December 2002

Young man breaks the law and risks his life to be reunited with his love interest. You might or might not have heard the story about the young man who lost his life trying to get United Kingdom from France all because of his young love. This story is about the young man Bilal Kayani, he was 17 years old and was from Kurdistan Iraq. He he wanted to meet his girlfriend Mina, who lives in London England. But to be able to do that he had leave Iraq. But his journey of love was not easy. When Bilal…

I chose The Legend of the Teddy Bear by Frank Murphy as the book I authenticated. According to the application “Epic” this book is an eight to ten year old reading level for students reading by themselves. This picture book tells the story of our 26th president and how his trip to hunt bears in Mississippi turned out to become the starting point of making teddy bears for children. I focused on some of the five main points that the authors of “Authenticating Historical Fiction: Rationale and…

After reflecting over my lifetime, I have decided that I am not the same person today, that I was one, five, or ten years ago. I have not made radical changes and most of me is still the same, but there have been changes that are noticeable. One year ago I struggled with my need to please people. I had a fear of disappointing the people I care about and it was a constant stressor for me. I have worked to counteract this part of myself. Finally, I feel free of that burden and don’t have to worry…

Far away in a big city, a besuited man idly tapped his fingers on the inside of the door of the limousine he rode in, the driver focusing intently on seeing his employer safely and swiftly to his destination. On the surface, it was simply another wealthy person being chauffeured to some private business, beyond the concern of the working class. And even beyond the surface, in some ways that's exactly what it was; the physical embodiment of Greed, known to some as Mammon and others as Arthur…

Have you ever watched someone come into therapy, a self-help group, or a 12 step meeting looking like they’re defeated, their spirits broken? Their suffering is obvious, and their desire for help even more apparent. After their first session, they leave and go back to their lives, shaken by their effort. We see them again; they seem a little more comfortable. They have found a sponsor, or program that they attend regularly. They still won't meet our glance, but they nod their heads in…

With change, there are always compromises. You lose your sense of familiarity, and find yourself in a sea of strangeness. With every wave, you are hit by the unfamiliar. However, you soon adapt and find that this raging sea has turned into a flowing river, taking you toward your success. Along the path you begin to see things that look familiar, and realize that you are on the same path that you had been before. It was two years ago that I moved to Maple Valley from the city of Palmyra,…

(Before I begin writing this essay, i just wanted to state that i do not know what the question exactly is, im going into this assuming that the question is, what drives people to undertake a mission.) What drives people to undertake a mission is the, determination. The recent events that happen will determine if a person will undertake a mission. For example, Farah Ahmedi had been determined to go on this mission to get out of Pakistan because of a man named Ghulam Ali. Before they had…

It’s the big gigantic apelike creature that lurks outside your abode at night while you sleep. It's hairy and scary. It’s the legend of the Bigfoot. Bigfoot is an abnormal creature who is said to lurk in the forests. Bigfoot normally stays hidden very well out of the human eye. People have started to put together groups to find Bigfoot and hunt him down. This scary hair raising legend started to make a name for itself in the late nineteen fifties. People claim to have seen Bigfoot through trees…

"Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion." (Martha Graham) A dancer can receive all the training they need to be "great," but once that spark of passion ignites them, that is when they truly are great. I experienced this moment when I was about twelve years old, my first solo. I woke up that crisp, January morning knowing exactly what I had ahead of me. Waiting impatiently backstage, running through the steps in my head over and over again,…

Being different isn't always something you can see on the outside, sometimes it's whats deep within that stands out. That inner spirit in you that nobody else can see, hear,or touch but you can feel. When i walk in a room smile and ask how are you doing? you might be having a bad day but the inner spirit in me connected with the inner spirit in you, and your spirit feels better! That not something somebody can give to your or dress up, it a gift from god the ultimate otherness. I'm in the…