Some Lessons from the Assembly Line!

Andrew's Braackma', in his essay Some Lessons from the Assembly Line, gained a new insight on life. Factory work has taught him--he is lucky to have gotten an education, how to work hard, and how easy it is to lose that work once you have it. I also did some volunteer work that changed my life.  
I remember a couple of years ago my mom had volunteered me to help out our local Catholic church. I couldn't believe she was making do this. I hated the idea of having to get up at 6:00 a.m., walk two miles to the church, and help other volunteers set up for "El Dia de la Virgen, December 12." Don't get me wrong I love this celebration, but having to help set up was something I did not want to do. I was also upset because I was going to miss the parade. When I arrived, I was immediately put to work. I had to carry heavy boxes filled with the Mexican flag, red, white, green strings, yarns, bows, hats, flowers to a room across the parking. I had to do this over twenty-times back and forth. I wouldn't have been complaining so much if the sun wasn't burning hot. We started setting up the tables and chairs. I was carrying one of the tables, and I tripped, and it fell on my foot. I was about to just give up and leave, but then I saw all the people arriving to the church. A car had arrived, and it had a bunch of pans and pots full tamales, rice, beans, nopales, red salsa, green salsa, carnitas, tortillas, etc. It was heaven. When we had put everything together, it looked amazing. I couldn't believe how much our hard work had paid off. Everybody was having a great time just talking, eating, and laughing.
My mom volunteering me to help changed my life. I help out every year, and not only for this celebration, but all of the other ones too. I love the idea of helping people. I get an amazing feeling.

Salvation

Langston Hughes, in his article “Salvation”, experiences the pressure of his family and church members to be given in, and be saved by God. His aunt had told him that he would see the light when God appeared, but he never felt God’s presence nor did he see him. Hughes ends up lying about being saved so his family and church members would be happy. I have felt the same pressure from my friends to do something I didn’t want to do, and gave in so I wasn't made fun of.

It was June 1, 2010, one more day before my birthday, so my friends and I decided to celebrate. I was finally turning 18; I was so excited. There was going to be a huge party in San Francisco hosted by one of our closest friend. When we arrived to the party I couldn’t believe how huge the house was. It was a beautiful, purple, three story house. It had two garages plus another driveway. When I stepped inside, I was amazed on how big the living room and the kitchen were. There were also two flights of stairs. There were so many people; you had to squish your way through to go into another room. I realized everybody was already drunk and all over the place. I had been to other parties before, but not one like this. I go into the kitchen, and to my surprise my friends are already taking shots of Tequila. My friend, Tub Tub, said “Celene, you should take some shots; it’s almost your birthday. There’s only ten minutes until midnight. Maira, my other friend, said, “Come one Celene, you might as well do it. What could possibly go wrong?” “You both know I don’t like drinking,” I said to them. After ten minutes of their taunting, I finally decided to take a shot. “Only one,” said Maira, so I took another one. That shot led to another one and one. I wake up the next morning, still drunk, in a strange, dark, small closet, and I realize my wallet, my right shoe, and cell phone missing. I step out of the closet and find the place trashed with no one to be found including my friends. I started to freak out; I didn’t know what to do! I ran outside and noticed my car was missing as well. I remembered there was a gas station a couple miles down the road, and I thought to myself maybe they’ll let me use their phone. After walking for about thirty minutes, I was exhausted. I finally made it to the gas station and guess who I find there. I found my car! I ran to it and looked inside and find my friends sound asleep in there. I pounded on the windows, and scare my friends. They open the door and tell me what had happened. It turns out that I had disappeared into the crowd of people, and they couldn’t find me. Somebody had told them that I ran outside, so they went out to look for me. They had driven around for hours trying to find me, and finally decided to park at the gas station to see if I would show up.

My experience has taught me to never give into pressure even if they’re one of the closest people in your family. I have learned that it’s up to me whether I want to do something or not, and if they people don’t like it, that’s just too bad.

Cell Phones and Social Graces!

After reading Charles Fisher's essay Cellphones and Social Graces, you realize that he isn't against cellphones; he is against how people choose to use them.  He doesn’t bother greeting someone because he knows they’re too busy babbling on their phone to listen.  He says “I can no longer attend a movie without cellphones intruding like unwanted aliens into my enjoyment.”  I absolutely agree with Fisher’s views.

I own two cellphones.  I use one to listen to music or to use the internet.  The other one I use it to text my girlfriend when we’re not together or to get a hold of my family.  Other than that my cellphones are inside a drawer or just laying around somewhere on the ground.  People nowadays need a cellphone to survive.  For example, my girlfriend is constantly on her phone.  She never sets it down which I find very annoying. It will be a beautiful, sunny day and if we were to go on a walk; she would be on her phone.  She’s either has the phone glued to her fingers or her ears.  We can’t go out to the movies because her sister or her “friend” will text her or call her.  All I see is the bright, blinding light coming from her phone.  When we’re home, if her cellphones vibrates or rings she dives to grab it and immediately reply back.  She doesn’t even pay any attention to me.  I have to beg for it like a dog begs for its owner’s attention. 

My 15-year-old sister is exactly the same probably even worse.  When she got her first phone, I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal, but I was sadly mistaken.  This girl doesn’t put her phone for nothing.  I could be dying and she would just be texting away!  It got to the point where her grades didn’t even matter anymore as long as she had her phone she would be okay.  My mom took her phone away, so she could concentrate more on her homework than who suspended for fighting at school.  My sister is too rebellious, so in order for her to get her phone back she made up a plan.  Her plan was to not come home and spend the night at a friend’s house; she wasn’t going to show up to school, and just stop listening to my mom.  My mom eventually gave in and returned the phone back to my sister.  This really bothered me because my sister did great without a cellphone.  She would interact with our family and friends more.  Now if you talk to her, you’re lucky enough to get a response back.  When we’re eating out with my dad or with my mom all I hear is the clicking noise her cellphone buttons make when she presses on them.  Her cellphone has got to go!    

This is probably one of the major reasons why I don’t really like cellphones.  Yes, they’re there when needed but do we really need to be constantly on them.  Why can’t we go back to the times when people actually interacted with each other, when someone would actually greet you when you pass them on the street?  Now when someone is on the phone and you pass them on the street, you’re lucky enough to even make eye contact with them.

Darkness At Noon!

Harold's Krent’s purpose in writing Darkness at Noon was to inform us about how blind people are treated.  He talks about his own personal experiences as a blind man.  He writes about how just because he's blind doesn't mean he's deaf or mute.  Since he's blind, it's very difficult for him to find employment.  I completely agree with his viewpoint. Nobody should ever be treated differently.  We're all humans.  Who cares if we have disabilities?

My girlfriend occasionally gets treated differently by others. Her disability isn’t visible unless you know about it.  I’d say what it is that she has, but I can’t spell it.  She’s had two back surgeries in the past six years.  She had to quit her job because she needed another surgery.  Since then she’s been trying to find another job but nobody will hire her because of her disability.  She can’t stand up for more than an hour before she needs to sit down to rest her back.  She can’t lift up any heavy objects.  She used to be able to play sports, ride a skateboard, etc.  It’s really hard on her because she knows she’s never going to be able to do any of the things she used to do.

My cousin also had a disability.  He was always treated differently by others.  His disability was actually visible.  He didn’t have many friends and the only people who were actually there for him were his family.  Unfortunately he passed away.  What pissed me off the most was that at his funeral, all the people who had made of him were there.  Who does that? Why would someone show up to someone’s funeral knowing all they did was make fun of them?  It makes no sense to me.

Nobody should be treated differently. Ever.