Saturday :: essays papers

Saturday Saturday. The first day of the weekend, the first day of freedom at the end of every week at school. Saturday was always a day of great anticipation for me during my younger years. It signified not only the beginning of a weekend away from the rigours of Primary school and learning my times tables, but also my first real social experiences. Saturday was ‘Club Day’. At around the age of 8 or 9, my Mum decided that I needed to get out into the real world and get a taste of ‘Saturday life’, and all it had to offer. So, on the advice of my much older and wiser 10 year old cousin, I chose to join the local craft club. Each Saturday morning from that day onwards, I would join the 6 or 7 other girls in the hot, cramped ‘Cathy’s Crafts’ store in Montmorency. For $7 a week I could paint pieces of wood shaped as teddies, or perhaps even stick some glitter on a nice picture for Mother’s Day. Either way it served as a warning for the rest of my life that craft was definitely not my scene. Project after project, week in, week out, I came home bearing one more useless, awful testament to bad taste and craftsmanship. Mum would be gently supportive – with kind words such as â€Å"why don’t you give this to Nana for Christmas?† Or in other words â€Å"I never want that hideous toilet roll cover in my house again.† Dad wad not quite so understanding. My skills with the paintbrush were often criticised, as I had not used a ‘polyglaze’ or a ‘neutral undercoat’ or a ‘size 12 brush’. Although the $7 a week had produced some memories of gluing too many sequins on my photo frame, or never being able to paint flowers quite right, the time had come for me to give my craft club days away. Forever. And so it was that I found myself, hand glued to Mum’s, at the Little Athletics sign-up day. And so it was that I found myself being talked into being patriotic and signing up with the valiant Montmorency, who had never yet won a club championship and are likely to never achieve this coveted goal.

Does Divorce of Parents Harm Children?

Divorce has become prevalent, but what are its effects on children? Many researchers began studying this question in the 1970s, and they have learned a great deal about children and divorce. One thing researchers have learned is that we must distinguish between children's initial or short-term reactions to marital disruption and their long-term (more than two years) adjustment. Children's long-term reactions vary greatly, depending on how the parents respond to the child during and after the breakup. In particular, the most important factors that shape long-term adjustment are (1) the amount of parental conflict children are exposed to and (2) the quality of parenting or childrearing competence they receive. In addition to these two factors, children's reactions are affected by social or environmental factors such as living in a neighborhood with high crime and violence. Economic factors are an important aspect of divorce, as most single-parent mothers have more economic stress and can provide fewer resources and opportunities for their children following divorce. Economic stress leads to increasing family mobility and an unwanted decrease in kinship networks and family support systems. This becomes especially problematic when it deprives families of grandparents and other kin who can help parents cope in the aftermath of divorce. Yes: Judith S. Wallerstein, from â€Å"Growing up in the divorced family† Clinical Social Work Journal (Winter 2005) Clinical psychologist Judith Wallerstein argues not only that children are harmed when their parents’ divorce but also that these negative side effects continue into their adult lives. Wallerstein claims that adolescents of divorce families often become involved with drugs, alcohol, and sexual activity earlier than adolescents of intact families. And once they are adults, she claims that these children suffer from acute anxiety when attempting to love and form permanent relationships. Parent- Child relationships not only change at the breakup but continue to change during the years to follow. When this bond is broken by divorce, a wide range of passions spills over into all domains of the family. These emotions, as noted, have the power to derail parent-child relationships that were in place during the intact family. One immediate consequence of these chronic uncertainties in the post-divorce family is the eruption of persistent anxiety in the child, setting into motion a hyper vigilant tracking of each parent. They grow up insecure. They worry about another loss or sudden change in their family or household. They worry for many years about their parents’ well being. The central finding of our study is that, adulthood, the experience of having been through parental divorce as a child impacts detrimentally on the capacity to love and be loved within lasting, committed relationship. At young adulthood when love, sexual intimacy and commitment and marriage take center stage, children of divorce haunted by the ghosts of their parents’ divorce and terrified that the same fate awaits them. In addition to overcoming their fear of failure, they have a great deal to learn about the give and take of intimate living with another person, about how to deal with differences and how to resolve conflicts. Children recover, typically within a 2 year period, and then resume their normal developmental progress, if three conditions obtain: 1) the parents are able to settle their differences without fighting; 2) the financial arrangements are fair and; 3) the child has continued contact with both parents over the years that follow. Our findings are that where parents got along both maintained caring relationships with their children of the first marriage, undiminished by their post-divorce relationships, and where both parents were doing reasonably well in their personal lives, the childhood and adolescence of the children were better protected. Personal Evaluation: Are people just too selfish to make commitments or care about others anymore? Have people become too lazy or unwilling to work on the problems that exist in every relationship? I believe people still are capable of making mistakes. It's not that divorce is such a bad thing†¦ it's more that people are making the mistake of rushing into marriage for whatever reason and finally coming to grips with reality. Divorce is not questioned, in my opinion, when one of the spouses is abusive an adulterer, or other legally or morally wrong issues. I believe that divorce can harm children. However, I also believe that God can heal those wounds and He can teach them how to live healthy lives. In my opinion, divorce leaves a mark. Like the books says: â€Å"†¦ impacts detrimentally on the capacity to love and be loved within lasting, committed relationship. At young adulthood when love, sexual intimacy and commitment and marriage take center stage, children of divorce haunted by the ghosts of their parents’ divorce and terrified that the same fate awaits them. † I do agree with what the book says. I also come from a broken family and it’s been hard to come to the place where I know and believe in commitment of marriage and love. In my case, my adoptive family had to do a lot with my healing process and the role model they were to me. A loss of family identity often makes one feel inadequate, inferior or incomplete. And that’s how I felt at the beginning but the truth of the matter is; none of us are, whether we come from a broken home or not. Bibliography: Slife, Brent. Taking Sides- Clashing views on Psychological Issues. FIFTEENTH ed. Boston: McGraw Hill Companies, 2006. Newton, Lee. â€Å"Divorce is like a Death in the Family. † About. com. 1 Mar. 2009

Bilbo Baggins, a True Hero Essay - 1848 Words

Bilbo Baggins, a True Hero â€Å"I wish I could be a hero!† Many adults in today’s society hear small children wishing they could become heroes. Children wish to be more like heroes for the reason that heroes are the type of people who risk their lives to help others. Throughout history, children have had a positive connotation with the word â€Å"hero.† The heroes many small children talk about are the fictional ones who protect cities from villains: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and others. However, these are not the only types of heroes in today’s world. Firefighters and policemen are also considered heroes because they save the lives of those in danger. Many adults consider their inspirations to be heroes, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin†¦show more content†¦Thorin almost starts a war with the lake men and the woodelves, but is stopped by the entrance of the appalling Wargs and Goblins. Bilbo could have taken the prized Arkenstone for hi mself, but he did not. The reason Bilbo selflessly decides to give away the Arkenstone is because he wants to see peace between all five groups. Bilbo says, â€Å"He values it above a river of gold. I give it to you. It will aid you in your bargaining† (Tolkien 271). This quote reveals how Bilbo wants to make sure that the fighting is stopped from progressing. Bilbo atones for his mistake of secretly taking the Arkenstone by giving it to Bard to help stop the feud. Many people can argue that Bilbo takes the Arkenstone for his own pleasure, but Bilbo, being a hero, nobly gives the Arkenstone to Bard to help stop the fight from continuing. Bilbo generously gives the Arkenstone to Bard to make sure Thorin and the other dwarves are not hurt. If Bilbo had not done the right thing, then the elves and the humans would have hurt Thorin and the other dwarves. Thorin values the Arkenstone more than anything else in his life, making him ready to fight for it. Thorin exclaims, â€Å"In this debate they have no place. Begone now ere our arrows fly!† (Tolkien 264). Thorin reveals in this quote how much desire he has for this object that has been in his family for manyShow MoreRelatedBilbo Baggins: A True Hero?1410 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Preston English 1301 12 November 2012 Bilbo: A True Hero? What is a hero? Is it someone who possesses great strength and bravery, or is it someone who attains fame and wealth? In the world of Middle Earth that J.R.R Tolkien has created, Bilbo Baggins shows us that a hero can be quite the opposite. He is offered (and partially set up by Gandalf the wizard) to partake in an adventure as a burglar to help reclaim the bearded Dwarves’ homeland from the dragon Smaug. The little hobbit is frightenedRead MoreThe Development of the Character of Bilbo Baggins1605 Words   |  7 Pagescharacter. J.R.R. Tolkien portrayed the main character of The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, as a child on his trip into adulthood. Throughout The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, the protagonist, changes from a childlike hobbit to a fully matured hero. J.R.R. Tolkien divides the change in Bilbos character into the three major part of the book, prior to the quest, during the quest, and after the quest. Prior to the quest, Bilbo Baggins was a conservative, respectable and stubborn hobbit who lead a rich andRead MoreThe Tolkien s The Hobbit1246 Words   |  5 PagesThe events associated with J.R.R Tolkien’s book The Hobbit resembles a hero’s quest journey, step by step until the final stage. Bilbo Baggins is the main character in this book and his life sonorously fits into in a typical hero quest journey. The three primary components of Bilbo’s quest are, the call to adventure, tests, allies and enemies, and the reward. 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Bilbo Baggins struggles with his own insecurities throughoutRead MoreThe Hobbit : A Hero s Journey1481 Words   |  6 PagesIn many stories, there is a hero ‒ a character who rescues, saves, survives, and sacrifices in order to help the greater good. He usually is of mysterious origin and often starts off seeming ordinary and insignificant. However, as the hero eventually grows and develops, he follows the hero’s journey, or the general structure of a hero’s adventures. Such is the case in J.R.R. Tolkien’s renowned The Hobbit, a high fantasy novel detailing the adventures of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, a small furry creature known