Three Essays

Seeing With The Heart

When i first read the title of this essay i assumed it would be about acceptance, however, i did not expect that it would be about a mother and a child. As the writer explains how far she's come in truely feeling connected to her adopted daughter, it really makes me understand what seeing with the heart truely means. As she tells about her experiecnes of when she's questioned about her daughter's heritage and about the family ties and connections i can see very clearly that she see's no difference in skin color or heritage, she see's a child that has brought her love, as well as the child being deeply loved. The Author's responses to the questions people ask her about her daughter, alone tell an entire story of how much love she has for her adopted daughter and how her heart sees the daughter and if it were her own child.

The Choice to be Stronger

The author's experience with drinking is a very personal one, but somehow while reading this essay i felt similar to the pain and guilt she felt after losing her nephew to alcohol. When the author tells about the drunken nights and all the horrible side effects of what the drinking did to her, its quite shocking that she went throught all that while being a mother. The essay was extremely shocking and eye opening. I completely agree with her ending statement as well. Though her circumstances where totally undesirable, she learned from the pain and guilt and used it to stay sober. I feel like she's proof that "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

The Perfume of Love

This essay is a beautiful story about a never ending love the Authors parents have for eachother. I loved this story and i have always been someone that believes in true love and that if it's true love it can survive anything. this story proves that her parents were truly in love and that nothing will change that. set at odds from the start they overcame all of that and an everlasting symbol of her fathers love for her mother is the perfume he always bought her to show that he would forever love her no matter what happened to them. its a very sweet story.

Followed

As Amy watched the coarse surface of the concrete sidewalk pass beneath her feet, block after block, void of attention to her surrounding, and her emanate fate.

Flashing back the night’s events, Amy replayed the scenario repeatedly in her head. At the time, spending her twenty first birthday with her parents seemed like a great idea. She figured that telling her parents she wanted to take a semester off to travel would have received a better reaction than the loud, outraged rant that the entire restaurant overheard. To Amy, their reasoning was moot at best, she…all of the sudden Amy’s mental fog broke, and she saw the deeply maroon colored Buick pull up beside her. Amy could feel her pulse quicken, and her heart started beating faster. She stopped to see if the car would keep going, hoping it was only a distracted driver with bad timing pulling up next to her. As her beaten up converse slowed to a stop on the jagged concrete sidewalk, she heard the one thing she was hoping she would not hear. As she slowed to a stop, she heard the squealing of the tires against the break pads. Immediately her body stiffened, her legs locked her into place despite her screaming thoughts to run as fast as her body would allow. She let out a slow steady breathe, amidst the night chill causing a warm steam to flow from her mouth. She turned her head to the side to try to get a better look at her follower. Before her eyes could even turn backward, she heard the car door open, then shut with a thud. The last thing she heard was feet hitting the black road before she fainted.

Stairs

I've always been a complete believer in karma. Usually if i am joking around with my friends and something sounds mean, it'll come back to bite me. And usually in a painful way, but it always comes off a funny. In ninth grade, after second period World studies, and not paying attention for fifty minuets of war discussion, my friends and i were walking to third period english class. The doors covering the stair ways were thick and metal and only had a small window to see who was coming and going and none of us were tall enough to see through the window because it was so high up on the door. One of my friends was walking towards the door trying to open it and because none of us were tall enough to see through, she got hit in the face with the door because no one saw her either. I everyone laughed and she got embarrased to but she was a good sport about it. After it happened i called her a dork, jokingly of course, but that was enough for my amazing karma to kick in. Not even thirty seconds later once we got through the heavy metal doors, with minimal bruises, i tripped up the stairs. Everyone on the stair case at the time saw, yet again, another graceful act of mine. My friends all laughed but helped me up. The friend i had called a dork laughed at me and helped me up then called me a dork. All was back in balance, i guess.

Short Story #2

Once when my friends and i went to the movie, being the obnoxious teenagers, we weren't paying attention and were running all over the place. Scooting around with the rolling chairs in the movie theaters and laughing louder than we should have been. The movie ended early and no one wanted to go home until we had to on a Saturday night so we played in the arcade and ran around for a little bit. After playing games for a little while and annoying everyone around us we decided to play a game of tag. Once it was my turn to tag someone else i passed on the role of chaser to my best friend and she chased me into the bathroom, laughing hysterically. Everyone followed and watched my most graceful fall yet. As i ran into the bathroom i slipped in a puddle of water next to a wet floor sign and knocked the sign down. Every one saw, yet again, another textbook display of my gracefulness. After everyone was done laughing my friend helped me up, tagged me again, and the game resumed. About fifteen minuets later our parents got there and we told them the story. They looked so proud.

CHAIR

The day seemed to be like any other normal middle school day. As the periods rolled the day seemed unimportant and unmemorable, however, i was sadly mistaken.

When sixth period band practice had finally come the day finally seemed like it was coming to a close without any major incidents. Band class passed by as it did every day. We went through our daily warm up with the musical scales then we meticulously practiced until the entire band was red in the face. Maybe that should have been a little foreshadowing. As the teacher concluded class with the our daily announcement about up coming concerts we were to preform in, we started packing up our instruments and cleaning them out. While walking back towards the band lockers to put my clarinet away i bumped into a seemingly lifelike chair and stupidly appologizing and thinking it was a person. When i turned to face the "person" i had just smacked in the face, my clarinet case hit the music stand next the chair and it hit the one next to it and so on until all the music stands were no longer standing. And it only made sense that the loud crashing of the metal stands hitting the floor would echo. And while all attention was on me from the loud crashing, totally embarassed, i turned to walk away and tripped over the chair beside the one i had originally smacked and tumbled backwards into the wall behind me. And because my friends were so encouraging they started the mass of hysterical laughter. The entire band saw my display of grace. The teachers even joined in on the loud roaring of laughter that echoed from the band room.

Ten Abilities

• I'm Compassionate

Being compassionate will help me to connect with others.

• I'm strong willed

Being strong willed will help me to stand firm on issues i truely believe in.

• I'm Open minded

Being open minded will help me to understand other points of view to better my own.

• I'm Creative

Being creative is helpful for when i'm stuck on a project and need to make it stand out from all the others.

• I'm Goal Oriented

I can get things done on time and meet deadlines easily

• I'm Determined

Determination helps me get what i want out of my life and makes me strive for what i want most.

• I'm Opinionated

I'll share my ideas with others to help them better their own.

• I'm Charismatic

Being charismatic helps when meeting new people and helps in making relationships more connected

• I'm resourceful

Resourcefullness helps when in tough situations to help get yourself or others out of the situation

• I'm self motivated

Being self motivated will help me get my goals and jobs done without someone having to lead me or guide me