Project Reflection and Information
This project required of us to write a short essay under 500 words,
explaining something we feel passionately about; a belief which may have changed
our perspective in some way. We looked at a website called 'This I Believe'
which is a site where anyone can send in a writing piece explaining a strong
belief system they live by, and it will be posted to this site for anyone to
read. We, as a class read many of these pieces and then chose our own belief to
write about and send in to the organization. Along with writing an essay on our
belief, we also learned new skills to use in our writing. One of the skills we
learned was Narrative Coherence, this is writing which flows together well and
when looking at the piece as a whole, makes sense and every point is used to
further explain the topic being covered. Another skill we learned and used
during this project was Communal Relevance, this is the "so what" of the
writing. Being sure that what is being said has some importance to more than
only the writer; the readers can walk away after reading the piece and have
learned or thought deeply about the topic covered and their own perspective.
Finally, we learned about authentic voice and how each author when writing on
their belief should be speaking as if they were talking to someone, rather than
attempting to use big words and persuade someone. Authentic voice is using
writing where the writer's true feelings and voice come through and can be heard
throughout the paper. we had the opportunity to use all of these skills and more
during this project.
This past summer I went with a missions group to
Romania, through a program called 'Mission Outfitter.' While there, we ran a
camp for 40 orphaned children living in the area. There was one child in
particular named Miki, he is a ten year old boy living in a orphan home with ten
other orphaned boys, one 'mom' one 'dad' and nothing which he can call his own.
Through this experience I decided to write my This I Believe essay on Miki and
what he taught me about looking for the best in everything and everyone, no
matter what situation you are in. I learned from Miki, to not worry about
wanting material possessions, but instead looking for the best in memories and
moments I live, to find true joy. I gained a new perspective on living life, and
found that to live a good life and be happy, I don't need to own everything I
want to own, but instead love every moment and try to create beautiful memories
that will last me the rest of my life.
This essay was definitely harder for me to write than others have been; I
got a lot of writer's block and found it
hard to explain everything I was thinking in a way that would make sense.
However, I pushed through it and ended up explaining a lot of what I felt about
my belief. The belief I wrote about specifically was, "I believe in taking every
moment, big and small, and making it the best it can be." In the past I have had
trouble staying on topic and not creating rabbit holes, or getting off topic.
However, this essay I think I did a good job of staying clear on my perspective
throughout this. I worked really hard to only focus on one idea, and having
everything I say add to that one main point and with every word, make the essay
stronger. I tried to not use unnecessary words, and think I did a good job on
that, and got my point across and explained my belief.
If I were to make a refinement and either have more time, or redo my essay, I would try to sum up my
belief even more. I was trying very hard to explain my belief very specifically,
and in words that would move people and really make them see what I was
imagining. However, think I could have done a much better job with this and
really worked on my sentence structure and word use to make my essay more
powerful; something that people would read and be truly moved by.
Through this project I was able to really reflect on the missions project I participated
in this past summer and try to sum up, for myself what really went on for me as
a person. I believe that now, after my experience and this project, I can look
at hard situations differently, and know that even though things can be hard, I
can still look for the good in them. If Miki, an orphan with nothing, can be
happy and smiling every moment of his life, then I, living in the beautiful
country of America and all it's richness, can try to look for the best in
everything and love every moment and memory in my life.
Big or Small
Miki slowly limps towards me, his twisted leg barely propping up one half of his
body, a huge grin plastered on his face. This little boy of ten years old, is an
orphan living in Romania, his parents abandoned him and he now lives in a house
with ten other boys, one ‘mom,' one‘dad,’ and nothing to call his own. Despite
everything he's been through, Miki is the happiest child I have ever met. He
chooses every day to love everything about his life-even the twisted leg that
means he can never have a normal childhood-and to make the best of every moment.
Miki taught me to believe in taking every aspect of life, big or small, and
making it the best it can be.
Even in America people don’t always get the things they want. Consumer American
culture tells us that if we just bought that ‘one thing,' we would finally be
happy. Many people believe this, however once they get that ‘one thing,’ they
may enjoy it for a while, but then it loses it's value and they get the 'next
big thing.' We in the American culture think we need to own everything we want
to own to find joy, but these belongings only last for a short while before we
want the next contraption. Miki is a little boy who has nothing, yet he is
happier than most American kids who have everything. He chooses to make the best
of what he has and to find joy in the little things. Even his ten-year-old mind
knows that he can make the best out of something big, or small.
Miki is a huge inspiration to me, many times I will think exactly what
American media wants me to think, and get caught up in focusing not on making
everything the best it can be, but always wanting more. Now, instead of
wishing and wishing for these extra belongings I think my life couldn’t be
complete without, I think of Miki. I think of the time he tripped and scraped up
his leg, how rather than becoming angry or sad, he instead turned to another
child who had hurt himself and tried to comfort him. Miki always kept a smile on
his face, even when things went wrong, he was able to look beyond not owning
anything, but focus on finding joy in everyday life. Because of Miki, I try to
love the belongings I already have; it’s not just‘being content’ with everything
you own, it’s much more than that. It's finding true joy in something that will
last, it’s being in the mindset of not focusing on wanting some thing;
but taking what you have, the relationships, memories, and ideas you have, and
turning them into something beautiful that will last and bring you joy.
body, a huge grin plastered on his face. This little boy of ten years old, is an
orphan living in Romania, his parents abandoned him and he now lives in a house
with ten other boys, one ‘mom,' one‘dad,’ and nothing to call his own. Despite
everything he's been through, Miki is the happiest child I have ever met. He
chooses every day to love everything about his life-even the twisted leg that
means he can never have a normal childhood-and to make the best of every moment.
Miki taught me to believe in taking every aspect of life, big or small, and
making it the best it can be.
Even in America people don’t always get the things they want. Consumer American
culture tells us that if we just bought that ‘one thing,' we would finally be
happy. Many people believe this, however once they get that ‘one thing,’ they
may enjoy it for a while, but then it loses it's value and they get the 'next
big thing.' We in the American culture think we need to own everything we want
to own to find joy, but these belongings only last for a short while before we
want the next contraption. Miki is a little boy who has nothing, yet he is
happier than most American kids who have everything. He chooses to make the best
of what he has and to find joy in the little things. Even his ten-year-old mind
knows that he can make the best out of something big, or small.
Miki is a huge inspiration to me, many times I will think exactly what
American media wants me to think, and get caught up in focusing not on making
everything the best it can be, but always wanting more. Now, instead of
wishing and wishing for these extra belongings I think my life couldn’t be
complete without, I think of Miki. I think of the time he tripped and scraped up
his leg, how rather than becoming angry or sad, he instead turned to another
child who had hurt himself and tried to comfort him. Miki always kept a smile on
his face, even when things went wrong, he was able to look beyond not owning
anything, but focus on finding joy in everyday life. Because of Miki, I try to
love the belongings I already have; it’s not just‘being content’ with everything
you own, it’s much more than that. It's finding true joy in something that will
last, it’s being in the mindset of not focusing on wanting some thing;
but taking what you have, the relationships, memories, and ideas you have, and
turning them into something beautiful that will last and bring you joy.