Undergraduate / 'my place among poets' - University of Michigan- A Group You Belong To [3]

(now this isn't all of it, but am I on the right track?)

I take my place among poets with a love of smooth stanzas and musicians reveling in the perfect harmony of two voices. I situate myself between the writer who listens lovingly to the scratches of her pen on crinkled paper, and the casual observer pricking his ears up to the pitter-patter of raindrops on a window, the tick-tock of an ancient grandfather clock, the smooth gravel of a groggy man's voice, shaken awake.

I am an audiophile, unashamedly in love with sound- with noise, with the force pounding on our eardrums every second of every day.

I was not always like this. However, as I look back on the years past, the swell of sounds engulfs my memory. I am a child repeating my father's erratic words, his accent making the phrases resound like a jagged rock tumbling down a smooth concrete hill. I am the sleepless student tapping her fingertips on the computer keyboard, enviously listening in on the whispery quietness of a sleepy, silent night.

Undergraduate / 'whether or not to donate a kidney' - ethical dilemma you have faced [2]

It is a harsh realization, finding out that organ donations are difficult to come by. In the Spring of 2010 my mother was diagnosed with acute kidney failure, and doctors concluded that she would need a transplant within the next few years. Seeing as she wasn't a good candidate for donation, I had to make the choice of whether or not to donate a kidney.

The decision plagued me for months. My mother hadn't outright asked me, but I knew the question went through her mind every time I brought her sickness up in conversation. She didn't have anyone else to turn to, seeing as she has no living blood relatives besides my brother and me. Besides, I felt guilty. The diabetes that had caused the kidney failure had developed from her pregnancies. We both doubted that my brother would even consider donating a kidney, so it was up to me to make a decision.

A list of pros and cons developed in my head. My mother would live much longer with a functioning kidney than she would if she just went through dialysis. She would be able to live more comfortably with a less restrictive diet, and she would be able to travel with my father and me. My grandchildren might even have a grandma, something I lack in my life. But on the other side of things, I would have to have more regular check ups, seeing as in the past I have gotten kidney infections. I would also have to eat more healthily and exercise more often.

The thought of donating a kidney was frightening enough to keep me from making a decision for a long time. Doubts started popping up in my head. I started asking questions like, 'What if my kidneys aren't even healthy enough to consider donating?' and 'What if my mother's body rejects it right after transplantation?'. I forced myself to let go of those thoughts; if I decided that I wouldn't go through with the donation it wasn't going to be because of a few last minute doubts I had. Besides, after consulting a doctor I found that my kidneys are healthy enough, and as long as my mother would take anti-rejection drugs, she would most likely be fine.

Then in July 2011 I had another kidney infection. It was the worst one by far, and I had to be hospitalized. I was very weak, so weak I couldn't sit up in the bed without aid. My mother told me that she felt much like I did at that point, and that I should be thankful for all that she did for me.

I was. I came to my decision that day. If my mom felt that weak on her bad days, I would do anything I could to make her better. Without doubt, I can now say that I will donate a kidney to my mother.

So how is it?

Am I answering the question correctly?