few people but that was all. It wasn’t until the summer after sophomore year that I realized that I needed to change. By hating everything and everyone, it got me nowhere and was wasting way too much energy. I decided that I had been through a rough patch in my life, but so have so many others. There are kids out there my age that don’t even know if they will wake up tomorrow morning and have anything to eat or even wake up at all. I wanted to make a difference. It sounds pretty corny for most teenagers but it is true. I didn’t want to be selfish or pity myself any longer, I wanted to take what I had learned through my struggles and help others out. I joined more clubs and started doing more volunteer work. I realized that I was much happier helping others out because I knew what it was like to not have anyone by your side when you need them the most. So yeah, St. Mark’s wasn’t in my plans but I can say one thing, it was one of the best decisions that my parents ever made for me. It did truly change my life.
I have been fortunate enough to have so many great people in my life who have all made a huge impact on who I am as a person today . My dad, whom I feel has been the most influential, has put much of his time into pushing me, molding me, and helping me become the best person I can. He has taught me many valuable lesson such as "If you're going to do something, do it right", and "laziness gets you nowhere". My dad was always there to take me to the batting cages or throw the football with me in the backyard. He constantly pushes me to do my homework as soon as I get it and to not procrastinate. He always says hard work is what has gotten him to where he is today. Although it isn't always easy getting along with my dad, I know that he has my best interest at mind. Up until recently I would have never chosen my dad as the most influential person in my life. However I now realize more than ever that my dad's tough rules have helped me become a better person and will continue to help me throughout my life
If you have ever been around me long enough at some point or another I'll mention my brother. My friends seem to have differing opinions about him. Many think that he is smart, practical,and funny (in his own quiet way). However, there are others who think that my brother seems egotistical, arrogant, self assured, and overly critical of others. I can honestly say that my brother can be these things sometimes. But to be fair he has his own reasons for being the way he is. And to say he wasn't my hero, my mentor, my brother, and my friend would be quite the lie. My brother and I's relationship began the way many sibling relationships begin. We couldn't stand each other. We teased each other alot and annoyed each other to no end. When my brother left the house for college six years ago I was, to say the least, excited. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. But after he left, I felt the emotion that I thought would be furthest from my mind. I missed him. At first I couldn't understand why I felt this way. Through all the teasing and criticism for how I talked or ate, I remembered how he and I used to make fun of movies and have the same weird sense of humor. Playing video games with my brother was honestly the most fun experience I had as a kid and growing up. And we can literally talk about anything and talk about it for hours. I found myself asking my mom when Kevin would be home and how long he would stay. A lot of people have had influence on how I became the person I am. But out of all of those people my brother can claim the most influence. I admire his intelligence, his unchanging morals, his common sense, his honesty (even if I don't want to hear it at the time), and his belief even to this day (and even though I don't believe it alot of times)that I can accomplish something in my life. My brother is certainly not a perfect person. Obviously no one is. But even though we still bicker at each other sometimes, he will always be the person I admire most. He is, in short, my mentor, my hero, my brother, my friend.
The person that has influenced me the most during my time alive would have to be my Uncle Bernie whom is also my godfather. He is the head football coach at Sussex Tech high school, a strength teacher, and the strength coach for the Wesley College football team. My Uncle Bernie and I go back to when I was one year old and we shared a room. I almost view him as my mentor through life because of all the lessons he has taught and will continue to teach me. He has taught me how to be committed to something that you have a true passion for and has also taught me how to do everything to the best of my abilities. My Uncle Bernie has been a huge father figure to me and he is the person that I would like to emulate my life after. We share so of the same interests, goals, dreams, and passions. He has taught me lessons in character, humility, and integrity. My Uncle enjoys every single aspect of life by not worry about how much he is being paid, but by how happy he is doing what he loves to do. Uncle Bernie has steered me in the wrong path when it came to making an important life decision or just simply trying a new food. He is truly a great role model for all people to look up to and try to emulate.
Everyone in my life has had some type of impact on me, negative and positive. The one person who has had the biggest positive impact on my life so far has been my grandmother on my mom's side. Her impact on my life is so significant because she was the person I spent most of my time with growing up. I would go there before and after school, during my summers and just when my parents had to work late. She would sit there with me when I was younger and help me with homework, talk to me about world news like I was an adult and she even taught me how important it is to be aware of the world around you. The way she treated me like an adult opened my eyes to things that others my age had no idea about. Everything I have learned about past events whether it be in history, old music, or how growing up in the generation is different from previous, I have her to thank. She is why I am who I am today.
Everybody that comes into my life has some effect upon it, however small or however large. When I think of all the people that have come into my life and have made the greatest impact or influenced me the greatest, I think of my grandmother. I cannot begin to explain and express my feelings, emotion, and love for this woman. She has been one who I have always looked forward to seeing, however briefly. She has taught me lessons no other person could. I have lived with her, visited her in the hospital, and woke up several mornings to the familiar sight of my grandmother clipping coupons at the kitchen table. She urges me to be the best human being possible and I take that to heart. She is truly one of the only people that I could use to increase my motivation. From my earliest memory she has been present, and will always be there in my heart and soul. My grandmother has made a huge impact on my life and has bestowed unto me values that will never grow old. I know human life is very limited, but I can’t imagine what my life will be like when she is gone. It’s just a fact that I don’t want to acknowledge. I hope that someday, when my grandchildren are at the age when role model are key in their life, I will be there and offering the same love that same has indwelled in me.
Friendships fade, memories fade, and people pass away, but there is one person who I will never, or could ever forget. My Mimi, my grandma was always around when I was little. She only lived a short while away so whenever she had the free time she would stop by and visit, and when my mom needed someone to watch my siblings and me, she would be there. In other words, she was one of the people that raised me. Most of my moral standings, my manors, the way I interact with people, my outlooks on life, and so much more are based on what she taught me when I was young. She was not only a teacher of mine, she was also my friend. I remember she used to take me out to places, not necessarily places I thought would be fun at first, but when I was with her it didn’t matter. A lot of the time we went to her senior center that she was a part of. I would sit in the office and help her out with things, play games with the other men and women there, and often join in on some activities. My Mimi was nice to everyone, she listened to everyone, and she helped everyone out who needed it, no matter what the cost was to her and without caring if she received anything in return. She was a true role model for me. I always said that I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. To this day, I still haven’t changed my mind.
So many things have impacted my life greatly but the one thing that I remember most is when I moved from California to Delaware. I was seven years old when my dad told the family that we were moving. We had all been raised in California so we weren't exactly sure what to think. I remember thinking that I was going to be leaving all of my friends, family, and neighbors behind to go to some state that I had never heard of before. I was basically moving away from my home to nothing. It seemed like one of the saddest times because I felt like everything was being taken away from me. Once we finally arrived in Delaware and were driving to our new house everything was completely different. I remember that all I saw was trees and nothing else whereas in California there were buildings and palm trees and basically everything that Delaware didn’t have. I absolutely hated it and was so mad at my dad. Once we arrived at our new house my mood completely changed because our new house seemed so much nicer than our old one so I was happy to have newer and better things. So I decided to make the best of it because I realized that this was my new home and new life.
In my 17 years of living, many people and events have occurred in my life. I’ve met all kinds of people, had different kinds of relationships with them, and even went through different life occurrences with them. Everyone affects your life in some way, whether it’s a friend, a teacher, or your close family. To me, family is the closest people who mold your life and your image. Your family is the one who is always there for you, support you, and unconditionally love you. In psychology class I’ve learned that the environment you grow up in affects your personality and the way you live. The one person who has the most affect on my life is my mother. Since I was born my mother was a stay at a home to take care of me. We would always go everywhere together, whether it was to get lunch or pick up my siblings from school. My mom would always play with me and I would help her in the garden. My mom had become my best friend. As I’ve grown through the years, I go through new experiences with new people. In some situations I would need help and advice dealing with these new occurrences. I knew the person to go to was my mom. She always tells me to stay faithful to God and to do the best I can. My mom has always instituted God and love into our family’s lives, and always includes our faith into any kind of advice. My mom has always been there for me and she is always sharing her knowledge with me since she has already lived and experience the age I am now. Her knowledge is what has molded me and impacted my life the most. Whenever I see my mom interact with people or behave I always can see a little of myself in her.
I have honestly not experienced many life-changing events in my life. I have met many people who have had effected my life and who I am, but the one person I have met in my life and changed my views on life is my friend, Nick Zerhusen. Nick was 19 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer. I watched him go through all the treatments and suffering in that year and saw all the pain he went through. A few days after he turned 20, Nick passed away. Nick’s death took a great toll on my family and myself especially. I didn’t quite understand how someone who was perfectly fine a year ago and I had known for so long just passed away. I knew him for so long and was always close with him and his family. Even though Nick’s death was very tragic, it changed my outlook on life completely. I used to be the type of person where I would put things off to the next day or later in time because I just didn’t feel the need to do it at the present moment. Now, I am always doing the things I want to do when I want to do them because tomorrow may never come and I will never know what I missed out on.
An event that has shaped me to become the person I am today was the death of my cousin Patrick. He was 17 when he died in a sudden car accident. I was only a third grader when he passed but this loss has helped me to grow stronger. It taught me to cherish the time I spend with people because we never know when we won't ever be seeing them again. Another thing I find myself thinking about is that he was only 17. Now that I am 17 I understand the point in his life he was in when he died. This has helped me to realize that I need to love the life I live. I shouldn't stress out so much over the little things that come my way. Also that my situation is nothing compared to others. I also learned I should forgive those who wronged me instead of holding grudges. Since he died in a car accident I have also learned to take my driving seriously especially when I have my friends in the car with me. Even though this was a tragic event in my family's life it has taught me many positive life lessons.
Growing up through the years there are so many things that we take for granted, especially our families. Two events in the last year have helped me realize just how important mine really is to me. Last august my older sister left to go to school in New York City. She’d talk all the time about how much I would miss her, but I brushed it off and said I’d get over it. When she finally left, I did get over it, but not quite as easily as I had thought. It struck me that it wasn’t just my older sister who had left, but my best friend. She returned home for the summer, but I was about to go through another challenge. This time, I would be leaving for a month to go to school in NYC myself. Once again, I thought being on my own and away from my family would be no big deal. I was wrong. Though I got through it and had some of the best times of my life, I still missed my family terribly. I realized through both these experiences that as time goes on, things change, we change, our homes change, but your family is always there for you no matter what and they are the most important thing in the world.
A common theme among youth in Delaware is that everyone wants to get out of small town Delaware and move away to something bigger and better. I felt like that at one point in my life. I’m pretty sure everyone has that fantasy. Be careful what you wish for. Recently my mom lost her job that she had for about twelve years. That same day she was offered a job triple her salary. Since she has worked at home, we assumed it would be no different than any other job. However, the job actually required our family to relocate. This location happens to be the complete opposite of Delaware. Houston, Texas. At first, my sister and I were excited about the change. After about a week, I began to think about what I actually had to lose. Wow, I have to start over completely. I don’t have friends. I don’t know where to go or what to do. Where are the hills? Where are the trees? Why does it take an hour to get to the grocery store? It wasn’t exactly the event that changed my life in some way but it was the reality of the fact that life isn’t always so predictable.
I was nine years old when my mother drove me hours away from home, deep into the woods that surrounded the Sassafras, to a little place called Camp Grove Point. I was eager to be out of the house for a while, but, as I was a painfully shy child, I was also scared out of my mind to be left with complete strangers for a week. It also didn’t help that the camp looked less like a camp and more like an untamed wilderness that was potentially home to bears, or giant wild cats that would gulp me in my pokemon sleeping bag down whole. I would never have imagined how much summers at Grove Point would sculpt me into the courageous, outgoing person I am today. From mid June to late August every year since then, the woods on the Sassafras were my home. Everyday would be filled with kayaking, hiking, swimming, survival skills, tubing, activities that left me sweaty and exhausted, but constantly smiling. It was all so radically different from my life at home, where I shared a blood supply with the couch. I was able to bust out of my shell, break away from real life, and be an adventurer. And now, when I’m too old to be a camper, I work as a counselor, teaching little, awkward kids like I was how to live out in the wilderness and become an explorer, if only just for the summer.
Simple events can shape a person's life very drastically, but for me, it was a course of events and a person that changed my life. I can not write about one, because with the person comes the events. This may be hard to comprehend, but at my brother, Joey's, birth there were complications. The birth of this small human being caused the most influencing string of events to take place in my life. I, at the age of five, was so excited to become a big sister. My mom had a completely healthy pregnancy and Joey was even carried full-term, to the day. During delivery, his heart rate began to rapidly decline which meant that Joey was not getting enough oxygen. The doctor who had been grandfathered in had no idea how to read the heart rate monitors and despite nurses telling him to do an emergency c-section, he carried on with a normal delivery. Joey was not breathing when he was born and for fourteen minutes after. As you can imagine, this caused severe brain damage. Joey lived with cerebral palsy until he was 5 years 8 months old. Doctors said that if he were to live to the age of six, he would live to adulthood. He was 4 months short. Through his life, I spent the majority of my time with him. When I was not in school, I was busy trying to teach him sign language and reading him books. We constantly had a rotation of nurses coming in and out of our house, so I had to get used to being friendly and accepting of all kinds of people. I believe that's why I am the personable being that I am today. Having a handicapped brother taught me that you can not always judge a person by the way they look, because although my brother did not look like other kids, he was the most peaceful, kind soul in the world. His death taught me that I need to be strong for my family and gave me the courage to speak to others who have siblings like Joey to show that loss doesn't always have to be interpreted as a bad thing. His life taught me that everything happens for a reason.
At 17 I'm sure I will meet many influential people in the course of my life, as of now I have already met quite a few. One particular person who has been influential in my life is my Grandma Nola. Her life has never been easy, she was born to a very poor family at the end of World War Two. Her father had been killed in the war and her mother and stepfather raised her. She married and had children young and immigrated to the United States with only a thousand dollars to live on. She suffered through cancer and poverty and many family tragedies. After such a difficult life she could easily be the stereotypical grouchy old woman, buts she’s quite the opposite. She is active and healthy and probably in better physical shape than I am. Grandma is part of many different organizations and travels abroad frequently. She lives her life to the fullest and makes a point of encouraging her children and grandchildren to do the same. She has a rule of giving her grandchildren their "inheritances" early by paying for us to attend a camp or trip that she feels will enrich our life. She has taught me to cook, taken me on trips, and is always there to offer sound advice, company, or a ride to work. My Grandma Nola has been a major part of my life and continues to encourage me to be a better person.
Throughout my first 17 years of life I was lucky enough to know, and become close with my great-grandfather. Not many people can say they knew a great-grandparent let alone become as close to one as I did. As we both got older we would talk more and more, he would explain his past experiences and open my eyes to the huge generation difference. He would also tell me of his past experiences guiding me through some life lessons in the process. My PopPop loved to talk and everyone loved to be around him. He would make a joke out of everything and even in the worst situations somehow manage to put a smile on your face. As my PopPop got older and was unable to do things as easily as he could before I began visiting him on a daily basis to spend time with him and assist him when he needed help. This experience made me see the importance and meaning of patience and the value of life. My PopPop sadly passed away last May, and though it was very difficult on my family and I we managed to pull through it. This experience of losing someone close to me made me change my viewpoint on death, as well as making me who I am today.
Once in a while I think back to good times i have shared with the closest people to me and only wish i could only repeat what happened and hopefully get more out of it. Only recently have i been much apart of my family gatherings (now i can drive for conviniency). For many years growing up I have been left out on occasion. Having a divorced family forces me to make hard decisions, balancing time spent with each family. Therefore, I have learned to appreciate as much as i can from my family when i do see them and keep the memories fresh in my head when I'm not with them. Christmas eve with the Looby family will always be close to me forever. Every year since before i was born, my family has held its annual Christmas eve reunion. Usually my family disagrees on pretty much everything, but on that night we're all together and no one is arguing. I get to see my family in the way i always want them to be. I learn and grow by making my own inferences by watching what my family does. I try to create my personality comparing the good and bad things i see in others. I admit other people influence me, but I'm the one who has the final say and approves.
When I was first given this assignment I had absolutely no clue what to write about; nothing really popped into my head that had been life changing. As I thought more and more about it I realized that there was something pretty obvious that definitely changed my life; high school. Coming to high school at St. Mark's was completely different than any school I'd ever attended. At my middle school (MOT Charter) there were only about 75 kids per grade and it was K-8th so it wasn't any different than my first 7 years of grade school. You were with the same people every year and every day and you didn't have very many options for who to be friends with. I was always pretty shy and quiet, afraid of what the few girls that were my "friends" would think. Throughout my 8th grade year I was back and forth about where I wanted to attend high school; either stick with the same people and go to the middletown high school, or go in the complete opposite direction to St. Mark's, alone. In the end my mom convinced me to give St. Mark's a try and if I didn't like it after the first year, i could transfer. I still remember my very frist day of high school. There were so many people and it was only the kids in my grade. I was so excited to make so tons of new friends. After really getting into the swing of my new surroundings I realized how much fun I was having and how happy I was. I had made lots of friends and ones who liked me for the crazy, loud, hyper person I truly am at that. I have grown up and matured so much throughout my 3 years at St. Mark's and it was the best experience of my life. I'm very sad to be leaving at the end of this year but I know I'll be ready. Coming to St. Mark's has helped really bring me out of my shell and make me the person I am today. I can't even start to imagine how my life and everything would have turned out if I hadn't come to St. Mark's. It really did change my life.
Throughout my 17 years of life I have met many people influential people. But the one who stands out the most to me is my older cousin Mandi. For as long as I can remember, Mandi and I have wanted to do the same thing-become an early education teacher. When she graduated high school, she was so excited to go off to college so she could get her degree and begin teaching. In June of 2009 she graduated from college with a degree in early education. Unfortunately she graduated only a few months after the economy sank, making her job search extremely hard as teaching jobs were hard to get. She looked for a job over the past school year while she returned to school to get her Master’s, hoping that it would increase her chances of landing a job. Throughout the whole year I never saw her complain or give up. She was always enthusiastic and kept her hopes up. Never once did I hear her say: “Why me? Why can’t I get a job?” She kept on going to interviews and this summer she learned that she would be subbing for a bit. She was so enthusiastic and excited to be back teaching for the first time since her student teaching, even though it’s a temporary position. But last week, she was offered a permanent job at another elementary school in her area. She was thrilled to say the least to have a year –round job. Mandi’s perseverance and determination has taught me so much, she taught me that it will take time before you finally get a job but in the end if you persevered the end result would be worth it!
Throughout my 17 years of life I have met many people influential people. But the one who stands out the most to me is my older cousin Mandi. For as long as I can remember, Mandi and I have wanted to do the same thing-become an early education teacher. When she graduated high school, she was so excited to go off to college so she could get her degree and begin teaching. In June of 2009 she graduated from college with a degree in early education. Unfortunately she graduated only a few months after the economy sank, making her job search extremely hard as teaching jobs were hard to get. She looked for a job over the past school year while she returned to school to get her Master’s, hoping that it would increase her chances of landing a job. Throughout the whole year I never saw her complain or give up. She was always enthusiastic and kept her hopes up. Never once did I hear her say: “Why me? Why can’t I get a job?” She kept on going to interviews and this summer she learned that she would be subbing for a bit. She was so enthusiastic and excited to be back teaching for the first time since her student teaching, even though it’s a temporary position. But last week, she was offered a permanent job at another elementary school in her area. She was thrilled to say the least to have a year –round job. Mandi’s perseverance and determination has taught me so much, she taught me that it will take time before you finally get a job but in the end if you persevered the end result would be worth it!
An event that truly changed me as a person, as well as the entire course of my life, was my decision to quit competitive figure skating. For 8 years I was known as “that skater girl” amongst peers, and almost my whole identity was in some way related to skating. However, throughout elementary school I never realized how abnormal my life was. Waking up at 5:30 am before school to practice, and leaving school early to begin training again seemed completely average. It was not until I began junior high that I realized how different my childhood had been from everyone else’s. Kids would talk about their summers at the beach; plans to go out after school, and other numerous things I never participated in. My summers were spent at the rink; my days after school training, and the activities I participated in were with my small group of friends, who also had dedicated their lives to figure skating. As much as I loved what I did, I couldn’t help but wonder what my life would be like if I could actually join a school club, play a school sport, and hangout with classmates after school. Until I turned 14, these were only thoughts. One day I finally took action, and made one of the biggest and hardest decisions of my life. I decided to end my career and life as a figure skater, and begin a new chapter of my life.
During my seventeen short years here on earth there have been many events and people that have helped me become the person I am today. One tragic event that really changed my life and how I see the world was when my friend Kadeem died. He died in a car accident in June of 2009. It came as such a suprise to everyone and it really changed how I live my life. Now that I think about it before he died it always seemed like i was rushing through my life in anticipation of something, instead of living in the moment and enjoying what i have. There are a great number of people who tend to think in ways like i’ve got time or I can do it tomorrow, and I can honestly tell you that I used to be one of those people. It is definitely not a good way to think and since the day I found out the tragic news of Kadeem’s death I have decided to live every day that I am given to the fullest and to make the most of everything that I have been given. Life may be short but in the end what really matters isn't the years in your life but the life in your years.
Out of the short 18 years I have been on planet Earth, I've met many people with still hundreds more to come. Some of them have been with me for my entire journey to where I am today, and some friends were lost along the way. The one person that has always been there no matter what is my mother. Whenever I have a problem, she solves it. Whenever I'm going through a rough time, she is there to help. She is my best friend and the one person I always turn to. There are times when we don't get along, and times when I'm not the best daughter. We fight, but the good times always out do the bad. My mom is a very independent and strong person that always speaks her mind, whether I agree with her or not. I hope one day I should be so fortunate to be as good willed as she is. She has given up so much for me and my brothers and never stops giving. No matter where my life takes me, how I change, and the person I become, I know she will always love me for better or for worse.
Every event or person changes a life. It just depends how you see it, or if you just don’t realize it right away. A million thoughts run through your mind… anxiety, fear, relief, sadness, gratefulness. It’s hard to look at it that everything happens for a reason. Our dads are special to us all. When thinking about if one thing, just one little tiny thing in his heart, could fail or do the worst, it’s scary. I mean, the doctors know what they’re doing. After all, they have probably done a lot of quadruple heart by-pass surgeries. But it was my dad. It was his heart this time. I had to go through four days of not seeing him, not knowing what the outcome would be, wondering and thinking constantly the worst. So what’s a major event that changed my life? My dad had to have surgery done on the most vital part of his body. He did okay for a while, had some complications after, but he’s great today. It made me look at everything with a new perspective, be grateful for the tiniest things, and always be happy at everything.
In the past seventeen years, people have walked in and out of my life and I like to think I've experienced quite a lot. Many of these events and people have molded me, but none like starting high school. Coming from a school so small that there were never any secrets and even teachers knew everyones business, I was nervous to start school with four hundred new kids. I figured I would become just another face in the crowd, and make a couple new friends if I was lucky. I wanted that though, to be another face in the crowd, because if I was just that it would mean I had succeeded in my goal- to fit in. I had no desire to stand or bring attention to myself, I was scared if people got to know me they wouldn't like me or accept me. The first few months I was on my own, didn't talk to new people much, I sat with my old classmates from my grade school, I didn't want to step on any toes or start off highschool with more enemies than friends. As time passed though, I realized I didn't want to be just another face in the crowd, I wanted people to know me and I wanted to know more people. I needed to come out of my shell and let my class know my personality instead of just seeing my face. After the decision to step out, my whole life has been different. I've never gotten to chance to meet such a variety of people and through meeting all those people, I've actually made close friends that a couple years ago I wouldn't of dreamt of having. I've learned it's okay to stand out and make a name for yourself, being another face in the crowd is just boring, which is one thing I never want to be again.
During the summer of my fourth grade I had to say goodbye to my sister as she went off to college in Connecticut. I am sure there were many of kids my age that would have loved to have their sister shipped away but I didn’t have the cliché brother vs. sister relationship; we had respect for each other and would bond by watching movies together. I looked up to my sister and liked having an older sibling so I could learn about what the big kids do, because doing what the big kids do is always cool. This does not mean we would not partake in the sport of annoying each other occasionally but it was all in good fun. Saying goodbye was a sad and foreign feeling to me and lingered as her empty presence was strongly evident. We helped each other deal with our parents’ fickle relationship and pretty much our parents themselves. My house went from inhabiting four people, to three, to eventually two; myself and my mom. My house is in the rural parts of New Jersey and it is located on a farm. I have no neighbors and do not know anybody in New Jersey because of my going to Delaware for school since first grade. The feeling of isolation was most definitely present.
In my short years, one of the biggest changes in my life was moving on into high school, as it is for most other kids. I came from a small school; Pike Creek Christian School, where our graduating eighth grade class had 34 students. Only about 5-7 students from our graduating eighth grade class was planning on moving on to Saint Mark’s High School. Obviously, Saint Mark’s was a bit intimidating at first where my class size increased at least 10 fold. I was pretty much planning on knowing nobody on the first day. Along with the size, I’d never been to a Catholic school before. Needless to say, there was a lot of change going on. I was glad to start on a fresh slate where I could really be myself and meet new friends. I never knew how much of an impact these new friends would have on me. My friends are a big reason I am the way I am now, and that makes me happy, because I’m comfortable with who I am. That’s how my closest group of friends are. They don’t pretend to be something they’re not, and I hope I portray this same self awareness.
In the past 17 and a half years of my life I have had a countless number of people and events that have all changed or influenced my life in some way or another. Out of all those events and people the person I feel that my life would not be the same without is my mom. My mom has always been there for me and I know she always will be. I have done many different activities throughout my life such as dancing, girl scouts, horseback riding, cheerleading, field hockey, lacrosse and the list can go on and on but the point is my mom helped me with every one of them! She always supported me and encouraged me to do my best even when I felt like just giving up and quitting. Whenever I have a problem or need advice she is the first person I go to and I know I can always count on her. In the past year I have started looking at colleges and my mom has been a tremendous help. She schedules visits, gets me to them and she even helped me decide on what I wanted my major to be. My mom and I don’t always see eye to eye but no matter what happens in the end I know that she will always love me.
The person who has most influenced me is my mom mom. My mom mom is very important to me. She has always been involved in my life. I have many memories as a little girl spending time at her house. We would always be busy baking, or doing crafts. I would watch her sew and just talk to her about anything and everything. She is someone that I can talk to and know that she could just sit and listen while I got things off my mind. My mom mom has also given me advice during some tough times I have had. She always knows what to say and makes me feel happy and content whenever I visit her. My mom mom has inspired me to be like her. She enjoys life and sees the best in everyone. She has greatly impacted my life.
The final music chimed through the loudspeakers as the announcer proclaimed the end of the successful weekend, he thanked the sponsers, riders and trainers for coming to the Virginia Horse Park Championships for the weekend. Parades of horses and riders marched back to the barns with exuberant smiles or defeated tears as they carried their awards from the final award ceremonies.
"Regan! I need your help getting the kids together to take a picture with our sponser poster", Anecia, yelled as she was trying to wound up the kids as they were chasing each other around like wild tornadoes through the isles of the barn. My friend Sammy came up and we assembled all the riders in a line and handed them each a piece of the big banner to hold up. An army of parents lined up with cameras trying to get our attention by frantic chants of "smile" or "over here" and then "alright one..two..three". When out of the blue I hear an entirely different kind of frantic scream, a scream of pain, a scream of terror, as soon as I looked up it hit me. Sand, gravel and dirt whipped in my eyes as The long banner took flight. It whirled into the side of the door to the barn taking many children as its hostage. Rain lashed at me from all directions and sight was impossible. Somebody managed to grab me and pull me into the shelter of the barn, inside it was like standing in the middle of a sandstorm, kids flew against the stalls unable to hold their ground against the strong winds that funneled through the isles of the barn, sand and rocks hit me in my face as I ran towards my mother. She was screaming for help as she was jumping up to grab the large sliding barn door that was about to fly off the side of the barn, it was like fighting Gods breath as we tried to force the doors into place while the winded pulled the door of the track, we managed to get the doors shut against the howling winds and flinging rocks and gravel and enclosed ourselves inside the barn. Screams of mothers looking for their kids and panicked calls of horses as they jumped in their stalls in terror of the pounding noises enclosing around the barn. Everybody looked inhuman covered in mud, gravel, tears and fear. We ushered into a cement wash stall and waited. We waited in silence, with rapid gasps for breaths an occasional sniffle of all those around. A little girl finally was the first to break the speechlessness, "mommy are we gonna die?". Everyone looked around in desperation not knowing how to respond, Her mother brought her into her arms and whispered "of course not sweetie." The noises were becoming more and more violent outside and rattles and crashes were fighting against the walls of the barn. We sat for another twenty minutes. Finally as quickly as it came, the beast was gone.
Outside we walked carefully out seeing port-a-potties, trees, and rail posts scattered out like a yard sale. It was quiet. It was over.
As we drove home we looked at the windows seeing all sorts of unbelievable damages, giant 800 Lb hay bales thrown into the tops of trees, yards looked like graveyards full of branches, trunks and leaves. That weekend may have been a successfull show and I came home with many trophies and awards but they seemed like nothing. The greatest thing I came home with was my life, and My families.
The final music chimed through the loudspeakers as the announcer proclaimed the end of the successful weekend, he thanked the sponsers, riders and trainers for coming to the Virginia Horse Park Championships for the weekend. Parades of horses and riders marched back to the barns with exuberant smiles or defeated tears as they carried their awards from the final award ceremonies.
"Regan! I need your help getting the kids together to take a picture with our sponser poster", Anecia, yelled as she was trying to wound up the kids as they were chasing each other around like wild tornadoes through the isles of the barn. My friend Sammy came up and we assembled all the riders in a line and handed them each a piece of the big banner to hold up. An army of parents lined up with cameras trying to get our attention by frantic chants of "smile" or "over here" and then "alright one..two..three". When out of the blue I hear an entirely different kind of frantic scream, a scream of pain, a scream of terror, as soon as I looked up it hit me. Sand, gravel and dirt whipped in my eyes as The long banner took flight. It whirled into the side of the door to the barn taking many children as its hostage. Rain lashed at me from all directions and sight was impossible. Somebody managed to grab me and pull me into the shelter of the barn, inside it was like standing in the middle of a sandstorm, kids flew against the stalls unable to hold their ground against the strong winds that funneled through the isles of the barn, sand and rocks hit me in my face as I ran towards my mother. She was screaming for help as she was jumping up to grab the large sliding barn door that was about to fly off the side of the barn, it was like fighting Gods breath as we tried to force the doors into place while the winded pulled the door of the track, we managed to get the doors shut against the howling winds and flinging rocks and gravel and enclosed ourselves inside the barn. Screams of mothers looking for their kids and panicked calls of horses as they jumped in their stalls in terror of the pounding noises enclosing around the barn. Everybody looked inhuman covered in mud, gravel, tears and fear. We ushered into a cement wash stall and waited. We waited in silence, with rapid gasps for breaths an occasional sniffle of all those around. A little girl finally was the first to break the speechlessness, "mommy are we gonna die?". Everyone looked around in desperation not knowing how to respond, Her mother brought her into her arms and whispered "of course not sweetie." The noises were becoming more and more violent outside and rattles and crashes were fighting against the walls of the barn. We sat for another twenty minutes. Finally as quickly as it came, the beast was gone.
Outside we walked carefully out seeing port-a-potties, trees, and rail posts scattered out like a yard sale. It was quiet. It was over.
As we drove home we looked at the windows seeing all sorts of unbelievable damages, giant 800 Lb hay bales thrown into the tops of trees, yards looked like graveyards full of branches, trunks and leaves. That weekend may have been a successfull show and I came home with many trophies and awards but they seemed like nothing. The greatest thing I came home with was my life, and My families.
The final music chimed through the loudspeakers as the announcer proclaimed the end of the successful weekend, he thanked the sponsers, riders and trainers for coming to the Virginia Horse Park Championships for the weekend. Parades of horses and riders marched back to the barns with exuberant smiles or defeated tears as they carried their awards from the final award ceremonies.
"Regan! I need your help getting the kids together to take a picture with our sponser poster", Anecia, yelled as she was trying to wound up the kids as they were chasing each other around like wild tornadoes through the isles of the barn. My friend Sammy came up and we assembled all the riders in a line and handed them each a piece of the big banner to hold up. An army of parents lined up with cameras trying to get our attention by frantic chants of "smile" or "over here" and then "alright one..two..three". When out of the blue I hear an entirely different kind of frantic scream, a scream of pain, a scream of terror, as soon as I looked up it hit me. Sand, gravel and dirt whipped in my eyes as The long banner took flight. It whirled into the side of the door to the barn taking many children as its hostage. Rain lashed at me from all directions and sight was impossible. Somebody managed to grab me and pull me into the shelter of the barn, inside it was like standing in the middle of a sandstorm, kids flew against the stalls unable to hold their ground against the strong winds that funneled through the isles of the barn, sand and rocks hit me in my face as I ran towards my mother. She was screaming for help as she was jumping up to grab the large sliding barn door that was about to fly off the side of the barn, it was like fighting Gods breath as we tried to force the doors into place while the winded pulled the door of the track, we managed to get the doors shut against the howling winds and flinging rocks and gravel and enclosed ourselves inside the barn.
Screams of mothers looking for their kids and panicked calls of horses as they jumped in their stalls in terror of the pounding noises enclosing around the barn. Everybody looked inhuman covered in mud, gravel, tears and fear. We ushered into a cement wash stall and waited. We waited in silence, with rapid gasps for breaths an occasional sniffle of all those around. A little girl finally was the first to break the speechlessness, "mommy are we gonna die?". Everyone looked around in desperation not knowing how to respond, Her mother brought her into her arms and whispered "of course not sweetie." The noises were becoming more and more violent outside and rattles and crashes were fighting against the walls of the barn. We sat for another twenty minutes. Finally as quickly as it came, the beast was gone.
Outside we walked carefully out seeing port-a-potties, trees, and rail posts scattered out like a yard sale. It was quiet. It was over.
As we drove home we looked at the windows seeing all sorts of unbelievable damages, giant 800 Lb hay bales thrown into the tops of trees, yards looked like graveyards full of branches, trunks and leaves. That weekend may have been a successfull show and I came home with many trophies and awards but they seemed like nothing. The greatest thing I came home with was my life, and My families.
In my eighteen years on earth there have been a handful of experiences that have influenced me spiritual, emotionally, and physically as an individual. However the one experience that has helped shape the person I am today is the divorce of my parents. I grew up with a normal child hood; living with both my parents and sister. But as I grew older I began to notice little quarrels that I would typically brush off as nothing. This all changed the summer I was entering seventh grade. Towards the end of the summer things felt strange around my house. Almost as if it was a calm before the storm. One Sunday mourning as I was getting ready for a volleyball game my parents called me into the living room and told me that they getting a divorce. I can only remember sitting there with nothing to say, shocked at what they had just told me. the following months were probably some of the hardest and most confusing that I have ever encountered. I learned a lot about my family and myself what I went through made me a better person today and taught me to appreciate all that I have.
Throughout one’s lifetime, they may be blessed with immense happiness, bestowed with exceptional sorrow, or perhaps even granted a little bit of both. Whatever the tragedy or joy one undergoes may be, it is through these trials of life that individual character and personal values are formed. I have been fortunate enough in my life to meet some extraordinary people as well as learn what it truly means to uphold traditional family values and to always be true to yourself. My grandmother on my mom’s side, commonly known to us as Dearie, is by far the most honorable and respected woman in my life. Ever since I’ve been a little girl Dearie has been my role model and the woman I’ve always turned to for guidance and support. She’s been there for me through thick and thin, whether it was helping me cope with my parents’ divorce or helping me fix a broken heart left from a sixth grade crush. My grandmother has never once failed to offer a helping hand to anyone in need, whether it be family problems, financial issues, trouble caused by bad judgment, or a simple needed prayer, Dearie is there with open arms and an open heart to relieve you of your burden. Besides giving constant attention to those less fortunate, my grandmother takes care of my 30 year old Uncle Rusty who is mentally retarded as well as a diabetic. Dearie babysits my two young cousins, ages three and one, four days a week and cooks meals on a regular basis for both my Aunt Beth’s family as well as mine since both my step-father and my Uncle Adam are often absent for a period of time due to work. Nothing in the world can compare to the amount of compassion my grandmother has for all living persons, and nothing can amount to how deeply I love her. Although she may not know it, my Dearie has changed my life in a tremendous way and I am extremely lucky to have such an amazing woman to look up to.
I have always chosen my life over family. I have chosen school and friends over family. I neglected seeing my grandparents and barely saw even my parents because I was always out. I learned that family is always most important because once they are gone, that's it. You won't see them again. I lost my best friend, my uncle Tony. The worst part is, I knew he wasn't gonna make it one more week and I just kept putting him off for friends and things that could have waited. I was even doing a project on him and had to go see him. I even put that off. I finally had my mom call, not even me, but my mom to tell him that I'd come over the next day. He died in his sleep that night. I never got to say goodbye. I felt so guilty I did not attend the funeral, or anything. I couldn't even face my aunt Pat, his wife. Now because of his death, I see my grandparent an other family members at least once every week or so. I'm making bonds with everyone because even thought I was neglecting them, I still loved them. But family should always come first. No matter what. They will not be around forever. So this changed my life drasticly and dramaticly.
I have had, just like every other person in this world, experiences that have shaped me into the person that I am today. As cliche as this may sound, it's true. I wouldn't say anything in my life has been "worthy" enough to change me completely as a person; I can say that the events have happened during my high school experience have shown me a side of the world that I never dreamed to be a part of, let alone existed. The places, people, and every day tasks that I encounter are what make me who I am now. There is a song that can pretty much sum up this story. It is a very well known song by the Beatles:
There are places I remember,
All my life, though some have changed.
Some forever not for better.
Some have gone and some remain.
all these places have their moments,
with lovers and friends I still can recall.
Some are dead and some are living.
In my life, I've loved them all.
My life hasn’t been the most exciting, creative, or entertaining in any way. I feel as if my big life-changing moment is still creating the perfect story to tell. Although there have been a few events that have had an effect on me and how I live my life. Looking back on a particular day, what seemed to be one of the hottest days of the year, I thought to myself, “I can’t wait to swim in the ocean and face the biggest wave possible. Bring it on.” Lounging on the beach not having any care in the world; my Dad, brother and I decided to go for a swim in the ocean. What was supposed to be fun and games, turned into terror and fear in a simple time span of about a minute and a half. I get thrown under by a wave, come back up for air and then go back under to touch the bottom, and I couldn’t. It’s as if the ground beneath me disappeared. It was hard to process a thought while so frantic and not knowing what was going on. I didn’t know what to do. People standing 5 feet away from me couldn’t understand the catastrophe either. Believe it or not- I was caught in a rip current. I didn’t know how to get out of it and did the worst possible thing, panic. I was saved by the lifeguards and luckily my life is unchanged by this but I still have learned a great deal from this by learning to be careful of things you cannot control and trust the fact that caution is a virtue.
I have been very fortunate in my life and I have been offered many great opportunities, but there have been some major events that have deeply affected my life for the worse. One major event was the loss of two of the greatest people of my life. I loss both of my grandparents in a matter of twenty days during my sophomore year at Saint Mark's and this greatly influenced my outlook of life. When I saw everything that they suffered through, I realized that I needed to live every day like it was my last These two great people spent most of their time devoted to their grandchildren. When my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, her memory went away fast, but she would always recognize family because you would see her light up when we would enter the room. They taught me to be proud of my Italian heritage and taught me how to cook some of the best Italian dishes. There was never a moment of time that I didn’t want to hang out with them, but when they got sick suddenly and we spent time in the nursing home for three years before they died. My memory of them will always exist as their memory of me will live on forever in their hearts.
Today many people idolize many different celebrities or are obsessed with material things and do not cherish what is right in front of them. I know that my life is no different from these people; I do know that I am not an angel and I am not going to become a saint. Many events change my life for the worse and the better even though I had no control over it. When I was in middle school, people showed me so many things I did not even know existed at my age. Drugs, alcohol, and stealing were presented to me at such a young age that it is hard to believe that parents still have no clue about how these temptations are around these kids today. Parents try to steer us clear of these horrors but in the end, it comes down between the child and the peer pressure. I never experienced these horrible temptations for children but it was always surrounding me because of the people I hung out with. As some say, “You are the company you keep.” When I was in 8th grade I met someone that changed my life. I met Justin Evans. It started from a simple phone call to hanging out at the mall. At this point, my life changed from being surrounded by “bums” that did not care what happened to me to a true friend that always stayed by my side. He got me away from peer pressure and helped to start my life for High school. He changed my way of thinking and understanding. It was like I was a puppet, being controlled by the peer pressure then Justin comes along and cuts my strings so I can think, act and be myself. Justin still impacts my life today and is always steers me on the right path.
LFpurple
Although I'm young, I think I've experienced a lot. I've had good times and bad, unfortunately the bad times are what teach me the most. Almost exactly a month ago I lost my Poppop. He and I were really close along with the rest of my family. I lived at the beach this summer and saw him down there everyday. We would sit on the beach together, eat dinner, laugh, and enjoy eachothers company. I knew he was getting old but I never expected to lose him. As far as I knew, he was healthy. I was there when he died and it was the hardest thing for me to go through. Seeing my family that upset was depressing but it definitely brought everyone closer. I feel lucky that I had the opportunity to spend his last days with him, doing what he loved, fishing and going to the beach. Sometimes I can’t even believe it actually happened.I miss my Poppop so much but I cherish the memories I have left of him. Losing someone you're close to really puts things in perespective. I know to cherish the time i spend with the people I love a lot more. Family is everything and the people you can trust the most. My Poppop taught me to enjoy the little things in life and to not hold grudges. He was a great role model for me and my whole family.
A significant landmark in the past 17 years of my life would be the day I came to realization that everything my mother canvassed is noting more than a mere business deal. Coming from an extremely conservative Asian family, many subjects are considered taboo and culturally inacceptable. A specific upheld rule in the Asian culture is meticulous school work is always prioritized as number one, therefore, boys/ the teenage dating seen is no exception. Being the typical rebellious adolescent I went against regulations and ended up dating the same boy for a consecutive 4 years. Near the three and a half time mark I decided it would be best to inform my mother of my defiance. While I tried breaking the news to her, things did not go off as planned. Like all mothers, my mother posses an assortment of telepathic powers, she is able to see through me. Before allowing me to explain to her my situation she got to the question first, “What is the status of you and that boy? “ my mother asked me before I had even peeped a word. How she knew the topic of the conversation before I even declared it or began conversing is beyond my wonders. Regardless, deeper into the conversation insight had struck me, I had come into realization that this “negotiation” between my mother and I was nothing more than another business deal to her.
I have been very fortunate in my life and I have been offered many great opportunities, but there have been some major events that have deeply affected my life for the worse. One major event was the loss of two of the greatest people of my life. I loss both of my grandparents in a matter of twenty days during my sophomore year at Saint Mark's and this greatly influenced my outlook of life. When I saw everything that they suffered through, I realized that I needed to live every day like it was my last These two great people spent most of their time devoted to their grandchildren. When my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, her memory went away fast, but she would always recognize family because you would see her light up when we would enter the room. They taught me to be proud of my Italian heritage and taught me how to cook some of the best Italian dishes. There was never a moment of time that I didn’t want to hang out with them, but when they got sick suddenly and we spent time in the nursing home for three years before they died. My memory of them will always exist as their memory of me will live on forever in their hearts.
There are a lot of people and events in my life that have changed it dramatically more than I could ever care to share. Through it all there is only one person that I could count on, my mom. She is the one person I know I can count on. I moved two years ago to Delaware and since then we have been living in a tiny apartment together trying to sell our house in North Carolina, where our whole live still are. Over the course of this time I personally have had some rough times and she has been the only one around to give me the support I needed. In trying to adjust to being here while still actually living there, I've had to face challenges that have haunted me my whole life. If i hadn't had my mom with me through every step I probably would have taken the chance to end it all at once. I owe every day I live to her, and I don;t know where I would be now if she weren't around.
Trying to look at my life and decide what has changed it is a difficult task. I feel I have experienced many great things but none that I can directly link to a profound difference in my life. The one thing I can think of that has defiantly made a difference is moving. I moved from New Orleans to Kennett Square Pennsylvania when I was six years old. Moving from a big city to a small little town in a state that my older sister did not even know how to pronounce was a pretty big change. First there were the accents. Everyone up here talked differently than us. Then there was the scenery. In New Orleans the largest hill I ever saw was the man made levee in my back year; now there were rolling hill all over. The hills made for winding back roads in the middle of thick forests, a contrast from the city streets and palm trees. The biggest change was the food. We use to have the most delicious seafood and spicy foods. When we would go out to restaurants people would be amazed by the extremely spicy food such a little girl could eat. When we moved there were no good restaurants by are house, and it is almost impossible to get fresh gulf seafood up here. Growing in Pennsylvania made me a different person because I met new people and experienced different things. Over time I lost my accent, got use to the winding roads, and lost some of my tolerance for spicy foods but every year when I go back to New Orleans I feel I belong.
In my 17 years of life on Earth I have met many people and enjoyed many wonderful experiences, and some that I know I could live without, but I also know that I wouldn't be the same person or even remotely similar if just one of those experiences happen to never actually take place. The one event that I always remember when I think of a memory that I can't and will not be able to forget was my last trip to D.C. with my eighth grade class. It was one of those things that when you are there you realize that this might very well be the last time you ever come to this place with the people you've come to know over the last seven years. When it hit all the eighth Graders we immediately wanted to make the most of this trip. Once we split up in my group was our crazy and absolutely lovable teacher Kate, John the Marine, and Verena the Vegetarian, we ended up deciding that we wanted to have the "Best Day Ever" So we took it upon our selves to act like little kids for the day. We rode the carousel, rolled down the sides of hills, ate cookies shaped like dinosaurs and ladybugs, we ate ice-pops shaped like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and sang Sponge Bob's song "Best Day Ever!". In short by the end of the day we had made a mark on each other a mark that as long as we have our memories we will not forget.
There are so many people that have changed my life and molded me into the person that is here today. In my short time knowing these two wonderful people they both instilled in me two of my core values, the importance of which cannot be measured. One of these values is the love of life. Even though I lived it, it took me years to extract this lesson.
My grandfather, Samuel, taught me that in order to know and be proud of who you are you have to know and be proud of where you came from. He swore by Guinness beer, and could frequently be heard using Irish sayings like, “Use your head as more than a hat rack”. He was very generous and when he took us out to restaurants, which was frequent enough from the right waitress to greet him and know his order, the meal would always end with an amusing battle over who would pay. He was a true gentleman from another time.
My cousin Neal was one of my paternal cousins. He enjoyed hunting and fishing and the beach. He had lots and lots of friends. But something must have been amiss in his life. I’m not really sure what it was. One Sunday, we received a telephone call and my parents went down to Dover. He was dead. My entire family was devastated and asking why. Why did this happen? He had made a dumb mistake and it had cost him his life. I now realize how far-reaching each life is around them. Even though neither of them is with me now they provided me with enough memories and lessons for a lifetime.
Post a Comment
<< Home