Goldie Barajas
English 1A
10/4/10
Change for the Future
One of the things that I criticize the most in people is when they exaggerate or create unnecessary drama about insignificant arguments. However, when it came to my own personal experiences with my ex-boyfriends, I was always the one to worsen the arguments by being dramatic. In my past relationships with boys, I noticed that not staying calm and exaggerating about an argument would make the argument worse rather than solving it. I would like my future relationships with boys to be healthier in the way that I can manage to control the dramatic side of me. Therefore, what I wish I could change about myself is the tendency to exaggerate when it comes to arguing with boys, with who I have an emotional bond with, because it triggers stress in me and it hurts the relationship.
Being dramatic about arguments with my ex-boyfriends was and still is stressful for me. I tend to turn a little argument into a huge one, which causes me to be stressed until I resolve it. When I am stressed it is difficult for me to concentrate and get homework or other tasks done. I feel frustrated and helpless at the fact that I cannot get my tasks done because I am thinking about what is stressing me. I want this cycle to stop because it is not healthy for me when an argument tenses me enough to impede me from accomplishing my daily tasks. Also, stress triggers me to be depressed, which is bad for my emotional health. I do not wish to feel overwhelmed by stress and so this is one of the reasons why I would like to change my tendency to exaggerate about insignificant arguments with boys.
In addition, the second reason why I would like to change my tendency to aggravate my arguments with boys is that exaggerating hurts my relationship with that significant other. When I turn a little argument into a huge dramatic one instead of creating a strong bond with that person, I create a weak one, which results in me complaining about the relationship. I am the kind of person that likes to feel secure when in a relationship with a boy. If there is a weak bond between that boy and me, then I am not secure enough and being with that person is hurtful for me.
My relationships with a significant other should be about enjoying one another to the fullest and being able to be happy most of the time. I realized I was not able to have that kind of relationship because of the bad habit I have of being dramatic about arguments too much. I would place unnecessary emphasis on the discussions I had with my ex-boyfriends, to the point where my past relationships were not healthy anymore. I am glad that I know what I wish I could change about myself because this empowers me to change that in my future relationships and keep myself from being constantly hurt and avoid unwanted stress.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
My Unforgettable Daily Life
Goldie Barajas
9/20/10
English 1A
My Unforgettable Daily Life
Human beings thrive on learning. This may be one of the reasons mentors are present when one needs to acquire or gain certain knowledge. Mentors are those that teach people something unforgettable and meaningful. Mentors are wise and most of the time, leave an enormous impact on human beings. They are essential to those individuals that need to discover something, that will serve them eternally. I, personally, have learned and discovered various things from countless mentors in my life. Every little bit of what I have learned has been practical learning to my daily living. However, the most two important skills that I have learned, so far, have come from Dr. Alice, a counselor, I once met. Dr. Alice has been one of the most meaningful and influential mentors I have ever had, because she taught me time management skills and empowered me to not be afraid of being independent.
Time management skills are really important for me especially now that I am a college student juggling various roles in life. I am a student, an employee, a sister, a daughter, a friend, and most significant, I am a human being that has aspirations and dreams to fulfill. Before I met Dr. Alice, I could not figure out how to balance all of the tasks I needed to accomplish; I felt as if I was going to lose my mind sooner or later. It felt really overwhelming to realize I was not happy with what I was doing. I was not fulfilling every aspect of myself. I had to learn how to manage my time in order to accomplish every single thing I wanted to do and Dr. Alice was there to teach me how to make my twenty-four-hour day feel like a forty-eight-hour-day. She taught me how to do this by encouraging me to use a daily and monthly planner. This planner would remind me of my daily duties, allowing me to have a set schedule rather than going with the flow. Believe it or not, it was and is still very helpful to have a planner that tells me when it is time for homework, to eat, to relax, spend time alone, to explore and to spend time with loved ones. Time management skills have made my life extremely easier and I owe this to Dr. Alice. If it was not for her, I would have probably never learned that the basis for accomplishing everything I want is in managing my time correctly and in a healthy manner.
Additionally, Dr. Alice taught me not to be afraid of being independent. Being independent for some human beings is hard since we have been conditioned to depend on others from the moment we are born. We depend on our mothers to feed us and take care of us. As a result, trying to break out of the shell of dependence was harsh for me. It was difficult for me to understand that it was acceptable for me to let go of my mother’s hand in order to explore the world on my own. As time progressed, I felt some sort of guilt because I was becoming independent and needing less of my mother. I felt it was wrong for me to want to discover things on my own and to learn from my mistakes rather than having my mother protect me all the time. I wanted to be an independent woman and I felt that I could not accomplish this if I kept depending on my mother. This is when Dr. Alice taught me that being independent and letting go of my mother was not wrong because although my mother was not holding my hand anymore, she was still there to support me if things went wrong. Dr. Alice has taught me very well the ability to be independent, a lesson that I carry with me wherever I go.
I believe, what mentors teach you, are things that are supposed to be carried on into your future and be used by you in a positive way. Mentors do not exist and come to teach you something just for the sake of it. They appear in your life because you need them to appear. I needed Dr. Alice, so she was there for me at the right time to teach me time management skills and the ability for me not to be afraid of being independent. Dr. Alice has been a very significant person in my life. I will never forget what she has taught me, which is not a simple word or letter you learn in elementary. What I have learned from her are two important key factors that positively impact my daily life.
9/20/10
English 1A
My Unforgettable Daily Life
Human beings thrive on learning. This may be one of the reasons mentors are present when one needs to acquire or gain certain knowledge. Mentors are those that teach people something unforgettable and meaningful. Mentors are wise and most of the time, leave an enormous impact on human beings. They are essential to those individuals that need to discover something, that will serve them eternally. I, personally, have learned and discovered various things from countless mentors in my life. Every little bit of what I have learned has been practical learning to my daily living. However, the most two important skills that I have learned, so far, have come from Dr. Alice, a counselor, I once met. Dr. Alice has been one of the most meaningful and influential mentors I have ever had, because she taught me time management skills and empowered me to not be afraid of being independent.
Time management skills are really important for me especially now that I am a college student juggling various roles in life. I am a student, an employee, a sister, a daughter, a friend, and most significant, I am a human being that has aspirations and dreams to fulfill. Before I met Dr. Alice, I could not figure out how to balance all of the tasks I needed to accomplish; I felt as if I was going to lose my mind sooner or later. It felt really overwhelming to realize I was not happy with what I was doing. I was not fulfilling every aspect of myself. I had to learn how to manage my time in order to accomplish every single thing I wanted to do and Dr. Alice was there to teach me how to make my twenty-four-hour day feel like a forty-eight-hour-day. She taught me how to do this by encouraging me to use a daily and monthly planner. This planner would remind me of my daily duties, allowing me to have a set schedule rather than going with the flow. Believe it or not, it was and is still very helpful to have a planner that tells me when it is time for homework, to eat, to relax, spend time alone, to explore and to spend time with loved ones. Time management skills have made my life extremely easier and I owe this to Dr. Alice. If it was not for her, I would have probably never learned that the basis for accomplishing everything I want is in managing my time correctly and in a healthy manner.
Additionally, Dr. Alice taught me not to be afraid of being independent. Being independent for some human beings is hard since we have been conditioned to depend on others from the moment we are born. We depend on our mothers to feed us and take care of us. As a result, trying to break out of the shell of dependence was harsh for me. It was difficult for me to understand that it was acceptable for me to let go of my mother’s hand in order to explore the world on my own. As time progressed, I felt some sort of guilt because I was becoming independent and needing less of my mother. I felt it was wrong for me to want to discover things on my own and to learn from my mistakes rather than having my mother protect me all the time. I wanted to be an independent woman and I felt that I could not accomplish this if I kept depending on my mother. This is when Dr. Alice taught me that being independent and letting go of my mother was not wrong because although my mother was not holding my hand anymore, she was still there to support me if things went wrong. Dr. Alice has taught me very well the ability to be independent, a lesson that I carry with me wherever I go.
I believe, what mentors teach you, are things that are supposed to be carried on into your future and be used by you in a positive way. Mentors do not exist and come to teach you something just for the sake of it. They appear in your life because you need them to appear. I needed Dr. Alice, so she was there for me at the right time to teach me time management skills and the ability for me not to be afraid of being independent. Dr. Alice has been a very significant person in my life. I will never forget what she has taught me, which is not a simple word or letter you learn in elementary. What I have learned from her are two important key factors that positively impact my daily life.
My Rodeo De Ayala
Goldie Barajas
English 1A
10/25/10
My Rodeo De Ayala
I was born in Los Angeles, California, a windy Thanksgiving eve, while my family took advantage of the fresh killed turkey cooked that evening. I grew up in the 1990’s, a time in which the puffy, curly hair, along with the cowboy boots, and red lip stick was in fashion. Rare? Not quite or at least I did not think of it as something rare when I was a child. Furthermore, during that time mom and dad were moving homes slightly often. Until the day they made the decision of my life, which was to move to El Rodeo de Ayala, a rancho, which for non Spanish speakers this means a village, located in Penjamo, Guanajuato, a state in Mexico.
All this moving business to El Rodeo de Ayala happened when I was in the second grade, in Eastman Elementary School. I was a 7-year-old speaking mostly English. I did not understand why we had moved and why people in this new place did not speak the English language at all. But what really appealed to me was the fact that I was going to live near and attend school in Corralejo de Hidalgo, a village in which Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a historic Catholic Priest, that contributed to the acquisition of Mexican independence, was born. I was thrilled by the idea of living minutes away from a historic place for Mexicans and it was even more exciting to attend school in this place. Growing up in El Rodeo de Ayala was better than I thought.
Although, El Rodeo de Ayala is an agricultural village surrounded by farms, and soil, with almost no roads because everyone travels by horse, this did not impeded me to find the rancho interesting. I found it fascinating that finally I did not have to watch for cars when crossing the streets and that I had my cousin as a next door neighbor. So, whenever I wanted to play all I had to do was walk a few steps, scream out “Monica, vamos a jugar”, which means “Monica lets go play” and there was Monica looking excited and messy with her light brown hair hanging down her shoulders. We would play for hours until the moon and stars would come to be visible at night. There was no need for adults to watch over us because everything around us was so safe and welcoming. The cows were in their place, the chickens were running away from us, and the pigs making that oink oink noise that I always found hilarious. Everyone in the rancho, even the animals were so mindful of their own business. No body there was considered a danger to the community. Everyone was a family willing to help anyone that needed help without a question or expecting anything in return. If it was really hot and a neighbor asked for some water, then water would be granted. If it was pouring with hail falling down the sky, which I loved to be hit by, and a neighbor was passing by then an umbrella or perhaps a cup of chocolate would be given to that neighbor. Selfishness was not frequently seen in my rancho.
In El Rodeo de Ayala the lifestyle people carried was all about working the farms for a better tomorrow but with little emphasis on education, which was upsetting to realize later when I grew older. People in this village were so generous, but ignorant about many issues such as the importance of education . Realizing that generosity was not enough to survive in the real world opened up my interest towards learning and its importance. Comprehending that it was crucial to get educated in order to better one’s self economically and mentally was something that shaped me into the person that I am today. If it was not for my parents moving to El Rodeo de Ayala maybe I would have never gotten the chance to have this realization that motivates me everyday; because everyday I remind myself that if I want to be a professional, like the teachers I had in my elementary school, I must go through college education. I do not want to be ignorant and remain silent, like the people in the rancho, when someone asks me a question that requires thought and some sort of education. Therefore, it is it is important for me to remember where I came from as I grow up the latter of education because this allows me to be humble and have the honest hard-working skills my lovely community from El Rodeo de Ayala taught me.
English 1A
10/25/10
My Rodeo De Ayala
I was born in Los Angeles, California, a windy Thanksgiving eve, while my family took advantage of the fresh killed turkey cooked that evening. I grew up in the 1990’s, a time in which the puffy, curly hair, along with the cowboy boots, and red lip stick was in fashion. Rare? Not quite or at least I did not think of it as something rare when I was a child. Furthermore, during that time mom and dad were moving homes slightly often. Until the day they made the decision of my life, which was to move to El Rodeo de Ayala, a rancho, which for non Spanish speakers this means a village, located in Penjamo, Guanajuato, a state in Mexico.
All this moving business to El Rodeo de Ayala happened when I was in the second grade, in Eastman Elementary School. I was a 7-year-old speaking mostly English. I did not understand why we had moved and why people in this new place did not speak the English language at all. But what really appealed to me was the fact that I was going to live near and attend school in Corralejo de Hidalgo, a village in which Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a historic Catholic Priest, that contributed to the acquisition of Mexican independence, was born. I was thrilled by the idea of living minutes away from a historic place for Mexicans and it was even more exciting to attend school in this place. Growing up in El Rodeo de Ayala was better than I thought.
Although, El Rodeo de Ayala is an agricultural village surrounded by farms, and soil, with almost no roads because everyone travels by horse, this did not impeded me to find the rancho interesting. I found it fascinating that finally I did not have to watch for cars when crossing the streets and that I had my cousin as a next door neighbor. So, whenever I wanted to play all I had to do was walk a few steps, scream out “Monica, vamos a jugar”, which means “Monica lets go play” and there was Monica looking excited and messy with her light brown hair hanging down her shoulders. We would play for hours until the moon and stars would come to be visible at night. There was no need for adults to watch over us because everything around us was so safe and welcoming. The cows were in their place, the chickens were running away from us, and the pigs making that oink oink noise that I always found hilarious. Everyone in the rancho, even the animals were so mindful of their own business. No body there was considered a danger to the community. Everyone was a family willing to help anyone that needed help without a question or expecting anything in return. If it was really hot and a neighbor asked for some water, then water would be granted. If it was pouring with hail falling down the sky, which I loved to be hit by, and a neighbor was passing by then an umbrella or perhaps a cup of chocolate would be given to that neighbor. Selfishness was not frequently seen in my rancho.
In El Rodeo de Ayala the lifestyle people carried was all about working the farms for a better tomorrow but with little emphasis on education, which was upsetting to realize later when I grew older. People in this village were so generous, but ignorant about many issues such as the importance of education . Realizing that generosity was not enough to survive in the real world opened up my interest towards learning and its importance. Comprehending that it was crucial to get educated in order to better one’s self economically and mentally was something that shaped me into the person that I am today. If it was not for my parents moving to El Rodeo de Ayala maybe I would have never gotten the chance to have this realization that motivates me everyday; because everyday I remind myself that if I want to be a professional, like the teachers I had in my elementary school, I must go through college education. I do not want to be ignorant and remain silent, like the people in the rancho, when someone asks me a question that requires thought and some sort of education. Therefore, it is it is important for me to remember where I came from as I grow up the latter of education because this allows me to be humble and have the honest hard-working skills my lovely community from El Rodeo de Ayala taught me.
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