essays
What is in a name?
by Chloe Lowitz In its native language, Lithuanian, the name Lowetz means absolutely nothing-it’s gibberish. The Eastern European language doesn’t even have the letter “w” at all. It wasn’t supposed to mean anything. But it did. The name Lowetz was created by my great-grandfather, who adopted an Americanized variation of his half-brother’s name when he fled from Chicago in the late 20s. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression and met a girl who became his bride. To him, Lowetz was safety, a new identity fit for his new life in Michigan. My grandfather didn’t know his father- he had gone back to Chicago a short time after his children were born. Grandpa grew up to join the Air Force against his wife’s wishes and to have one of the most unloving marriages I’ve ever seen, despite having six children. To him, Lowetz would always be abandonment, a father who hadn’t cared enough to stay. My father was never close with either of his parents, and they still treat him as if he’s not worthy. Once, before he married my mom, someone remarked that “it’s a miracle he can show affection.” Dad waited until he’d been married almost ten years to have kids, out of fear that he’d be just like his parents. To him, Lowetz was disappointment, failure to make his uncaring parents proud. I grew up in a stereotypical middle class family, with parents that were almost too interested in my schoolwork. My mom and dad broke the chain built by the past generations, giving my brother and me the best lives possible. To me, Lowetz is hope, the light at the end of the tunnel. It is the potential for my brother and his bride to protect their children from the selfish family we had to endure. It’s the chance that my someday children and their cousins will be able to get along like family should. Lowetz is the promise of a life full of happiness and love for future generations. |
Who am I?
by Mollie Fortson Who am I? A girl with no sense of direction. A girl who gets not what she wants, but deserves what she needs. Hours spent working to pay a living, lost time devoted to staying alive. This world we call our oyster has left me nothing but a salted shell. Long nights of furious winds beat against my faded window, no hope for a quiet night’s time. The cars panic down the road- The road closest to my bedroom window. The spurts and putters of 18-wheelers leave my room a pale soundless color. From the end of my abused hallway, slight gusts of breath escape its wounds. The floor creaks and cracks against careful feet. I enter my living room, a place where we tend to either ignore or confront our problems. No ceiling lights, only two lamps to give us sense of direction. Past our front leaky door, the kitchen hides no secrets to our difficult life. Cigarette fumes flow thru our house like a flood. Butts can be found inside every ashtray or aluminum can. Our past hardships float in the air around and wither up beneath us. We breathe in something other than life. And we exhale the impossibilities. We focus on what’s laid out before us, and put aside the stuff ahead of us. I wish I could say that I’m always waiting for the sun to shine, but that would be lying. I wake up most days hoping the sun explodes, creating a forever mile cloud to cover up my burdens and responsibilities. My anxiety attacks leave me guessing at who I really should be, and my PTSD drives me to dig further and further into my question. How’s a life spent if there’s no life to spend it on? If I should be a shell of my former self, a person no longer filled with light, what point is there to keep a life going that doesn’t want to live? None I should say. None. |
Home
by Harmoney Garner Him. The way he fully embraces me without a thought if letting go, his touch gives me a sense of protection and in that moment he keeps me safe. Without him my heart aches along with my bones yearning for that feeling of security. My hearts filled with blissful ignorance; though I call it love. Then there’s that moment when it all becomes surreal, the moment when it’s all over. My heart begins to beat at the speed of light, eyes releasing small tears that will soon become a flood. The anxiety‘s taking over and soon the world around me goes mute. I approach him in the hallway somehow knowing this was it; the end. He mumbled “goodbye”, and that was it, my body had gone completely numb. Head throbbing, hands shaking and heart pulsating into what felt like a complete stop. There goes the feeling of protection, of security and the blissful ignorance that filled my heart. There goes my home walking away with my heart. |
Home
by Veronica Ciora Williams Coming into a warm place full of hot steamy pots, warming your heart. Carrying your body into my bedroom full of comforting pillows and a cute little miniature Doberman lying across my big rounded bed. The smell of the candles filling each room with joy. The coconut senses spread throughout my room, I could just taste it in my mouth. Making my way towards the living room , where I sat on a long wavy- brown chase that had my body doing the wave, I placed my body their until mama got home. Our television set was always set on channel 127, OXYGEN, and did not move. When mama got home it was time to make a move. Cleaning was her number one priority. “No work, No fun”, was her motto. I used to rush up to my bedroom to pick up things as quickly as possible so I could go out on Friday nights. When finishing cleaning I was doing my own thing in the streets. Arriving back home, walking through the door was the best part about any day. Pots still cooking and I was back on my wavy-brown chase with the television set on channel 127. |
I Am Responsible
by Mollie Fortson
Responsibility was never a bullet on my “to do” list. It’s not like I tried avoiding it, I just never had someone place something in hands and ask me take care of it. After moving in with my mother, however, the struggle for food and bills soon drove me to getting a job.
I applied for dietary aid at an Alzheimer’s nursing home. I had never had a job before, and even the tedious questions on the application made my stomach flip. The fear of messing up and making a fool of myself pushed me away from the idea of working, but the need for a paycheck over ruled the thought.
The day I started, I remember the walls being an eggshell white, with mint green and navy blue bordering the sides. The smell of clean linen and mop water filled my nose, and I remember seeing some of the residents I would grow to love. In the kitchen, were id spend three-fourths of my time, was crowded and hot. I began my shift with starting my drinks. I spilt tea on my shoes, and managed to miss-count my thickened liquids. When we began serving, I dropped several forks that assaulted my ears as they hit the floor. My day was going just as I thought it would.
The hours were long, and the muscle I built sent me home fatigued and utterly defeated each evening. Even though I resented ever having to work, I was able to pay off expenses and put a hot meal on the table. Over time, though, my regret turned to gratitude as I began to love my job. I cared about the residents and treated them as my grandparents. I clutched at the thought of making a difference in their lives. I smiled every time they took a bite, and the way they grinned from ear to ear, knowing that I was the reason their plates were clean and there special diets were all put in order.
The love for my job and the satisfaction of a bi-weekly paycheck taught me that responsibility doesn’t always have to be portrayed as negative. I learned that someone can be responsible for two things in one. My perspective on growing up and being responsible has changed, and I am now confident in myself that I can be an adult and have multiple responsibilities. I Am Responsible.
by Mollie Fortson
Responsibility was never a bullet on my “to do” list. It’s not like I tried avoiding it, I just never had someone place something in hands and ask me take care of it. After moving in with my mother, however, the struggle for food and bills soon drove me to getting a job.
I applied for dietary aid at an Alzheimer’s nursing home. I had never had a job before, and even the tedious questions on the application made my stomach flip. The fear of messing up and making a fool of myself pushed me away from the idea of working, but the need for a paycheck over ruled the thought.
The day I started, I remember the walls being an eggshell white, with mint green and navy blue bordering the sides. The smell of clean linen and mop water filled my nose, and I remember seeing some of the residents I would grow to love. In the kitchen, were id spend three-fourths of my time, was crowded and hot. I began my shift with starting my drinks. I spilt tea on my shoes, and managed to miss-count my thickened liquids. When we began serving, I dropped several forks that assaulted my ears as they hit the floor. My day was going just as I thought it would.
The hours were long, and the muscle I built sent me home fatigued and utterly defeated each evening. Even though I resented ever having to work, I was able to pay off expenses and put a hot meal on the table. Over time, though, my regret turned to gratitude as I began to love my job. I cared about the residents and treated them as my grandparents. I clutched at the thought of making a difference in their lives. I smiled every time they took a bite, and the way they grinned from ear to ear, knowing that I was the reason their plates were clean and there special diets were all put in order.
The love for my job and the satisfaction of a bi-weekly paycheck taught me that responsibility doesn’t always have to be portrayed as negative. I learned that someone can be responsible for two things in one. My perspective on growing up and being responsible has changed, and I am now confident in myself that I can be an adult and have multiple responsibilities. I Am Responsible.
America's Desires
by Isabel Feris
July 4th, 1783, the day that the thirteen colonies were finally free from England after 7 years of war. To this day America as a whole celebrates this national holiday for the freedom it brought as 10,000 men gave up not only their promise of protection from England for themselves and their families, but their very lives. Additionally, many years after this war individualism was still running strong, the idea that each person was his own man. That he neither wanted nor needed anyone else dictating his actions. Moreover, in WW1 Americans put the safety of their entire Nation at stake when they entered the Great War in the pursuit of preserving democracy for the world. It is this ideology that safety should step aside when restricting freedom, that built America up into the superpower it has become today. But in recent years, while the desire for freedom still resides in most Americans, it is not as profusely cherished as it once was in past years. Because America still stands as the most liberated country in the world since 1783, the people of modern day society have taken for granted their freedoms in favor of short sighted safety.
It is absolutely true that safety is a fundamental element of every individual’s health. The hierarchy of needs, as created by Abraham Maslow, states that an individual’s personal feelings of safety rank just below that of actual physical health. The theory is that a person cannot achieve health needs of any higher level before fulfilling the base ones. For example, the most basic and important necessity of any person is that they are physically well, so that they can live to achieve greater wants. If this base requirement is not met however, the individual will simply stop functioning; they will die. Similarly, if the need to feel safe is not satisfied then it is impossible for the individual to grow. They cannot ever come to experience belonging in any way, or reach achievements and self-respect; forget the chance to realize their personal potential. As a result, the individual’s safety is extremely important to their growth as a human being and is a natural element to strive for.
However, as a result of this desire for safety, the people of America have allowed their freedoms to slowly crumble away in the pursuit of security. One of the most recent and obvious examples of this are the gun laws which have been the cause of much debate. Slogans like “gun control equals crime control” are popular among gun control activists, who have arisen in number as an effect of recent violence appearing in schools. For example, every gun that is bought is registered and noted by the government. The common rationalization is that with gun registration crimes involving guns can easily be traced back to the responsible individuals. While this is a pure and logical idea, it overlooks the small fact that this law does absolutely nothing for its own cause. Criminals will always find their way around the law, including registered guns. So the only people with registered guns will be law abiding citizens, there won’t be any criminals using registered guns. So in result, Americans are giving up the freedom of anonymity for what they believe is safety. The only purpose of registered guns would be if the government suddenly decided to confiscate the public weapons, and needed all public weapons to be registered; such as the incident in Austria by Nazi Germany that began with gun registry. The perceived “safety” that is being traded for personal freedoms puts all American citizens in a fragile position; one that can easily be abused, and cause more danger than it ever did this safety.
Furthermore, our rights to freedom of speech are being stripped away. What good is having a democracy if the political leaders can’t, or choose not to, hear us? In 2011, President Obama signed a bill that gives the secret service and anyone under their protection to control their surroundings wherever they go. For example, if the President and the secret service decided to go for a stroll in the park, and an individual was holding up a sign to protest one of the president’s decisions in the same park; that individual could legally be arrested and thrown in jail for speaking negatively about the president. Now, it could be argued that this law is necessary to protect our president, and in turn our country. However, the bill is worded in a way that can be interpreted to say that any officer in the law enforcement can have this power to arrest civilians. Furthermore, the secret service has offices in every major city in America, which means that they have the potential to restrict free speech in influential locations. It’s true, that these measures may seem a small price to pay for the safety we enjoy, especially when compared to countries that don’t take these security measures. Even so, it is also a valid point that Americans sacrifice much of their valued freedom daily. Additionally, free speech is one of the most important rights that we have as American citizens. Therefore, any evidence of diminish, no matter how small, in terms of the first amendment must be fought. Little by little, free speech, and the liberty that comes with it, is being taken away. And while the small sacrifices might seem worth it in the present, rights will be yielded bit by bit until the people hardly have any at all and will be powerless; completely at the mercy of those who offered protection in exchange for the people’s freedom. It’s a commonly used tactic, the idea even appears in the YA novel The Hunger Games, and the excuse being used to keep the citizens oppressed is that the people must offer up their freedom in exchange for order and peace. Now, current America is nowhere near that level. Nonetheless, the people of our country cannot be lead to believe that it will never happen; because it’s taking place this very moment, just not in an obvious way. And the restrictions aren’t limited to those previously stated. There are also drones being developed and tested to patrol the country, if such a thing is continued then there is nothing left of our privacy.
In conclusion, while personal safety is a natural necessity for any human being, it cannot be bought at the price of our freedom; which is what the American society is slowly conforming to. Moreover, when too much freedom is taken away from a society, the community can hardly be defined as safe. If America insists on establishing this safety, even at such extreme costs, then at least limit it to times when the national security is directly threatened, or establish them as security measures just for war.
by Isabel Feris
July 4th, 1783, the day that the thirteen colonies were finally free from England after 7 years of war. To this day America as a whole celebrates this national holiday for the freedom it brought as 10,000 men gave up not only their promise of protection from England for themselves and their families, but their very lives. Additionally, many years after this war individualism was still running strong, the idea that each person was his own man. That he neither wanted nor needed anyone else dictating his actions. Moreover, in WW1 Americans put the safety of their entire Nation at stake when they entered the Great War in the pursuit of preserving democracy for the world. It is this ideology that safety should step aside when restricting freedom, that built America up into the superpower it has become today. But in recent years, while the desire for freedom still resides in most Americans, it is not as profusely cherished as it once was in past years. Because America still stands as the most liberated country in the world since 1783, the people of modern day society have taken for granted their freedoms in favor of short sighted safety.
It is absolutely true that safety is a fundamental element of every individual’s health. The hierarchy of needs, as created by Abraham Maslow, states that an individual’s personal feelings of safety rank just below that of actual physical health. The theory is that a person cannot achieve health needs of any higher level before fulfilling the base ones. For example, the most basic and important necessity of any person is that they are physically well, so that they can live to achieve greater wants. If this base requirement is not met however, the individual will simply stop functioning; they will die. Similarly, if the need to feel safe is not satisfied then it is impossible for the individual to grow. They cannot ever come to experience belonging in any way, or reach achievements and self-respect; forget the chance to realize their personal potential. As a result, the individual’s safety is extremely important to their growth as a human being and is a natural element to strive for.
However, as a result of this desire for safety, the people of America have allowed their freedoms to slowly crumble away in the pursuit of security. One of the most recent and obvious examples of this are the gun laws which have been the cause of much debate. Slogans like “gun control equals crime control” are popular among gun control activists, who have arisen in number as an effect of recent violence appearing in schools. For example, every gun that is bought is registered and noted by the government. The common rationalization is that with gun registration crimes involving guns can easily be traced back to the responsible individuals. While this is a pure and logical idea, it overlooks the small fact that this law does absolutely nothing for its own cause. Criminals will always find their way around the law, including registered guns. So the only people with registered guns will be law abiding citizens, there won’t be any criminals using registered guns. So in result, Americans are giving up the freedom of anonymity for what they believe is safety. The only purpose of registered guns would be if the government suddenly decided to confiscate the public weapons, and needed all public weapons to be registered; such as the incident in Austria by Nazi Germany that began with gun registry. The perceived “safety” that is being traded for personal freedoms puts all American citizens in a fragile position; one that can easily be abused, and cause more danger than it ever did this safety.
Furthermore, our rights to freedom of speech are being stripped away. What good is having a democracy if the political leaders can’t, or choose not to, hear us? In 2011, President Obama signed a bill that gives the secret service and anyone under their protection to control their surroundings wherever they go. For example, if the President and the secret service decided to go for a stroll in the park, and an individual was holding up a sign to protest one of the president’s decisions in the same park; that individual could legally be arrested and thrown in jail for speaking negatively about the president. Now, it could be argued that this law is necessary to protect our president, and in turn our country. However, the bill is worded in a way that can be interpreted to say that any officer in the law enforcement can have this power to arrest civilians. Furthermore, the secret service has offices in every major city in America, which means that they have the potential to restrict free speech in influential locations. It’s true, that these measures may seem a small price to pay for the safety we enjoy, especially when compared to countries that don’t take these security measures. Even so, it is also a valid point that Americans sacrifice much of their valued freedom daily. Additionally, free speech is one of the most important rights that we have as American citizens. Therefore, any evidence of diminish, no matter how small, in terms of the first amendment must be fought. Little by little, free speech, and the liberty that comes with it, is being taken away. And while the small sacrifices might seem worth it in the present, rights will be yielded bit by bit until the people hardly have any at all and will be powerless; completely at the mercy of those who offered protection in exchange for the people’s freedom. It’s a commonly used tactic, the idea even appears in the YA novel The Hunger Games, and the excuse being used to keep the citizens oppressed is that the people must offer up their freedom in exchange for order and peace. Now, current America is nowhere near that level. Nonetheless, the people of our country cannot be lead to believe that it will never happen; because it’s taking place this very moment, just not in an obvious way. And the restrictions aren’t limited to those previously stated. There are also drones being developed and tested to patrol the country, if such a thing is continued then there is nothing left of our privacy.
In conclusion, while personal safety is a natural necessity for any human being, it cannot be bought at the price of our freedom; which is what the American society is slowly conforming to. Moreover, when too much freedom is taken away from a society, the community can hardly be defined as safe. If America insists on establishing this safety, even at such extreme costs, then at least limit it to times when the national security is directly threatened, or establish them as security measures just for war.
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