Personal Narrative : Living Versus Existing

Walking away from everything you once knew and starting over is never a picnic. Leaving Iraq, and moving to America has impacted my life more than anything. I was only 4 years old at that time, and the only English I spoke was “excuse me, water please.” My family and I did not know it then, but our lives were going to change; we would become “Americanized”. Learning English was one of the massive changes that occurred, the way I dressed (culture), and even the way I had power to go to school and educate myself.

It was the day the junior high volleyball girls played Madison Grant! They were the only team that we lose to last year.We were going back and forth and back. It was a really good game. Who won the biggest rivalry in Frankton JH?

I left everything behind and refused to go back. I left the one thing I wanted the most, but found the one thing I needed, freedom. My dark cloud of regret was behind me as I entered my salvation, Amsterdam. I entered the gates of Amsterdam and saw a multitude of smiling faces and entered the light. I had no recollection of how I got there, but I knew he wasn’t here I could feel it. I was finally free and I walked through the golden gates knowing I could start over.

As the 90s were elementary school years, the Longfellow School was six or eight blocks away with an intermediate valley that meant an uphill walk in either direction. All kids walked to and from school as a bus or any other conveyance was unheard of, so we used a shortcut largely over virgin ground – come rain, mud, sun, snow or ice. Comparatively, today’s children are unacquainted with hard facts of a semi-primitive every-day lifestyle, although our children walked over the hills from 37 McDonald Drive to school most of the

Over my years of school, one big influence on me has always been sports. Ever since a young age, I have always enjoyed playing and watching sports. In my four years in high school, I have fell in love with the sport of lacrosse.

I grew up in rural Indiana with three brothers. Our family was a little different than most because all of us children had been adopted. The oldest of us, Andy, was two years older and had cystic fibrosis which meant he probably wouldn’t live to be 30 or more. The remaining three of us were biologically brothers. Triplets in fact. Our parents adopted all three of us together for some brave reason. I used to joke that there was a buy one get two free sale at the adoption agency and that I was the only one they actually wanted. It was never hidden from us that we were adopted, but it always left me feeling that I didn’t quite belong in certain family functions. I wanted to feel like I belonged in my environment. The military

I was incredibly excited. School was starting tomorrow. The first few days were just icebreakers, learning everyone’s names, blah blah blah. Then the real learning began. Of course, teachers started to write our lessons on the board. I started to notice a few changes in what I was seeing. The words they were writing were just...black lines! I didn’t pay much attention to it, I just asked my friends what the board said. As the year went on, it affected me more and more, especially in math. I saw a 2 as a 6, and and an A as an 8.

I quickly swallowed my homemade authentic Indian food leftovers and gulped down my chocolate milk. Looking down at my watch that read 11:28am, I knew that I only had two minutes until my most favorite part of the day: recess. This particular day in 5th grade, I had run a lap around the playground before getting the rest of recess to myself. As I started walking for my warmup, another student ran up and said, “My parents said that your people caused 9/11.” Completely caught off guard, I held back the tears in my eyes and tried to shake off his comment. I had never encountered something like this.

Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

There is an unseen balance in the universe, one not measurable with charts and graphs or even with the highest tech machines man has to offer. This unseen balance guides my life like a tiny white flame, showing the way through the infinite maze that is life.

Survival is not easy. Mother Nature doesn’t let you get food and water easily, or a shelter and fire. Just don’t give up and you can achieve what you want, to survive. Today I am going to tell you about my experience with trying to survive. The group I was in was Jenna, Avery, and Zach. The three thing we did was first a shelter, then a trap to get food, and then a fire. Just let me tell you one thing it is not easy.

I didn't know at the start that the live with that we had to do a "Live With" that kept to the weekly topic. I assumed that we just had to do a live with that could be on anything as long as we tried to achieve our goal during the week. I switched my "Live With" for this week to try to make at least three people laugh everyday. This live with wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It wasn't as challenging as I thought it would be because I make people laugh on a regular basis. It was challenging only on a few days out of the week. This Live With was only challenging when I wasn't in a good mood. When I wasn't in a very good mood I struggled to make others laugh because I wasn't happy myself. Other than the days when I wasn't in a good mood

It was cold, so dreadfully cold in the cozily furnished main room of a cabin once safe from danger. Now, safety was no longer an option and neither was surviving at this point in time.

Think about your life, as to how you want to live the rest of your life. If you decide to continue living the same life, no one can stop you nor help you. But if you are sincere to start a new life; you are willing to give all your effort to change into a different person, help is always available. Believe me, you are not beyond help.

The surroundings of my home were a place of enjoyment for my younger self. By my fourth or fifth year of life, no place along the street of my home was off limits. The early