Charlie was different from the world. Born with only one arm and twisted, deformed legs and back, life was harder for him. He was picked on by his peers and unbecoming to the adults. However, he was also different in another way. He took his troubles head on with love, compassion, patience, and determination. Even with the death of his mother, wife, and two children and his job entailing the steep ascent of a mountain, Charlie found beauty and peace in the world. Reading Blaine Yorgason’s Charlie’s Monument altered the way I view my trials and gave me a new look at adversity and the world.
The book, Charlie’s Monument, helped me understand a trial I was struggling with and how I could fix it in the future. The author wrote this story with the intent of teaching the importance of “self-confidence and the value of self-worth” (Yorgason 3). I have struggled with the loss of self-confidence and self-worth. This happened when I lost the 4.0 grade point average that I had been able to maintain all my school years. I felt I had failed myself, my family, and my teachers. I have had similar feelings as I have battled with the demands of We The People. Sometimes I felt I wasn’t good enough to be on the team. Charlie found his worth and confidence by identifying the problems and controlling the situation. He became the master. His determination to become better inspired me to do the same, leading to my revival. In the future when I lose confidence in myself, I can remember Charlie and once again believe in myself. Charlie viewed the world with awe and gratitude. Sitting at the top of the hill he climbed daily, he enjoyed a stunning panorama of the desert mountains and arid valleys. Charlie spent every day marveling at the beauty around him and he said, “Sitting like this, watching what we’ve been watching, a feller sure comes …show more content…
Every day he would collect a rock from the side of the mountain and then would name the rock after an attribute he strengthened during the day. The rock would then be placed on the pile – his monument. I have found myself finding my own daily rocks. At the end the day, I look back and find the little instances of light that brightened my day. Whether I have provided service to someone in need or received a little act of kindness, I recognize the blessings and with gratitude add it to my “pile”.
Every trial that falls upon an individual is meant to strengthen and shape him if he allows it to do so. As Charlie examined a particularly smooth rock he had found, “the thought came to him that he, himself, was like that rock, being gradually smoothed down by some pretty rough experiences along his river of life.” (30). The monument of rocks Charlie built represented his problems and his triumphs. Every time he overcame the drawbacks of life and strengthened his character, one more stone was added to the construction of his monument, “the outward reflection of [his] life.”(48). Charlie’s embracement and understanding of his problems and his view on life has truly inspired me to think like him. When I find myself without self-confidence and overlooking my own self-worth or see others in the same predicament, I can remember Charlie and his pile of rocks. I can regain my confidence by pondering of the words from the poem “The
The book, Charlie’s Monument, helped me understand a trial I was struggling with and how I could fix it in the future. The author wrote this story with the intent of teaching the importance of “self-confidence and the value of self-worth” (Yorgason 3). I have struggled with the loss of self-confidence and self-worth. This happened when I lost the 4.0 grade point average that I had been able to maintain all my school years. I felt I had failed myself, my family, and my teachers. I have had similar feelings as I have battled with the demands of We The People. Sometimes I felt I wasn’t good enough to be on the team. Charlie found his worth and confidence by identifying the problems and controlling the situation. He became the master. His determination to become better inspired me to do the same, leading to my revival. In the future when I lose confidence in myself, I can remember Charlie and once again believe in myself. Charlie viewed the world with awe and gratitude. Sitting at the top of the hill he climbed daily, he enjoyed a stunning panorama of the desert mountains and arid valleys. Charlie spent every day marveling at the beauty around him and he said, “Sitting like this, watching what we’ve been watching, a feller sure comes …show more content…
Every day he would collect a rock from the side of the mountain and then would name the rock after an attribute he strengthened during the day. The rock would then be placed on the pile – his monument. I have found myself finding my own daily rocks. At the end the day, I look back and find the little instances of light that brightened my day. Whether I have provided service to someone in need or received a little act of kindness, I recognize the blessings and with gratitude add it to my “pile”.
Every trial that falls upon an individual is meant to strengthen and shape him if he allows it to do so. As Charlie examined a particularly smooth rock he had found, “the thought came to him that he, himself, was like that rock, being gradually smoothed down by some pretty rough experiences along his river of life.” (30). The monument of rocks Charlie built represented his problems and his triumphs. Every time he overcame the drawbacks of life and strengthened his character, one more stone was added to the construction of his monument, “the outward reflection of [his] life.”(48). Charlie’s embracement and understanding of his problems and his view on life has truly inspired me to think like him. When I find myself without self-confidence and overlooking my own self-worth or see others in the same predicament, I can remember Charlie and his pile of rocks. I can regain my confidence by pondering of the words from the poem “The