Shpun
Oct 12, 2016
Undergraduate / "We're going to downtown San Diego!" Student's background and identity that show they're personality [3]
As he excitedly untied the ropes that kept his sailboat docked, my father exclaimed "We're going to downtown San Diego!". There was no use debating him, for he loved to sail and he was determined to show off his inner sailor. I give into his excitement and soon found myself leaving the marina he lived in and entering the bay. "Take that rope and tighten it! Now take this rope and keep your grip of it." I listened and followed his orders without hesitation, simultaneously translating my father's rigid Spanish accent. Taming the sailboat proved no easy task as the waters and winds fought back, but that made the challenge all the more attractive. Looking to my father, I could see in his eyes he thought the same as I.
Moments later I could see him biting his lower lip and straining his eyes while looking into the distance; he is thinking. "Wonder what has him beat?", I think only to see our sail flapping helplessly as we slow to a halt. "Oh, it's the wind", I realize. "Tick, tack" the water lightly splashes against the boat as I can't help but feel confused and ready to just go back home. Breaking away from my thoughts I see my father leaning his head in at me, one eyebrow cocked clearly looking just as confused. His eyebrows would raise with a smile and he'd open his mouth only to suddenly look away and return to his confused look. I look away and back again realizing he's thinking the same thing I am, "What do I do?". I haven't been on a boat in months. Yet, the wind keeps pushing and blowing my life to a halt, and I still find myself asking "What am I to do?"
Walking into my one bedroom home I'm greeted with the usual by my brothers, a simple acknowledgement of my presence and back to their games. I move towards the room dying to kick off my shoes and take off my ten ton backpack. Awaiting me is my mother, biting down on her nails somberly looking at a stack of papers with big red numbers on them. "OH? Honey it's you. Sit down, John. Mommy has something to tell you". She gestures me to sit on my bed as she props up her back looking lost all the while. "The situation has become much, much worse John . I don't know what to do, we owe so much money we don't have. What do we do honey?" I'm struck and afraid, "I'm sure it's not that bad mom... Right?"
"I don't know how it got so bad." she insists. My stomach churned with anger and despair. "Are we going to be homeless? Am I going to lose my future to poverty?" Questions pelted my mind. My eyes lost focus, my mom's voice dulled in the background, my thoughts screaming over her. Behind a door in my mind lies a million thoughts of failure, a dark place with ever reaching depth. Just now I could feel the door pulling me in, calling me to it. Reaching it I could see it was black, with deep square grooves in a 2x3 pattern. As I reach for the door, my hand pulling it's large metal handle, I'm embraced by my crying mother. "John. Baby. You're a good son." she cries. I look into her eyes and see she's just as afraid as me wanting to lean on me for support. I could not let her or myself down, I will put my faith in myself to succeed for the better of all of us. Hugging her I remind her "You're a wonderful mother".
Sitting next to my father he tells me "Son, the wind's slowing us down, but it's okay, we'll make it." He then takes the sailboat and turns the boat to a 45 degree angle to the wind. We pick up a slow speed moving toward our destination. "Dad won't this take a lot longer though? At this angle we're not going straight there." He gives me a warm smile, "Yes, that is true, but I told you we're going downtown and that's exactly what we're doing."
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Thank you for your advice. I want to use my story with my mom to show the idea that my home life, the life I was born into rather pushes against me and my success. However, like the wind pushing against me and my father, I want to show it that it does not change my destination in life.
This is revised without the angry notions, I admit that was rather rude of me. Please feel free to comment on this as well it's 50 words too long :( . Again thank you!
As he excitedly untied the ropes that kept his sailboat docked, my father exclaimed "We're going to downtown San Diego!". There was no use debating him, for he loved to sail and he was determined to show off his inner sailor. I give into his excitement and soon found myself leaving the marina he lived in and entering the bay. "Take that rope and tighten it! Now take this rope and keep your grip of it." I listened and followed his orders without hesitation, simultaneously translating my father's rigid Spanish accent. Taming the sailboat proved no easy task as the waters and winds fought back, but that made the challenge all the more attractive. Looking to my father, I could see in his eyes he thought the same as I.
Moments later I could see him biting his lower lip and straining his eyes while looking into the distance; he is thinking. "Wonder what has him beat?", I think only to see our sail flapping helplessly as we slow to a halt. "Oh, it's the wind", I realize. "Tick, tack" the water lightly splashes against the boat as I can't help but feel confused and ready to just go back home. Breaking away from my thoughts I see my father leaning his head in at me, one eyebrow cocked clearly looking just as confused. His eyebrows would raise with a smile and he'd open his mouth only to suddenly look away and return to his confused look. I look away and back again realizing he's thinking the same thing I am, "What do I do?". I haven't been on a boat in months. Yet, the wind keeps pushing and blowing my life to a halt, and I still find myself asking "What am I to do?"
Walking into my one bedroom home I'm greeted with the usual by my brothers, a simple acknowledgement of my presence and back to their games. I move towards the room dying to kick off my shoes and take off my ten ton backpack. Awaiting me is my mother, biting down on her nails somberly looking at a stack of papers with big red numbers on them. "OH? Honey it's you. Sit down, John. Mommy has something to tell you". She gestures me to sit on my bed as she props up her back looking lost all the while. "The situation has become much, much worse John . I don't know what to do, we owe so much money we don't have. What do we do honey?" I'm struck and afraid, "I'm sure it's not that bad mom... Right?"
"I don't know how it got so bad." she insists. My stomach churned with anger and despair. "Are we going to be homeless? Am I going to lose my future to poverty?" Questions pelted my mind. My eyes lost focus, my mom's voice dulled in the background, my thoughts screaming over her. Behind a door in my mind lies a million thoughts of failure, a dark place with ever reaching depth. Just now I could feel the door pulling me in, calling me to it. Reaching it I could see it was black, with deep square grooves in a 2x3 pattern. As I reach for the door, my hand pulling it's large metal handle, I'm embraced by my crying mother. "John. Baby. You're a good son." she cries. I look into her eyes and see she's just as afraid as me wanting to lean on me for support. I could not let her or myself down, I will put my faith in myself to succeed for the better of all of us. Hugging her I remind her "You're a wonderful mother".
Sitting next to my father he tells me "Son, the wind's slowing us down, but it's okay, we'll make it." He then takes the sailboat and turns the boat to a 45 degree angle to the wind. We pick up a slow speed moving toward our destination. "Dad won't this take a lot longer though? At this angle we're not going straight there." He gives me a warm smile, "Yes, that is true, but I told you we're going downtown and that's exactly what we're doing."
-----
Thank you for your advice. I want to use my story with my mom to show the idea that my home life, the life I was born into rather pushes against me and my success. However, like the wind pushing against me and my father, I want to show it that it does not change my destination in life.
This is revised without the angry notions, I admit that was rather rude of me. Please feel free to comment on this as well it's 50 words too long :( . Again thank you!
