Personal Narrative Analysis

It's time to travel to the part of the world most conducive to long-term post apocalyptic survival and then start building the base of your dreams, but that leaves the big question, "Where are you going to go to escape the zombie hordes and live in your self sustaining utopia?" Let's stop and realistically think about the resources you'll need. First, major cities are definitely out, too many people. You're looking for a place with a low population density, that is to say, a low number of people crammed into every square kilometer of that city. You can already quickly eliminate the coastlines of most continents, including Australia, all of eastern Asia, most of the middle eastern India and everywhere in Europe. From there, we need to think about the

to cook a few dishes myself, I came to realize all the hard work my parents go through to earn

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.

It was a day that I had been waiting for all season, why? Because it meant that the pain was going to be over and it was my final race to prove how good I really was to everyone and hopefully fulfill the goal my coach, school and fans set for me. That morning of October 28th I woke up really sick to my stomach. Nerves were taking over my body and I couldn't sit still. The ride to the course I remember putting my headphones in and zoning everything out and never truly coming out of it till after the race was over. I remember my mom hugging me and telling me how proud of me she was and that no matter how bad my shins hurt to keep running. My coach grabbed me before I went to the starting line and surprisingly said how proud he was of me too, but that it wasn't over so that could change. It was so cold outside and I remember being able to see my breath and worrying that it was going to really effect my performance. I could also see the

A time that a strongly held belief of mine was challenged, was when I stumbled upon an article that spoke of a fusion of religion and science. Growing up in a heavy Christian household and going to a very large church in Michigan, my life was filled with everything Christian, including the idea that evolution was not real. While in kindergarten and middle school I had been told to listen to teachers explain scientific ideas such as evolution, and natural selection, but to not believe them to be true, because God made everything and as such there would be no need for evolution or natural selection to fix things. For many years I followed this belief learning, but not truly understanding material, as I was raised to just take in the knowledge

“I’m the one that’s got to die when I have to die so let me live life the way that I want to.” (Jimi Hendrix). This quote inspired me to do everything that I do to the fullest because life is short. This quote is a great quote because it sums my entire life up in under 25 words. I am writing this letter so that I will be able to help you get to know me as a student and as a friend better. I can’t wait to start this school year off so that I can learn how to do so many different things and help me in areas that I need help on.

As I become aware of the different issues that are happening in Puerto Rico and the rest of the world, I realize the duty we all have to be part of the solution; as a result, this summer I dedicated some of my time to community service. Even though, I had participated in some causes with my school, it was not until this summer that I discovered how rewarding it is to help others. I volunteered in the Food Bank of Puerto Rico (Feeding America), the American Red Cross and Puerto Rico Therapy Dogs. Each of the causes is special in their own way and I really enjoyed working with them.

I vividly remember trying to sleep when the air was heavy and musty, so much so that I was felt like there was a natural order preventing me from breathing enough air to sustain my body for another seven hours. I laid in bed, quietly terrified – wondering if this is the life that I am destined to follow, living in unfinished basements where it floods when it rains too much and bugs crawl along the walls and dressers. It would not be the worst fate but it would not be preferable by any means. Finally, willing myself to step out of bed (again), I grab my half-finished green tea and watch a documentary in the “upstairs” portion (separated by three steps) to forget my worries until the next night. Close to drinking the honey and tea mixture, I see an abnormal shape at the bottom of my mug – a house centipede that was enticed by the sweet honey but unfortunately was unable to escape its viscous grasp and drowned in my lukewarm tea. I didn’t scream, I didn’t cry; all I was capable of thinking

I found this narrative interesting because I can relate to the speaker. We were both raised in religious families and read the Bible when we were young. The speaker talked about how reading the King James Version of the Bible helped her to better understand Shakespeare, which is something I strongly believe is true. Listening to her talk about sitting on her couch reading the Bible before she was even in school made me nostalgic of my own childhood. My mom has always been an avid reader who pushed me to read books when I was young. My mom entered me in a summer reading program at our public library every summer; this is one other thing I found that I have in common with the speaker, whose parents encouraged reading. I loved reading when I was

I usually worry about… everything. If one little thing happens then I freak out about it. I overthink a lot of things and that does not help. It usually takes me a long time to settle down after I start to worry.

I’ve been called a perfectionist, a procrastinator, a control freak, scatterbrained, a worrywart, and a stress case, not without good reason. I’ve had anxiety issues since I was little, but the growing pressure from middle school to high school really brought out the stress big-time. Throughout elementary school, I received good grades but I acted shy and distracted. I spent lots of time with my nose buried in a book- at home, while shopping, in the car, at other people’s houses, even while crossing the street (which I do not recommend). Fiction, specifically fantasy, was my favorite escape. I’d spend hours attending Hogwarts, discovering Narnia, fighting in the Hunger Games, exploring Fablehaven, and taking on Greek mythological monsters. It was just so much easier and more fun to deal with fictional problems than face reality.

Trouble always seemed to follow my every footstep. Being a troubled child was always a part of my life during my elementary and middle school years. I practically lived in the principal’s office and the detention center for fighting in school or misbehaving in class. My mother constantly had to take off of work, to come to school conferences with me for my behavioral problems. Day in and Day out I would hear her nagging about the way I acted and me needing to behave better in school. After every lecture she gave me she would always say with a mugged face and one raised brow, “Your actions reflect off of my parenting, so act like I raised you with sense.” Eventually, I grew tired of hearing the same depressing speeches from my mom, so her words started to go in one ear and out the other.

I am so grateful for an unexpected day off to be able to get my life in order. When the week begins, I'm in absolute "go" mode. I must admit I don't like the feeling. There's a sense of anxiety that comes along with it and I can totally do without it. Today, I've become increasingly aware of how dangerous it is to be mentally somewhere else. There's a beauty and an ease that comes with staying in the moment and focusing on what's on your plate at that moment. I'm a total proponent for goal-setting and love doing that. However, we can't get so focused on where we're going that we don't appreciate and enjoy where we are. With that being said, here are my goals for this week! :)

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

There are few people in this world who can say they are the oldest of nine kids, have ADHD and a 4.1 GPA, or live on a small farm with animals. I, however, embody all of these extraordinary traits, even in addition to left-handedness and extreme far-sightedness! How is that for recessive genes? Yet I believe that my uniqueness, more importantly, has shaped me with strong character and fortitude.