Persuasive Moment Narrative Research Paper
Megan McGuire
ENG 101
Persuasive Moment Narrative
February 2, 2014
Nashville or Bust
What do you think of when you hear the words One Direction? Most people probably think of a cheesy boy band and their screaming tween fans, and a few of people may not even know who they are at all. Well I’ve never been one to judge or rule out a band based on the perspective of their haters. To get to the point, yes, I am an eighteen year old college freshman who is also an enormous fan of the British/Irish boy band One Direction. As a small town resident from Hebron, KY, there’s not much to do in the area for fun. So when my favorite band goes on tour, I have to be prepared to go the distance, literally. Last year’s concert took place in Louisville, …show more content…
KY, about one and a half hours from home. But this year, the closest event to me is a whopping four hours away, in Nashville, TN. But of course that’s not the force stopping me, this one is much more powerful. My mother. She’s always been a bit overprotective and paranoid, and I knew she wouldn’t revel in the idea of me driving the long distance to see “a stupid boy band”. So the question is, what can I say and how should I say it to get her approval? Well, this is where my story begins. Persuasion is a very valuable technique, and I employed it very extensive and desperately. What you’re about to hear is the organization/plan, techniques, and the outcome of my struggle in the persuasion of my parents.
The first step of my ultimate persuasion technique would be formulating a plan, because every good strategy needs to have exceptional execution. I knew I would have to be very convincing to earn the authorization of my mom. My persuasion had encountered some success in the past, so I did have a few tricks up my sleeve. Primarily I gathered all my reasoning’s, because in my experience that had been the most effective method. I would remind her of my driving experience as well as my track record, which would be difficult because she always had mixed emotions about my driving abilities, I can’t even count the number of times she’s threatened to take my keys! After all I had received a speeding ticket, but that doesn’t make someone a bad driver does it? Well, at least it doesn’t in my opinion. Secondly, I would enter the famous “I’m 18 years old!” line which could ultimately be detrimental as no parent wants to hear that I’m sure. Saving the best for last, I would passionately explain my undying affection for this band and the once in a lifetime opportunity at hand. Maybe I would even throw in a few tears if she forbid from going, because no parent wants to see their child suffer right? I recognized some of my reasons could backfire but I was sure I had packed enough heat to take her on, the only thing left was actually doing it.
Now that I had my proposal systematized, I imagined I should recruit some backup to tackle this endeavor.
While my mom may be distrustful and a little bit too cautious, my dad has always been the complete opposite. As long as he knew where I was going and what I would be doing, nothing else mattered. And I had always been a “daddy’s girl”, so getting my dad on my side was an easy feat. Now it was time to approach the real target. I decided I would ease into the request, I would mention the tour delicately as if it were no big deal. Then I dropped the bomb. As I suspected, my mother’s attitude went from accepting to completely denied after she heard the distance I would be traveling. Not to worry, this shift had been anticipated. I quickly addressed her concerns with the planned objectives, I had been driving for close to three years without incident as well as traveled remotely far distances. Of course none had compared to this one, as my mom so hastily pointed out. This is going to be harder than I thought, I admitted to myself as I scrambled to regain control of the situation. I finally chose to mention the fact that I was 18 years old, and would actually be 19 at the time of the concert. To my surprise this didn’t change my mother’s outlook on the event in the slightest bit. My initial reasons may not have swayed her opinion but I was sure that my emotional appeal was bound to pull on her heart strings. I emphasized how much this event meant to me and how a concert of this magnitude would rarely happen twice so my attendance would be crucial. And then it happened, the dreaded “I’ll think about it.” In many minds this would be a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel, but for me it was anything but. In my mom’s world this basically meant no, and if I asked her again I would have a zero chance of
going.
My mom may have heard all she could from me, but I wasn’t about to give up that easily. Like I stated before, I had a backup plan and it was sure to follow through. If anyone could change the mind of my hardheaded mother, it was my dad. Like he promised, my dad talked to her but shockingly didn’t make any major breakthroughs. My mom started to question her decision but it still wasn’t enough to get the ball rolling. Then, I decided to try out a new strategy, patience. This tactic wouldn’t come easy however, day by day tickets were selling and I knew with every moment that passed the farther back our seats would be in the stadium if we ever got the tickets. I managed to hold strong though, because about two days after my proposal my mom actually gave me the okay I desperately desired. I’m not sure if my dad finally got through to her or if she just couldn’t take my depressed and dreary attitude any longer, but none of that really mattered to me. The only thing on my mind from that point on was that I had done it, and I would actually be attending the concert of my dreams.
Well, now you know. My slightly embarrassing, but devoted love for One Direction lead to a passionate persuasion to attend their largest tour yet. I learned so much from the obstacles I faced along the way. Never underestimate a worried mother, always have a backup plan, and remember patience is the key. I explained how I formulated my plan, the strides I took, and finally the positive outcome I received on my endeavor. Looking back at myself when going through this situation is slightly humorous. Until I recognized the approaches I took, I wasn’t even aware of the extent to my devotion of this band. I think if I were to take on another approach like this one, I could definitely be more prepared for my opinionated mother. Although it can be a burden at times, I undeniably appreciate her protectiveness because I know it’s only because she cares. In the end, it took some desperate tactics and emotional reasoning, but the outcome was definitely worth it. I cannot wait for the concert of a lifetime with some of my best friends, only 200 days to go!
ENG 101
Persuasive Moment Narrative
February 2, 2014
Nashville or Bust
What do you think of when you hear the words One Direction? Most people probably think of a cheesy boy band and their screaming tween fans, and a few of people may not even know who they are at all. Well I’ve never been one to judge or rule out a band based on the perspective of their haters. To get to the point, yes, I am an eighteen year old college freshman who is also an enormous fan of the British/Irish boy band One Direction. As a small town resident from Hebron, KY, there’s not much to do in the area for fun. So when my favorite band goes on tour, I have to be prepared to go the distance, literally. Last year’s concert took place in Louisville, …show more content…
KY, about one and a half hours from home. But this year, the closest event to me is a whopping four hours away, in Nashville, TN. But of course that’s not the force stopping me, this one is much more powerful. My mother. She’s always been a bit overprotective and paranoid, and I knew she wouldn’t revel in the idea of me driving the long distance to see “a stupid boy band”. So the question is, what can I say and how should I say it to get her approval? Well, this is where my story begins. Persuasion is a very valuable technique, and I employed it very extensive and desperately. What you’re about to hear is the organization/plan, techniques, and the outcome of my struggle in the persuasion of my parents.
The first step of my ultimate persuasion technique would be formulating a plan, because every good strategy needs to have exceptional execution. I knew I would have to be very convincing to earn the authorization of my mom. My persuasion had encountered some success in the past, so I did have a few tricks up my sleeve. Primarily I gathered all my reasoning’s, because in my experience that had been the most effective method. I would remind her of my driving experience as well as my track record, which would be difficult because she always had mixed emotions about my driving abilities, I can’t even count the number of times she’s threatened to take my keys! After all I had received a speeding ticket, but that doesn’t make someone a bad driver does it? Well, at least it doesn’t in my opinion. Secondly, I would enter the famous “I’m 18 years old!” line which could ultimately be detrimental as no parent wants to hear that I’m sure. Saving the best for last, I would passionately explain my undying affection for this band and the once in a lifetime opportunity at hand. Maybe I would even throw in a few tears if she forbid from going, because no parent wants to see their child suffer right? I recognized some of my reasons could backfire but I was sure I had packed enough heat to take her on, the only thing left was actually doing it.
Now that I had my proposal systematized, I imagined I should recruit some backup to tackle this endeavor.
While my mom may be distrustful and a little bit too cautious, my dad has always been the complete opposite. As long as he knew where I was going and what I would be doing, nothing else mattered. And I had always been a “daddy’s girl”, so getting my dad on my side was an easy feat. Now it was time to approach the real target. I decided I would ease into the request, I would mention the tour delicately as if it were no big deal. Then I dropped the bomb. As I suspected, my mother’s attitude went from accepting to completely denied after she heard the distance I would be traveling. Not to worry, this shift had been anticipated. I quickly addressed her concerns with the planned objectives, I had been driving for close to three years without incident as well as traveled remotely far distances. Of course none had compared to this one, as my mom so hastily pointed out. This is going to be harder than I thought, I admitted to myself as I scrambled to regain control of the situation. I finally chose to mention the fact that I was 18 years old, and would actually be 19 at the time of the concert. To my surprise this didn’t change my mother’s outlook on the event in the slightest bit. My initial reasons may not have swayed her opinion but I was sure that my emotional appeal was bound to pull on her heart strings. I emphasized how much this event meant to me and how a concert of this magnitude would rarely happen twice so my attendance would be crucial. And then it happened, the dreaded “I’ll think about it.” In many minds this would be a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel, but for me it was anything but. In my mom’s world this basically meant no, and if I asked her again I would have a zero chance of
going.
My mom may have heard all she could from me, but I wasn’t about to give up that easily. Like I stated before, I had a backup plan and it was sure to follow through. If anyone could change the mind of my hardheaded mother, it was my dad. Like he promised, my dad talked to her but shockingly didn’t make any major breakthroughs. My mom started to question her decision but it still wasn’t enough to get the ball rolling. Then, I decided to try out a new strategy, patience. This tactic wouldn’t come easy however, day by day tickets were selling and I knew with every moment that passed the farther back our seats would be in the stadium if we ever got the tickets. I managed to hold strong though, because about two days after my proposal my mom actually gave me the okay I desperately desired. I’m not sure if my dad finally got through to her or if she just couldn’t take my depressed and dreary attitude any longer, but none of that really mattered to me. The only thing on my mind from that point on was that I had done it, and I would actually be attending the concert of my dreams.
Well, now you know. My slightly embarrassing, but devoted love for One Direction lead to a passionate persuasion to attend their largest tour yet. I learned so much from the obstacles I faced along the way. Never underestimate a worried mother, always have a backup plan, and remember patience is the key. I explained how I formulated my plan, the strides I took, and finally the positive outcome I received on my endeavor. Looking back at myself when going through this situation is slightly humorous. Until I recognized the approaches I took, I wasn’t even aware of the extent to my devotion of this band. I think if I were to take on another approach like this one, I could definitely be more prepared for my opinionated mother. Although it can be a burden at times, I undeniably appreciate her protectiveness because I know it’s only because she cares. In the end, it took some desperate tactics and emotional reasoning, but the outcome was definitely worth it. I cannot wait for the concert of a lifetime with some of my best friends, only 200 days to go!