Simply The Best

                While reading the short story “Gryphon” the substitute teacher at Five Oaks reminded me of a favorite teacher of my own.  As a freshman in high school, I was naive and constantly worried about what others thought of me.  On the first day of school I met my speech teacher, Ms. Kitzmiller.  She greeted me at the door and I immediately felt welcome, as if I had known her for years.  Like Ms. F, Ms. Kitzmiller was a breath of fresh air and an escape from the constant pressure as a freshman.  There wasn’t a single class where her students felt inferior or didn’t enjoy listening to what she had to say.  Ms. Kitzmiller was always sarcastic and telling us how it was going to be, never holding back.  While other teachers would seem cranky and dull, she could turn anyone’s day around.  Although not all of the students were fond of Ms. F, she brought life to the small town and gave students the sense of adventure.  Teachers like Ms. F and Ms. Kitzmiller have the greatest impact on their students with their character and the connections they make with their students that go beyond strictly academics.

Bub's Change of Heart

                Before his experience with Robert, Bub was depressed and unsocial.  Bub spent most nights smoking his life away with no intentions of opening up to anyone.  Friendship and true love seemed “pathetic” to Bub, who avoided emotional connections with everyone in his life, including his unhappy wife.  Bub was prejudiced against the blind and opposed Robert’s stay; however, as Bub searched for reasoning behind his opposition towards Robert, Bub began to find that Robert was an honorable, loving man.  Despite Robert’s disability, Bub found that he took similar interests and began to open up to him.  Robert’s open personality towards people, love and friendship encouraged Bub to begin trusting and connecting with other people.   Bub’s change in heart progressed as his connection with Robert strengthened.  Robert gave Bub perspective by having him close his eyes and draw with his hands what he thought a cathedral looked like.  This connection brought Bub to realize that his detachment from others was not the way he wished to live his life.

Sharecropping: The Downfall of Abner Snopes

Throughout the Civil War, plantations relied on slaves for cheap, affordable labor.  At the close of the war, the emancipation of slaves led the United States into the Reconstruction Era.  With the economy in ruins and a lack of labor, plantation owners were left in need of assistance while poor farmers were left with no money to support their families.  Sharecropping was one of the few options available for poor families, particularly in the Southern United States.  Through the system of sharecropping, a landowner distributes a portion of their land to a sharecropper.  In return, the landowner receives a share of the crop produced on the land that was assigned.  Although this opportunity appeared to be beneficial, its toll on families across the south often put more financial burden on the tenant than what had existed before.  Many families were bombarded with debts and costs that could only be paid through work.  While stuck in the cycle of sharecropping, Abner Snopes lost hope of escape.  As his debts increased, he lost himself in a maze of anger and frustration.  His hatred for the system could be seen through his outbursts and rebellion toward the landowners.  Although his actions were not honorable, his loss of hope and freedom influenced his decisions of fighting back.  Abner’s non-existant routes of escape left him willing to sacrifice anything to show his frustrations toward the corrosive system.

Moving Forward

                While serving his country, Lieutenant Cross’ heart kept him wishing he was home.  While other soldiers carried necessities for survival, Cross carried reminders of his love, Martha.  He clung to pictures, letters, and even a pebble she sent to him while he was away; despite the fact that he knew she did not love him in return.  Martha gave Lieutenant Cross hope and motivation and reminded him of the life he had before the war.  Cross constantly daydreamed about Martha, and found himself distracted from his position of leadership.  His daydreams finally took a toll on his conscience when one of his men, Ted Lavender, was killed.  Cross blamed himself for Lavender’s death and felt that he could have prevented it, had he not been daydreaming about Martha.  Cross, faced with guilt and devastation, decided to end his relations with Martha in order to be a better leader.  Although he was hard on himself, he hoped to improve not only himself, but the others around him as well.  Although Martha was his connection to home, Cross ultimately decided to pursue his duties in the war rather than clinging to his past life.

"Everyday Use"

Throughout her life, Dee conformed herself to match the latest fashion trend or label while her little sister, Maggie, had little confidence in herself but saw importance in her family backgrounds and traditions.  Even as a little girl, Dee was embarrassed by her heritage and refused to embrace it.  She showed no pride towards her family’s home or even her own name that she eventually changed to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo.  While Dee defied her family’s historical background, Maggie took interest in the significance of her mother’s quilts and memorabilia that represented her family’s past.  As a college student, Dee was surprised to find that her family’s heritage had important meaning and began taking pictures to show off to her friends.  At one point, Dee claimed that she actually wanted the treasured family quilts crafted by her grandmother and aunt that she once rejected because she found them to be ‘old-fashioned’.  In reality, she only wanted the quilts to show off and saw no meaning in them.  Although Dee was her older sister, her actions offended Maggie.  Maggie, who took pride in her heritage, had dreamed of taking ownership of the quilts her grandmother and aunt had stitched to carry on her family traditions.  Dee, on the other hand, only had intended to use the quilts for meaningless everyday use.  Maggie and Dee’s mother chose to give the quilts to Maggie to acknowledge her appreciation of her family’s heritage when she realized Dee had false intentions.

My Dearest Daughter,

I hope you find the will in your heart to forgive me.  I never meant to hurt you; I only wished to push you to be your very best.  Your potential is astonishing.  I have always dreamed of giving you the life I never had, but in turn I brought you down.  You were never inferior to others; I only compared you to those who had succeeded because I have always known you could be even better.  I intended to inspire you.  As a mother, I can’t help but worry about your future.  All I ask is that you embrace your talents and intelligence, for this will take you far.  Take advantage of all opportunities that come your way, America is unlike any other place in the world.  All I ask is that you try.

As I have watched you grow and mature, I couldn’t be more proud.  I wish I would have spent more time telling you this rather than critiquing everything you ever put your mind to.  I thought my criticism would push you to be the best, but in reality it pushed you away from me.  I never meant to intentionally hurt you; instead, I hoped to instill discipline and responsibility that would lead your life in the right direction.  You had this all along, I was too blindsided with the fear of failure to notice.  I will never forgive myself for hurting you.

As you grow into a young woman and enter the world, I hope you follow your dreams and always put forth your best effort.  When you eventually have a family of your own, pass this down to your children.  Encourage them to always be their best-I hope you do the same.  I know you will go far if you push yourself to conquer the impossible.  No matter what your dreams may be, follow them, and stick to them.

Love,

Your Mother

Mom, I hope you understand...

Hey Mom!

I know my sudden decision to leave A&P might have seemed extreme, but I figured you would support me since I was standing for what I believe in.  He had no right to humiliate those girls.  I will admit, they were not in proper attire, but I just think it was wrong.  I understand that you are disappointed.  If anything I thought that I would get a little thank you from the girls, but instead they walked away.  To be honest, I truly felt that that was the only thing they did wrong.  As young girls, I doubt they were purposely looking for attention.  Although I believe the situation could have been handled differently, I do not regret my actions.  I do not expect you to agree with me, I only ask for your support while I learn from my mistakes.

Love Always,

Sammy

Advice I Hope You Will Take

Do not let anyone tell you something is impossible, follow your dreams; be no one other than yourself; listen to others, give others the respect that you expect in return; set priorities, they will lead you in the right direction; never do anything half-way, reach for success in everything you do; give everyone a chance; speak appropriately; give thanks, you should take nothing for granted; give love and it will be given in return; be sincere, there is no serenity in lies; reach out to others, you will be surprised what you find; take the initiative, you should want to help without being asked; find interests and hobbies, they develop you into the person you want to be; give others hope, do not shut people down; cherish family, they love you unconditionally, you should do the same; try something new; pay attention to your surroundings, always be aware; do not take everything literally, many things have hidden meaning; embrace criticism, it makes you stronger; no one is perfect, strive to be the best that you can be; create friendships that last; always give before you expect to receive; but what if I fail?; those who are unsuccessful learn from their mistakes, no one is perfect, why should we fear failure if it only makes us work harder?