The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus Why That’s Absurd! Essay Example

The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! Paper The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! Before the mid-twentieth century, â€Å"tragedy† was a special word reserved, as Aristotle wrote, only for those in power. Modernist literature (spearheaded by Arthur Miller’s Tragedy and the Common Man), however, muddied the waters — depicting many different types of people as tragic heroes. Among the first of these so-called commoner tragic heroes was Albert Camus’ Meursault. Like the classically tragic Sisyphus in ancient Greek mythology, Meursault goes through a crisis, is punished in an absurd manner (he is sentenced to death not for killing a man, but for being insufficiently gloomy after his mother’s death) and yet eventually accepts his fate. The Myth of Sisyphus, a philosophical essay written in 1942 by Albert Camus describes the absurd and existentialist elements of the classic Greek legend. In the myth, Sisyphus is punished by the Gods; he is condemned to roll a rock up a hill (until the weight overwhelms him and the rock rolls back down the hill) for all of eternity. We will write a custom essay sample on The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Stranger and the Myth of Sisyphus? Why That’s Absurd! specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Within his 120-page essay, Camus compares Sisyphus’ amaranthine task to the jobs many modern men and women have in factories and offices. â€Å"The workman of today works every day in his life at the same tasks, and this fate is no less absurd,† Camus writes. â€Å"But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious† (Camus 77). This interesting view of Camus has been duplicated time and again by other writers, and with good reason. He accurately pinpoints the absurdity of the repetitive modern life and elaborates further on the concept of absurdity in existentialism (in the quoted essay as well as numerous other works). Indeed, Camus believes Sisyphus is absurd (and tragic) because of his apparent indifference — his acknowledgement of the futility of his task and the acceptance of his fate. Camus ponders over what Sisyphus must be thinking on his way down the hill (for the billionth or so time), and concludes that his absurd resignation has rendered him content. â€Å"Happiness and absurd are two sons of the same earth,† Camus writes. â€Å"They are inseparable† (77). â€Å"One must imagine Sisyphus happy,† Camus later elaborates (78). Similarly, Camus depicts Meursault as reasonably happy after he receives his sentence. Indeed, Meursault is at ease sitting in his jail cell. As he mentally prepares himself for execution, Meursault thinks, â€Å"As if that blind rage had washed me clean, rid me of hope; for the first time, in that night alive with signs and stars, I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world. Finding it so much like myself—so like a brother, really—I felt happy and that I was happy again† (Camus 122/123). He not only accepts his fate, but greets it as a brother — sickly; or rather, absurdly. Throughout the whole book, in fact, Meursault seems frighteningly indifferent. Even after his girlfriend Marie proposes to him, Meursault appears detached and apathetic. These facets of The Stranger (which befuddle many readers) certainly contribute to the tragedy of the story. In accordance with the rules of tragedy in existentialism, both Sisyphus and Meursault encounter absurd crises. Consequently, both receive horrific punishments — punishments that would cause the average person significant stress. Even with their crises and punishment, however, both Sisyphus and Meursault accept the low-number and off-suit cards they were dealt, perhaps even taking them willingly. Both of their stories are, accordingly, tragedies (in the modern sense if not as defined by Aristotle). The Cabot Literary Glossary defines a tragic hero as â€Å"a character who experiences an inner struggle because of a character flaw; that struggle ends in the defeat of the hero† (â€Å"Cabot Literary Glossary†). Sisyphus and Meursault both have very obvious flaws — Sisyphus disrespects the Gods and Meursault kills the Arab — and both become conscious of their punishments. They are surely tragic heroes as defined both by Camus and existentialism in general. Existentialism in general is a principle based on the fact that people have free will and are ultimately responsible for their own choices. Existentialism also examines emotions and one’s essence versus one’s existence. It is further evident that tragedy not only fits into but is an integral part of existentialism. Tragedy deals entirely with the flaws one possesses and the choices one makes with regard to the flaws. Both Meursault and Sisyphus are brought down by their flaws, and both make the very apparent (and perhaps unusual) choice to disregard the obvious feelings of despair and, as they say, put on a happy face. This is central to both their essence and their existence. Even today, some seventy or so years after its completion, Camus is widely considered to be one of the leading existential writers with regard to absurdity. This branch of existential writing holds, basically, that anything can happen to anyone; in essence, bad things can befall good people. Rather, the absurd world in which we live can plummet anyone into tragedy. Camus’ signature character, Meursault is one of the all-time greatest examples of an absurd and tragic hero for his indifference and personality in general. Sisyphus too experienced a catastrophe and suffered a similarly absurd fate. Most significant of all, both react in a similar manner: with contentment. Works Cited â€Å"Cabot Literary Glossary. † cpsia. k12. ar. us. Web. Accessed 21 Dec. 2010. cpscia. k12. ar. us/Curriculum/Parent%20Guides/Hyperlinked%20%20Cabot%20Parent% 20Guides/Glossary. doc. Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus, and Other Essays. New York: Vintage, 1955. Online, PDF. Camus, Albert. The Stranger. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1988. Print.

Allende and Marquez essays

Allende and Marquez essays To some people love may be thought of as just a game but to others it could mean much more than a game. Love can show the control, wealth and influence one person can have over another person. In The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende and Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez we read in both books how the authors described the power of guilt and love as a way of life and in some ways a game to be won. Love and guilt are two of the many ways we can compare these books and learn how similar they really are. Money plays a vital role in each of these books. We see that money has a power over people that can make them feel guilt which in some cases makes people feel loved. We must keep straight in our heads though, that money is not love and love can not be bought with money. This is shown in Chronicle of a Death Foretold when Bayardo San Roman tries to buy the widowers Xius house. Xius tries to stand up for his house and for the love in his heart, but even the strongest feeling of love was not enough to conquer the power money had: But the widower defended himself until the end of the game. Three nights later, better prepared, Bayardo San Roman returned to the domino table. Widower, he began again, whats the price of the house? It hasnt got a price. Name any one you want. Im sorry, Bayardo, the widower said, but you young people dont understand the motives of the heart. (Marquez, 39,40) Xius was right. Young people do not understand the object of love. He later went on to tell Bayardo that the house was not worth all the money. Even after saying no so many times Xius finally gave in. He died two months later. Even the doctor said, He was healthier than the rest of us, but when you listened with the stethoscope you could hear the tears bubbling inside his heart. (M...

Business Opportunities in Food and Beverage Industry Essay

Business Opportunities in Food and Beverage Industry - Essay Example Food is a very defining element of a culture. Eating different kinds of foods does more than just satiating the craving for taste; it provides a greater insight into other cultures. This paper discusses a business idea of establishing a South Asian Tea Restaurant in New York. Americans generally like the South Asian foods a lot. â€Å"one should not be surprised if a seven-year-old American kid walks up and asks for aloo mater samosas and his mom is keen on having the complimentary chai† (Deccan Chronicle, 2013). Popular food items include but are not limited to samosas, pakoras, halwa poori, murgh cholay, and lassi. These foods are not only very tasty, they also have a high nutritious value since they are all made from natural products and do not include the use of any preservatives or chemicals that is a big plus point. â€Å"Everything is made right there, even the samosas(no frozen boxed samosas here), pakoras, and chutneys(not jarred like most places serve) are all made fresh here and delicious† (Justin, 2013). The fundamental purpose of establishing any business is to make money. Most of these food items are extremely cheap to make and yet sell for a very large price primarily because of their nutritional value, their exceptional taste, their exotic looks, and their cultural affiliations. Even more, when these food items are made in bulk, they become all the cheaper to make and more profitable to sell at the same time. At a famous Indian restaurant, â€Å"While Samosa and Idli Sambar are available for $5.50, one has to spend $7 for Masala dosa and $7.5 for two pieces of gulab jamun† (First Post, 2012). Considering the ingredients used in the making of a samosa, one samosa might cost the owner no more than $0.15. Comparison of this to the amount it sells or provides evidence of the profitability of the business. The other food items are similarly cheap but with a huge profit margin. It takes careful planning and strategy to establish s uch a business at the right point. The owners should look for an area where the population of South Asians is relatively higher as compared to other regions in America since the prime consumers of this business are people from such countries as Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Such areas are not hard to find since most of these families tend to live together in neighborhoods since they have common cultural values and find one another helpful in America. In order to have an edge over other such restaurants, the owners need to pay special attention toward ambiance. Songs of old legendary singers like Noor Jehan, Lata, Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore can provide the place that extra boost that it requires to appeal massive in-pour of consumers. South Asians mostly like to have samosas and pakoras with tea during the lunch breaks and as snacks, so these items should be available all day long whereas other items like halwa poori and murgh cholay should be made available in the breakfast. Menu for lunch and dinner can be decided depending upon how large the owner wants the business to be. Establishment of this business successfully imparts the need to advertise it in such a way that the benefits of these food items in general and what they offer in comparison to the typical Western food, in particular, are easily noticeable for the audiences. To achieve this, the contemporary issue of diseases caused by consumption of chemicals needs.

U.S. Demographics to the Year 2050 and the Outlook for Social Security Essay

U.S. Demographics to the Year 2050 and the Outlook for Social Security - Essay Example Using predictions that assume a low birth rate, at one time, its expenditure will have been outrun by the income generated. Consequently, in the absence of a suitable alternative source of income, the system will fail (Bergmann 2). It is, therefore, quite essential to make correct and accurate predictions, especially the ones that assume the worst-case scenarios. This prepares the system managers for the worst, and the necessary arrangements made to avoid the situation. Assuming the worst does not happen would give a moral boost for the system but will leave it unprepared for any drastic future changes (Boskin 2). The two segments that most influence the social security system are the people that fall between ages 18 and 64, and 65 years and above, representing the working class and the retired respectively. For clear analysis of the effect of the number of people in these two groups, it is essential to find the ratio of the numbers in both groups. One advantage of using this measure of comparing groups in a population is that it gives a general overview of the situation by elimination method. Consequently, the next merit of this technique i.e. simplicity is seen. It enables one to analyze complex ideas albeit with some simplicity. The major weaknesses of this method arise from the assumptions it makes. Though the official age to start working is 18 years, there are people as young as 15 and 16 who are working and thus contribute to the social secur ity kitty. On the other hand, others reach the age of 65 and continue working, and they too contribute to the social security system. This reality compromises accuracy of this estimation method. It also ignores the contribution made by these two groups in the population (U.S. Population Projections 2020-2050 1). In cases where fertility and immigration remain low, the dependency ratio of the working class reduces against the retired citizens. This means that the number of retired people per every employed person increases. This scenario would mean disaster for the social security system as less and less people would be funding it while the number of dependents would increase exponentially (See table 1). This is the least favorable alternative to the social security system; it would mean less money would be available to fund the increased expenditure (Lee, Anderson and Tuljapurka 4). Current trends aggravate the situation as improved medical care, and higher standards of living have resulted in increased life expectancy. This, however, does not mean that the paper advocates for low life expectancy. Within the 50-year forecast, the workforce population to age ratio changes depending on the availability of new labor force to replace the retiring one (See figure 1). Based on the measure that predicts an increase in the dependency ratio caused by low population growth due to low fertility, reduced immigration and increased life expectancy, the rate of employment does not match that of retirement. This exerts undue pressure on the working population, and the balance has to be reestablished somehow, either by reducing benefits (expenditure), or by increasing income. The most likely scenario is whereby the population will increase but at a rate that would not keep up with the increasing retirees. The dependency ratio is expected to change from 4.88 in 2000 and will reach nearly 2.7 by 2050. This means that each dependent will be taken care of by taxes

Designing a plan for collaboration Research Proposal

Designing a plan for collaboration - Research Proposal Example This demographic data is vital to the proposed collaborative plan as social status and lifestyle characteristics will impact the level of community involvement in the proposed collaborative program development and implementation. Reno maintains considerable volumes of city services designed to facilitate a higher quality of living for its citizens and improve the development capacity of the city. Some of these services related to community function include recreation facilities, the Neil Road Recreation Center, Summer Discovery Youth Camps, and the Community Assistance Center offering shelter and counseling facilities for disadvantaged or at risk citizens (reno.gov). These services are supported by the City Council, the Civil Service Commission, and the Recreation and Parks Commission (reno.gov). Coupled with the high presence of community-minded services is the Neighborhood Advisory Board designed to act as a forum for citizens to lodge complaints or propose suggestions on improving lifestyle in Reno (reno.gov). Active involvement of citizens in improvement objectives are welcomed and required in order for the collaborative program to find ultimate success. High instances of school violence and gang presence in Reno have created considerable community-level problems and impact the city budget significantly. It is proposed for Reno city officials to collaborate with the Washoe County School District, an organization that maintains a very low drop-out ratio in grades 9-12 that is far below the national average (education.com, 2008). Coupled with collaboration between the Regional Gang Unit, affiliated non-profits, and direct community involvement, a plan has been developed to prevent school violence and provide services to reduce gang presence in Reno. There are currently no services in place to provide this support for school and gang-related delinquency and this impacts budget and community lifestyle due to its neglect

The Use of Anabolic Steroids in Society Today Essay -- Papers Sports A

The Use of Anabolic Steroids in Society Today The use of steroids in our society today is very common, that is with prescription. But that is not the kind of steroids I am talking about, I am talking about Anabolic Steroids. Anabolic steroids are a very sensitive issue in the world of sports today. Even though the side effects are life threatening, men and woman alike continue to submit their bodies to this illegal drug. Anabolic steroids are taken either through pills or injected directly into the blood stream with a needle. In 1994, 1,084,000 Americans, or 0.5 percent of the adult population, said that they had use anabolic steroids, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Under Federal Law it is illegal to possess or distribute anabolic steroids for nonmedical uses. However, heavy demand has generated a black market with estimated sales of up to $400 million a year, according to a NIDA Research Report, Anabolic Steroids: A Threat to Body and Mind (NIDA July/August1997). Anabolic steroids are drugs derived from the male hormone testosterone. They promote muscle growth and increase lean body mass. Although anabolic steroids have many approved medical uses, some athletes and others seeking to improve performance and physical appearance abuse them. These nonmedical uses are illegal and carry many health hazards. There are many signs that one can look for in a person who is suspected of using Anabolic Steroids. There is dramatic gain in weight and muscle mass over a short period of time (NIDA September1997). Another is severe acne. Others could be water retention, baldness or hair loss, even in the worst cases severe and sometimes violent mo... ...nry no knows steroids are not worth the risk. â€Å"I am here to tell people and especially young people that yes it can happen and yes it will happen to you† (Mask p.1-2) Bibliography: References Anabolic Steroid Use. (1997, September). NIDA Capsule Series, http://www.drug- abuse.com/information/anabolicsteroid/steroid1.html. Questions and Answers About Anabolic Steroids. (1997, July/August). vol.12, http://www.nida.hih.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol12N4QASteroids.html Mask, Dr. Allen. (1996, July). Steroid Abuse (9 paragraphs). WRAL OnLine. Ullis, Dr. Karlis. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1999; 283: 0209-1. King DS. Effect of oral androstenedione on serum testosterone and adaptations to resistance training in young men: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1999; 281: 2020-2028.

A Second Chance Essay

It was my chance to prove myself; I was about to go out there and audition for a talent show through singing and playing the piano. I was so sure that I would do it, since I knew the judges personally and they were already aware that I had the talent. I haven’t actually practiced the song as much as I was supposed to, but I was certain that I would know it properly since I have practiced before several times. I was waiting for my turn, and while I was waiting, I was starting to get nervous and tense about the whole thing. When I was up, I took a deep breath and started playing the song. The first thing I did wrong was mix up the notes. The first time was excused as it was thought to be normal and that everyone makes mistakes. The second time was also excused, the third, the fourth.. It was starting to get irritating. Other than the note mix up, when I started to sing, my voice went too high and I started to get out of breath. In addition to this, I forgot and mixed all the lyrics of the song. This made me stop in the middle of the song excusing myself for all the mistakes that I’ve done. Since the judges were my friends, they were totally understandable; they realized that I was nervous and that I am good at this, despite my failed efforts. This made me feel miserable. I have failed to preform something I have known and been playing for almost a year. I couldn’t sing the song without making a word mixup every now and then. I informed the judges the next day that I would like to audition again, and this time I was going to do it right. The minute I told them I was going to audition again, I went home searching for a completely different song to preform, and this time I was going to focus on singing it only. I found the perfect song, and once I did I started practicing on it. I have noticed that the last time I auditioned, I was nervous when my turn was up, so I decided to ask different people I knew to hear me out, and anytime I would get nervous I would randomly start singing, to try and overcome my fear of preforming in front of a crowd. When the day of my second audition finally arrived, I was assured that I would do it this time, given the fact that I have practiced beforehand and tried to overcome my fear. The minute I preformed, I felt a tinge of nervousness, but then It was like I was preforming to myself, not scared at all. I was confident enough and because of this I did a good job and the judges loved it. This made me realize that once you set your mind on something, even if you fail it once, you can always achieve it. If you have the will to do it, you will succeed. The second thing I realized was that you should always, ALWAYS make sure you are prepared for any situation that may arise, even if you think you know how to handle it. After all, practice makes perfect. This has made me believe that I should never give up on where I want to study, and even if I don’t get accepted the first time, I can work harder and apply again, I have nothing to loose. I should believe in myself and prepare myself for what’s ahead and will hopefully succeed. A Second Chance Essay In Harold Ramis’s film, â€Å"Groundhog Day† and Franz Kafka’s story, â€Å"The Metamorphosis†, both main characters are faced with a life-changing event because of the way they live their lives. In Groundhog Day the main character Phil is an arrogant, sarcastic weatherman absorbed in his own discomforts, without hope, and cut off from other people. He is forced to relive the same day, groundhogs day, over and over again. In â€Å"The Metamorphosis the main character is Gregor Samsa, a man who spends his time working to pay off a debt for his father. Gregor wakes up to find that he has turned into a beetle. Throughout these two works the main characters try to go back to living their life as before not realizing that this is their second chance at life to make things right. Phil manages to do so only by breaking through and becoming a person of intimacy, creativity and compassion which sets him free from his exile of living in the same day over and over again. As for Gregor, going from someone everyone depends on to something no one wants to care for, he doesn’t get a chance to have everything go back to normal. He dies and his family, for once, is relieved. Groundhog Day lets us experience what it would be like to make a breakthrough like this in our own lives. The movie shows us a character that is like the worst in ourselves. Like us, he finds himself in an inexplicable situation, something like fate. But, unlike us, he gets the luxury of being stuck in the same day until he gets it right. Where most of us go semi-automatically through most of our days, he is forced to stop and treat each day like a world onto itself, and decide how to use it. In the end, he undergoes a breakthrough to a more authentic self in which intimacy, creativity and compassion come naturally – a self that was trapped inside him and that could only be freed by trapping him. Like many of the heroes of fiction, he can only escape his exile from himself by being exiled in a situation not of his choosing. This movie hits on a message that is commonly found elsewhere and that appears to express an essential truth. When we get beyond denial and resentment over the conditions of life and death, and accept our situation, it tells us, then life ceases to be a problem and we can become authentic and compassionate. Phil makes two such breakthroughs: first he accepts being condemned to being stuck in the same day, then he accepts the fact that everyone else is condemned to die. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s transformation is kind of an extended metaphor. He deeply resented having to support his family. Desiring to be in turn nurtured by them, he becomes a parasite. The complete dependence of Gregor’s family and employer on him, then, is seen as an ironic foil to the reality of Gregor’s anatomical transformation into a parasite. The Metamorphosis is not upon Gregor, but on his family, as they abandon their dependence on him and learn to be self-sufficient. One interpretation of the story holds that the title applies equally to Gregor’s sister Grete: she passes from girlhood to young womanhood during the course of the narrative. Another view of Gregor’s transformation is that it is an extended metaphor, carried from abstract concept to concrete reality: trapped in a meaningless job and isolated from the human beings around him, Gregor is thought of as an insect by himself and by others, so he becomes one only to die, and relieving the family of having to take care of him. Fiction allows us to identify with and play characters who find their true selves, putting us in touch with the universal human nature in each of us. The ability to watch and play the role of fictional characters makes the fiction more interesting and expands our vision of possible ways of being. But, one way or another, it must lead us back to our true selves, the universal, moral being we all are, which is as real as the physical world is real. Groundhog Day symbolizes just this since Phil treats his life as a game only when he is in despair. Once he has a sense of hope, he becomes more authentic and discovers himself. As for The Metamorphosis, Gregor’s state before he turned into a bug contrasts with the family’s state after the got jobs and began working. I guess Kafka is trying to say that we shouldn’t work like bugs for others leaving out time for ourselves as Gregor had but instead work for ourselves with pride and dignity as the family did at the end of the story. A Second Chance Essay Three years ago, my cousin Wael, aged 17, died next to me in a car accident. It was a very beautiful evening, I just got off work and was excited to go home and drive my new Nissan 350Z my boyfriend just got me. As I arrived to my house, Wael was waiting for me. I hadn’t seen him over a week or so, and the excitement to see him was killing me. I wanted to go out for a drive to catch up, as well as test drive the new car. We were out driving for about twenty minutes or so; we told each other stories and just laughed until we couldn’t breathe any longer. At a point, he kept asking me to let him drive my car. This car was probably every teenagers dream. I didn’t want to at first, because my boyfriend had asked me to please not let anyone else drive it. I couldn’t say no to Wael. He was my everything; we always did things with each other, and for each other. I finally gave up, parked at a random store and switched seats with him. The fun then really began. We drove everywhere; we drove past my house, past our high school and finally went on this road called Hillcrest Road. This road is known for how small and narrow it is, and its big bumpy hills. We both knew what was about to happened. We were about to have the best time. He got in it, stepped on the gas as hard as he could, and the car speed off. We were screaming with laughter from how fast the car was going, and how much fun it was to feel like we were flying in the air. Finally we made it at the end of the road. I was glad that was over with, because in my head I kept thinking,† please don’t scratch up the car.† He wasn’t done, he asked me, â€Å"one more time please?† I gave up arguing with him, and agreed. This time around he put his whole weight on the gas pedal and took off as fast as he could. We were laughing, screaming, and looking at each other as we were flying in the air. There was a moment when the car flew af ter the hill and started to drift to the left. I got scared and asked him to stay in the lane. I think he freaked out and didn’t know how to handle the car. He made a mistake by hitting the break while we were flying instead of hitting the break when we landed. The two front wheels locked and as soon as it hit the concrete ground, everything started moving in slow motion. I could feel the car sliding off the road and going towards a white fence. I don’t remember what happened after that hit because it happened so fast. I can recall waking up with glass pocking the soles of my feet, blood dripping down my neck; it was so wet and gushy. I was so sore and in so much pain. I looked over to my shoulder to see if my cousin is still there, but all I see is blood dripping down his nose and I tried to wake him up. I was screaming at him â€Å"Please wake up, please.† When he couldn’t respond to me I tried to get out the car even though opening the door was very hard. Everything was blurry and every muscle in my body was aching. I was told, I just passed out on the ground while I was trying to walk to a house to get help. Eventually, someone called 911 and the ambulance and care flight came for both of us. I was taken on the ambulance to be treated for severe head injuries, while they were working on getting Wael out of the crushed car. I have been hit in the head by the fences we ran into, and had lost too much blood. Wael was pronounced dead due to internal bleeding. When I eventually woke up in the hospital, I heard all the crying and screaming, and that’s when I knew someone died. I couldn’t understand who, I mean it wasn’t me because I was still here. I kept telling myself this is just a dream; I will wake up soon, but I never woke up. That person who died was my cousin. I couldn’t cry, I was numb, I couldn’t feel anything. I couldn’t understand what had just happened. I just couldn’t believe it, no way. We were just having so much fun a couple hours ago it seemed. I guess bad news spreads faster than good news, because the next morning I was surrounded by people who I knew as well as I didn’t know. It was variety of people from friends, police officers and even family members from all over that I haven’t seen in years. That’s when it hit me, that my cousin is gone forever. I cried and cried myself to sleep. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, and the nightmares kept getting worse as the days went on. All of my family hated me because they blamed me for his death. I developed very bad depression, I stopped talking to everyone, I got angry fast and I felt lonely. I had nothing going for myself. I felt like I lost everyone who I once loved, or at least those who loved me. One day my mom begged me to go get help, or just get out and do something with myself. I had to do something about this; it had been way too long. I had suffered enough, I grieved for way to long and that’s when I came to the conclusion that God has a plan for me and this is why he is still keeping me around. God gave me a second chance, he wants me to do something with myself. I believe everyone deserves second chance in life. It doesn’t matter if it a big mistake or a small mistake. Walking around with grudges won’t solve anything. Obviously when I was walking around grieving it didn’t do me any good. I blamed God, I blamed my boyfriend for getting me that car, and I took it hard on myself because I willingly handed the vehicle to my cousin. This world is filled with good and bad things. It’s sad to say that it took a car accident and losing the closest person I had ever had to make me realize this. Wael might be gone but he will never be forgotten. I feel like he begged me to drive the car for a reason. It me who was supposed to be killed, but God took him before me. I believe everyone deserves a second chance just like God gave me another chance. I felt like I died and came back. As long as I am alive I can survive anything, and I know I have a purpose in life. My life did change dramatically; I can’t say I am the same person I used to be. My family went from hating me to being the closest people I have in my life; I went from doing nothing for myself to enrolling at Kettering Medical College. Life can be cruel and destructive, but God gave me a second chance at life for a good reason. This I must believe.