Free Essay

This I Believe

In:

Submitted By zereghimbi
Words 589
Pages 3
21/05/2016
This I Believe

Even though the truth can be very painful, understanding that truth can lead to personal growth. I have learned that in the face of painful revelations. I was born and grew up in the western part of Ethiopia; in a small village called Ghimbi. I am the first for my parents. Until I was 10, I cherished love and joy from both my dad and mom. I remember how much I could enjoy attending church service with my dad every Sunday.

One Sunday night, my dad came home with unusual behavior. He was heavily drunk and intoxicated. He started to argue with my mom. At the middle of their argument, he pointed his finger at me and said: "I don't know from whom you get this kid, he is not my son!". Even though I didn't understand what my dad want to say at the moment, my mom spent her whole night by hugging me and crying and crying. Maybe it doesn't give any sense for someone lives in developed country. But this is twenty years ago in one of the poorest country in the world and a small village where no one knows about DNA test.

When I grew up, I started to realize what my father said that night. He treated me differently from my younger brothers. The only person that worried about my education, my cloth, shoes and even for what I eat was my mom. My dad completely ignored me and gave full attention to my brothers. I took his ignorance as a proof of denial of me as his son. Gradually, I developed a sense of hate against my father. I started to wish to kill him. I could think to live with my mom without having him in that home. But my mom always advised me to forgive him, to be a good person, and to be successful in my education. With my mom’s full devotion, I graduated successfully from my high school and completed my college education. For the women who sacrificed her entire life for my success, my college graduation day was a kind of rebirthday. I also joined the profession I love since I was a kid.
After I had started to work for Ethiopian broadcasting corporation as a reporter, one day, my mom came to visit me in the capital Addis Ababa. While we sat down to the dinner, I asked her the truth about my dad. She stopped eating her food and started crying. I had seen unstoppable tear on her face for a while. Lastly, she said, "I don't know who your father is." After she had taken a deep breath, she began to tell the story. My mom was raped by three men just before she met the person I call my dad. I was a three-month fetus when she married him. I am a son of one of my mom's raper. That is painful. I understood why my mom cried every time I questioned her about my dad. I also realized why my mom sacrificed her entire life for me. I felt guilty for overwhelming my mom, for reminding but not bearing her pain. I understood how bad woman suffers in my culture. Finally, I learned a lesson from my mom’s painful revelation: Even if the truth is painful, understanding that truth is leading to personal growth. After I had heard my mom's history, I decided to contribute my part to tackle sexual violence in my society.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

This I Believe

...| THIS I BELIEVE | USCP 615A 9052 | | Cody Edrington | 7/14/2015 | Turnitin.com similarity score 0% For the longest time, it was difficult for me to understand how to reach individuals that I was assigned to be in charge of. Whether it was in the U.S. Army, or in the private sector, bringing a group of diversified people together is not a simple task. Encountering inexperienced people, very experienced people, men, women, and people from different heritages teaches valuable lessons over time. This is why I believe in improving myself by improving others. I work in the electrical products industry, and just recently switched from manufacturing and distribution to sales. I went from leading 50 people to leading nobody and that is a very odd feeling for me. I love leading people. I love getting to know about them and their families. Nearly every person I was supervising had ten years of experience, or more, than I did. The first time I spoke to them before the start of a shift, I kept it simple and very transparent. I was very professional but I was very direct. I told them what I expected of them, what I expected of myself, and what they should expect of me. I asked for their feedback regarding anything they felt necessary to talk about. I told them to help me help them. If I did not know specifics regarding the business, I would ask them. If they did not know certain procedures regarding reports or reporting, I would help them with that. I learned...

Words: 546 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

This I Believe

...This i Believe : I believe in appreciating the people around me, I have come to learn this the hard way. I believe in appreciating those around me because I might lose them someday. If that day arrives, I hope to not regret that I never took the time to be grateful for the small things that these individuals did for me. I believe in the principle of appreciating those around you because you never really know how much they are worth to you until you lose them. In sixth grade, I lost a friend. My friend’s name was Loic Jason, he was one of the most generous and loving people I have ever met. Loic was the type of kid who would share his lunch with you, tell you jokes and just talk about anything and everything. But life did not turn out the way it was supposed to. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with cancer. When I heard the news I felt angry, pain and guilt. I felt guilty because I wished I had spent more time with him. Maybe I would’ve known that something was wrong with him. It was during a weekend and I was sitting in the living room watching Dora the Explorer when I received a text from my friend. The message said: ‘’Did you hear what happened to Loic?’’ I had no clue what he was talking about so I asked: ‘’what are you talking about?” and he responded with ‘’ Loic passed away’’. I did not believe him, I could not believe him. I was in shock. He had just told me that a friend passed away via text. I started contacting all of my friends; I was torn in between...

Words: 540 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

This I Believe

...‘This I Believe’ I believe in the freedom of all the citizens of the U.S. It is seen as heinous to restrain and revoke the freedoms of an American because of the color of the skin. Yet it is STILL seen as righteous to deny the rights of those Americans who are "unique" in their sexual orientation. I'm here to say that gays are no different from the common American in all aspects and ought to be given equal liberties: same sex marriage. Because of the homophobia still out there many gays are committing suicide every day. Take this metaphor: if the majority of America were comprised of mostly homosexuals, on an extreme level, would not the heterosexual be frowned upon? There is no difference. Freedom should be given to all or none. When I was around 13 years of age I began to explore more venues of the world around me. I became curious and began to discover my true self. The summer of 2014 I was determined to no longer hide that great fact: that I'm gay. This came as a huge shock to many people, but when that was disclosed the burden it lifted off my shoulders was tremendous. I knew people, who I thought were my friends, would reject me, but I determined early on that they were no true friend of mine and that I could do little to assuage their beliefs. There is a greater way to show that there is no difference at heart between the heterosexual and his counterpart. There must be a wide spread support for gay rights and anti-homophobic beliefs must widely permeate...

Words: 738 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

This I Believe

...7-8 18 August 2015 This I Believe Instincts are defined as animalistic, innate responses to certain situations. Instincts are not something that humans typically employ; we are constantly stopping to think and ponder our actions. Should I eat this entire cake? Should I stay up till 2 watching Netflix so I only get 4 hours of sleep before school? Should I really wait to start my essay, which is due at 11:59:59 PM, at 10:23 PM? Your average intelligent high school student would answer no to all of these questions. I am not your average intelligent high school student. Because of my tendency to act before I think, I have developed a strong belief in human instincts. This belief was strongly reinforced on a day not long ago. On my first day as a server at a fancy restaurant, my boss handed me a glass to use as a reference so I could perform an errand for him. “I need another 52 of these glasses. We need them soon so hurry.” he said, also mentioning that the glass he had given me was the only one at our restaurant. Naturally, an intelligent person might hold onto the glass a little tighter, or at least take a good look to remember what it looked like. Not me. I dropped it not 5 seconds after my boss put it in my hand. Next came a moment of equanimity; the calm before the storm of reality hit. Watching it fall to the ground. Servers break glasses all the time. So what? Then the panic hits; I am absolutely positive that I’ll never be employed again. But when I look up from the shards...

Words: 505 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

This I Believe

...1 Ali Motta  Ali Motta  Smith 5  This I Believe  06 January 2016    I Believe in World Travel    I believe in world travel. There is nothing like stepping into a fresh, new and exciting country.  The overwhelming experiences that one gains from visiting another country can be compared to  nothing else. Have you ever hungered for excitement, new experiences or the opportunity to  meet new people? That’s me. I do. I have every day since the summer of 2006.     That August my mom, my sisters and myself went to South Africa. I fell in love with the  atmosphere and the locals who are so welcoming to travelers. We got to eat their food and  dance to their music and simply learn from them.   Ever since that summer I want with all of my heart to meet new people and learn how they act  and think and cook. The thought of getting lost and being out of my comfort zone in a place I  have never been excites me to the core.    This year I also had a huge opportunity. I had the chance to spend a year living in the United  States as an exchange student. It was my first chance to leave home and feel what means living  miles from my family. I touched the ocean for the first time, I ate foods I’d never heard of, I made  friends who didn’t even speak my language, and I became part of a family that was not my own.  2 Ali Motta  The ability to travel is something that should never be taken for granted. It is the opportunity to  change yourself and see new things from different perspectives...

Words: 441 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

This I Believe

...First Impressions I have always believed that first impressions are everything, there is no such thing as a second first impression. Meeting someone for the first time is important weather it’s a new friend, coworker, or even your fist boss. I have had plenty of bad first impressions but I have had more good ones. To me I believe first impressions will start your reputation, whether it be good or bad. To me it’s not always the last impression but the lasting impression. When I first met my boyfriend’s parents I thought they were from the nut house I’m not even kidding. Once I got to know them the nutty impression is still there but don’t worry I figured out they are not from the nut house. When I heard about his grandma I was told she was a physic. Like a real one. From now on I will never be left in a room with her alone with her cause physics scare me like knowing the future and everything. I believe that when you first look at a person and either judge them in a good or bad way, but it’s not until I speak and have a conversation with them that their first impression will come out. For a job interview for instance, I would dress nice, do my hair, and brush my teeth because I want to make sure I look impressionable. I would talk about my strengths and my weaknesses, but how the job would benefit from me working there and how the job would help my weaknesses as well. At my first job interview I sucked at talking, the guy interviewing me probably thought I was rambling and...

Words: 522 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

This I Believe

...Literature This, I Believe First Draft 27 August 2015 It seems as though life goes by in a blur. One day you are young and full of life, the next you are struggling to complete daily tasks that once came so naturally. I believe that life should be preserved through memories and, most importantly, pictures. Marc Riboud, a French photographer, once said, “taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” At the time, it may seem like a measly piece of photocopy paper, but years later, when you are looking into the past and wishing for that time back, nothing in the world will mean more than that single photograph. Five years ago, I lost my brother, Joseph, to Ewing Sarcoma. I understood that he was very ill, but never did I imagine his death was right around the corner. Everyday with him, I took for granted. I always thought that we would have tomorrow, but that is not always the case. Less than a year after being diagnosed, my family and I were making the eight-hour drive to Houston, Texas to say our good-byes, knowing that there would be no tomorrow for my brother. Today, I am always looking at the few photographs I have of us together and sincerely regret not having taken more. I have always been camera shy, but that should not stop anybody from capturing every moment of their lives, good or bad. One day you’ll look back and, no matter how bad it may have seemed at the time, you’re going to wish for that very moment back. One of the few photos I have...

Words: 502 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

This I Believe

...“This I Believe” Essay “Just be yourself”, that is what we have all been told at least once in our lives. At first, this piece of advice can be considered as a simple generic idea to encourage people to show their true selves, but how can you know who you are if you have never asked yourself that question? Who are you now and most importantly who do you want to be? It all starts with embracing your inner self, your personal values, beliefs and even your fears. However, it is also about who you want to be and to develop the skills you think you still need to grow. Becoming yourself is not a static concept but a continuous process that will finally lead you to realize who you really are, holding nothing back. This process may not be simple as we live in a complex society, prejudice and social beliefs can usually interfere with one personal values and convictions. Social pressure generally starts at young ages when kids separate others for being “different” or for not behaving in the ways they should. Convincing yourself of who you want to be and what you need to do to become that person will be a key part in the whole process’s success. “A man does what he must, in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures, and that is the basis of all human morality” . Becoming who you are will undoubtedly guide you to stand for what you believe is right and therefore to fight for those things you think are worth fighting for. Showing strong convictions...

Words: 444 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

This I Believe

...Picture this scenario...you’re driving home in your car one sunny afternoon. You are exhausted from the long day and just can’t wait to get home. An all too familiar song begins to play on the radio and all of a sudden old memories come flooding back into your mind. You are reminded of the times you used to spend on warm summer nights with some old friends. A rush of happiness hits you and while no longer being exhausted, nostalgia overtakes you. Later that night you call them up so you can all reunite. This is a scenario that happens everyday to so many different people all around the world. Music can stir up emotions in you that cause you to do things differently. Whether it’s taking an action or simply thinking in a different way, these are all acts that music has the power to cause. Music is constantly playing in my room and because of that I have so many different songs that remind me and make me think of so many different things. Just the other day I was relaxing in my dorm when a new song came on my laptop. It took me a while to realize it was a remix of an old song from when I was younger. Thinking of the old song kinda put me down. Although it wasn’t a sad song, it reminded me of the time when my grandfather passed away. I was about to change the song but instead I decided to actually listen to the lyrics. They were very positive and uplifting, and the remix version put a spin on it that gave the song a happy and fun tone. Before I knew it, I wasn’t that down anymore...

Words: 488 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

This I Believe

...Correa This I Believe Essay I believe in the power of music. Ever since I was young, music always seemed to calm me down or simply make me feel better. Music is like a medicine to me, and my parents would laugh at how much I enjoyed music. Whenever a song would come on, my parents would sit and watch me, while giggling to each other, as i stop bouncing off walls and calm down to the sound of music. I listen to music every day because of how much I appreciate and love it. The reason why I love music so much is because music always tends to suck me in to what is being sung. Often when I listen to a song, no matter what the song is, I get sucked into the song. What I mean by this is that when I am listening to a song, I imagine the song was intended for me. I relate to the song whether it is from my past, present, or future. This is what causes me to relax whenever I’m listening to music. This is why I view music as a powerful thing. I remember when I was younger and didn’t really relate or pay as much time listening to music like the way I do now. Whenever I heard a song, I never gave it much thought that it actually had meaning behind the lyrics that the artist was trying to get across. I would just nod my head to the beat of the music instead of relating to it like I do now. It took me till freshman year of high school to start seeing and hearing the power in music. During that year, I bought a nice pair of headphones to go along with my IPod. Only then did I actually...

Words: 479 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

This I Believe

...This I Believe I believe the American society is blinded by its own hypocrisy. Every year, thousands of immigrants from all over the world come to America in pursuit of the American Dream. Upon arrival, they are met with laws, fees, and procedures that hinder them from the pursuit of their happiness. All of this is understandable, after all, the American economy is suffering and such laws and fees are meant to subsidize the cost of supporting immigrants in America. But as a first generation immigrant, I can honestly say that no matter how many years an immigrant spends here, how much money, and how much education they attain, they will always have the sense of not belonging. Seven years ago when I was in the 6th grade, one of my fellow classmates said to me, “You know, since your from Africa you have a lot of germs. You need to be careful so you don’t give us any diseases, especially AIDS.” I was dumbstruck, I couldn’t believe someone so young could be so crude and insensitive. I let that go on the basis that she was just an ignorant little girl, and it was my fault for having an accent and making it obvious I wasn’t from here. However, six years later during my senior year of high school, I was once again reminded of how much of an outside I am. A couple of friends and I had signed up to donate blood, but I was turned away at the blood drive. I was told that since I wasn’t born here, I couldn’t give blood. Worse still, people from my country or people who had parents...

Words: 546 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

This I Believe

...Stories I believe that the world is more empathetic than it may seem. Many people believe that they are completely alone in their struggles, but everyone in the world has had something they have struggled with or has hurt them and I believe that everyone has a story. Every person has a story and it can be between grades at school or feeling like they don’t belong on earth anymore. People I am close with have struggled with many things on different scales. Throughout my life, although short I have heard many of these stories, meeting people through the years that have been severely bullied and made fun at every moment possible. With hurtful words being constantly thrown at them, getting tripped and hit in the hallways. There was a girl I knew when i was little who never fit in and was bullied everyday and people were extremely cruel, but during that time, she also had to cope with her mother passing away from cancer and taking care of her little sister who was also harassed in school. Knowing multiple people who go through brutal depression and punish themselves in terrible ways, cutting open their skin or hitting themselves so hard bruises would form and thinking terrible thoughts of disappearing forever, thinking that no one would possibly miss them and that that was the only way things could ever get better. There are people that go through struggle after struggle, pain after pain and hurt after hurt. I have friends who spend all of their time and effort into trying to live...

Words: 483 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

This I Believe

... This I Believe Until now, I have travelled Japan, The United Kingdom and The United States. Although it may not be too much, traveling gave me a total different view and new insight to understand and think about the whole world. I found only travelling can let you learn and draw a lot when enjoying the fabulous scene. So I always believe that a person need more travel experiences to correct and promote himself. I never thought, based on various cultures and different education backgrounds that people who come from different countries could an extremely distinct historical background, distinct way of thinking and beliefs. I thought “I can’t even talk to them and make friends with them”. Worse off, I usually thought what if foreigners like Americans and the British have the racism. However everything has two sides. Right after I travelled to Japan, the UK and the USA; I became confident that we can be friends and communicate easily despite two completely different cultures. I believe in that people should be exposed to new culture and customs. The first country I travelled to was Japan. Being also an Asian country, it was easier for me to understand and accept their culture and get accustomed to Japan quickly. However, considering historical problems, Japan’s invading China and the cruel things they did to Nanking could also be an obstacle between two countries citizens. So I was a little anxious and curious about what they...

Words: 1184 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

This I Believe

...This I believe I believe in forgiveness or the power to forgive. As a child, if I was treated as I thought badly, I would hold on to all that anger and hate that I felt. I would never show people how I felt, if they hurt me. I honestly blamed my father for everything even if he didn’t have anything to do with the situation. When I was five, he stopped coming around to see me. I didn’t see him for holidays or even just to say hi. Eventually, all communication was cut off because he didn’t want anything to do with me. As I got older, I got out of control. I was kicked out of my mom’s house, so I blamed it on my dad, I had to switch schools, blamed it on my dad. I blamed everything on him. I struggled for years which ended in a lot of dysfunctional relationships; I really had no ambitions to go to college. I did things that I look back now and I say what was I thinking? But while I did those things I blamed everything on him. He was the root of all my pain and anger. About nine years ago, I met a man, who is now my husband. We got married in 2011 and had a daughter in 2012. Who just turned one! Throughout my entire pregnancy, I started to fear that she would hold resentment towards to me I was to hurt her or something would happen. I was so convinced that I would mess things up with her or my husband. My dad is always in the back of my mind. I’ve said a lot of hurtful things to him that I would never be able to handle if she would say them to me. I knew what I had to do. So...

Words: 432 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

This I Believe

...“? This I Believe Melanie Burks Marygrove College Education is the pathway to success. As young children embark on the first phase of formal education they begin to develop biases for the learning process. They learn the “hard subjects” from the “easy subjects.” These biases can leave a lasting impression on a young adolescent. From the perspective of young learners, giving up may be the only option if the content is not easily grasped. The feeling of being defeated will be labeled with this subject for the young learners’ educational career. Past experience has revealed many educational errors that can dramatically hinder learners. However, no persons are the same. The Educational Philosophy most conducive with the youth of today is an Analytical Method. Educators must start off by assessing the biases that are imbedded in the learner, as well as understanding the learners learning techniques. Educators have to understand that the classroom cannot be utilized as a one learning method holding cell. If the various learning methods of the students are not discovered then some students will be at a great disadvantage. There many ways to incorporate various techniques within one assignment. Focusing on one subject for a given time period will result in positive reinforcement of the subject matter and also allow for the various techniques to be explored. Visual representations can be used with all subject matter. Being able to put an image with the content that is being...

Words: 412 - Pages: 2