Family Teaching About One's Life

Peering around the corner of the dining room into the kitchen, yelling and arguing are all a four year old kid can understand. Papers flying and falling like rain drops over the linoleum floor, changing the floor from tan to white in minutes. Mother in tears, father red from frustration; the beginning of the end just started for this growing family. This used to be a seemingly happy family; a family whose father would sit with his son every weekend to play Mario, and whose mother never seemed to argue. That little kid can only remember his life getting turned upside down after that fight between his parents; more and more arguments simply lead to divorce. That young boy didn’t even know what hit him; the next thing he remembers vividly is going when he is six to see his dad with another woman, his new wife, during weekends. Feelings of separation, divide and confusion began to coarse through his mind. Separation because he had lost that connect to his father since they no longer lived together. Divide because his once united family had become totally divided in two. Finally, confusion because he had no clue who’s side, his mother’s or his father’s, to believe and support. He was just too young, too naïve to what the real world had to offer him. However, growing up having that knowledge and experience in his childhood taught him so much about life; how nothing is certain and something that seemed so concrete can be uplifted in a minute. Nothing about other people in your life can be predetermined; you have to understand that the only things you can control are your actions and how you perceive your character to the others around you.

 

            Life has many seemingly cruel things happen to you, but they are to learn from and only make you stronger as a person.

 

Word Count: 291

A Common Social Space

Sit, talk, eat or work. The first floor of the commons adjacent to Salsarita’s is a large public space that many flock to. The majority of individuals who come to this space are UMBC students to eat and socialize. Few people here are professors or people who don’t seem be a part of the student body. Students get their food with a group of people then find a table to eat and talk; some people come with a smaller group or alone to then join a larger group. Rarely do you see one individual person alone in this area. When people come here in groups they spend a good about of time sitting and talking, usually an hour or more. But if they come alone they will spend about twenty minutes to just eat. This is mainly a leisure space for people to unwind and socialize with friends.

Word Count: 148

Group: Jarrod Padgett & Alec Hanock