My first crush

Back when I was in elementary school, I became attracted to this girl in class. We meet because we stayed down the street from each other. Little did we know we would be in all the same classes. That just made matter's worst. How was I suppose to do my work in school when all I could think about is this girl. Me and this girl knew each other from a previous school but she had no idea that I had a crush on her. Back then it was more like puppy love. There is still a lot of puppy love going around today. Anyway, when we were in kindergarden I ended up having to protect her from just about everybody. People use to tease her all the time because she would neva say anything. She use to cry on my shoulder and everything. Yeah, how sweet. There was nothing that I wouldn't do for her and she knew that. Even today she still knows that. She is always thanking me for what I did for her when we were growing up. Sad thing is that she had moved away for almost ten years and come back. I knew who she was the moment I say her. She just ran to me with open arms and didn't want to let go. I was so happy to have her back in my life and I thought they we would pick up from where we left off but I was wrong. She came back a rapper. There is nothing wrong with being a rapper, she just didn't have time for me anymore. She was the best rapper back home and everyone knew it. She recorded one song and gave up on rapping. She was offer a 50,000 sign on bonus to sign with No Limit Records but she refused the offer. Master P. called her himself and she turned it down. I was so shocked at the fact. Needless to say, we went our seperate ways but we keep in touch by email from time to time.

Kids

What a joy to have. I am a sucker for kids. I always have been and always will be. Since I was about ten years old, I knew that I wanted to work with kids in some fashion. For some odd reason kids just flock to me like a moth to a flame. It is crazy. My family and friends see that and wonder why I don't have a job where I get to work with kids all the time. I just figure that it's by sure accident that these things occur. There isn't anyone's kids that I would rather be with on a daily basis except for my own.
I love my kids with all of my heart and then some. I have three kids and one on the way that is due the beginning of next year. It doesn't matter to me if it's a girl or a boy. I just want a healthy kid. My oldest is seven years old and his name is Javonte. He lives with his mother but he hates her. He was my first son but his mothers' second son. I'm trying to get custody of him because he isn't being treated fairly by his mom. I think that she has lost a few screws since her father past.
My second child is my daughter K'mya is three years old but going on thirteen. She stole my heart when I first held her in my arms. I named her and she is like me in every aspect. If I cry, she will cry. When I go some where, she has to go. Since the day that she was born, she was always by my side until the end of last year when her mom stopped letting me see her because I was getting married.
And last but not least my son Malachi. He is also three years of age and he's my wife's son. I am his dad and he knows that. He knew that I would be his dad before we did. Malachi takes every thing from his mother and I do mean every thing. The first time that he meet my daughter he knew that she was going to be his sister. He told his cousin to leave his sister alone and that surprised me. From then on he always wants to know where his sister is and I don't know what to tell him.

Don't fear marriage

I know that most people hear other's trying to talk someone out of getting married. Let me tell you from personal experience, don't listen. If the person that you are with is everything that you are looking for and more then why not. True things slow down when you get married but more things pick up and there isn't much time to worry about the small stuff.
I always knew that I would get married but I had no idea of whom that might be. I think that no one really knows who they are going to marry until they raise and fall. When you fall that's when your eyes open up therefore you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Grass may not be green'er on the other side off the fence but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. That's something you can chose to believe in or not.
Being married is special. Some people tend to use marriage as a crutch instead of what it is. In today's world, a person is lucky to find a man/woman that want's to spend the rest of their lives with the person they love. I was fortunate enough to have my blessing come back to me after two years of seperation. Also there is no I in marriage but a we/us. The sooner most idiots realize that simple fact, the divorce rate in my eyes would drop off. People are getting married for all the wrong reasons instead of the right ones. So choose wisely because your future depends on it.

In Class Assignment

List A
Cars
Trucks
Sound Systems
Gymnastics
Football
Running
Cooking
Coaching Kids
Speed
My Wife
My Kids
Movies
Driving
Cleaning
Bowling
Candy
Basketball





List B
Crime
Laziness
Drugs
Smoking
Baseball
Golf
Slow Drivers
Fighting
Racism
Bush
Mushrooms
Carrots
Stupidity
Cool pooling
Onions
Hockey
Barney





Alike (11&8)
My kids and fighting are similar because they are not afraid to fight and wont back down from one either. They will fight among each other but will not tolerate someone else trying to cause them harm. My son (Malachi) protects his sister (K’Mya) from everybody including me and she does the same thing. I’ve been teaching them to protect themselves at all costs. Fighting is indeed wrong, but not in their eyes just yet. Fighting is second nature to my kids. I blame myself because I was a violent child coming up. They are only three but act as if they are much older.
Not Alike (4&5)
Football is not like running in terms of sport. Football requires hitting mean while running doesn’t. When one is running, they can be in their own little world without caring about anything else except for piece of mind. Football is a sport that has to involve other individuals. It also requires the use of an oblong ball made with pig skin and protective equipment. Running has no use for equipment but only the use of one’s own body.
Alike (5&7)
Baseball is similar to slow driver in the fact that it takes all day. Baseball is a long drawn out game that last for hours and seems to never end. Slow drivers take all day to get to their destinations no matter how early they leave. If a slow driver decides to attend a baseball game, they could still make the game before the game really gets underway.

The three essays all have to do with my personal opinion. Obviously there is a lot of self experience within them. Protection and awareness can also be observed. In order for one to succeed in life, one must first know how to protect. All three go hand in hand to the fact that each depends on the other at some point. For example, football and baseball both require hitting and running. It is a fight to determine the best of opponents. My kids love to go to games and watch football and baseball and when the game is over, you have to drive slow that no one gets hurt.

memory

My earliest memory was when my brother, my friend and I were jump by thirteen guys. I decided on this one because I am still out out raged about it. All I know is that I haven't forgotten about it and I never will. I don't quite remember how it all got started. What is obvious is that I know about the consequences of it all. This is what I was told and I guess these guys felt a need to retaliate on someone. And just so happen, I had to be the one in the wrong place at the wrong time. A friend (Cyntario) on mine had told me that my cousin (Head) had beat this guy with a pool stick in his own yard. He said that the dude was all swolen up and couldn't walk or see. One of my brother's (Terrell) and another one of my friends were with him when he did it. I could understand that maybe somebody should have paid for it but I didn't feel as if it should have been me. Anyway, when I found out about it I told him that that was crazy. He started laughing and wouldn't stop. So one day Terrell, Cyntario, and I decided to walk up to the school to hear the band (East Side High School) practice. It was my high school (Cleveland High) band but our cross town rivals band. Everyone use to go watch the band practice because they were one of the best high school bands around. We are there having a good time just like everyone else but we decided to leave. As we where walking down the street to go home this group of guys came running up behind us. They were like, " ain't ya'll the guys that jumped my cousin?" I'm like naw, I don't even know yo cousin. One dude was like cool, it must be someone esle. So we started back walking and this one dude run pass me and stopped suddenly and punched me in the eye. Of course I said you mutha-f@#$a. I yelled for my brother and friend to run and get away as fast as they can. When I said that, they took off like lightning. I thought that they were going to at least say no and help me out. Everbody surrounded me and there was no way out except to fight my way out. When I got out it seemed as if my brother and friend didn't go anywhere. They chased my brother across the street and my friend towards our house. Guys were jumping over the fence left and right. They surrounded my brother and I had to get him out. We got home and my oldest brother wanted to know what happened. We told him and we got in the car and went to go find those guys. We were rolling hard. It was about fifteen of us and we were in six cars. We found the guys and they took off running. Onr of my older brothers caught one of the dudes and pistol whoop him. After that, they where all tryin to be our friends.

Butterflies

It is less then two days now before my big day. What day? My football try out. It my chance to see if I have what it takes to be a pro football player. I have always said that I'm either gonna fall or rise to the occasion. Though it has always been my dream to play pro ball, it might not be my destiny to be a pro player. I know that I don't get nervous much but I am right now. Honestly I can say that I have never been more afraid of anything in my life. I worried about not doing well. Sometimes I just freak out for no reason at all. Right now I have every reason to be nervous. Any person in my position would be to. Not knowing whether you are going to overcome all the tests that will put before you. Even being able to function properly. I feel this way because it been quite a while since I've actually played football. I run and throw a ball from time to time but I don't catch that often. The reason that I don't catch is because I'm usually the quarterback. I refuse to play quarterback because my aim isn't all that great. I can hit a man in stride but all that other stuff isn't me. I'm a runner and that's what I like to do. Maybe once I get out there and start warming up, then all these butterflies that I have will move on and leave me alone. If not, I don't know what I'm gonna do.

Getting Ready

The time is almost here for my big day. That is my try-out with the AFL. I've been pushing myself to get back in shape. Some people said that I wasn't out of shape but I knew that I was. Even though it didn't seem like it, I was. I started back working out and my legs and back are so sore. I know that the remedy for that is to work out with a lighter load. Come to find out, I am badly out of shape. As far as the running goes, my stamina it's all great either. See when I get there they will be testing on the 40 yard dash, 20 yard short shuffle, and broad jump. My 40 time is good but it could be a lot better. My time was a 4.19 and to me that's slow. I'm use to running a 4.1. If that is good enough my chances of making the team are great. As for the 20 yard short shuffle, that time really sucked. It was a 18.96. I believe that I had concrete on my feet. Hopefully I will get faster and that I will blow the staff away with my speed. I'm not going to practice on the broad jump because I want it to just flow out. I can catch and run. Everyday the workout gets more intense. I wanna be one of the best and to be one of the best, I have to put my best foot forward. There is nothing else that's more important to me then having this chance to become a pro football player. I'm going to give it my all and I hope that my all is good enough to make the team.

Me and My Family

My name is Andre and I am 26 years old. I have a wife and three children. I have two sons and a daughter. There names are Kenisha, Javonte, Malachi, and K'Mya. I love my family with all my heart and there is nothing that I wouldn't do for them. My wife supports me in everything that I do and I'm so grateful.

I grew up in the small town of Shelby, MS. I am also the baby of eleven kids. Until about five years ago, I was the biggest baby in the family. I had eight brothers and three sisters. My oldest brother and sister both past away. My oldest brother(James) past before I was born. My sister(Mary) past in 2001 from breast cancer.
My sister had one son before she died. His name is Christopher. Chris had it easy as a child in my eyes because it was just him and he didn't have to worry about have to share anything with anybody. I felt bad for him because he was the only child of his mother. He does have brother's and sister's on his father's side but he didnt' see them that often. Chris (Tweety) as we call him is a rapper. The whole family thinks that he is very good at it. His style is similar to the rapper "Twista." Tweety was born in the south but raised in the North. He raps fast and I can barely understand what he says.
All but two of the kids have children of there own. That's my brother Terrell and my sister Robin. Terrell is an artist that is letting his talent go to waste. He is very gifted and sometimes I would wish that I had his talent. As for Robin, she is a very skilled in interior decorating but she majored in child psychology. Opposite ends of the stick huh. I have much respect for them but I'm hoping that one day they will wake up and realize that they are suppose to be much more.
As for me, I'm just buying my time until I feel comfortable to accomplish my dreams. My dreams are almost at my finger tips. I love working with kids and sports. I want to be a coach. Football and track move me in directions that I only dream about. Back when I was playing sports for my school, I began blowing people away. No one every knew that I was as talented as I was. I admit it, I was afraid of people and what they might think about me. One morning I got up and said, "the hell with it." I took all I had, pride and all to the field. I was going to give it my all reguardless of how people looked at me. Needless to say I made the team and I couldn't be stopped, so I thought. I was injured by my own teammate because I had taken his spot on the field. Enough about that.
I have my oldest son right out of high school in 2000. My daughter four years later. And now I have a stepson. My wife's son. My kids mean the world to me and I would do anything possible for their well being. If it could be done then I would do it. Family is important to me. It just the time you spend together that helps you learn more about them and their hopes and dreams.

Dreams

There are so many things that I would like to accomplish in life before it is to late. Right now they seem is if they are all out of my reach. But I know if I work hard enough that my dreams will one day come true. I dreamed of being the fastest man in the world, a pro fooball player, and a driver in nascar.

My dream of being a pro football player will be my first task because I'm getting closer and closer to being one. I know that I have to take baby steps before I can play in the NFL, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it. I have try-outs with the AFL in november of this year. My chances of making that team is very strong. They only have six players returning from last year and they are looking for twenty-four more. All I have to do is show up and give them everything that I have and the leave the rest to faith.
I also dream of one day being the fastest man in the world. I am a running and will always be a runner. I'm quick and smooth like the wind. Once I'm in a zone it is hard to get me out of that zone. I have a one track mind when it comes to running. Running is one of the many things that I can do and not get in trouble for it. Running takes my mind away from everything. When I'm running nothing else matters. That is get burnt or burn somebody else. Either way I'm happy.
As far wanting to drive a nascar, that's different. I like to drive anything that is fast. The fastest that I've ever drove was 175mph. That was on the interestate because I was racing someone for pinks. So since I have this need for speed, I would love to take it to the tracks for real. I have never lost a race and I don't plan on losing one. Back when i was in high school, I use to drag a 1989 Ford Escort. Trust it was faster than it actually looked. I'm a mechanic and I added all of the modifications myself.

About Me and Where I've Been

When I was growing up is a child, things were different then what they are now. I remember being able to go to the store and get some everything for just a dollar. Everything has changed. We've changed presidents several times, gas prices keep going up, and more and more young people are dying.
Where we lived, we didn't have to worry about any violence or anything like that. I was born in Shelby, Mississippi where there was no crime. I lived in shelby until I was five years old and my mother decided that we should move. So we did. We ended up moving to Cleveland, MS where I went to Five different schools. I spent one year at H.M. Nailor Elementary, four years at B.L. Bell Elementary, and one and a half years at the Hayes Cooper Center for Math, Science, and Technology. We had moved to a different part of town so ended up having to go to a different school as well. I was getting to the point where I just wanted to be left in the school that I was in. I had to end up going to Hayes Cooper because I had gotten a perfect score on one of those state tests. If a student was to do that, they would send them to the smart school. I hated that school but at the same time, I liked it to. I hated because it was a school full of smart kids. There is nothing wrong with being around smart kids but it just wasn't for me. I had no friends there and I wasn't trying to make new ones. Reason being is because I stayed across town from everybody. I liked it because we did different things for kids in the lower classes.
For example; when I was in the sixth grade, we put on the show "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego." Each room was a different country and everyone in the class had a different role to play. I would love to do that again. The chances of that happening isn't good at all.
Low and behold we have to move again. This time we moved up north to Elkhart, IN to stay with one of my sisters. Of course I didn't want to be there because I had just gotten use to my new school and had made a few friends. We moved during spring break. I'm thinking that we were just going on vacation but I was wrong. The next school was North Side Middle School. I loved North Side from my first day of class. I was in the seventh grade but I had to take nineth grade classes because they didn't have any classes that I hadn't taken. Lunch was the boom to because it you could buy pizza puffs, burritos, nachos, or just about anything that you wanted. After you eat you could go to the gym or outside. It was totally up to you. We had volleyball, basketball, football, pool, table hockey, and tennis inside and out. I don't know about anybody else but I was in heaven. But just as I get comfortable, we are moving back down south. I almost didn't make the trip on two different occasions. The first one took place during the summer time when there were gang wars. The Gangsta's (G.D.) verses the Vice Lords (V.L.). My family is mostly G's and I was about two seconds from being shot in the head with a thirty-eight. The only thing that saved me was somebody calling my name. I turned around in the nick of time.
The second time was the day before we moving back down south. The girls at my school tried to tie me to a desk so that I wont leave them.

Taylor

What happened this past weekend was very unnessary. To take away something that doesn't belong to you is more than a crime, but a sin. I feel that it is not right nor is it correct to harm a person that has never done anything to hurt you. What makes a person want to take away someone life in the first place. I was shocked when I first heard the news about Talyor Bradford. I was here on campus just two hours before with my son. I just keep wondering what would have happened if I would have tried to leave two hours later then what I did. My son and I could have been the ones to have gotten shot instead of Taylor. I stand with all my fellow classmates and the entire student body as we try to deal with this unfortunate accident. My prayer's go out to the entire Bradford family. I didn't feel any better when I found out that he was a football player. The first person that came to mind was Kenan. At the time he was the only football player that I knew. Losing a classmate is very painful. I have lost several over the years and I would do just about anything to get them back. As I sat in silence watching the news my heart begin to weight a ton. I very strong when it comes to death but I never thought that it could happen here on campus. I didn't know Taylor on a personal basis but it felt as if I did. To be stupid enough to take someone's life is just plain crazy. To me his was just another student but to most he was a friend and family. It could have been anyone that was on this campus that had their life taken away. Just thinking about makes me mad. It makes no sense to just up a kill someone. Things like this happen when you least expect them to and I wish that their was something that could be done about it. Life is to precious for someone to decide that you don't need it anymore. Eventhough this is a sad occasion, I believe deep down that maybe it was just his time to go but not in this senseless way.

The Fourth of July

Andre McLaurin

English 1010

Audre Lorde was a English professor. She has had several works published. Within this essay

she talks about independence and racial equality. She tends to use her senses to relate to what is
going on during this time. Why is racism an issue? Who is suppose to do something about it?

What will it take for it to be addressed?

Back in the 1940's, racism was such much alive. Audre Lorde recalls her own experience with

racism. When she was a teenager was embarked on her first trip to Washington, D.C. with her

family. At that time she and her oldest sister "Phyllis" had just graduated high school. Her sister
was suppose to have taken a trip to the nations capitol. Her first trip would be one to remember.
Just by the colors you you could pratically taste the food that was taken with them. People of

color were not allowed into dining cars of trains and she didn't know why. Phyllis wasn't allowed

to go on her class trip because of her skin color. Audre didn't know this until her dad told her in

private. From then on, her childhood was lost. The mother and the two aunts all looked white

but wasn't. The father was the the other children were of the same color.

In a sense, what was untold had to be discovered. For a child that might have been hard to do. It
was hard to see what was right before her eyes. No one ever gave reasons why things are the

way they are because she had to figure them out for herself. Everything in Washington was

different then what she was use to. The family stopped to cool off from the intense heat. They

where told that they had to get take out if they wanted something. By the reaction of the

waitress, she was embrassed and hung her head. No fuss was made and no comment

spoken. Audre didn't know what to make of the situation. Though her parents knew what was

going on, they never said a word. After that she was forced to write an anger letter to the

president of the United States about what happened. She was blinded by all the brightness that

was around her.

Eventhough the 4th of July is suppose to be "Independence Day" doesn't change the fact that

racism didn't exist. Yet racism is alive and well. People are quite to that fact unless it directly

affects you. Racial equality is a thing of the past but lingers around from time to time.

Language Awareness: Readings for College Writers, 9th Edition.

Editied by Paul Eschholz, Alfred Rosa, and Virginia Clark

Published by Bedford/St. Martins in 2005

Response

According to the essay that was read in class, I came to the conclusion that the author is an


everyday person just as I am. He was actually talking bout current events that are happening


around us all the time.I think that he is trying to tell us that we need to take care of home before


trying to go off and save the world. Yeah it's okay to go out and help other countries but it's just


things that are beyond our control. Why try to control someone or some place that doesn't want


to be controlled.

I'm sure that everone has seen or familiar with "Star Trek." In every episode they always try


to help out someone and always seem to lose friends in the process. That alone should have said


that this doesn't concern us and just maybe we outta forget about it. It seems as if that would be


the right thing to do. Wrong! It must be a plague because it's a lot of that going around. If


America turned it's back on countries instead of trying to help them there is no tell how much


chaos this world would or would not be in. Over in Iraq, we have hundreds maybe even


thousands of soilders dying for an unworthy cause. I say bring the troops home but it's not up to


me. Bush is trying to control the flow of oil. Why try to control when he can't even control what's


going on here in America. I don't about you but we shouldn't be trying to control other countries.


There are too many problems at home that need immediate attention.

For some people"Halloween" is a fun time. It is both a joyous occasion and a sad one.


Halloween is different, and just for a day you have a chance to be someone esle. In society today


you have many people that wish that they could be someone else. And for one day you can be


that one person. Though you want be able to affect change, you still get to express yourself


freely as that person. America is like a cover story, always in the and on the news.

Man should not be face with loneliness. A has to be crazy to want to go off and leave their

family. Yeah a man is suppose to be head of his household, but to go off for an unjust cause is


stupid. At first it seems as if it's the right thing to do. And after a while you start to get real


lonely. You began thinking to yourself that you should have stayed home and not made that


decesion. Many people that just because they join a military reserve they wont see battle.


Wrong again. You are back up and could be called at any time.

Music? What has this world come too? This author hit this directly on the head. The music


today is very degrading towards women. I think that it was Nas that said, "we are not calling


women bitches and ho's but it's how women take it. I have nothing but respect for woman but a


bitch can be a guy that talks too much or that is false. So it's just something we use as artist to


describe some people that are not doing anything or taking care of their family." If we don't


learn to respect women, then how can we expect a country to respect us. It time to buckle


down, come together, and get this right.


In the south, the majority of the people use slang to communicate with others. Using slang


can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing depending on the situation. For instance, slang has no


place in corporate America. Let's say that you are a DEA agent and you want to show your boss


that you have what it takes to hit the streets. For that purpose you need slang to help you blend


in and keep a low profile. There is nothing wrong with slang because everyone uses it no matter


who they are. You might not mean to but it slips from time to time. Slang goes hand in hand


with "proper" english. Some need both and some need just one.


Another problem that was talked about was "Homelessness." Why are we spending millions


of dollars trying to keep a country in order that's thousands of miles away? There are literally


thousands of Americans that need help but yet they get no help. This whole situation is starting


to piss me of. Take care of home. Everyone should have been told to take care of home first.


When you are young and you grow up that thought should have been branded in the back of


your head somewhere. It's hard trying to take care of two or more places instead of just one.


Maybe it's the people that are running this country that need an old fashion butt whooping. The


kind that knock sense into them every time they step out off line.


In conclusion I say stop the bull. Do what's right by America as a whole and not what is


persumed right. People make mistakes because nobody is perfect. But try to make up for it


while you still can. Life is to short to throw it all away for nothing. Use time wisely and things


might just turn around.

Cats

My group and I have all had experiences with cats. Cats are some of the best animals that you

can have but our run in's says otherwise. I've decided to be open and you should do the same so

please don't hold back.

bite

scratch

lick

chase

rub on you

smell

get in your lap

annoying

When i was younger, I became afraid of cats. I wouldn't go around them unless there was

somebody there with me. Since then cats have been my enemy. Love dogs, well certain dogs but

hate cats. I was bitten by one when I was a kid. Just plain stupid and didn't wanna listen to

anybody. Finding out the hard way is nothing that I would wish on anyone.

Lightning15

	My Flixster

Forbidden Fare

"Forbidden Fare" was the essay that I read. It was posted in "The New Yorker." The author that wrote this essay was speaking from first hand exprience. He was talking about what is was like to embrace a different culture then he was. His family was of an Islamic backgroud and his mom said that it was certain things that he and his brother weren't allowed to do. One of those things was to not by food off of the city streets. This was around the time that fast-food was coming out in Turkey and in Istanbul. He talks about how he was in fear of eating a "frankfurter" that he had bought from the buffet. He said, " I was awash in fear but also euphoric." Eating that sandwich was against his mothers every belief. As he stands in guilt, his brother just happens to come walking down the street and catches him. This was back in the 1960's when frankfurter were special dishes that you could only get in a restuarant. None the less his mother found out about it because his brother has a big mouth.(That's just my opinion) Soon after that, sandwich buffets or small vendor's started popping up all over the place as well as the national diet. The frankfurter sandwich became the height of fashion on the street. The author never gives his name, his brothers name, nor his mothers name. You would assume that since he was in fear that they were still children.
The majority of the buffets and sandwich shops opened in the European quarter. " We'd glaze through the glass at the dark-red sauce that had been simmering all day and select one of the frankfurters wallowing in it like happy water buffalo in mud." During the next twenty years or so more of Istanbul and Turkey were getting use to eating fast food. According to the auther these shops had names such as the "Atlantic" and the "Pacific." His mom believed that the meat in those hamburgers where from all different parts of animals. He talked about how hamburgers and sausages were stuff of nightmares. He gones on to say that the best sandwich he ever had was at the sportshall. Each purveyor offered there own specialties and would sell only what they themselves know and love.