Category: Life Lesson

The lights turn off all across the lobby, as I hand a customer their large popcorn. Streams of people are leaving their screening rooms, all heading for the lobby. The manager walks out of his office and addresses the crowd that is overwhelming him with questions. He slowly gains the attention of everyone in the room and waits for them to quiet down. He begins to talk, but his voice doesn’t reach me in the back, so I wait for the news to travel through murmurs in the crowd. Suddenly, a wave of worried voices erupts from every direction – a tornado warning has been issued. I take a minute to assess the situation and proceed to assist my co-workers in directing the customers into the main screening room, which also acts as a makeshift shelter. Those who don’t fit into the main screening room, follow the employees in the break room to take shelter. The break room is nearly at capacity, so I find a spot on the floor. A feeling of unease pollutes the air as the high winds knock debris against the walls. Eventually, the thudding noises stop, and the storm passes. All at once, the customers flood out of the glass doors in a desperate attempt to see their loved ones. The parking lot quickly empties and contains only the tire marks of the cars that are now speeding down the highway. The clouds clear away to reveal the barren parking lot and I feel relieved to see the storm didn’t cause any lasting damage.

My last two years of high school working at my local movie theater would provide relationships, experiences, and life lessons that continue to enrich my life. The ordeal I shared was one of many work experiences to challenge my ability to handle stressful situations, a valuable skill I thought to have acquired. During my first semester at Texas Tech University, I exuded unfounded confidence based on having this skill. I was studying physics

The lights turn off all across the lobby, as I hand a customer their large popcorn. Streams of people are leaving their screening rooms, all heading for the lobby. The manager walks out of his office and addresses the crowd that is overwhelming him with questions. He slowly gains the attention of everyone in the room and waits for them to quiet down. He begins to talk, but his voice doesn’t reach me in the back, so I wait for the news to travel through murmurs in the crowd. Suddenly, a wave of worried voices erupts from every direction – a tornado warning has been issued. I take a minute to assess the situation and proceed to assist my co-workers in directing the customers into the main screening room, which also acts as a makeshift shelter. Those who don’t fit into the main screening room, follow the employees in the break room to take shelter. The break room is nearly at capacity, so I find a spot on the floor. A feeling of unease pollutes the air as the high winds knock debris against the walls. Eventually, the thudding noises stop, and the storm passes. All at once, the customers flood out of the glass doors in a desperate attempt to see their loved ones. The parking lot quickly empties and contains only the tire marks of the cars that are now speeding down the highway. The clouds clear away to reveal the barren parking lot and I feel relieved to see the storm didn’t cause any lasting damage.

My last two years of high school working at my local movie theater would provide relationships, experiences, and life lessons that continue to enrich my life. The ordeal I shared was one of many work experiences to challenge my ability to handle stressful situations, a valuable skill I thought to have acquired. During my first semester at Texas Tech University, I exuded unfounded confidence based on having this skill. I was studying physics and had plans to being a teacher to help underprivileged kids have the knowledge to change their circumstances and, hopefully, the world. However, the way I viewed the world completely changed after I got the news of my grandfather’s death. A bout of depression hit me like a tornado that I couldn’t hide from; it negatively affected my grades, relationships, and overall satisfaction with my university. I barely had the drive to attend class, but I forced myself to go in spite of my reluctance. Luckily, I had an English professor, who had an extensive knowledge of philosophy. He gave me a few books to read, that I found to have a therapeutic effect on me. I felt comfort in exercising my critical thinking skills and empathetic ability to understand more about people and the world. I had found shelter, which allowed me to give more attention to school and my vision of the future. In the subsequent semesters, I was still experiencing a downpour of depression, but it became easier to deal with through my understanding of philosophy. I started to receive better grades and developed a greater inclination to help people from underprivileged backgrounds. I waited out the storm and overcame my depression. Yet, the dissatisfaction with my university still lingers, due to the distance from my family and the lack of opportunities to pursue my interests. Considering my feelings, I decided to forgo my fourth semester at Texas Tech and teach English at my parents’ home village, in Awasa, Ethiopia. The experience has provided me with the insight and courage I needed to pursue my ambitions in philosophy and my interests in education. Moreover, I know that UT has the resources and opportunities available for me to successfully continue my efforts to be a philosophy professor.

While visiting family in the Austin area, I had the chance to explore the Department of Philosophy at UT. I was immediately fascinated by the strong sense of community built by philosophy majors and already felt at home. The faculty provided me with a diverse list of classes on subjects, such as contemporary moral problems and human nature, which are not offered at Texas Tech. I am eager to take these classes, as well as participate in healthy discourse with fellow Longhorns. Additionally, I hope to gain more experience assisting underprivileged communities by joining the Capital Community student organization. All in all, I am glad the clouds have cleared to reveal the potentially bright future I have as a Longhorn.

How can people tell if they know how someone can act without a true experience? In Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses Scout a character to bring a challenge and understanding of what it was like to live in a segregated society. Mrs. Lee’s, classic To Kill a Mockingbird has many valuable life lessons that Scout learns and realizes through her young naive self and beliefs. Scout’s most valuable life lesson in Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird she learns that educated people do not always use their knowledge properly through the mistakes of Miss Caroline; through Miss Gates, Scout discovers that teachers do not always tell students the best possible information and Miss Gates is a hypocrite, and Scout and Dill learn that not all town gossip is true when they find out the truth about Dolphus Raymond though Scout’s perspective.

Scout learns that the well-educated do not always apply their knowledge properly through the mistakes of Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline makes Walter Cunningham take the money for lunch even though she knows that he could never pay that money back because of the poverty his family faces.

“The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back.

You’re shamin’ him, Miss Caroline. Walker hasn’t got a quarter

at home to bring you, and you can’t use any stovewood”

The Cunningham children are farmers living during “The Great Depression.” Later in the chapter, Scout explains; “They don’t have much, but they get along with it” which is quite an amazing analysis for a young child. Scout also notices that her father Atticus represented Walter Cunningham Sr. and Walter is unable to pay him for the defense that Atticus provided for Walter. Atticus is well aware of their poverty and explained to Scout that Walter will find a way to pay Atticus for the services he provides. Walter pays Atticus back with goods from the farm such as hickory nuts and turnip greens which proves that they are an honest family, and it might take the family longer to pay back for such services, but they will pay.

Secondly, Scout discovers that people in authority do not always follow their own rules or advice. Miss Gates does not understand the concept of Aryan and not allowing any Aryan to marry anyone of another race is against the current Jim Crow Laws. The ironic part of the novel is that Scout finds Miss Gates and Miss Stephanie Crawford exiting the courthouse and Miss Gates said: “It’s time somebody taught ’em a lesson, they were gettin’ way above themselves, and the next thing they think they can do is marry us.”(331). Miss Gates printed on the chalkboard Democracy in large letters and then asked what that means. Scout raised her hand, remembering an old campaign slogan her dad once told her. “Equal rights for all, special privileges for none”(328). Miss Gates smiled and said “Very good”, then she printed WE ARE A and the class responded, “We are a democracy”. What makes Chapter 26 and this chapter have some humor is the fact that Miss Gates knows that it may seem like a democracy but internally since they’re in the era of Jim Crow Laws it makes Miss Gates a very informative but also shows that she uses her students for bribing them to believe in Jim Crow Laws because she believes in them and agrees with what they should be because her husband is apart of the KKK. One example of this would be Miss Caroline saying that she employs experiential learning, then telling Scout not to read at home or letting Atticus teach her.

Thirdly, Scout learns that not all town gossip is true when they discover the true nature of Dolphus Raymond. Dolphus Raymond is always looked down on because he’s a father of mixed raced children which makes him an easy target. Dolphus tells the truth to Scout that he is not an alcoholic. However, it is easier for the town to blame his chosen lifestyle for having mixed-race children, and his drunkenness. Mr. Raymond tells very important secrets to Scout because he knows that Children are the ones that can make a difference in a segregated society. The town thinks Dolphus is an alcoholic because he is a father of mixed raced children and segregation that was not accepted thing during the Jim Crow era. So in order to keep the Jim Crow laws alive, they created false rumors and accusations against many of the characters in the novel such as Dolphus Raymond to keep him in line and give him no attention because he’s an “alcoholic” and no one wants to be around one. The irony in this lesson is that Dolphus drink Coca-cola from his sack but never denies the fact he is not an alcoholic. Later tells Scout that ‘things haven’t caught up to (their) instinct(s) yet.’ which proves that the Jim Crows laws still exist today and she has to keep what Dolphus had told her a secret or they face complications with the KKK.

Work Cited

1. Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1960.

Summary of Lessons Learned

The first lesson was about spirituality and faith. Faith is something we need daily. It is believing in something despite seeing or touching it. Matthew 17:20 says that even if we have faith like a grain of a mustard seed, we can move mountains, and nothing will be impossible for us. The next lesson was about God’s love for man. Nature gives us evidence of the precision and creative hand of God. The greatest revelation of God’s love is when He let His Son come to the earth and die for humans. Satan keeps on trying to misrepresent God to us. Satan wants us to view God as someone who is a severe judge that has a jealous eye to discern our errors and mistakes. But Jesus came to the world, lived among men, and represented the true love of God. He even took man’s nature so He can also experience what we humans experience, like temptation and wants. Jesus never sinned, He was always filled with love, and even the children loved to be close to Him. Jesus was always thoughtful and never rude; He never gave pain to a single soul and always spoke the truth. Jesus was willing to be the man of sorrows so we can be partakers of everlasting joy. However, Jesus was still burdened with the separation from God until it broke Him into tears, yet He still died on the cross in our place. He is our Sacrifice, our Advocate, our Brother, bearing our human form before the Father’s throne, and through eternal ages one with the race He has redeemed–the Son of man. And all this that man might be uplifted from the ruin and degradation of sin that he might reflect the love of God and share the joy of holiness.? The next lesson was about the sinner’s need for Christ. No doubt, we will always need Christ in our lives. Without Christ, sin will affect our minds. We need Christ, but knowing Him is not enough. Knowing about God is not enough if we don’t put our words into action. We talk about reflecting the character of God in our lives, but do we actually do? James 2:17 says that “In the same way, faith by itself if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” The next lesson about Confession has thought me that if we confess and forsake our sins, we shall have mercy. We need to humble our souls before God in acknowledging our guilt. The only reason why we do not have remission of sins that are past is that we are not willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the word of truth. Confession should be heartfelt and freely expressed. It should not be urged or forced or done in a careless way without realizing the sense of the abhorrent character of sin. The next lesson about Consecration has thought me that in every moment of our lives we have been partakers of the blessings of His grace, and for this very reason, we cannot fully realize the depths of ignorance and misery from which we have been saved. Then, the lesson about Faith and Acceptance has thought me that Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, and dependent. We may come with all our weakness, our folly, our sinfulness, and fall at His feet in penitence. Strength and grace have been provided through Christ to be brought by ministering angels to every believing soul. ? As we draw near to God with confession and repentance, He will draw near to us with mercy and forgiveness.? The next lesson is about the test of discipleship. The spirit of God works in a person’s life Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt are the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. -that regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God. ?When we become new creatures in Christ we will bring forth the fruit of the spirit that is written in Galatians 5.

Christ is our way of escape, He became Man, and he walked with us. He lived a sinless life. And he gave His life for us just to take away our sins.? The next lesson about Growing up with Christ has thought me that we will never stop growing. Our growth in Christ is never-ending. This is also why we should never stop learning. Lastly, the lesson about work and life. When we work for God we should never worry about succeeding. Do not worry about what other people think about us. We just have to keep on going forward doing the work of God faithfully so our lives will not go in vain. The disciples of Jesus may not realize that they were doing any good, but with their unconscious influence, they have become blessings to others. If we practice the characters of Jesus in our lives, it will become a habit for us, and just by living faithfully every day, our lives can be our testimony to be blessings to people around us.

While wearing the earplugs for 8 hours, the thing I found most difficult was trying to have a conversation with people. I would like to think I am pretty good at lipreading, but it was a little harder being put into an actual scenario where part of your hearing is blocked off. It was interesting to see people getting a little annoyed with me. Of course, I understand their frustration in having to repeat their selves multiple times. Or if I did not reply right away or at all, that brought others some frustration. This can be frustrating for both parties. However, this experience taught me a lesson in patience. Many people are not very understanding to those who are needing accommodations and I feel this gave me an inside look at the experience that those who are hard of hearing go through on an everyday basis.

Going into the experience, I figured changes in my hearing would cause me a lot of issues and frustrate me more than the people around me. Nevertheless, the earplugs gave me a lot of time to reflect and I enjoyed that about this assignment. It made me have an understanding of those who are different than me. It also allowed me to feel the pros and cons of the situation. Pro, I was able to understand my thoughts better. Con, it was more difficult to interreact with others. Another benefit of wearing the earplugs was that I was able to be more productive and it made doing my homework a lot easier. This was because I did not have as many outside distractions (like people talking) as I usually do. All in all, I feel the positives of this outweighed any of the negatives and it was an overall positive and eye-opening experience for me.

As stated before, I learned how important patience can be from this experience. I, myself get very frustrated with people in public when they don’t move out of my way or don’t listen to my question. I never really stop to perhaps put myself in the other person’s shoes and may question if they have a disability, are hard of hearing, or are deaf. Instead, I lose my patience and get annoyed immediately. This experience made me realize that being patient with those around you is a lesson that is so beneficial to both you and society. This can show someone you do care even if it seems like you do not. Seeing others get frustrated with me for not understanding them or having them repeat themselves also taught me something about patience. People get annoyed and impatient and give up after one try of trying to understand someone, and that to me was very sad I just wanted them to explain until I got it, and people did not understand that. This experience taught me lessons I can bring back into other aspects of life as well. On top of that, my grandparents have some hearing issues, because they are getting old. Specifically, my grandma and grandpa both have to wear hearing aids. There have been times when the family is sitting around talking and the way my grandpa handles it is, that he gets angry that he cannot always participate in the conversation because he cannot hear very well. Whereas my grandma just eliminates herself from the conversation because she does not want to be a bother because she understands the frustration others around her run into. With all this being said, I plan on being even more patient with my grandparents and taking time to try and help and meet their needs because I know the frustration and have a concept of what they are going through every day. I do not want them to feel misunderstood or like a bother when I am talking to them.

I also found myself surprised along the way by this experience. What shocked me about this experience was the number of times people tried to talk to me and I did reply right away. The other person would just immediately give up or get frustrated with me. I think a lot of people in today’s society need a lesson on patience, and before that, I was 100% one of those people. Those with who I spent a lot of time with who I did not tell about the experience would immediately take it to heart that I was not trying or that I did not care, and would automatically get frustrated at me for it. Instead of trying a different way to communicate with me, they would give up and drop the conversation or go on to talk to a different person. This to me was very saddening because it seemed like I was not important enough to talk to if they did not get an answer from me right away. Moreover, another thing that astonished me was the number of people who did not care to listen to the explanation of why I was not answering them as I usually do. When I took the earplugs out and went to explain why I was not replying, the other person just went right back to talking about what they wanted to tell me before. This was very disappointing and again made me feel as if people did not care to talk to me.

Furthermore, as for how I was treated in public, for the most part, people were very nice and treated me as they normally would if I could hear them. A lot more people had compassion and were very patient with me. This surprised me. However, something I noticed, as I previously stated, was seeing a few people getting visibly frustrated or annoyed with me when I did not answer them in the manner, they expected me to. Other than the few occasions where someone was rude to me for not replying to them, everyone else seemed to not notice or did not act in a different way towards me. My friends mostly understood, but this still made me feel a little left out of the conversation because I was not able to interreact in the same manner as I usually do

In summation, I think this was a very positive experience for me despite the negative aspects of it and the people who did not care enough to adapt. I feel this experience taught me a lot about patience and taught me to take into consideration how other people who may have trouble hearing feel. It is not fair to assume someone has the exact same abilities that you do. I feel this is an experience that others should try and do even if they are not interested in deaf culture. It is important to take a step in other people’s shoes because you will never know what someone else experiences on a day-to-day basis. It is important to be aware of others’ experiences and abilities and adjust accordingly. This experience can teach me a lot about compassion and respect for other people who are different from you.

Introduction

I was once told, “What you learn today can improve all of your tomorrows” (Ralph Marston).I am a firm believer that whatever journey gets thrown someone’s way makes them the person they become. These so called journeys, teach us the most valuable life lessons. Whether the lesson has a positive or negative outcome, it sticks and becomes a part of that person. I have experienced many life lessons, though some I may not have wanted to experience. I wouldn’t want it any other way. People learn to grow and overcome struggles in life. I have also had many people have an influence in my life, but some have left a vast impact on my life. Experience with three treasured women in my life have taught me the positive life lessons strength, courage, and love.

When I was very young, my father and my mother had separated. I never had that standard family. Although my dad has always been in my life, I only saw him a couple weekends a month because he worked out of town. My mother never got much help from him, so I have always considered my mother as a single parent. Even though she only worked at the local grocery to support us, she made sure I had everything I ever needed. She would give everything up that she had to make sure I had everything, and for that I am forever grateful. My mother isn’t just my mom, she is also my role model. My mother finally found someone perfect for her, so we thought. This man would give my mother some security for one of the first times ever. I was so happy to see my mom happy and not struggling in life. Before you knew it, we were building a house together. Everything was great and we had a family. She put her full trust in this man, and he turned our world upside down. My mother’s fiancé became abusive towards her, so we picked up everything and began somewhere new. I will never forget this day. We left and didn’t even know where we were going, but my mother was doing what was best for us once again. She wasn’t getting us out of this situation just for herself, but for her daughter too. After years of depending and growing with this man, we were, once again, on our own, but that was okay to my mom. As long as we had each other nothing could knock her down. Through this rough patch in our lives my mother never lost her strength, and made sure we had everything to keep going on. That point in time is where I learned the true definition of strength.

The summer of 2006, I met my new step mother, Rachel. She couldn’t have been any more perfect for my father. I was so happy that my father finally had someone to depend and lean on when he needed that comfort. I had never met such an uplifting or caring person. She loved all her children and my father unconditionally. As every other Friday, I was so excited for my dad to get me from school and spend the weekend with him, Rachel, and her children. Although I didn’t know, but this visit would change everything. I will never forget the day my father picked me up from school, and on the way to his house he told me the news. My step mother, Rachel, had stage 4 breast cancer, and the prognosis was not good. All I could think was why, how could this happen to a woman like her? Why this could happen to my father after he finally found the woman he loves? I was so scared to go to my dad’s house for what awaited there. I wondered if things would ever be the same. Even though her odds were not good, Rachel never lost her spirits through all the surgeries and treatments. She remained strong and in good spirits for not only her children, but for my father. We still continued to do family events, and spend important time together. Our entire community came together for Rachel to help her with this battle and let her know she isn’t alone. She also never lost her faith all the way until the end. On July 24th, 2011 my stepmother lost her battle with cancer. This was a very hard time, and no one understood why, but if there is one thing I learned from this difficult lesson in life, it is to never lose courage during any situation. Rachel was the perfect definition of someone with endless courage.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a scared fifteen year old, sitting in the doctor’s office, awaiting my results. When the doctor came in I already knew, and I hung my head and cried. My life just completely changed and would never be the same. The doctor looked at me and my mom and said “Well, she is pregnant.” At fifteen years old, I was expecting a baby. I was terrified, and did not know where this road would take me. I was only a sophomore in high school, and I didn’t even know how to change a diaper! But luckily for me, I had the best support group any one could ever have. My boyfriend, John, was there for me through every step, and he still is. Without him I would have lost it. As the months went on my attitude began to change from scared, to nervous, and then to anxious. I could not wait to meet my daughter. On May 25th, 2013 I went into labor, and I believe I was calmer than her father. We couldn’t wait to finally meet our daughter! We had been waiting months for this moment, and it was finally happening! We couldn’t believe it was finally time. Although we were anxious, we were very scared and nervous for what was about to happen. “We were only babies, having a baby,” as my mother said. After what it felt like days or even years, at 4:07A.M on May 26th, 2013 Raeliegh Jean Salmons was born. There, in that moment my life changed forever. That was by far the greatest moment of my life, and I will never forget it. The moment she was laid into my arms time stood still as I was finally holding the daughter that I had grown. As John and I sat there holding our daughter for the first time, all we could do was just cry together. In that exact moment, I learned that love at first sight does exists. I couldn’t believe that someone who was only born for just a few minutes could teach me the true meaning of something so big in life: Love.

Life lessons are like memories, and they stay with someone forever. They become a part of that someone’s life. They shape who we become and our whole entire life. Although these life lessons may be in the past, they will always affect our decisions in the future. We can only hope that we find someone that makes a positive impact on our lives, to make us all decent people, who understand the characteristics of our lives.

In some way I hope to influence someone’s life the way these woman have mine. It would be an honor to be anything like any of them. I can only use the things these women have taught me to influence someone else, and I hope that I can be a positive influence within their life just like these women were in my life.

Growing up is an experience where we develop throughout life. It requires us to encounter many obstacles along the way which then shapes us to become a better person. In the novel to kill a mockingbird, Scout and jem engages with challenging life lessons, which are explored in an allegorical way and throughout the novel as a whole. The novel displays the characters of Boo Radley who is abused of his past, Mrs Dubose who is supposedly a rude and old lady and PREJUDICE ONE. While Scout is exposed to the human complexity, moral courage and prejudice surrounding these characters, they are eventually seen as being good and Scout’s perception of them changes throughout the novel.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, human complexity is one of the main life lessons which Jem and Scout engaged with. Harper lee displays that humans are either innately evil or innocent, first shown when the kids become intrigued with the Radley house. Arthur Radley who had a nickname through the onomatopoeic sound of ‘Boo’ Radley who was described as an animalistic figure was perceived as an evil ‘’malevolent phantom.’’ This negative connotation reveals how the Maycomb society dehumanises Boo and describes and treats people who are different. As Scout and Jem are innocent kids, they classify boo as being an outsider who doesn’t justify dignity or respect. They have a naïve understanding of good and evil which exists in Maycomb, categorising the society as to being good and Boo to be evil. However, later in the novel, human complexity is further explored when Scout collects his pants that he left at the Radley house. They had been ‘’folded across the fence… like they were expecting me’’, foreshadowing how Boo has been observing the children’s actions. The folded pants demonstrate that he wasn’t just a monster and he was actually a kind-hearted person who cared about others. Jem and Scout realised that Boo was very innocent, and he always stayed in his house because he couldn’t deal with the grief of the outer world. The children didn’t see Boo as a monster anymore and they learnt their lesson to never torment him again. They also learnt to see the world from a different view and not judge a book by its cover.

Moral courage is a challenging life lesson that Scout and Jem engages with when growing up. In To Kill a Mockingbird, moral courage is thinking and doing the right thing and not just trusting preconceptions. Atticus Finch is an individual who demonstrated great moral courage and he was a huge influence towards Scout and Jem growing up. Courage is revealed when Mrs Dubose starts combating her morphine addiction. When Jem and Scout read to Mrs Dubose each evening and witnessed her fits, they realised one day she had died because she was addicted to morphine. Jem and Scout are taught the meaning and a life lesson of real moral courage through the death of Mrs Dubose, elucidated in the metaphor ‘’I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hands’’ illustrating how courage is when you keep pushing through even when you feel crushed. It isn’t just fighting with a gun and it is defending the things that are right. Mrs Dubose was also seen as the most fearless person that was known, when Atticus states ‘’According to her views, she died beholden to nothing to nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew’’ emphasising how Mrs Dubose is courageous and brave as she is fighting a battle which she knows will result in her loss. It reveals how she had her particular approach towards things and everyone in Maycomb had acknowledged it. Although Mrs Dubose was an honest but rude lady, it taught Jem and Scout a life lesson to always look on other people’s side and to put yourself in their shoes before judging them.

David Almond, the esteemed author of the award-winning novels My Name is Mina and Heaven Eyes, has conveyed numerous, paramount yet noteworthy life lessons that we as humans often neglect in our day-to-day lives, through his novel, Skellig. Two of these life-educating lessons are the lesson of ‘compassion’, the ability to be kind, and the lesson of ‘perseverance’, hard-work in spite of many difficulties. These lessons can inspire ambition and desire to follow the qualities of the characters that display these life lessons.

Compassion is an indispensable lesson that one can and will treasure for life. One who shows compassion has shown kindness, caring, benevolence and a willingness to help others. Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to help the physical, mental, or emotional pains of another and themselves. This degree of pure kindness and selflessness is demonstrated in the novel, Skellig, when the protagonist, Michael, and his companion, Mina, bestow upon the mysterious creature in the garage something he had yearned to experience; freedom. David Almond has used compassion to convey the fact that kindness is always returned. This is evident in the fact that Michael’s younger sister survives after Michael’s compassionate act of caring for the mysterious creature in the garage. Readers of the novel, Skellig, may be inspired to present more compassion in their everyday lives. Concludingly, it is certainly evident that David Almond has conveyed compassion through the novel, Skellig.

Perseverance is a requisite lesson that one can utilise anywhere at any time. Perseverance is the act of not giving up and persisting. It is persistence and tenacity, the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if there are difficulties faced. Perseverance motivates one to have faith in themselves and to have determination. This extent of hard-work is displayed in the novel, Skellig when Michael repeatedly endeavours to attempt to show the mysterious creature in the garage that he wants to help him. The quote ‘“He just sits here,” I said. “He doesn’t care. It’s like he’s waiting to die. I don’t know what to do.”’ conveys the fact that the protagonist, Michael, after many hardships faced, still persists to provide mental and medical aid for the mysterious creature in the garage. David Almond has used perseverance to convey the fact that with hard work, anything can be achieved. This is evident in the fact that gradually, the mysterious creature in the garage opens up to the protagonist, Michael, and his companion, Mina, after Michael’s perseverance. Readers of the novel, Skellig, may receive encouragement from the novel to demonstrate perseverance as they are faced with more difficulties. In conclusion, it is undoubtedly clear that David Almond has conveyed the life lesson of perseverance through his novel, Skellig.

To conclude, David Almond has expressed countless life-educating lessons through his debut novel, Skellig, some of which aren’t utilised as much as they should be in our routine lives. The life lessons of compassion, kindness at its best, and perseverance, hard work regardless of hindrances, are particularly commonly conveyed in the novel, Skellig, and truly should be cherished in one’s life. Compassion is evident in the novel when the protagonist, Michael, and his companion, Mina, bestow upon the mysterious creature in the garage something he had longed to experience; freedom. Perseverance is evident in the novel when Michael persists to show the mysterious creature in the garage that he wants to help him. Readers of Skellig can and will be inspired by the life lessons portrayed.

A parent is an individual who has the most influential impact on a child, and therefore play an important role in preparing the child for their future. However, what defines a good and influential parent? In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is a strong father figure who has put in continuous amounts of effort into parenting Jem and Scout. This leads to Jem and Scout being comfortable in openly expressing their opinions, even if they are against social standards. Parents are more influential on children than friends because they teach important life lessons, are a child’s main source of support as well as act as a role model for a child.

A life lesson is a teaching in which useful knowledge or principles may be taught or learned. Children are often taught these lessons from their parents and use these valuable teachings in their everyday lives. Atticus vocalizes the central lesson he wants to convey to Scout, which is that empathy is the key to understanding others. Early on in the novel, Atticus states,

First of all, if you learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. (Lee 39)

He is teaching Scout that before judging an individual she should consider that person’s feelings and perspective. This is a very important life lesson as it teaches children to not be prejudice. Many adults find success later in life by going back and reteaching themselves important life lessons. Vera Wang began figure skating at a young age and after years of intensive training and many competitions she failed to make it to the 1986 US Olympic team. She did not view this experience as a defeat and saw it as an opportunity to learn an important life lesson. Her parents encouraged her to join the workforce and Vera Wang put her skating days behind her, and turned to fashion. She started in the industry by working in an Yves Saint Laurent boutique and worked her way up to owning and designing her own fashion brand. (Fitzpatrick 2013) She stated

People have done far better than me in far shorter periods of time, but that wasn’t my story. It was brick by brick, client by client, store by store. It’s been a trip of passion, but it has not been a quick trip. Nor has it been easy. And that is the truth. (Fitzpatrick “Vera Wang Says Keep Your Feet on the Ground and Don’t Get Ahead of Yourself’ 2013)

Vera Wang quickly learns that by having perseverance she is able to become successful in life even as an adult. Nevertheless, life lessons are beneficial teachings to any individual regardless of their age, goals or life situation.

Being a supportive parent can be shown through actively encouraging children, listening without judgement, setting consistent expectations as well as supporting a child through high and low times. Atticus shows his support for Scout by reading to her nightly. By doing this he is able to build a trusting connection with his child and assures her that she could always find support at home. During one of their nightly conversations, Atticus and Scout discuss what Miss Caroline told Scout that day about her ability to read. Atticus responds to Scout with ‘If you’ll concede the necessity of going to school, we’ll go on reading every night just as we always have. Is it a bargain?’ (Lee 41). This agreement makes Scout aware of Atticus’ support towards her academic growth. Supporting a child can be done through supporting them emotionally, physically and financially. Although a friend may be a source of support, any individual will be more willing to turn to a parent during a time of need rather than turn to a friend. This is more likely to occur because they have trusting and judgemental free relationships with their parents. Parents often find themselves aiding their children financially. Nearly three in four parents with adult children say they help their grown children with finances. (Kline ‘Nearly 75% of parents help their adult children financially’ 2017). Most parents offering financial support for their children over eighteen years of age have either helped with living expenses or given their child money to pay debts. However this form of support often leads to young adults having financial issues in the future as a result of them not learning how to manage their own finances. This form of support should not be encouraged by parents as it will not allow their children to fully mature into independent adults.

A role model is an individual whose behaviour, example, success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 2005) Common role models include: family members, celebrities, fictional characters and leaders. Scout and Jem view Atticus as their role model by following his beliefs about racism in Maycomb. Atticus takes a bold stance against racism during the trail and states

The older you grow the more of it you’ll see. The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box. As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash. (Lee 295)

Atticus believes all people should have equal representation in a court of law. Furthermore he states that a white man who uses his privilege to cheat a black man is, in fact, inferior to that black man. This shows that Atticus is an excellent role model for Jem and Scout because he is not afraid to openly express his opinions, even though they are unpopular in their community during the time period. By seeing their father’s confidence, Jem and Scout will aspire to be more like their father and start to publicly express themselves as well. Any individual regardless of their age, race, religion, gender or life experiences can be a role model. Malala Yousafzai became one of the biggest role models to young women all around the world at the age of seventeen. Malala defied the Taliban in Pakistan and demanded that girls be allowed to receive an education. She was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban in 2012 and miraculously survived. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at the age of seventeen, making her the youngest recipient of the award. One of her most famous quotes states “I raise up my voice not so I can shout but so that those without a voice can be heard. We cannot succeed when half of us are held back” (Good Reads ‘Malala Yousafzai Quotes (Author of I Am Malala)’ 2019). Today Malala continues to fight for what she believes is right while also encouraging young women to fight for their rights and beliefs. In essence, positive role models influence an individual’s actions and motivate them to uncover their potential and overcome their weaknesses.

In summary, parents are more influential to children than friends because they teach children how to develop good morals, are the primary source of support for children in many ways including financially as well as set a good example so that children can aspire to be more like their parents . Many parents underestimate the amount of influence that they have on a child and how valued their opinion is. Today’s children are the future and if influenced correctly, society can remain peaceful and in order for many years to come.

The book Of Mice and Men has a very unique list of characters. The characters range from child trapped in a man’s body to a full of himself man, who wears a glove full of Vaseline. We first meet George Milton, he is a small but smart fella. We then meet Georges bigger but not so bright companion Lennie Smalls . Lennie may not be the brightest bulb on the tree, but he has a heart, and just wants to be happy. The next character that we meet is Candy . Candy is an old man who knew that his days on the ranch were numbered as he had lost his hand. Next we meet Curly, he is a small man who thinks he is big and bad. He is one of the antagonists, and is always looking to start a fight. We then meet Slim who is tall, dark, and mysterious man. He is a down to earth guy who is quick to befriend George. There is Carlson, a bigger man who is friends with slim. Last is Curly’s wife who is very pretty, and is always giving other men the eye. All of these characters are what makes the book Of Mice and Men such a good read.

Another reason that this book should be taught in English is that is gives a very good representation of the Great Depression. To start, as you read the book you become submerged with the aspects of the Great Depression. Steinbeck does and amazing job creating vivid imagery and bring to life the Depression era. For example He talks about the dusty vegetable fields of southern California, or the beautiful Gabilan Mountains . The Great Depression caused George and Lennie to struggle and have to go out and work hard labor filled jobs. They had to bounce around from job to job because of the depression, and Lennie’s childlike features caused the pair to run into a lot of troubles along the road. During the Great Depression people felt lonely and isolated, and George and Lennie had to rely on each other for comfort and support. In an ever changing world of the Great Depression, the only constant was the rough but loving relationship of George Milton and Lennie Smalls. The setting of this book is an essential component to the plot. Steinbeck does a good job of using elements of history to tell the tragic story of two every day men, who have to make tough decisions in a time of despair.

The third and final reason why this book is a great book to teach in English class, is the fact that it tells several life lessons. The first life lesson is the challenges that one faces when they may not be considered “normal” in societies standards. Lennie was a mature adult male with the strength of bull, but the mind of 5 year old. Lennie was a man who forgot many things. However, he never seem to forget the things that were important to him. For example, George may have told him one something important to George, but it would have gone in one ear and right out the other. In Lennie’s world the rabbits were the most important thing to him . It’s important for students to understand that other people have challenges they face, and that it is ok to be different. The next life lesson is helping others less fortunate than others. George felt that is was his duty in life to look out for Lennie, and to be is protector in this cruel and unjust world. For example he always tried to make lite of Lennie’s mental disability, whether it be downplaying his IQ but saying he is a hard worker, and would never hurt anybody. . Every person should learn to help anybody in need, because they never know what they could be going through. The final life lesson is death is inevitable and doesn’t always happen in convenient ways. Steinbeck takes the hard topic of death, and lays it out in a very innocent and childlike way. Through the course of the book Steinbeck uses the character Lennie to help tackle to topic of death. For example the innocence of it all starts at the beginning when Lennie is playing with a mouse, and ends up killing it, because he doesn’t know his own strength

Over 74 years ago, the Jewish population endured one of the most horrific events in history. (Hook) During World War II, six million Jews were murdered by Nazis following Hitler’s instruction. This genocide during WWII became known as the Holocaust. In Elie Wiesel’s novel Night, Wiesel shares his traumatic experiences during the Holocaust and how those experiences altered his views on humanity. (Context (Author name, book title, main character mentioned) Wiesel’s memoir shows how people have the potential to be evil towards others. (Thesis. Notice that I mentioned what BAM genre my novel was and what my theme is that I will be discussing) In the novel Night, Wiesel proves more than once that people can act cruelly toward others even when it is obviously not the right thing to do. (Topic sentence. Notice that it relates back to my thesis.)

The first instance of cruelty Wiesel mentions in his memoir is when Moishe the Beadle returns from being expelled for being a foreign Jew. When he returned, he told the community about the horrors he had seen and endured. Moishe described how Jewish prisoners were forced to dig their own graves and how “infants were tossed into the air and used as targets for the machine guns” (Wiesel 6). (Evidence 1) When Moishe spoke out about these truths, the community refused to believe him and said he was crazy. Moishe was the first person in this memoir to experience firsthand how cruel people can be towards others. He witnessed people being murdered for simply being foreign Jews, but also he was treated as a burden on the community for speaking out about what he had witnessed. (Commentary 1)

The second instance that Wiesel shares in his memoir of mankind being evil towards others is when a woman was beaten in the cattle car that was transporting the Jewish people to a concentration camp. Wiesel states that “[s]he received several blows to the head, blows that could have been lethal” (27). (Evidence 2) Here, Wiesel continues to show how even though everyone in that cattle car was heading to the same nightmarish fate, they did not have any compassion towards the woman or her emotions and chose to hurt her instead. (Commentary 2)

Finally, Wiesel shows how anyone can develop cruelty towards others when he no longer stands up for his father. He recounts when he witnessed his father getting slapped for asking where the restrooms were located. Wiesel states “[m]y father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. I had watched and kept silent. Only yesterday, I would have dug my nails into this criminal’s flesh” (39). (Evidence 3) By describing his change in reaction, Wiesel shows how anyone can begin to develop malicious intentions. He no longer chose to do the right thing, but instead chose to do what would benefit himself. (Commentary 3) By writing this memoir, Wiesel can share his experiences of humans being evil towards others during the Holocaust and remind society not to repeat the past’s tragic events.

(Conclusion. I also mentioned why the BAM genre is important when discussing my theme) In his memoir Night, Elie Wiesel shares his exposure of humanity’s potential to be evil during the Holocaust. He proves this first by sharing Moishe the Beadle’s experiences and then his own within the concentration camps. By sharing this part of his life in a memoir, Wiesel can continue to remind society of the horrific evils of the past. (Brief summary. Notice that I repeat the title, author’s name, and genre. I also repeat why the BAM genre is used and how it’s important) Even though the Holocaust was 74 years ago, the impact of this tragic event is still felt today. (Clincher)