The Story Just Begins

Upon finishing the Soloist I had to accept that this story wouldn't have a happily ever after. Just as Lopez hoped, I wanted Mr. Ayers to be healed from his illness. Although, my wish didn't come true I was able to look at the Nathaniel with new eyes. To most people Nathaniel wouldn't be considered happy but to Mr. Ayers, his life was just fine.

Generally, society decides what things are required to make for a happy life or an American Dream; and throughout America's history people have adjusted their goals to meet society demands. But, Nathaniel proves that you do not have to have a fabulous home and be wealthy to be happy. In all of Nathaniel's poverty, and misfortune he didn't pity himself once-instead he enjoyed what he had in life.

Who's to say that just because someone doesn't function like the majority that they are not capable of being happy. Just because someone is not like us doesn't mean that they have no feelings.

The biggest impact the Soloist had on me was that people cannot change people, but they can be instrumental in that change.

It Takes a Village

Nathaniel Ayers was blessed to have people in his life that cared about his well being. But, as I thought about all of the opportunities he received, even on the streets, "would he received as much help if he didn't have a remarkable gift such as that?" Music has always been his savior.

I was touched to see that Snyder (cellist in Philharmonic Orchestra) was truly touched by Nathaniel, and that he made an effort to help Nathaniel. I was especially impressed by Snyder's patience, kindness, understanding and strength even when Ayers became restless, during their lesson. If Nathaniel didn't have his gift of music he wouldn't have been able to be in contact or have a chance to study with that musical genius.

Looking back on Nathaniel Ayers' childhood and all the pressure supplied by society and by himself, I'm not surprised that he eventually became chemically imbalanced.

Earlier in the book I felt that the disease came upon Nathaniel unexpectedly, but I believe that the disease was like a kettle of boiling water. In his early life the water was just getting warmer, but as he came into a very pressure-oriented environment the fire increased and so did the temperature of the water, until finally he became overloaded.

Through this book, I was able to give a entirely different view and opinion towards mental illness. Prior to Part II, I believed that mental illness was only congenital, but Nathaniel's story proved otherwise.

Nathaniel also proves that anyone can improve as long as there are people who love and care for that person. In most cases it takes more than one person to create change, not only in world issues, but in the lives of people. Nathaniel couldn't have improved with only Lopez's help but he needed the assistance from Lamp, Stuart Robinson and the other people who donated their money and time to help Ayers in his journey to recovery- It takes a village...




Reviewing suggestions:
syntax
organization
style

For the Love of Music

I am consistently amazed by the amount of love that Nathaniel Ayers feels for classical music. That music is not only a part of his life but a part of his body. The music is in him and he was his music.

Throughout the book Steve Lopez observes the music is Nathaniel's 'medicine' and 'treatment.' As a reader I can see Ayers' sickness, but, furthermore I can see what impact music was on his composure and how he needed music to live. Without his music Nathaniel would be nothing-he would be empty.

Nathaniel admits that Beethoven is almost like a god to him; and when Steve Lopez was able to invite Nathaniel Ayers to enjoy the rehearsal of the Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Ayers was elated and filled with great joy. Lopez noticed how when Nathaniel was mingling with the musicians and talking about Beethoven how he became a different person.

I can relate to Nathaniel in his music-induced transformation. I love Gospel music- choirs, soloists, ensembles, southern gospel, hip-hop Gospel...basically anything inside of the Gospel genre appeals to me. Gospel music has the power to change how I'm feeling it gives me the strength to endure, and to live right a holy life. Being a Christian is my life and Gospel music is literally the Bible in music form. I love Gospel so much, no other music can compare to it in my eyes. Gospel music is in me and I am Gospel, that is the strongest reason why I can relate to Nathaniel-You can't relate to someone who is in love unless you have been yourself.

What I admire about Nathaniel is that he can still indulge in what he loves, there is still a connection that can never be broken even in his sickness. That type of love can make any mad-man sane. Music is very powerful, and Nathaniel understands that music he would be dead inside. Nathaniel's demon or beast is his sickness; and as Nataniel constantly immerses himself into his music he proves that: music can tame the savage beast.

The Soloist Chapters 1-6

Musicians make music their life. As a result the aspirations of becoming rich and famous pales in comparison. Musicians are a strange breed of people. Music is their life, music is what comes into their mind as soon as they wake up and go to sleep at night. Music is their sustenance and without it they are nothing.

The musicians that make music their life are very brave and strong. I admire musicians that put their future on the line to pursue their dreams and aspirations. Musicians, for the most part, found their passion at a very young age and were able to pursue their love. I consider that fact to be very inspirational and a blessing. Some people go throughout their whole entire lives and never find their love and as a result feel unfulfilled in life; so to find what you love at a young age is a blessing in itself.

The Soloist is a very interesting story that caught my attention when I saw the preview of the Movie with Jamie Foxx. Stories about how people overcome their odds and achieve their goals is very appealing to me. But this story is one with a twist. Nathaniel was a very talented musician who rose to achievement at a time when Blacks were excluded from that profession. But his downfall wasn't because of drugs or irresponsible decisions, but something one may call fate.

I was proud of Nathaniel for his success and willingness to work. Furthermore, I thought of his achievements and interests as unique and different from his peers of that time. Not most teenagers can honestly admit that classical music is their passion and the love of their.


Nathaniel acknowledged the pressure of being a classical musicians and the ignorance he would face just because the color of his skin- Yet he persevered... not so much because of bravery, but because of love.


I felt very disheartened that Nathaniel did all of the right things but Schizophrenia destroyed his life. He could have been playing with his peers at Julliard and had the fame and success that rivaled Yo-Yo Ma, but an uncontrollable force snatched it all away leaving him alone. The pity I was feeling for Nathaniel was tremendous. I know there is nothing you can do to change your mental deficiencies- we cannot cast out our demons we need help.

His story helps me realize what humility is. He did all of the right things and didn't take any shortcuts on his road to success but in the end his life changed...




Suggestions for critique:

look out for syntactical and grammatical mistake
organization
the style of the writing

The Catcher in the Rye

I feel that the Catcher in the Rye is one of the most unique books I read because it read like a series of thoughts. As Houlden narrated he would give his opinions about things and then go off onto "mental-sidebars" about other topics that related to what he was talking about.

I was easily able to navigate through the book because he went into day-dreams similar to me. I could imagine going off onto a tangent because of one simple thought, and that's exactly what Houlden does throughout the book.

Houlden's constant indulgence in daydreams may have contributed to his mental instability. Houlden was always in la-la land and didn't want to focus on his reality; if he did he wouldn't be flunking out of school. Houlden had an apathetic mind-set and that was apparent throughout the book and at times he was very self- centered. He was only interested in pleasing himself and the feelings of others (such as his parents) was not of much concern to him. But, I believe that everyone has the opportunity to change (good, or bad) and it seems as if Houlden decided to truly change for the better by making himself have optimistic goals for his future


When Commenting:
Focus on the syntax
The stlye of the paper
the ideas presented and their exemplification

The Sad Truth

After seeing the the movie/play The Death of a Salesman I saw the sad truth of those times. I'm no doctor but I know that Willy Loman had some type of mental disorder. At one point I observed the Loman family and thought, "Don't they know that he has some type of mental problem?"
But, in the area of metal disabilities, the technology of that time was not advanced. I was looking at the movie as a person of the 21st century, but if I watched the movie during he story's time period I would have a completely different view.

Another key theme that consistently showed itself through the words of Willy Lohman was the issue of being liked. It is human nature to want to be liked, but most people realize that it is impossible to be like by all people. Even more, most people with common sense have come to the realization that sometimes they cannot try to please others and hope that they like you.

Many men have the aspiration to be admired, loved, and have a certain amount of influence and power. Consequently, I can understand Willy's intense desire to be respected and loved. Although, Willy showed extreme selfishness when he cheated on his faithful wife with a common woman. The worst part of the affair was that he gave his mistress gifts that he wouldn't even give to his own wife. His wife stuck with him through richer and poorer. I know that the wife had suspicions that her husband was cheating, but she stuck with him- because of love.

The sons were a direct product of their fathers morals. He often would encourage and delight in the mischief Biff caused because his peers laughed and enjoyed the entertainment. Happy always looked up to his big brother and wanted to please his father. Nevertheless, I believe that Biff probably got some of his strength from his mother. The fact that Biff finally resolved to be brave and decided to try to pursue his dreams, shows his strength.

Willy wanted specific goals for his children, but I believe that he truly loved his sons and wanted the best for them. Similarly, the mother wanted her sons to do great things but she didn't have specific jobs that she wanted her children to do. In other words if her children were happy she would be happy.

The Death of a Salesman is a great story of how life can be a lie when one doesn't pursue one's passion.


Suggestions for commenting:

Focus on:
syntax
organization
the clearness of the ideas

Reflection on Blogging

Over the past seven weeks I was forced to emerge myself into a new type of technology-blogging. At first I was a little reluctant. I was apprehensive to the fact that my work would be read by the any one in the class. For one I knew that some people would cheat off my work, and sometimes I had ideas that I didn't want to share with the class.

Furthermore, when we had to comment on people's work it was no way to keep track on who you commented to and sometimes that would unfairly be reflected in my grades. I grew annoyed trying to remember who I commented on. If there was any way to keep track of who you commented to, that would be of great help. I also think that the posts should be graded on grammar, on sentence organization (basically the syntax of our work). I want the blogs to be graded harder so that we can grow as writers.

Nevertheless, I've come to find that the pros outweigh the cons in this situation. Because I know had the responsibility of blogging, that challenged the quality of work. I felt that because I'm not the only person who is reading the post, I can't publish bad quality work because that would be a reflection on me.

I found that just as blogger can be a means for some people to cheat, blogger can be a great way to discover different perspectives of classmates. When I read some of the posts I found that a lot of people in my class are great writers. From my classmates posts I saw what worked for them and how I could apply what they did to better my work. Additionally, I learned how to correctly comment on posts; I used to just say 'good job' and leave it at that. Now I learned how to look into people's work and see how they can improve their work. That helped me as a writer because many of the corrections I saw were things that I did.

Reflections on "The Great Gatsby"

"That was always my experience—a poor boy in a rich town; a poor boy in a rich boy's school; a poor boy in a rich man's club at Princeton…I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works."
–F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters




Throughout "The Great Gatsby" F. Scott Fitzgerald portrayed the life of a "poor man living in a rich man's town." Nick was from a well-off background, but paired against the extravagant lifestyles of his extended family and friends in Long Island, he was horribly poor in comparison. As the reader I never felt as if he belonged to the group. Nick was physically in the rich group, yet he never belonged because he was never as rich as the crowd.

Nick came to New York City to have a chance at expanding his wealth. Later in the book he disclosed to the reader that he wasn't a vital tool at his workplace. I remember thinking: Nick came to the East to grow his wealth, and if he's not a main contributor to his job he's not accomplishing his goal that led him to the East; and if he's not handling his business why is he wasting his time in West Egg, Long Island anyway?

I felt like he was behaving juvenile, by trying to be a part of the in-crowd. He could be labled as a "wannabe," he 's the person who tries to be in a group that doesn't accept or truly care about him. I feel that he didn't have any goals for himself he was just floating through life. Additionally, with the amount of time and energy spent around the people he didn't care for, helped me see how superficial he was

Nick resented the same group that he was trying to be a part of..."You're better than the whole bunch of them" is what he said to Gatsby, uncovering his true feelings for the rich group. Maybe another reason he associated with them was because they lived in a state that he someday hoped to achieve. He was using the extended family and friends in both East and West Egg for his personal gain. Nick never expressed a true love towards those people that he was constantly with. Nick was using Tom, Daisey and Jordan just like the party-goers constantly used Gatsby.

I feel that Nick will never truly be successful at his job because he is not passionate about his work. In a way, he felt that money would be the solution to all of his problems; I infer that Nick will not truly live his life until he finds his love.

Journal of The Great Gatsby

Chapter 1

Don't judge people because they may not have had the opportunities as you

Nick grew up in the Midwest where his family was well-off. His prior generations owned a hardware store that has been successful for generations. Nick attended New Haven college in Yale University (his father's Alma mater)and fought in WWI. Nonetheless, he went to the East, New York, to become rich in stocks and bonds. He lived in the less-fashionable West Egg, next to Gatsby's fabulous mansion.

Nick some how gets in contact with his second cousin (once removed) named Daisy Buchanan,her macho husband Tom Buchanan and meets pro-golf player Jordan Baker. Tom is very insecure despite his physical masculinity and his extreme wealth. It is obvious to everyone that he is cheating, because the woman calls his house.

Gatsby is a loner it seems as he stands on his property looking solemnly at the green light at sea...what was that light that seemed to have entranced Gatsby?


Chapter 2

Nick and Tom are riding on a train and Tom forces Nick to see his mistress. It turns out his mistress is also married, her name is Ms. Wilson. Her husband has an almost subservient attitude towards his wife.
Later when they reach the Morningside apartments that Tom had for her when they had their affair. Nick met Ms. Wilson's sister and a party soon begins; after much drinking and several guest arrive the woman talk of their love interest and How Ms. Wilson cannot stand her husband.
The party ends with Tom breaking Ms. Wilson's nose because she kept speaking of his wife, and the guest found their way out after that scene.

I'm surprised on how Mr. Wilson acts toward his wife, he acts like he is in a daze, he must know that his wife is cheating...or maybe he doesn't care.

Catherine says that Tom has been Ms. Wilson's first sweetheart in years- they talk awfully casual about the affair going on...but maybe its because they are drunk

What is the significance of Dr. J. T. Eckleburg?


Chapter 3



Gatsby sent his chauffeur to Nick's home to invite him to his "little party". Nick describes Gatsby's immense wealth and living conditions: Rolls Royce, orchestras, opera singers, rich food, drink and other entertainment.

I know the man is wealthy, but how much wealth does he have, so that he can call a party with orchestras,opera and extreme entertainment little?

What I found strange was that most of the people invited themselves; perhaps the party would have been little. For "high-class" people, party-crashing seems uncouth. Additionally, most of the people at the party didn't even know who the host was and people made rumors about aspects in his life (he killed a man, was a German spy etc.)
Gatsby knew Nick from the war but Nick really couldn't remember him. Nick also got closer to Baker and at one point thought he had feelings for her, but he found out the she was dishonest (he didn't care too much about that aspect)
Gatsby invited Nick to go out with him on his hydroplane....what is that anyway, a boat?

How could Gatsby remember Nick, they weren't even in the same battalion?
Something is strange/ different about Gatsby, why doesn't he talk about his past?

Why does he throw such big parties, it seems as if he's frivolous with his fortune?

I felt pitied Gatsby, because it seemed to me that even amongst all of that land and money, he was lonely ...or maybe he's just fine with the party crashers and the rumors and he enjoys life.


Why did Gatsby want to talk to Jordan Baker in private...why does he favor her, what did they talk about?

I noticed that there are many drunks in that time, especially among the upper-class, I find it strange that many so-called 'dignified' people were constantly drunk and rowdy at parties.

THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS


1)
The poet, Langston Hughes, was born to a Black abolitionist family. He was born in 1902, a time when racial tension was especially high. He also was born into wealth at a time when blacks were not thought to be able to achieve wealth. He studied in Columbia for a while to appease his father but, he soon decided to go into writing and he traveled across the world. His writings focused on the lives of blacks Americans of that era and the lives they lived.
In his poem "The Negro Speaks of the Rivers" the setting is ancient Africa, before the expansive slave trade and when the continent was full of life. He writes this poem to show that the Africans-Americans do have a history... He wrote this poem for the Blacks who felt that they were worthless, by showing them the came from royalty and a beautiful land that thrived before human-kind was created. By describing the rivers he symbolizes the unity between all Blacks because of their history. Hughes topics were based on the lives of Black people in his lifetime and because of his passion and the supplication of his history gave the essence and the reality of his poem- every word of his poem was true.


2)
The rivers are personified in Hughes poem because he says that he's known them. The way he says that he known the rivers symbolizes his knowledge of his roots and and his pride because he knows his worth. Furthermore, he knows the dignity and substance from whence he came. Hughes also uses repetition and simile in the poem when he says that "my soul has grown deep like the river." This phrase helped me to determine he understood where his ancestors may lived, how they thrived and how they created inventions and innovations that has people has accomplished...he knew that he came from an intelligent, strong and rich lineage from all parts of the continent of Africa.
Allusion is used when he described the various rivers, pyramids, cities and even presidents. Allusion gives the reader a sense of validity for the writer and helps us understand the history and the truth of his poem. Additionally, he used an omniscient tone in the poem. The power and the distinctiveness of his voice gives us a reaffirming feeling that his words are genuine.


3)


I, Too

As reader I feel a sense of shame and determination as a I read the poem. the Poet Expresses the way that Blacks were treated as second-class citizens. You can hear the author's hurt and the feeling that he still loves himself. I interpreted the poem as: in the face of all opposition, and in situations where people do not appreciate you, continue to love and appreciate yourself. This poem is inspirational...it instills the ideal that you don't return hate for hate, but you just be the best you are...and then true wisdom will shine through.

4)

The cues that this writer is American is the freedom with which he writes his poetry. Furthermore, the content of his writings suggests he is an American, because the specific struggles he expressed existed solely in America.Basically, the history of his writing implies that he is an American. His vocabulary and dialect in many of his writings, and more clearly, the subjects of his writings suggest that He is American. When he talks about the different struggles of the oppressed black, the beauty the pride of that culture and the injustice of his people, the reader can get a sense that not only is he American but he is African-American.

Journal of Jack London's Writing

The writings of Jack London parallels the writings of the other Romantic writers when it comes to nature. The earlier romantic writers described and wrote about nature's beauty and her magnificence... They constantly personified the unique traits of nature and boasted of her strength and wonder. Similarly, Jack London paralleled the Romantic writers when he described the vast desolation of the unforgiving wintry land, and the affect it has on those who dare to enter into her territory. Yet, in contrast Jack London interspersed ideas of personal thought and one of self reliance in his writings. In his piece "To Build a Fire" the man was the main character and he didn't have a connection with nature, instead he took things as they were. Also, when the man was about to die he didn't think about how nature would encompass him, or the afterlife, rather he imagined how is group would find him, which notifies the reader that there definitely is a transition from romanticism to realism. Additionally, The man coped with the wintry tundra by thinking logically and methodically. The fact that the character didn't view nature on a spiritual level helps the reader understand the transition from spirituality to self-reliance and logic.

Self-sufficiency, Independence and activism were the new main ideas for Jack London's writing. Through the writings and the messages conveyed by the author we can infer about what some of his deals and morals were. For example, in his writing "the Mexican" the protagonist is an 18-year old Mexican boy. Everyone who is in contact with him could attest to the fact that this young boy has definitely experienced some tragedy to make him so cold...the boy was stoic and rarely spoke, but they could always see an intense passion and hate in his 'black eyes'. This young boy's only goal was to do whatever he could to help the Mexican revolution. This boy's hatred and his loss of love, can show that the author believes that this could happen to anyone; the boy's only source of love, his parents, was brutally murdered and he saw them taste their deaths...from them on, his entire personality was changed from love to bitterness.

Jack London's audience is anyone who openly questions the strength of human will in the face of injustice and impossibility, and who favors the human logic over feeling. I believe Jack London's stories were not just light-reading, he had a very significant message and he was speaking for a specific audience. The writer writes for those who recognize the possibility of human power, intelligence and daring to find one's own way rather than accepting the status quot. When Jack London takes the reader trough the series of adventures and conflicts that arise in the lives of his characters, London helps the reader indulge in those sentiments and ponder about those ideas.

In the piece "How to build a fire" it demonstrated that as humans we have an instinct to want to discover and try new things, even if the cost is dear. The man in "How to build a Fire" was given the general information and important advice, by a Wise old man, on how to live and survive in the cold environment to where he was adventuring. The man's disregard to the most important advice the Old man gave, clearly reflects the way that as humans we try to do things our way and sometimes it may not work out so well. That idea transcends the story and goes into real life for me, as a christian the bible gives me 'advice' and 'general information' so that I can live a good life, but as a human I try to do things my own way, thinking that I can handle the situations...and just like that man, negative conflicts always result, but in the case of the man, his disregard for essential advice cost him his life.

"...The Mexican boy sat down in his corner and waited. the slow minutes lagged by. Danny was making him wait. It was an old trick, but it never worked on the young new fighters. They grew frightened. sitting thus and facing heir own apprehensions and a callous, tobacco-smoking audience. But for once the trick failed. Roberts was right. Rivera had no goat. He, who was more delicately coordinated, more finely nerved and strung than any of them had no nerves of the sort. The atmosphere of foredoomed defeat in his drift age of the fight game, without honor, without honor, without efficiency. And they were chilled, as well, with certitude that theirs was the losing corner..."
The young Mexican boy is waiting to face his opponent and he isn't faltered by the tricks of his enemies, he is strong and determined because he so much to fight for. While Reading this expert I feel pity for the young boy who always had to fight and the only people he was able to loved (and that truly loved him back) were his parents and they were brutally murdered and the young boy was a witness to that. London is able to evoke emotion without being too deep his words and phrases are so well chosen that the reader can take what they can from the text. Jack London has a keen ability to say a lot without saying too much. When it comes to giving the description of the settings in his work he gives an almost poetic illustration, and sometimes he makes the description raw and able to be understood and felt by the reader.

Don't Wait for the Movie

'I liked the movie but the book was so much better,' if you ever wondered why time and time again your expectations were not satisfied by an other's reproduction, it's because as human beings we are blessed with the ability to be imaginative. Especially when we read written works we can take certain aspects out of those pieces that another person couldn't have. Consequently, if we question the power of words and the resulting change that can occur, the only sensible answer there is, is that words do have the power to change. Writing has such an unique appeal to people, that it captivates the attention of its readers in ways that can change the world.

Writing can change the hearts and minds of people in ways unimaginable. For instance, during the conflicts between the North and South on the issue of slavery, writing was a key to strengthening the people's perceptions and passions about the issue. The novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe riled up the moral convictions of both the North and the South citizens. Furthermore, people in the North were further convinced of the cruelty of slavery and many Northerners also felt compelled to disobey the fugitive slave act; they were influenced by words of Thoreau on his topic called 'civil disobedience'. In that piece Thoreau wrote about people having a right to disobey laws that they truly feel are injust- he described that as practicing 'civil disobedience'. The words of those two people can be contributed to igniting the feelings of both sides of the nation eventually causing the Civil War...words can definitely cause changes.



Imagine having to do an impromptu speech on an important issue...for most people it would be very hard and the true essence and message of what you're trying to convey probably wouldn't be expressed to you're fullest ability. When time is given to write your message you can think through your thoughts, and certain phrases that are important to the success of the speech can be identified and created. Whereas, if you were to deliver a speech impromptu, you have more of a chance to say things you don't mean and once those things are said, there is no way to take them back. When you write down the ideas, you are given the a chance to think about what to say, write it, and make revisions to your work, so it can be clearly understood by its readers- and in essence, the message will be clearly be exhibited.

Subsequently, when ideas are clearly expressed, their message can reach more people. Take
Martin Luther king's speech "I have a dream", his words were able to reach millions because of his clarity; he didn't spurt off the first idea he thought. With the "I have a Dream" speech there was a lot of preparation... Can you fathom how the presentation of the Idea of "I have a dream" would have been if Martin Luther King wouldn't have prepared and had time to analyze his work: he wouldn't be able to truly send out his work to the public. Gandhi's speeches were definitely handled with a lot of patience and with an extreme amount of clearness. He understood that posterity would one day read, meditate and even act out his words. When writers realize the impact of their words, the message becomes clear to the audience...and when the audience can interpret the ideas of the writer, the audience can relate the writer's words to aspects in their life. Finally, Hitler is the best proof that writing CAN create change (although the change wasn't positive). Before Hitler rose to power he didn't have an army to stage a coup...but he knew that he had his words. To those who believe that words are meaningless and that 'talk is cheap', they should consider the incredible social change that these three men made created when they used their words.

Violence is a powerful tool that can gain the control of people, but one of the most extraordinary aspects of the 'power of the pen' is the fact that words remain forever; moreover,
when words last they can be meditated on by posterity, and can be enacted. Gandhi lived by the idea that violence solves nothing, but nonviolence can change everything. Because of his beliefs Gandhi made a speech, "resistance and nonviolence", it was delivered and widely accepted, creating many followers, of those being Martin Luther King. These two men prove that not only can writing create change... but, without writing change cannot occur.

Taste of Freedom

Being a slave was what I was, that was my identity, not by choice but by birth. Total submission was forced upon me… this was not decided because of the choices I made, but rather the mother that I was born to. Both my mother and my father were black slaves, which meant when they produced me, I also 'inherited' that role.

I had to learn what hard labor was at a very young age. I was taught to wash laundry, clean houses and tend fields before some the other white children even learned to ride a bike. I was forced to be nothing but a mere lump of life, meant to work like an animal for someone else's profit...

Can you imagine working like a dog and not being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor? You could see yourself grow angry if someone took credit for something you have meticulously worked on... but envisage working sixteen hour days without adequate equipment or clothing for most all of your life, and knowing that when you die you didn't own any of the land you've worked on, none of the animals you've tended and even the children that you bore!
Life as a slave was hard, but as a female, slavery had its own list of problems...not only did we have to be the planter, the cook, the maid...we also had to give ourselves. Many of you couldn't imagine yourselves being forcibly raped every time a man lusts you and you having to submit to him. Most of the time the master decided to choose a young female...we don't even truly understand our bodily changes at that time, let alone having to deal with the misery of continually being sexually, physically and verbally abused: How many of you women had to endure nine months knowing that the child you are carrying was created by rape?

Rumor has it that childbearing for black slaves is a 'cake-walk'. But is it a 'cake-walk' to a woman who has delivered five children and only one got the chance to taste life... And after giving birth to her only living child, seeing it sold away like cargo?

With the constant fear of death, abuse and being sold, I had to find ways to deal with those facts...many a time, slaves dealt with the daily atrocities in ways that led to insanity!

So many slaves in the south would give anything to be where I am right now, no matter what the costs...and I have to say I am grateful to those people who felt obligated to take me in and help me in my time of need; I always thought myself to be a strong woman, but everyone needs help sometimes (and in my case I needed a lot of help)! I did this speech only to help inform you that there are countless other slaves, seeking freedom that needs your support, aide and encouragement!

When I was blessed to have the taste of freedom, I felt that after experiencing freedom I could never go back to slavery...never! With freedom, the land that I farmed on could be mine, the animals I tended could help profit me, and if I were blessed to bear a healthy child, that child would be mine.

And I leave you with this thought: If I were still a slave and someone...'promised me freedom, even for a minute, but I would have to give up my life after' I can boldly affirm that I would accept that offer!