...In my senior year in high school I was told several stories about a certain family member of mine and how he was a firefighter. Neleigh Parks (my Great-Grandfather), a man I looked up to, was a volunteer firefighter. So that inspired me to become one. One day out of the blue I decided to approach my mother about it. She was very supportive of my decision to become a firefighter. It took a couple of months for me to gain the courage to actually go to the firehouse and talk to the people. I was curius to find out what it took to become one. After finding out such requirements I decided to persue it. So many people were proud of my decision to join. Most importantly proud of myself. Every third monday the fire department would have business meetings. These meetings a firehouse would vote on budgets, agendas, etc. Here they would also vote on prospects for the department. October of the year of 2009 was that fateful night. I was on the dockett for the membership board to vote on prospects. The whole night the probationarys and myself were stuck cleaning the engine bay. This involved sweeping, mopping, and surface cleaning. Two hours later every voting member came out. Shaking in nervousness and excitement I was waiting for an answer back. The chief of the department came out and approached me and gave me my verdict. "Congratulations probie" the chief said. In total shock I lit up a cigarette and said thank you to every voting member. With the meeting over and done with I walked...
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...Lucas Corrao EN 1320 31-Mar-15 Unit Two, Assignment 3 “You cannot be disciplined in great things and undisciplined in small things. There is only one sort of discipline – perfect discipline” -General George S. Patton, Jr. This quote was drilled into my head while I was in basic training in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri I can still remember the first time I fired an M-16. The rush I felt firing that weapon was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Still to this day, the resounding crack and the simultaneous recoil from the round being propelled from the muzzle of that weapon sends chills throughout my body. Watching the plastic green target drop, from the force of the round and then the next target following suit was exhilarating. Shortly after a round feeding malfunction shifted my joyous mood to a feeling of dread. Fortunately, discipline and muscle memory allowed me to keep a calm head and fix the malfunction in time to fire a third round and hit my third target. This memory always stuck with me allowing me to become one of the best shooters in every company I was a part of the Army. As I walked up to the firing line that warm July morning, I could feel my stomach starting to knot up from the anxiety and nervousness that I was feeling. it was my first time firing an assault rifle and the fear of failing heavily on my mind. I had previously only fired a shotgun, but that is a weapon of point and shoot. Knowing that I wanted to do well, as to not get criticized for...
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...My memory is from when I was in the United States Navy. I was sent to my first duty station which was in the Middle East in a small country called Bahrain. It wasn't that bad there, it was just that it was far from home for everyone and it was extremely hot all the time that made everyone there hate it there. When I was there, there was a sailor that was stationed there that had a girlfriend which also was a sailor. They both lived in the barracks. He had been having problems with her and actually got into trouble for domestic violence with her. He had gotten put into restriction and wasn't allowed to arm up and go to work. In restriction you are not allowed to leave your room except to go and do extra duty, which consists of shinning a bell that is in front of the flag or anything that the duty chief that is in charge of restriction tells you to do. After that incident, his girlfriend broke up with him. After two weeks of me being stationed there, he had gotten out of restriction and they let him get armed up and go to work. It was about five in the morning that I was outside and ready to do my morning PT with my squad. Not more than two minutes out side, a marine comes running to us telling us to get inside the building because there was an active shooter inside the base shooting people. What had happened was that the guy went to see his ex-girlfriend to go and talk to her. She was in her room with another girl, her new girlfriend. She had left him for another...
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...Creating an memoir That special day 4.1 Robert Johnson ITT Technical Institute It’s so ironic to do an essay about a specific meaningful event that has had a great impact on your life because of what particularly happened this weekend was such a meaningful and great sense of accomplishment that my little sister achieved. This weekend my sister had a ceremony graduation, she recently graduated from L.V.N. school and now can practice in the field that she so desired to do and that was to help people in an hospital setting, in the future she plans to pursue her career and an R.N. and work in labor and delivery I am so proud of my sister and after what I experienced this weekend the thoughts of achievement and success keeps a smile on my face. This weekend I was not only proud of my sister but nervous too I knew deep down this was one of her ultimate goals that she wanted to complete in her lifetime, I was nervous because I didn’t want to get too emotional in front of her because she too would have gotten emotional with me too, I didn’t want her to ruin her photographs and memories with friends so I was able to keep it together thankfully. As I sat in the audience to myself I started to think to myself, this can be one day the reason why I sacrifice everyday day in and day out, balancing work, parenting, school, and being a husband can be difficult and discouraging at times but this is the ultimate reward, having family and friends there to support and cheer for you for...
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...Skateboarding has always been a part of my life, when I say always I mean since I was 4 years old. I picked up more aggressively at the age of 6 and really took off at the age of 13. Skateboarding among stress relief has taught me critical life lessons, and handling situations in everyday life. It has also taught me determination dedication and hard work. Ironically it has taught me to eat healthy and stay active. Although it is fun it’s one of the last things I learned from it, it also taught me about being cautious whether it was a real life situation or just a skateboarding situation. It helped my self-confidence as well as being a life coach to teach others the things I already know. The sport has taken me places I could only dream of being a kid, whether it was city to city or in competitions with a diverse set of individuals. My experience is a classic one as it started basic and blossomed into a hobby and then into a job. I got paid in skateboarding merchandise and skateboards, as well as stickers. The people I met also played an important role in my life, meeting business owners who saw the potential in marketing skateboarding provided, as well as upcoming brands who are now well know skateboarding brands. It taught me to be a part of a community where everyone knew of each other in one way or another and all shared the same goals and interests. Street skating and filming is another dimension in its own. It forces you to be creative making a video including a direction...
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...Ashoka Written by: Amulya Chandra Sen Last Updated 1-1-2014 Ashoka Emperor of India Also known as Aśoka died 238 BC? Ashoka, also spelled Aśoka (died 238? bce, India), last major emperor in the Mauryan dynasty of India. His vigorous patronage of Buddhism during his reign (c. 265–238 bce; also given as c. 273–232 bce) furthered the expansion of that religion throughout India. Following his successful but bloody conquest of the Kalinga country on the east coast, Ashoka renounced armed conquest and adopted a policy that he called “conquest by dharma” (i.e., by principles of right life). In order to gain wide publicity for his teachings and his work, Ashoka made them known by means of oral announcements and by engravings on rocks and pillars at suitable sites. These inscriptions—the rock edicts and pillar edicts (e.g., the lion capital of the pillar found at Sarnath, which has become India’s national emblem), mostly dated in various years of his reign—contain statements regarding his thoughts and actions and provide information on his life and acts. His utterances rang of frankness and sincerity. According to his own accounts, Ashoka conquered the Kalinga country (modern Orissa state) in the eighth year of his reign. The sufferings that the war inflicted on the defeated people moved him to such remorse that he renounced armed conquests. It was at this time that he came in touch with Buddhism and adopted it. Under its influence and prompted by his own dynamic temperament, he...
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...Shawn Loaiza Professor Cagnolatti English 100 31 Jan 2014 Three Jewels in the rough Being the eldest of six siblings and cousins I was the one that had to set the example, this was the role I had to fill and this was what my great grandmother had instilled into my mind. I never thought of being the one to lead by example I always wanted to play around with my football and hot wheels, watch Dragon Ball Z, Pokémon, and Tom and Jerry all night long. But one night I remember vividly being in the kitchen while my granny was cooking dinner one Sunday night. My granny pulled me to the side while she told me to set up the table, and told me “Son in life you must work hard, and work hard for what you love, and when things get hard you never ever give up on what you love, you give it your best and when you think that you have given it your best you continue till you get what you deserve, you hear me Jr?” I told her “I do” How ironic? Like marriage, I would carry those words to death. I was only 11 at the time, and I felt like Goku from Dragon Ball Z with a mission that embarked on a journey filled with problems. But I would have that warrior ambition just like Goku, being humble and fight till the end for what he loved. I never knew why she told me what she had told me but I was soon to find out why when I fractured my jaw in four different places. Knowing that let me start off by telling this story with my heart. I have an enormous love for Football there is this passion...
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