The narrative, The Driver’s Seat struck home for me because I just received my driver’s license this past May, 2015. I took time for me to actually drive and to become comfortable behind the wheel of a car. This piece of writing spoke to me and allowed me to review some of the identical thinking points that I went through while getting to the point of taking control of my dad’s car. The story effectively walked me through the trials of spirit and mental anguish that preceded me in taking hold of the vehicle with my dad as the co-pilot giving directions. This was the exact thing the driving instructor in The Driver’s Seat‘ taught the author. The routine of how to maneuver and throw caution to the wind- taking risks- to get the author over…
Many people would say that growing up with parents who could not speak english would be to my disadvantage, but I disagree. Growing up I always believed it to be exhausting having to translate and never really feeling normal. I believed it to be dragging and many times protested against it, but besides it being tiring, I also felt embarrassed. Yeah embarrassed of having to deal with my parents and not being able to communicate with them like other kids did with their parents. As I grew older the issue only grew because at that point I began to resent them for putting me through what I believed to be embarrassing moments of confusion, but all of this changed when I finally realized that my parents did the best they could with what they had.…
The main reason I returned to school is to be able to be the first in my immediate family to graduate from college. My mother raised my two sisters and me as a single parent with very limited resources. I barely ever saw her due to that fact that she had to work at two different jobs. She wasn’t the most affectionate mother but showed her love through actions rather than words. Very seldom did we have deep conversations but one conversation that stands out in my mind is when she said to me “Fernando, I am sorry I can’t provide the same things your friends have. I didn’t even have the opportunity to continue my education. I only went to school up to 6th grade because my mother forced me to work or I would have to leave the house. I want you to have a better future. That is why I brought you all to the…
After the exciting wait of finally getting my first car at the age of 16, I faced one major problem: no money. Searching for an answer, I gradually learned that getting my first job taught me many valuable life lessons and helped me evolve into the person I am today. After almost 4 years of work experience ranging in many different fields, I have adapted new skills and abilities, as well as the value of money. With challenges being faced, the forced me to manage my time, money, and effort in an organized way. This changed my direction, and motives, in life as well as my whole perspective on what is important and what really matters.…
I can still hear the echo of my mother’s voice when I told her I was leaving my job to go back to school full time. In her loving demeanor and ever so softly toned voice, she said, “If you would have focused on education instead of your social status back then, you would be a doctor by now.” I could not believe my ears! However, I knew exactly what my mother meant and sadly responded with, “you are right mother.” I was twenty seven, a mother of two, and about to sacrifice so much for higher education. This was not going to be easy but I was determine to do it for myself and my family. In the past, my parents stressed the importance of education and did all they could to support us through it. However, my priority as a teen was my appearance.…
It was a nice, sunny day. Windows down and the stereo up. Going down the highway at about 75 in the middle of the day! All was well until she looked into her rearview mirror; the blue lights were high on her trail. She pulled over, the officers came to her window, is there a problem sir? Ma’am you were speeding he says. Oh I didn’t realize I was the woman said. The officer asked her for her license and she replied, I would give it to you but I don’t have it. Why don’t you have it, he asked? Well, she says, I lost it 4 times for drunk driving. He then wanted to see her registration but she didn’t have that either. She says, ya see officer I stole this car and I killed and hacked up the owner. His body parts are in a plastic bag in the trunk…
“There she is!” My mom said so exited. “She is so cute!” Says my dad. “She looks like a boy.” My brother Nick says. I sat there in my caregiver's arms in my little yellow outfit. My mom came over and picked me up and hugged me and kissed me. Then My dad swooped me up and hugged me and he swung me around. My brothers lit up like a flashlight when they first saw me. Both of my brothers were so excited to get a new baby sister! **Chongqing** We stayed at the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, China. At the White Swan Hotel when I got there was a whole bunch of goodies such as food, clothes, and toys. When I first got back to the hotel I cried because i didn’t know where I was and who I was with. When my parents got me my Nana and Papa came too because they always wanted to go China. when I first saw my Papa I cried because he was wearing a hat like fisherman wore and nobody wore a hat like that in China. They were all woven hats.…
My long term goal was to from Oklahoma State University with a BS in psychology. I wanted to achieve this goal while also enjoying my college experience by finding a balance between my social life and school work. The short term goals that I was able to accomplish since part I and II of the Goals Assignment were studying, going to sleep earlier (not staying up extremely late), and going home less often.…
Drive is something that tons of people have not yet to grasp. The word drive itself is just as powerful as its definition. Having a drive for something means there’s passion in what you’re doing. My drive is to get out of bed every day and be productive. It’s my drive that pushes me to get to work and push myself forward. Having that drive for something isn’t something I would want to let go of either. The problem today is that it’s that it’s hard to have a drive for something since it may take a while to achieve that goal. Sometimes I want to give up just thinking it’s not worth it in the long run, but an underlying drive kicks in that keeps me going.…
After all the ups and downs in my life none of those things stopped me in achieving my dreams in 2012 the year that I received my associates the most emotional moment in my life when I had walked and made my family proud of me. I know it doesn’t seem a lot to many people but to me was the beginning of a very successful life and making a difference in my life and many others. Not only I did this for myself but for my nephews (my brothers kids) to show them that it takes a lot of hard work to achieve for our dreams but anything is possible in life as long as we don’t give up, hopefully inspire them to go far in life. I want to make a change in my family’s lives and make things better for all of us.…
Both of my parents went to college and both of them also went on to get a post-graduate degree. To them a college education is a necessity to be successful in life. Neither one of them expects me to get into or go to Harvard or Yale, but they do expect me to go to a respectable college. Some teenagers often do not go to college because they must get a job to support their family. Thankfully my parents have always said that I do not need to get a job until after college. The academic and financial support my parents have provided me has cause me not to think of college as a unattainable dream, but almost as another step in my educational , similar to high school or middle school. My parent’s knowledge of the college and the admission process has taught what I need to do in order to put myself in a position to get into a respectful college. The advice and knowledge from my parents has taught me not to just worry about my grades because colleges do not like book worms. Colleges like kids who show they can manage many activities while still maintain a solid 4+ GPA. This attitude has been a positive for me because now I am in many extra-curricular activities including playing Varsity lacrosse, being on the Academic Bowl team, and playing two instruments. Without my parents I could most definitely see myself being a book worm, but thanks to them shaping the attitude that colleges look at more than just grades I have become more outgoing. My parents influence on my view n attitude of college has most definitely been a positive one, and thanks to them, so far, I have been very…
Throughout the years, billions of individuals have inhabited the Earth, each with their own lives and their own particular choices. With every choice made, these individuals have started to compose their legacy, which is the exemplification of who they are and what they have accomplished. I, like the majority of the rest of the world, am starting to leave a legacy as well, and plan to continue and enhance it along the shining stone path known as my life.…
When I was younger, I typically received the things I wanted, things such as toys – being that I was an only child – and never worried about hearing the answer, “No”. I had this insane idea that the world revolved around me. Although I still had the concept in my head, that it was all about me when I was informed I would be an older sister, I knew that nothing would be the same. Before I was a sister, I never took anyone else into consideration, and I was never told to do otherwise. I was around four years old, when this news has changed my life forever.…
Growing up with divorced parents from two radically different cultures was at first difficult. My mother’s family was from Peru, while my father’s was from Bangladesh. In my young mind, there was an internal struggle with what my identity actually consisted of. I wasn’t wholly from one culture or the other, and felt like a black sheep when interacting with either side of my family. Due to this, I attempted to keep these cultures partitioned. At the time, they were different portions of my life that simply couldn’t intermix. This mentality in turn led me to foolishly shy away from my joint heritage. I kept myself enclosed in a box, blind to the beauty of my surrounding culture. However, as time progressed, I knew I had to make a change in my understanding.…
The sound of the ocean is a form of relaxation but for me, I like to call it home. Ventura is a small county located in the southern part of the California and for the past twenty-two years it has been my sanctuary. The other two years of my life I spent in a smaller town called Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. This was my birthplace and home to my parents until they made the decision of migrating directly to Ventura County. Within Irapuato City, there are small ranchos or ranches, located on the outskirts of town and at our rancho, we would raise pigs, goats, cows and, sheep. Surrounding our rancho there are acres of land, where we plant fruits and vegetables to consume and sell to our little community. Life in Mexico is much more rural than…