Legacy of Dreams by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen

Which of the many examples included in this essay had the most persuasive impact on you? Was the content or the presentation of material more important? Do you think that family businesses can help a family develop deeper relationship and to prosper?

I found the story of Peter Kim, which opened the article, to be the most persuasive. When this article opens talking about Peter Kim, he is a college student, my age, just kicking back on a spring morning. Then he got a wake up call, almost literally, from his day saying "The company's got problems. Everybody's got to help out" (Cullen 76) which caused him to actually realized what he was going to do with his life. This was the most persuasive because he was my age, and at the end of the article when Peter Kim talked about driving down the highway and the realization what is father had built hit him. He said: "Then it hit me: You are such a coward. My parents and that whole generation come to this country with nothing- like, a suitcase, and maybe, what, a couple hundred bucks?... They don't know the language, they don't know the culture. They can't even find a bathroom. They know nothing and can build this. It was almost like somebody took a frying pan and smacked me on the head..."(Cullen 82). He was right. It is hard to realize everything that your parents have done in their lives, and for you, until you are put into that position and forced to do it yourself.

I don't think I found this specific part of the article more persuasive because the content was more important or anything like that. I think it was more persuasive because I found it more relatable. Peter Kim was my age when he had to face reality, when he had to grow up and use what he was in college for to help his family.

A family business can help a family form deeper relationships and prosper. Although it can be difficult on them at times, it can drive the children nuts because they don't get to go out like everyone else because they have to work, and it can strain the relationships, it also makes them stronger. The family goes through the difficult times together and they work through it together. It gives them common ground and something that they all worked together on to make successful. The family business becomes something that they are all proud of and can be made into a family heirloom of sorts. There are so many families who are swept up by the chaos of recent times, where no one is home at the same time, and car rides to the soccer field become the most time spent together. These families are blessed with being able to spend time with each other.

"She Works, He Doesn't" by Peg Tyre and Daniel McGinn

If you are a male, imagine that you have become a Mr. Mom. How would you adjust to your new role? What would be the biggest challenges? What would you like most? If you are a female, imagine that you have become the family's primary breadwinner. How would you adjust to your new role? What would be the biggest challenges? What would you like most? Write an essay or short story about one of these situations.

I grew up in a household where my father worked, and my mom stayed at home. My father was a very successful police officer, holding the position of Chief for 14 years before retiring and working in the private sector as the head of security for a business owner. My mother grew up in a time when it wasn't expected for women to go to college. She was expected to say home with the children when she was married. So, with those expectations paired with not having the money, she didn't attend college. Up until the time my brother and I were born (we are twins) he worked as a police officer, and she was a secretary. Then when we were about to be born, she quit. Only once has my mom had a job while raising us. . . she hated it. Needless to say, that didn't last very long. I loved growing up in this environment. I loved coming home from school and smelling fresh baked cookies, or dinner cooking. I loved that she was able to volunteer to work in the school library, and was able to be there for every major event in my life (not that my dad wasn't, but it was harder for him). For a long time I thought that was what I was going to do with my life too, but that changed.

It was always assumed that I would go to college by both my parents and I, yet I thought that once I had children, I would just quit my job and raise them. Now, I want to keep my career, and part of me would not be surprised if I did end up being the primary breadwinner in the household. It would be difficult though. Although things are changing, society still sees the men as being the ones who are supposed to make the money and support the family, and to deviate from those norms and make you somewhat of an outcast, which would be one of the biggest challenges. Another would be if I become the primary breadwinner because my husband lost his job. This now makes the situation forced, and straining on the relationship. So not only are we going to be dealing with the strains on our relationship become of the situation, but also the strains on the family because of the way society views us. The adjusting would come from all sides, by having friends who are supportive of both my husband and I, and by being comfortable with the situation in the household, no matter how it occurred. I would find happiness in this because I would get to continue the path of the career that I have always wanted to be in. I'd get to do what I loved. As I see it now, I don't want to work this hard in college, earn multiple degrees, then decide just to drop it all to raise my children. I know that I want kids, and I know that I will be a great mother to them while continuing to support the household, whether my husband has a job, or not. After all, it isn't about who is making the money to support the family and raise the kids, but that the family is supported and the kids have a loving environment to grow up in.

Second Grade Teacher- Katy Bracken

Why does Bracken say that she was "redeemed by teaching?" What do you think she means by this statement? What does she love the most about being a second-grade teacher and what has she learned from being a teacher?

Katy Bracken opens up her story by describing herself as "one of those people who was pretty much totally unable to decide what they wanted to do with themselves" (Bracken 42). She was a dancer/actress/writer who moved to Chicago just to be in the city, not actually following an ambition. However, after a short time, she realized that she needed to do something with her life. She got a teaching job, just as an assistant, but it was the start to a part of her life she never expected. This was the start of her redemption.

Katy found this hidden love for teaching, and after a librarian job and a few assistant positions, she landed herself a full time teaching position. Katy explained that "things got very weird because I wanted to do the job- it was totally my ambition by that point- but I was terrified" (Bracken 43). It is a good thing to be terrified about things like that though, because if you are terrified, it means you care, and you want to do the best job you can.

She had been redeemed by teaching. She found an ambition for something, and it had changed her entire outlook on life and the impact that she wanted to make on the world. Instead of being a dancer/actresses/writer, she changed the lives of hundreds of kids, and she had hundreds of kids change her life too.

She loves the love and affection that comes with teaching second graders. She explains that the kind of love that is expressed with second graders doesn't occur in the adult world, and she is right. They have this way of expressing their emotions that adults tend to suppress. Like Katy said, second graders will just run up to you and give you a huge hug. This affection that the kids expressed carried through into her life outside of school: "I think my ability to be affectionate has been very deeply influenced by this job, being able to experience affection that's not sexual during the day. I have a lot of nonsexual affection with my friends now. Which is healthy" (Bracken 45). So not only does she love this aspect of her job, but it has really taught her how to make her relationships stronger outside of the classroom. It just another lesson that she learned from her students.

Katy Bracken started off lost, uncertain of what to do with her life, but a random assistant teaching job showed her what her true purpose in life was. Teaching was her redemption, it turned her life around, and now she has not only bettered her life, but those of children all around her.

Just a Test

This is just a test to make sure that my blog for english is working! :)