The Day I Graduated High School

I remember the very first day my family and I got our Italian Greyhound, Cyrus. My Sister wanted to get a dog so badly so we all got on my dad’s computer to order one. My Mom wanted a dog that was cat-like so we chose an Italian Greyhound as our dog. We were surprised to find out that he would be coming from Nebraska in only three days. This meant that we were totally unprepared to receive him but we still did from the airport. Even though he was shy at first he grew to be a hyper little dog and to love us. Even though I love to be with him I don’t know much about his kind, so I decided to find out where and when they originated, What their body is like, and what it is like to live with them.

When junior year ended last summer, I felt like I knew exactly what was coming my way-- after all, I watched three different groups of my friends go through senior years of their own. It was finally my turn to experience senior year, something it seemed I had known about for years, and I felt like senior year would be easygoing and uneventful. Now, it has taken just a few short months to realize how incorrect I was. If senior year has taught me anything, it is that one never really knows what comes next for them, even if they have a good idea. The monumental highs, as well as the deepest of lows, have kept me on my toes throughout my senior year.

Realization dawned on me. We were getting a puppy! “What kind of dog are we going to look at?” I questioned with excitement.

My memories are blurry. They are fragments of disjointed moments, without a linear narrative. I remember reading. It was in Mrs. Davidson first grade class. My reading proficiency skills were very poor, the English language still thick and unnatural on my tongue. While some of the other students took a Gifted class, I had to take a remedial course—English Learners (EL)— just so that I could hold onto the edge. I remember reading. I had a hard copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar in my little hands, reciting only the first page of the book from memory. The classroom was dark; the stream of sunlight filtering through the windows served as our only illumination. The rest of the words on the book looked like a mess of jumbled letters. I couldn’t make out anything other than the words “the” and “and.” I remember enthusiastically pointing out my “fluency” to my teacher, seemingly applauding my menial abilities: “The catpater at droo!” (The caterpillar ate through). In the first-grade, my free time was spread sporadically between watching The Little Mermaid, catching ugly black crickets and pretending that I was Sailor Moon, guardian of the galaxy. In the first grade, I was not at all concerned with words, literacy and books. In the first grade, I did not know the power that words hold. I did not know that books would change my life.

In 2008, I spent the summer with my Uncle, Aunt and 2 cousins in Missouri. They picked me up at the airport, and the car ride was filled with discussion about a puppy they had just gotten 2 days prior. It was explained that my cousins wanted a dog since their friends’ family had gotten a dog recently. My Uncle, happy to oblige, stopped at a neighbor’s house one day, who was giving away puppies they could not care for, as is common in small town America. He picked out the cutest one and went on his way. The family was so happy to have “Roxy” in their home and on their farm.

Towards the end of my senior year of high school, I was preparing for the next chapter of my life. I would be attending UC Davis in the summer for a four weeklong orientation program, specifically for first generation college students. This was the first time I would be leaving home by myself to a different country and it was the first time in over eight years that I would be exposed to the American culture. I did not have any roots in any American city nor did I have a so-called “home state.” However, if there was one thing for sure, it was that Germany was my home and it has been for the majority of my life. In this paper, I will be discussing how the following topics in sociology: culture, socialization, and identity are related to my move from Germany to California as well as how I felt during the entire situation.

Historically dogs have served many purposes for humans. They have been used for hunting rodents, disposing of pesky rodents, fighting wars, protecting people as well as valuables, and tending to livestock (Staats et al, 2008). In today’s American society, dogs have become a first option to serve as companions and new additions to families. However, that is not the only purpose that canines serve. Dogs can also be of assistance to people with disabilities, military and police services, and therapeutic practices as well as a companion. To accommodate to the growing demand for pet or service dogs, it has become increasingly easier to buy or adopt them. There are now many options of how to obtain a dog. There are options such as breeders, Petland,

For millions of years dogs have remained a constant companion of man. Bred from the aggressive and formidable Gray Wolf tens of thousands of years ago the domestic dog now lives in many homes across the world. Where in the far distant past the domestic dog was bred as a guard animal, a beast of burden, and even a food source the dogs of today are bred for a far more endearing purpose-companionship and love. Finding a pet dog that is more of a joy than a chore is necessary when asking: How much is that puppy in the window?

School, a routine that I have to complete, every day, five days a week. Each one of those days I carry my bag, my purple and pink diamond patterned backpack to store everything from the most insignificant items like tissues and gum to the important ones like pencils and books. All these things I carry, help get me through high school and to reach one of my next goals of going to college. My folders, stuffed to the brim, shredded, ripped, that have papers falling out of all sides, hold all my important notes and assignments that need to be saved to study for finals. My extra daily contacts, located in the mid sized pocket of my bag, with prescription -3.50 and -4.25, that are ready to replace any that fall out, so I can read the board and store

Everyone must have had a pet before, even if it was as small as a fish or as big as an elephant. We’ve all had that one pet, that we will forever remember. The loving relationship between a dog and a person is so unexplainable but very special in its own way. I’ve had a dog when I was born and it would always be there from my first time to talk to being with me my sophomore year. I had a Chinese Shar-Pei, whose name was Kane. He was the most precious pet to me and not one other pet can replace his 1,000 rolls or the two different colored eyes. Everyone thought he was ugly but he’s beautiful to me. The relationship we had was unique. In this relationship it contained us both knowing what we thought and getting in trouble together. The loving

I went to America with my Mom, my sister, and my Grandma. I had to go to the airport to take a plane.

A few months ago, my family was without a pet. Now, we have a sweet little puppy named Nellie. The day we got our dog was definitely a memorable one! It was an early morning at the Family Life No Kill Dog Shelter. Since the adoption process was first come first serve, we got there before the shelter opened and signed a little sheet on the outside of the door. On the sheet we were instructed to write our name and the dog we would like to meet and maybe adopt. Lots of people were outside, waiting in anticipation to meet the dogs. After the shelter opened, it was probably another hours wait until we could meet Nellie. Finally, our name was called. We followed an employee into a small room and told her we’re here to meet Nellie. The employee

We had heard everything in the book at this point: ‘No’, ‘Not happening’, ‘Maybe next year’, “Write Santa a letter’, ‘Go ask Mom’, ‘Go ask Dad’, ‘Too much work, sorry’. Years of work had amounted to nothing. My sisters and I have been asking for a furry friend ever since we could remember, and still seemed to be unsuccessful. We were getting sick of shamefully dumping goldfish down the toilet. All of our friends had dogs, so why couldn’t we? Our parents claimed that having a dog would be like having another kid and too much work for something that isn’t their own blood. Throughout this process, we had two moments of communication failure, which had eventually taught us how to convince our parents to get a dog.

On September 21st 2013 my life changed for the better when I picked up a young beagle named Luke from a gas station in Bastrop, Texas. I always knew I wanted a dog, mostly for superficial reasons. When I first logged on to Craigslist in search for a beagle I did not realize there would be so much more in store for me. Almost one year later I have become a more sensitive, empathetic, and motivated person because of my friendship with Luke.

It wasn’t until the morning of Saturday, May 21, 2016 that I realized what the true feeling of unconditional love was. The moment a parent looks into his or her child’s eyes there is just so much love it’s unbelievable. People think they know what love is when they love a significant other, family member, or a close friend; however, that love is nothing compared to the love a parent experiences the day his or her child is born. That is the love I felt the moment I placed my beautiful baby boy on my chest.