Growing up as an only child I made out pretty well. You almost can’t help but be spoiled by your parents in some way. And I must admit that I enjoyed it; my own room, T.V., computer, stereo, all the material possessions that I had. But there was one event in my life that would change the way that I looked at these things and realized that you can’t take these things for granted and that’s not what life is about. When I was seventeen years old and going into my senior year of high school I was given
A calm crisp breeze circled my body as I sat emerged in my thoughts, hopes, and memories. The rough bark on which I sat reminded me of the rough road many people have traveled, only to end with something no one in human form can contemplate. “How can the complex working of the universe and the world around me end in such a simple catastrophe?” I wondered. I sat back and let the sun bathe me in its bright, reminiscent light. The atmosphere around me was quiet, but just a few feet away people were
Personal Narrative- Parties Every weekend there is a party somewhere. Whether it is out at the "Momma," the lake, or even at someone's house, it is the "cool place" to be. Last year, I arrived at the Halloween dance not wearing a costume but expecting to have a great time with all of my friends dancing and listening to music. I overheard someone talking about a party that was going to start at Mary's house. Being invited to go with all of my friends, I didn't want to be the wimp of the group
Personal Narrative- Concert As the dark stadium filled with fire, with the sounds of guns and bombs exploding everywhere, the crazed fans yelled at the top of their lungs. The enormous stage was rumbling with the sound of a single guitar as the band slowly started their next encore performance. Soon after I realized that I was actually at the Sanitarium concert listening to Metallica play "One", I thought to my self, "Is this real, am I actually here right now?" I had a weird feeling the entire
Personal Narrative on Innocence Innocence isn’t necessarily lost by age or maturity. I think many things can kill it, but it also can be regained. You never realize when your innocence is gone either. Many people assume that by entering high school that they are fully mature and they know just about everything, but assume would be the key word. I have always thought that my purity had vanished long before junior year. I will admit that there were times when I would have a childlike thought, idea
Sports - Personal Narrative I could have only imagined what it's like to bat against some of the best bowlers in the world and to hit their balls around the ground at a well-attended cricket match. But that's exactly what I did when my Ifield side took on the mighty world famous Lashings Cricket Club. Earlier that season I was promoted from Ifield IInd who are in the Sussex Invitation Cricket League Division Three, to Ifield Ist who are in the Sussexinvitation Cricket League Division One
Personal Narrative – Atheist I didn't ask for the pastor to come over. I would have much rather been left alone to watch daytime TV. True, I was beginning to feel I little isolated, but some sissy-voiced holy man I hardly knew wasn't going to make me feel any better. But it was standard policy to notify the church when one of its fold has been hospitalized, for prayer requests and all that mush, and when the pastor heard that I was already home, he felt obligated to visit, as if seeing my swollen
Personal Narrative- Learning As the dull scent of chalk dust mixes imperceptably with the drone of the teacher's monotone, I doodle in my tablet to stay awake. I notice vaguely that, despite my best efforts in the shower this morning after practice, I still smell like chlorine. I sigh and wonder why the school's administration requires the students to take a class that, if it were on the Internet, would delight Mirsky (creator of Mirsky's Worst of the Web), as yet another addition to his list
Personal Narrative- Race Wait. Be still. Don't go over the line. Don't let go. Wait for it. "BANG!" My reactions were precise as I sprung out of the blocks. The sun was beating down on my back as my feet clawed at the blistering, red turf. With every step I took, my toes sunk into the squishy, foul smelling surface, as my lungs grasped for air. Everything felt the way it should as I plunged toward my destination. I clutched the baton in my sweaty palms, promising myself not to let go
Personal Narrative- Meditation Perhaps, like me, you have wondered how you might best contribute to helping save the world. There are so many problems evident around the world that need attention, but which are most urgent? Which people are the most needy? Where is the worst suffering, the most oppression? Where is the earth being damaged most? There is no shortage of strife around us needing attention. At the same time, we can wonder what it is we have to offer the people of the world. What
Personal Narrative - Baptism I took my first step down into the font and thought. Baptisms are funny things. The brightness of it all is profound. It seems as if there is one brilliant mirror reflecting boisterous cheer everywhere. The idea is to pack as much happiness, either real or faked, into one too-hot room in the hope that it will be absorbed into the absolutely petrified soul of the prospective individual about to be baptized. The joy was so thick that it bounced around the walls and
The Gift After what seemed like an eternity of rigorous tests and dealing with the painful longing of wanting to hold a precious baby of my own in my arms, it happened; my dreams at long last came true. I was pregnant! But something happened; I felt my world come crashing down. The thought of bringing another life into this world terrified me. After marriage, my husband and I immediately wanted to start a family. A year
A Journey I am by myself wearing my blue jeans and an old flannel shirt. It is cool outside but I decided to leave my gloves at home, feeling comfortable with my warm shirt and my sturdy boots. It is just me and the woods. I take nothing with me when I leave, because I know that I won't be gone too long. It is early fall so it is cool outside but not cold. I am back on teh east coast walking through the woods of the Appalachins. The leaves have begun turning colors so there is a beautiful
Personal Narrative- Television Remote Those who are recognized as having authority earn power because of strong leadership skills and the drive to make the world a better place. When people use power to do good deeds they gain respect. A typical leader also holds something in his or her hands, like a staff, that yields power. It is amazing to see people follow an individual who is holding on to something. If they could possess that object then they too could have power. I agree that one must
Personal Narrative- Bicycle Crash I used to bike often with my friend Juan in my hometown of Aguascalientes, Mexico. In the narrow streets, a heavy flow of traffic make biking treacherous. Certain streets have traffic signs saying, "CEDA EL PASO A UN VEHICULO" which means "Let one vehicle go through at a time." I biked on the right side of the street and my friend Juan biked on the left side. On our trip to buy tamales Juan and I were supposed to cross an intersection with a "CEDA EL PASO A
Personal Narrative- Contributing to Society I am one of those people that you’d probably term “normal”. I attend a normal school, I work at a normal job, I have a normal life. You wouldn’t single me out on the street: there is nothing remarkable about me, I am one of the many. So, what has someone like me got to say that would make any difference to this world? I haven’t fought the important socio-political battles of this century; I haven’t done anything that will be recorded in the world annals
Personal Narrative- Mountain Hike In hiking, as in life, there are choices between success and pain, pride and safety; this is the story of one such choice. Last summer I participated in the Rayado program at Philmont Scout Ranch. The eighth day of the trek was my crew’s greatest challenge: Super Black Death, a hike of seven peaks in one day. By 4 PM we had conquered most of the peaks. As we were climbing what we thought was our sixth peak, Big Red, a storm struck. It was a cold driving
Personal Narrative- Career Goals My parents often remind me of how difficult it is for minorities like us to earn respect from the community and enough money to raise a family. They encourage me to strive for the best by being selfish and competitive against my peers rather than enjoy what I like which is to interact with people. My mother wanted me to become a doctor because it is a well paying job and my father wanted me to become an entrepreneur because I would have been able to gain
Personal Narrative – Singing Poorly It was a year like any other, or, at least I suppose it could have been, but, it wasn't. It was actually 1965. This particular year, the Beatles released Help! the movie; for the second time, Jack Nicklaus won the Masters golf title; on Palm Sunday, 51 reported tornadoes touched down in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Iowa resulting in 256 deaths and over 1500 injured; and, a young boy in Smalltown, USA was turned away from his
Personal Narrative- Living for God As I was driving into the church parking lot I had to take a deep breath. After leaving another frustrating day at school and then going to work right afterwards, I needed to calm myself down. I looked in the rear view mirror one more time to make sure I looked halfway presentable. I fixed my wind-blown hair by pulling it back in a high ponytail and put on some Burt’s Bees lip balm before exiting the car. I grabbed my Bible and notebook and locked the doors