My Second Home
The wind blowing in my hair, the water softly mists my face. There is a persistent humming in my ear from the motor. I turn and gaze over the railing, there are islands scattered in the distance including one, my final destination, the largest island in sight. The mysterious water curls against the edge of the boat, foamy and disturbed by the passing boat. My fingers drum consistently on the railing, repeating a rhythmic beat. I find myself pacing the deck, back and forth, always returning to the same location, facing the island. As the ferry boat approaches the dock, I become overwhelmed with the anticipation of the fun that, I know, is awaiting me on this island.
Kelly's Island is a place that brings back fond memories from my childhood. This is a place where I have spent many summer vacations and family reunions. I think back on my simple, quiet, and lonely life. I am always the center of attention but lacking someone of my own age to interact with, to share my deepest secrets with. Although some people might say I'm crazy, I would have liked to have siblings. Kelly's Island gave me a chance to be around my family. Having cousins my own age to play with and even pick on me, gave me a warm fuzzy feeling deep inside.
This island presents its own kind of magical aura, located in the middle of Lake Erie just off the shore of Northern Ohio, and perhaps this is why I was so mystified by this special place. This small island has many beaches. On one side of the island, the beaches are made of stone, on the other, they are sandy white beaches resembling an ocean shore, glistening in the sunlight. The hot muggy weather makes your skin moist, and the only relief to be found is the occasional breeze off the lake...
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...to reality. The heavy air fills my lungs making them tight with every breath. My eyes are heavy from the exhausting vacation, fulfilled with continuous action. The horn from the approaching ferry rings throughout my eardrums even after the noise is over.
The coldness from the metal seat penetrates into the warmth of my blood, as the gentle breeze tousles my hair. I gaze over the railing and have time to reflect on my time spent in my most favorite place. The chaos from my cousins has drained my energy and I realize that my time spent alone is not all that bad. Its is my valued time spent getting to know my self and grow as a person. Kelly's Island is a place to visit, play, and interact with family. Its is also a place to leave and only return to every once and a while. I am on my way home and become overwhelmed with the anticipation of what is awaiting me there.
The whole island is in the shape of a giant square with white sandy beaches full of people sunbathing, swimming and fishing right on the shoreline. From the end of the hot pavement parking lot to shore of the beach is an ocean of soft white sand. The pearlescent white sand seems to know how to invade every nook and cranny almost as if it enjoys it. Walking around the beach on the fluffy whiteness surrounding the parking lot, the seagulls are fighting over scraps of food on the ground. “Sandy beach ecosystems provide invaluable services to humankind. Their functions have been exploited through history, with significant anthropogenic effects (Lucrezi, 2015)”. This white sandy beach is a beautiful refuge from the mundane grind of everyday life. The smell of the misty ocean air mixed with the sound of seagulls hovering above and kids playing is a tonic for the mind. The feel of the sand between their toes and the waves crashing over them as people swim in the water, or the jerk of a fishing pole when someone is catching a fish makes Fred Howard Park one of the best places to relax. Standing on the beach looking out on the water, people are kayaking and windsurfing. The lifeguards watching vigilantly in their bright red shirt and shorts, blowing their whistles when they see someone being unsafe. After a long day of swimming and laying around visitors head back over the soft white sand to the showers, in order to rinse off the menacing sand that clings to everything like a bad habit. Everyone rushes over the hot pavement burning their feet to reach their cars so they can put away their beach paraphernalia which is still covered in the white sand, nearly impossible to completely leave behind, so when they get home it serves as a reminder of where they were that
The story opens on the Grand Isle off the coast of Louisiana, completely surrounded by water with the Gulf of Mexico to the South. Here the protagonist Edna and her family often stay for summer vacations. The Grand Isle separated by other landmasses by water represents the independence and solitude the body of water provides in comparison to the other settings of the story such as, New Orleans. It is here on the Isle that Edna begins to discover her independence. The waters around the Isle have seduced Edna during her stay. “The Gulf, whose sonorous murmur reached her like a loving but imperative entreaty” (Chopin 32). Even from the land in the safety of her summer home, the sea has enticed and attracts her towards it.
In the years prior to the Reagan administration the United States experienced a suffering economy. For around 10 years stagflation had grown rampant. Stagflation is the combination of a stagnant economy due to rising unemployment coupled with increasing inflation. Before stagflation, the United States experienced a time of great prosperity from World War 2 until the 1960s. The reason for this prosperous time was based on the huge production of war materials created by World War 2. The United States sailed on the back of this industry until it died by the late 60s to early 70s (Source 1 // Shmoop Editorial Team). In 1960, the United States was officially in a recession, and by 1970 it had become much more serious. The industry from World War 2 had died, stagflation was on the rise, and the administrations of the time were not helping.
This opened Reagan’s eyes to what could be possible in politics. He became the governor of California in the year 1966; with this his political career sky rocketed. In 1968 Reagan announced that he would be running for President. Reagan’s main goals were to lower taxes, limit the government, and his plans for Reaganomics. Reaganomics was a “trickle down” type of economic plan which was to lower the taxes on the rich in turn this would cause more money to trickle down to the rest of the American people. Many agree that this plan helped in the long run many also think this was just hurting the less fortunate and keeping the rich richer and happier. Reagan influenced the conservative politicians in many ways, but Reaganomics helped create a blueprint for what could be done. When people think of the Republican party many see the image of Ronald Reagan it’s as though he was what the party
As my family and I sped along the coast, the sour smell of sulfur vents and sea salt pungently gusted through my nostrils. My clothes were damp from the constant spray of seawater. My sense of balance was overcome by the sequential hop from wave to wave and – combined with the
However, government spending wasn’t lowered, and with tax cuts and increased military spending, federal debt almost tripled, going from $997 billion in 1981 to $2.857 trillion in 1989. Economists and politicians argue over the impact of Reaganomics and that Reaganomics is what caused most of our national debt. In 1981, Reagan removed price controls on domestic oil and gas, cable television, long-distance telephone service, interstate bus service, and ocean shipping. President Reagan also eased bank regulations, which is seen as the cause to the Savings and Loan Crisis of 1989. The Savings and Loan Crisis of 1989 was the biggest bank collapse since the Great Depression of
When I get to the top of the wooden platform, I close my eyes as I feel the cool breeze against my face. It feels peaceful up here, I think. All of the sense of peace was gone when another lifeguard says, “Next!” I look to my right and I see Makaiya standing on the sand with both thumbs up smiling. I smile back, but then I look down at the now terrifying water that waits below me.
During his presidential reign from 1981 to 1989, Ronald Reagan implemented a group of fiscal policies that aimed to revive America and relieve it from its state of economic depression. For his approach, Reagan set out to cut government spending and taxes. While the overall effectiveness of his plans working out as he described them to be is debated, it is clear that in today’s society his policies would not be as effective in getting America out of its current financial hardships.
Firstly, the island is like the Garden of Eden, like paradise, however, within few days it becomes a microcosm of the real world. The plane crashes onto the island leaving a ‘scar’ behind. From this event, we see the island as Earth and the plane as human activities invading Earth. It signifies how humans drop bombs, pollute and destruct nature with our likings and our needs. All these ‘scars’ left behind in nature, ‘scars’ and shadows left behind in society - deaths, abuse and hatred - originates to
“One of the first signs of Christmas was the arrival of the Christmas card in the post. John Calcott Horsley designed the first Christmas card in 1846 for Sir Henry Cole, Chairman of the Society of the Arts. Only 1000 cards were printed that first year and were expensive, but the pattern for the future was formed.” Encyclopedia. Then in 1870, postage was reduced. Thus began the real spread of the Christmas card. By the early 1870s, the custom had reached the United States. Christmas decorations sometimes appeared well before the holiday, also, but many still held to the old superstition that it was bad luck to put up a evergreen (Christmas Tree) before Christmas Eve. ”The most favored plants were all 'magical' because of the mid-winter berries they produced--mistletoe, holly and ivy. The red berry of the holly was believed to protect one against witchcraft.” Encyclopedia. The sprig had to be carried into the house by a male, as the berry is on the 'male' holly plant. One use for holly sprigs was to decorate the Christmas pudding. The 'female' ivy symbolized immortality. “Mistletoe, because of its pagan origins, was not allowed in any church. Kissing under the mistletoe was English custom and only as many berries as were on the mistletoe, could there be kisses. For after every kiss, a berry had to be removed from the sprig.” English Customs.
A school counselor’s role is vital in many schools across America. Many students see their counselor, to work on any emotional stressors, academic changes and challenges. This may include, interventions, group therapy and changes in class schedule, but sometimes with all the implementations given, students do not succeed in school. Perhaps one needs to take a closer look at the programs being implemented and its success rate. In addition, a counselor should guide itself using the ASCA (American School Counselor Association) to provide evidence based practices in schools.
Creating beautiful homemade cards is such a rewarding way of spending time with family and friends. The joy of gathering card making ideas, embellishments, images, fonts, and paper stock to make the cards and the contentment that homemade greeting cards give to the recipients are feelings that cannot be purchased. Being the recipient of a homemade card instills a feeling of love and consideration.
As I approach the island on which my dream house awaits, I catch a quick
place I would have to go to before and after school. I have always loved my
The lonely empty silence is overpowered by a wall of foam rushing towards me. Wheels of sand are churning beneath my feet. My golden locks are flattened and hunched over my head to form a thick curtain over my eyes. Light ripples are printed against my olive stomach as the sun beams through the oceans unsteadiness. I look below me and can’t see where the sand bank ends; I look above and realize it’s a long way to the top. Don’t panic Kate, you’ll get through this. I try to paddle to the top but am halted by something severely weighing me down- My board. That’s what got me in this mess in the first place. I can see the floral pattern peeping through the sand that is rapidly crawling over it. I quickly rip apart the Velcro of my foot strap and watch my board float to the surface effortlessly as I attempt climbing through the water to reach the surface. The fin of my board becomes more visible to me as I ascend. Finally, an alleviating sensation blasts through my mouth.