The Final Goodbye free essay sample

He and I were slouched over holding his old rugged Playstation 2 controllers playing Call of Duty in the basement. I glance over to see tears falling from his eyes. Don’t cry, whatever you do, don’t cry. Focus on killing the bad guys in the game and not the tears. Feeling a vibration in my pocket, I pull my cell phone out and gently flip it open to read a text from my mom saying, â€Å"Time to come home.† â€Å"James, my mom wants me home.† Both of us know this is the last time. I’m heading upstairs and I’m looking back at all the memories we had in the basement. Playing one on one on James mini basketball hoop, chugging Oreos and milk in under thirty minutes, and investing hours into a video game to see if we could beat it. Every time we went downstairs, we would slap the sign James made when he was little that says,â€Å"Play Like a Champion Today,† just like Notre Dame does before every football game. We will write a custom essay sample on The Final Goodbye or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I’m putting my shoes on, and I say, â€Å"Goodbye everybody,† as droplets of tears start dripping from my eyes and slowly my eyes are flooded with salty water. The moment I see James, I begin hugging him. I tell him, â€Å"I’m gonna miss you so much,† and, â€Å"you will always be my best friend.† While we hug, he says the same things back to me. I start to open the door to leave, and I just can’t separate from him. All the memories of shooting hoops in the front yard, bouncing on his trampoline, and throwing the football in the snow every winter are rapidly going through my mind. James has been my other half for nine years, and I wouldn’t be complete without him. Feeling my tears fall down my cheek and onto his shirt, I gave him one last hug. That was our final goodbye. I cried the entire time as I walked the fifty yards back to my house and up to my parent’s room. I have never cried more in my life and hope that I will never cry this much again. It was a couple of days before July 7th, the day my family moved to Portland, Oregon. On this day, I was doing what I had done for the past nine years, hanging out with James. James was my best friend who lived two doors down from me and was the closest thing to being a perfect guy. He was about my height when we were young but slowly got taller, and had short black hair, which he’s had ever since he was little. When you walked into his room, the walls are covered with baseball caps, posters of athletes, jerseys, and a painting of Wrigley Field. He dominated at all sports, and he was the kid you wanted to be around, and he could make anyone laugh with his cheesy jokes. We immediately connected at the age of three playing Bob the Builder, and dominating youth football with him as the quarterba ck and me as the center. We carpooled to school every day together at Patterson Elementary School, and in 6th grade, we walked to the bus stop through sun, rain, or snow. I never realized that someone who lived 50 yards from me could make such an impact in my life. In today’s world, people don’t realize the impact someone has on one another until it is too late. We go and live our lives every day without knowing that this person has made our lives better and have made yourself become a better person. The biggest impact James had on me was his positivity. Every day, when I rang the doorbell, James would answer it with a smile on his face and say, â€Å"Dude, what’s up?† In the moment I wouldn’t think of it much, I figured it was just a friendly and welcoming greeting. But as I look back, James always had a smile and a positive attitude. I have found that the positive energy he gave to me for all those years has slowly transferred to me. When the family and I finally moved to Portland, I kept a positive attitude. Everything is going to work out. I’m going to be okay. Keep smiling and be happy. Soon my positive attitude would just become an everyday thing as many people have asked me, â€Å"Brody, do you ever stop smiling,† or have pointed out that they never see me sad. The positivity James gave to me has made me a better person because every day I always have a smile on my face and I bring positive energy to everyone I meet, and everywhere I go.

Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Essays

Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Essays Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Paper Literary Analysis of The Chimney Sweeper from Songs of Innocence Paper Is Religion Man Made? When you think of religion what do you think of? Are you a religious person? Do you not care much for religion? Have you ever thought of religion as an idea that the elites make up to suppress the people with horrible lives from revolting and do their job? This is what William Blake, author of â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper† in the Songs of Innocence, thinks of religion. This story shows how the symbolic order uses this idea of religion to keep the sweepers obedient. In the story, the chimney sweepers work tirelessly and they are extremely poor. They are the scum of society and are rejected by all kinds of people. The symbolic order gives them the idea that if they are obedient and do not speak out against what society has put them through, then they will go to heaven and have a much better life than the life they have now. In the story one of the chimney sweepers has a dream that an angel comes to him and tells him that if he is obedient then he will be in heaven and meet God. â€Å"And the angel told Tom, if hed be a good boy; Hed have God for his father, and never want joy† (Blake). The angel represents the Symbolic Order telling the children to stay obedient so that they can go to heaven. Society, especially the authority figures, tells the children these things so that they just do their jobs without any troubles. The fact that this is a dream implies that this isn’t real and that the elites in society just make up religion to quite the masses. The chimney sweepers use the ideas given to them by the Symbolic Order and use them to repress the fact that they have horrible lives. Instead of trying to get out of the situation they are in they just be obedient and do nothing more; this way they can meet God in heaven. â€Å"And so Tom awoke†¦Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm† (Blake). Even though Tom is just dreaming about going to heaven, he believes that he will if he is obedient. Instead of being miserable like normal, he is happy and warm because he has something to look forward to in the after-life. His ignorance towards the fact that it was just a dream gives him bliss even though his life is awful. The chimney sweepers have a fear of death because they are so willing to accept the idea of going to heaven after they die as long as they are obedient. They are afraid of dying considering the fact that they’re lives are terrible and they don’t want to die with such a bad life. If they have something to look forward to after they die, then they won’t be so afraid of dying; which is why religion helps them get over their fear of death. â€Å"So if all do their duty they need not fear harm† (Blake). As long as they do what they are told they will have no harm in the after-life. This is why Tom is depressed before the dream and after the dream Tom is happy and warm. This story shows how the symbolic order uses this idea of religion to keep the sweepers obedient. The chimney sweepers’ lives are as bad as can be but society gives them empty promises so that they can stay quiet and do their work. These ideas that the Symbolic Order gives help the sweepers get over their fear of death by giving them hope. It also helps them repress how bad their lives are. It takes their mind off of the fact they can try to change their lives. Overall the author is trying to convey that religion is just an idea made up by the Symbolic Order to repress people and keep them in line. Blake, William. The Chimney Sweeper.   Songs of Innocence. N. p. : n. p. , n. d. N. pag. Http://www. online-literature. com. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. online-literature. com/poe/628/.

African philosophy

Among Southern African communities ubuntu is associated with the maxim umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, which, loosely translated into English, may be construed to mean that to be a human being is to affirm one? s humanity by recognising the humanity of others and, on that basis, establish humane relations with them (Ramose, 2002; Ramphele, 2001): a point which Sindane (1994:8-9) underscores, saying that â€Å"ubuntu inspires us to expose ourselves to others, to encounter the difference of their humanness so as to inform and enrich our own†. Letseka (2000), one of the philosophers who have written on ubuntu argues that this concept illuminates the communal embeddedness and connectedness of a person to other persons and also highlights the importance attached to people and to human relationships (Letseka, 2000:183). It is essential to understand that ubuntu does not wholly reject material wealth acquired through individual effort, as is evidenced by this saying among the Sotho communities: „U tla phela ka mofufutso oa phatla ea hau? which loosely translated means „you will live by the sweat of your brow? (Letseka, 2000:183). Ubuntu rejects competition and arrogance arising from being rich, as these can be detrimental to cooperative living within the community. Individual effort is good as long as it generates resources for the maintenance and sustenance of human life. The main concern of ubuntu is the welfare of others. This is why when two Africans meet in the street, it is likely they will enquire about the health and welfare of family members rather than the weather as most Westerners would do (Letseka, 2000:183-184). For Venter (2004:159), ubuntu/botho/menslikheid/humaneness is a philosophy that promotes the common good of society. It contains the potential to enable South Africans to succeed in their quest for reconciliation and nation building

Hotel service operation management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Hotel service operation management - Essay Example SWOT analysis of the Web based training and development in this hotel helps us to carve a niche in the market. The marketing plan based on the hotel has to be designed and implemented to achieve the goals of business. It also provides knowledge regarding the strengths and the weaknesses of the business. By recognizing and analyzing the marketing strategic plan, the hotel can overcome its difficulties smoothly. The management and operation team of the Hotel solved the problem of worker turnover by increasing the expense of training and salary. For future strategic action plan, report recommended that room for conferences must be constructed at first rather than in the last year. The financial analysis of the Seaside Hotel includes the Total hotel revenue and total hotel net income, Rooms department revenue and rooms net income, Food & beverage department’s revenue and food & beverage net income, Occupancy, average daily rate (ADR), and REVPAR, Refurbishment spending and extra f acilities built analysis, Short term and long term stability ratios, Staff turnover and EMS spend and activities. This plan could attract more businessmen and raise hotel competitiveness. The report also provides information regarding the effectiveness of Web based training and development method in the Hotel business. Appendixes of the report include Current Balance Sheet, Statement of Income for 3 years and Monthly indicator report for the three years. Report also includes aims, objectives, strategy, and formulation of program feedback and control of the study. Report shows the proper implementation of promotional mix could raise the market share and develop business growth in the face of strong competition. HOTS report also shows client satisfaction and loyalty through employee training and development program, by way of increasing profitability and development of the hotel, which was formed by satisfied, faithful, and productive workers. Finally the report shows that the proper

It is a movie and questions about it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

It is a movie and questions about it - Essay Example Sam has a developmental disability (mental capacity of a 7-year-old), and he is the father of Lucy. As a single parent, he struggles to give Lucy a happy life after the abandonment by her mother. Her mother was a street woman and disappeared immediately after giving birth. In spite of the single parent and disability problem, Sam has friends with developmental disabilities who are very supportive. His neighbor Annie (Dianne West) also takes care of Lucy when the father is busy at work. As Lucy grows, she learns of her father’s mental disability who other kids describe as a retard. During her birthday, policemen take her away, and her father approaches lawyer Rita Harrison. She agrees to help him by taking the case as pro bono. At the last trial, the opposing counsel convinces Sam that he is not a capable father. Lucy is taken away to reside in a foster home that features Randy Carpenter as her mother. Lucy escapes from the foster home several times at night to her fatherâ€⠄¢s house. As the movie comes to the end, the family takes the girl back to her father and promises to help offer help in raising the kid. The movie prominently features two family members; Sam and Lucy. Sam is the loving father of Lucy. Although he has a disability, he works very hard at Starbucks cafà © to provide for his daughter’s needs. His efforts to have a decent life see him obtain a new job of taking care of dogs. He is a loving man and does everything beyond his abilities to get his daughter back. He has an outgoing personality that has earned him some mentally challenged friends. Besides, Sam is full of determination and does not allow the disability to define his personality. In spite of the disability, he is determined to be the best father to Lucy. Lucy is the only child of Sam. She was born out of Sam’s relationship with Rebecca, a street woman. Just like her father, Lucy is a loving girl and goes against

Concert Report Essay -- essays research papers

CONCERT REPORT #1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I chose to do my first concert report on Pearl Jam. The concert took place at Deer Creek the weekend after class started, so it was perfect timing to do this assignment. This was the first time I have seen Pearl, and I thought it was worthy of writing a report on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If one has ever been a fan of Pearl Jam, they of course know that Eddie Vedder is the lead singer, and right beside him with his wicked lead guitar playing, Stone Gossard. The other guys on the strings are, Mike McCready on guitar, and Jeff Ament on bass. My favorite band player of any band is the drummer, and for Pearl Jam, this guy is Matt Cameron. He is the only unoriginal band member when they formed in 1991 and produced their first album, Ten. FYI, the original drummer for Pearl Jam was Dave Krusen. I have always liked Pearl Jam, but was not expecting much of the show. I was not impressed by their last two albums, especially their most recent one, Binaural. But, I had always wanted to see them live, and I was still a big fan of their first four albums, so off I went to see Pearl Jam. Their opening song was â€Å"Corduroy†, a song from their third album, Vitology. This is one of my personal favorites, because of simple reasons. I just like the words and the drums of the song. But I was not prepared for what I was about to hear. The beat of the drum bass was so deep, and the clash of the symbols was incredibly high. Every time I play th...

Group Development Model Essay

You are required to organize your company dinner. The company has chosen 20 people from various departments to be in the dinner committee. Using a group development model, discuss the stages that the group will go through from the beginning to the end of the task (organizing dinner). A group is defined as two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to achieve specific goals. Formal groups are working groups defined by the organizational structure that have designated work assignment and task. Informal groups are groups that is independently formed to meet the social needs of their members. There are five stages in a group development model which are forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. The forming stage in which people join the group and then define the group’s purpose, structure and leadership. Team members tend to behave quite independently. The members of the team get to know one another, exchange some personal information, and make new friends. Supervisors of the team tend to need to be directive during this phase. From 20 people, I will decide who is going to be decorating sub committee, food sub committee, funding sub committee, marketing sub committee, program sub committee, and volunteer sub committee. Because of they are from different departments, they tend to know each other first before they start working. They have to determine what activities and programs are already in place and serving the needs of the community. Determine the need for the dinner and availability of resources. The next stage is storming. Storming stage characterizes by intragroup conflicts and disagreement among group members. Team members open up to each other and confront each other’s ideas and perspective. Normally tension, struggle and sometimes arguments occur. Supervisors of the team during this phase may be more accessible, but tend to remain directive in their guidance of decision-making and professional behavior. All the subcommittee has to set goals for the dinner. They have to know their target population and their desired objective or outcome. They have to brainstorm ideas and at this stage all ideas are good ideas. They also can explore the idea of partnership to share the workload or get mileage out of the work they do. The third stage of group development is norming stage. It is characterized by close relationships and cohesiveness. The team manages to have one goal and come to a mutual plan for the team at this stage. Some may have to give up their own ideas and agree with others in order to make the team function. In this stage, all team members take the responsibility and have the ambition to work for the success of the team’s goals. The sub committee now able to find a leader among them and establish a small but effective working group with a broad range of skills that is able to function as a team. The subcommittee also has to compare the skills and abilities of the committee members against the task to be performed to determine what training is required. Besides that, they have to determine the actual fiscal resources necessary. The fourth stage of group development is performing stage when the group is fully functional and work on group tasks. The team members are now competent, autonomous and able to handle the decision-making process without supervision. Supervisors of the team during this phase are almost always participative. Even the most high-performing teams will revert to earlier stages in certain circumstances. At this stage, all sub committees implement what they plan before. They are co-operating together and help each other to succeed the dinner. Each member knows their responsibilities and tasks. The marketing subcommittee has to publicize to catch the attention of their target group and make them want to seek more information about the dinner. The program subcommittee has to make sure all needed material such as equipment is on hand and in good working order. The final stage of group development stage is adjourning stage which group members are concerned with wrapping up activities rather than task performance. This stage involves completing the task and breaking up the team.