I Didn?t Know My Dad Was A Writer :: essays research papers

I Didn’t Know My Dad was a Writer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It came as a complete shock to me when I read an essay that looked as if it was taken straight from my father’s mouth. My father and the author could have been neighbors if not for the four states between Ohio and Texas. The essay is about the author, Scott Russell Sanders’, attempt to understand what women feel that they are missing; when in his experiences a man life has little if any privileges. I relate in every way with the author’s ideas. There is nothing I can’t connect with because I’ve heard these stories since I was two and see it all in my head. Sanders describes the pain and hardship that husbands and fathers had to endure. He, also, describes the advantages that wives and mothers had. He feels confused when he first is told of women’s oppression. He has never seen women’s work as hard when compared to that of men. Not until later in life does he look back and see, exactly, what women had to withstand. Sanders had never seen â€Å"...what a prison a house could be,† (77), until he took the time to look back in retrospect and see for himself. I agree with Sanders; men did have it much harder, physically, than the women. However, women’s lives were, mentally, just as difficult if not more so. Growing up, hearing stories my whole life of my grandfather working until his hands bled and only coming home, during the day, to bandage them; and my grandmother raising four children and keeping the housework done, the whole time keeping a vegetable garden; I was adjusted to these images. While reading the essay, I saw my grandfather’s â€Å"...hands tattooed with scars,† (Sanders 76), and my grandmother â€Å"...cater all day to the needs of young children,† (Sanders 77). Depending on the way you saw it one had it harder, but still, men and women both had difficult lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sanders has written a compelling essay on his life but not everyone has lived his life. And not everyone has grownup hearing similar stories, so their opinions on the genders’ burdens will inevitably differ.

Decision Making Technique with Internet Reference

The Decision Technique I chose to write about is the â€Å"Six Thinking Hats – Looking at a Decision from all Points of View.† This technique was created by Dr. Edward de Bono. Dr. Bono is regarded as the leading international authority in conceptual and creative thinking and in the teaching of thinking as a skill. Of all the decision making technique I researched, this is the one that I agreed with the most in regards to the situation that I had in mind when researching decision making skills. This technique was very interesting to me because it made you look at a problem from all points of view. You could not be biased on one opinion or force of influence. It forced you to think outside the box. When making a decision, I feel that you must look at the issue from all points of view and not just your own biases or emotions. At times making a decision can be very hard, especially when you are the supervisor and responsible for your department. When both the decision and outcome it may have will ultimately affect you and your department and add the fact that you are the one that has to answer to higher authority. This is why I really think this technique is great because you incorporate how it will affect everyone around you from the employee to higher management. How this decision making technique works is that there are literally six hat you wear and each hat has a different way of thinking. For example: the first hat you wear is the â€Å"White Hat.† This hat allows you to focus on data and/or information. This is where you identify the problem or issue with the information you have by researching the information. The second hat you wear once you have the problem is the â€Å"Red Hat.† This is where you bring in the human in yourself and others. By realizing your intuition, reflex reaction and/or emotions. You also allow others to come in by realizing how they will react to the issue, how they will feel, how they will want to handle it, etc. This is a very important step in decision making because no matter what you chose to do this is the step that will make you or break you, in my opinion. This is where you will get your decision across to others by considering their reaction/emotions as well. The next hat that will be worn will be the â€Å"Black Hat.† Just as the color is stereo typed as â€Å"bad† this is where you think of all the negative reactions and how your decision will not work. This is where you analyze the issue and your decision and see where the mistakes are in your decision. This is also an important step as you consider the impact of your decision and the â€Å"what ifs.† The next hat is the â€Å"Yellow Hat.† Like a beautiful day when the sun is out and the weather is great to be outdoors and it is your day off. This is where you think optimistically and you see the good in your decision, which is a great step from coming out of the â€Å"Black Hat.† The next hat is the â€Å"Green Hat.† This is the step that you take off on. Your have already looked at the bad side and good side of your decision. This is where you get to be creative and brainstorm your decision and/or ideas. You are free at this point to write down all your ideas with no one to stop you. Finally, the last hat is the â€Å"Blue Hat.† Not because you are blue as in sad, because the ideas are not coming out as freely or when there is a back up plan needed. Those you are presenting the decision to usually wear this hat. Blue is neither good nor bad but can lead you back to the green hat or when you need a back-up plan which will send you back to the Black Hat. Because the organization I work for deals a lot with the public investigating, the dress code is an important issue. Recently in our organization this topic came up and it was addressed in a more formal way than usual. What was sent to everyone via the email was an explanation of why a Dress Code was being presented along with a List of What is permissible and not permissible to wear. The reason I feel that the â€Å"Six Hat† Technique would have been very useful in this situation is because I do not think that whomever made the decision of what was allowed to be worn or not considered other's opinions or forces of influence. The list of what is allowed to be worn or not could be based on a person's perception, depending on which side of the fence you were on. They left it open for scrutiny and conflict among employees and supervisors. By using the â€Å"Six Hats Technique, it would of allowed those in command to bring into the decisions making the employees that this issue will affect as well as their perception or biases in regards to the list of clothes. It would of allowed them to think the process more thoroughly as it is very hard to have a dress code with a diverse culture in our organization. To speak on behalf of the Dress Code Committee, it is very hard to try to please everyone. I feel that neither this decision making technique or any other technique used would of produced the perfect Dress Code List that would please everyone. This is one of those situations that you acknowledge you will be open to a lot of criticism. Because there is such diversity in culture, age, religious backgrounds etc., the perfect Dress Code List does not exist. Whatever technique was used in this decision making issue I feel was the best that they could do. Perhaps they should sign up for this course and learn how to frame the problem and learn to use better decision making techniques when making such an important decision that affects so many employees.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 14

Stay here,† Rashel said sharply, but Hannah ran with the rest of them toward the front of the house. She could hear a ferocious snarling and barking outside-a very familiar sort of sound. Nilsson and the other CIA guys were running around. They looked grim and efficient, moving fast but not frantically. Hannah realized that they knew how to do this sort of thing. She didn't see Lupe. The snarling outside got louder, building to a volley of short barks. There was a yelp-and then a scrambling noise. After a moment of silence there came a sound that lifted the hair on Hannah's forearms-a wild and eerie and beautiful sound. A wolf howling. Two other wolf voices joined the first, chording, rising and falling, interweaving with each other. Hannah found herself gasping, her entire skin shivering. Then there was one long sustained note and it was over. â€Å"Wow,† the tiny blond called Gillian whispered. Hannah rubbed her bare arms hard. The front door opened. Hannah felt herself looking toward the ground, but nothing four-legged came in. Instead it was Lupe and two guys, all disheveled, flushed, and grinning. â€Å"It was just some scouts,† Lupe said. â€Å"We ran them off.† â€Å"Scouts from Maya?† Hannah said, feeling a tightness in her stomach. It really was true, then. Maya was trying to storm the house to get to her. Lupe nodded. â€Å"It'll be okay,† she said almost gently. â€Å"But I think all of you better stay inside today. You can watch movies or play games in the game room.† Hannah spent the day talking with the Circle Daybreak members. The more she found out about them, the more she liked them. Only one thing made her uncomfortable. They all seemed to defer to her-as if, somehow, they expected her to be wiser or better because of her former lifetimes. It was embarrassing, because she knew she wasn't. She tried to keep her mind off Thierry†¦ and Maya. But it wasn't easy. That night she found herself walking restlessly through the house. She wound up in a little anteroom on the second floor that looked down on the enormous living room. â€Å"Can't relax?† The lazy murmur came from behind her. Hannah turned to see Ash, his lanky elegant body propped against a wall. His eyes looked silver in the dimly lit room. â€Å"Not really,† Hannah admitted. â€Å"I just wish they'd find Thierry. I've got a bad feeling about it.† They stood for a moment in silence. Then Ash said, â€Å"Yeah, it's hard to be without your soulmate. Once you've found them, I mean.† Hannah looked at him, intrigued. The way he said that†¦ She spoke hesitantly. â€Å"This morning Thea said you were all here because you had human soulmates.† He looked across the room at French doors that led to a balcony. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"And-well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maybe she's dead, Hannah thought suddenly. Maybe I shouldn't ask. â€Å"And you want to know where mine is,† Ash said. â€Å"I didn't mean to pry.† â€Å"No. It's okay.† Ash looked out at the darkness beyond the French doors again. â€Å"She's waiting-I hope. I've got some things to put right before I see her.† He didn't seem scary anymore, no matter how his eyes changed. He seemed-vulnerable. â€Å"I'm sure she is waiting,† Hannah said. â€Å"And I'll bet she'll be glad to see you when you've put things right.† She added quietly, â€Å"I know I'll be glad to see Thierry.† He glanced at her, startled, then smiled. He had a very nice smile. â€Å"That's true, you've been in her shoes, haven't you? And Thierry's certainly tried to make up for his past. I mean, he's been doing good works for centuries. So maybe there's hope for me after all.† He said it almost mockingly, but Hannah caught an odd glistening in his eyes. â€Å"You're like her, you know,† he added abruptly. â€Å"Like my-like Mary-Lynnette. You're both†¦ wise.† Before Hannah could think of something to say to that, he nodded to her, straightened up, and went back into the hallway, whistling softly through his teeth. Hannah stood alone in the dim room. For some reason, she felt better suddenly. More optimistic about the future. I think I'll be able to sleep tonight. And tomorrow, maybe Thierry will be here. She clamped down hard on the rush of hope that filled her at the thought. Hope†¦ and concern. After all she'd said to him, she couldn't be absolutely sure how Thierry would receive her. What if he doesn't want me after all? Don't be silly. Don't think about it. Go outside and get a breath of air, and then go to bed. Later, of course, she realized just how stupid she had been. She should have known that getting a breath of fresh air only led to one thing in her life. But at the moment it seemed like a good idea. Lupe had warned her not to open any outside doors-but the French doors only led to a second-floor balcony overlooking the backyard. Hannah opened them and stepped out. Nice, she thought. The air was just cool enough to be pleasant. From here she could look across dark stretches of grass to flood-lit palm trees and softly splashing fountains. Although she couldn't see Thierry's people, she knew they were out there, stationed around the grounds, watching and waiting. Guarding her. It made her feel safe. Nothing can get to the house with them around it, she thought. I can sleep just fine. She was about to turn and go back inside when she heard the scratching. It came from above her. From the roof. She glanced up and got the shock of this particular lifetime. There was a bat hanging from the roof. A bat. A bat. A huge bat. Upside down. Its leathery black wings were wrapped around it and its small red eyes shone at her with reflected light. Wild thoughts tumbled through Hannah's mind, all in a fraction of an instant. Maybe it's a decoration†¦ no, idiot, it's alive. Maybe it's somebody to guard me. God, maybe it's Thierry†¦. But all the while, she knew. And when the instant of paralysis passed and she could command her body again, she sucked in a deep breath to scream an alarm. She never got the chance to make a sound. With a noise like an umbrella opening, the bat unfolded its wings suddenly, displaying an amazingly large span of black membrane. At the same moment something like sheet lightning seemed to hit Hannah, a blinding surge of pure mental energy. She saw stars, and then everything faded to darkness. Something hurt. My head, Hannah thought slowly. And my back. In fact, she hurt all over. And she was blind-or she had her eyes shut. She tried to open them and nothing changed. She could feel herself blinking, but she could only see one thing. Blackness. Utter, complete blackness. She realized then that she'd never seen real darkness before. In her bedroom at night there was always some diffused light showing at the top of her curtains. Even outdoors there was always moonlight or starlight, or if it were cloudy, the reflection of human lights, however faint. This was different. This was solid darkness. Hannah imagined she could feel it pressing against her face, weighing down on her body. And no matter how wide she opened her eyes or how fixedly she stared, she couldn't see even the slightest glimmer breaking it. I will not panic, she told herself. But it was hard. She was fighting an instinctive fear, hardwired into the brain since before the Stone Age. All humans panicked in complete blackness. Just breathe, she told herself firmly. Breathe. Okay. Now. You've got to get out of here. First things first. Are you hurt? She couldn't tell. She had to shut her eyes in order to sense her own body. As she did, she realized that she was sitting up, instinctively huddling into herself to keep safe from the darkness. Okay. I don't think you're hurt. Let's try standing up. Very slowly. That was when the real shock came. She couldn't stand up. She couldn't. She could move her arms and even her legs. But when she tried to lift her body, even to shift position slightly, something bit into her waist, keeping her immobile. With a crawling feeling of horror, Hannah put her hands to her waist and felt the rough texture of rope. I'm tied. I'm tied†¦. There was something hard against her back. A tree? Her hands flew to feel it. No, not a tree-too regular. Tall, but squarish. A post of some kind. The rope seemed to be wound many times around her waist, tightly enough that it constricted her breathing a little. It bound her securely to the post. And then it fastened above or far behind her somewhere-she couldn't find any knots with her fingers. It felt like very strong, very sturdy rope. Hannah knew without question that she wasn't going to be able to wiggle out of it or untie it. The post seemed very sturdy, too. The ground under Hannah was dirt and rock. I'm alone, she thought slowly. She could hear her own gasping breath. I'm all alone†¦ and I'm tied here in the dark. I can't move. I can't get away. Maya put me here. She left me to die all alone in the dark. For a while, then, Hannah simply lost control. She screamed for help and heard her voice echo oddly. She pulled and twisted at the rope with her fingers until her fingertips were raw. She threw her whole body from one side to the other, trying to loosen the rope or the post, until the pain in her waist made her stop. And finally she gave in to the galloping fear inside her and sobbed out loud. She had never, ever, felt so desolate and alone. In the end, though, she cried herself out. And when she'd gasped to a stop, she found that she could think a little. Listen, girl. You've got to get a grip. You've got to help yourself, because there's nobody else to do it. It wasn't the cool wind voice or even the crystal voice-because they were both just part of her now. It was Hannah's own mental voice. She had accepted all her past selves and their experiences, and in return she felt she could call on at least some of their wisdom. Okay, she thought grimly. No more crying. Think. What can you tell about your situation? I'm not out in the open. I know because there's no light at all and because of the way my voice echoed. I'm in a big†¦ room or something. It's got a high ceiling. And the floor is rock. Good. Okay, do you hear anything else? Hannah listened. It was hard to concentrate on the silence around her-it made her own breathing and heartbeat seem terrifyingly loud. She could feel her nerves stretch and fray†¦ but she held on, ignoring her own noises and trying to reach out into the darkness with her ears. Then she heard it. Very far away, a sound like a faucet dripping slowly. What the hell? I'm in a big black room with a rock floor and a leaky faucet. Shut up. Keep concentrating. What do you smell? Hannah sniffed. That didn't work, so she took long breaths through her nose, ignoring the pain as her midsection pressed against the rope. It's musty in here. Dank. It smells damp and cold. In fact, it was very cold. Her panic had kept her warm before, but now she realized that her fingers were icy and her arms and legs were stiff. Okay, so what have we got? I'm in a big black refrigerated room with a high ceiling and a stone floor. And it's musty and damp. A cellar? A cellar without windows? But she was just fooling herself. She knew. The skin of her face seemed to sense the pressure of tons of rock above her. Her ears told her that that musical dripping was water on rock, very far away. Her nose told her that she wasn't in any building. And her fingers could feel the natural irregularity of the ground underneath her. She didn't want to believe it. But the knowledge crowded in on her, inescapable. I'm in a cave. A cave or a cavern. Anyway, I'm inside the earth. God knows how deep inside. Deep enough and far enough that I can't see any light from an entrance or vent hole. Very deep inside, her heart told her. She was in the loneliest place in the world. And she was going to die here. Hannah had never had claustrophobia before. But now she couldn't help feeling that the mass of rock around and above her was trying to crush her. It could fall in at any minute, she thought. She felt a physical pressure, as if she were at the bottom of the ocean. She began to have trouble breathing. She had to get her mind off it. She refused to turn into that screaming, gibbering thing in the darkness again. Worse than the thought of dying was the thought of going insane down here. Think about Thierry. When he finds out you're missing he'll start looking for you. You know that. And he won't give up until he finds you. But I'll be dead by then, she thought involuntarily. This time, instead of fear, the idea of her death brought a strange poignant loneliness. Another life where I missed him, she thought. She blinked against tears suddenly. Oh, God. Great. It's so hard. So hard to keep hoping that someday it's going to work out. But I'll meet him again in my next life. And maybe I won't be so stupid then; I won't fall for Maya's tricks. It'll be harder for him, I guess. He'll have to wait and get through the years day by day. I'll just go to sleep and eventually wake up somewhere else. And then someday he'll come for me and I'll remember . . . and then we'll start all over. I really did try this time, Thierry. I did my best. I didn't mean to mess things up. Promise me you'll look for me again. Promise you'll find me. I promise I'll wait for you. No matter how long it takes. Hannah shut her eyes, leaning back against the post and almost unconsciously touching the ring he'd given her. Maybe next time she'd remember it. Suddenly she didn't feel sad or afraid anymore. Just very tired. Eyes still shut, she grinned weakly. I feel old. Like Mom's always complaining she feels. Ready to turn this old body in and get a new†¦ The thought broke off and disappeared. Was that a noise? Hannah found herself sitting up, leaning forward as far as the rope would allow, straining her ears. She thought she'd heard†¦ yes. There it was again. A solid echoing sound out in the darkness. It sounded like footsteps. And it was coming closer. Yes, yes. I'm rescued, I'm saved. Hannah's heart was pounding so hard that she could hardly breathe to yell. But at last, just as she saw a bobbing point of light in the blackness, she managed to get out a hoarse squawk. â€Å"Thierry? Hello? I'm over here!† The light kept coming toward her. She could hear the footsteps coming closer. And there was no answer. â€Å"Thierry†¦ ?† Her voice trailed off. Footsteps. The light was big now. It was a beam, a flashlight. Hannah blinked at it. Her heart was slowly sinking, until it seemed to reach stone. And then the flashlight was right in front of her. It shone in her face, dazzling her eyes. Another light snapped on, a small camping lantern. Vision rushed back to Hannah, sending information surging to her brain. But there was no happiness in it. Hannah's entire body was ice cold now, shivering. Because of course it wasn't Thierry. It was Maya. I hope I didn't disturb you,† Maya said. She put down the lantern and what looked like a black backpack. Then she stood with her hands on her hips and looked at Hannah. I will not cry. I won't give her the satisfaction, Hannah thought. â€Å"I didn't know vampires could really change into bats,† she said. Maya laughed. She looked beautiful in the pool of lantern light. Her long black hair fell in waves around her, hanging down her back to her hips. Her skin was milky-pale and her eyes looked dark and mysterious. Her laughing mouth was red. She was wearing designer jeans and high-heeled snakeskin boots. Funny, Hannah had never noticed any of Maya's clothes before. Usually the woman herself was so striking that it was impossible to focus on how she was dressed. â€Å"Not all vampires can shapeshift,† Maya said. â€Å"But, then, I'm not like other vampires. I'm the first, my darling. I'm the original. And I have to say I'm getting really sick of you.† The feeling is mutual, Hannah thought. She said, â€Å"Then why don't you leave me alone? Why don't you leave me and Thierry alone?† â€Å"Because, then, my sweetpea, I wouldn't win. And I have to win.† She looked at Hannah directly, her face oddly serious. â€Å"Don't you understand that yet?† she said softly. â€Å"I have to win-because I've given up too much to lose. It can't all be for nothing. So winning is all there is.†