Premium Essay

Personal Narrative: My Obstacles In My Life

Submitted By
Words 624
Pages 3
Growing up I met several obstacles in my life that I now appreciate because they were fundamental to my success. As a child, I lived with my mother and two of my brothers. We went through many challenges such as lounging at family member’s homes, living in a shelter, and moving to an unsafe neighborhood. When I grew older things were much better for my family and I but I still carry those hardship lessons with me. I have learned to be humble and grateful for everything that I’ve earned in life. When I was 4 years old me and my family moved from North Carolina to New York City. My mother decided to leave everything behind to remove us from the bad relationship she had with my father. We alternated staying with my grandparents to my aunt’s house until my mom got her life on track. Since I was young I didn’t understand what was going on. I was content that I had the chance to spend time with my family. What I remember the most is the relationships I grew with my …show more content…
By this time I was in kindergarten and my school was across the street from the shelter we lived in. I absolutely loved the school I was in. I had so many friends and none of them treated me any different from the other kids. My teacher was very nice and I was her favorite student. The most memorable time I can recall was when I was sitting with a boy from my school waiting for my brother to pick me up. We talked and we realized we stayed in the same shelter. I was excited to have someone in the same building as me. When my brother came me and the boy hugged and we exclaimed, “we’re homeless!” My brother was embarrassed and I didn’t know why. I didn’t know the word homeless has such a negative connotation. I was thankful that we had somewhere to live and that I was getting a nice education. Being in the shelter taught me love what I have and not compare myself to

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Personal Narrative: My Obstacles In My Life

...I have encountered many obstacles in my life that have shaped me into the person that I am today. Being from a low income, single parent household presented a lot of challenges for me. My mother has always encouraged and instilled the idea that college is the best and only option for me to make something of myself and be a better version of what she could have been if she had the support system that I have. I was born and raised in Jamaica, there it has always been a struggle to afford school uniform and lunch. Despite this struggle I’ve never missed a day from school or used my struggle to justify anything that have presented a set back in my life. The disadvantages that I’ve faced have never stopped me from excelling in school or from putting...

Words: 423 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Analyzing How To Say Nothing In 500 Words By Paul Roberts

...Nothing in 500 Words by Paul Roberts, an essay, discusses common mistakes made by college freshmen in academic writing. During my semester of Intro to Expository Writing, my academic writing has greatly improved. My writing started as “Elementary school was like a fairytale; there was a pretty princess and a handsome prince, but I was an evil villain.” And has grown to “Through her diction, Walls creates various tones in order to convey to her audience that despite obstacles, it is possible to escape from a dysfunctional family in hopes of a brighter future.” Using How to Say Nothing in 500 Words, I will be evaluating my own writing by discussing my strengths, weaknesses, and how I have grown as a writer. Writing narratives have always been a personal struggle for me. Unless I passionately come up with a story, and immediately write it on paper, my narratives are bland. It is hard to write personal life-changing stories when I have a deadline. One weakness of mine is using colorful words. For example, a sentence from my personal narrative was written as “It was magnificent with its stained green carpet and plenty of wooden bookshelves stocked with colorful books.” In retrospect, this is how it could have been written, “The spacious library had wooden bookshelves stuffed with leather-bound books, which rested on gritty emerald carpet.”...

Words: 582 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Accomplishment

...achievement and how you were able to add value to your organization. — Johnson The goal in answering this kind of question is to analyze, rather than summarize, an achievement. This advice is particularly true if you're discussing an accomplishment that is listed elsewhere on the application. Your readers want to gain insight into your character, not read a factual summary of what occurred. Here are some guiding principles to use in constructing your answer: (1) Choose something that's meaningful to you. Some applicants feel obligated to choose the most objectively impressive accomplishments. You should write about something that has personal significance, even if you weren't formally recognized for it. What matters is that you write passionately and insightfully about your subject. Unless otherwise specified, you should feel free to draw on academic, personal, or professional successes. (2) Focus on details about the process. Show the reader through concrete details how you achieved what you did. If you want to discuss a grade you earned in a particularly challenging class, show us how you mastered the material. For example, describe creative strategies you used; don't rely on clichés like "I succeeded through hard work."http://www.free-essay-writing-topics.com/index.php?page=mba-application-accomplishment-questions...

Words: 1811 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

The Interesting Narrative Of Olaudah Equiano

...Many victims of injustice were frightened to publicize their personal experience to other individuals of fear they may not appreciate their narrative. Some victims would prefer to maintain their privacy to protect themselves, a family member or protection from embarrassment. My opinion would be it is better for the victim to share their journey. For example, in the past slaves were victims of injustice as they share their journey upon individuals they give us wisdom and knowledge of their history. The narrative written by a slave expresses the thoughts and events they had to endure during their lifetime. Just like in the reading of The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, written by himself explains obstacles...

Words: 362 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Reflection On Frederick Douglass

...Emmanuel Obeng Professor Rosalie Yezbick LITR220 25 March, 2016 Course Reflection It has been an amazing eight weeks of intense but fun time learning about American Literature. There were some awesome topics, essays and readings that were my favorites. However, there were also some few topics that even though were interesting to read were my least favorite. The body of this essay is going to be talking about my three favorite as well as my three least topic, essays, forums and reading throughout the course. My first is Anti-Slavery and Slave Narratives in week seven forum, some of the challenges Linda Brent faced while she lived under Flint. While reading, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” it actually made me feel very sad for this...

Words: 820 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Biologial

...personal narrative You act white tell a personal narrative of multi-racial girl. The girl has more problems with her skin color because she is too shy to make friends. Three black girls deride her and cause some problems. She is only 8th grade's student and a small kid. These three girls give pressure that a kid can not easy to withstand. Their threaten and actions to her makes her so upset. What those girls has done to her makes her suffering a lot. When I read this article, my childhood also has some dark memories that I did not want it happened to me again. When I was 12 years old, this was the time to go to junior school in China. The Chinese education system force students to very hard and compete with each other. Students needs to study sine 6am till 10pm everyday to study all kinds of subjects. And most of parents want their children to go to top schooling their city in order to have a promising future. With a huge amount of students but limited best schools, not all the students can make their "best school" dreams come true. So the entrance exam is the only way to pick students who want to go to the best school. Fortunately, I was 1000 of 10000 students who passed the exam. However if i had a chance to chose again, i would rather not pass that exam. What I had experienced made me feel so upset and lonely. The Foreign Languages School, one of the best schools in my hometown, was a boarding school. Students only had 4 days off to home per month. I lived with my grandparents...

Words: 896 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Why College Education Is Important to Me

...education has played in my life. Education has always been there for me. Throughout grade school, learning has enabled me to express my outlook on any matter in multiple ways. Whether, I was debating on an event in black history, leading an open forum on a best selling novel, or creating my own personal narrative. I was always able to actively express my interpretation of a subject in an ingenious manner. Based on my knowledge of the benefits of receiving an education, it has definitely increased the value of a college education to me. A college education is invaluable to me because my ancestors once fought for American Americans to receive an education, it will enhance my required technical skills, and it will profoundly expand my intellect. Unfortunately my ancestors faced many economical and social barriers that prevented them from being privileged to receive a college education. But they did not allow those obstacles to deter them from becoming educated. Not only is a college education significant to me because it is a privilege, but because it is a necessity as well. I learned that to be successful and to have more than a general knowledge on any area of interest, that one must gain a college education. Through being an active learner in my studies I noticed that education is to be treasured and not to be taken for granted. While many others feel that a college education is useless, I feel that it is actually advantageous. Primarily because I am aware that if my ancestors had not...

Words: 661 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Into the World

...may encounter obstacles, but may also gain significant rewards. Do you agree with this perspective? Discuss this view with reference to your prescribed text and at least ONE other related text of your choosing. The concept of ‘Into the World’ invariably involves the transitions of individuals into new phases of life, worlds and experiences in order to attain growth, maturation and emotional development. During this transition individuals may encounter obstacles, but also gain personal rewards resulting in growth and maturity. The prescribed text, novel ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’ written by JC Burke and two related texts, film ‘The Black Balloon’ produced by Tristram Miall and ‘The Road Not Taken’ written by Robert Frost, clearly display these misadventures and the rewards achieved once overcoming them. In difficult times individuals have must leave behind their old life and the safety it once provided in order to fully accept and enjoy their new life. In the novel ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’, Tom’s family is forced to leave the comfort of their hometown Mumbilli and move to Coghill due the selfish actions of his brother Daniel. Symbolism throughout this novel highlights the suffering of Tom and his family. “My father closed the door…for the last time”, this symbolic act and the secrecy in the way the Brennan family leave Mumbilli reveals the families remorse about the situation, they are not only closing the door of their old home, but the respectable life they once had...

Words: 1059 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Short Story V. Poem

...utilization of characterization, rhythm, or a fairytale setting throughout their narrative. It is imagination that sanctions the reader of these literary forms to be able to mentally visualize what the author would like the reader to visually perceive by use of symbolism or descriptive wording. In the poem “The Road Not Taken” or short stories “A Worn Path” or “Used To Live Here Once” – There is a prevalent theme. No matter what solitary journey we find ourselves on, ‘we’ determine how the journey ends. The solitary journey that each of these literary pieces share is presented differently in each inditing. Robert Frost designed “The Road Not Taken” with specific designs in the narrative that revealed for me as the reader that there was a forthcoming journey. Frost also utilized the word “I” many times, which sanctioned me to imagine him alone. Comparative to this example let us compare “A Worn Path” where Welty utilized the word “she” throughout the writing piece. The linguistic choice inspired my imagination to visualize a woman walking alone. This visualization was reinforced in other places of the writing when the character spoke to animals to get out of her way: “Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, and beetles”. When Welty posed this conversation in the story, it gave me a sense of solitude. The submission that the woman also was walking a uphill path provided the symbolic comparison to a ‘hard life’. Walking uphill for any length of time is exhausting for anyone and when...

Words: 2139 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Desert Flowers

...visitors, who after driving through miles of isolation cannot believe their eyes when they arrive upon this amazing anomaly of life and fertility. Much like these inspiring creatures, my origins could be described by some as dismal, maybe even stifling. Being the daughter of a mother and father who grew up in poverty, I lost my father to H.I.V. and my mother and I overcame various obstacles throughout my life, including living with domestic violence, sexual abuse, unstable housing and other trials that made it difficult to look forward to a positive future. As a child, I was never sure where to turn to for inspiration and I struggled to meet expectations in school. Subsequently, I was diagnosed with a learning disability in reading and writing, and it became increasingly hard for me to believe in myself, without many personal successes to draw from. But even in the arid desert some flowers still survive, and through the encouragement of my grandparents and reading teacher, I pressed on, and by late elementary school I was able to overcome these challenges begin feeling my first life successes through school. I felt a great sense of accomplishment and pride through my achievements in school, and it seemed to be the only variable in my life that I could control. So I thrust my energies into achieving in education and ended up becoming the first on one side of my family to graduate from high school, (graduating early in just three years), and one of the first on both...

Words: 805 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Personal Narrative: I Joined The Union

...America, I had been watching as our justice system failed time and again to protect my community. The death of Trayvon Martin and the birth of Black Lives Matter ushered in a time of anger, frustration, and fear in my life. The experience of watching my disabled brother be arrested while sitting in a parking lot because the officer thought he “looked suspicious” affirmed a narrative that I had no agency over what happened in my life or community. The fight for justice, equal treatment, courage, and influence are all fights that the union takes on every day. As a union member, I saw black and brown people taking charge and demanding change. People of color, especially women, made...

Words: 854 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Great Gatsby Research Paper

...story of Romeo and Juliet is one of the most notorious plays, despite its appalling ending. Authors have made it a point to sell tragedy in order to make money. However, my perspective on that opinion has been changed. I read The Great Gatsby during my sophomore year in high school as a part of an American literature class. By the end of the book, I realized that no matter what happens in life, it will still keep going and I should only have to look at the optimistic part of it. For some reason, I felt sympathy for Gatsby,...

Words: 2292 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Crossing with the Virgin

...the Virgin Can you imagine being confined in a world that has you taken for granted and full of mental abuse? Crossing the Mexican border is a journey and new beginning for many undocumented workers. In their eyes it’s a path for many privileges and opportunities. They feel as if all the hardship and struggles they face will just fade away. The narratives of Crossing with the Virgin portray conflicts that occur for undocumented workers crossing the Mexican border. For many illegal immigrants I personally feel that finding a stable job will be difficult, they will be taken advantage of, and eventually they will either be incarcerated or be deported back to their country. Dago is a man that lives in the city of Mexico with his wife and two daughters. Both he and his wife Elena own two beautiful houses. Dago works at a Levi Strauss’s Mexico division as an executive while his wife is a manager of a computer equipment company. Dago and his wife enjoyed the life they were living and were satisfied with everything that has happened in their lives. But, one day Dago was informed by his boss that the company he was working for was closing. Life for Dago went completely downhill from this point on. Dago was forced to move to his other house and eventually had to sell that house due to financial problems. His wife wanted a divorce and Dago had no choice but to cross the border. Dago arrived in Nebraska and expected an enhanced lifestyle but, things just got worse for Dago day by day struggling...

Words: 937 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Positive Psychology Areas of Focus in Relation to Interpersonal and Prosocial Behavior

...Positive Psychology Areas of Focus in Relation to Interpersonal and Prosocial Behavior Carmen Amaya Park University 1. Abstract The concepts of Positive Psychology are explored through an intrapersonal, interpersonal, and pro-social lens using empirical research as the basis. The paper examines the history, intentions and scope of positive psychology in relationship to personal experiences and character traits that lead to personal effectiveness. The specific Areas of Focus examine the major principles of Positive Psychology and their importance with regards to; changes in emotional states, cognitive processes and experiences in juxtaposition with current research. The concepts and principles are then applied to current goals, plans and future application in respect to the workplace, environment and culture. Finally, the challenges, obstacles and unanswered questions are discussed in current applications of Positive Psychology. Keywords: Positive Psychology, resiliency, hope, theories, emotion, cognition 2. Positive Psychology Areas of Focus in Relation to Interpersonal and Pro-social Behavior Major Principles and Concepts The primary underlying assumption of positive psychology is that psychology should focus on encouraging people’s strengths rather than fixing their weaknesses (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) assert that as a new psychological paradigm, positive psychology rejects the disease...

Words: 3565 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Instructions

...discussion board forum titled “My Mother Never Worked.” If you are working with a partner or in a small group, type the full name of each group member into the subject line of your post. Answer Box 1. Answer question one under Purpose and Audience. Write the thesis IN YOUR OWN WORDS. I believe that the point that the writer is trying to prove is that her mother was a hard worker throughout her whole life who never once stopped working regardless of the circumstances or obstacles that she came across. I think that her thesis was never explicitly stated because the telephone conversation stated her thesis well. She stated her essay with the telephone conversation and in the pause between the response of the lady from the Social Security Office she goes back in time and gives a little background of all the jobs her mom had. The writer had a specific question and the lady had a solid answer. At the end of the passage the lady answered her question and gave her the news that she wasn’t eligible for death benefits because her mother never worked according to their records. In my opinion the thesis was in some way written throughout the whole essay when she was explaining all the jobs and task her mom actually had because at the end of the essay you don’t question the answer the Smith-Yackle answered to the lady because she simply gave the readers a background of all the jobs her mom actually did throughout her whole life. In my personal opinion I wouldn’t change the...

Words: 584 - Pages: 3