This I Believe (Finished)

Matthew Young

Kelly Anthony

English 101

February 17^th, 2014

This I Believe

God... Who might that be? Could it be one? Could it be many? Could it be a flying monster made entirely out of pasta noodles? (That's a fun one to look up) You have the choice to control what may come in life. Your happiness, your love, your financial obligations and income as well as your career. Everything that directly relates to you can be created and controlled by none other than you. You are your own god...

This is not an attack at organized religion or followers of a specific group, clan, cult, or religion. This is simply a statement that applies to everyone. A statement that says you have complete control over who you are and who you want to become. It's about what is happening in your life is completely under your control. You may not be able to control the types of threats or opportunities that arise during your day to day life, but you can sure take advantage of them. Whether or not taking those advantages amounts to anything special, the fact of the matter is that you still took control of what happens in your life. I see many of my friends and random people constantly complaining about their lives or how nothing seems to be working in their favor, yet they don’t do anything to change the situation. All they seem to do is to want, want, want, but refuse to come up with any actions to get what they want.

            Every person has wants and every person has needs, but not every person DOES. I could easily (and I do) want a million dollars or need a million dollars and, though seemingly impossible, is possible given the fact that I work and strive to reach that goal. Some things that could point me in the right direction would be to find a higher paying job, but most businesses who might offer the opportunity to make that kind of money will not higher me without a certain educational background or experience needed. Now, I can either drop down or complain about it or I can go out and do something about it. I can go to college and work towards the type of degree they are searching for or the type of degree that would best suit my needs and wants, then try again. Maybe I don’t have the money to go to college. Here, once again, I can complain about it or I can go out and do something about it. Maybe get a job that would help supplement my income enough to go to school or file for financial aid or maybe take out student loans to cover my degree until I can graduate, get that job I am working to get and start paying it off until BOOM!! I work for a fortune 500 company or whatever company it is that I found the opportunity to make this money. The same could go for starting up my own business. Of course I would have to start small and work my way up, but the same stuff that I said earlier could apply to this as well.

            It all boils down to how badly you want something and what you are willing to do or sacrifice in order to reach your goals. Bill Clinton once said, “If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person. It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.” Now, I say that you are your own god because you may pray or wish for certain things in your life and though it may be a comforting idea, it’s not going to happen unless you go out and make the changes needed to accomplish what you are wanting to happen. This isn’t to start a religious debate or a battle, it’s to show you that you are what will make these things happen. It is you who are creator and controller of your future. The harder you strive, the happier you can be. I know that if someone gives me 20 dollars, I am happy, but if I went out and I earned that 20 dollars myself, I appreciate it even more. I feel happier because I feel more confident in my abilities and it pushes me to try even harder, because now I feel I could earn more if I put in the extra work, hence the fact that I am now in my second semester of college. I wasn’t happy with my previous situation and while I may not be happy with the situation I am in now, I am proud of the fact that I am trying and every day that goes by is another step towards completing my goals for life.

            Think about where you are now in life and how you feel about it. Are you happy? Are you content? Do you think things could or should be different? Now think about where you would be if you changed a certain aspect of your life, whether it’s a different job or a higher education. Maybe even a move to a different community. The smallest changes that you make could have the largest impacts on your happiness. Taking a quote from Abraham Lincoln, “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” It wasn’t until I was about 19-20 that I figured out just one little change and my life was altered completely. I moved from my little backwoods town and got a cheap apartment with my friend up here and had a part time job at Taco Bell. While it doesn’t seem like much, it changed my entire outlook on my life. I noticed how much I could really change and how much I could control, because that job was nice and I had fun, but I wasn’t financially happy. So I found a higher paying job with much better hours and was able to afford better things, including better living arrangements. I found a nicer apartment, got my own furniture and started feeling even better about myself. Then I found another job that was better and things kept looking up from there. Then I realized that if I went back to school and got a degree, that I could find an even BETTER job that I would love.

I have continued to make changes in my life and striving for the things that I want and little by little I have been reaching these goals. I am working to change my financial future and my career choices by living my credo. Those little things I do make huge strides in the life I choose to live. Same thing goes for love. I see so many people complaining about how lonely they are and how nobody wants them, but they never look at the idea that maybe no one wants to spend their life with someone who is unwilling to live their life and not rely on the attention of others to make them happy. I used to think that a complete life involved having someone to spend it with, but I never looked at the idea that my life is my own. I used to try and sacrifice things to please someone else while ignoring my future. I changed that as well and since then I haven’t been happier. After working towards pleasing myself and making my own life better, I started seeing how people were more interested in me.

            I had came to the conclusion that the more you focus on bettering yourself and not continuously searching for that special someone, while ignoring your goals, the more likely you are to find someone who shares the same interests because you’re out living your life and doing what you love. This could bring you closer to those people who share the same goals and when you find someone who does share those goals and has the same kind of outlook on life, the more likely you are to find that special someone you wouldn’t mind sharing your life with, seeing as how you already share a lot of the same interests as it is. The more likely you are to find that special balance in life that makes you feel the happiest. The less you have to sacrifice in order to reach your own happiness.

            In conclusion, it is you who controls who you are and what you become. You who controls your happiness and you love. You are your own god and you make your life worth living. There is never a need to give up or quit and it is no one else’s fault but your own if you do. Never blame anyone else for what happens to your life and never forget to give credit to those who help you, no matter how small the action or advice. You are an amazing person and the fact you are still here today shows that you are stronger than you may think. In the words of the great Theodore Roosevelt, “We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage.” No matter what happens in life, always remember, it is you who decides who you are and what you will become and the legacy you leave behind.

"The Death Trap"

The sun is scorching through the clear cloudless skies, making the black tar covering the pavement boil as if the pits of Hell itself were directly beneath. Not even a simple deer would brave it across the 10 feet of blackened highway. The only shade available would be provided by the immense oak trees scattered alongside the ditch on either side, but with the blinding sun directly above, there is not one patch of shade covering the highway for miles. In the distance a faint, but constant roar can be heard. The sound resembles that of 1,000 demons screaming as they chase their prey. The sound is getting louder and louder and as if no time at all had passed, the beast flies by, scorching the very pavement as if it were aflame itself. Just as soon as it could be seen, it disappeared into the distance once more. What was this monstrous creature? Could it have been a demon from the tales we heard as children? No, this was no demon, but a mere mortal man, a man on a mission, a mission to ride. To find freedom, to chase his passion and to escape the everyday monotonous life that many are forced to accept. This freedom he had been tirelessly searching for could be found sitting atop 2 wheels as the engine below screams down the highway, cutting effortlessly through the wind as if it were a warm knife through butter. The heat from the sun desperately trying to catch up to him as he leaves it choking in the dust behind him. The smell of the warm grassy air fills his nostrils as he burns through every twist and turn as if it were nothing more than a slight bend in the road grinding bit by bit from the pegs beneath his feet. As he grasps the throttle and pulls back, his heart races and the blood in his veins pump with force through every inch of his body with every lunge the bike makes. With every gear he shifts through, the hair on his neck raises and his determination increases. He is unstoppable, he is mighty, and he has found exactly what he had been looking for... freedom... He is me, never looking back.

The road... anywhere along the road. This is where I'd rather be. Grabbing my black, full face modular helmet, sliding down into my leather seat of my Shadow and hitting the ignition and hearing that engine spark and fire into a roar of life. The rumble beneath me, stretching from head to toe to the tips of my fingers, wrapped around the grips. I squeeze the soft rubber of my grips and step it down into first as I hold the clutch in and feel the click of first gear. It's not just a sound, it's a jolt through your leg up to your brain. It's the green light in your head to pull back that throttle and release the clutch and launch down the road. The winding, twisting curves of every turn. The trees and grass and bushes of each side. Maybe fences surrounding fields to keep in cattle or horses. The black and grey pavement and tiny cracks that pass by. The yellow lines, be it solid or strips, leading the way as you glide by. The fragrance of the grass and pastures hidden in the wind. The smell of oak and pine trees and flowers, of pollen and fire wood. That unexplainable smell of a brisk wind that hits the senses and relaxes the body making you feel one with the road. Every smell leaves a sweet taste of the outdoors in the back of your pallet. Maybe reminding you of another memory like the firewood and a BBQ. You may have remembered that BBQ joint back home that served the best pulled pork you've ever found. Your mouth waters at the thought. You feel the wind rush past your entire body, blowing and crashing into your chest and legs. You feel the bike rumble as you throttle up and down, gliding over the pavement through dips and valleys, hills and curves. You feel the foot rest touch and drag along the road as you turn hard into a sharp curve. Scrapping and sparking along the pavement. The whoosh of the wind rushing by. The roar of the engine turning spark into energy and fuel into feel. As you throttle hard, the bike picks up and pushes you back with the new found momentum. Nothing else matters... I forget every problem that may be pressing me. Every person that may be throwing what they can at me, trying to bring down my spirits. I fade away from any frustration or pain I may have and melt into the road itself, never looking back. I escape from the troubles in life and find new, more effective ways to live and progress. New thoughts, new emotions. I rise into my own personal Nirvana leaving my worries behind in the dust of the road.

Ambrosia Callione

Ambrosia Callione stands about 6’3, towering over most of the kids her age and was very petite at around 136. Her hair hangs just over shoulder length, cut in a bob style and a dark cherry color with eyes as dark as the night sky. Her skin dark like a coffee and cream hue and for her height her ears were slightly smaller than one might expect. Her nose resembled that of a mouse, like a cute button with a bit of a tip that curved up at the end. Her looks would put even Aphrodite herself to shame.  She never could stay cooped up inside and she loves people and to be noticed where ever she goes, her slender stature and loud voice makes sure of that. In most aspects, she seemed much like her father Frank. They are an Italian family who immigrated to the states 40 years ago. She always stood proud of her Italian heritage, but noticed how often people judged her on the fact she could be such a loud, sometimes obnoxious girl. She never wanted to fit in, always felt the need to be different. She loves music, generally classical and blues, which seems weird for someone in her social standings and loud manner. One of her favorite past times would be to head down to the local arcade/comic shop near the pier after school, another strange habit that she knew many of her friends would look down upon. Afraid they might find out, she would wear a blonde wig and glasses as a disguise that seemed to work quite well for her. She never slacked on her homework or duties at home, she always tried to be school and family oriented. She knew the responsibilities she had to her family and herself and wouldn’t let anything stand in her way. Now being part of a large Italian family, she of course acquired quite the appetite. Her brother swears she once ate 3 plates more than him at a Thanksgiving dinner at his aunts 2 years ago, but no one believes him due to her petite size. She grew up with a family of men, aside from her mother and 2 aunts. She was the 2^nd youngest of 5 children which meant she was raised with 4 brothers. This didn’t prove difficult for her as she learned to hold her own against them and after a while they were the ones who shown trouble keeping up with her. When she was 11, her brothers dared her to climb the old bridge on 32^nd and Fourth Avenue, the place where Old John the Bum met a horrible fate with a bus 5 years before this. Not wanting to look weak or get made fun of, she went for it and almost half way up the side of the bridge wall, slipped and she caught the side of her forearm on a protruding bolt. This left a nice scar stretching about 6 inches.

Fire... Fun, right? Oh, well I think it is :) Although one of my friends may disagree with with you, but he has a good reason. At least when it involves fire AND me. I used to be a very.... odd child. I liked to play with fire, but not to the extent I would light someone's house on fire. One time when I was 14, while my best friend was over, we had been playing with lighter fluid, rubbing alcohol and a zippo lighter. We were sitting on the floor playing with the fluid and lighting our hands on fire then blowing it out quickly or lighting our pant legs or shoes on fire then blowing it out. Well, while we were doing it, I thought it would be funny to light his pants on fire at the crotch, so I poured some on the ground and lit it then quickly sprayed it towards his crotch and set it on fire. He freaked out and we put it out, but the look on his face was priceless, we both laughed our a**es off... But I had also figured out that rubbing alcohol was flammable that same day and so, to scare him, I had put some in my mouth and was acting like I was going to spit fire at him and when he saw my face and freaked out, I lost control and spit it all over him, singing his hair, eye brows and eye lashes and almost blinded him..... Yea, fires fun, right?

Time... Sometimes we think we have enough before we have to do something or finish something. Then unexpected circumstances arise such as car trouble, friends in need, family in need... all three of those happened to me this weekend. After pulling an all nighter at a friends playing Monopoly and watching movies, I leave to go home and sleep and get a call from a friend who was having car trouble. His fuel pump goes out and he needs help with it. I of course say yes, because I'm such a great effing friend and what was supposed to be a few hours to complete turned into 13 grueling hours of hell... having been awake since 8:30 friday morning until 2:00 am sunday morning, I was ready to fall over and sleep where ever I was at the time. We had been under two different Chevy Blazers the whole time working on the fuel pump, covered from head to toe in dirt, grease, and gas, we were both ready to get out of the cold and go to sleep finally. Me most of all. After hooking up the other fuel pump, I had him turn the key to test it and..... NOTHING!! After backtracking the set up for the fuel pump, I found out it was only a loose wire to his fuel pump relay. I pulled out the relay, re inserted the wire then plugged the relay back in and BLAMO, it was working. As far as I knew, the tow truck driver had already checked it the night before, but I was totally wrong. Never again will I take someone else's word for it and leave it alone. I will always check the fuse or relay myself, just in case it is only going to be that one issue... not a 13 hour issue, just a quick 5 minute ordeal.

Upgrade on looks

Upgrading the looks of my bike. I have an 07 Shadow Aero. I want to paint it something different, I think I'll go with gloss black and matte black 2-tone. All I have to paint is the tank, front and rear fenders. The front fender busted when I was ran off the road, but I found new ones. I have some ideas for LED lighting, my last bike was a street bike and I went green and black paint with green LEDs on the tail sides and front with green strobes in the headlights. I think this time I'm going with purple LEDs all around. I think it will mesh with the black and chrome amazingly.I already did the green, so it's time for a change up on this one. I can get 16 feet on LED strips for $10 and cut them to size and solder the wires myself. Much cheaper then paying $30 for 2 feet of pre-wired lights. Maybe add in a stereo system. Right now I just listen to my phone with some head phones on, but the waterproof speakers would work great and I found them pretty cheap with a control box to plug my phone into. Thinking about raising the bars from 2 inches to 6 inches, possible just to a 5. My favorite thing is to ride. I love taking a sharp corner and banking it so hard my pegs hit the ground, fold in and drag through the whole turn. It gets the blood rushing. There's a ride in Tennessee thats 11 miles and has around 300 sharp turns. There have been quite a few accidents and deaths but it would be an amazing ride. I have a buddy that rides a 1200 that wants to take the ride with me.