Ethics

Motherhood, a single word, but one that holds such meaning and is revered by cultures around the world. From pregnancy to birth, this stage of life inspires and holds the promise for the next generation. Though the process of pregnancy and birth are biologically similar, no matter which country you are from, the cultural views and traditions vary greatly especially in the United States and the Philippines.

In the United States having a baby is a private affair to be celebrated and shared among the immediate family. There are beliefs and superstitions that have changed over time, but many still persist, especially those of gender predictions. In the United States the phases of pregnancy and birth are regarded as a highly medical process where each stage is monitored by doctors and the last stop is the hospital maternity ward.

Traditional culture in the Philippines puts a very high value on the family, especially motherhood. The birth of a baby is not just a private affair for the couple or family; it is a culturally significant event to be celebrated by the entire community. In the Philippines, pregnancy, birth and the time period after is surrounded by a wide variety of beliefs, traditional practices and rituals.

The United States has a variety of pregnancy myths, superstitions and gender prediction methods that may or may not have any scientific merit. A few of the more popular beliefs are that if you’re carrying higher in the belly, you’re having a boy and eating spicy food can start early labor. However, “carrying the baby lower in the abdomen isn’t a sign that it’s a boy, or a girl, or anything other than an indication your abdominal muscles have loosened up a bit”.

One of the old wives’ tales that does have some scientific merit, is the idea that having a lot of heartburn during pregnancy means that you will have a hairy baby. Johns Hopkins University conducted a study where they followed a group of women throughout their pregnancy and noted when they had heartburn, how many of these resulted in babies with a lot of hair.

23 out of 28 women who complained of moderate to severe heartburn, did in fact have babies with average or above average hair. Though this seemed to validate the myth, the truth resided in the fact that the same hormone that contributed to hair growth in the baby also relaxed the stomach muscles, allowing heartburn to increase).

According to Filipino (term used to refer to people who are native to the Philippines) beliefs, how a pregnant woman acts, the things that happen to her and even what she thinks can all have a major impact on her developing baby. Pregnant Filipino women have superstitions and taboos that dictate their behavior until they give birth.

For example, a pregnant woman should not wear anything around her neck or the baby’s umbilical cord could strangle it and she should also avoid looking at anything ugly or marred, because this could cause the baby to be born disfigured.

Twentieth-century developments have led to the almost complete departure of the use of midwife practice in the United States, thus taking birth away from the control of the woman and her family support system, and placing it in the hands of the medical field and the hospitals.

Most births went from being a normal part of life in the home to becoming hospital-based procedures. “In 1900, almost all United States births occurred outside a hospital; however, the proportion of out-of-hospital births fell to 44% by 1940 and to 1% by 1969, where it remained through the 1980s” (MacDorman, 2014) and as of 2012 has only increased to 1.36 percent.

The Philippines have also had an increase in hospital based births, though not as high as the United States. As of 2015, fifty-seven percent of births were conducted by doctors and only thirty-five percent were traditional births conducted by an unlicensed midwife (Philippine Statistics, 2015).

The difference between the American hospital birthing experience and that of the Philippines is vast. In the United States a private room/suite is almost standard and often comes with its own bathroom. The infant has its own bassinet and can be removed by hospital staff to give the mother some time to rest. In the Philippines, where resources are limited and births are numerous, nurses are forced to put two beds together for four mothers and four newborns, called a “tandem bed” (Epstein, 2014).

These groupings of beds are located in a large room with several other sets of beds together and there is no sense of privacy. Mothers and babies sleep in the same bed and it is not unheard of for nurses to have other mothers breastfeed an infant if that infant’s mother is indisposed, such as in the shower or bathroom (R. Cramer, Personal Interview, November 24, 2017). Both of these customs in the Philippines would be frowned upon in the United States.

In the Philippines, burying the placenta as soon as possible after labor is thought necessary to end labor pains and bleeding. (“Filipino Ethnicity,” n.d.) The baby’s father is often in charge of this task. In the United States, the placenta is often discarded by the hospital or birthing center where a woman delivers, although “some women save theirs and consume it in pill form, believing it helps boost well-being” (Huffington Post, 2012).

In the Philippines, mothers must rest completely and relatives take over the mother’s work and take care of her while she recovers. United States is one of the few countries left that does not offer federally-mandated paid maternity leave (Berger, 2016) and for some working mothers that do have paid maternity leave, they cannot afford to be off of work for very long. Likewise, it would not be expected or often possible for family members to take time off from work to assist a new mother with her infant and household duties.

The mother’s first milk, colostrum, is considered dirty in Filipino culture, so relatives feed the baby sugar water or formula for a few days until the mother’s regular milk comes in (R. Cramer, Personal Interview, November 24, 2017). Some Filipino women also believe that their emotions can be transmitted through breast milk and may avoid feeding their babies when they are upset or angry (“Filipino Ethnicity,” n.d.).

In contrast, American culture is beginning to recognize the importance of colostrum to the health of the babies and mothers are encouraged to allow the babies to get these initial nutrients from the mother’s milk, even if they intend to use formula predominately. Exclusively breastfeeding has been a struggle for both countries.

In the Philippines statistics show that exclusive breastfeeding rates have risen from thirty-six percent in 2008 to forty-seven percent in 2011 (Reyes, 2012). As of 2016 in the United States, exclusively breastfeeding through three months was at forty-four percent, but dropped to twenty-two percent at the six-month mark (CDC, 2016).

Despite the different views and beliefs that influence the stages of pregnancy and birth in different countries, at the heart of the matter are women who ultimately wish for their children to be born healthy and happy. This same thought transcends any cultural barriers and recognizes that motherhood, with its tremendous responsibilities and in spite of its challenges, is a noteworthy step in this journey we call life.

The basis of civilization as we know it goes along with the pretense of justice. Justice allows us to live together in unity, interact with others and exist in a society. However, there are many different societies that spread across the earth. Each has their own standards and own perceptions of justice. I will be exploring justice through the eyes of two prominent and major thinkers of the Arab world, Imam Khomeini and Sayyid Qutb.

These two contemporary Islamic thinkers are influential figures throughout Islam and their respective cultures. Within the religion of Islam, there are two major sections. While there are many more derivatives, Sunni and Shi’I are dominant. Not only are these thinkers unique in some religious aspects, I am attempting to explore the factors of belief through their writing. Imam Khomeini is Shi’I while Sayyid Qutb is Sunni.

First, I will detail a history of the two, in order to set the stage for their beliefs. Then I will explore a “western” ideal of justice, before delving into the other views on justice (and the implementation into society). After a thorough analysis, I will compare and contrast the major ideas between Khomeini and Qutb.

Finally, the greatest marvel of these figures is how their words have been put into action. Therefore, to conclude this essay, I will delve into the current day examples of the principles these two thinkers hold. I will first begin by detailing the significant points of Sayyid Qutb’s life that led him to prominence.

Sayyid Qutb was an Egyptian author and educator, an Islamic theorist, poet, and a leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and 1960s. He was born into an age of great change. In 1966, he was convicted of plotting the assassination of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser and was executed by hanging (which was accurate but accompanied by other members of what was known as the Muslim Brotherhood).

Qutb was the author of 24 books, with about 30 books unpublished, mostly due to the state’s destruction of his controversial works. He is best throughout the Islamic world for his work on the “social and political role of Islam,” in his books Social Justice and Ma’alim fi al-Tariq (Milestones), and his magnum opus, Fi Zilal al-Quran.

Because of Qutb’s disapproving views on American society, he is seen as the inspiration for violent groups like Al Queda. However, he is also known as a martyr that stood for the truth and justice Islam should strive towards. The reason for Qutb’s controversy began in the political turmoil Egypt found itself in. Egypt’s “pro-Western” government found itself overthrown by the Free Officers Movement, headed by a man named Gamal Abdel Nasser.

His platform was to restore the government to include Islamic ideals, an idea that Qutb and the Muslim Brotherhood welcomed. Qutb and Nasser became allies and friends. They would share ideas on the statehood and how to improve the government… that is, until it became clear that Nasser had played them. They soon realized that he stood against that which the Islamism of the Brotherhood believed in.

Once Qutb realized Nasser’s agenda, he promptly cut off all ties with Nasser. This was not received well. Qutb and the brotherhood then began to plot to assassinate Nasser. However, they did not succeed and Qutb was thrown in jail for the first time. He was tortured and eventually killed for his opposition. Yet, this is where he did most of his most influential writing.

Words that will forever be remembered in the hearts of Sunni Muslims to come. Imam Khomeini was also known as Sayyid Ruhollah Mūsavi Khomeini. He was a politician and Marja. Marja, literally meaning ‘source to imitate/follow’ or ‘religious reference’, is inherently Shi’I, as it is given to those who have the highest authority, specifically to make legal decisions within the rules of Islamic law.

His, is a story of great reformation, as Khomeini is best known for his transformation of Iran into the world’s first Islamic republic in 1979. Khomeini was the author of more than 40 books, but he is perhaps best known for his political activism. Khomeini called democracy the equivalent of prostitution, ideas which landed him in exile for fifteen years. Yet, he rose to power and began his reformations.

Khomeini was known for his support of the hostage takers during the Iran hostage crisis and for referring to the United States as the ‘Great Satan’ and Soviet Union as the ‘Lesser Satan.’. Khomeini has been scrutinized by “westerners” for his beliefs and human rights violations. He was known for his execution of thousands of political prisoners, war criminals and prisoners of the Iran–Iraq War .

On the other hand, he has also been la champion of Islamic thought. He was especially popular in his attempts to unify the Sunni and Shi’I denominations. Khomeini died due to health concerns that left the country in shock. On the day of his death there were incredible numbers of mourners that paid him tribute. So many that ten were trampled to death and nearly four-hundred injured. These two figures held immense importance for the societies in which they lived.

This is evident by the overwhelming support each possessed in their respective circles. There were both advocated for a change in their countries to a more “Islamic” line of thought. In psychology, there are six great tendencies:

1. A sense of truth and curiosity;
2. A sense of justice and patience;
3. The sense of beauty;
4. The sense of Godliness (tendency to worship);
5. God is a knowledgeable aspect; if the tendency Worship is a practical aspect;
6. Tendency to creativity and innovation.

Our lives revolve around justice, it is the cause of the unity, the sense of human community. Justice is an obstacle to the disagreement of society as well as the longest sought-and-most fundamental ideal of humankind.

It is human nature. However, the idea of justice shifts depending on the cultural lense you are viewing it through. For instance, throughout American history, the fight for liberty in the “land of the free,” has seemed to be our motto. As a democratic country, we cherish individual freedoms. This leads to the belief that laws should not be repressive except in the name of liberty and justice.

Throughout my life, justice has been presented through a legal system. Justice is when someone gets what they deserve, lives their best and fullest life (an idea that is subject to personal values of the quality of life). However, growing up in a non-religious home, I had never seen justice synonymous with holy belief. Justice is the bedrock of civilization. Though, it takes different forms. Now, I will be trying to switch my lens.

Seeing through the eyes of Khomeini and Qutb. These tow figures are fascinating to compare because of the denomination they associate with. Khomeini is a part of Irans prominent Shi’I population, while Qutb is apart of the Sunni majority. Justice has been a particular topic of interest in discussions of divine religions between political scholars.

Even more, the placement and ‘implementation of justice’ can be considered one of the greatest goals in the formation of the Islamic government. The affirmation and the establishment of religion through the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), could have been considered to “bring happiness to humans through the fulfillment of justice and justice in their lives”.

Therefore, to understand the events seen rippling throughout the Islamic culture today (in the name of these figures), a comparison into the fundamental pieces of society could help with a broader comprehension of the actions taken. Sayyid Qutb believes that the pillar of justice is Islam.

Sayyid Qutb criticizes socialism and capitalism, which maintains justice solely because of external freedom and material needs, rather than the inward freedom of the man or woman themselves, through body and soul. This brings others closer and heading towards a similar goal of self-fulfillment. This, in turn, places no one above the other. Qutb believed all human beings should be created equal and therefore “no individual, group or class can restrict the balance of society by taking standards and dominate others”.

This leads into the importance of social cooperation. Islam arranges the individual freedom in the best way and realizes human equity in its most precise meanings, but it does not abandon the two, but gives the community his account and the humanity of his credibility and the goals of religion.

Therefore, the source of individual works is for individual freedom and besides it, it provides social effects that include individual and community assignments and so we call social cooperation. There are strong ties leading back to the words written in the Qur’an. His interpretations of justice and their implementation are synonymous with the Qur’an.

In his book Milestones, he advocates for a destruction of current day societies (even those that claim to be “Islamic”), as we have strayed too far from the original intentions of the Qur’an. (CITE) We do not live our lives justly in the eyes of Allah and his messengers. Imam Khomeini has some similar views to Sayyid Qutb. However, he views justice in as closely related to society as a whole.

Specifically, in his role as a governing official, he sought justice through the means of preventing the diversion of culture or deviance from the rules. It is a “cultivation of human beings and their refinement”. Through this line of thought, justice is then related to spirituality, ethics, and morality. Specifically, he believes that “justice without motivation and divine intention will not have meaning”.

He states on multiple occasions that justice is a middle ground to the polar opposites in society. Between two ends of extremes he finds ethical virtue. Justice is the cornerstone of other virtues and by doing so it establishes a balance and a scale to weigh societies adherence to.

However, most importantly, Khomeini views a life of justice can pave the way to a path that leads to forming the perfect man. This man would then believe in the true god, Allah, and his prosperity. Therefore, in the eyes of Khomeini, justice is a diverse subset in the many virtues of man.

In the book, The Stranger, Meursault is the book’s narrator and main character. Meursault is a person who does t think much about events that happen or their consequences. Neither does he express much feeling in relationships or during emotional times. Throughout the entire book, he is calm and acts nonchalantly. He Is casual and indifferent about lIfe events. Nothing seems to be very important to hIm. All of his actions attribute to him being anti-social. A person that Is social would show more emotion and have a say in things, Meursault is not that type of person. At the beginning of the book, it talks about his mother 5 death. Meursault sheds no tears and shows no emotions. Throughout the Vigil watching his mother’s dead body. and at her funeral. he never cries.

Meursault is shown enjoying a cup of coffee with milk during the vigil and having a smoke with a caretaker at the nursing home In where his mother died. Then the next day, after his mother’s funeral, he goes to the beach and meets a former colleague named Marie Cardona Marie and Meursault go swimming, to a movie, and then spend the night together. Later In their relationship, Marie asks Meursault If he wants to marry her. He says that it doesn‘t matter to him, and If she wants to get married, he would agree. She then asks him if he loves her. Meursault responds by saying that he probably doesn’t, and explains that marriage really Isn’t such a serious thing and doesn’t require love.

He displays limited feelings for his girlfriend Marie, this is his typical reaction of Meursault. Even though Meursault shows no strong emotions or deep affection. Marie is still attracted and interested in him. She knows that he is unemotional and I think she likes that. Despite the negative qualities of this unemotional man, people still seem to care for him. There are people who, because of different or strange behavior, might be outcasts of society. In spite of Meursault being different, there are some people who want to be a part of their lives. Even though he is not really social, it does not get in the way of certain relationships.

Meursault s behaVIor can be seen as negative, but there is Marie, who seems to want to have a relationship. With Meursault and a neighbor who wants friendship. He Is content to be indifferent and protected from pain by his indifference Meursault rarely shows any feelings. In situations. which would obtain strong emotions. Raymond Sintes a neighbor who is a pimp seems to feel comfortable with Meursault. Raymond does not have to justify himself because Meursault doesn’t comment on how he makes money or how he chooses to live his life. There was a part in the book where Raymond cheated on a girlfriend. Another part was where Salamano another neighbor, was very depressed when he loses his dog.

Meursault‘s reactions are very different he doesn’t get depressed at death nor does he get emotionally involved. He appears to be totally unemotional. I think by that he feels no pain and is protected from life’s disappointments. Meursault kills an Arab. Not once does he show any remorse or guilt for what he did. He acted as if it was something you would do everyday. It seems that Meursault Is almost OblIVIOLIS and totally calm by events and people around him. He Is unWIllIng to lie during his trIal about killing the Arab. His unWIllingness to get Involved in defending himself results In a verdict of death by guillotine. If Meursault had been involved in his defense, explaining what he did. he might have been set free.

In his book The Fault in Our Stars, John Green deals with the themes of death and love. The cancer-struck teenager Hazel Grace Lancaster is diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 13. As her mother forced her to attend a cancer support group, she meets Augustus Waters, who turns out to be the love of her life. They both are passionate about reading books, so they bond by sharing their favorite book, and encouraging the other to read their favorites. Gus arranges for him and Hazel to Travel to Amsterdam to meet her favorite author, as she hopes to have her questions answered. Unfortunately, he turns out to be an alcoholic, who has passed the prime of his existence. The fear of leaving Gus behind grows stronger, as l-labels cancer grows and makes her weaker.

She describes herself as a grenade that is ready to explode, which describes her fear of hurting everyone around her with her death which is inevitable. As Gus reveals that his cancer is back, stronger than ever Hazel’s life takes another turn for the worst. Suddenly she was the one having to deal with Gus deaLh. As he died, Hazel receives a letter from her ex-favorite author Van Houten, which turns out to be pages written by Gus, trying to persuade Van Houten to write a sequel to Hazel’s beloved book “An Imperial Affliction”. The novel mainly focuses on the grief and pain the comes with cancer, or deadly illnesses in general. Hazel’s illness makes it hard for her to bond with other people, and socialize at all, duo to her knowing that her death also has tremendous consequences for her beloved.

The fact that she will die and leave her family and friends behind, fills her with a feeling of guilt. Even though she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at such a young age, she cannot help to view herself as a burden to other people. Her love affair with Augustus brings her great joy, not only because she has her first relationship, but at the same time gains a friend that shows her the joys of life, and how to live with her destiny. She can finally show feelings towards others. Without a doubt, Hazel struggles with her faith. But as her life progresses she realizes, that even though she will die at a young age, dying is inevitable. Sadly at the time were people start showing you the compassion you always wanted, you are probably already dead, but that is the time, when it shows that you mattered and had an influence.

Hazel goes from viewing herself to be l’the grenade that explodes and injures everyone nearby”, to being a strong and independent young girl, who is ready to face her faith. Death is terrifying for everyone. The uncertainty of what happens after is something everyone will have to struggle with at some point August biggest fear is not death itself, but oblivion. The fear of oblivion plays a big role in the novel. This theme carries throughout the novel, as Gus desires to perform heroic acts before he dies to proof his significance. He fears that his significance dies with his consciousness, which is the case with many people. As Hazel points out in the support group, everyone will die at some point, but deaths immediacy to the terminally ill means they cannot avoid considering what death involves.

As both Hazel and Gus have a very present fear of oblivion, this is another point they share in their opinions about cancer and dying. What the novel suggests, is that one person’s death does not consign their significance and relationship to oblivion, what ultimately makes our life matter, are the relationships we formt Another important theme of the novel is the necessity of suffering. Hazel, Augustus and Issac all have to endure a lot of physical and emotional pain, Hazel’s lungs lead her to intense pain and breathing problems. Isaac loses his eyesight which causes his girlfriend to break up with him, Augustus suffers physically to the point where has to use medication so strong that it leaves him nearly incoherent.

At the same time he cannot accomplish any of the heroic acts, he put his mind up tDi But the most significant type of pain described in the novel, is the pain of losing a beloved one. This leads to Hazel’s metaphor of the exploding grenades as it turns out, she becomes a victim of this kind of pain when Augustus becomes weaker. At last, she comes to understand that you cannot avoid this type of pain, simply because you cannot avoid having loved ones stolen from you by natural causes. As the novel progresses she understands that you should not avoid this kind of pain. She would never take back her love for Augustus, even though that is exactly what caused her tremendous pain. In that matter, it can be viewed as a blessing and a curse at the same time. In Augustus’ words, he left a “scar” on Hazel, meaning he had an effect on her life. It is up to interpretation whether it has been positive or negative. Last but not least cancer itself is an important theme in the novel.

The novel gives us an unusual perspective on cancer. We get to see cancer patients as they are, kids. Perfectly normal individuals who struggle with their own problems growing up. Unfortunately, the sickness casts a shadow over their childhood, and happy memories can quickly turn into nightmares. But the novel also shows cancer for what it is, a cruel and terrifying illness that destroys lives, Augustus used to be a clever, small, charismatic, and loving young man, he turns into a shadow of himself throughout the book. Hazel witnesses all the stages of cancer on herself and her surroundings, and she gets to see what cancer really can do to people. The novel does not hide what cancer really is, and it does not end with a happy ending, in that way it is possibly one of the most realistic cancer-themed novels of our time.

Here I am, attending community college as a full time student while working two part time jobs to keep myself maintained. I never would’ve thought I would end up in a college classroom. I’ve never been much of a school guy, but when the time comes to put forth work and effort into a subject I’m doing, I’ll be sure to give it my 100% each and every single time. We all have been through our own little hardships, with some being worse than others. With me, I’ve certainly experienced the rough end of the stick countless of times. A factor that contributes to hardships is the lack of ethics to complete a goal. The lack of ethics in people across the world, especially, in the time period we live in at this current moment, contribute to the idea that many of us will either succeed or fail, just over the fact of the experiences that happen to us.

Throughout my years I have lost many people. Some had been family members that had been put under and others were friends. The person I wish I could see the most would be my brother Vinny. We weren’t family-related but Vinny was a different kind of special. He was the first person to ever have my back and the first person to ever show me that someone can really care about me. When I was in 7th grade, I got into a fight with a few freshmen from Cienega High School. Vinny, without even knowing me, decided that if worst comes to worst, regardless of what the outcome would be, he would fight with me. I don’t really know if he was being serious or not, but he ended up walking me home after school to make sure nothing bad would happen to me. I had never known anyone like that before.

Someone that actually cared about my well-being enough to walk me home and make sure I was safe. After the incident with the Cienega freshmen, Vinny and I became close friends. When I was in middle school I had many friends, but no-one as close as him. Again, I never thought someone could care so much about a friendship before. I never thought that two people could be family without even being blood related. Their was another instance where Vinny and I were in Rita Ranch sitting in one of the wash’s. Vinny had an E-Cigarette (which was new at the time) and he told me “If we smoke at this spot, me and you will be brothers for life man”. In which I replied with “Only one way to make sure” with a determined look on my face. I took that to the heart. Although Vinny and I were about the same age, Vinny was an older brother I never had. I had my first drink with him, and got into my first fight standing right beside him.

Yeah, we did have fights from time to time, but in the end, we were brothers, and it stayed that way. There was another time where Vinny stayed the night at my house and we snuck out so he could go see a girl. It was probably around 2 in the morning when we left, and she lived about half an hour away in walking distance. When we arrived, I decided to wait outside and Vinny snuck in through her window. An hour later, Vinny opened the window and dived through it. Apparently, her dad had heard Vinny making out with his daughter, and pounded on the door. Funny thing is, when Vinny dived, he completely broke her blinds so it was obvious that someone went in through the window. Aside from that, during my 8th grade year I switched schools and moved houses. I couldn’t see Vinny as much but we would still plan to catch up and plan some things for the weekend. At the end of my 8th grade year Vinny and I got into an argument about something completely off topic.

After fighting for a few days, it came the point where I wanted to fight him, and he wanted to fight me. This conflict didn’t last forever, so in return we both decided to make up and actually make plans for next weeks weekend. Unfortunately, those were the last things I ever said to him. On an unfortunate Sunday morning (3 days after we made up), I had heard that Vinny committed suicide. Hearing this shattered me in a way were it was even scary to my parents. The next day I couldn’t stop crying, and thinking about it really killed me inside. I truly wish for no-one to experience the pain I went through. A couple of days after that, I attended his funeral and saw him for the very last time. At the end of the day, this experience shaped my life. Depression hit me like a rock and I started to show signs of anger. I used to be a happy kid, but this experience determined who I was going to be in the future. This event is something that still follows me till this day.

If you have someone you really care about, be sure to cherish them. Be thankful that you have these people in your life, because you never know when the world will take them away. After the incident with my best friend passing away, 4 years have passed. My senior year in high school is finally here, and I didn’t know what to expect. When I first entered into senior year, I didn’t really expect much to be honest. I just thought about it as another year where I have to start working on my school work again. After talking to a few friends, one of them implied I join the football team again. Knowing me, I agreed without a doubt. Since I was a senior, not that it mattered since I was already on varsity, I was excited to wear the helmet and the pads again. I felt superior to the underclassmen of the team just because I was older. I played harder than them, and put more effort into listening to the coaches.

Anyway, we started the season off with a bang. We destroyed Flowing Wells 26 to 6. After that we steam rolled the other 5 teams we came across. With only 5 wins and 2 losses, we were for sure bound to make playoffs. At the end of the day, we came off with 6 wins and 4 losses. When we made playoffs, the momentum had died, and we were all ready to just go home. None of us wanted to actually go to playoffs, but unfortunately we did. The team we were up against, Casteel, had zero losses. They beat every single team with a 60 point lead. We stood no chance against guys like that, and we all knew it. When the time came to play them, not only did they beat us, but it was at their home stadium, again (We played them before and got annihilated). We put a good fight for about a quarter or so, but that’s when they had their J.V kids in. When the real deal came to play during the second quarter of the game, our chances of winning went down the drain. We ended up getting blown out 56 to 7. After the game, none of us were really mad at eachother like how we would usually be.

The outcome was evident as soon as we saw the brackets on who we would play against. In the end, we still came off the field proud of who we were, and the things we have accomplished as a team for the first time in Empire history. Football really gave me the incentive to work harder at the things I do. It really built me up and shaped who I really am. I learned to take control of my life, and complete whatever I have to do to be successful, not letting any past experiences bring me down. After the football season, my senior year was finally satisfied when the track season started. At the start of the track season, I was in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I started out as the third fastest on the entire track team, but I was getting even faster as every day of practice passed.

When the first invitational meet came, I got 7th place out of 9. I wondered to myself “How could this happen?”. I knew from that day that I wasn’t working hard enough, and that I never want to lose like that again. After that day, I worked hard at becoming even faster than I already was. After a few more invitationals of getting second place and first place, I became the second fastest on the team with a 100m time of 11.04 seconds. When state came, I was absolutely ready for whatever came my way. During the prelims 100m dash for state, I got second place. When the time for finals came, I ended up getting 4th place with the biggest smile I’ve ever had walking off the track for the last time. Keep in mind these are the fastest guys in the entire division of “D3”. I’ve never been so proud of myself after state. I worked hard, and receives a reward in return when the time came to it.

Overall, I heavily enjoyed my senior year, with all the experiences I had, and all the new people that I met. After high school, Empire is always going to be in my memories and I’ll never forget the times I spent their. At the beginning of my freshmen year I was struggling to keep up with my schoolwork, and struggling to keep up with my sports activities. Quitting multiple times along the way before I finally realized what needed to be done. My lack of ethics and previous history shaped my life, preventing me from being something great. Although we all experience things, either good or bad, we’re the judges on whether we become successful or not. Fast forward to my senior year and even now, I decide how I want to go through things, not my past. Many of us forget that just because we have horrible experiences, it doesn’t give us the approval to use that as an excuse to fail. We must succeed.

We are all told stories as children that sometimes impact how we see the world as we grow up and become more mature. Our thoughts on the morals or lessons taught in the stories may change over time, some of them sticking with us, and others being thrown away to make room for ideas that make more sense to us. We call many of these stories myths, because though people often try to pass them off as it they are true, most of the time, their accuracy is debatable. It is up to if they believe In the tale. One myth I remember from my childhood is the legend of Johnny Appleseed. This story tells of a man who travels the country planting apple seeds wherever he goes. That legend taught me to be generous, and provide for future generations, even if I won’t be around to see the fruits of my labor.

Many of the trees that Johnny planted were likely only going to be able to produce apples and provide shade long after Johnny had moved on. A Greek proverb I heard once fits this very well. “Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” I still hold that lesson dear to my heart. Another group of stories that we are all taught about as children is the stories of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fain. These tales have evolved greatly over time, and though virtually all adults know that they are clearly fiction, children often don’t know any better until they get a little older. Often these myths reward children’s good behavior, particularly Santa Claus, and encourage them to be the best they can be.

Although teens and adults surely know that they are made-up characters. I believe that the Idea of being a good person can influence us as we move out of childhood, and into the transition to adulthood. Finally, one more group of stories that l was told about as a child was events explained in the Holy Bible. A few good examples are the stories of Noah’s Ark. Jacob’s Ladder and Adam and Eve. Many of these stories are meant to teach a lesson, such as compassion, and honesty, or humility. Although, after some critical thought and introspection. I no longer look at the Bible literally, and no longer believe it is true, I can still see the value in the morals upheld in it, and can apply them to my life regardless of whether or not I believe. Many still look at it in a literal sense. and whatever choice one makes on the subject should be theirs alone to make.

Without judgment from others, as one’s religious beliefs should be treated with courtesy. I still respect the Bible to this day for being one of my first sources of moral wisdom. In conclusion, many myths have influenced my current view on the world. I believe this holds true for most people. With all the stories we are told as children, it is likely difficult to get by without them impacting you in some way. As long as we continue to teach positive morals with these stories, I reason that that it is a beneficial tradition indeed to continue passing stories down to younger generations.

Alice Walker‘s short story “Everyday Use” discusses many different perspectives and conflicts between a family of a mother and her two daughters The author has made it apparent that both the daughters, whose names are Dee and Maggie, have been raised and grown into two completely different women with different values and judgments Though their mother who believed in their African culture and heritage with high value. She has failed to pass that belief on to one of her daughters, Deer Walker demonstrates the conflict between the mother and daughter with many different symbolic examples such as Dee’s action in changing her name as well as with their different personal uses of the traditional quiltsi As an educated woman, Dee has grown apart from her family as well as her own culture.

She becomes a social construct after her mother struggled to send her to schoolr Her mother has many expectations and hopes of sharing herAfrican heritage to the world through sending her daughter to school. Dee, on the other hand, has developed her own expectations and hopes through her own personal experience in schools She comes back as an educated woman with different beliefs which bring conflict to the family by her becoming someone her mother never intended her to be, She even changes her name from Dee to Wangeroi She does not understand the legacy of her name.

The name Dee has significant meaning to her family because it was passed along through generations The educational gap between mother and daughter as well as sibling is something the family can never come to agree with Maggie never got the opportunity to pursue an education due to the poverty the family had undergone In Maggie’s case, her only knowledge would be from her family through culture and heritage which resulted in Dee’s superior outlook towards herr The different uses of the quilts that were passed down from generation to generation in their family symbolize how different the culture is between Dee and her family. Throughout the story, the quilt helps show the differences in the characters personalities.

The quilts made by Mama, Grandma Dee and Big Dee are a symbol, which shows their strong African-American heritage and background, The use of these different types of patterns in the quilts represents the history of Mama’s family and the high culture value, Mama, Dee and Maggie understand and appreciate the value of the quilts in different ways Throughout the story, Maggie is very quiet and timid, Otherwise, her lack of education does not prevent her understanding of heritage based on her love That is the reason Mama wants to give Maggie the quilts.

Also, she tells Mama that Dee can have the quilts because she can remember Grandma Dee and her ancestor without the quilts Mama knows Maggie will use the quilts in every day in her life like they were being put to uses Not like Dee, she will hang it on the wall because it was made by her grandma, Dee uses the quilts like an antique She does not understand the significance of the quilts, which contain the heritage and the history of her family “Everyday Use” is a meaningful story about morals, and respect generation passed. The conflict within heritage can occur due to generation gaps and changes over time The quilt is passed down the family’s history, and culture is passed down.

The quilt symbolizes culture change with Dee and her family. Throughout the story, acting on their heritage shows the different personalities and views between the main characters. With Dee, the quilt is just a unique culture to hang in on the wallr On the other hand, Mama and Maggie see the quilt as a symbol of the African American heritage and the important thing to remember their generation passed. Dee wants to live a modern life, and she didn’t want to be a part of her past. On the contrary, Maggie has grown up respecting her culture all her life.