I remember when I first experienced goosebumps raise on my arms and send a shiver through my body, simply because the words leaving the speaker's lips left such an imprint on me. I didn’t think that a simple sentence could bring tears to my eyes, could cause me to react in any physical way. I didn’t even know the author. Yet, it still amazes me anytime I react to such a poem. The emotions that the author pours into every word and every syllable is astounding. Each pause and breath tell a story on their own. I knew that I had to try. I wanted to make people feel the way like I did when I first heard them, but because it was my words that made them react.…
A hill of aspens, glowing golden, shines on the right side of the trail while the left side is a pine-covered hill. Between the two is the trail, a magical escape from reality. This is my sanctuary of Buffalo Peaks wilderness. The trying experience of hiking through the mountains with 40 pounds on your back, the straps of your pack rubbing the skin off your hips and shoulders. The tension building in your muscles as you struggle under the weight. The pain that can only be diluted by a yoga session and a trip to the hot springs. Sun salutations in a lush, meadow valley. Warrior one and reverse warrior in the heat of the sun, relaxing from the miles we traveled just the day before.…
If I walked down the left side of the hallway, I might get rude looks and people might say something like “okay, what does she think she is doing?”…
My mother, “Regina Hopkins,” has been a positive influence in my life. She has raised 6 kids all by herself as well as earned a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from a City College in Gainesville, Florida. My mother has been through pretty much everything a person can go through outside of war and was still able to be there and provide for all 6 of her kids. In high school, my mother wanted to play football and couldn't because she was a girl and back-in-the-day women were not allowed to play football with the guys. However, she remained strong by raising 6 kids and independently took care of all of us on her own. My mother has several qualities that I would love to develop. The first quality she has is balance; she certainly knows how to make…
There has been many cases in which I have helped an outsider feel welcome. One time in particular is when I played tag with this little boy at church since he was new and no one else played with him. Originally, I was outside eating candy and talking to my friends at church. I noticed that this little boy was standing all alone watching all the other little kids play without him. I thought that maybe he was upset so I went over to him and asked if he wanted the rest of my gummy worms. He seemed nervous at first, but eventually he started talking to me. I learned that he was five years old and he was visiting his grandparents for the weekend. His older brother was outside playing basketball with some of the other older boys at the church, and…
I was in at Save-A-Lot a couple of weeks ago and while I was in line to check out, I overheard a lady talk about a man that was following her on the walking path behind my house. She was talking about how this man would follow her for a couple hundred feet then stop, completely strip down, and would start performing sexual acts on himself. She said that she doesn’t feel comfortable walking on the walking path anymore. We need to take action to stop these things from happening and make the walking path safer.…
Moving on is easy but what you leave behind is what makes it hard. Once you get to a certain age in your life you know you have to move on sometime. I know times are hard but you have to push yourself toward what you really want in life even if it means moving away from what you love.…
After my second year in high school, I made a decision that would turn out to be life changing. This decision wasn’t life changing in the way that getting married or going to college would be, but I really learned a lot about myself that summer. What I’m about to tell you is what happened when I switched from Marching Band to Football. I will explain to you why this switch was such a big deal to me and what I learned about myself from it. Switching from Marching Band to Football after my Sophomore year of high school changed the way I saw myself because I found I have a strong enough will to follow my heart despite controversy with others, I have a strong desire to be in control of my life, and I have an aggressive side that had not shown itself before.…
Ever since I was born, I was a military brat. Not knowing where to call home, or if any place could be home, I moved. I moved six times, four of those places were towns that nobody could think about. Germany, North Carolina, Alaska, North Carolina, Germany, and Alaska, yet no place to call home. May 22, 1999, my first day on this world; Kronach hospital had its first American baby in their hands, yet they acted like I was a different species. The only event I remember was when I was about one. While I was one, I grabbed everything in my reach, even a grill handle. As a baby, I did not know that the handle was moving, the grill top had smashed my thumb. Ever since that event, I now have a starfish mark on the side of my right thumb from where the stiches were.…
I can’t believe that my mom is seriously making us move. Ever since my dad passed she had been talking about moving to Connecticut. She said it would give us a fresh start and be able to get away from everything but I don’t want a fresh start I want to stay here in Raven Rock, California where I belong. One of the worst parts is my mom still needs our other car back in Connecticut, and I haven't drove since it happened. The only way she could get her car here was for me to drive which she knew I didn’t want to, or she could ship it to our house which costs too much money. Instead of making me drive she is making a 19 year old college student that I used to play with when I was younger that I don’t even remember and he is going to drive me across…
Have you ever been through an experience where you moved to an unfamiliar location by yourself? I had the opportunity to do just that when I left my hometown in Hong Kong and come to America for a better education. I was only thirteen years of age at the time. Giving me the chance to come the U.S was the greatest gift that my parent has ever given me in my life. I appreciated them for providing me this valuable and precious chance for my thirteen years old birthday present.…
“Graduation, the hush-hush magic time of frills and gifts and congratulations and diplomas.” You weren’t lying when you said that Maya Angelou. May 19th, 2013 I had dreamt of that day for almost four years. I know I can’t be the only person who feel this way. I remember it as if it was just yesterday. So many different emotions going through my mind all at once. Happiness, Sadness, I felt relieved because it was almost over but at the same time I felt anxious and overly excited to just leave and go far away. 389 seniors were going to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas. After all, our class had the biggest percentage of graduates who were actually…
Traveling into the Indian Territory, we were being angrily chased down by three Indians furiously shouting at us. Dashing through the thick forest, the savage Indians were throwing spears and shooting arrows that narrowly missed us. Although neither Gideon nor I was mortally injured, I did suffer from a nick from an arrow piercing near my ear. Thankfully, a group of burly fur traders approached from the side, which frightened the Indians to run away. Acknowledging that Gideon and I were inexperienced travelers in the west, they offered us protection in exchange for some valuable possessions. As a consequence, knowing that they were our best alternative for survival, we gave them our antique gold pocket watches and assumed the identities of novice fur traders. From that point on, we followed them through the west and adopted their skills for efficiently hunting animals and keeping warm in the harsh, cold weather. During one of our rest points, we approached a large Cherokee settlement located in Park Hill in which our group leader was friends with the Cherokee leader John Ross.…
Football has always been a big part of my life. As a young boy I would day dream of making insane touchdowns, making tackles that would leave man stuck in the ground, and even winning the heisman trophy. In 7th grade I had begged my mother endlessly to sign me up for pee wee football because she would always worry about the risks of football. After finally getting her to sign me up, we went straight into the season. I chose to play running back because as a 12-year-old I was remarkably fast having timed 5.3 in the 40 yard-dash. After a few weeks in the season we approached the playoffs and found out our opponent for the first round of the playoffs were the jaguars who were undefeated. Our team didn’t have the best chemistry on…
This is why the poem is so significant, unlike any other poem; this one has a meaning which I can relate my past experiences from one which actually bonds with me. A true meaning which I can remember forever.…