Personal Narrative Analysis

Before the age of three I had an array of tests performed on me that most people do not have in a lifetime, including ultrasounds, MRIs, CAT scans, and endoscopies. However, none of the tests told the doctors what was wrong. They could not figure out what was causing me, starting at only one years old, to throw up starting at 3 A.M. and ending at 12 P.M., at least two nights a week. This went on for years. My parents and I became accustomed to these recurring “episodes” because medications only worked for so long, eventually my body would become used to them and the doctors would have to figure out what to prescribe me next. By the age of ten, I had outgrown my mysterious illness, but, I am still working to outgrow all of the struggles it

Welcome to my outlandish, yet in my opinion, amusing brain! The name presented to me upon birth is Taylor Lee Thompson. Currently, I am suffering through the struggles of junior year at Marion Senior High School. Difficult classes, early mornings, and extracurricular activities have made me an expert in the sport of juggling. The class that has appealed to me the most over the years is Criminal Justice. I found the behind the scenes instruction absolutely riveting! My instructor, Mrs. Hamm, kept me on my toes and I was always learning about crime, criminals, and cases. On the other hand, the class I utterly dread is history. Any and every type of history has always slowly bored me to sleep. I am convinced we are taught the same curriculum

Everyone will experience a death in their life at least once whether it’s a family member or friend, they will react to it differently and has to grieve in their own way. Death isn't something that someone looks forward too, so watching someone go from healthy, to where they can barely walk or talk on their own isn’t easy. But getting a lesson out of someones death takes away some of the pain, and helps you move on.

When i was born, i had a breathing problem, and paralyzed from head to toe. The doctor had to straped tubes to me, so I can breath properly. They have to perform operations on me, but It was unsuccessful. The doctor said, that i will die in a couple of hours. My mom and dad were shocked that was still alive in the morning. I was recovered so fast it was a miracle. A year later, i was out the hospital. 10 year laters, my parent was watching nba on tv ,while i was sleeping in my bed. Then the power went off suddenly. BOOM!! Glass broke.! I woke up and got curious where the sound came from, so i got out of bed, grab my baseball bat and went to investigative.i tiptoe into the hall wall trying not to make a sound. Then i heard a gun shots and

Extinction? No! As I see it, families could have been lost long ago with the severity in which one parented. Upon my father’s death, I had an enlightening conversation, with my Uncle Bill, about the abuse my father suffered at the hands of his father and mother. My Uncle, by marriage, shared the many torments my father experienced, and yet his siblings were untouched. My father married, had two children with my mom, and adopted me. He was a terrific father, with very few exceptions.

As a 16 year old young man, when I think about responding to a writing prompt asking me to describe an event that I consider a launch pad towards gaining maturation, the first things that should come to my mind are getting my first job, graduating from high school, or being accepted into the college of my choice. This was not the case for me. The event that I feel has marked my transition from childhood to manhood would be the conversation that my mother had with me after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.

Throughout one’s lifetime, it is almost guaranteed that he or she has heard the saying “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This saying is pretty self-explanatory, and it is extremely helpful in multiple scenarios, especially in times of struggle. From a young age, I have always been a cheerleader. Recently, circumstances have changed causing me to question my abilities. I have numerous personal experiences throughout my life that illustrate this saying; however, this one is the most recent.

I have learned throughout the years that I am a person who gets nervous easily. Whether it is a speech, difficult test, or sports game I can count on the fact that I will be nervous, no matter the context. For me there are two things that I constantly worry about in these situations; the many possible bad outcomes, and the hype that comes before any of these situations. For example, when I was younger and had to go get a shot I would always stress about it leading all the way up to the shot. My mom would always say that the build-up is worse than the actual event. But, by over exaggerating the pain I thought I would feel, I validated my claim that shots are stressful. She was right, the shot and the accompanying pain were gone in ten minutes.

I was fourteen years old when a new life started for me. My mother came to the US searching for a better future for my sister and I, she left us with my grandmother when I was only two years old. Sometimes, a new beginning sounds scary. I had lived my entire life in El Salvador, surrounded by my family and friends, and now the moment to leave my country had come, I was to leave my home to come to the US to reunite with my mother. It was not an event I had envisioned, it was rather something that I saw far from happening.

I have talked about goals before, but today I want to talk about a very special goal of mine. To begin with, driving scares me! Especially my mom's vehicle, which is like driving a mechanical monster; or a behemoth as I call it! For a long time I have had friends and family on my back to get my license. I have had other options; people willing to give me rides, bus. I become quite inventive in finding ways to side step my fear. That was until my mother started having medical problems, and I wasn't able to help her as much as I wanted. (I also began to realize that as much as I wanted my parents to be around forever to look out for me, reality has a different plan.) So I decided it was time to face one of my demons!

Finding something that is truly captivating is necessary in everyone's life. It allows one to lose track of time and releases stress. For me, this activity is spending time at the barn during the summer. This is a place where I can let loose, spend time with my favorite horses and have fun with friends that I’ve missed during the school year. This activity allows me to emerge myself into something that I am truly passionate about. I’ve grown up riding horses and I can’t imagine my life without them. They are interesting and unique animals that always leave me wanting to know more. In this case, I turn to my riding instructor Kim Simac, or my veterinarian mentor Doctor Lauren Hughes. Both have had a huge impact on my life, as they have taught

I had always loved the spotlight. I was popular, outgoing, and lived for attention. I was active in almost every school sport and club with connections from all cliques. I guess you could say I owned the spotlight and ran the show….but I was never prepared for the day the curtains closed on me.

This past week it has been very interesting to learn about the various defense mechanisms that protect us against anxiety. While I was previously familiar with some of these ego-protecting behaviors, I was unaware of their purpose. These mechanisms distort reality in order to disguise the id’s socially unacceptable desires.

There are a few ways in which I have had to make adaptations in my daily life since coming to college. First, I have started setting multiple alarms before going to bed at night. When I still lived at home, my mom would always make sure I was awake in the mornings, so I never had to worry about getting up on my own. Since coming to college, I set a couple of different alarms every day, so I don’t oversleep and miss something important. Second, I have begun using headphones instead of letting things play out loud. I very rarely used headphones before, but the atmosphere here has required me to make this adaptation. Often times, my roommate is doing homework or I am in a loud environment, so in order to ensure that everyone can focus and I can

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.