I watch the traffic rushing by my side
As I walk, I feel the wind surround me
Trying to sweep me off of my two feet
I stand planted, as steady as can be
Roaring car engines, racing to nowhere
Screeching tires like a cymbal crashing
Honking horns bring melody to the streets
Diverse sounds, blended together as one
Why do people seem to be in a rush?
Fearing realization of standing still
Racing against the never-ending clock
Conforming to society’s timeline
Now, take the time for a much needed breath
Stop for a moment, let the day sink in
Friday, March 30, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
my heritage paper
Back in the dark, shady days of the depression years, my grandmother on my mother’s side and her family were going through tough times. My great grandmother, whose name was Elizabeth Palumbo, was raising her children in Rochester, New York after she emigrated here from Italy. They were struggling financially and only had money for food but nothing else. My grandmother’s brothers and sisters thought about complaining of the lack of money and not being able to afford new clothes, but they decided to be thankful for what they had. During this time, the weather was also very harsh. It was freezing cold, and the winter seemed to go on forever. In my grandma’s house, her mom kept the furnace turned up all the way, which caused it to tragically break down. My grandma’s family was all huddled up in a small apartment trying to keep warm. Now what were they going to do?
Elizabeth came up with the only plan that she could think of. She decided to find the company that manufactured and sold the type of furnace that she previously had in her house before it broke. The old furnace had lasted her whole life up until that point, so she knew that a new one would be very reliable. Once she narrowed down her search of companies, she came across the one that she was looking for and asked for the manager. When the manager came out of his office, she asked him, “I need a new furnace right now but I have no money. Starting today, I will come here two times every week for as long as it takes and clean all of the offices. I will not stop until the furnace is paid for, even if it takes all of my life.” The manager was obviously shocked by what this stranger had said to him, but he was also impressed by my great grandmother’s determination. He immediately decided to take her promise, and gave her the furnace believing that she would keep to her word about repaying the cost of the furnace. Sure enough, Elizabeth came to that office building two times a week for a full two years, and then could finally pay the manager back with her extra earnings.
After everything settled when the furnace was paid off, Elizabeth focused on teaching her children the value of education. Learning to read was the key to a good education in the early 1930’s, and learning this lifelong skill continues to be a part of my grandma’s life, as she still loves to read everyday before she goes to bed. Elizabeth did not want my grandmother to end up like most Italians that usually quit school early and then work in the factories to earn quick money. Since learning to read led to a better life, Elizabeth knew she needed to teach this lesson to my grandma. However, Elizabeth could not read to my grandmother every night because she had no education herself and was unable to read. My great grandmother’s solution was to bring my grandma to the city library and approach the librarian sitting behind the desk and ask, “I don’t know anything about books but you do. I want you to pick out the best books for my children (my grandma) to read.” Just like the manager at the furnace company, the librarian was impressed and compiled the best reading material for a child, and continued to do this for my great grandmother whenever she visited the library.
However, Elizabeth was not the only one who was laying down the foundation of values for generations to come. My great grandfather on my grandpa’s side, whose name is William Shimer, also played a role in teaching the value of education and especially hard work and determination. William used to always share this story of his upbringing in the backwoods of West Virginia. All around him, none of his neighbors or even relatives went to school beyond the early grades, because they just worked on a farm by hoeing corn and milking cows. However, William was different from everyone else and they said that he loved to study and read books and he eventually graduated from high school. He immediately became a teacher in a one-room school house. After enough of this, William decided that he wanted to go to college, and therefore applied to Harvard University. To make a long story short, he was not accepted. However, this was only the first attempt, and with a lot more studying, he got accepted in the next year! He then took a train to Boston with only a suitcase, and did not know any manners like how to dress or speak well, but what he did know was how to work hard, observe others, and adapt. With these instincts, he not surprisingly began to fit in but he struggled. In the end, my great grandfather received his PhD degree from Harvard and then went on to become a college president. Now that is a huge leap from the life on the farm, but William showed that all it took were hard work and determination to reach your goals.
When I heard these stories many years ago, I quickly learned why my mother was raising me to understand the value of hard work, determination, and the importance of loving your family. These strong values were passed down to my grandparents by example. What I mean by this is that they “practiced what they preached”. I learned the importance of setting a good example for my children by working hard, getting a good education, and respecting and accepting others no matter how different they are from you. These values are the heartbeat that flows from generation to generation.
Elizabeth came up with the only plan that she could think of. She decided to find the company that manufactured and sold the type of furnace that she previously had in her house before it broke. The old furnace had lasted her whole life up until that point, so she knew that a new one would be very reliable. Once she narrowed down her search of companies, she came across the one that she was looking for and asked for the manager. When the manager came out of his office, she asked him, “I need a new furnace right now but I have no money. Starting today, I will come here two times every week for as long as it takes and clean all of the offices. I will not stop until the furnace is paid for, even if it takes all of my life.” The manager was obviously shocked by what this stranger had said to him, but he was also impressed by my great grandmother’s determination. He immediately decided to take her promise, and gave her the furnace believing that she would keep to her word about repaying the cost of the furnace. Sure enough, Elizabeth came to that office building two times a week for a full two years, and then could finally pay the manager back with her extra earnings.
After everything settled when the furnace was paid off, Elizabeth focused on teaching her children the value of education. Learning to read was the key to a good education in the early 1930’s, and learning this lifelong skill continues to be a part of my grandma’s life, as she still loves to read everyday before she goes to bed. Elizabeth did not want my grandmother to end up like most Italians that usually quit school early and then work in the factories to earn quick money. Since learning to read led to a better life, Elizabeth knew she needed to teach this lesson to my grandma. However, Elizabeth could not read to my grandmother every night because she had no education herself and was unable to read. My great grandmother’s solution was to bring my grandma to the city library and approach the librarian sitting behind the desk and ask, “I don’t know anything about books but you do. I want you to pick out the best books for my children (my grandma) to read.” Just like the manager at the furnace company, the librarian was impressed and compiled the best reading material for a child, and continued to do this for my great grandmother whenever she visited the library.
However, Elizabeth was not the only one who was laying down the foundation of values for generations to come. My great grandfather on my grandpa’s side, whose name is William Shimer, also played a role in teaching the value of education and especially hard work and determination. William used to always share this story of his upbringing in the backwoods of West Virginia. All around him, none of his neighbors or even relatives went to school beyond the early grades, because they just worked on a farm by hoeing corn and milking cows. However, William was different from everyone else and they said that he loved to study and read books and he eventually graduated from high school. He immediately became a teacher in a one-room school house. After enough of this, William decided that he wanted to go to college, and therefore applied to Harvard University. To make a long story short, he was not accepted. However, this was only the first attempt, and with a lot more studying, he got accepted in the next year! He then took a train to Boston with only a suitcase, and did not know any manners like how to dress or speak well, but what he did know was how to work hard, observe others, and adapt. With these instincts, he not surprisingly began to fit in but he struggled. In the end, my great grandfather received his PhD degree from Harvard and then went on to become a college president. Now that is a huge leap from the life on the farm, but William showed that all it took were hard work and determination to reach your goals.
When I heard these stories many years ago, I quickly learned why my mother was raising me to understand the value of hard work, determination, and the importance of loving your family. These strong values were passed down to my grandparents by example. What I mean by this is that they “practiced what they preached”. I learned the importance of setting a good example for my children by working hard, getting a good education, and respecting and accepting others no matter how different they are from you. These values are the heartbeat that flows from generation to generation.
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