My Life So Far

My Life So Far
Andrew Smith
PSY 202
Amy Yoder
September 2, 2013

My Life So Far
What was your family like?
Cohesive unit
Prayed as a family daily/family fun night every week
Close-knit
Single mother household
Oldest of four

Who were the important people in your life?

Girlfriend
Pastor

What are your greatest achievements so far?
Joining the Air Force
Graduating high school

What would make you happy in the future?
Obtaining bachelor’s degree
Becoming an officer in the Air Force
Starting my own family

My Life So Far In my twenty-two years of existence, I have learned many things. Most importantly, I have learned more about myself the older I have gotten. Like most people, my life has had its share of ups and downs. However, I embrace this fact. It’s what has made me into the man I am today and I hope to continue this lifelong learning process. My life so far has provided me with ample opportunity for success and even bigger goals for my future.
Although some ethnic and regional differences exist, reasons for having children that are most important to all groups include the warm, affectionate relationship and the stimulation and fun that children provide (Berk L (2005). My mother’s reasoning was no different. She wanted to experience the joyous moments, and not-so joyous moments, that a child brings into a family. She had the ideal family in her head; a husband, two children, and a pet of some sort. However, things changed. I grew up in a family of five. I was the eldest of four children in a single parent household. Life was not picture-perfect for us. My parents divorced when I was only four years old, with my father later passing away while I was in middle school. I can only imagine the things that my mother had to bear. Being a single mother of four children, my mother was not able to provide us with everything that my siblings and I wanted but she did do everything in her power to make sure that we were taken care of. We did not have the latest fashions or the newest toys out. As young children, my siblings did not understand the situation that my mother faced. As the oldest child, I felt it was my place to act as a liaison between my mother and siblings. I saw myself as an interpreter, speaking on behalf of my mother, hoping that my siblings would understand what she was going through. She always told us that the best gift that she could give us was her relationship with God. This foundation provided us with a different mindset than most of peers. We were very thankful for the things that we did receive, and being within three years of each other, we were a very close-knit family. Like most siblings, we had our fair share of arguments but we never had any physical altercations. We really loved each other and always looked out for each other, although my sister, who happens to be the only girl, may say otherwise. My mother instilled in us strong values through daily prayer, weekly family nights, and ensured that we had dinner as a family as often as possible. The important people in my life provided me with a strong foundation in my life. My pastor was one of those people. Growing up without a father, he showed me what a father was and should be. He was compassionate about people and always put others before himself. One example of this is when my family and I lost our home during my sophomore year of high school. Already had taken in two other families, my pastor opened his home to my family and I, making us feel welcome and providing that father-figure that had been lacking from our lives. He cared for us as if my siblings and I were his own kids. I could go to him about any situation or any concern that I might have had and he would provide me with an honest answer. After his untimely death, I felt lost for a while. His death was unexpected and I felt that I had lost my father. To this day, I am striving to live by the values he bestowed upon me. It is well known that friendships are important for good mental health, providing us with affection, support, self-esteem, and an outlet for stress. (Witt & Mossler, 2010). My girlfriend Adriana is a prime example of this statement. Not only is she my girlfriend but also my best friend. She has been such a blessing to me in many ways. She provides me with the drive to be a better man and make preparations for my future. In the beginning, our future together did not look to promising for I was very shy and awkward. I didn’t speak much and felt like a five year old boy who was experiencing his first crush. Our first date went horribly, or so I thought. After that date, I had no intention of asking her out again, but I did. To my surprise, she said she would go out with me again. She showed patience and saw past my flaws, which spoke highly of her character. She challenges to step up to the plate and become a “man.” We’ve been together for almost eight months now and we both still have large jolts of dopamine, even though as the newness of a relationship subsides, so does the large jolts of dopamine (Witt & Mossler, 2010). I’ve known Adriana since the age of twelve and she has become my best friend and I hope to one day make her my wife. There are two major achievements in my life so far. The first one is graduating high school. Being the oldest of four children, I wanted to set an example for my younger siblings. I graduated in the top ten percent of my graduating class and was very involved in school activities such as; basketball, tennis, National Honor Society, drama, choir, etc. I wanted to make sure that I made the most of every situation. My other achievement is joining the Air Force. Graduating from basic training was an achievement in itself. There were many times I thought I made a mistake in joining the Air Force, but as I continue to progress through my career, I see that I have made the right decision. I graduated from basic training as an honor graduate, which is the top ten percent of all graduates. I recently won Airman of the Quarter for Altus AFB, which is given to the top airman out of a group of over six hundred. The Air Force has also given me the opportunity to pay for school and take classes. This will help me in my future endeavors. There are many things that would make me happy in life. The first and most important goal for my life is to obtain my bachelor’s degree. Education is very important in my family and therefore important to me. It will mean a lot to me as well as my family. Education is the biggest reason why I joined the Air Force. Education is highly encouraged in the Air Force and I wanted to take full advantage while I was enlisted. In the beginning, I did not have the drive to pursue my degree. I was intending on waiting until after I left the Air Force. However, I was advised against that because a lot of people get caught in the mindset, thinking they will wait until after their enlistment is up and never pursue education again. Also, there are a lot more benefits while being on active duty, such as Tuition Assistance. The Air Force has many avenues and support systems to help ensure that I obtain my degree. This is one of the reasons as to why I am able to attend Ashford University and I plan to take every opportunity presented to me. My next goal is to become an officer in the Air Force. This goes hand in hand with my goal of obtaining my degree because it is a requirement in order to become an officer. I never thought about being an officer in the military but I have been told that I have the makings and the skill set to do so. After much thought, I thought it would be good for me to make it an obtainable goal. I was skeptical at first because I did not want to be disappointed just in case I did not make it. I then realized that was the wrong mindset to have. I also looked at the fact that I would receive better pay and more responsibility. Those two things are what I look forward to the most. I can help others in the career while at the same time I will be able to sufficiently provide for my family. Another goal of mine is to raise a family. Family has been the biggest influence in my life and I want to be able to continue the importance of it within my own family. I want to instill the same values and morals that my mom instilled into me growing up as a child. I want to experience the pride and joy that my mom experienced when taking care of us paid off, such as graduations, college, and military. I want to go play catch in the park with my son and take my daughter on dates and show her the way that a gentleman should be treated. I want my children to be able to do things that my father was not able to do with my siblings and me. There is not another group of people that will love you or support you like family and I never want to take that for granted.
In conclusion, there are other things that would make me happy such as; owning my own home, not having a car payment, and retiring at an early age. If I were to make the military a career, I could retire at an early age. However, I am still trying to figure out what I want to do in my life. At the age of twenty-two, my life has provided me with many opportunities for success and I feel that I have accomplished a lot in my life so far. However, I do not want to stay content with those things that I have accomplished. There is so much more to life and I want to experience as much of it as I can and build upon my solid foundation.

References
Berk L (2005). Infants, Children, and Adolescents. Boston: Allyn & Bacons.
ISBN 0205511384.

Witt, G. A., & Mossler, R. A. (2010). Adult development and life assessment. San Diego, CA:
Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

References: Berk L (2005). Infants, Children, and Adolescents. Boston: Allyn & Bacons. ISBN 0205511384.  Witt, G. A., & Mossler, R. A. (2010). Adult development and life assessment. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.