High school: a major transition in many teen’s lives that poses some confusing, yet important, questions. Who am I? Where do I belong? What am I going to do with my life? I was caught up in all of these questions, and quite frankly, life didn’t seem so simple or easy anymore. Day after day I would struggle with keeping everything in balance and worried about all of the little things. My life seemed to slowly slip up until I couldn’t seem to handle everything. I needed answers, and I needed them quickly.…
Having the luxury of great health and family, it can be difficult for me to see outside the realm of comfortability and see the daily hardships people experience. There are so many people without housing, stability, and monetary resources, and these people often find themselves wondering where they can find help and figure out what to do next during trying times. One place people can reach out for assistance is Ronald McDonald House Charities. The nonprofit provides housing and food for families with a critically ill child in the hospital. The forty-two room house aims to provide comfort and support for families living through their worst nightmare. The charity provides this support by its network of staff and volunteers who prepare food for…
Dad said midnight and unless Darrell could fly, I was headed for real trouble. Darrell and I chose to go to county fair and like every cliché couple, we had it set to go at sundown in order to get the perfect Instagram post. Luminous pinks, yellows, and blues sparkled a mile out as we caught our exit to enter the fair grounds. Vibrations under our toes grew heavier and heavier as we got closer to the entrance and with a $12 stamp on our right hand we ventured out on running feet. We spent our night soaring high and low with dangling feet, carrying weightless bags of fluffy, crystallized sugar as heavy gusts of wind hosed us leaving the aroma of fresh, crisp funnel cakes. Captivated by parading aisles of games had us lose complete track of time.…
It was June 14, 1858, and we were on our way to Mr.Lincoln’s house. My Dad happened to be one of Mr.Lincoln’s colleagues;therefore, he was always helping him compose his speeches. We weren’t too far from his house so we just took our horse and small wagon.…
As most children grow up, they are aware of their surroundings and take in everything they can understand which adds to their personality and their structure of life. As a child I developed at a level more advanced than the children around me. I learned to use a computer at the age of 3 years old. I read at an 8th-9th grade level while in the 5th grade. In addition, I could handle complex situations better than a average elementary student. The mindset I had as a child unlocked new doors for me. For example, I was not afraid to try new things and accept the lessons that came along with new opportunities. Also, I learned from my parents that going down the path of success isn’t always easy. Lastly, I experienced that life is filled with…
The first house my father built was constructed room by room and took more than 25 years to be built, a continuous work in progress. The original house was built in the standard square format without standard electricity and started with just four rooms: living room, dining room, kitchen and bedroom. The bathroom was located about 70 feet away in a little draw or valley from the house, which during the winter could be cold as the wind blew snow in during the most inopportune moments. New square rooms were attached to old square rooms as the house expanded outward to accommodate our growing family.…
Since I grew up in a family with an abusive father, my response to conflict differs from most people. My father resolved conflict by shouting, degrading, and often physically abusing the other person. My mother’s response to conflict was to try to settle a compromise or walk away until her own frustration was no longer there. I think based off the conflict responses I observed growing up, my responses are a mixture of my parents. When in an intense argument with someone, I attack their character and then silence them out. Family members play a big part in how we resolve conflicts, because a good portion of our lives begin by us spending time with and watching our relatives. We, as a society, adapt skills and mannerisms from those closest to…
The community where I live is one of the oldest communities in El Paso, Texas and that community is best known here in El Paso as La Chihuahuita. My house in La Chihuahuita neighborhood is about a hundred years old and so are most of the houses that are located in La Chihuahuita area and that makes me think that the original owners of these houses probably saw Pancho Villa and other famous people from the Mexican Revolution. This neighborhood has too much history on it which makes it a very good neighborhood to leave on. La Chihuahuita is located near the international bridge Santa Fe and it is very common to see people coming and going in and out of Mexico and United States. I live in the Chihuahuita area since 2011 and from that year my life…
I woke up to the sound of my alarm going off. "Would you turn that shit off." I heard James Kennedy, my foster father, yell. I quickly stopped my alarm and got up to walk downstairs. While walking down the stairs i slipped and fell straight on my ass bone. "Why can't you even walk down the stairs correctly." My foster father muttered while walking to the kitchen. I finally gathered myself together and walked into the kitchen. My foster father sat at the table reading the newspaper. "Look at this mexican f*g." My foster father said pointing to a photo of a man with long hair pulled back into a ponytail. The title read "Lin-Manuel Miranda broke the record for Tony nominations." I read the first sentence of the article about this Lin dude and…
Have you ever had to let go of someone who you loved? We decided to go on a picnic at my aunt lisa's house one summer day of pizza and lemonade in her backyard with my brother and my sister and my dad and my mom and my grandpa me my brother and sister were playing on a slip and slide my dad and grandpa were watching tv and after playing on the slip and slide i ate some pizza and my aunt said that she needed to use the john when she came back she was not the same because she was moving in her chair a weird way then she was letting off a weird stench than her eyes rolled up in her head i could only see white in her eyes i tried shaking her than i started to cry and scream to my mom she called an ambulance and that was the first time i rode…
Growing up, I was unalike from other kids, I was "imaginative". During class, I would always by myself, writing bizarre stories with preposterous characters and with an unpredictable plot, while the other kids were playing with their friends. Many of my classmates would be entertained by loony stories, while other kids thought that I was just some lonely nitwit writing absurd stories to make up for not having any friends. In that year I was relocated to a different school, which I didn't want to go because I didn't have any friends at the school, I was currently attending and it would be much more difficult to make new friends. In the following year, I was still that shy girl in the back of the classroom not interacting with anybody, but it…
When I got to St. Vincent’s hospital I thought I was in labor but the doctor said my water wasn’t broken yet. So I had to walk up and down the hallway for the baby to come down. Then finally the doctor pulled my water. And oh my god I was in so much pain. The nurse said” Keep pushing, the baby is almost out.” With a final push I had my baby. She was the most beautiful little baby with dark hair and big light brown eyes. I called Diana.…
I remember when they kicked us out. It was only a couple of weeks ago. We Indians were minding our own business when the troops first came. They dragged us out of our tents and sent us walking with only the clothes on our back. My family decided to go to the Oklahoma region along with our tribe. And so here we are, walking through forests, woods, and plains on The Trail of Tears, looking for our destination. We have been walking since, and our clothing can do nothing against the harsh rain, snow, and coldness.…
Shouts and laughter echo throughout the kitchen as my grandparents recount stories of growing up in Mexico as young adults. Everyone’s eyes light up with animation as family members contribute to the conversation while eating homemade tamales and menudo. At each of my family holiday gatherings, the dinner goes beyond the consumption of a home cooked meal. These family gatherings are very important to me and have contributed to who I am today.…
Growing up can be challenging even with the ideal surroundings. Your teen years are even more puzzling because you seem to be stuck in between being a child and an adult. Throw in not having a father or mother around and life gets difficult. The year 2001 was a difficult year for my family and the nation. My life growing up wasn’t picture perfect, but in one very long month I learned that kindness from those around will help you endure and survive.…