Directions: Think back to when you were little, unable to do anything by
yourself, always relying on someone else to help you or guide you in the right
direction. Now that you are older you are capable of doing more on your own and
start to crave independence. Why do you think we want to be on our own? Why do
we crave this independence? And when we do finally get that independence, how do
we react? Was it what you expected? More or less? Write a paragraph displaying
how you feel about independence as a young adult and how it affects today’s
society. Must be at least 250 words and have appropriate grammar.
Example:
What usually comes to mind when thinking about independence? Red,
White and Blue, is what comes to my mind. Our country, all the lives that were
lost for what is now known as freedom. Something that we all tend to crave at
least every once in a while. Either its freedom from the law or just simply
being free from the rules that your parents have made for their household.
Nowadays, teenagers or young adults tend to want this freedom; independence from
the nest is what I really mean. We want to be able to do what we want and when
we want and how we do it. We want what we can’t have. And when we finally do get
it we don’t want it anymore. But tough luck kiddo once you get it, once you’re
on your own there are no take-backs. You’re stuck with it. Now it has not always
been this way, our country used to not be so strict. There was no age limits to
buy/drink alcohol or have tobacco, everyone just kind of did it. But the U.S.
has caught on to this and the harmful effects of the use of such things.
Teenagers have caught on to this as well and ways to get by without getting
caught. But most of them aren’t as lucky as the rest; most of them in fact have
to pay the consequences of the laws in which they broke. Now independence isn’t
all about the ability to drink and smoke, maybe in a teenagers mind but there
also comes a responsibility. A responsibility that even some adults cannot even
fulfill. Think. Once you’re eighteen what are you going to do? Drink, party,
smoke, stay out all night? No. you will need the basics, food and water because
without that you can’t even live. So you will have to first find a job, in which
then you will be able to pay for shelter (we all need to have a place to sleep
and if there is bad weather coming up you will need to have a roof over your
head so you don’t get sick. Because if you get sick then there goes your job as
well as your food and water.) Once you get a job you will find that there is
really no time to party and drink because you will be expected to be at your
job, after all you are “independent” now. The main reason we want to grow up so
fast is because we are constantly being told what to do and when to do it, we
really have no say in anything either it being the color of your hair or what
you do on a Friday night but the thing is, do we even really want to be on our
own? Do we want to have to be responsible for every little mistake that we do?
Or can we wait a little while and learn how to cope with all of this? Now
America, next time you wish that you were older and independent think again
because there is a lot more to it than what you think.
Independence. Blowing out the candles on your eighteen birthday. Being able to go anywhere, at any time without anyone telling you “no”. We all love that, don’t we? Is it really worth waiting for, anticipating on the day you turn the “big” eighteen? Or can you wait and learn what’s going on around you? Maybe even take some notes. In my opinion they should ask you these questions on your 13th birthday, let you know what’s going to be expected when that big day does come. Some teens, not all but some believe that there is not much expected when you hit that daring age. They tend to think that it’s just another birthday just like every other year, getting presents having cake, etc. but it’s not there is so much more to what meets the eye, well in this case what meets the number. You will be expected to not only take on responsibility and own your actions but you will also be punished as an adult, which is a big deal if you’re constantly getting in trouble. The law sees no “mercy”; if you are of age to be able to live on your own and come up with your own bedtime without anyone telling you then you certainly are old enough to face the consequences of your decisions. There is so much more than being able to move out of the house and/ or graduate from high school. Our country expects more out of us since we are so determined to grow up. We have to do our part; we have to grow up eventually.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was about ten years old, I asked my mom if I was able to stay home by myself because I wanted to feel old. I immediately got turned down and my mom told me I was too young. That is one feeling I hate. I always asked her when I was old enough to stay home by myself and I never got and answer. Now I’m “old” enough as you can say. But now I have to watch the little kids. I have a younger brother and sister that can’t take care of themselves. So growing up and being able to stay home by yourself kind of sucks because now I have to watch the kids. I always remember wanting to learn how to drive. I thought about how I would have a car and how I just couldn’t wait. Now that it’s here, it’s more difficult than I thought it would be. I had to get a job and pay to even learn how to drive. It costs a lot of money that you have to work hard for. I really do work hard at my job and I feel like I deserve the money I work for. Now with the money I saved, I can get a car. But just because you can get a car, doesn’t mean you can just go and quit your job. Now you have to worry about paying for gas, your insurance, and basically everything else that comes with having a car and having all these responsibilities. So I really wasn’t expecting getting older was only going to get harder, but at least I’m starting this early so it’s not a big hit in the face when I’m out of high school.
ReplyDeleteEver since I was little I’ve wanted to “grow up”, to be independent and have the freedom of do things on my own. As a child, you always compare yourself to the older kids or adults around you and often wish to do the things that they do. I remember being frustrated and angry when I was not allowed to do something because I was “too young” or “not mature enough”. But over time, with being good and listening to my parents, that began to change. My mom began to develop a lot of trust in me; she never doubts me and knows that I wouldn’t lie to her. However, this trust, this newly gained independence puts a whole lot of responsibility on me that I did not think about before. As a teenager, young adult or whatever, I have been given a whole lot of freedom to do what I want, just as long as I am behaving properly and not getting myself into trouble. My mom no longer bugs me about what I am doing or who I am with because she trusts that I am mature enough to make the right decisions. However, one little slip up and this trust can quickly be broken and that independence taken away. It took one mistake to ruin the freedom I desperately craved and then earned over time, I know this from experience, and it was hard to gain back. We often take this for granted, thinking that everything is still as easy as it once was when we were children. With independence comes a whole lot of responsibility and accountability for one’s one actions, there is no one looking after you to do the right thing anymore, it is solely dependent on you.
ReplyDeleteEvery teenager wants freedom from their parents. They want to be able to do what they want and when they want, they don’t want to be told when they should be home, or what time to do things, and they don’t want their parents telling them anything. Teenagers today want to be adults they want to grow up fast to be able to get out of their parents’ house and be able to make their own rules and not have to answer to anyone. They strive for independence because they don’t want their parents telling them anything and they especially don’t want rules. All teenagers have a vision of what their independence should be, but many don’t know what it’s really like. Many teenagers think having independence is just not having any rules, being able to stay out really late with their friends, own their own place so no one is telling them what to do, and being able to control themselves. What many don’t realize with independence comes responsibility. When they get their own place they need to get a job, they have to pay bills, they have to buy necessary things in life, and they have to support themselves. They don’t expect what independence really is, once they realize the reality part of it they think again about what independence really is. They realize they should not have rushed to grow up so fast just to have the freedom to do what they want because with that freedom comes big responsibilities that have to be held.
ReplyDeleteIndependence is something that can be looked at as scary, thrilling, and peaceful all at the same time. I can’t say that I’ve always wanted to be independent because that is a sure lie. I remember I used to fear the idea that one day it would be only me. That one day I would have to take care of myself and there won’t be mommy and daddy there to guide me. Now I’ve embraced the idea or independence and have even tasted it briefly. Right now I’ m not living on my own, nor am I even providing for only myself, but I am quite excited for when that day comes. I’m like most teens that are itching for those college days to come. It’s more of me looking forward to living on my own then really providing for myself. I have independence from my parents where money is concerned. I gained a job this year and have not asked them for a single penny since I gained my first pay check. I also don’t depend on them for rides to places anymore. Embracing public transportation can truly be one of the greatest decisions you ever make. At times I still ask them for small things like if I can go out to certain places, but the day I’m able to just to walk out and just say “I’ll be back later” without having o give any other information will definitely be great. I believe independence is seen as such a great thing because it means your gaining a piece of being an adult. When you’re independent you don’t need others. You’re no longer that little baby that needs your parents to lead you around. Having independence is definitely what I expected and I cannot wait to gain more of it.
ReplyDeleteYounger growing up nothing was given for free. When I was younger a lot was done for me but I also had to do a lot by myself. Growing up my mother liked to teach responsibility early in the family so when we got older we would know that nothing in this world is free and that we have to work for everything that we want. When I was younger weather it was money that I wanted or whether it was something small if we didn’t work for it we wouldn’t get it. Responsibility when I was younger wasn’t that much of a big deal but as you get older you realize that responsibility is important because if you don’t take responsibility for yourself then you don’t eat and you need to eat in this world to survive unless your mother is going to take care of you forever. When you take responsibility for yourself and start to do things on your own you start to appreciate things more it puts more value behind it. when you work for the things you want after you get what you want you feel accomplished because the thing that you want isn’t just given to you. If it was just given to you there wouldn’t be any meaning behind it, it would just be another material thing that was given to you. When you become responsible you don’t have to rely on any one else anything you wasn’t to do can be done when you want it to be don’t , there’s nothing worse than knowing you have to rely on that one person to get somewhere or to feed you or whatever the case may be.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIndependence is a state of mind in which many people long to acquire; to be emotionally independent, physically independent and financially independent. Independence does not just appear out of thin air, it does not just knock on your front door, or take over your life and responsibilities with ease. Independence is earned, just as respect is. For one to gain a feeling of independence, certain tasks and requirements have to be met. Turning 18 is a big step. Becoming a legal adult, where responsibilities become more intense and consequences more severe. It doesn’t seem like much from the start, but there’s that point, where everything just hits you all at once and you understand it. With being independent come responsibilities that you didn’t have once before. For some people, taking on new responsibilities and changes in a lifestyle or habit may seem like a lot, but for others it is what they have always wanted. I can remember being a little kid, and wanting nothing more than to grow up and be allowed to do all if the things that my older brother and cousins were allowed to do. Now that I am almost 18, I am beginning to realize that growing up is not all fun and games like it appears to be from an innocent mindset, but rather a big mess of responsibilities that could get out of hand if not dealt with correctly. There is a lot to know about growing up before one can finally take the last step and become independent, as well as an understanding of what independence really is.
As a kid all we think about and hope for the day that we can finally be on our own. We count the days as centuries going by. Each year we look forward for the next year. When we were five years old we just couldn’t wait to be ten years old. Now look we are all grown up thinking that life was going to be so much better. Growing up is not how people make it look like. When I was young everybody talked about how good it was to grow up and how you have so much freedom. I guess it depends on your parents. Well my parents give me freedom but they also have some rules about where I go or what time I have to be back home. Life has become hectic with school all I worry about is how I’m going to get my assignments done on time. While when I was young I would fight with my mother on just coloring. We want independence because we see other. We always look to our peers and think “Why can they go out and why can’t I?” If it’s not that case then we have been trapped too long listening to our parents we just want to go out and be free. Now that we are free most of us worry about school and the colleges we want to go to. I think when we finally reach college we will see how life actually is. Right now we see the daily routine of a high school student. In a couple of years I think I can truly answer the question of, is being independent truly how I expected it to be. Now I look back in time and understand why everyone told me to enjoy my childhood. I just want to go back in time and enjoy my childhood instead of looking in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger, all I wanted to be was a grown up. I hated being little and getting told what to do all the time. I hating have to go to bed early, not go out when I wanted to, and not being able to do all the things that my older family members could. Now that I’m older I have much more independence then I did when I was younger. I am now able to go to bed whenever I want, I have more of a freedom to ask and go where I want alone, with friends, and I now have more of an option to choose what I want. As I got older, with age came independence. I will soon be able to have a free range of independence. I will get to the point where I won’t have anyone making choices for me. I will be able to make my own choices, whether they are wrong or right, it’s all on me. Now that I have gotten older, I do love having my own independence; however I do miss the times when I was younger. Now when I am faced with having to choose I have to take full accountability of the choice that I end up going with. I never expected that independence came with so much responsibility. As much as I wanted to be older when I was younger, at times all I wish is to be younger. No matter how much having my own independence can be a burden, I would never take it away. It makes me feel self-efficient, and that’s exactly why I feel that making crave to be independent. It gives them a feeling of being in control. And we all want to feel as if we have full control of our own lives.
ReplyDeleteFor such a long time I have been limited with regards to what I can and cannot do. Having such strict parents can affect your perspective of what independence actually means. Often, independence is just taken as the ability to do whatever comes to mind. My peers use independence as an excuse to act reckless. I think that is my parents’ greatest fear when it comes to “letting me go”. Because of one reckless young adult, society views all of them as irresponsible. Honestly though, independence to me is much more profound than not having to ask your parents for permission to have fun. For me, to be independent means to govern myself and determine on my own what is best for me. To be independent means that you are responsible enough to be able to do this. When one considers oneself a grown up, this should not only be a physical growth, but also a mental and maturity growth. I honestly don’t know what to expect for myself when I actually can consider myself as fully grown and independent. For so long, my parents have chosen for me what they believe is best. For so long I’ve allowed it to be this way, but I know soon that will not be the case. I am not ashamed to say that I am still very dependent because it’s nothing short of the truth. I’m not saying I’ll become independent exactly when I turn 18 because that’s only a month or so away. I’m not saying I’ll define myself as independent when I’m not afraid to be reckless either, because I don’t even see myself being that way. It’s going to mark a difference in my life though because to obtain independence it all depends on me—it all depends on when I’m actually ready to embrace it.
ReplyDeleteThe whole idea of teenagers being independent is hard to talk about. There are so many different perspectives that you have to look at. I think we crave this independence because it is like another step in our lives. It is another step closer to being an adult which is what we all simply cannot wait for. We are willing to wish away the present for a future that we are completely unsure of and are unsure if we even have a future. Being independent makes us mature and it means people, especially our parents, finally take us seriously. So many kids these days just complain day in and day out about how their parents treat them like a little kid. Well when you earn the right to be taken seriously, you will be. However, I see where they are coming from. Our parents constantly want us to act mature and act like an adult, yet they still treat us like children. That does nothing for us and we are not getting anywhere on this topic. Then again, when we finally do become our own person and get the independence we have been longing for, some cannot handle the responsibility. Teenagers do not realize how serious being your own person is. You have to be responsible and mature and own up to your actions and admit when you are wrong. It is all a part of growing up and not many people understand this part of it. Until they do, they will not be able to be independent; it is as simple as that.
ReplyDelete“I want nothing to do with my sister, nor do I want to be associated with her. I have two Tomes from the Academy on hand and I want to strike a deal with the Syndicate. I just want to talk.”
ReplyDeleteA few moments of silence passed. Damian and Gavin gave each other completely different looks. Gavin’s face was full of hope and confidence, while Damian’s face was riddled with anticipation and uncertainty.
The voice broke through the static. “You’ll hear our men open fire momentarily. Your signal to move will be the second explosion of three. The first will be to the far left of their ice barrier, the second will be to the right, and the third will be to the center. The heaviest assault will come from the center, so most of the Syndicate men and unfortunately most of the Dominion men will be there. You can risk going down the middle or taking a flank, it’s your choice.”
“How will your men know it’s us?”
“I’ve given the officers a description of Gavin Jones; they’ll be on the lookout for him. Once they find him, getting the both of you will be second only to preserving as many of themselves as they can. Stick with Mister Jones and get to the front lines and you’ll be safe with us in the city. Good luck, mister Arc.”
“Damian. I said I want no association with my sister.”
“…right. Damian then. Good luck.”
Damian stood and walked to the top of the hill, looking out onto the city. It was the worst city one could possible hope to defend. It was surrounded by hills to cut off vision, but beyond the hills a long stretch of plains in all directions, forcing any confrontation to be based solely off of skill. Well, skill and any dirty tricks the participants could manage. He scanned over the plains, searching for where the breaks in the ice would most likely be.
Everyone wants to be independent but do young adults really understand what that means for them? Being on your own and spending your money on all the needed things rather than the fun things is a big change. Most teens see independents as having your own, having no rules and being able to have friends over all the time but there is way more to it. Being financially independent is the hard part. I feel being independent is much harder than everyone thinks. When I was younger, I couldn’t wait to grow up and be able to do all the things my older siblings are doing. Now that I am 17, I’m starting to realize that being independent is much more difficult than I thought. With independence comes responsibility which many young adults do not want. In my opinion, adults expect too much out of young adults. Now that college is way more expensive, students are staying in their parents houses much longer than they used to. They don’t have the responsibility yet, like paying the electricity bills or the cable bill. Most teenagers rush into being independent but they don’t realize how difficult it really is. If young adults are spending all their money on college, how are they supposed to be in their own places, paying for all their own bills? I think young adults need to stop rushing into being on their own because it is much more challenging than they think.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was little, I always imagined how great it would be to be a teenager and then an adult, but reality is never as good as our expectations. We have it made as children our parents do everything for us; we can play all day without a care in the world. Why would we ever want to grow up? That’s the question, but as humans it’s an instinct that we want to grow and become independent. Any adult will tell you that they wish they were a child again. Becoming independent adds a whole slew of responsibilities and challenges. Some of the responsibilities, we enjoy, like driving, but then it becomes a necessity, you have to get a car and pay for gas, insurance and possibly car payments. At first it feels great, we have freedom but after a while it gets old. We begin to miss having someone to rely on, like parents. Our parents yelled at us and told us what to do but when we’re growing up but once it’s gone we miss it. We learn later that they were just looking out for us, they wanted to teach us from their mistakes, but we don’t see it this way. We see it as constant nagging and being annoying. Growing up and getting jobs and having to work to get money isn’t as fun as it sounded. It was so easy when our parents would just get us toys and everything we needed. We didn’t care how hard they worked for the money; we didn’t know the challenges of having a job yet. While growing up sounds so fun when we are young, we never realized how hard it would really be.
ReplyDeleteIndependence is a tricky thing. As you mature emotionally, it seems almost natural that you begin to understand what your responsibilities are and how to fulfill them, but it’s hard to get anywhere with them without being at least pointed in the right direction. I guess that’s what we have parents and teachers and coaches for. They point us in the right direction so we can learn from them.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s worth saying that after a while, we crave independence because of the possibilities the world has in store for people. In the society we live in, we’re told that we can be anything we want as long as we are willing to put in the work and whatnot. We spend our lives figuring ourselves out so we can help ourselves help the world by using our strengths to our advantage. After a certain point, we start to want to work, to do our own things and make a name for ourselves.
But the world isn’t often as great as we make it out to be. Sometimes it screws us and tells us that we aren’t worth it. It tells us that we need to work harder, or work smarter, or just give up. Sometimes we listen, but sometimes we don’t; and it’s when we don’t that we really win. Why else would we prepare ourselves for the first 17 or 18 years of our lives? To let the world win? Whoever believes that the world is just out to screw them is the one who loses from the start. It’s those who buckle down and grasp the independence they’ve fought for, and use it to the fullest, regardless of the struggles they encounter, who truly win.
Ryan P. Tunison
ReplyDeleteAlternate Assignment
Poem XXVII
A change of heart in an abyss of time,
Such romance before was not of return;
For now to exchange one’s love is sublime;
Highest orders of which I find to yearn,
To find anew that spark of wit to rhyme,
Yet I repeat in everlasting time.
So of lust to now grow and ever brim,
Such to be sung ever in that sweet hymn.
To leave all love of the past to toil;
Her forgotten in a new attraction,
For I prove unfaithful in my foil,
A new self to present refined romance
To her who gives such human quality;
I see truth in that fancy at first glance.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI knocked on the door with a trembling fist. My insides were aching and my shirt was soaked in cold sweat. The hot summer air stuck to my knotted blonde hair and I wanted to pass out. I took several deep breaths in the hope of maintaining consciousness, trying to peer through the glass panes on the side of the door.
DeleteIt felt like eons before someone finally came to let me in. A set of worn French doors opened wide and a large woman came to the door. Her face was wrinkled and menacing and instantly familiar. My mind began to project frightening images that I knew all too well and my body was getting progressively weaker. I could feel that something inside was broken and I slumped against the threshold, pain surging through my veins like wild rapids. As I was guided inside by a firm, unrelenting hand, I heard the woman speak to me.
“Welcome home, Harmony,” she said, tightly squeezing my arm as she guided inside. Her voice caused ferocity to rise from within me and I began to feel stronger. I was only able to get a good look at her smiling face before she jabbed my neck with a short needle and I passed out.
My ears were the first part of my body to recognize my surroundings. I heard birds singing outside and footsteps clobbering down the stairs. I heard the television playing Seinfeld in the next room and I felt the creaking of my muscles as I tried to rouse my body from a comatose-like sleep. Next came my nose. I smelled something delicious cooking on the stove and the scent of grass and nature seeping in through a window, from which a casual breeze blew into the house. I felt completely relaxed until I remembered exactly where I was, and then my eyes snapped open.
I sat up immediately and noticed that I was lying on a cot—my feet tied together and an IV stuck into my right arm. Needless to say, my suspicions were confirmed and I ripped the needle out. They must have been drugging me to keep me with morphine because my head felt like a giant wad of cotton candy—complete fuzz. There’s nothing like coming home for the holidays.
“Going anywhere, Harmony?” I could hear him approaching from behind and I whipped my head around just in time for him to pull out a silver cell phone. My head was feeling like Jell-O, though, from the whiplash I was sure I just received and my hands instinctively flew to my forehead.
Dammit. There was no way I could stop him—not in this condition. I heard the dial tone and then her voice. Her sweet, innocent voice. God, she was too trusting for her own good. And I couldn’t help her, I couldn’t’ save her; not this time.
“Hey, hun. No, the office isn’t that backed up today… What was that?… Ah, I can’t do lunch, though. An old friend stopped by to see me.” He smirked at me. “Sure thing. I was actually thinking that you could come over for dinner tonight to meet my mother…. Hey, don’t worry about what to wear. You’ll look great in anything.” My stomach churned viciously as he talked so sweetly to her. He was not this person talking on the phone. He was much worse. He was without a doubt the single, most evil creature on the face of the Earth that I had ever encountered—and both sharks and loan sharks were included.
“I’ll see you at five…I love you too, Melody. Bye.” He snapped the phone shut and smiled at me—that damned smug smile. “So I suppose home was too inviting to stay away for Christmas? It’s good to have you back, sis.” He began to move towards me with such arrogance and I wanted nothing more than to punch him in his pretty little face; but I held back.
“I’d say go to hell, but something tells me you’d like it too much.”
He retorted with an eerie calmness, “You’re tied up and cornered, so we might as well take this time to chat. For instance, what are your plans tonight?” He was his usual chipper, arrogant sort of self, and the only option was to indulge him. Plus, I needed a distraction if I were to accomplish what I came here to do.
“Jack, you look great. I hope Annabeth has been treating you well.” He didn’t seem to appreciate my sarcasm.
Independence is craved because it is the one way you can do whatever you want. When young people think about independence, they do not think about the responsibilities that come along with it. Rather, it is all about having fun, and not having to be under someone’s control and rules. I think when young adults finally get independence they realize it isn’t what they expected. I think I wanted to be independent, but my older friends made me realize why I shouldn’t. Before, I would always think how I wanted a job, to have money for whatever I wanted. I realized that if I wanted to find a good job, I would need transportation to get there. Taking the bus, although not very expensive would be tiring and hard work. A job fifteen minutes away, could accumulate to an hour bus ride. If I wanted a car, my mom would buy me a used car. I wouldn’t complain about this, even better, a car gives me more independence. I wouldn’t have to rely on anyone! Sounded like a great idea, but I would have to pay my own insurance and gas. With the more freedom one is given, the more responsibilities that come with it. Before, I couldn’t wait to be 18. Honestly, it was for the simple reason that I finally got to go into a club with my older friends. When my birthday was approaching, I realized this wasn’t what I wanted. I began to fear growing up. It isn’t bad that young adults want independence, rather it is good for society because teenagers will grow up, rather than want to be dependent all their life.
ReplyDeleteAlternate assignment: Monologue
ReplyDelete“I haven’t been here in a while. I have been doing all of my school work and have been staying out of trouble. And I know you normally call me down, but something happened yesterday, and I guess I just wanted to vent about it, man to man. It was a normal day. I was headed to my fifth period class when I passed this girl, she was all dressed up, dress, nice shoes, she had even put some ribbon in her hair. Then this other guy walked by and saw her and started to joke around with her, calling her a slut. I want to say that I could see that she was bothered by the comment. But she wasn’t. She played along like he had every right to insult her, to degrade her. I wanted to let it go. I did let it go, I walked away and didn’t think about it again the whole rest of the day and into the morning. But then I noticed that same girl today. She was wearing jeans and a tshirt and she had thrown her hair into a bun. I noticed the guy too. He completely ignored her. He was flirting with another girl, once again making sure to call her a slut too. And she took it as a joke. I guess it just erks me that not only was the guy being a total jerk, but the girls acted as though it was normal. And I guess it is normal nowadays. Women can have a job and own their own property but they no longer receive the niceties that their parents and grandparents received before them. I guess as a guy it just makes me mad that while I make an effort to be respectful and courteous to the girls at my school while others don't understand why it is important to respect women. The public shames fighting and hitting girls, but isn't call a girl a slut and a whore the same concept? And who, if not me, will protect my little sisters when the time comes that hitting and physically fighting with a girl will be publicly accepted too? And who will teach my younger brother to respect his sisters and his future girlfriends? I know your just a guidance counselor, and I can't change the view of the world in one day, but I guess I am just looking to make a difference, you know what I mean?"
(Alternate assignment continued from Childhood)
ReplyDelete“Fine, go to your precious water but you can’t escape me.”
“Sure, it’s not like I escaped last time or the time before that. Maybe you should get a new job.”
A branch from a nearby tree snaps off, hurtling towards him.
“Crap.”
He’s running too fast to stop, so he drops onto the ground as the branch snaps against the nearby trees. He hears another branch breaking and scrambles to his feet, sprinting for his life.
The trees open in front of him to reveal a rather large creek with rocks surrounding the shore. He looks over his shoulder to see the branch chasing after him.
“Come on, come on. I’m almost there.”
He runs into the water and dunks his head under. His pendant grows warm against his bare chest. The tattoos that run the length of his body glow blue, energy courses through his veins. He wants to fight the Shadowtraveler but the logical part of his brain tells him to leave. He closes his eyes and focuses. The water around him churns faster and faster, wrapping itself around him. His pendant is now burning hot trembling against his skin. Blinding light illuminates from it, turning the water from a murky blue to bright white. Suddenly the water explodes sending him onto hard concrete. He gasps for air and lays on his back. Tall buildings surround him, along with the fountain that he just flumed from.
“I did it! I flumed! Ha!” he laughs in between gasps for air.
Independence is not easy; although as children we think that it is. It takes a lot of time, effort and patience to be independent. Sometimes you’ll just get so tired and annoyed you just want to go back to relying on your parents. As tired as I can get, I want my independence and I want to earn it. To me, independence is a way to prove yourself and how you’ve grown into an adult. It started when I turned sixteen. I was so tired of my social life having to bend around my parents’ social lives. It made everything difficult and I rarely got out because of it. When I got a job, I loved having something to show for my work. All the money that I had earned, I could use on myself as a pat on the back. Then, I got my permit and I wanted a car. I wanted to be able to drive myself around and cut off dependence I had on my parents. I saved money for a car, and I started paying my phone bill. I was slowly becoming more independent and it felt great. Everything that I had finally felt like it was really mine and no one could take it away. I got a car; every last penny was paid for by me! It’s something I’m proud of. Independence is craved for because people like to own their own things. We like to be able to say, “That’s mine; I worked really hard for and now it’s mine.”
ReplyDeleteI’ve always thought of myself as an independent person, but when it really comes down to it, I have seen true independence and I am nothing in comparison.
ReplyDeleteI think of myself as independent, but maybe that’s because I’ve never really been on my own. But what if you were on your own? What if you had no one? I have unquestionably met the world’s most independent woman.
Go back to the first time you were in love. Everyone goes through a bad break up, but what if it wasn’t a break up? What if your first high school sweet heart died in a car accident? A car that you were supposed to be in. No one was there after he died. She was horribly depressed and all her mother did was nag her for not eating enough.
When she was fresh out of high school she met someone else. This man however, was the horrible sort. Most people’s parents warn you about this kind of person, but her parents waited until it was too late. This time she was pregnant.
She broke things off with him shortly before the baby was born. She raised her baby on her own, but she was very lonely.
When her daughter was about four years old she started talking to an old friend. She’d been close with him for a long time but never like this before. They fell madly in love, he was wonderful to her daughter, and soon they were engaged to be married.
This is not where the tragedy ends. About a month before the wedding he died of a heart attack. After this she picked up her things, and she and her child moved into their very own condo.
I know this just sounds like a rambling of tragic events, but they’re what led up to her independence. After having so many horrible things happen, most people would break down, whereas this person let it make them stronger.
Now, she has managed to put her daughter through four years of college, and they now live together in a house. They lived in the condo for about ten years. This woman worked very hard to give her daughter a life much different than the one she’d had, and she did it all by herself. No one helped her, and I find that inspiring.