Just a little about me: First of all, I've been teaching English at RHHS since 1995. My major interests include world literature, integrating technology into the classroom, traveling--especially to Germany--studying languages, hanging out with the family (and a whole host of interests that have come and gone throughout the years--hydroponics, aquaponics, programming, woodworking, landscaping, etc.) Currently, I've been taking apart old lamps and recreating them into more of a steampunk style--pretty much as something to do to pass the summer--when I'm not in Europe ;-). I have a Bachelor's in English and two Master's degrees--one in English and one in Educational Technology. Ultimately, I want to retire and travel around America with my woman and a little dog in a silver Airstream, meeting tons of people and writing novels.
Cheers,
Mr. E.
Family Traditions
Lots of families have traditions, other than stuff they do during holidays. Here are some that my family observes:
Rituals and traditions tend to keep families functioning well and the relationships between family members close. Our family observes very few venerable traditions, however, aside from visiting the usual relatives during Thanksgiving and cooking pies for Christmas. Still, we do have a few informal rituals that we observe, which I suppose could be considered traditions.
For instance, when driving back from Houston on Interstate 77, I occasionally pretend to be driving straight toward Corpus Christi past the Robstown turnoff, making my wife concerned. She begins with casual phrases like "You're turning, right?" But then her increasing anxiety forces her to interject statements like, "Turn here, turn HERE!" I then make the turn at the last possible second, with, of course, my headphones on, spurious in my oblivion to her spastic pleadings. As provocative as it may seem, this transient bit of indulgence works almost every time though I expect the ritual's efficacy to diminish in invoking my wife's condescending censure.
We also have the prosaic tradition of consuming breakfast at a local Mexican restaurant on our way to church, which promotes interest in our progeny with regard to attending Sunday worship. Otherwise, we must drag them there, clawing desperately at the walls and ceiling. Also, ironically enough, If we attend church on Sunday, we allow ourselves the luxury of watching The Walking Dead together that night. Then again, we usually just end up watching it either way. It is just something we do as a family.
Finally, every morning I fill my spouse's coffee machine with coffee grounds and water so that when she wakes up, she merely has to turn it on to soon enjoy a fresh cup coffee. I wake up early--around 4:00 each morning--so while boiling water for my coffee press (the only way to make coffee, in my opinion) I set up her substandard filtered-coffee setup. She enjoys this tiny demonstration of love and affection. Indeed, I can be a kind fellow--except when replete with the need to antagonize my mate. Thus, when generally pleased with life, I make her coffee. However, when life rolls along at an unsatisfactory pace, or when my wife displeases me by, say, cooking a vegetarian dish the night before, I've been known to "forget" to perform this coffee machine setup ritual, at least until once-breathing victuals make their way back to the menu.
Indeed, these anecdotes, though they may seem superfluous, reflect traditions and rituals that have kept us close and communicative as a family. Families need such repetitive gestures to bring normality into their lives, to be reminded of the significance of even the littlest demonstrations of affection.
* I bolded the transitions, showing how often you should use them. BOLD YOURS! Make sure you use plenty of them to make your paragraphs and essays FLOW!
For instance, when driving back from Houston on Interstate 77, I occasionally pretend to be driving straight toward Corpus Christi past the Robstown turnoff, making my wife concerned. She begins with casual phrases like "You're turning, right?" But then her increasing anxiety forces her to interject statements like, "Turn here, turn HERE!" I then make the turn at the last possible second, with, of course, my headphones on, spurious in my oblivion to her spastic pleadings. As provocative as it may seem, this transient bit of indulgence works almost every time though I expect the ritual's efficacy to diminish in invoking my wife's condescending censure.
We also have the prosaic tradition of consuming breakfast at a local Mexican restaurant on our way to church, which promotes interest in our progeny with regard to attending Sunday worship. Otherwise, we must drag them there, clawing desperately at the walls and ceiling. Also, ironically enough, If we attend church on Sunday, we allow ourselves the luxury of watching The Walking Dead together that night. Then again, we usually just end up watching it either way. It is just something we do as a family.
Finally, every morning I fill my spouse's coffee machine with coffee grounds and water so that when she wakes up, she merely has to turn it on to soon enjoy a fresh cup coffee. I wake up early--around 4:00 each morning--so while boiling water for my coffee press (the only way to make coffee, in my opinion) I set up her substandard filtered-coffee setup. She enjoys this tiny demonstration of love and affection. Indeed, I can be a kind fellow--except when replete with the need to antagonize my mate. Thus, when generally pleased with life, I make her coffee. However, when life rolls along at an unsatisfactory pace, or when my wife displeases me by, say, cooking a vegetarian dish the night before, I've been known to "forget" to perform this coffee machine setup ritual, at least until once-breathing victuals make their way back to the menu.
Indeed, these anecdotes, though they may seem superfluous, reflect traditions and rituals that have kept us close and communicative as a family. Families need such repetitive gestures to bring normality into their lives, to be reminded of the significance of even the littlest demonstrations of affection.
* I bolded the transitions, showing how often you should use them. BOLD YOURS! Make sure you use plenty of them to make your paragraphs and essays FLOW!
My Style and Grammar Score On this Essay:
Why I Am a Libertarian . . .E. R. Everett -- 22 Jan. 2015
John Bolton, an American diplomat, once said, "I'm a libertarian conservative, so I believe in limited government [with] maximum individual freedom." Bolton's words pretty much summarize my position as well. While Republicans and Democrats share many of the the same views as Libertarians on a number of issues, Libertarians, to me, are not as self-contradictory in their views, yet though I do indeed side with the libertarians on issues such as foreign policy, gun control, and welfare, I do not agree with most libertarians on their indifference towards the environment and refusal to tax the rich. My views are actually spread over a wide spectrum. I side with Libertarians on most issues (78%) but also agree with 72% of what the Democrats believe with regard to individual freedoms and 61% of what the Republicans believe, particularly in the area of capitalist economics. I am least in agreement with the Socialist party (21%), With regard to foreign policy, to me and to most members of the Libertarian party, it is important to secure our borders and equally important that the U.S. does not continue its wasteful gifting of billions of dollars to foreign countries, whom we often just end up going to war with afterward. Libertarians and I further believe that a country should only go to war if attacked and that our money should be spent at home. Likewise, we Libertarians believe that gun control is unconstitutional, a violation of the 2nd Amendment.. When we limit the number and types of guns that law-abiding citizens can possess, it puts a greater percentage of guns in the hands of criminals, who do not follow gun laws. Without guns in houses, criminals are more likely to invade the homes of the unprotected. Likewise, I side with the Libertarians when it comes to the fact that too much welfare is being pumped into the hands of people who could otherwise work and prove to be productive citizens. Though some do actually need it in the short term (and I would not want them to suffer) many take advantage--at the expense of those of us required to support them. I believe in teaching a man to fish--not in fishing for him. That robs a person of the self-esteem that comes from making his own way in life--and robs me of money that I have worked hard to earn. One area where the Libertarian party and I disagree involves their lack of concern with regard to protecting the environment. This world is all we really have, and to allow its continued destruction so that rich corporations can benefit is wrong. However, this is not a big issue for me since I feel we are already moving in that direction with some reasonable speed. I also do not agree with most Libertarians that the richest few should not be required to hand over a bigger share of their earnings. According to the BBC, "The wealthiest 1% will soon own more than the rest of the world's population" ("Richest 1%"). These extreme few are benefiting the most from the system as it exists, so I feel they should pay into that system with a larger percentage than the rest of us. However, again, this is not that important an issue for me since I do believe that people should, in general, be able to keep what they make (rather than have to pay huge taxes on it) and that the rich are those responsible for creating the jobs of the poor--and they need lots of money to do this. All in all, I say protect the environment, promote capitalism, and allow people to do what they want, when they want, so long as they aren't hurting others. |
Works Cited
word count: 588 Guidelines:
note: These ideas do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Mr. Everett or Rio Hondo H.S. |