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Personal Narrative: My Uncle Neal

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My Uncle Neal and I were never particularly close. We live in separate states and only meet briefly a couple times a year to exchange a few rather awkward phrases and a quick, tight hug to maintain a masculine relationship. As if a nod to our strange relationship, he liked to present me with obsolete gifts such as a football tee to hold the football I didn’t use or a shirt supporting a team I knew nothing about. That’s why I was surprised then when one Christmas he was eager and giddy to share with me a life-changing encounter he had experienced. I believe it was a former student of his that he invited back to the high school at which he was presently a counselor after being moved by his literature, Inspiration on Demand. Quite frankly his …show more content…

I had actually planned to read it to see if it contained anything mildly captivating, but I immediately decided it didn’t. The entire book is a compilation of quotes Coburn has created throughout the span of his life. Sure, I’ll admit that it’s very aesthetically pleasing - many beautiful pictures and fonts - put together nicely. Still, I couldn’t manage to get through more than three pages before keeling over in exhaustion. After this dreadful experience however I began to think about my uncle more. Though I don’t share the same level of enthusiasm, I respect him for getting something (overwhelming) positive out of it. As a reflected further, I began to realize that ever since his enlightenment, our relationship had drastically changed. Before, I felt as though he didn’t really understand or respect me, but now he seems genuinely accepting of my interests (and does a little better with the gifts now). Because of this, our relationship has strengthened tremendously. Don’t get me wrong, I still think the book is a joke, but it did manage to bring my Uncle Neal and me much closer so my hat’s off to Joshua Coburn.

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