Gifted Hands Reflection

When I was in seventh grade, I was required to read Ben Carson’s memoir, “Gifted Hands”; this taught me responsibility, it improved my reading comprehension, and it made me appreciative of an education without prejudice. While in grade school, I was involved in a group known as Creative Learning in a Unique Environment, otherwise known as CLUE. This group was for gifted children who were advanced in reading and writing. As I entered junior high, CLUE became my required reading and English class and I was required to read books chosen by my teacher and the proper school officials. At the time, I was furious about these mandatory readings, but throughout the years I learned to appreciate the mandatory readings for so many reasons. As a born …show more content…
Ben Carson’s personal experiences helped me understand what the meaning of the words I was reading actually stood for because I felt his emotions and feelings during his life through his vivid descriptions and real situations. I was envisioning that I was there in his shoes, so much so that when a brutal event in his life occurred, I became emotional, but I also rejoiced and praised with him as he was blessed in his life. Understanding the words on the page one I was reading was extremely important because just reading words without comprehension, did not help me by any means necessary. Once I achieved complete comprehension of the assigned reading, I had achieved a deeper level of thinking and my mind was open to numerous new ideas and concepts unlike never …show more content…
He was constantly being put down, alienated, and even tormented simply because he was an African-American. He expresses how this affected him over and over again continuously in his writing. Luckily, I was blessed to not have to have ever felt alienated by my fellow classmates and peers, whether it be in grade school or college thus far, about something as superficial as race. Without the distraction of being bullied on a daily basis like others, I spent more time focused on my studies. Discrimination is not a part of the school experience, learning is. Ben Carson was a strong man who bravely overcame the racism and bullying and never did he let that stop him from becoming the medical surgeon he had always wanted to be. Ben Carson is my true inspiration to become anything I want to be, as along as I continue to stay focused on my education and not let this opportunity I have in front of me be diminished by anything of any