Special Day

During the teen years, adolescents go through many different changes. These changes cause many teens to feel as though they are the only ones that have these feelings and that no one can help them. The teen that develops these types of mentality generally has little help from friends and family to overcome the feelings that could possibly lead to suicide. Suicide is when someone tries to kill himself or herself.

Teen suicide is based on the same idea, but it is for people that are teenagers. About 5,000 teenagers kill themselves every year. That makes teen suicide the third leading cause of death for teenagers next to accidents and crime. The thought of killing oneself as a solution for problems at school is common for grade school and college kids. On the grade school side, 9% think of suicide, 2% seriously consider suicide, and 1-% attempts it. On the college side, the numbers multiply by five times. A whopping 43% think about it, 15% seriously consider it, and 5% attempt it (1).

The actual number of suicides is higher than the estimated one because they are not classified as suicides. They are classified as accidents or victims of crime. A car that crashed into a tree could be called an accident, but if the car was working perfectly and the driver was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol it would be called a suicide.

Young males are five times more likely to commit suicide than young females. Females are more unsuccessful when committing suicide because they are more apt to ingest drugs or cut their wrists. Doctors still have time to save them. On the other hand, boys more commonly hang themselves or jump off tall buildings. The use of firearms in teen suicides is about the same for both sexes. By the time that doctors get to them, they’re dead. It has been found that there are more white teenagers than black teenagers who kill themselves; and that teenagers in the western area of the United States are more likely to be suicidal because more people own firearms in the West (2).

Teens are in a transitional period between childhood and adulthood, and this can lead to confusion and anxiety at times. Teens with an adequate support network of friends, family, religious affiliation, peer groups, or extracurricular activities may have an outlet to deal with their everyday frustrations. Teens without an adequate support network, however, may feel disconnected and isolated from their family and peer group. It’s these teens who are at increased risk for suicide if they are unable to deal with their problems.

Sheslow further emphasizes the importance of a support network for teens who have suffered physical or sexual abuse and those who have very poor relationships with their parents.

Doctors at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) say that teens considering suicide often face problems that are out of their control -divorce, alcoholism of a family member, or exposure to domestic violence, for example. A family history of depression or suicide is another significant risk factor. Since depressive illnesses may have a genetic component, some teens may be predisposed to suffer major depression. Feelings of helplessness and worthlessness may accompany the depression.

Feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness are major risk factors for suicide. A teen, for example, who experiences repeated failures at school, who is overwhelmed by violence at home, who is isolated from peers, or who faces the social stigma of homosexuality alone is likely to experience such feelings. “If he sees himself as inadequate and worthless and he believes the future is unchangeable, these are clear warning signs of possible trouble,” says Dr. Sheslow (3).

Sometimes teens will attempt to numb the pain of those feelings with alcohol or drugs. Substance abuse is a major risk factor for suicide, says the APA, along with the expression of violent feelings (4).

There are about five signs for suicide. The first one is depression. They may be depressed about getting an “F” on their math test or have had a death in the family. The second sign is talking about suicide. They may say things like “I’m want to kill myself,” or “You won’t have to worry about me much longer.” The third sign is giving some of their most prized possessions away or writing out their will. Some people give away their favorite clothes, stereo systems, or even their cars. The fourth sign is that they start taking extremely dangerous risks. They may go rowing without a life preserver, try to fix electrical appliances by themselves, stop wearing their seat belt, and go driving while they are drunk. The fifth sign for suicide is being unexplainable cheerful or happy. By this time they probably have made up their minds about suicide (5).

Anyone can be a victim of teen suicide. It could be the all-star of the football team, the girl who has the cutest guy in school, or the hyper-accelerated really smart kid down the street. Everyone has stress and everyone has to deal with it, but not everyone deals with stress the same way. For example one-person may play a sport to release and relieve their tensions, but another may start being depressed and being self-destructive.

As you may see there are many different things involved when talking to teens about suicide. Some of these things involved need to be looked are items such as social stature of the adolescent, if there is apparent substance abuse, and how the child is performing in school. If an adolescent ever contemplates suicide the parent or guardian should immediately seek help. Contrary to popular belief, people who talk about suicide are likely to follow through. Pay attention to phrases such as, “It’s no use, I’d be better off dead.” Also be suspicious if a child who has been very depressed suddenly becomes cheerful or hopeful. This intense mood swing may indicate that he believes suicide will be a solution to all his problems.

I received unbelievable news that changed my life forever. While sitting at “Designing U” hair salon with my mother Lashed all morning, boredom soon kicked in. I logged onto Backbone and started reading many deviating posts that all mentioned a guy named Drew. As time went by, I started to wonder was everyone talking about my church friend Dander Johnson. Once realization set in, my biggest fear became true.

While continuing to read the Backbone posts, I came across Dress cousin Davison Johnson status. Davison explained how he couldn’t believe something this tragic appended, “Drew was the light of everyone eyes, he was always caring and helping anyone with anything”, says Davison. Not only was Drew his cousin they were like two peas in a pod. From going to the same school all their lives, to becoming stars on Bilabial High School football team. As minutes passed by my father Charles contacted my mother lashed and l.

He informed us that Drew had been out all morning with two of his friends. The two other teenagers were a boy and a girl, whom I don’t know personally till this day. The young lady was known to be the driver, according to her, while driving down highway 78, he swerved to dodge another vehicle and lost control of the car. With the vehicle flipping and neither of the teens wearing seat-belts it didn’t make the situation better. The two teens were rushed to the RE and My church friend Drew was pronounced dead at the scene.

I had many unanswered questions to why this occurred. For instance, “Why did Drew have to be the only one? “, “Why couldn’t he leave this world a peaceful way” and “Why couldn’t his family and I see him walk across the stage this year? “. Drew would’ve been a senior this year and would’ve had the chance to shine on the football like he Ovid doing. His football number, #52, was spray painted onto BBS football field as the team played in the playoffs last November.

Their school also recognized his family and framed his Jersey. This incident brought everyone closer. Till this day everyone still remembers him as the kid who dreamed to make it to the NFG one day and as the loving and caring person he was. I have realized that people’s leave sooner than expected and no longer question God because I know he makes no mistakes. I always tell myself that Drew and I will reunite one day.

Troublesome I got into trouble with my English teacher, Sir Aizo. Last Tuesday, Sir Aizo had given us two sets of homework to be completed by today. He gave rigorous instruction that we had to submit them today. That way, he could correct them over the weekend and go through the mistakes with the class on Monday. The moment I arrived home, I quickly put down my back, took out the two worksheets and completed doing them. I clearly remember putting the worksheets back into my file once they were completed. When I went to school today, Sir Aizo asked us to hand in our homework.

I took out y file confidently but for some reasons that I could not think of, the worksheets were not in there! I gave out a loud gasp. I then thought that maybe I had put them into my bag directly rather than in the file. I rummaged through the bag but in vain. The worksheets were nowhere to be found. I simply could not remember where they were. I knew that I had done them and kept them decently. However, since I could not find them, I had no option but to tell Sir Aizo. I walked towards the teacher’s table with tentative steps. I was preparing myself for a lecturer and a punishment.

The class hushed when they realized what I was doing. They held their breath as they waited for the scene to happen. When I approached Sir Aizo, I could barely find my courage to talk to him. I told him what happened. My heart was pounding against my chest. As expected, Sir Aizo was fuming mad. He started to scold me about my lack of discipline, time management, my irresponsibility and so on. He told me to be more careful in the future. For the rest of my day, I was feeling sorry for myself. Eloquently, I tried to rack my brains to figure out what could have happened to my work.

The relevance of Shakespeare is, in my opinion, unquestionable, even in contemporary times. Not only is his contribution to the English language immense in its proportions, but also enduring. Even today, William Shakespeare is a household name the world over. He is quite literally, the figure-head of English literature, even to the average layman. Innumerable versions of his immortal works are seen again and again in our films, plays and even our writing. His simple yet deep concepts have stood the test of time and are still as insightful as they were in his day.

Over the years, there have been several adaptations both on stage and in film of Shakespearean works. His plays have inspired successful Hollywood films such 10 Things I Hate About You, based on Taming of the Shrew. The Indian film industry too has drawn heavily on Shakespeare as seen in movies like Angoor, where the plot is drawn almost entirely from A Comedy of Errors and Omkara, an adaptation of Othello. One of his most well-known plays, Romeo and Juliet, has inspired scores of movies such as Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet, and the more recent Ishaqzaade.

To add to this, there have been countless stage productions of his plays. His works continue to captivate audiences to this day. His most popular plays are still a source of ideas to filmmakers in need of a muse. Although it has been said that his plots were repetitive and they are viewed as cliched and overdone from today’s standpoint, the fact remains that these very stories are what draw audiences time after time. A pioneer in his art, he flouted all theatrical conventions of his time and in doing so, altered the very structure of drama.

Critics have noted his disregard for Aristotle’s rules regarding literary unities, but in the words of Pope, “To judge of Shakespeare by Aristotle’s rules, is like trying a man by the laws of one country who acted under those of another”. Pope, in the Preface to his six-folio edition of the works of Shakespeare also says, “Shakespeare is not so much an imitator, as an instrument of nature”. This, undoubtedly, was a response to the accusations of several scholars that all of Shakespeare’s work was, in fact, indebted to Christopher Marlowe.

They even went as far as to attribute all of the innovations and dramatic techniques that first appeared in Shakespeare’s writing to Marlowe. Despite such harsh criticism and vilification, the works of Shakespeare are today some of the most celebrated in English literature. Shakespeare’s approach to writing plays revolutionized Elizabethan theatre. Such forwardness of thought and modernity of outlook was previously unseen in his day and age. He addressed contentious subjects that his contemporaries had hitherto not considered.

He started the trend of writing in blank verse, which transformed all preceding dramatic norms. He used language according to his own fashion, coining words and expressions that have today become so commonplace, that they seem to have been part of the very idiom of language. To this day, expressions such as ‘too much of a good thing’ (As You Like It), ‘in my mind’s eye’ (Hamlet), ‘it was Greek to me’ (Julius Caesar), ‘break the ice’ (The Taming of the Shrew) and ‘bated breath’ (The Merchant of Venice) are used in everyday speech and writing.

Shakespearean quotes such as “To be, or not to be: that is the question” (Hamlet – Act III, Scene I) and “This above all: to thine own self be true” (Hamlet – Act I, Scene III) have passed into standard usage. His plays were written keeping in mind the tastes and preferences of the Elizabethan audiences. He wrote sonnets to appease his patrons and keep a stable income, which enabled him to further his career as a playwright. Not only did his writing have to appeal to the nobles, but also to the commoners, the “groundlings”.

Accepting the challenge, Shakespeare incorporated into his writing not only grandiose depictions of scenes of historical importance, but also earthy, rustic humour in order to please the masses. The themes he dealt with, although in accordance with a particular setting, were universal and easy to relate to irrespective of social class or position. There are few others who hold such widespread acclaim as William Shakespeare. His writing has influenced several writers through the ages, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, John Steinbeck, Aldous Huxley, William Faulkner and Pearl S Buck, to name a few.

A number of writers have quoted Shakespeare in their writing or drawn their titles from his works. Thomas Hardy chose Under the Greenwood Tree as the title for one of his novels, alluding to the following lines from As You Like It: “Under the green wood tree / Who loves to lie with me / And turn his merry note / Unto the sweet bird’s throat. ” From King John’s definition of life: “Life is as tedious as a twice told tale / Vexing the dull air of a drowsy man. The title, Twice Told Tales was taken by both, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Charles Dickens. Aldous Huxley derived the title of his science fiction Brave New World from The Tempest: “O, wonder! / How many goodly creatures are there here! / How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world / That hath such people in it. ” Pearl S Buck named her collected works Words of Love, which was taken from King Lear: “And your large speeches may your deeds approve / That good effects may spring from words of love. John Steinbeck drew the title of his novel The Winter of Our Discontent from the soliloquy of Richard III: “Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this son of York. ” The title of William Faulkner’s novel The Sound and the Fury is taken from the soliloquy of Macbeth: “It is a tale / Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury / Signifying nothing. ” The astute quality of Shakespeare’s plots is highlighted by the depth of the characterization.

Shakespeare’s portrayal of both minor as well as major characters in all of his plays is intricate and inclusive. Few writers have been able to provide such consistent renderings in their works. Such detailed development in terms of plot and character has so far not been rivalled. Despite new advances, Shakespeare’s colossal role in the progression of English literature remains unparalleled till date. In particular, it was Shakespeare’s ability to effortlessly mingle comedy with tragedy that led to his fame, and what makes his works invaluable even today.

In the Preface to Dr. Johnson’s edition of Shakespeare (1765), he writes, “This is the praise of Shakespeare, that his drama is the mirror of life; that he who has mazed his imagination in following the phantoms which other writers raise up before him, may here be cured of his delirious ecstasies by reading human sentiments in human language; by scenes from which a hermit may estimate the transactions of the world, and a confessor predict the progress of the passions. I thereby conclude by once again affirming the relevance of Shakespeare in contemporary times as is plainly seen by the vast influence his work has had on the advancement of the English language and the course of development of English literature.

In my book,  I chronicle the wonderful ways social entrepreneurs are using The Great Convergence to change the world. The Great Convergence is the confluence of a more troubled world colliding with a more interconnected one. It has caused a shift in our culture that has given rise to social entrepreneurship’s growth. There are many ways to observe shifts in our culture. Here’s one surprising way – game shows.

In the winter of 1956 at the height of the Cold War, America was a nation that revered wisdom as much as it did wealth. The projection of our intellect was vital to national security. Much of American life was a demonstration our superiority over the Soviets. Nothing was off limits. Not even television.

During Wednesday evenings in 1956, the streets of America went eerily silence. Restaurants saw business slow to a crawl, stores were empty, and movie theaters were deserted. Americans gathered around their TVs to watch the popular game shows of the era – the quiz shows. None was more popular than “Twenty One” which at its peak had 50 million viewers, who were dazzled by the knowledge projected by its contestants. The show perfectly fit into the zeitgeist of the era.

During that same year, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Bing Crosby filmed High Society, a successful movie featuring the music of Cole Porter. For the film, Porter wrote a song about the rejection of money and greed. Its title would later be misapplied and used for another wildly popular game show that became emblematic of the era in which it appeared.

The song was titled, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

On Monday, August 16, 1999, the show that captured the apotheosis of the 90s debuted. On its premiere evening, millions tuned in to watch. “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” was something of an enigma. The shows title contained a typo that mattered to no one — there should have been a question mark at the end of the phrase since the words technically formed a question. But in the go-go, tech boom ethos of the turn of the century, the phrase “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” was more of a rhetorical statement than a question. ABC executives found the question mark to be pointless, even though the original British version of the program contained one.

Contestants were given plenty of help when it came to answering questions. First, they had four choices to select from, one of which was the right answer. When in doubt, contestants could get help through various means, called ‘lifelines.’ If the assistance wasn’t enough the contestant could back out after getting the question and still keep the money they won up until that point (instead of the typical risk-reward decision-making prior game shows required). The show pulled few punches. It was about one thing – Making Money Now.

For ABC it was a bonanza. The show only cost $400,000 per episode to produce, while sponsors were willing to pay $300,000 for a 30 second commercial. That translated into a per-episode profit of $6 million. No wonder it ran every almost night. On its first night 7.5 million watched. Two days later, 11.5 million. When it aired on the following Sunday night 15 million tuned in. The show would peak at 36 million viewers.

After a year on the air, something started to happen. The audience started turning away from the program. But not just any audience. The youngest viewers (aged 18-49) were abandoning the program.

When the show first debuted the dot-com bubble was still expanding. The show’s mantra fit in perfectly with the mood at the fin de siècle – Making Money Now. But by 2002, the show’s timeslot was adjusted to reflect a sign of the times. It was moved into daytime programming.

Ten years after its prime-time debut ABC brought back “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” at its former coveted time slot. ABC hoped for a repeat of its magical run in the late 1990’s. Once upon a time, 30 million tuned in to watch the game show version of Making Money Now. But this was 2009. The show may have looked the same, but times had changed. The only thing missing from this anniversary show was the viewership.

A fraction of its old audience, 6 million, tuned in to watch. Among the young demographic, the show couldn’t even manage a 2.0 rating. On its final night, after a much-ballyhooed media blitz, only 7.6 million people watched.  In the young demographic the figures were abysmal. The lead-in to the show was an hour-long rerun of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” which scored a higher rating among young viewers.

The Great Convergence was already well underway by August of 2009. The economy remained in turmoil. People were not looking for programming about easy money. They wanted something that better captured their zeitgeist.

And they got it on in the very same evening “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” returned to the air, only it wasn’t that show. It was the new one that debuted after it.

Lost in the hubbub about the return of a once great and culturally attuned program, was the low-key debut of a new one. Hard work, ingenuity, and deal making were the hallmarks of this show. It was everything “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” wasn’t. It had entrepreneurs as both hosts and contestants. There was no grand prize or million-dollar pot of gold. But there were million dollar investments (and smaller ones too). Contestants walked way — if successful — with an investment in their business in exchange for giving up equity.

After six seasons of being on air, it continues to thrive. The ratings have almost doubled since it launched and on the night “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” said farewell, “Shark Tank” made its premiere. The Great Convergence had a game show it could call its own.

When people here the name st. patrick they would most likely think of a Leprechaun with a green Jacket and hat holding a four leaf clover from Ireland. But really, St. Patrick was born, not in Ireland, but in Britain around AD 387. Well, actually, he wasn’t called St. Patrick at the time, or even Patrick, but was referred to as Maewyn Succat. And when he was growing up St. patrick was far from a saint in fact he was considered a pagan until he was 16 when he was taken into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that attacked his village.

Patrick was then sold to his master whom he served for 6 years it was then that he became a Christian One day he heard a compelling voice tell him in his sleep to leave his master, and find a ship that awaited him. He fled to the coast of Ireland and eventually made it back to his home. He then studied in the church and stayed there for 12 years that was when he decided that what god wants him to do is to convert the pagans of Ireland to Christianity. Eventually he adopted his new Christian name, Patricius, or Patrick as it is said today nd returned to Ireland after being appointed a Bishop.

Patrick was very successful at converting people, that upset the Celtic Druids who had him arrested several times, but he managed to escape each arrest. Patrick traveled through Ireland, establishing monasteries, schools, and churches throughout the land. Eventually Patrick returned to where he had once been a slave, to pay his ransom to his former master, and to put his “blessing” upon him. Even though he had been treated cruelly Patrick didn’t hold a grudge against him.

As Patrick approached his master’s old home he saw that it was on fire. He was told by many people that in a fit, his old master gathered all of his valuables into his mansion, set them on fire, and threw himself into the fire telling everyone that “his pride could not take the thought of being killed by his former slave”. There are also many legends surrounding st. patrick saying that he raised people from the dead. Patrick converted people in Ireland for 30 years. Afterwards, he retired, and then died on March 17th, 461 AD.

He was not declared a saint when Patrick died, that didn’t happen until the 12th century. He would have been declared a saint by acclamation, and his sainthood approved by a local bishop soon after he died. St. Patrick’s Day was originally a Catholic holiday, and still is, but has also made it was into a holiday for everyone to celebrate being celebrated by non-lrish, non-Catholics, and ironically even atheists. The tradition of pinching people that didn’t wear green is an American tradition that started in the 1700s.

People thought wearing green made them invisible to leprechauns, who they thought would pinch people for not wearing green. So when you think of St. Patrick, and you imagine a leprechaun in a green Jacket, hat, pipe, clover, and pot of gold try to remember that he was not a man who devoted 30 years of his life to teaching and helping the Irish. We think of the color green not a man that suffered six years of slavery to preach his beliefs. And has turned this holiday about him into celebrating leprechauns and wearing green st. patrick’s day esssay.

The Day My Life Changed Forever I will never forget the day when my life was changed forever. I was twenty-two years old and about to give birth to my first child. I was having a girl, who I was going to name Mia Alexandria. Up until this point in my life I was able to go and come as I pleased, but that was about to all change. I knew that having a child would change my life but did not know how much. It was in December of 1996, and was a cold, dreary winter day. I was in my eighth month of pregnancy and I was crabby about having to lug around extra weight that was in my belly.

I awoke early that morning and decided to run some errands. I drove a Jeep Wrangler at that time, a red one with a white hard top that consistently bounced around the road with every bump and crack that you hit. I can still feel the bitter draft that seeped through the cracks as I drove. It was a stick shift, which many of my friends did not know how to operate. Reluctantly, I hopped my pregnant body up into it barely being able to move my limbs from being bundled up in my poufy parka. My friend decided to join me that day to keep me company.

Our first stop was to the unemployment agency. The unemployment agency back then was located in several buildings scattered throughout the state so you just had to find the closest 2 one to you, drive to it, fill out some paperwork, and stand in line to file your claim. Things were not done as they are now with all the fancy computer technology. As we arrived in the parking lot I was feeling a little anxious, not having applied before, and not knowing what I was going to say to the person behind the counter.

I had been released from my waitressing job a few weeks before because of my pregnancy, the owner was afraid I might slip and fall while I was working and didn’t want to be responsible or even take that chance. The owner said I could come back after I had the baby but in the meantime I wasn’t able to pay December’s rent nor did I have any food in my apartment. My mom said I could come eat any time I wanted at her house and always sent a care package with me when I left, but still that did not pay the rent.

Needless to say I did not have very much money for gas to drive back and forth to her house either and we lived about 15 miles apart. I wasn’t sure if I was going to qualify to receive unemployment but I knew I desperately needed to do something because of the baby I had on the way. When we walked into the building I saw a tremendously long line, a take a number sign, rows and rows of chairs with other fellow unemployed citizens, and quite a few government workers behind the counters. The place was huge.

The atmosphere felt stuffy to me and the room was predominantly filled with men that displayed gloomy faces. I took a number and my friend and I took our place in line. We were standing for about twenty minutes when all of a sudden I felt this rush of wetness between my thighs. I was not sure what had just happened but I thought to myself I could not have just had an accident like a preschooler. As I mentally assessed the situation, the 3 only thing that kept me running from embarrassment was my long parka that came down past a good portion of my back side so you could not see my midsection.

My bladder control was not as it was before I was pregnant; however when I realized after a minute or two that maybe the liquid that was uncontrollably releasing from my body was not urine at all, but that my water had broke, which meant I was going into labor. Being twenty-two and it being my first child I think I may have been in shock. Not knowing what else I should do, I decided to walk up to one of the few ladies I saw in the office. I wanted to ask what I should do because I had already signed in. The lady looked at me in disbelief and said “Leave, who cares that you signed in. You need to go to the hospital”.

My friend and I looked at one another and then quickly scurried out to my Jeep and jumped in. My friend thought she should drive but did not know how to drive a stick-shift. I figured it was probably a much better idea if I drove and assured her I was not in any pain and I was fine to drive. I swiftly sped off not really having the next destination in mind but knowing I had towards the hospital. I was not in pain and did not want to rely on someone else to decide what to bring to the hospital for me so I decided to make a pit stop back at my apartment before heading over to the hospital.

When we arrived only twenty minutes or so had passed and I thought by now something else should be happening with my body and was anticipating the worse was about to come. I changed out of my miserably wet pants and I quickly gathered up the things I thought I should bring. We jumped back in my bouncy jeep with our destination being the hospital this time and began making our journey there. We had about a thirty minute drive to Royal Oak Beaumont without traffic and even though I was not having any contractions I knew I did not 4 want to give birth in my vehicle.

I had heard numerous crazy stories from people throughout my pregnancy about giving birth in weird places and just really wanted to make it to the hospital. When we arrived at Royal Oak Beaumont I entered through the emergency room. The security guard went to get me a wheel chair but I felt that I was fine and decided to walk up to the labor and delivery floor. When I got to the floor the nurses greeted me excitedly and hooked me up to a computer with all this wires that were connected to a stretchy band that fit around my belly.

I didn’t know what they were for at the time, but now I know they were to measure my contractions. The nurse checked my dilation status and I was at a four and when you deliver the baby a person’s dilation status is at a ten. The nurse bundled all my belongings in a plastic bag and swiftly rushed me to appropriate room for delivery. When I was walking to my new room the nurses were astonished that I was dilated to four and walking around without feeling any pain. I didn’t have the foggiest idea what was going to happened so it really didn’t faze me.

My friend must have been calling every person I knew because people started trickling in to see me. Tons of family and friends rotated in and out of my room baring gifts and helpful encouraging tips. The hospital staff allowed many more people in the room at one time then I thought was allowed. I had been at the hospital for about an hour and a half and still wasn’t feeling any contractions even though the nurse said I was having them. One of my friends had brought a deck of cards and another stopped at the store and brought me candy for my weet tooth I had so we were playing cards and I was eating candy when the doctor showed up. The doctor was a middle age man, probably in his forty’s, which I had never met before. He was the doctor responsible for the patients from the office I went to for my prenatal checkups. I went to the hospital obgyn clinic were the doctors were doing their internships and other senior staff doctors oversaw that they were performing the correct way. He told us I probably would not be having the baby for a few hours, it was now about dinner time and I was starting to get hungry.

My dilation status had stayed at between four and five for quite some time and he decided to order for me to have pitocin which tricks your body into starting to have contractions so your body will deliver the baby faster. This drug mimics the effects of the hormone, oxytocin that naturally is released in your body to induce labor. My dad and step-mom did not want to miss the birth of my first child but wanted to leave to go get dinner and they were going to bring me something back.

They said I could not eat but they were allowing me to eat the candy which was a little strange. Eventually I knew I would want some dinner though and encouraged them to go and come back. Little did my dad or I know that what he feared was about to come true. He kissed me on the head and said “Don’t have that baby till I get back, ya hear”. I laughed and replied “Ok”. My dad left and the nurse came in to administer the pitocin. As the medicine flowed through my IV into my vein it felt not quite cold but a cool trickling rush like some little bugs were invading my body.

It had only been a few minutes when I could start feeling maybe a little squeezing of my belly that they were calling a contraction. About seven or eight people were standing in my room talking to one another and asking me a bunch of questions when all of a sudden I felt the biggest kick, it felt like someone punched me in the stomach. Then next came a contraction, it was hard 6 And it hurt. I yelled to the nurse “I think I’m about to have the baby”, she said “Let me check probably not just yet”.

I shouted back “I think I need something for pain then”. Quickly I was administered some Demerol which was supposed to curve the pain. It just made me feel like I was going to vomit as it rushed through my veins and gave me the biggest high I had ever felt. Again I felt a big contraction “I want everyone out” I yelled. Everyone scurried out the nurse checked me and I was about to have the baby, she pushed the emergency button and the doctor came running. No one was ready, none of the packages were opened up for the delivery, and no one had their proper labor and delivery gear on.

There was no time for any of that I had one more contraction and I was told not to push yet but there was no pushing nor any stopping that baby from coming into this world. Next thing I knew this small watermelon size thing came bounding out and it was over. No more pain, no more scary anticipation, and no more extra weight in my belly. And of course my dad had missed it. Mia Alexandria was here and weighed 5lbs 15oz, and was 19 inches long. My freedom at that moment ended forever. I would always be responsible for this other little person forever, or what would seem forever.

No more just getting up and going. No more random journeys in my jeep at the spur of the moment not knowing where we might end up. Everywhere I would go from then on out I would have lots of extra things I would have to take with me for the care of the baby. Even though my life changed at that moment forever it was for the better. The birth of my daughter made me think about all my actions and the consequences that may follow. I always tried my hardest to do the right thing and be the best person I could be from that moment on because I wanted to be the best mommy ever.