values
From my point of view
A month ago, I received a letter in the mail. It was from Clark State Community College, and it was informing me that I was eligible to be the student speaker for the graduation commence because of my outstanding GPA. They wanted me to write a rough draft for the graduation speech and if it was good enough, I could be the student speaker. I was excited at first, but more I thought about it and what I wanted to write, I realized I had nothing good to say and if I did, it wouldn’t be enough to write an excellent speech. The paper I would have ended up writing would have been more of a lecture on things Clark State could improve on. So, I figured I would write a speech to the people that help me succeed in life.
Jessie AltmanPublished 3 years ago in FamiliesHappy Holidays
I slammed the yams down on the table as the doorbell rang. I honestly did not sign up for this. No one should ever have to deal with the amount of drama this family produces. But then there I was, setting the table for a dysfunctional family I am married into.
SJ AugustinePublished 3 years ago in FamiliesThe Changing Definition of Minimalism
I was talking to a friend about his impending trip and asked if he was preparing already. He said he was leaving Sunday, so he would probably get ready Saturday night. All he has, a suitcase and a laptop, isn’t much, so there is not much to plan.
Jason WeilandPublished 3 years ago in FamiliesThe Power of Photos and Mirrors
The Power of Photos and Mirrors Growing up I avoided being around people with cameras, getting caught in candid shots, or heaven forbid posing for pictures. I hated pictures, people who took pictures, people that shared pictures, being in picture and most of all my mother getting a hold of any picture of me. When they took school pictures every year it was an absolute nightmare. I couldn’t stay home sick that day because I had to have perfect attendance (yeah it was a thing). I couldn’t avoid having the pictures taken because the teacher, a young or old nun in full wimple and habit, rosary beading clacking as she walked would not allow such disrespect (and besides I could not lose my status as teacher’s pet, another thing). But man, did I hate the whole ritual, the picture taking, the distribution of the hated picture packets, the collection of the payment for the pictures from my parents to be brought into school, etc. But the worst part was the mean spirited critique my mother would do every year. Why didn't I fix my hair nicer? Why am I not smiling? Are you kidding? . When will I go on a diet and lose all that fat? And of course the never ending, you sister always looks so beautiful in pictures, sigh. And then me, humiliated, saying things like, Mom, you don't have to buy these. Sister said if you don’t like them just return them. Only a shrug and a sigh as she mournfully wrote out the check and handed it to me disgusted. Every year - year after year - even when in high school as yearbook editor my pictures actually rocked. As a favorite of the photo club that took the hsots, I actually saw a few that were not half bad. Yet, the story at home was always the same. Over time I realized that my mother’s hang up was that I actually look a lot like her - and she hated herself, and thus the venom towards me and pictures. Cerebrally I came to know that, but emotionally still could not bear cameras and pictures, associating them with feeling ugly, criticism, fat shaming, and embarrassment.
Rosanna PittellaPublished 3 years ago in FamiliesKanzashi
I collect hobbies like a little boy collects seashells. Kanzashi is my latest obsession. The careful folding of cloth, fabric origami sewn together into vibrant creations, has captured my soul. Before me lay precise squares of bright cloth, destined, today, to become flowers. I have a plan, an image in my mind of the symmetrical, stunning beauty that I’ll soon hold. The cloth is ready. In one hand is my needle. The other holds the thread.
Morgan J. MuirPublished 3 years ago in FamiliesHow Is Holi Celebrated
Figurative legends state that Holi is commended in Prahlada for honoring the Hindu god Vishnu and his devotees as a festival to conquer cunning. In the place where Braj (Lord Krishna) grew up, in Uttar Pradesh, the day of Rangpanchmi is celebrated in honor of King Krishna and Radha. The main day of the celebration is commended by Holika Dahan representing the victory of good over evil. Show Sources
Thomos JamesPublished 3 years ago in Families"Little Boxes"
The Uber fishtailed a little in the snowy intersection of the quiet residential community. Three brown paper-wrapped packages rested on the back seat, held close to the passenger’s side so they wouldn’t duplicate the car’s slide.
David WhitePublished 3 years ago in FamiliesThe Box
The Box Death. Dying. Die. Dead. I was thinking of all the ways you can use the word die as I walked around this rather bleak church that we occasionally visited if my grandmother guilt trip my parents to come. It was so easy to say, so easy to think about. Death. Dying. Dead. My mother and father are dead. My mother and father have died. My mother and father have experienced death. My English teacher, Miss. Rowley, would be so proud of all the ways I could use die in somewhat complete and captivating sentences.
antoinettePublished 3 years ago in FamiliesBrilliant Betty
Betty stood calmly observing the comings and goings of her friends and others as they ambled from clump to clump, biting and chewing the green grass. Marvelous! Thought Betty to herself. That’s all they do. All day. Apart from swishing flies with their tails and dropping the occasional cow ‘bomb’ on the ground, they just walk around eating grass all day.
D.A. CairnsPublished 3 years ago in FamiliesHand-Me-Downs
A tiny box wrapped in brown paper remains protected from the elements nestled in a tree trunk. Time has become lost and its placement soon becomes forgotten by the surrounding wildlife. How long it has been in hiding begs the question, and who put it there remains a mystery. As if engulfed in magic, the treasure sits free from elemental damage. A surprising feat given the luscious foliage in the surrounding area.
Mollie NarutovicsPublished 3 years ago in FamiliesMy Mission
Hi, my name is Bob, Bob the box. I have been sitting flat on the shelf for a while now, hoping someone will choose me to deliver something special for them. It's what I have wanted since I was created. To fulfill my job. To deliver something safely, to that special someone. I come in a package, with everything you will need to send that something to that someone. It's me, the box, along with brown paper to wrap it and a mailing label that will need to be filled out. All you need is tape.
Christa SocoPublished 3 years ago in FamiliesToday’s Barbies Are Some Bad Bitches
“It’s not what you achieve, it’s what you overcome. That is what defines your career. ” Carlton Fisk While playing Barbies with my four-year-old granddaughter I learned that today’s Barbies are no joke.
Toni CrowePublished 3 years ago in Families