Graduation Speech: Perseverance and Determination :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As a hurdler for County High, I stumble upon some pretty tough obstacles each time I race; the same is true in life. Everyone encounters obstacles, but in order to overcome them and succeed, one must never give up. I love to run hurdles, but unfortunately last year, little pulls and strains prevented me from running to my full potential. One Thursday, we had a home track meet against Lake Stevens. For the first time I was in pretty good shape for my race, the 100-meter hurdles. I began jumping up and down partially to stay warm, and partially to let out some of my excitement. By this time, I had butterflies in my stomach and the adrenaline was pumping. The starter asked us to 'Take your sweats off and stand behind your blocks.' 'Runners take your marks.' Hands shaking, I crouched into the starting blocks. The gun was up. 'Set!' 'Bang!' I bolted out of the blocks. I was way ahead of the other girls when suddenly, I realized I didn't have enough speed to carry me over the next hurdle. Gathering all of the strength I could, I grabbed at the air in hopes of guaranteeing clearance. I had just brushed over the wood when my foot hit the ground and my ankle gave out. I fell. I heard a gasp from the cro wd and the other racers' feet pounding past me. I got back up. I had never gone over a hurdle with my right leg first, but I did after that fall. Sprinting as fast as I could in between hurdles, I found myself basically bunny hopping over the rest of them. My goal was to cross that finish line and to be able to say that I did the very best that I could, even if I didn't look very graceful along the way. Although it might have seemed like a bad day, I was proud. It was the first time I had ever fallen in a race, and not only did I get back up and keep running, I managed to place second. Sometimes you encounter hurdles in life - sometimes you have to adapt and alter your normal routine to clear them. Then there are times you fall; the people surrounding you may gasp - they had been rooting for you. But they haven't given up on you-it's now more than ever that they want you to succeed - it's human nature to want the underdog to come from behind.

Creativity Essay -- Technology Art Papers

Creativity The walls of the Louvre are covered with artistic masterpieces, widely recognized as some of the most treasured, creative works known to man. The unique stroke of a brush or the layering of paint can distinguish these geniuses from the masses. Despite the ability to label these pieces of art as especially creative, it remains unclear how one can truly qualify the defining characteristics of creativity. This faculty is commonly viewed as intangible, as `a spark of creativity,' or, `a flash of creativity.' This phenomenon, which lies at the foundation of our artistic culture, eludes our current grasp of understanding. For some, creativity rests within our human nature as an integral part of our being, for others, it may emerge from the great mechanical complexity of our brains, or the randomness of the universe. In recent years there have also emerged visual and literary works by computers which some experts believe to have a creative nature. This controversial idea causes unease in ma ny that characteristics we commonly assume to be innately human could manifest in a machine. However, after viewing the works created by computers, it becomes necessary to consider the possibility of such creative ability whether or not the works themselves are creative. Though one can find examples of human creativity in nearly all aspects of life, perhaps it is most clearly evident in our literature. The thoughtful combination of words can express the gauntlet of human emotions and experiences aptly, and in the most talented of authors, can breathe life into the words and seemingly recreate the experiences in the mind of the reader. Notable and critically praised author James Joyce provides an example of this in his work Ulysses: .. ...uture computer which could paint like Monet, or have faith in a machine to effectively speak to the emotions of a human. However, technological innovations continually astound us, and it is no less plausible that a computer could function at this level of creativity, than one hundred years ago to imagine men landing on the moon. Works Cited Boden, Margaret. The Creative Mind: Myths and Mechanics. London; New York: Routledge, 2004. Faulkner, William. The Sound and the Fury. New York: Random House, 1984. Hofstadter, Douglas. Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies. New York: Basic Books, 1995. Joyce, James. Ulysses. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993. Picard, Rosalind. Affective Computing. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 1997. Singer, Irving. Feelings and Imagination: The Vibrant Flux of Our Existence. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2001

Essay --

Rachel Reed PHIL 389 Saint-Croix 10 February 2014 Question #7: Descartes’ Foundationalism In this paper I will describe the foundationalist structure of Descartes’ arguments in his work Meditations on First Philosophy. Foundationalism is the view that there are some beliefs are epistemologically basic and can be known without knowing anything else is true (Loeb, Lecture 1-14). For example, philosophers such as Descartes would acknowledge that geometric truths, such as 2 + 2 = 4, are so fundamental that they don’t need to be proven through argumentation. Thus, these truths can provide the basic foundation for further arguments. In my paper, I will show that two foundational claims of Descartes are first, the existence of the mind, and second, the existence of God. From these claims Descartes derives many others, including the argument for material objects and souls. As I lay out Descartes’ case, I will examine the philosophical soundness and validity of his foundationalist account, as well as its merits and potential weaknesses. In the end, I will conc lude that Descartes’ foundationalism, while alluring in its simplicity, does not survive deeper investigation. Descartes’ first foundational argument asserts that one can have knowledge of one’s own existence. The claim is essential to many arguments that follow because it survives his â€Å"Deceiver Hypothesis.† This hypothesis states that â€Å"there may be a powerful deceiver of supreme power who is deliberately and constantly deceiving me† (Med III, p. 17). This demonstrates that we cannot know, or be sure of, anything based on sensory experience alone. However, Descartes supports the idea that some things can be known entirely outside of sensory experience; through the use of logic and re... ...undational premises, such as the existence of God and the mind, do not provide indisputable groundwork for Descartes’ argument. First begging the question to prove the existence of the mind via dualism, and then conflating logic with cultural and personal ideals, these two tenets cannot stand on their own. In the case of Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy, foundationalism does not endure close scrutiny. Grade: B- General comments: Your paper doesn't really address the prompt. It does not discuss arguments that might be offered in favor of Foundationalism or discuss how effective such arguments might be, nor does it address the question of what arguments Descartes does offer. There's also little in the way of focused discussion of what you take to be the problem with the position. It seems like you started on a different prompt and switched part-way through.

Personal and Imaginative – Waiting Room

I stepped up cautiously to the tiny speaker, where I reluctantly pressed the call button. The high-pitched mechanical sounding voice of the receptionist asked me to enter. She led me into a room that was painted in fluorescent yellow. Don't copy this coursework you rat. After scanning the room thoroughly for thirty seconds to look for somewhere to sit, I saw a squashed corner between a large woman and a damp, frayed wall. My ears started to twitch; they could hear the dentist calling out complex numbers to the nurse who scratched her sharp pen on the desk. My whole body shivered from the cold draft that swept in like a horde of rats scurrying through an open door. Don't copy this coursework you rat. I saw a leather chair, which repelled me instantly and made me cringe because it reminded me of what I would be tilted back onto soon. I waited impatiently for the nurse to call out my name; the war between the dentist and me desperately needed to be over soon. I leant over and fiddled with my hands. There was also an old man Don't copy this coursework you rat. who seemed very tense, my eyes fixed upon him for a short moment and discovered small droplets of sweat forming on his bald head. As I leant backwards, my eyes started to shut. However, the sudden blow of air from an extractor fan woke me abruptly and I pushed my cold hands under my thighs to keep them warm. Don't copy this coursework you rat. I looked up at the clock, ticking almost as loud as the road drill I passed on the way here, my time was due. The shock made me sit up swiftly, trying to look confident and ready, the nurse came in, pointed at me and Don't copy this coursework you rat. said, ‘you're next. ‘ This made me slouch over in distress. Rising from this back aching position, I walked over to the room. This overjoye Don't copy this coursework you rat. d, bewildered man greeted me; my mind wondered why he was so happy; was it the pain he is going to inflict upon me? Or the slaughter he put the previous person into? ‘Usual check-up? ‘ After giving a faint nod as he glared over at me. Smelling for the usual, cheap soap smell that covered the room was Don't copy this coursework you rat. normal, no one could miss the filthy stench; the flavour of the soap settled in my mouth and under my tongue, making me pull a crooked face. The phone rang in the background, I thought to myself that I could be ‘saved by the bell' but the wretched receptionist, who bought me into this hellhole, answered it. The merciless dentist started to fill my mouth with his heap load of ironmongery, he jabbed at my gums, poked at my teeth, knocked them around and worst of all, took a needle, sharp as a newly p Don't copy this coursework you rat. olished, murderer's knife, and pushed it on my gums. I gave a gasp of pain and shot up, knocking the junk out of his hands, spitting violently like a hailstorm Don't copy this coursework you rat. nto the sink beside me as blood trickled from the centre of my large tooth. I turned to him, with a face full of hatred, but his only tactle Don't copy this coursework you rat. ss answer was, ‘sensitive teeth? ‘ At this point, my rage was taken over by my fear, as I leant backwards and signalled a sign for him to continue. I asked myself, dentists must be sadists†¦ As he fished around in my mouth, I noticed the old, damp ceiling, where the brown water rings were poorly covered up by harrowing posters of gum disease and pictures of peoples teeth who just so happened to have unsightly cavities across their mouths. I tried not to stare at the pictures for too long. To distract myself from the continuous Don't copy this coursework you rat. throbbing of my gums, after being brutally stabbed by, I fiddled with my hands, I scraped the leather chair I was in, and an extremely high pitched sound came out, I gave a slight shudder and just left my hands to lay beside me. It felt like a whole hour had passed by, but when I looked at the clock it had only been twelve minutes and 43 seconds to be exact. I starte Don't copy this coursework you rat. d to feel uncomfortable sitting and waiting for this building work to be completed. The man took put a small tool, and slowly turned on a switch, which started up the extractor fan. This suddenly reminded me of how it startled me earlier, this small machine seemed to clean and suck up dirt from Don't copy this coursework you rat. my mouth. However, all I saw it do was dry up the insides of my mouth and make me want to shut my mouth to Don't copy this coursework you rat. re-hydrate it. He switched the machine off and I sighed with relief because he convinced Don't copy this coursework you rat. me that the deed was over. No more for another six months was the usual occurrence. To my surprise he walked out of the room after, and mumbled something serious to the receptionist. He came back in and told me, ‘you must see me again ne Don't copy this coursework you rat. xt week, I have to remove some dead teeth that are softening your gums,' at the point where he said, ‘remove,' I instantly felt a heat wave pass through my head feeling like the sun had just burnt through my skull. I could not argue, there was nothing to say apart from, ‘have a nice day. ‘ My e Don't copy this coursework you rat. yes bounced up and down rapidly thinking of someway to get out of more, grievous harm to my mouth. My mind wondered what I had done to deserve this Don't copy this coursework you rat. unfair treatment, but then I remembered the nights of not brushing my teeth and date with a packet of wine gums and once, only once, for a whole week, forgetting to buy that toothpaste. I tried to escape the tooth prison without arranging a time for the next appointment. But no, with my extremely bad luck, I w Don't copy this coursework you rat. as ‘saved Don't copy this coursework you rat. ‘ by the dentist†¦ ‘You have to ask Miss Sassin here for an appointment date and time. Instead of making my anger obvious, I tried to put a silent curse on him and wished that he is run over on the way home. However, all I heard was ‘ask the assassin to point to the teeth she may kill. ‘ I was forced to make a date and time, on the spot. I declined all open appointments left between the next day and three months later, after that, the od Don't copy this coursework you rat. d pens ioner had booked their abnormal 7am appointments, but the rest were free, so there was no hope in begging to be excused any more. In 4 months, I was back, there to serve my time for committing the crime.

Quantification of Proteins in Solution by Spectrophotometer Essay

Introduction: Absorption spectroscopy is a common method for finding the concentration of proteins or protein complexes in a solution. Proteins absorb light at specific wavelengths and can be defined by the equation A = log (Io/I). This equation states that an absorbance at a specific wavelength, A is equal to the log of the ratio of incident light intensity (Io), to transmitted light intensity (I). A spectrophotometer can be used quantitatively and qualitatively. A spectrophotometer is used qualitatively to obtain an absorption spectrum, which can be obtained by plotting the absorbance values, over the range of wavelengths tested for the solution. This helps to find out the suitable wavelength that the compound absorbs maximum. And the spectrophotometer is used quantitatively by using the Beer-Lambert Law; Log [ Io/I] = A = ÃŽ ¾cl, where ÃŽ ¾ is the molar extinction coefficient (unit = Lmol-1cm-1), helps to define the absorbance of the protein, c is the concentration of the substance (mol liter-1), and l is the path length of the light (unit = cm) through the medium. Log [Io/I] is called optical density or absorbance of the substance, and does not have units. Also, an absorption spectrum is created, which deals with absorption and wavelength (nm) of light used, with which â€Å"maximum absorption† is observed. Maximum absorption is when most of the solution particles are absorbed, and this happens at a specific wavelength. Since the Beer Lambert law is useful only for a range of wavelengths, it is not applicable to all protein solutions. In this experiment, an absolute standard was calculated using BSA, so that the concentrations of the other unknown protein solutions can be determined (Lambert et.al, 2011).The different assays used for this protein quantification were Lowry, Bradford (Coomassie Blue) and UV direct. Protein assays help to determine the amount of desired particle present (Srivastava, 2008). The aim of this lab is to understand the various aspects of spectrophotometry and its applications in biochemistry, such as quanitification of protein solutions. Methods: (Carleton University, 2012) The steps were followed without any changes made. Results: Figure1. Absorption spectrum of 6Ãâ€"10-5M p-np solution in 0.02M NaOH, for wavelength range between 330-800nm using a Novaspec spectrophotometer. Sample Calculation: c = 6Ãâ€"10-5M l = 1cm A = 1.166 The Beer Lambert equation is A = Æ cl Rearranged, Æ  = A/cl Æ  = 1.166/(6Ãâ€"10-5)*1 Æ  = 1.94Ãâ€"104 L mol-1 cm-1 Table1. Values of extinction coefficient (Lmol-1cm-1) determined using Beer-Lambert Law. Figure2. Absolute standard curve obtained for BSA test protein solution with the 3 different assays tested (Lowry, Coomassie Blue, UV). Table 2. Absorbance values recorded for different protein dilutions (2X, 5X, 10X) for the three assays used, namely Lowry, Coomassie Blue and UV direct. Sample Calculation for BSA stock protein: * Lowry Equation of line from Fig2; y = -5Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.0016x + 0.038 For 5 fold; y = 5 * 0.44 = 2.20 Substituting in equation; 2.20 = 5Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.0016x + 0.038 X1 = 1600  µg/ml = 1.6mg/ml For 10 fold; y = 10 * 0.23 = 2.30 Substituting in equation; 2.30 = 5Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.0016x + 0.038 X2 = 1600  µg/ml = 1.6mg/ml (X1 + x2)/2 = 1.6mg/ml * Coomassie Blue Equation of line from fig2; y = -7Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.002x + 0.0219 For 5 fold; y = 5 * 0.36 = 1.80 Substituting in equation; 1.80 = -7Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.002x + 0.0219 X1 = 1428.57  µg/ml = 1.4mg/ml For 10 fold; y = 10 * 0.20 = 2.00 Substituting in equation; 2.00 = -7Ãâ€"10-7Ãâ€"2 + 0.002x + 0.0219 X2 = 1428.57  µg/ml = 1.4mg/ml (x1+ x2)/2 = 1.4mg/ml * UV direct Equation of line from fig 2; y = 0.0006x + 0.0175 For 2 fold; y = 2 * 0.42 = 0.84 Substituting in equation; 0.84 = 0.0006x + 0.0175 X1 = 1374.16  µg/ml = 1.4mg/ml For 5 fold; y = 5 * 0.15 = 0.75 Substituting in equation; 0.75 = 0.0006x + 0.0175 X2 = 1179.16  µg/ml = 1.2mg/ml (x1 + x2)/2 = 1.3mg/ml Discussion: Figure 1 shows the absorption spectrum of stock solution (6Ãâ€"10-5M), p-nitrophenol and 0.02M NaOH, and from the graph it can be inferred that 400nm is the wavelength of maximum absorption because absorption is noted to be the highest at this point. Absorbance is noted to increase when wavelength increases till it reaches the point of maximum absorption, after which it decreases till it nearly reaches zero. It is best to consider wavelength of maximum absorption because stronger the intensity, the more accurate will be the readings for absorbance. As seen from table 1, the path lengths remain the same as the cuvettes used were of the same size. The Beer-Lambert Law states that Abs = Æ .c.l, where Æ  = molar extinction coefficient, c = concentration of protein solution, and l = path length of light through medium. Thus, it is noted that absorbance and path length share a directly proportional relationship, i.e. if path length increases, absorbance increases as well. It was clear ly observed in the wide and narrow test-tubes, that as the path length was doubled, the absorbance value doubled too (Srivastava, 2008). Also, from the same equation, it can be determined that absorbance and concentration share a directly proportional relationship meaning that as the concentration decreases, it directly affects the absorbance value obtained, and this value decreases too. Thus, as seen for the four cuvettes tested (in Table 1) as the concentration is halved in every cuvette, the absorbance value is halved correspondingly as well. It is known that the Beer-Lambert law says absorbance is proportional to number of absorbing molecules, and that this is valid for a variety of compounds over a wide range of concentrations. But even as the molar extinction coefficient is seen to be attributed to wavelength, it is true only for monochromatic light (Lambert et.al, 2011). The relationship can be stated as â€Å"Æ  is a measure of the amount of light absorbed per unit concentration†. Molar extinction coefficient is a constant for a particular substance, therefore according to the Beer-Lambert Law it is expected that if the concentration of the solution is halved so is the absorbance. A compound with a high molar extinction is very effective at absorbing light (of the appropriate wavelength), and hence low concentrations of a compound with a high molar extinction can be easily detected. In the values determined (Table 1), the experimental values are in accordance with the theoretical statement except for one cuvette. The cuvette no.3 with Æ  = 1.8Ãâ€"10-4 L mol-1cm-1 does not agree with the trend. Thus it can be deduced that due to experimental error, the Æ  value is inaccurate. Also, from the equation it is understood that Æ  and path-length are inversely proportional as well (i.e. Æ  = Abs/cl) that means that as path-length increases, Æ  decreases, assuming that the concentration is kept constant. But the experimental values do not agree with this statement, because it is seen that as the path-length increases so does the molar extinction coefficient, Æ . Biochemical methods are applied for to determine protein concentration in solutions. Many techniques are less used because they have limitations such as reduced sensitivity, time available for the assay, or they are highly specific about the amino acids in the protein solution being tested. But for e very protein, the component amino acids are different, so there is no single assay that can be used for quantification of all proteins. The absorbance assays use the method of testing the intensity of the color produced by the protein solutions when chemical reagents are added to it. A â€Å"standard protein† whose concentration is known, is treated using the same chemical reagents and thus an absolute standard curve is obtained (Boyer, 2000). In this experiment, the standard used was Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). Development of color is significantly better in BSA than any other protein, and this makes it one of the most preferred test solutions for quantification of proteins (Antharavally et.al, 2008). Hence figure 2 is obtained by performing the three suitable assays on BSA to produce a standard curve, also it can be noted that only the UV direct gave a straight line passing through zero, whereas the Lowry and Coomassie Blue gave curved lines, passing through zero. Table 2 shows the absorbance values recorded, for different dilutions of the test protein in three different assays. With the help of the values obtained in Table 2, and with the equations obtained from Figure 2, the concentration of protein (mg/ml) was calculated and presented in Table 3. Since all the values in Table 3 were deduced from the equation of standard curve BSA, it is considered as the absolute standard, and the other test protein solutions are known as the relative standards. Using the values from Table 3, taking BSA as the absolute standard, the almost actual concentration of the protein (mg/ml) can be concluded, and they are 1.6 (mg/ml) for Lowry assay, 1.4 (mg/ml) for Coomassie Blue and 1.3 (mg/ml) for UV direct. For Lowry assay, the concentration value for all test proteins was 1.6 mg/ml, which must mean that the value obtained is accurate. For Coomassie blue, BSA and Hemoglobin were the same (1.4mg/ml), Ovalbumin and Lysozyme had similar values of 1.9mg/ml, and 1.8mg/ml respectively, whereas Gamma globulin showed 2.5mg/ml. The value for Gamma globulin is off because of experimental error, of spilling some of the contents from the cuvette while transferring it to the spectrophotometer for calibration. For UV direct, BSA and Ovalbumin have similar readings (1.3mg/ml and 1.5mg/ml respectively), Gamma globulin is 2.5mg/ml, but Lysozyme is 5.9mg/ml and Hemoglobin is 3.8mg/ml. The reason for this could be due to the fact that UV direct helps to identify the presence of aromatic compounds indicating that Lysozyme and Hemoglobin contain aromatic compounds present in them. The Lowry protein assay is the most common and one of the more sensitive, but it is time consuming, on the other hand Coomassie blue (the Bradford assay) is much more sensitive as compared to Lowry, and requires less time too. They both show change of color with proteins. As for UV direct method, it is one of the faster methods too, and it is helpful to identify aromatic compounds because aromatic residues absorb 280nm light (Boyer, 2000). The Lowry procedure can detect protein levels as low as 5 µg (Boyer, 2000). It depends on the color development by the reagent Folin-Ciocalteu. Peptide bonds are formed under alkaline Cu2+ conditions and reduced from Folin-Ciocalteu phosphomolybdate-phosphotungsten by aromatic amino acids (tyrosine and tryptophan) to heteropolymolybdenum blue. The standard curve obtained with BSA helps to determine concentration of unknown protein solutions (Antharapally et.al, 2008). In the case of Coomassie blue, it is more efficient than Lowry because even though there is variation with different proteins, there is very less interference by non protein components (Borley, 2000). Therefore, according to literature, Coomassie Blue is the most preferred protein assay but this contrasts the experimental inferences, because through experimental procedure it was seen that Lowry method gave the most accurate and precise results. With this experiment, the method to quantify unknown protein concentrations has been understood. Also, that this process must be performed carefully to avoid irrational experimental errors. References: Antharavally B.S, Bell P.A, Haney P, Mallia K.A, Rangaraj P. 2008. Quantitation of proteins using a dye–metal-based colorimetric protein assay. Analytical Biochemistry. 385; 342-245. Boyer R, 2000. Modern Experimental Biochemistry, third edition. Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc. USA. (41-45). Lambert J.B, Gronert S, Lightner D.A, Shurvell H.F, 2011. Organic Structural Spectroscopy, second edition. Pearson Education, Inc, New Jersey. (401, 404) Srivastava M.L, 2008. Bioanalytical Techniques. Alpha Science International, Ltd. Oxford, UK. (58,118)

Chad’s Creative Concept Essay

Introduction †¢ Case Findings†¢ Problems†¢ Reasons behind the problems†¢ Questions and Answers †¢ Chads Creative Concepts is a company foundedby Chad Thomas that designs and manufactureswood furniture.†¢ The company began by producing custom-madefurniture and within a short duration developed asolid reputation for creative designs and high-quality workmanship.†¢ As company’s reputation grew and salesincreased, the sales force began selling some ofthe pieces to retail furniture outlets, which ledthem into the production of a more standard lineof furniture. †¢ Buyers of standard line furniture were much more pricesensitive and imposed more stringent deliveryrequirements.†¢ Custom designed furniture, however, continued todominate sales, accounting for 60% of volume and 75% ofdollar sales.†¢ Currently, the company operates a single manufacturingfacility where the equipment is mainly general purpose innature for providing flexibility to custom m ade furniture. †¢ Both custom and standard furniture compete forprocessing time on the same equipment by the samecraftspeople. †¢ Sales of standard line is increasingsteadily, so it requires more regularscheduling, but custom made furniture is givenpriority because of its higher sales and profitmargins.†¢ Thus, scheduled lots of standard furniturepieces are left sitting around the plant invarious stages of completion. †¢ The holding cost of the company is increasingwith dollars tied up in inventory, both of rawmaterials and work in process.†¢ The company has to rent expensive publicwarehouse to accommodate the inventoryvolume resulting in further increase of holdingcost.†¢ The increased lead times in both segmentshas resulted in longer promised delivery times. What type of decision must Chad Thomas make daily for his company’s operations to run effectively? Over the long run?The situation that Chad is facing is between the manufacturing andturn over. He needs to focus on decisions onscheduling, inventory, capacity & layout.†¢ He need to make scheduling decision to make sure there is not many raw materials as work in progress status. The standard line manufacturing need to be scheduled properly to avoid this problem.†¢ The standard product’s warehouse is costly. So, he need to reduce inventory by deciding on good supply-chain and implement it.†¢ As both the manufacturing line are well in demand and well increasing as well. So, he need to increase capacity to accommodate demand for both product lines.†¢ He can also separate out the production lines after increasing capacity

Family Pride

February 5, 2013 Subject: Family Pride I know that everyone has some form of pride. Whether it is national, personal, cultural, or family pride, we all show it and have different reasons that we do. Some people have pride for their country, or their culture. I have pride for my family. My family is so great! I love them so much. I want to talk to you about some of the things that make me proud to be a part of my family. First, most of my family are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Second, my family comes from different cultures, so there’s always some good food to be ate. And last, my family listens to all kinds of music.I hope you enjoy learning about what makes me proud of my family. So the first thing I want to talk about is my religion. I am one of the more than 7 million Jehovah’s Witnesses. Part of that number is my family. But, there are two people I really want to talk about when it comes to this. My sisters Theresa and Crystal. I admire them so much. They were bapti zed as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses when they were 17. Ever since then they have served Jehovah whole-heartedly. Theresa has five children 8 and under. I have always loved how she protects me and lets me figure things out for myself.Crystal has two children 4 and 2. We fight sometimes, but I know that she always has my back. They always try their hardest to make meetings and to teach their kids about Jehovah. Even though they have both been through extremely difficult circumstances, they just keep going. For instance, Crystal has had to switch to another congregation. Now, that may not seem like it’s too hard. But it’s a Spanish speaking meeting. Her husband is from the Dominican Republic. She’s learning a new language and keeping her integrity to Jehovah. I admire her so much for that.And then, Theresa, has had numerous surgeries, while taking care of her â€Å"6† kids (her husband Scott is a kid at heart). No, actually he helps a lot. He loves her so much and helps whenever he can. Yet, they both still keep their heads up and serve Jehovah. I love them all so much and would probably go insane without them. Next, because I come from many cultures, we are always making food. A lot of its southern. For instance, my dad makes the best country fried steak ever. You know, let’s just talk about him for a moment. My mom cooked for most of their marriage.But, unfortunately my mom has been overcome with sickness, so my dad has started cooking. My dad makes some really good southern comfort food. He makes insanely good mac & cheese. But, he has started to pass his recipes on to me. For instance, he used to make fried chicken. But, once I figured out how to do it, I became the â€Å"soul† fryer of chicken in my house. My dad has become such a wonderful cook over the last few years, and he’s teaching me as he goes. Besides, my mom taught him everything he knows. Well, almost everything, some he learned from the Food N etwork. Ha-ha. My family loves to cook.And that I am proud of. Lastly, we listen to all kinds of music. For instance, my grandma loved to sing. And she used to have me sing for her all the time before she passed. I think about her all the time. She inspired me to keep singing. And my mom has done the same thing by always encouraging me. We love music, whether country or pop. We listen to music all the time. I really don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have music. It keeps me sane. You may have noticed that a lot of music today can be about drugs, sex, or murder. I am proud of my family for steering clear of that.Some of my favorite music includes Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, and One Direction. I love my family’s music choices. And because of that I am proud to be in my family. So as you can see, I just ooze with family pride. My religion plays a big part in that. We always have something on the dinner table. And we listen to all kind of music. I love my family. Even though, we fight and argue at the end of the day, we are a family. Hope you enjoyed learning why I am proud of my family. What makes you proud to be a part of your family?