Zora Neale Hurston :: Zora Neale Hurston

	Zora Neale Hurston was an astounding Afro-American author who was recognized not for being the first Afro-American writer, but rather for her ability to bring forth her cultural language and imagery. If not for Zora's pioneering effort as a female black writer, the world of modern literature would have never seen the cultural insights of the African American culture in such a candid way. 	Zora's date of birth is said to be in January of 1891, however her actual date of birth is debated today due to the fact that records of African Americans during the 19th century were not accurately kept (Lyons 2). Zora's home town, which was not disputed, was Eatonville, Florida, which was founded by African Americans and was the first all-black town incorporated into the United States (Cheryl@geocities [online] ). Her father John Hurston was a tall, heavy muscled man who often seemed "invincible" to Zora (Lyons 2). John was a community leader and was influential member of society. His positions in Eatonville included: Baptist preacher, town mayor, and skilled carpenter (Lyons 2). Though John was a revered member of Eatonville he had is faults as well. His eye for other women often left his family home alone for months out of a time (Lyons 1). Zora's mother, Lucy Potts Hurston was the "hard-driving force in the family."(Lyons 2) Lucy was a country schoolt eacher, who taught all her children how to read and write, which lead to six out of her seven children earning a college degree (Lyons 2-3). Unfortunately, Lucy Hurston died when Zora was nine years of age (Otfinoski 46). Zora was the seventh child out of a family of eight (Otfinoski 45). During her childhood she felt unloved by her father and thus was seen as the odd on out (Lyons 2). 	Zora's education was comprised of six years of grammar school, high school, and several prestigious colleges. Zora attended grammar school in Eatonville, Florida at Hungerford School around 1907 (Lyons 3). The summer of 1917 Zora began the next step of her education by attending Morgan Academy in Baltimore, Maryland. By 1918 when she had finished her high school requirements, Zora had attended multiple schools, in order to gain the best education as an African American female. 1918-1919 Zora attended Howard Prep School in Washington D.C. In 1920 she earned her associates degree and in 1924 earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology at Howard University (Lyons 24-6).

Ambition in Your Life Essay

Ambition a passion that never fails you and will never let you fail it, and this is why it will ultimately cause the downfall of the individual. In the novel Frankenstein and in the Play Macbeth, ambition is the main theme in these two pieces. Both Victor and Macbeth had great dreams of accomplishing certain things that defy a higher order. Ambition drove both of them to strive for what they want and never give up on their dreams. Ambition without doubt help or even single handling brought Macbeth and Victor to their dreams. Ambition is the best quality that a person can have, it allowed Victor and Macbeth to achieve what they always wanted. Whatever can bring you to the top, also has the power to make you fall harder then you fell before, being overly ambitious can also destroy a person and people that surrounds this individual. Victor and Macbeth succeeded in accomplishing their deepest desire but this does not mean they have succeeded in achieving happiness. Everyone dreams about achieving goals and dreams in life that is nearly impossible to grasp due to certain circumstances. Why do some individuals still try in chasing their dreams even though they know that the chances of succeeding are very slim? In the novel Frankenstein and the play Macbeth, Victor and Macbeth had dreams of achieving goals that defy a high order which promises server consequences. Victor and Macbeth are examples of the individual that were driven by ambition, this ambition was so strong and relentless that it actually allowed both Victor and Macbeth achieved their impossible dreams. In Victor’s case he succeeded in creating life and Macbeth succeeded in becoming king and this was all due to being ambitious and determined. Yes Victor and Macbeth did achieved what they wanted but both paid great prices in doing so. Was it worth it? Ambition is the best quality anyone can have, until we crossed the line of chasing a dream and just being obsessed. No one is born with the ambition that makes you obsessed with your goals and dreams in life. Certain incidents must occur to push this person to let ambition make you become obsessed with the goals and dreams in life. Victor and Macbeth both experience this incident that allow their ambitious minds to take over. Victor experienced the lost of a love one, which was his mother. This shock was too great for Victor to handle, this caused victor to hate the fact of death and suffering in life. The chance and opportunity of being able to bring his mother back, and to end all suffering was to captivating. He had the knowledge and power to do so. This caused his ambitious mind to grow and start to take over. The same line of events occurred to Macbeth as well. Macbeth had no intention in betraying his king and taking the throne. Until the three witches implanted the seed of betrayal in Macbeth, he started to think of the opportunities that being the king would bring to him. Betrayal thoughts started to occur in his mind. Macbeth was never sure of what to do until he talked to his lovely wife, she convinced him in taking this opportunity in becoming king. Macbeth kept his ambitious mind under control until the actual first deed of betrayal was committed which was the killing of Duncan, the current king of Scotland. After this incident, ambition took over Macbeth and caused in to do everything in his power to secure his throne. A determined and overly ambitious mind is a blind one. You may spend your whole life striving for a dream or goal that you have. You work so hard in getting what you think you really want, but when you actually achieved and accomplished you goal or dream. You realized that you’re not happy and lost certain things that are so much more important to you then your so called dream or goal. Macbeth and Victor both experienced this in their lives. Victor tried to create life and he succeeded in doing so, but in the course of creating â€Å"The monster† he abandoned what was really important to him, which is his family, his friends, most importantly his life. His creation actually destroyed everything that Victor loved and cared for. The monster should not be blamed because victor crossed the line of trying to better human kind and playing God. He created this hideous and ugly monster that no one can possibly love and abandoned it and left it to die. The actions of victor can also justify the actions of the monster. If victor actually took the time in thinking of what he was doing, he would’ve realized the mistake he was making. He made another mistake right after making the first one. He gave this monster life and limitless power and intelligent, obviously this monster can survive and cause great harm to him and his love ones. If he actually stayed with the monster and taught him how to live and act towards other beings, things would’ve of turned out totally different. Macbeth experienced the same exact lines of events and feelings that victor did in his life. If Macbeth thought of the acts that he was committing, he would’ve of realized that the only thing he is accomplishing in killing the king, is damning himself, his only loved ones. It is obvious that if he committed this act of betrayal and defiance of a higher order, only bad can occur from this. He didn’t realize this right after this act just like victor. He continued to do wrong because of his ambitious mind, which Victor also experienced. He continued acting on his relentless ambition to secure his throne and his undying passion to seek happiness which at the time was being king for him. Which was completely wrong. Knowledge is power and power can corrupt any human being. Victor and Macbeth had the opportunity to achieve their dreams and goals. This thought corrupted both their minds. As both Victor and Macbeth succeeded in achieving their dreams, they experienced different feelings. When Victor was successful in creating life, it totally scared him that he actually create life and it caused him to flee. This ultimately caused the downfall and death of Victor. In Macbeth’s case when he became king, it made him a more determined and stronger person. It made him paranoid and trusted no one, which caused him to make more mistakes, such as killing any one that stood a threat. Victor and Macbeth both were not happy even though they achieved their dream. This is because they acted on impulse which caused them to do whatever it takes to succeed, which caused them to make mistakes that they regretted towards the end of their lives. All of this and every mistake that both Victor and Macbeth made were because they let their ambitious mind blind them of their senses and conscious of what is really important to them and what truly makes them happy. Chasing a dream is good, until the mind is obsessed and is poisoned with the ambition that will change you to a whole new person. You can also order a custom term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation or essay on ambition from our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with high-quality custom written papers at an affordable cost.

Our Relationship With Nature Explored in Jon Krakauers...

In Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer explores the human fascination with the purpose of life and nature. Krakauer documents the life and death of Chris McCandless, a young man that embarked on an Odyssey in the Alaskan wilderness. Like many people, McCandless believed that he could give his life meaning by pursuing a relationship with nature. He also believed that rejecting human relationships, abandoning his materialistic ways, and purchasing a book about wildlife would strengthen his relationship with nature. However, after spending several months enduring the extreme conditions of the Alaskan wilderness, McCandless’ beliefs begin to work against him. He then accepts that he needs humans, cannot escape materialism, and can†¦show more content†¦Throughout his journey, McCandless met several people who genuinely wanted to help and befriend him. However, he was so committed to his Alaskan Odyssey that he felt like human relationships were just a distraction, not a necessity. One of these people, Ronald Franz, enjoyed McCandless’ company so much that he wanted to adopt him. McCandless reacted to this proposition by pursuing a job offer and discreetly slipping out of Franz’s life. Once the job offer proved to be a fluke, McCandless desperately called Franz and asked for a ride. By asking for help in the form of a car, McCandless demonstrates that his journey was beginning to challenge his beliefs. Although McCandless was initially against materialism, he was beginning to realize that it was also beneficial to his journey. By abandoning his old beliefs, McCandless demonstrates that exploring nature is an experience that can significantly change one’s beliefs. Although it was clear that McCandless needed human relationships, he continued to pursue a life of isolation in the Alaskan wilderness. As he walked around the Sushana River, McCandless spotted an abandoned bus and decided to use it for shelter. Krakauer visited the bus a year la ter and discovered that McCandless grew quite attached to the old bus. McCandless filled the bus with pots and pans, a makeshift table, a keroseneShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Christopher Mccandless s Into The Wild 2362 Words   |  10 Pagesuncharted territories. A similar experience actually occurred in real life , and hence a fantastic novel was born by the story of a young man with a seemingly bright future, who soon endured the journey of a lifetime. The well known novel â€Å"Into the Wild† by Jon Krakauer is based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, a young man from a wealthy family in the Eastern United States, who, after graduating from Emory University, donated all his available money to charity and embarked on a trip throughRead MoreThe Idea Of The Absurd3255 Words   |  14 Pagescohorts tend to create extravagant or incompatible files / nuts / bolts (call it what you want) which leads to ultimately ineffective projects on the whole. Here at Cessna, we want to channel those passions - cut out the absurdism per se - to realize our next engineering challenge. M a r t i n e z | 3 The absurdism of the bureaucrats that he faces is almost unreal considering the economic impact that Cessna has on the local and national community, having one of the best-selling aircraft of all timeRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesConnor and Lauren). C.F.G. â€Å"We must not cease from exploration and the end of all exploring will be to arrive where we begin and to know the place for the first time.† T. S. Eliot To Ann whose love and support has brought out the best in me. And, to our girls Mary, Rachel, and Tor-Tor for the joy and pride they give me. Finally, to my muse, Neil, for the faith and inspiration he instills. E.W.L Preface Since you are reading this text, you have made a decision that learning more about project management

The Impact Of Rapid Population Growth On Brazil s Economy

Population Growth in Brazil 1. The impact of impact of rapid population growth on Brazil’s economy. a. Rapid Human Population Growth Population growth is the change in population over a given period of time. Research suggests that the world’s poorest countries have faster population grows. Historically, high fertility rates strongly correlate with poverty. Brazil is estimated to have a population of 203 million people. Brazil’s population is expected to grow to 203 million to 226 million people by year 2050. In the 1970 Brazil was facing rapid population growth and a food shortage. Research shows that Brazil is the third largest agricultural producer in the world. The birth rate in Brazil has dropped since the 1970 s. Some†¦show more content†¦Brazil was one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world surpassing that of the United Kingdom. Brazil s economic growth has however decelerated in 2013 and had almost no liquid growth throughout 2014. Brazil’s economy is expected to grow by only 1.8% in 2015. Brazil is thought to be one of the fastest growing economies in the Americas. On the world’s stage Brazil is currently the third largest agricultural producing country. The country produces roughly 150 million tons of grains and oilseeds; and thirteen million tons of meat annually. It should be noted that the Brazilian agriculture has not always been a thriving sector. The country’s increased population growth also elevated the need for food. The elevated need for food created a gap between what was needed and what was produced. However, in 1972, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, better known as Embrapa, was created with the goal being to develop agriculture in the country through the generation and transfer of knowledge from scientists to farmers. In today’s market, food is Brazil’s major export. Brazil’s beef and pork supply have multiplied four times in the past 35 years. In the same period, milk production rose from 2.1 billion gallons per year to 7.03 billion gallons, and the production of vegetables rose from 9 million tons to 19.3 million tons

John Adams, An American Composer Essay - 1389 Words

Our heart and souls at all times sense rejuvenated and lively with every beat of finest music we hear. Music comes in a variety of diverse forms which are admired and renowned for their own unique styles. Classical music is one of the breeds of musical forms that exist since many years with its visible significance in the music industry. Classical music is a part of our globe from almost 1000 years and inspires millions of people with its liveliness and simplicity. American classical music has been innovated with every single passing year, majority of the composers have added their taste and invention to further enhance the crispiness and enchanter the form of classical music. One of the most legendary and prominent composer of†¦show more content†¦He composed his first music at the age of ten, and heard the music lyrics played in the younger days of his life when he was a teenager. He studied from the Harvard University and also joined the orchestra concerts in Boston as a result of which he was shaped as an artist and thinker which helped him in composing music. He was dedicated towards music and gained success in his path. He received two degrees from Harvard University and now lived in San Francisco Area of the Northern California, where he taught music for ten years and became a real Symphony composer; he became popular for â€Å"New and Unusual Music† which includes the Harmonium, Grand Pianola Music, Harmonielehre, My Father Knew Charles Ives, and Absolute Jest. In 1985, in collaboration with other people one of which was a poet Alice Goodman produced two operas such as Nixon in China and The Death of the King Hoffer, which gained popularity because of being played more often in the past two decades. The other of his works include are: I was looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw The Sky, Doctor Atomic, A Flowering Tree, The Gospel According to the Other Mary, Shaker Loops, The Darma at Big Sur, Doctor Atomic Symphony, and The Son of Chamber Symphony, which were all written by him. (http://www.earbox.com/biography) Now, if I consider one of his works such as Nixon in China which is an opera by the John Adams in connection with the Alice Goodman, it gained popularity in its time, especially it was inspired byShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Frank Zappa, John Cage, And Pamela Z2039 Words   |  9 PagesThroughout this course, the composers we studied all had different approached to creating music, and that is why many of them are well known today. The three most notable composers who combine unusual elements in their music were Frank Zappa, John Cage, and Pamela Z. Frank Zappa was an American artist who had no desire to fit into a single style of music, and he had no interest in creating music for cultural conventions. He created music in the manners he saw fit. His music has influence from rockRead MoreWomens Rights Movements951 Words   |  4 PagesAbigail Adams’s letter to her husband John Adams in 1776. In that letter to her husband, John Adams and other continental members of congress, she asked them to â€Å"remember the ladies† as they were constructing the â€Å"new† American government (Abigail Adams). Abigail Adams was born on November 22, 1744, in Weymouth, Massachusetts (Abigail Adams). Adams similar to most young women at this time did not receive a â€Å"formal education†(PBS). However, this did not stop Adams from being educated from a veryRead MoreThe United States Marine Band1442 Words   |  6 Pagescareers begin, grow, and flourish in this ensemble. As this ensemble serves as an outlet for many of our countries finest musicians to perform for our country. The history and origins of this ensemble date back to July 11th, 1798, as President John Adams signed an Act of Congress reestablishing the United States Marine Corps. The act also, according to Master Gunnery Sergeant D. Michael Ressler, authorized a Drum Major, a fife major, and thirty-two drums and fifes. The two majors wore identicalRead MoreMusic And The Second World War1666 Words   |  7 Pages Music and the Second World War Adam Griffin South Piedmont Community College Music Appreciation 110 – Mr. Campbell â€Å"In World War II, jazz absolutely was the music of freedom, and then in the Cold War, behind the Iron Curtain, same thing. It was all underground, but they needed the food of freedom that jazz offered† – Herbie Hancock. Looking back into history, you could create a timeline of events with nothing but song titles. Music was not just music, it was a lifestyle. Every majorRead MoreBaltimore Symphony Orchestr The Only Major American Orchestra1621 Words   |  7 PagesBaltimore Symphony Orchestra: Founded in 1916, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is the only major American orchestra originally established as a branch of the municipal government. It was later reorganized as a private institution in 1942. The orchestra’s primary venue is the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, with the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda as a secondary; making it the nation’s first orchestra with year-round venues in two metropolitan areas. The ensemble performs more than 130 concertsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Blues 1558 Words   |  7 Pagesits transliteration. The blues’ another characteristic is its special harmony. It is a kind of music which is originated in the soul of black American slaves, hymns, work songs, Shouting and hymn. Voa in blues and rev used in the way of singing shows its source in the west. 1.1 The History of Blues Blues music began in the early twentieth century at American south. It also mix in the church like reading in the form of rhythm and rhyme. When listening to blues music, you will find they all seem toRead MoreEssay on Opera3072 Words   |  13 Pagesend of the century, the drama and the music were equally important. The opera innovation inspired some of the biggest composers known today. In France, Jean-Baptiste Lully produced a model for courtly opera that influenced French opera through the mid-18th century. Jean-Philippe Rameau, George Frederic Handel, and Christoph Willibald Gluck were the most significant opera composers of the first two-thirds of the 18th century. However, their works were surpassed by the brilliant operas of Wolfgang AmadeusRead MoreEssay on Jerry Garcia And The Grateful Dead1738 Words   |  7 Pages Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Jerome John Garcia was born in 1942, in San Franciscos Mission District. His father, a spanish immigrant named Jose quot;Joequot; Garcia, had been a jazz clarinetist and Dixieland bandleader in the thirties, and he named his new son after his favorite Broadway composer, Jerome Kern. In the spring of 1948, while on a fishing trip, Garcia saw his father swept to his death by a California river. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;AfterRead MoreUnited States Government And The Government3865 Words   |  16 Pagesof Representatives, or the congress, and other agencies, are elected by the citizens. There are 100 senators and 435 representatives. In Georgia, the two Senators are Johnny Isakson and David Perdue. Some of the representatives include Buddy Carter, John Lewis, and Robert Woodall. Executive branch enacts the laws. It enforces the laws created by the legislative branch. The branch consists of a president, vice president, members of the Cabinet, and other agencies and committees. The president is aRead MoreHenry Wadsworth Longfellow s Poetry Of The Nineteenth Century1857 Words   |  8 PagesExpulsion and those involved, which the poem errors. Evangeline s most lasting impact has been on Acadians themselves, both in Nova Scotia and in Louisiana. According to Yale historian John Mack Farragher, author of A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians from their American Homeland, The poem struck a spark igniting a cultural and political Renaissance among the small Acadian middle class that began to emerge in the second half of the nineteenth century

Personal Narrative Free Essays

Luckily my parents answered and they told e that they were not going to be home until the next day because they had to go to the hospital I to see a friend in need. K no big deal so IM home alone for a night, I should be fine; I am smart t and I can take care of myself. So I went home and took out the trash because that was my I sat chore. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Narrative or any similar topic only for you Order Now Then I went into my room, which was called the â€Å"cave† because once went in; never r came out except for to eat and use the restroom. A few hours passed and I was hungry, I figure d since it was 7:30 should go make me dinner. I walked out to the kitchen and passed by the baa k door, it was wide open. I could’ve swore I shut it but maybe not, so I closed it again and proceed deed to make my dinner (Mac n’ cheese). While was eating kept hearing some weird shuffling noises In my back door. It was dark so I automatically thought who would be outside in the dark. I perceived it to be an animal so ignored it and finished eating. When it was time to clean up my dish noticed that I had left the door unlocked. Walked over to the door to lock it, t hen I froze. I couldn’t believe what I just saw, it appeared to me that a huge figure jumped ever my wall into the desert. After taking a sec to get myself together immediately locked the door and shut the curtains. Thought was crazy, that I was just seeing things. L went back into m y â€Å"cave† and started watching TV to try and get my mind off of what had just taken place. W ell it worked for a little while, until started hearing what sort Of sounded like foot Steps on the c repeat. I then locked my door and shut off the TV with the lights and tired to go to sleep. Lulled the e covers over my head and slammed my eyes shut. That didn’t help, at that point I knew I was n t crazy. Did see a man hop my fence, because I am now hearing shelves and drawers open in the e kitchen. The man must of came back, but how did he get in. Then it hit me, didn’t remember to hide the back door key under the mat when I got home; it was left sitting on the bench. After that realization, a million thoughts were going through my head. What was going to do? How w as I going to do it? Then the question that worried me the most was an obvious one. Was I go Eng to be alright? Those questions kept recurring as well as many others at an immeasurable RA e until it became dead silent in the house. For a moment Thought that he left, but I couldn’t ha eve been more wrong. Got up to check, but then saw the man’s feet underneath my door, h e walked right past it. It happened again, I froze, except this time I didn’t have time to gather ms elf, because the stranger was trying to open my door. It was locked, so he was rigorously jerk Eng the door knob trying to get in. With tears running down my face like waterfalls, knew that I had to do something or was going to be subject to this man. So I quickly ran to my win owe, opened it and ran out. Luckily for me , only had one floor on my house so I was easily able t o sprint down the street to my friends house where I felt safe. His dad walked down to my house e because he was a police officer and checked out the situation. What he found was my uncle, my parents did not tell me that they were sending my uncle down to my house late at night with a eek y of his own to check and see if was doing K. Turns out that it was nothing and I over react De. But it did make for one heck of an experience, with a great story to tell. How to cite Personal Narrative, Essays Personal Narrative Free Essays I would like to tell you about one of the funniest moments in my life. I was around fourteen or fifteen at the time. I had a friend by the name of Antione who was my best friend. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Narrative or any similar topic only for you Order Now We did everything together, from going to school dances to weekend parties at other friend houses. None of that compares to what my friend Antione did to me one cloudy morning. One Sunday morning, I received an invitation from a friend of mine, Antione. I had come back from Chicago to my home place, Canton, Ohio. He invited me to lunch. I got up early in the morning and started getting ready. My sister gave me a cup of tea early in the morning. Then, I took my bath and got ready. My sister then again asked me to take some snacks and tea, but I refused to take it as I was more interested in reaching my friend’s house. She insisted that I have a heavy breakfast, but I ignored her request. I went out of my house and stood at the bus stop. I boarded the bus. The conductor came to ask me to buy a ticket. I asked him to give me a ticket for Harmont Avenue. The conductor frowned at me saying, â€Å"It is going in the reverse direction, you get down at the next stop and catch another bus. I was baffled for some time. Then, I alighted from the bus and again waited for the bus going to Harmont Avenue. I got the bus and reached Harmont Avenue, but surprisingly, when I reached his house, I found the door locked. I was puzzled and wondered whether I had come to the right place or not. After some time, a neighbor of my friend came and asked me, â€Å"Why are you standing here? Do you want to meet someone? † I replied, â€Å"Yes, I want to see Antione, living in apartment number fifteen. † He immediately quibbled, â€Å"But he changed his house last Wednesday and has gone to the south-side. Frustrated, I came back to the bus stop. I was feeling hungry. After some time, it started drizzling. I was now in a fix as to what to do. My confusion was compounded by torrential rains! Plus, I had refused to take morning breakfast, in the hope that I would take it at my friend’s house. At this state, my anger was mounting! I was cursing myself as well as my fate. But I controlled my anger. I made my mind up to meet Antione. An idea hit my mind. I called the south-side apartments. The person on duty gave me Antione’s address. I made my journey to his apartment. I rang the door bell. Mane, a tiny tot (Antione’s youngest brother), came out and greeted me with a â€Å"Hello uncle! † The moment I entered the drawing room, I saw the parent’s of Antione sitting on the sofa. They offered me a seat, and I sat comfortably. As I was about to talk about the invitation extended to me from Antione, Crystal (Antione sister) came with tea. She was looking like a pretty and vivacious lady. (Let it be known that I used to love this girl from my high school days and had written many love letters to her, making a proposal for marriage). How to cite Personal Narrative, Essays Personal Narrative Free Essays My Personal Narrative By Amber Moran A Time of Regret In 2010, there were a total of 32,885 fatalities due to automobile accidents in the United States. 10,228 of those fatalities were alcohol related. That’s 31% of all traffic deaths in the United States in 2010. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Narrative or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Iowa alone, there were a total of 90 alcohol impaired driving fatalities and 12 of those drivers were under 21. Also, 75% of all alcohol impaired driving fatalities, the drivers BAC (blood alcohol content) was . 15 or higher. The legal limit is . 08. Finally, the 2010 arrest record in Iowa for alcohol related crimes is astonishing! 52 people were arrested for DUI or OWI (Driving while intoxicated or operating while intoxicated) that were under 18 years old. Total arrests for DUI or OWI that year were 11,548. There were 11,549 people arrested for drunkenness or public intoxication, and 252 of those were also under 18. I have to say that I have definitely learned my lesson from drunk driving. I am just grateful (and lucky) that I didn’t hurt myself, or anyone else for that matter. It was a little after 2:00 a. m. on a crisp Sunday morning in July. For a moment I was not sure where I was. I had forgotten that I fell asleep in my Jeep, which was parked in a private parking lot on 4th street in Sioux City. I could hear music playing and that is what made me remember that I was in my car. Earlier in the night I had met friends at Mac Behrs for a few drinks. I had not eaten all day and then I had one too many cocktails, (actually a few too many) so I was too intoxicated to drive. I had gone to my car while I was calling for a ride home. I made arrangements for a friend to come and pick me up and while I was waiting I got into my vehicle and turned the radio on and plugged my phone into the car charger so it would not die. I heard the man’s voice again. â€Å"Hello, Miss? I need you to step out of your vehicle please. † I was still a little dazed from just waking up so I snapped back at the man. â€Å"For what?! † After I spoke, I realized that I was too hasty with my harsh response because it was a police officer that I was talking to in that tone. As my eyes began to focus I could see that he was losing patience very quickly as he continued to approach my driver’s side door. In order to correct the situation, I immediately began to try to explain myself to the officer. â€Å"Sir, I am sorry. I was waiting for my ride to get here to take me home and I must have fallen asleep. Is there a problem with my being here? † He told me that he had received a complaint from one of the residents of the apartment building that used the private parking lot that I was parked in. That was when I noticed there was something on the inside of my door, as well as on the bottom of my pants, and there was a rancid smell. Apparently I had vomited and at some point had not made it completely out the window. The officer made me step outside the car and he gave me a field sobriety test. Of course, I failed miserably. I was arrested for an OWI (operating while intoxicated) even though I was not driving the car. The keys were in the ignition which shows intent to operate the motor vehicle. I was ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation, as well as, being placed on probation for a year, and the maximum fine. This is when I entered outpatient treatment 4 days a week. When I started treatment, I felt as if I was there for no reason. I didn’t feel that I had a problem. I was able to drink with my friends and not do anything stupid. This really was not true at all. There were many times that I would drink and then wake up in the morning not remembering anything that happened the night before. In the beginning, I honestly thought that I was being drugged somehow because I could not remember even a little bit of my night after a certain point. After a while, I realized that I was not being drugged, I was just simply drinking in excess, along with not taking care of my basic health needs. I would not eat for days, and all I would do was drink. I finally realized that I had a problem with alcohol after being arrested 7 times in less than a year. At that time, I had also admitted to myself that I was addicted to prescription pain medication as well. Mind you, I had been in treatment for a few months before I finally came to the realization that I really did have a problem, and I needed help. Once I came to this realization on my own, I was much more accepting of the help that was being offered to me. The hardest part about the entire experience was detoxing. I never could have imagined how bad it actually was. I did not go to a facility to detox, I stayed at home and did it. I felt like I was the most irritable person alive! The headaches that I got were the most excruciating pain I had ever felt (or so it seemed at that time). It was not the alcohol that was making this difficult, it was the pain pills. I was told that going through detox from prescription pain medication is the same as going through detox for heroin. When I finished detoxing, I had to learn how to live life all over again, in a completely different way than I had before. Looking back, I am ashamed of many of the things that I did while I was using. I’m sure if I could remember all the times that I was drunk and blacked out, there would be many more things that I would be ashamed of. Just to give an example of things I used to do, my mother has had breast cancer three times, and every time she would have a surgery, I would steal her pain medication. The person I am today would never do that to anyone, let alone my mother. I sometimes wonder if my experience in treatment would have been successful had I had different counselors. I was assigned 2 main counselors, one for addictions counseling, and the other for life skills. My addictions counselor, Jen, was also a recovering addict/ alcoholic and her drug of choice was the same as mine, which made me feel like she genuinely understood what I was going through and I seemed to â€Å"just click† with her. My life skills counselor, Lori, was a woman who I had known for a large majority of my life. Lori is a recovering compulsive gambler. It was very easy for me to talk to her about the things that were going on in my life and to express the things that I felt I needed help with. In my opinion, the one life skill that was most important for me to learn was how to be a better mother. I knew deep down when I was using that I wasn’t raising my son the way that I should have been, but I didn’t want to admit that. I have learned many things about being a mother, and the majority of what I have learned has been through trial and error. There really is no handbook on parenting. I found that when I was sober, I had more patience with my son, and I do believe that is one of the biggest keys for me. My son is extremely sensitive, and when I lost patience, I would yell at him and hurt his feelings. Looking back I felt like such a terrible mother. Then I remember that everyone has hard times and goes through rough patches in life. I am just glad that I finally admitted to myself that I had a problem, and especially while my son was still young so I had time to correct my wrongs. The skills that I was taught in treatment have helped me get to where I am today. Who knows where I would be today if I was still using. I am so grateful for the help that I received while I was there. Treatment and the people who were there changed my life forever, and for the better. Jen and Lori are my inspiration and the main reason I am currently going to college, so I can become an addictions counselor. How to cite Personal Narrative, Essays

Essay on Reading free essay sample

Reading, as important an activity as it is, is often neglected by many on their day to day lives. Being myself guilty of such far too often, it’s refreshing to read a collection of articles that tries to challenge one out of their apathy and into becoming better readers. While reading these articles, I learned much about reading, thinking, and writing; and that is the joy in reading, it makes me understand it better, and I can relate to some of the struggles the characters were going through. Sometimes I wish I were more interested in activities that are good for me, for example, reading books. I do like some books, but when it gets a little boring, I completely lose focus and struggle to concentrate again. In the article, â€Å"The Lonely Good Company of Books,† the character states that he trembles when he comes upon whole shelves of books he has not read. We will write a custom essay sample on Essay on Reading or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He finds so much joy in reading and I hope I am like that too one day. After reading all of these articles, I can understand everything a little better. They gave tips on how to be an affectionate reader and writer with tips and steps, even on how to learn more like the article, â€Å"Why Do American Kids Learn So Little? ,† by Ernest Van Dan Haag. He says that American children learn far less in school than European and Japanese children do. For some reason, I kind of agree with it. Every time I travel out of the country, people seem to know more than the kids here do. I didn’t know the reason for that until reading the articles. When you are reading, but really reading between lines, you make connection with the text and relate to the struggles. In â€Å"The Lonely, Good Company of Books† by Richard Rodriguez, I relate to him because at first, when he was younger, his parents would always tell him not to write on books, and that’s just like me. I never wrote on them because it would look messy and I didn’t like that at all, but now I am trying to change my ways and learn how to write on it because I know it will help me engage with what it will help me engage with what I am reading better. These articles helped me realize the importance of critical reading; not only to more clearly understand the messages an author might want discovered, but to truly be immersed in their stories, to feel real compassion for characters that may not even exist; to truly know their struggles.