Single malt whisky

Let me first of all say that I’m Nigerian and how big a deal and normal it is for at least 7 out of 10 Nigerian parents to continuously nag their children about how many relatives are watching them and waiting for them to succeed. Most times the children including myself have no idea who most of these extra relatives are because previously we only knew a handful now members of the community and church attendees who we once said hello to because our parents accidentally bumped into them after…

I try my hardest to not allow myself to look weak in public. Crying is just something I do not allow myself to do often. Surrounded by my closest friends and people I consider family I would usually be at my happiest, but this wasn’t a regular day. Surrounded by all my closest friends and I was despondent. That day I was a little baby again. I couldn’t squelch the tears. No matter how hard I tried they kept coming. Big G was just one of those guys that you noticed as soon as he walked in. His…

(Pam Beesly/Halpert). An ordinarily unordinary life with a combination of my parents life before me, big moments, and small instances has shaped me into the person I am today. Born into a happy family, I was surrounded by loving people through every single move we made. In between moves, my family connected through numerous family vacations throughout the country and beyond. As I grew up, I had the classic issues with friends and once I got older, boys too. All this seems so simply ordinary, yet…

A Fighter I’m sitting in some loud, smokey, old bus on my way to my first real competition. I couldn’t tell my dad, he doesn’t mind me liking boxing but the last thing he needs to worry about is why I come home from a weekend away with a black eye. So I told him it was a class trip. Technically I wasn’t lying. So here I am with the same merry band of misfits that had become like a second family to me, they supported me through all the crap this last month. “GO BACK TO IOWA YOU BUCK TOOTH…

It is January of 2005, and I am on my way to Columbus for my first chemotherapy. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October of last year. My two sons, Jeff and Jason are coming with me. Jeff driving, Jason sitting in the passenger seat and I 'm in the back seat of the 2002 GMC Envoy. I glance out the window and watch as we pass the Shoe. It is chilly outside and the winds were powerful on this winter day, snows covering the trees and the ground, it’s a beautiful sight of a winter wonderland.…

“Happiness is a choice. You are the only person who can make you happy. You 're as happy as you choose to be.” - Rick Warren. Your happiness is bassed on yourself and the effort you decide to put into your happiness. A couple years ago I attended a presentation at my middle school, the speaker was a young lady who was raised with everything handed to her she never had to work for anything in her life. She started off by talking to us about her childhood and how her parents were…

My heart thumps like a bass drum in my ears as I run. I can barely breathe but I don’t stop. I reach my car, crank the engine and put my foot to the floor. Driving through the streets of Brisbane to the highway, I start to think over Alice’s and my relationship. “You should come over this weekend. We can work on our project.” I messaged her late at night. “Okay, I’ll ask my parents.” Alice answers quickly before confirming she can. On Saturday morning, she arrives at my house. We work on our…

Orientation to College is a great course that I have taken this semester. I have learned a lot of things that I have been using on a daily basis and I can use in the future. This course has also made it easier for me to understand my other classes as well. My grades are one thing that I have been maintaining at an great average because of this course. I have learned to reflect and give my opinion about a topic that is being discussed. I know that this course is going to help me in the future and…

The key to any kind of dream in the world is having a purpose. Having purpose is the key in enabling anyone in the world to do anything they aspire to do. It gives anyone the power to work harder, strive further, and have meaning in whatever they do, and having purpose is the sole meaning behind living life, whether it’s living for someone, something, or even yourself. One of the main purposes of my life is to live for the people who have shaped me into the person that I am today.…

they were an alcoholic. They would read from their alcohol anonymous book to talk about what the meeting was all about and what the organization ultimately is trying to do. They then read a passage from a book that had a different passage for every single day and after reading the passage they would go around the table and talk about how it pertained to their life and their situation. Then at the end they read a passage and end the meeting with a prayer.…