College Admissions Essay-The Memory I Carry

The Memory I Carry

I remember the first time I have seen poverty in its max. When I first arrived in the Philippines to visit my cousins at the age of seven, the first thing that came to my eye was the mass poverty that the country was in. I saw a woman on the street corner selling cups of water for five pesos each, approximately eleven cents in US dollars. I saw a scrawny man sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk as people casually passed him by. I saw a family sitting near the exit of the freeway begging for money.

While this may seem like a horrible way to live for people like us, I found out that they actually seemed happy and content with their life. When I asked the woman selling the water how she was happy with this lifestyle she told me, “God has plans for me. It may not come today, it also may not come tomorrow, but I know that someday God will help me through this and I will one day be a normal person just like the rest of you.”

By believing in their religion and their God, they have a way to go through life despite the hardships they are going through. This getaway from life helped people survive life, even though it may be difficult for them to do it. This allows them to have a meaning to life, which in turn makes them a much happier person instead of one that has nothing to look forward to. By having this outlet, life is much simpler and less stressful compared to the trivial things that we Americans worry about every single day. This woman understands by having someone to look up to, it would be much easier to go on with life. Since they have someone to look up to and not worry about what the future entails for them, their lives have become less stressful and more