The Greatest Man That Ever Lived Essay

     “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men,” was written by James Agee and Walker Evans. The story is about three white families of tenant farmers in rural Alabama. The photographs in the beginning have no captions or quotations. They are just images of three tenant farming families, their houses, and possessions. “The photographs are not illustrative. They, and the text, are coequal, mutually independent, and fully collaborative.” (87) The story and the photographs contain relationships between them; in the essay I am going to inform you about the interpretations of the relationships between the readings of James Agee and some of the pictures by Walker Evans.

There is not many people in life that will have such an impact that will directly change the course of how one spends their time, how one handles problems, and teaches someone what is truly important in life. My grandfather, or as I called him, “Pap” was one of the only people who always believed in me and whatever I wanted to accomplish with my life. My Pap was very inspirational in my life because he taught me through his good example that obstacles can harm but never stop so long as you keep fighting for what is desired. He taught me about resolution, and to never give up no matter the odds and instilled confidence in me that I can do anything so long as I am willing to work for it. He always stressed to me that materialistic things in life do not matter, as long as the family and friends are there for support and love. He directly influenced the way I spend my time and what I enjoy to do.

Anyone that came in contact with him, could tell that was his biggest and most honorable trait. He knew when enough was enough, he knew when to leave the bar, and he also knew when his granddaughters wanted attention and affection from him. Growing up across the street from my grandpa, I was able to watch and observe him go through many stages of life. He was my biggest trainer of moderation, self-discipline, and love. He may not have always stopped when others thought he should and he may not have spent as much time with us as we thought we deserved, but he knew the right things to do for himself or other. I was so easily influenced as a child, that I was affected by the right and wrong things I would see happening. While my grandpa didn’t always do the right thing, he always showed me how it was wrong and what I could do to make it

While, my mother has also been a significant individual in my life, my grandmother has always been my confidant, someone I could go to whenever I was confused or needed guidance, and she always had the answers. Whether it was putting alcohol on a scrapped knee or lending a shoulder to cry on, I could count on her to be there during my most precious moments. The tough love has also

There have been countless influential people in my life that I’ve come across. One who was a meticulous inspiration continues to be my grandfather. My grandmother had remarried to the one I call “grandpa” when I was at the age of five, and they both took to each other’s grandchildren as their own. With my mother and me only living a mile down the road from their farmhouse out in the country, I’d spent heaps amount of time there as a child. Indeed, I had been without a father but my grandfather stepped up to the plate and had taken me under his wing and willingly played the personification of a father figure.

What I admire most What I admire most about my great grandpa is that he was a hero to save a bunch of people but yet he is still my grandpa. I also like how he is kind and respectful to everyone he meets because he knows that you need to treat others how you want to be treated because if you don’t others will be mean to you. Another way I admire him is that he is helpful and tries to help as best as he can.

I never really knew my grandpa as well as I would have liked. He was already an old, old man by the time I started high school, and my own memories of him are mostly of a man confined by age and ailing health. So I'm not really going to talk about my memories of him. Instead, I'm going to try to share his memories and the memories of those that knew him.

Of all of my grandparents, I spent time the most time with my maternal grandmother, I got my love of math and baking from her. My paternal grandfather was a businessman and owner of his own company while my maternal grandfather was an accountant, then treasurer of a large corporation. They both inspired and supported my major and career choice.

My grandpa is the best grandpa ever , he teaches me stuff and always cheers me up when I'm sad . He always helps me when I don't know what I'm doing and no matter what we are doing doesn't matter if it's working or not we always have fun together and I know I don't see him a lot but when I do I cherish the moments I have with him . That is why my grandpa is my Michigan hero

He taught me that hard work will pay off and will reward me. He always talked about how his successes in life were due to him working hard at his goal. Everyday he would talk time out of his day to make pamphlets that listed grocery stores that sold food at a cheap price. He would then hand them out to low-income families hoping that these pamphlets would save them money. My grandfather felt content knowing that he was able to help these families. Furthermore, he taught me that the only way to become better at something is through practice. During the holidays, he and I would play our clarinets together in my living room for the rest of the family. He coaxed me to continue learning about and playing the clarinet. My grandfather inspired me to challenge myself in school like making the decision to take honors classes. Even though my grandfather is not here to watch me graduate high school and grow through college, he will continue to inspire me to be the best person I can be as I move through life. I know he would be happy if I got into Stockton because he knows that Stockton has the tools for me to be

My grandfather, J. King Burk, is a man of very few words, but if you get to know him you will come to find that he has been through a lot in his lifetime. My brother and I have a connection with him that most grandchildren don’t have with their grandparents because he was with us when our parents separated. He understands how difficult it is to be raised by one parent, he helped raise my brother and I, and I go to him when I’m making important decisions.

My grandfather has always been a big part of my life as he has a love for outdoors that is contagious. He instilled in me the love of nature and wildlife. As a young child I remember listening to his hunting and fishing stories. It always sounded like something I would enjoy. When I was young I knew my grandfather exaggerated his stories, but it made them all the more exciting. We started scouting deer together when I was about 10 years old. I will always remember the first time that I shot a deer. My grandfather was there to share the joy and excitement and he was happy too.

Benjamin Franklin and John Quincy Adams – these two mortal men laid the foundation for the great American nation. Since his own lifetime, Benjamin Franklin has been an American icon for success. During his life, many deemed Franklin the greatest man of the new world, and perhaps the best known in the entire world. Today, his portrait centers the American $100 bill. Franklin worked hard for his success and earned the rewards of fame and fortune accordingly. While alive, Franklin lobbied for “indefinite expansion” of the United States, a fight that Adams would take up after Franklin’s death. In his own life, Adams fought for his “continental vision” in which all of North America would become domain of the United States. With the Transcontinental Treaty and his influence on the Monroe Doctrine, Adams began to turn his vision of America into a reality. He and Franklin both pictured a transcontinental United States where the ideals of America could flourish. In essence, Franklin and Adams strived to create an American “Empire for Liberty.” This ideal of liberty would resonate within and permeate the American consciousness, with hopes of ultimately leading to an expansive Nation which holds true its own declaration “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Although 19th century political rhetoric portrays the United States as a land of liberty and

For many people, Grandpa is a storyteller, someone to go fishing with, and someone who has your back no matter what. The experience I had with my grandpa was a little different. I never got the opportunity to meet my great-grandfather Liston Grider, but he still somehow managed to have a huge impact on my life. Sometimes my mom would tell stories about him; happy memories from her childhood, sad ones that were painful for her to tell, and everything in between. I thought I had heard it all, but this past summer I learned something about my great grandpa that would perhaps impact my life forever. This story was not told by my mom like usual, but by someone who was a complete stranger to me. The lessons I learned would not be taught in a single day, but over the span of a month through a series of Facebook messages and letters in the mail. The words I read upon opening those messages and letters would change my life forever, permanently transform my beliefs, and show me what it truly means to be an American.

When we were together we were invincible, us against the world. I’d look up to him, not only because he was 6’4, but because he was my grandpa. I have clear memories of him picking me up from school, playing old school reggae music during our adventurous car rides. We’d always sing along to our favorites, sometimes turn the music up so loud the people in the cars next to us could hear it. When I would visit his apartment, the familiar smell of drywall and pennies would fill the air. It was my hideaway, my home away from home. My grandpa collected pennies in water jugs. He would say that one day they’d be worth more than just pennies. I loved it there, not only because he had a freezer filled with many flavors of ice cream to which he would often say to me “you can have all you can eat” but because it was our time to bond. For five years it was my mom, my dad, and my grandpa helping me to grow. Those are my favorite people, my role models. Being around my grandpa brought me such comfort and joy.