Appreciation

Wendell Frink

Mr. Salsich

9English

20 October 2008

Appreciation

An essay on an essay and my life

What do you appreciate about yourself, is it the way that you act, the way that you feel, or the way that you are towards others (Purposeful Repetition)? Zora Neale Hurston was a woman who appreciated herself immensely (FAST); whether it is her race or that she lived at the beginning of the road that led towards Orlando. I also appreciate several aspects of my life, the fact that I am a good soccer player and that I am nice and caring. Zora and I both have something that we appreciate about ourselves, something we can always look at and say “I appreciate it,” and something that makes us swell with pride (Purposeful Repetition).

In her essay “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” Zora states the reasons that she appreciates and likes herself. Firstly, she was “the first welcome-to-our-state Floridian” and she personally liked to think that she was “the first.” It made her have a sense of pride and joy to welcome the people from out-of-state. She would usher (FAST) them in and ask them where they were going and what they were doing. Secondly, she loved to listen to jazz music; she appreciated it. She loved jazz music so much that she “dance[ed] wildly inside [her]self” and her “pulse [wa]s throbbing like a war drum.” It is like a drug to her; that’s how effective it is. Lastly, she appreciates her race. Sometimes she is a dark skinned African American living in the U.S. Other times she is something else, not a race but herself, for she has no race. Hurston appreciates every living aspect of her life, and more.

I admire and like many aspects about my life, whether it is how well I play soccer, or my feelings toward other people, or general things that I do in my life (Purposeful Repetition). I have been appreciating the fact that I’ve played soccer for many years, 8 in total. I appreciate the fact that I can pass and shoot well and that I have good ball skills. As I have progressed through the levels of the soccer-world, I have appreciated the help of other players and the help of coaches. In addition, I am a nice and caring person. I care about my family, my friends, and my teachers (Purposeful Repetition). I’ll assist (FAST) a person in need or who is feeling bad. Lastly, I like the general things that I do in life. Reading a good book is one of my favorite things to do; quite often you will see me with a book more than anything else. Reading brings you into a magical world where the words on a page let you imagine anything that you want and wherever you are. Zora and I both appreciate and like something about our life.

Appreciating yourself is a remarkable thing to do. You realize that each individual aspect of your life is something to cherish and hold dear to your heart. Zora Neale Hurston wrote an essay about the things that she appreciated and liked about herself and I appreciate and like something about myself too. You only live once so acknowledge what you possess (FAST).