Reflection on the values and importance of mothers From time to time I pause and remember one who some years ago “emptied” my nest as he left home to begin his transition from being my “little boy” to becoming a man. From Oklahoma to Alaska, there is, today, quite a span of geographic distance between us. Although I do miss him, I feel, with his work and family commitments, a respect for him, when he chooses to devote his time to those near and dear to him. I am...

In the biting wind I shivered against the cold. My thin pajamas blew in the breeze. My intense sobbing had calmed down to occasional cries and sniffles. I wandered along the edge of a tall brick wall closing in the current neighborhood I was passing through until I found a slim opening at the bottom. I double checked my surroundings then slip through to the other side. The bottom of the wall scratched my chest causing irritation. I hardly noticed since the pain I was in mentally was far...

I, Edmund Barton, stand to unite Australia and make it a Nation with a strong future. Seven states separated in the same country will only make Australia frail. If we unite as a country, under Britain’s declaration, we can grow as Australians and look forward to a bright and prosperous future. We can stand proud and say that we are Australian, as a country and not as states that are ruled by Britain’s law. Immigration, communication, transport, trade and currency will all be...

Aberration I was 10 when it first started. At the beginning, it was just little things. The odd argument now and then, Over trivial things such as the newspapers and holidays. Soon it started to develop into an everyday thing. Eventually they became part of everyday life. It was June when I realised they became normality. He went away for a few weeks and suddenly the house became silent. Dinner no longer became a chore and I no longer sat and dreamed that everything was ‘fine’...

Allison's Alligator Alex alligator arrived at Allison Arthur's apple farm in April, when the apple trees were covered with blossoms. "Whatever am I to do with an alligator?" Allison asked. Inside the box, Alex yawned. Alex stuck his legs through the holes at the bottom of the box and ambled into the house in search of dinner. "Oh no you don't!" cried Allison. "You cannot live in the house. You are to stay in the stream behind the apple orchard." Allison put Alex in the small stream. Then...

[i:a431da5610]Patricia is eighteen and the monologue is set in the girls shared apartment of a multi-storey apartment block. She is leaning over the counter of the breakfast bar and aimlessly making herself some tea. It is late afternoon[/i:a431da5610] This can get so boring at times. -looks up slowly- I was so excited when my entrance report came back as a positive. I had always wanted to study somewhere with a different agenda than where I used to live. It was always so uptight and you...

The challenging family situation I would like to share with you is our move from Korea to the United States. In 1989, my life was changed when my family immigrated to a new country, hoping for a better future. My life in Korea was hopeless, because I was a failing student with not much interest in school. I spent the majority of my time in Arcades, wasting my coins on video games. Rather than studying with my friends, as I had told my parents I would, I obsessed over the games. The only...

6 Seconds After Impact One one thousand. The stands are filled with men, women, and children waving their hands and homemade signs. The cheers coming from the crowd make it hard for me to hear. I smell the hot dogs, popcorn, and pizza being sold at the concession stand. The marching band has just left the field with the tuba player’s last note still ringing in my ear. In the fourth quarter with us in the lead by five the scoreboard shows six seconds. The coach yells, “It’s...

Why Middle School Homework Is Not a Good Idea Whether or not middle school homework is good to have is debatable. Teachers think it is a necessity to do homework, while students think homework is too much to handle. Either way most professionals agree with the latter. Research shows that too much homework can cause stress and holds students back from leading a normal life. Middle school kids are the most active of all age groups and often have more things to do. Students who want good grades...

An Interesting Turn of Events “Face it,” my brother said, “We’re lost.” “Your telling me, we might as well just lie down and start to rot. “We’ll never get out of here alive, I mean look at this place, it’s a jungle.” I wasn’t being serious when I said we’d rot, but I wasn’t that far off either. I could see my brother pacing around in circles with a disgusted sort of puzzled look on his face, I just knew it was a...