wes moore

In the novel, “The other Wes Moore”, it describes two men with the same name, similar backgrounds, and divided destinies. Coming from strikingly similar beginnings they find themselves choosing different paths in life. Wes number one becoming a successful business leader with many other respectful titles, and Wes number two serving a life sentence for murder. Reading these two men’s lives, teaches you the difference between what helps you need to succeed and what could potentially keep you from success. There are many factors distinguishing their lives and the reasoning behind their personal decisions by their family, their education, and their jobs. They each play an essential role in their lives and futures. Taking them on their own life journey in which they become the people they are today. Both Wes Moores’s family, were very important to them. They both loved and cared for their family dearly, and tried to do they best they can for them. Wes 1’s family deserves credit for gearing him in the right direction. I feel if Wes’s mother, Joy, didn’t care so much about her children’s education he wouldn’t be where he is today. She cared so much they moved and changed schools. She knew kids in public school didn’t care and weren’t good influences on Wes. He got into a fight with some kids and then after was talking to his uncle. He got into the fight because the kids said Wes had changed. And his uncle replied, “The problem isn’t that you changed, its that they haven’t.” I really like this quote because it says so much about Wes as a person. He worked hard and became better then the neighborhood he lived in. I admire Joy’s determination to get the best for her children. Wanting them in a better school to escape where they live. It led him to move on with his life and accomplish a great deal. When someone is encouraging you to do better, it builds your confidence and lets you believe in yourself. Wes’s family believed in him, so he could believe in himself. I don’t think Wes 2 received the same opportunity with his mother and family. Wes’s mother Mary, really cared in the beginning but when Wes would stop going to school she gave up. As a parent it’s not your job to give up. It’s to know what is best for your children and their future. You should want to care when it comes to education. She hoped Wes would turn out different then her older son Tony. Who she knew was into drugs at one point. He had guidance from his older brother and did not pay any attention to it. Tony really wanted Wes to turn out better. He took over a father figure by trying to guide Wes. There was one point in the book when Wes was selling drugs and wouldn’t tell Tony the truth, and Tony beat him up. After Tony was so fed up and tired he said, “If you wont listen, that’s on you. You have potential to do so much more, go on so much further. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink right?” This is saying how little Wes cares about his choices. Maybe if he went to a better school with other kids who wanted to succeed if would rub off on him. But his mother then gave up when the going got tough. Education also played a big part in both of their lives. Education and knowledge really holds the key to success. To want to be intellectual achieve is something you have to want, and others cant want for you. Wes 1 Had better education right from when his mother put him at Riverdale. But of coarse kids are kids and he didn’t really fit in there with his neighborhood being of more of a poor area. He acted up a little and his mother put him into military school. From then on he pursued college at Johns Hopkins, with the encouragement of his peers at military school. This opening doors for him for future jobs. It helped him create relationships with mentors and peers. He studied abroad in South Africa. Wes 1 had a drive. He made it a passion and went on to becoming a Road Scholar. He mastered all aspects of learning and took it a step forward. You don’t even need to know what he is like, you cant look at his achievements and know he was hardworking. Sometimes you need that extra push and I feel as if that was his mother. Wes 2 started out in a fairly poor elementary school. When he started slacking off his mother Mary did take note of this and moved the family to a better town. It stopped there because she seemed to have lost off hope in Wes and didn’t pay attention that Wes was skipping classes. He didn’t have a drive or a passion; but he also didn’t have a mother to send him to military school to get his act together. Dealing with his surroundings. As their lives went on, they both grew up and got jobs. Wes 1 went on with his life to pursue many careers. From interning to becoming a road scholar, he also went to Wall Street. Where he courageously made the decision to fight in the war in Afghanistan. He came back to work at the white house. He was the aid to the secretary of state. Having all these career options made him the successful man he is today. He went after his goals and achieved them. But then again this Wes only had himself to take care of. He could go off and do all of these different things with just himself. Wes 2 had no job experience other then dealing drugs. He had a friend who introduced him to Job Corps which there he received his GED in a month. He couldn’t get anything higher then a low paying job. Wes also had a family to take care of. He had four kids, which belonged to 2 separate mothers. All of these sides things you forget about when you are just looking at achievements. No one stops and think why he couldn’t get a higher paying job. Maybe it was because he was trying to support his family and his mother who then got into drugs. He had a talent of carpentry. He was rather good but didn’t have the motivation to get a job. He even made his daughter a playhouse. Showing how much he cared for his family and how skilled he was. If only he could find a job doing something he liked and made higher pay. But this all comes with decisions. He decided to have a family then well now he has to take responsibility for them. In conclusion the decisions they made throughout their lives made them the men they are today. Also the influence of there family played a huge role in the outcome, which led to their education and jobs and overall success and failure. I found it pretty amazing that two men with completely different lives started off with remarkably similar childhoods. Reading this novel you look into both of their lives and follow them on their journey as if you were watching it happen. You see how much your family has an impact on your life. This story shows that when there is a will, there is a way. You have to be motivated and influenced by the right people to have good judgment and learn from mistakes. You only have one life so make the most of it.