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More than Just a
Hobby
Entering into the world of single parenthood is an
unparalleled adventure. You can easily get swallowed up In the midst
of all the running of errands, juggling of schedules, worrying about
money, and so much more. Because of this, it is important to find
something that becomes your oasis, a place where nothing else can
cross over that imaginary line, where your mind is free to sail in
any direction the wind might blow. For me, as those demands grew
greater, and the needs grew stronger, it did not take long before my
little Singer sewing machine became more than just a hobby. It
offered a place where I was free from all the stresses of daily
life, a means to own things I would not be able to afford, and best
of all, a place to dream.
Had it not been for my first, simple little sewing
machine, there were times I know I would not have been able to go
on. By the end of an average day, my head was spinning, and my
nerves were frazzled. Being physically drained and emotionally
wounded, I desperately longed for the moment each night when all was
done, so that I could escape to that place only my little Singer
could bring me. It would free me from all the stresses of
daily life. I would slowly get started. Every movement and
thought was an effort, yet before long I was free, unaware of the
day's troubles, filled with a new hope, and an all-consuming
excitement of what I was creating!
Nothing could dampen my enthusiasm, not even my limited
budget. Being short of cash affected many areas of daily living,
and in most I could not gain control. But with my little Singer, the
area of clothing was one that I was able to regain control. It
became my means to to own things I would not otherwise be able to
afford. I have one daughter who, at that time, was about
two years old, and I could not bear that she would have had to walk
around in tattered, old, Cinderella-type clothing. Thus, it became
my challenge to sew very well, and before long, I was. I would never
settle for the homemade look. I wanted her to look like the
"little princess" that she was to me. And she certainly
did! As time went on, friends, family, and teachers, as well as
Annie, eagerly awaited the arrival of each new creation.
But, to me, the greatest thing that my little
Singer offered was an endless sea of dreams. With each new
week the tides would change and sail me off in a new direction. As
each voyage would begin and those stresses melted away, I never knew
or cared where they would take me. All I know is for me they offered
a place of rest, a place of healing, and a time to grow.
Now that little Singer is retired and is gone, a
newer and fancier model has taken its place. But I'll never forget
that first little Singer and how it offered so much more than just a
hobby!
497 words
Jan 99
What
Waitressing Has Offered Me
After recently reading an essay written on the
horrors of waitressing, I feel it is my duty to share with you a
different side of the story, a side that has offered many valuable
opportunities and experiences. Oh, it is a job that has its moments,
just as any will; however, for me it has provided a way to have
more control over my income, the opportunity to overcome some of my
inhibitions, and the opportunity to reach out to others.
Although it is a gamble, if you perform the job
the way it should be done, the odds are in your favor that
waitressing can and will provide you with a decent income. It
is one of the few jobs where you do not wait to reap what you sow.
Most people come in looking to relax, to feel special, and to be
pampered for that short time they are there, and I have found that
kindness, a pleasant attitude, and the heart of someone who is
willing to serve will almost always pay off. Yes, there are those
who are just plain miserable and seem to feel obligated to share
that with you, but overall, they make up a small percentage of the
people, so your kindness will pay off. Efficiency also plays a key
role in what your financial gain will be. Your pleasant attitude
will bring in a fair amount of your wage, but when you combine the
two, a pleasant attitude and efficiency, add to them a little speed
and a good memory, you've got it made providing, of course, there
are customers! The other thing to take into consideration in this
financial picture is looking for a place to work where the turnover
is quick and steady.
Secondly, waitressing has provided me with a day
by day opportunity to rid myself of more than one of my inhibitions.
My greatest struggle for years was talking. I used to be afraid
to talk to anyone at any level. I was afraid to sound stupid, and I
was afraid what I had to say would hold no interest for others. I
was also afraid to let people see the happy feelings inside me show.
Taking orders and asking specific questions over and over helped
loosen me up, along with the fact that most of my customer would
never be back again, because I worked in a tourist area. If I goofed
and felt like a fool, I quickly learned to accept it and go on from
there. Once that hurdle was overcome and my little routine was
comfortable, I was able to start adding more and more of my own
conversation in. Before long I was really enjoying my interactions
with everybody and soon realized that what I had to say did hold the
interest of others. How eagerly most responded! My other difficulty
was letting the happiness I felt within show to others. I know this
might sound funny, but I associated showing emotion with looking
goofy or silly. Looking back, I see not only how much I have learned
while waitressing, but that I have actually taken the steps to put
what I've learned into practice. I'm delighted with this new me!
Learning that has brought me to what I consider
the greatest opportunity of all and that is to reach out to
others. It did not take long to realize that all my fears were
shared by many, and as I overcame mine, I was filled with an
overwhelming desire to reach out to others. When I saw how eager
people were to respond to a kind word and a smile, I decided that to
look foolish or be rejected by a few was a small price to pay in
return for the many wonderful people I have shared many wonderful
moments with. There are so many people who in the course of a day
never touch another life in a personal way, and how sad. I honestly
believe that by simply sharing a few moments with genuine interest
and real caring with some of the people we come in contact with, we
could change the course of many lives. It is the lack of basic
kindness and honest interest in one another that has left so many
empty and ready to give up. Through my job, I have hopefully been
able to be a friend, an encouragement, and an ear to listen for
those I come in contact with day to day, or at least have been an
instrument in making their moments with us more enjoyable.
We can look at anything we do and find all the
negative aspects of it, or we can realize that any and every
situation has something positive to offer. When I am waitressing, I
try to focus on those aspects which have been positive and
beneficial to me, such as having more control over my income,
helping me to rid myself of unwanted inhibitions, and reaching out
to others. I know that when the time comes for me to go on to the
next chapter in my life and start something new, though. I’I'll
turn in my order pad and apron, but these things I've learned will
be with me forever.
876 words
March 2, 1998
5 Paragraph Essay
Equality
in High School Sports
A mother can hold her breath, curl her toes and
fingers, close her eyes and pray all at the same time. I know from
experience that these acts can be performed simultaneously. I have
done all of the contortions while I was waiting for my son or
daughter to bat in a closely tied baseball game or in the last
minute of a basketball game while waiting for my child to attempt to
make a basket from the free-throw line. I have watched the
enthusiasm of an energetic young man wan because too much of his
time was spent on the bench watching the star players of a team
absorb all the glory. I have seen a serious young woman lose respect
for a sport when guidelines were adjusted to compensate for a weaker
gender. The most visible high school teams glorify athletes who
conform to a standard mold. Is there any sport that sees beyond
physical attributes? The answer to this question is yes. Among high
school sports, riflery is one of the most equitable. Rifle teams
have no gender bias. There is no height, weight, or age requirement.
Physical handicaps do not deter from performance in the shooting
sports. The participants in this sport create a melting pot of
sizes, shapes and personalities. They are all needed and every
member of the team takes part in every competition.
The road that a rifle team follows to competition
is paved with dedication and hard work. Male and female students
are welcomed as equals and follow the same training program.
Understanding and implementation of safety procedures, mechanical
instructions, eye and muscle control and breathing techniques must
be mastered before a student is outfitted with proper shooting
equipment. A freshman team member who stood about 5' tall comes to
my mind when I mention equipment. Kathy was determined that the
weight of her rifle would not prevent her from standing as straight
at the 6' male who was positioned next to her on the rifle range. By
the time this "little giant" reached her senior year of
high school, she had mastered riflery techniques of self-discipline
and self-control. She handled cumbersome equipment with all of her
power and entered every competition knowing that target distance was
set and scoring was calculated identically for every team member.
The self-confidence that developed in Kathy during her rifle team
career was projected into her academics. She won a college
scholarship offered to participants in riflery and is pursuing a
career in science. Helen Keller wrote, "I believe every child
has hidden away somewhere in his being noble capacities which may be
quickened and developed if we go about it in the right way."
Participation in the shooting sports is challenging and rewarding.
Team members have an excellent opportunity to discover their finest
qualities.
The packages that these fine qualities are found
in come in many sizes and shapes. In fact, if high school
rifle team members stood side by side, they would look like a Norman
Rockwell print depicting American diversity. Discrimination is
non-existent in the shooting sports. Rifle teams have no height,
weight or age requirements. Because high school team membership is
open to all students, equipment must be available in a full gamut of
sizes and with options for improvement. Through trial and error,
rifle coaches have come to realize it is better to fit the rifle to
the shooter than to fit the shooter to the rifle. Achieving the best
results in precision shooting may require modification of a rifle
stock by adding or reducing its length. Shooters may also add a
cheek piece in order to position the head and keep the eye at a
90-degree angle. Front or rear sights can be adjusted for visual
clarity and shoulder slings can be utilized for comfort and balance.
As a team members grows, or if the eyesight declines, adjustments
can be made to the rifle to compensate for physical changes. An
older shooter may achieve scores as high as a young person with
20/20 vision because the former has adjusted the rear rifle sight to
insure excellent vision. In fact, age is suspended while taking part
in the shooting sports. The world of the precision shooter has its
own fountain of youth. Participation can be by an 8-year-old or an
80-year-old.
If the glow of feeling ageless is present in the
shooting sports, so is the opportunity to put aside the feelings
associated with being physically challenged. Physical
handicaps do not deter from performance in the shooting sports.
Rifle ranges are wheelchair accessible and targets may be adjusted
to accommodate height requirements. Armrests provide shoulder and
arm support and lessen strain on the vertebrae. A shooter who is
nearsighted, farsighted or has a stigmatism can excel in accuracy by
wearing prescription-shooting glasses and by adjusting the sights on
a rifle. Marksmen who are legally or totally blind in one eye are
capable of mastering the shooting skills by adjusting their
equipment for the dominant eye. Are all men (and women) created
equal? No they are not. Some people can run faster than others, jump
higher or see better. In the shooting sports, compensations for
physical limitations are accepted and encouraged. It is possible for
all rifle team participants to come to the firing line as equals.
It has been my pleasure to be associated with a
high school rifle team for the past six years. My mind is filled
with many team member success stories. I remember the introvert who
learned that the quiet and controlled aspects of his personality
were invaluable in achieving high scores in riflery. He,
consequently, gained self-confidence and eased his unobtrusive self
into the high school social scene. I remember the student with so
much energy that she seemed to wear her clothes out from the inside.
She came to the rifle team on a dare from her friends and judged the
other members as slightly inferior to herself. She has remained on
the team, has come to value the seriousness of the sport and to
recognize the attributes of all team members. Scoring in riflery
does not rely on the talents oaf "starting five." All
members of a team take part in and are necessary to every
competition. During practice sessions and rifle matches, each member
of the team must direct his or her focus to personal performance.
The outcome of the performance is the responsibility of each member.
Technically, a shooter is competing against himself or herself to
better a prior score. Webster's Dictionary defines
"sportsman" as "a person who is fair" and
defines "equitable" as an adjective meaning "dealing
fairly and equally with all concerned." The sport of riflery,
which opens its membership to everyone and teaches each member to
take responsibility for his or her own actions, encourages
sportsmanship and exemplifies equality. It is wonderful that such a
sport exists.
1,160 words
The Body Beautiful
As the previous owner of a Nautilus Fitness
Center, I was often asked for advice on diet and exercise. Many of
our members would listen attentively to my suggestions and then
follow their own theories on the best exercise methods, anyway. No
amount of persuasion could convince them that they were wrong.
Others were perfectly willing to accept my advice and direction, but
they lacked the motivation and commitment necessary to achieve
lasting results. And, of course, there were always those who
subscribed to the popular misconception that more is better, but,
unfortunately, they too were wrong. My own trial and error period
with exercise was a lengthy one: first, I taught aerobic dance
classes (far too time-consuming); then, I tried jogging (makes you
feel wonderful as long as it's not raining and your neighbor's
Doberman isn't loose); and, finally, there was yoga (like an
internal massage, but again the time element crops up). I eventually
came up with the ideal program for a great body. I eventually
concluded that the quickest and easiest way to a stronger,
healthier, more beautiful body is through a regular at-home program
of weight training, aerobic exercise, and better eating habits.
Weight training is the only way to build
muscle mass and change the shape of your body. No amount of
calisthenics can do that; they only serve to tone and firm the
muscles. So many women believe that lifting weights will make them
muscle-bound and masculine-looking, but that's not true. What
pear-shaped woman wouldn't love to have a v-shaped torso with broad
shoulders and narrow hips7 Bone structure can't be altered, but a
few upper arm and shoulder exercises combined with squats and lunges
for the hips will give you that V-shaped appearance. And have you
ever heard any woman say that she likes that sagging skin under her
upper arms? Neither have I, but I have seen that problem cured
quickly with just a couple of simple tricep exercises. You don't
need to join a gym to do these exercises; all you need is a
beginner's weight bench, an inexpensive set of weights, and a
training manual. If you decide to begin a weight-training program,
however, there is one rule you should always follow. Never work the
same muscle groups two days in a row except the abdominal muscles
and the calves. II you do, instead of building muscle mass, you will
be tearing and weakening muscle fibers. The resting period between
workouts is as important as the workouts themselves if you want to
get results.
But even the most dedicated body-builder will not
see the full results of a consistent exercise program if his muscles
are covered with a thick layer of fat, and aerobic exercise is the
best way to handle that problem. Whether you choose walking briskly,
jogging, aerobic videos, or the more expensive treadmills,
cross-country ski machines, or steppers, aerobic exercise burns fat.
I prefer "The Twenty Minute Workout" a fast-paced program
developed by Bess Motta, a former body-builder, because it actually
does take only twenty minutes. This show used to be aired twice
between 5:30 and 6:30 AM Monday through Friday, but I haven't seen
it In the television listings for a while, so I'm glad I have a week
of shows on tape. If you ever get a chance to see it, try it, and if
you don't have to sit down and rest during the commercial, you're in
better shape than I am. First, they concentrate on one body part for
the warm-up period until you feel you can't continue for another
moment. From there, they go right into the aerobics segment
finishing with a cool-down period of slow stretching movements.
Don't be deceived into thinking it doesn't sound too tough. It's a
killer! But it's a quick killer, which is why I love it!
If you can consistently maintain a schedule of
aerobic exercise, you will discover that you can eat almost anything
you want and not gain weight, but since the overall goal here is to
improve not only your body but also your health, why not begin to
detoxify your body by eating only healthy foods? Eat lots of
fruits and vegetables, a little lean meat, chicken, and fish, and
fewer processed foods, and not only will you be rewarded with
shining eyes and hair and beautiful skin, but you will find that you
have much more energy too. If you're one of those meat and potatoes
people, try substituting dried beans, peas, rice, and pasta for some
of the meat. Their fat content is lower, and their protein content
is just as high. You only require one tablespoon of fat per day, but
most American adults eat the equivalent of a stick of butter each
day. That fat goes not only to your hips; it also resides in the
linings of your veins and arteries. Try a bran muffin for breakfast
instead of an Egg McMuffin, and your body will thank you for it. And
when the temptation of the Snack Shack box at work or those vending
machines at school become too overwhelming for you, remember this
simple equation: multiply the number of fat grams times nine and
divide that by the number of calories per serving to find the
percentage of fat in your snack. Fritos are 58% fat; M&M's are
40% fat. Skip them both and take the raisins. The choice is yours,
and choice is the key to healthier eating.
So, if you want a beautiful, healthy body, follow
this program. Do at least half an hour of weight-training exercises
every other day three times a week for your particular problem
areas. On alternate days, do twenty to thirty minutes of aerobic
exercise, and every day, before you eat or drink anything, ask
yourself, "Is this god for my body?"
969 words
In
Defense of Capital Punishment
(5-paragraph augmentative essay)
Capital punishment is and continues to be a
controversial issue. Capital punishment is an issue that every
person has a firm opinion about. The pros and cons are debated in
every aspect of our lives: our upbringing, our politics, and our
religion. In the next few paragraphs, I intend to address the
morality of the issue, its effects as a deterrent, and its
constitutionality
First and foremost, I would like to address the
morality of the death penalty (morality being the socially accepted
standards of right and wrong). As far back as biblical times, the
death penalty was in practice. In the book of Exodus, the law of
retaliation was spelled out: an eye for an eye, or as Exodus states,
"He that smiteth a man so that he shall die shall be surely put
to death." On the other side of the coin, the Bible also
states, "Let he that is without sin case the first stone."
or the sixth commandment in Deuteronomy, 5: 1 7, "Thou shalt
not kill." For centuries people have been debating the morality
of capital
punishment. Most religions support the death
penalty, even tough they hold life high, they feel the legal
execution of a murderer is just because of the moral disapproval of
killing the innocent. Through many studies, it is shown that the
people who want capital punishment abolished live in "an ivory
tower" and are far away from the streets of these crimes.
Secondly, I would like to address whether or not
capital punishment is an effective deterrent. A professor of
philosophy at Tufts University and author of "Th e
Courts," "The Constitution," and "Capital
Punishment " believes the death penalty is not an effective
deterrent because it is not carried out consistently, and that no
punishment can deter effectively unless it is carried out
consistently. With an annual average of 20,000 homicides a year,
only about 100 death sentences were given with the average prisoner
spending about three years on death row. Such a smal1 amount of
first-degree murderers are sentenced to death and even fewer are
actually executed, that inconsistency is what makes people believe
it is not an effective deterrent. Crimes of passion would not be
deterred by the death penalty, and many believe in premeditated
murder. The criminals never expect to be caught. On the other hand,
Carol S, Vance, District Attorney of Harris County in Texas,
interviewed robbers who refused to kill the only eyewitness to their
crimes citing their fear of the electric chair as their reason. J.
Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI for many decades, believes the
death penalty is an effective deterrent. In a study of 99 criminals
who were asked why they did not use a weapon in committing their
crime, in a ratio of five to one, the reply was that they were
deterred by fear of the death penalty. Frank Carrington of the
federal justice system offers these statistics: between 1967 and
1977 when the death penalty was dormant, the homicide rate jumped
from an average 10,000 to an average 20,000 per year. Carrington
also believes that if the deterrence issue is that uncertain, we
should resolve the issue in favor of the potential victims instead
of the convicted murderers.
Thirdly, I would like to address the
constitutionality of capital punishment. The American Civil
Liberties union (ACLU) states that the death penalty is applied
randomly at best, but at worst discriminatorily. Capital punishment
violates the constitutional guarantees of equal protection ender the
law because it seems to be imposed almost exclusively against racial
minorities. The ACLU believes that the poor and uneducated are
discriminated against in the sentencing process or just cannot
afford to hire the expert council available to the educated, and
financially well off. In 1967 all executions were suspended by
federal courts until constitutional objections could be resolved.
Several states set out to revise their death penalty statutes
immediately. By 1976 some 37 states had conformed to the Supreme
Court guidelines and capital punishment was reinstated. The Supreme
Court upheld "guided discretion" statutes requiring
objective standards to guide, regularize, and make rationally
reviewable the process for imposing the sentence of death.
"This is Statute was meant to ensure that a death sentence
would not violate the constitution.
In conclusion, the morality issue is still a hot
issue on many debate floors. Each person, no matter how he is raised
or how he is educated, will continue to have his own view. As far an
effective deterrent, I feel it is to some, whereas some will still
kill no matter what the consequences. Constitutionally the laws and
statutes have been revised to eliminate violations in the
constitutional rights. My personal feelings are the legal execution
of a murderer helps the murder victims’ families and friends go on
with their lives because they feel justice has been done. I can also
sleep well knowing these murderers wil1 never be able to kill again.
(825 words Jan 99)
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