America in the early 1900’s was a land of endless opportunity; the land which would become the “Melting Pot” of culture and heritage. Many immigrants came to America searching for a fruitful life filled with jobs and endless land. One of these immigrants was my Great Grandma Haydu, a woman who made her way onto American soil when she was only seventeen years old. In succeeding generations my family would grow to become more educated and become very successful individuals.
In 1900 my Great Grandma Haydu was born in Hungary to her parents Gustave and Katerina. She grew up in a large family with six other siblings and many of them shared rooms in a small little house that could barely hold them all. The Haydu family lived on a very poor farm that supplied only enough food for dinners. The children were always hungry and the jobs in Hungary could not be depended on because of the poor wages. Despite these conditions Great Grandma Haydu attended school in a one room schoolhouse and was educated up to grade nine. After she quit school she helped her Mother tend to household chores and nurture the younger children. One day her Father told her she should go to America so she could live a better life and never grow hungry again. She accepted his offer and was ready to search for a better life with better job opportunities. He gave her enough money for the boat ride to America and sent her off the very next day.
She left her entire family in 1917 to board a crowded ship that would take her to New York. The boat was dirty and the weather conditions were harsh, but she made it to American soil in overall good condition. Great Grandma Haydu was a young woman of seventeen who only spoke her native language. She brought with her a knapsack of personal belongings and money to purchase a plot of land. She could not speak English but was very handy working in the home. She had the capabilities of finding a job in the United States.
Grandma Haydu arrived in New York and immediately traveled to Northern New Jersey where there cheap plots of land. She settled in New Jersey because there were numerous job opportunities and a place she could call her own. After she settled into a small house she acquired a job at a silk mill and she supported herself as a single woman working on creating garments. She soon got married so she could better support herself and live more comfortably. She lived as a poor working – class woman and worked very hard balancing a job at the local silk mill and raising a family.
She gave birth to my Grandfather Gustave Kish who had a great talent for physics and mathematics. He took his schooling seriously and was educated up to twelfth grade in a one room school house. My Grandfather stayed close to his Mother living only minutes away from her in Berkshire Valley, NJ. He married my Grandmother who worked in a cigarette-rolling factory. She was raised in a small house filled with eighteen children in Berkshire Valley, New Jersey. My Grandmother always prized her faith to God and she was able to direct my Grandfather into the light of the Father. As my Grandmother raised two children my Grandfather got a job at the Picatinny Arsenal as the head engineer in designing submarines and missiles. One day at work one of the machines he worked on malfunctioned and it destroyed his left hand. He was rushed to the hospital and they intensively treated his hand. He has three broken fingers to this day. He collected money for his injuries and still worked as the head of the Arsenal. He became an upper class citizen. I am very proud of my Grandfather and how he succeeded in life. He grew up in a house that spoke Hungarian yet despite that learned to speak English and become talented in physics. For my Grandfather and Grandmother, they made giant leaps and bounds in establishing a higher class level. My Grandmother and Grandfather efficiently put two children into college so that they too could become well-educated people. In fact, their generosity is still so high that they gave me funds to attend college this year.
My Grandparents raised my Mother Judy, a young woman who was the first generation to attend all her schooling and earned a degree in college. My Mother attended William Patterson and received a degree in teaching multiply disabled children. After graduating college she married my Father who graduated from Rutgers. Both of my parents taught in public schools so they could afford a home and life’s expenses. Prices of goods heightened during my parent’s generation so my parents both needed to work jobs. My Father and Mother moved to Wantage, New Jersey because they fell in love with a small farm. The location was close to my Grandparents and work, so it was an ideal place to live. My parents fall into the Middle Class today because teachers do not make the best salary. My family lives comfortably and prefers to live the simpler life where money does not matter extensively. My family’s financial status climbed significantly compared to where my Great Grandma Haydu’s was at.
My parents raised three children and helped us become strong individuals. I am the oldest of the children. I completed all of my schooling and am currently attending Ramapo College with hopes to get a degree in Literature. I live on my family’s farm, a place which sets me back into time. We produce our own food to conserve on money and to eat fresher food. I help work on my family’s farm so they can harvest hay, vegetables, and fruits. I have worked smaller jobs such as at a Landscaping Company managing the business. These jobs help me acquire money for my college education. My parents are great people and are the main ones supporting me and my college endeavors. In my future I have high expectations that my life’s earnings will be similar to my parent’s and that I will comfortably live to be a Middle Class citizen. I am engaged to a sophomore at Ramapo College, and when we settle together we will both have income coming in from both sides. I have high hopes to become a strong leader and to be as stoic and brave as all my preceding generations have been.
My strong religious background has been the foundation that made me the person I am today. My family raised me to be a Presbyterian and I was baptized and confirmed into the church. As a young girl I was always amazed by the Pastor’s sermons and the sermon’s messages about life. These messages helped me become an accepting young woman who tried to share God’s love with my friends both young and old. I made friends with older ladies forty years older than I was, but there are no age limits when you share the love of God. I became so inspired by God that I took up playing the piano and organ so I could perform musical selections for my church.
Having a deep religious background helps change one’s perspective about life. I became closer to my family and I was thankful for all the joys in my life. Studying the Bible helped me become an accepting and loving person to all those that I had met. The Bible helped teach me how to be tolerant, accepting, and loving. This beloved book teaches its readers to love all people and to love them in the name of the Lord. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (Corinthians, 13-1). This is my favorite phrase in the Bible that speaks about how love has no flaws or bitterness. If humanity lived in the footsteps of love the world would be a more accepting place. Living life through the messages of the Bible taught me how to become tolerant and accepting to others. No matter what religion or belief someone holds they should be treated with love, respect, and care.
My religious background shaped my life by sorting my priorities. I put friends and family before myself because I want to walk in the footsteps of the Lord. I am always there to help the needy and donate to those less fortunate than I. Strong faith helps give strength and hope to me. I feel a reason to get up in the morning and to live my life obeying the rules of the Lord. When all else fails to life, God is always there to answer prayers and to give strength to those that are in need. Having strong faith has helped me strive for goals in life because I hold something very important to me. Through my faith I have been able to heal people through their losses, make the elderly laugh, and help young children grasp the love of the Father. In my very own life I try to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and although my footsteps are so tiny compared to his, I am following the path of God, the path that leads to heaven.
I can relate better to others with my strong spiritual background because faith has allowed me to become a tolerant human being who accepts all people. One day a speaker from Africa came to our church and talked to us how the love of God connected us together. He talked to us about the impoverished conditions of his church and how many people still come to church even though they are sick or starving. It is that very faith that links us all together. No matter how far apart people may be, no matter what job they have, or what faith they have, we still have the same level of faith. All of us enter the church body, the body of God to become one. We all have the same reason for entering the Body of God. We come there to escape the prejudices of the world, and the cruelty to humanity. Once we enter those doors we enter into a new realm where people forget their differences and join as one congregation.
My strong religious faith has helped me find the unity in man. It has helped me realize that we are all the same despite the minute differences of race or gender. I can walk up to people and not criticize who they are not; I look at them to see who they are. My church has given me the incentive to meet people different than I am so that we can learn to accept one another’s differences. “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans, 15-7). This phrase is one of many that the Bible teaches its readers to relate to one another with acceptance. As a strong believer, I live by these words with all my heart.
Throughout the generations my family has evolved to become very successful individuals. We can never forget about those in our path that were the foundation of our family who made living in America possible. Her faith and love in God still lives on today. My entire family has attended the same church that she once attended many years ago. I continue that very tradition and hope that same faith will live on in my children’s generation.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Questions about Frankenstein
Throughout the first few chapters of Frankenstein, the personalities of women in the book are clearly defined by Mary Shelley. It is odd that the female characters express calm and gentle natures despite the many hardships each face.
The following women in this story seem to posses many of the same personality features, such as being docile throughout the first few chapters of the book. Caroline Beaufort is the mother of the Frankenstein family who raises her non-biological daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth suffers tremendously with a case of Scarlet Fever and is at risk of dying. Caroline nurtures Elizabeth back to health but falls fatally ill herself. Despite her suffering, Caroline remains tranquil and “died calmly; and her countenance expressed affection even in death” (Shelley 50). Even in her death this female character remained placid even through the time up to her death.
Elizabeth follows the same personality traits seen in Caroline because she is viewed by Victor as being a saintly young woman who studies poetry and loves the beauty of the world around her. Victor contrasts his male disposition with hers stating, “my temper was sometimes violent, and my passions vehement” (Shelley 45). This major contrast separates the males and the females in disposition. I am wondering what statement Shelley was trying to make when she made female and male dispositions on opposite sides of the spectrum. Despite her caring nature, Elizabeth comes to find immense suffering when William is found murdered. Elizabeth is so upset that she blames herself for the death of William and has a hard time dealing with her loss. She also has to bear the death of her Mother who saved her from a case of Scarlet Fever. Elizabeth is character number two who represents gentleness despite suffering from horrid events.
The last female character is Justine, a young girl who was raised by Elizabeth’s aunt because of a conflicting relation between Justine and her mother. Justine is noted as being the “…the most grateful creature in the world” (Shelley 67). She attended her Aunt with such affection when she became ill. However, Justine also continues the trend of suffering in Frankenstein because her beloved Aunt dies and so does her brothers, sisters, and mother. Justine faces many hardships in her life that follow in similarity to the pain that both Elizabeth and Caroline have faced.
After noticing the recurring poor fate these women face along with their gentle nature, it leaves many questions to think about. What is Shelley trying to portray in this book about the role of women? Is she trying to make a statement about the women in her time? Maybe she is promoting women of her time by creating docile and tranquil natures and contrasting men as being vehement and rowdy.
Women play a unique role in the story Frankenstein and this trend creates many unanswered questions. Hopefully, as I read further, I will be able to see why Shelley makes her female characters suffer such poor fates yet still keep passive dispositions through all of their suffering.
Work Cited
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. Johanna M Smith. 2nd ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000 Print.
The following women in this story seem to posses many of the same personality features, such as being docile throughout the first few chapters of the book. Caroline Beaufort is the mother of the Frankenstein family who raises her non-biological daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth suffers tremendously with a case of Scarlet Fever and is at risk of dying. Caroline nurtures Elizabeth back to health but falls fatally ill herself. Despite her suffering, Caroline remains tranquil and “died calmly; and her countenance expressed affection even in death” (Shelley 50). Even in her death this female character remained placid even through the time up to her death.
Elizabeth follows the same personality traits seen in Caroline because she is viewed by Victor as being a saintly young woman who studies poetry and loves the beauty of the world around her. Victor contrasts his male disposition with hers stating, “my temper was sometimes violent, and my passions vehement” (Shelley 45). This major contrast separates the males and the females in disposition. I am wondering what statement Shelley was trying to make when she made female and male dispositions on opposite sides of the spectrum. Despite her caring nature, Elizabeth comes to find immense suffering when William is found murdered. Elizabeth is so upset that she blames herself for the death of William and has a hard time dealing with her loss. She also has to bear the death of her Mother who saved her from a case of Scarlet Fever. Elizabeth is character number two who represents gentleness despite suffering from horrid events.
The last female character is Justine, a young girl who was raised by Elizabeth’s aunt because of a conflicting relation between Justine and her mother. Justine is noted as being the “…the most grateful creature in the world” (Shelley 67). She attended her Aunt with such affection when she became ill. However, Justine also continues the trend of suffering in Frankenstein because her beloved Aunt dies and so does her brothers, sisters, and mother. Justine faces many hardships in her life that follow in similarity to the pain that both Elizabeth and Caroline have faced.
After noticing the recurring poor fate these women face along with their gentle nature, it leaves many questions to think about. What is Shelley trying to portray in this book about the role of women? Is she trying to make a statement about the women in her time? Maybe she is promoting women of her time by creating docile and tranquil natures and contrasting men as being vehement and rowdy.
Women play a unique role in the story Frankenstein and this trend creates many unanswered questions. Hopefully, as I read further, I will be able to see why Shelley makes her female characters suffer such poor fates yet still keep passive dispositions through all of their suffering.
Work Cited
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. Johanna M Smith. 2nd ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2000 Print.
Life As An Illiterate
Communication has been an essential piece for human survival since the ancient times of the Egyptian people. Literacy was deemed as the most important skill to the Egyptians, and they created their own system of language. Those capable of writing were scribes, writers given both power and wealth. Today, the importance of literacy has not changed in our world. Just as the Ancient Egyptians, we also take great pride in those who can read and write. Those who are talented writers and speakers become both powerful and wealthy today as they did hundreds of years ago. An illiterate person in our society faces challenges that are taxing, making everyday life arduous both mentally and physically. Illiteracy in today’s world negatively impacts both cultural and social interactions between people because of social hierarchy in today’s world.
As an illiterate person in America, life is indeed laborious because it is difficult to read signs which describe my environment. Being illiterate is like being shut away into darkness. My story will tell you the struggle that I dealt with as an illiterate person. In America, the world is filled with people who can communicate in advanced languages and they plaster their roads and buildings with words, smudges of letters that have no meaning to me. Since I do not know how to read or write, I often ask other people where places are. My verbal communication is not strong, but I can communicate basic ideas. People in America do not like to answer me. They regard me as someone who is lower than they are, as though I am an animal. I scurry the streets straining to sound out words written along the roadsides. I have currently memorized the name of the building that I visit often. It is called the f-o-o-d pantr—yyy. I don’t know what it means, but I go there often because people give me free soup and are kind to me. Outside of the Food Pantry, people aren’t so kind. I have very little use in America. Nobody wants to hire a street woman who cannot read or write. I do not even know where jobs are because I cannot locate buildings. I cannot count. How am I supposed to know where 125 South NY Street is? I do not know the street names because all names look the same to me. However, I can recognize things such as ↑→↓ because I have learned what they signify. Those arrows are how I trust getting to and from various places. A woman like me has to learn from pictures. The only signs I can read. I know for example, that a big sign with a large vehicle means that I can jump in and get a ride. They call that a bus. I never know where to get off because places have hard names with difficult pronunciation. Life brings me such difficulty when the rest of the world relies on words while I struggle to rely on pictures.
As an illiterate person, I feel inadequate and inferior compared to people who can read. As I observe the world around me, I notice people much different than myself. People who read and write wear freshly pressed clothes and carry suitcases that do not carry their clothes. I look at my knapsack wishing it contained scholarly books and articles. Mine carries tattered clothes with the faint scent of mildew. Literate people walk in proud strides and carry around lots of money with them. They wear top hats and whistle merrily to their jobs. I stop to admire them, but they do not like when I go near them. I do not receive the best treatment from those people because they stereotype me as someone who is stupid and retarded. That is not true. I am a capable person who feels and thinks with the same capacity as the people who can read. Unfortunately, I was raised in complete poverty and was unable to complete my education. I had to take care of my infant sister so my family could work. My mother and father could not read either, so I was left to fend for myself. I feel as though the world has personally shut me out; I watch other people talk using complex words and read aloud, but I can’t. Confusion and distrust envelope me because people cannot trust an illiterate person. They do not trust me as a friend or to hold a job. Illiterate people suffer through so much emotional pain because nobody wants to be seen associating with a less-fortunate person. That’s the way it is in New York today.
An illiterate person faces tremendous hardships in the social and cultural world. People who are less-educated are treated with less respect than those who are higher in the social hierarchy of America. I know that people will not associate with me because I make money in a cloth factory. My low paying wages and my illiteracy makes my chances of fitting in near impossible. I would like to see America as truly being free, but I see it as a prison. The well-off people in America are the prisoners who are shackled to the social hierarchy and ideologies that they are conditioned to follow. People like me are just supposed to be hated because there is no such thing as sympathy in America. Many times people who are well-off become arrogant and disrespect those who are illiterate. People have even called me names. Being illiterate drastically effects the cultural interaction between people. Since I cannot read, I celebrate certain holidays by hanging decorations and dancing. Other people looked at me funny and told me that dancing was not how Christmas was celebrated. Some kind folks lead me to church where people were stuffed in pews jollily singing hymns with merry smiles. The old woman gave me a hymnal and I put it down. A tear trickled down my eye. “I cannot read” I said to her. I cannot celebrate with you. The woman sympathetically took my hymnal and I was off on my own, walking through a tunnel of loneliness. I could not read the Bible and I could not read words or notes of music. I was completely alone.
One day the same woman found me and told me of a place that would teach me how to read and write, and it was of no cost to me. The task of learning to read was difficult, and it caused me much frustration. However, with diligence I studied and practiced my reading and writing. Within six months I could read children’s books, and I could read the signs on the road. After a year and a half I picked up my first hymnal and now attend church with my best of friends. In Grace Slick’s words, “Through literacy you can begin to see the universe. Through music you can reach anybody. Between the two there is you, unstoppable” The joy of reading and music has turned me into a person who has limitless boundaries. After three years, I could read perfectly and I attended school.
Today I have a degree in Ancient Civilizations with a concentration in Ancient Literacy. I study the evolution of literacy from countries such as Egypt and Greece. With my prior experience being illiterate, I can relate to how many ancient people struggled being unable to read or write. Today, just like the Egyptian scribes before me, I am recording my experience as a writer and how it does attribute to higher power and success. After reading through my struggles, I want my readers to take a moment to cherish how fortunate they are to have the skills to read and write. Remember that “No skill is more crucial to a child or to a democratic and prosperous society, than literacy” (Los Angeles Times). Relish the opportunity of opening a book and assimilate the beauty that is offered at your fingertips page after page.
Works Cited
The Literacy Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2009..
As an illiterate person in America, life is indeed laborious because it is difficult to read signs which describe my environment. Being illiterate is like being shut away into darkness. My story will tell you the struggle that I dealt with as an illiterate person. In America, the world is filled with people who can communicate in advanced languages and they plaster their roads and buildings with words, smudges of letters that have no meaning to me. Since I do not know how to read or write, I often ask other people where places are. My verbal communication is not strong, but I can communicate basic ideas. People in America do not like to answer me. They regard me as someone who is lower than they are, as though I am an animal. I scurry the streets straining to sound out words written along the roadsides. I have currently memorized the name of the building that I visit often. It is called the f-o-o-d pantr—yyy. I don’t know what it means, but I go there often because people give me free soup and are kind to me. Outside of the Food Pantry, people aren’t so kind. I have very little use in America. Nobody wants to hire a street woman who cannot read or write. I do not even know where jobs are because I cannot locate buildings. I cannot count. How am I supposed to know where 125 South NY Street is? I do not know the street names because all names look the same to me. However, I can recognize things such as ↑→↓ because I have learned what they signify. Those arrows are how I trust getting to and from various places. A woman like me has to learn from pictures. The only signs I can read. I know for example, that a big sign with a large vehicle means that I can jump in and get a ride. They call that a bus. I never know where to get off because places have hard names with difficult pronunciation. Life brings me such difficulty when the rest of the world relies on words while I struggle to rely on pictures.
As an illiterate person, I feel inadequate and inferior compared to people who can read. As I observe the world around me, I notice people much different than myself. People who read and write wear freshly pressed clothes and carry suitcases that do not carry their clothes. I look at my knapsack wishing it contained scholarly books and articles. Mine carries tattered clothes with the faint scent of mildew. Literate people walk in proud strides and carry around lots of money with them. They wear top hats and whistle merrily to their jobs. I stop to admire them, but they do not like when I go near them. I do not receive the best treatment from those people because they stereotype me as someone who is stupid and retarded. That is not true. I am a capable person who feels and thinks with the same capacity as the people who can read. Unfortunately, I was raised in complete poverty and was unable to complete my education. I had to take care of my infant sister so my family could work. My mother and father could not read either, so I was left to fend for myself. I feel as though the world has personally shut me out; I watch other people talk using complex words and read aloud, but I can’t. Confusion and distrust envelope me because people cannot trust an illiterate person. They do not trust me as a friend or to hold a job. Illiterate people suffer through so much emotional pain because nobody wants to be seen associating with a less-fortunate person. That’s the way it is in New York today.
An illiterate person faces tremendous hardships in the social and cultural world. People who are less-educated are treated with less respect than those who are higher in the social hierarchy of America. I know that people will not associate with me because I make money in a cloth factory. My low paying wages and my illiteracy makes my chances of fitting in near impossible. I would like to see America as truly being free, but I see it as a prison. The well-off people in America are the prisoners who are shackled to the social hierarchy and ideologies that they are conditioned to follow. People like me are just supposed to be hated because there is no such thing as sympathy in America. Many times people who are well-off become arrogant and disrespect those who are illiterate. People have even called me names. Being illiterate drastically effects the cultural interaction between people. Since I cannot read, I celebrate certain holidays by hanging decorations and dancing. Other people looked at me funny and told me that dancing was not how Christmas was celebrated. Some kind folks lead me to church where people were stuffed in pews jollily singing hymns with merry smiles. The old woman gave me a hymnal and I put it down. A tear trickled down my eye. “I cannot read” I said to her. I cannot celebrate with you. The woman sympathetically took my hymnal and I was off on my own, walking through a tunnel of loneliness. I could not read the Bible and I could not read words or notes of music. I was completely alone.
One day the same woman found me and told me of a place that would teach me how to read and write, and it was of no cost to me. The task of learning to read was difficult, and it caused me much frustration. However, with diligence I studied and practiced my reading and writing. Within six months I could read children’s books, and I could read the signs on the road. After a year and a half I picked up my first hymnal and now attend church with my best of friends. In Grace Slick’s words, “Through literacy you can begin to see the universe. Through music you can reach anybody. Between the two there is you, unstoppable” The joy of reading and music has turned me into a person who has limitless boundaries. After three years, I could read perfectly and I attended school.
Today I have a degree in Ancient Civilizations with a concentration in Ancient Literacy. I study the evolution of literacy from countries such as Egypt and Greece. With my prior experience being illiterate, I can relate to how many ancient people struggled being unable to read or write. Today, just like the Egyptian scribes before me, I am recording my experience as a writer and how it does attribute to higher power and success. After reading through my struggles, I want my readers to take a moment to cherish how fortunate they are to have the skills to read and write. Remember that “No skill is more crucial to a child or to a democratic and prosperous society, than literacy” (Los Angeles Times). Relish the opportunity of opening a book and assimilate the beauty that is offered at your fingertips page after page.
Works Cited
The Literacy Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2009.
Chincoteague Island, Where Horse and Heron Roam Free
The sea grass has a salty flavor that is released into the sea-filled air. As the wind blows, my attention is drawn to the marshes ahead. Way out it in the horizon graze the wild ponies splashed with patches of rich sorrel and buckskin tones. Chincoteague, Virginia is the ideal vacationing spot. With its abundance of wildlife, exciting events, and relaxing beaches, the island has its way of bringing me back. I find myself falling in love all over again.
Chincoteague Island is nestled outside the busy city of Pocomoke, Maryland. The town has a vivid history that attracts the attention of many. The fans of the books Misty of Chincoteague and Stormy, Misty’s Foal, by Marguerite Henry, know how Chincoteague Island is famous for its wild ponies. The most trusted theory is that there was a Spanish boat full of ponies to trade to America. A volatile, vehement storm caused the ship to hit rocks. The ponies were untied of their restraints and they had a chance of survival. They escaped and swam into the angry sea. The survivors made it to a strip of land called Assateague Island and lived on the remote land of sea grass and brackish water. The natives from Chincoteague noticed the ponies and left them on the island to live freely and happily.
Assateague is an island free of any human inhabitants. The island is open for tourists to visit the beach, ride bikes, clam, and fish. Assateague Island is known for its beauty and the wildlife that makes its home there. The island connects right to Chincoteague by a bridge so both islands are accessible. People can hike many scenic trails and visit the Assateague Lighthouse and even walk to the top. On the trails there are numerous species of birds like Herons, Laughing Gulls, and Egrets. The animals are not afraid of people because the island remains untouched by permanent residences. The island is home to the rare Red Squirrel and many types of deer. Assateague is most famous for its wild ponies. The ponies have been seen crossing roadways, swimming in the ocean, and even laying out in the sun. The ponies live in herds that are guarded by a stallion, a male horse who leads his mares and their foals. People are not advised to pet the ponies because a stallion could charge and become highly aggressive towards a human being. However, at a distance, these ponies are beautiful and graceful, and they are the reason why most people visit the island.
Every year in the second week of July, the ponies are herded by a team of “Saltwater Cowboys,” a team of riders who round up all the ponies and make them swim through the Assateague Channel onto Chincoteague Island. This is called the pony swim. The wild horses crash into the water and swim to the shore of Chincoteague. After their swim, the ponies walk through streets passing people’s homes in a stretch of almost a mile. They are led into a corral where they are vet checked and documented. The weanlings and yearlings are sectioned off where they can be auctioned to the public. This well-known event drives people from all over the country to witness or purchase a piece of history of Assateague Island. The auction is an event that is worth seeing. The cowboys wrestle the babies into the chute where they will be bid upon. Some of these wild weanlings amazingly fetch over four thousand dollars each! After the bidding is completed, visitors can enjoy a legendary oyster sandwich and be entertained by the old-fashioned carnival. Chincoteague Island is full of life during the extreme heat of July. If one hears horses whinnying and a merry carnival, there is no doubt it is the week of Pony Penning.
After wallets are emptied from an unexpected purchase of a pony, it is time to relax on the beach and catch a few winks. The ocean is located on Assateague Island, and a short drive will take one to the other island. The beaches are part of the wildlife preserve, so they are kept immaculate and pristine. Shell-hunting is always a pleasurable activity because there are sand dollars, scallop shells, and large elegant conch shells on the beach. For those who are looking for sustenance inside the shells, there is some exciting news. The bay connects to the ocean from behind called Tom’s Cove. While the women are tanning, there is a chance to get an almost free seafood dinner! Tom’s Cove is loaded with beds of mussels and clams. After entering the marsh and tolerating the mucky smell of low tide, the clams, oysters, and mussels are ready to be found. Although it involves digging into the smelly silt of the bay, and coping with severely cut hands from sharp shells, the eating outweighs the pain. People including myself come with Styrofoam boxes filled with shellfish and crabs. After lugging the catch into the car, it is time to get the steam pot out and have a Chincoteague Island seafood feast.
Chincoteague Island is a vacationing spot that makes many dreams come true. Whether it is to purchase a palomino filly that caught a young girl’s eye, or to relax on the beach and eat a few clams, this island is indeed one that has warmed the hearts of many visitors. This island holds not only ponies, but also the memories of my childhood.
Chincoteague Island is nestled outside the busy city of Pocomoke, Maryland. The town has a vivid history that attracts the attention of many. The fans of the books Misty of Chincoteague and Stormy, Misty’s Foal, by Marguerite Henry, know how Chincoteague Island is famous for its wild ponies. The most trusted theory is that there was a Spanish boat full of ponies to trade to America. A volatile, vehement storm caused the ship to hit rocks. The ponies were untied of their restraints and they had a chance of survival. They escaped and swam into the angry sea. The survivors made it to a strip of land called Assateague Island and lived on the remote land of sea grass and brackish water. The natives from Chincoteague noticed the ponies and left them on the island to live freely and happily.
Assateague is an island free of any human inhabitants. The island is open for tourists to visit the beach, ride bikes, clam, and fish. Assateague Island is known for its beauty and the wildlife that makes its home there. The island connects right to Chincoteague by a bridge so both islands are accessible. People can hike many scenic trails and visit the Assateague Lighthouse and even walk to the top. On the trails there are numerous species of birds like Herons, Laughing Gulls, and Egrets. The animals are not afraid of people because the island remains untouched by permanent residences. The island is home to the rare Red Squirrel and many types of deer. Assateague is most famous for its wild ponies. The ponies have been seen crossing roadways, swimming in the ocean, and even laying out in the sun. The ponies live in herds that are guarded by a stallion, a male horse who leads his mares and their foals. People are not advised to pet the ponies because a stallion could charge and become highly aggressive towards a human being. However, at a distance, these ponies are beautiful and graceful, and they are the reason why most people visit the island.
Every year in the second week of July, the ponies are herded by a team of “Saltwater Cowboys,” a team of riders who round up all the ponies and make them swim through the Assateague Channel onto Chincoteague Island. This is called the pony swim. The wild horses crash into the water and swim to the shore of Chincoteague. After their swim, the ponies walk through streets passing people’s homes in a stretch of almost a mile. They are led into a corral where they are vet checked and documented. The weanlings and yearlings are sectioned off where they can be auctioned to the public. This well-known event drives people from all over the country to witness or purchase a piece of history of Assateague Island. The auction is an event that is worth seeing. The cowboys wrestle the babies into the chute where they will be bid upon. Some of these wild weanlings amazingly fetch over four thousand dollars each! After the bidding is completed, visitors can enjoy a legendary oyster sandwich and be entertained by the old-fashioned carnival. Chincoteague Island is full of life during the extreme heat of July. If one hears horses whinnying and a merry carnival, there is no doubt it is the week of Pony Penning.
After wallets are emptied from an unexpected purchase of a pony, it is time to relax on the beach and catch a few winks. The ocean is located on Assateague Island, and a short drive will take one to the other island. The beaches are part of the wildlife preserve, so they are kept immaculate and pristine. Shell-hunting is always a pleasurable activity because there are sand dollars, scallop shells, and large elegant conch shells on the beach. For those who are looking for sustenance inside the shells, there is some exciting news. The bay connects to the ocean from behind called Tom’s Cove. While the women are tanning, there is a chance to get an almost free seafood dinner! Tom’s Cove is loaded with beds of mussels and clams. After entering the marsh and tolerating the mucky smell of low tide, the clams, oysters, and mussels are ready to be found. Although it involves digging into the smelly silt of the bay, and coping with severely cut hands from sharp shells, the eating outweighs the pain. People including myself come with Styrofoam boxes filled with shellfish and crabs. After lugging the catch into the car, it is time to get the steam pot out and have a Chincoteague Island seafood feast.
Chincoteague Island is a vacationing spot that makes many dreams come true. Whether it is to purchase a palomino filly that caught a young girl’s eye, or to relax on the beach and eat a few clams, this island is indeed one that has warmed the hearts of many visitors. This island holds not only ponies, but also the memories of my childhood.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
R txting and Computers A Threat to Society?
Many people pride over our technological advancements that have made communicating easier and faster. However, just as fast food has brought us to be a society of gluttons, social networks have made Americans become socially obese. Meaning, our society is so reliant on social networking, it has made us too lazy to physically socialize. This has caused detrimental effects on students and adults in today's changing generation.
Facebook and Twitter have made socializing so easy that it is almost an invasion of privacy to users. People in our society easily friend people without knowing them personally, yet they communicate with one another as if they were friends. However, if one was to put those two "friends" together in the same room,they would be shaking like scared little dogs. These people do not really know one another personally. Instead, they use the computer to do the talking for them. Then there are the stalkers who spend grotesque amounts of time staring at people's pictures. God only knows what they are doing while looking at them... but that is to prove a point: Why does America so freely post their pictures for everyone to see including strangers? The world may never know.
Social networking is a virus that has after effects worse than the swine flu. It is plaguing people's writing skills. Now students choose to write "lol" and "u" in their papers as though it is the proper way to write in English. Sentence structures become vile when it reads, " IDK why the author chose a simile. lol" These do show up in papers because people have been taught it is acceptable to speak and write in shortened ways. It is once again a slap on the cheek because many Americans are showing the signs of laziness.
Social networking hurts people's social skills because it inhibits the use of voice and interaction between people. Instead there is a comfort barrier of a computer between conversations. People who write on the computer find short cuts to save time and communicate ideas with greater ease. Where do we draw the line? It is time to stop hiding in the shadow of a computer and come into the light of a true vocal conversation where real friends are made.
Facebook and Twitter have made socializing so easy that it is almost an invasion of privacy to users. People in our society easily friend people without knowing them personally, yet they communicate with one another as if they were friends. However, if one was to put those two "friends" together in the same room,they would be shaking like scared little dogs. These people do not really know one another personally. Instead, they use the computer to do the talking for them. Then there are the stalkers who spend grotesque amounts of time staring at people's pictures. God only knows what they are doing while looking at them... but that is to prove a point: Why does America so freely post their pictures for everyone to see including strangers? The world may never know.
Social networking is a virus that has after effects worse than the swine flu. It is plaguing people's writing skills. Now students choose to write "lol" and "u" in their papers as though it is the proper way to write in English. Sentence structures become vile when it reads, " IDK why the author chose a simile. lol" These do show up in papers because people have been taught it is acceptable to speak and write in shortened ways. It is once again a slap on the cheek because many Americans are showing the signs of laziness.
Social networking hurts people's social skills because it inhibits the use of voice and interaction between people. Instead there is a comfort barrier of a computer between conversations. People who write on the computer find short cuts to save time and communicate ideas with greater ease. Where do we draw the line? It is time to stop hiding in the shadow of a computer and come into the light of a true vocal conversation where real friends are made.
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