Post by The Lazy One on Oct 2, 2009 20:27:03 GMT -5
This was the first one I did. I have another one, but I can't locate the flash drive it's on at the moment (I think it's in my tech support locker). I'll post it as soon as I get the document.
Both of the essays I wrote were rejected by my English teacher- this one because it was too depressing, and the other one because it made me sound weird.
So... here's the first one.
One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard starts with a rather morbid line. Roughly translated into English from the original Japanese, the line is “Despair and the future join harmoniously in the darkness.” To some, this might seem to be a hopelessly negative statement- despair joining with the future is a grim image, one that most people would rather not dwell on. The truth is, despair and the future go together like leafs on trees. Most people will experience a sense of hopelessness about the future at some point in their life. I am no exception.
In spring of 2009, I was diagnosed with a learning disability. Suddenly, an entire life full of challenges and confusion made sense. But instead of a sense of relief at finding out why I've struggled so much, I instead felt a deep sense of dread. Would this affect my future? I worried that I would not be able to get into college, not be able to become a productive member of the workforce. I despaired that this diagnosis would doom me to a life of working low-wage jobs, or worse, life in my parent's basement. Not knowing how an undesirable diagnosis is going to affect your future can lead you to think that nothing good can come of it.
People of my graduating class have grown up in a paranoid, polarized world. Some people I know are in despair about the state of the country. We are in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and many people do not see how we will get out of this. Perhaps the country will regress to a more isolated state, or perhaps it will start to borrow more money to get itself out of debt. Others are in despair about the state of their jobs. Will they still be employed tomorrow? Is the company going to go bankrupt? Many people view the future as a bleak, uncertain time. Maybe they are right to view it like this. After all, who knows what tomorrow will bring?
But while despair and the future might be inextricably linked, despair and the present don't necessarily have to be. I'm not going to lie- sometimes a moment at a particular time can seem like it could destroy you. But I've learned something: do not despair over the present. The future is uncertain and no one knows what it will bring. But you can change the present.
Teacher comments were- "This tells me nothing about you and is depressing. Do not submit this."
Both of the essays I wrote were rejected by my English teacher- this one because it was too depressing, and the other one because it made me sound weird.
So... here's the first one.
One of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard starts with a rather morbid line. Roughly translated into English from the original Japanese, the line is “Despair and the future join harmoniously in the darkness.” To some, this might seem to be a hopelessly negative statement- despair joining with the future is a grim image, one that most people would rather not dwell on. The truth is, despair and the future go together like leafs on trees. Most people will experience a sense of hopelessness about the future at some point in their life. I am no exception.
In spring of 2009, I was diagnosed with a learning disability. Suddenly, an entire life full of challenges and confusion made sense. But instead of a sense of relief at finding out why I've struggled so much, I instead felt a deep sense of dread. Would this affect my future? I worried that I would not be able to get into college, not be able to become a productive member of the workforce. I despaired that this diagnosis would doom me to a life of working low-wage jobs, or worse, life in my parent's basement. Not knowing how an undesirable diagnosis is going to affect your future can lead you to think that nothing good can come of it.
People of my graduating class have grown up in a paranoid, polarized world. Some people I know are in despair about the state of the country. We are in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and many people do not see how we will get out of this. Perhaps the country will regress to a more isolated state, or perhaps it will start to borrow more money to get itself out of debt. Others are in despair about the state of their jobs. Will they still be employed tomorrow? Is the company going to go bankrupt? Many people view the future as a bleak, uncertain time. Maybe they are right to view it like this. After all, who knows what tomorrow will bring?
But while despair and the future might be inextricably linked, despair and the present don't necessarily have to be. I'm not going to lie- sometimes a moment at a particular time can seem like it could destroy you. But I've learned something: do not despair over the present. The future is uncertain and no one knows what it will bring. But you can change the present.
Teacher comments were- "This tells me nothing about you and is depressing. Do not submit this."
