Travel Long Distances Essay Example for Free

Travel Long Distances Essay Whenever we have to travel long distances within the country we can travel by train or by air in an aeroplane. I remember my first train journey which I performed when I was just about four years old. After that journey so long back, I have made several journeys by train but, that first journey still lingers in my mind and thoughts. We had to go to Madras, where my father had to attend a Conference. Since we had not then seen Madras and our winter vacations were falling during the dates of the Conference, it was decided that we would all go with father and make a trip to the South. Regarding the visits to different places of the South I remember next to nothing as, I was rather small but the train journey is still very vivid in my mind. There, at Madras, my father had to attend a Conference whose date was the 18th of December so; it was decided to leave for Madras on the 15th. After a long wait, at last the 15th of December came and my excitement knew no bounds. I would be going on my first ever train journey, enjoying an outing and seeing new places. The train that we had to go by was known as the G.T. Express i.e. the Grand Trunk Express and we went to the station to board it. I think it was evening time when we boarded the train. Inside we had dinner and then my parents and my elder brother all slept. I could not get sleep as, I was just too excited. I remember that, I had taken a window so that I could see the fun outside but, alas. No sooner that we had finished dinner, it was dark and nothing was visible from the window. It was only at the stops at the stations, I would peep out and see the rush and life on the platform. Seeing the stations for sometimes, I finally slept. When I woke up in the morning after a comfortable sleep at night, I was absolutely thrilled to look outside. The area the train was now crossing depicted a very beautiful cross section of land forms and greenery, mills and villages. Oh, what a panoramic beauty it all was. When the train crossed over different land forms, the sounds it made were heard changing sometimes deep grunts, sometimes a smooth flow and at other times just a thud here and thud there. When the train crossed over bridges on expanses of water, the sound was of gurgling. This medley of sounds created by the movement of the train was a wonderful experience the different stretches of huge expanses of land and water and different plantations for miles on end, showed nature in its full form and beauty. As we passed through village areas, I noticed fields of rice, wheat, mustard and vegetables. Oh what a wonderful sight of the cross-section of India. At the stations the train would stop and another scene of civilization would take over from nature, and when the train again started, the nature would again take over. This hides and seeks of scenes continued throughout the journey, and the music of terrain and water changing off and on was just stunning. This interesting scene continued for almost thirty six hours but, believe me, I enjoyed every minute of it. A mobile home with all amenities, a look at nature and also human civilization was all seen packed up as one presentation package for me. The thirty six hours had just flown by and we were at the Madras junction. I cannot forget this first journey by train even after eight years now and I do wonder if I ever will.

Changing the World Through Education :: Teaching Teachers Essays

Changing the World Through Education My philosophy on teaching involves changing the world through my students. I want to enable my students, through education and motivation, to leave the world better than they have hound it. Like many social reconstructionists, I feel that we as teachers owe it to the future generations to instruct them how to handle the problems they will encounter in hopes that they will pass on fewer problems to their children. I will work every minute of everyday to ensure my students’ successful futures. I believe that students need a routine to help them think clearly and freely, such as that suggest by the Perennialist approach. Upon graduating from Concord College, I will attend graduate school and receive my Master’s degree in Education. I will be teaching at different places around the country, as I will be moving frequently. My future occupational plans include working with the Department of Defense school systems. I will use my educational background and my life experiences to enlighten and teach my students. Issues that I feel are crucial to address which also pertain to my particular philosophy are increasing political awareness, raising racial tolerance and acceptance, reducing child abuse and violence against women, and recycling and appreciation for our natural resources. Methods I would use in my classroom to get students involved would include community service projects, recycling drives, field trips to shelters and centers, and food and clothing drives within the class. Activities such as these, where students can see the changes they are making, get them motivated in a way that no general lessons can. Children need to feel the selfless satisfaction that comes from helping their fellow man. I have had many excellent teachers throughout my educational experience, some of these have been wonderful teachers that have set lessons to life. Others have been boring, overly strict, unapproachable, and at times unknowledgeable. I have learned valuable lessons from both. A positive and fun learning environment makes students want to be in the classroom. The first step in learning is that the children must want to be there.

War in Deuteronomy

Deuteron chapter twenty should be read as a rhetorical or historical text. Though this topic has been widely discussed for many years, someone has yet to convince everyone that one way of viewing the text Is correct and the other Incorrect. Throughout this research paper we will discuss the text found In Deuteron chapter twenty along with surrounding text viewed through both the rhetorical lens as well as the historical lens. The surrounding text that we will analyze is chapters even and thirteen of Deuteron.Chapter seven discusses the Israelites expectations for separating from the idolatrous nations. Chapter thirteen informs the Israelites what they are supposed to do when enticed to follow false gods by three different accounts of influence. In Deuteron chapter seven, God commands the Israelites to practice complete separation from the Idolatrous nations of the Hitters, Geographies, Amorists, Canniest, Pretzels, Helves, and Jubilees-?all of which reside in the Promised Land they a re preparing to enter.Although these nations are stronger than Israel, God Insists that he will deliver these nations to the Israelites and they will destroy them completely, make no treaty with them, and destroy them. Following In verse four, God stresses that the Israelites are not to intermarry with any of these nations because doing so would allow them to turn the children of Israelite away from Him to serve other god. In result of such an occasion, God's anger would drive him to destroy the Israelites.The Israelites were told to basically attack the idolatry of these nations t the origin by destroying all of their altars and idols because they were the chosen ones to be God's special possession which they were to treasure. In verses nine and ten, it is stated that God is God and will continue being God for all eternity to those who love him. However, to those who do not love God he will destroy. The middle of Deuteron chapter seven, verses 11-15 talks about how God's people are to remember the covenant of love He has made with his people for He will keep the covenant If his people follow these laws.Up to verse sixteen, this scripture states that f His people follow the laws they will be blessed in numerous ways through crops, offspring, livestock, and disease such as what they experienced in Egypt. The closing of chapter seven of Deuteron is used to discuss that the Israelites are not to be intimidated by the strength of the other nations which they are to drive out, but to remember what God had done to Pharaoh in Egypt.God continues to overemphasized that He will deliver all of these nations along with their kings to the Israelites so that they may destroy them and the record of their existence. In the final two verses of his chapter, God instructs the Israelites they are not to covet anything the gods of these nations possess such as the gold and silver and not to bring any of their possessions Into their own household. In Deuteron chapter thirteen God addresses the destiny of those who practice Idolatry or entice others to practice Idolatry.The chapter begins with God stating that If anyone Is to experience an event that would cause them to feel the urge to worship other gods that the words of that sort to refrain from partaking in the suggestion of worshipping other gods because he very situation is a test from the Lord our God to find out if they love him with all their heart and soul-?the prophet who tried to turn them away from the Lord shall be put to death.Starting in chapter six and continuing through chapter eleven God tells his people that even if a family member was to entice them to follow other gods not only were they to be ignored, but they were also to be given no pity nor be spared, or pitied. This relative, or closest friend was to be immediately put to death by the hand of the family member who was being misled. By doing this, the killed enticer was to river as an example so that such an evil thing would not happ en again.Deuteron thirteen closes with a final situation of dealing with the people of a town who are misled into idolatry by wicked man. In this situation, the Israelites are to investigate the situation thoroughly, and if the situation is proven true, they are to kill everyone of that city. The city should become a ruin for the remainder of time and never rebuilt. The possessions of that city were also to be left as ruined and not be found in the hands of His people.This chapter is closed with the statement from God hat he will turn from his fierce anger and have compassion on his people if they do as they are told. Deuteron chapter twenty is a series of directions that concern war in general and the process of which the Israelites were to takeover and destroy particular cities. â€Å"The instructions in this chapter are peculiar to Deuteron. As the people of God, Israel was not a warlike nation; they were rather to abstain from warfare, and as a general rule to cultivate the art s of peace.But they had before them at this time the prospect of a serious and protracted conflict before they could occupy the land which God had assigned to them; and they might in future years have to go to war to maintain their independence and repel aggression. In view of this, instructions are here given regarding the conducting of military service† (Alexander, n. D. ). In verses one through four of this chapter, the Israelites are commanded to refrain from feeling afraid, panicked, or terrified of armies greater than theirs because the God who brought them from Egypt will be with them.Verse four states that the Lord their God will fight for them against their enemies to give them victory. Verses five through nine are accounts in which the officers of the army will ask for anyone who has built a new house and not yet lived in it, anyone who planted a new vineyard and not yet enjoyed it, anyone who pledged to a woman and not yet married her, or anyone who is afraid or fai nthearted to go home. Following this, verses ten through twenty are directions concerning the taking over of the false nations.When the Israelites march to attack a city that is far from them-?not of a nearby nation-?they are to first offer peace. If the city accepts this offer, the people of he town shall be made servants and work for the Israelites. However, if the town is not willing to surrender, the Israelites were to kill every man in the city, and take the women, children, livestock, and everything else in the city as plunder for themselves. On the other hand, when approaching a nation within the Promised Land, the Israelites are to immediately destroy anything that breathes without offering peace to them first.The Israelites are instructed to do so to avoid being taught to follow their detestable ways of worshipping other gods and sinning against the Lord their God. God then commands His people to refrain from destroying any fruit bearing trees in Historical Analysis There a re quite a few accounts in these chapters that lead to the idea that the text in Deuteron chapter twenty should be read historically. When the God of Love is commanding his people to annihilate and slaughter living people, there is obviously going to be controversy.The main controversy seems to lie between groups who cannot agree whether the text in Deuteron chapter twenty should be read historically or rhetorically. A sub category of controversy in chapter twenty, noted as Case 1 & Case 2 by biblical scholar Gordon J. Wham, is the discussion of why the nations within the Promised Land were not offered peace before being destroyed and the nations outside of the Promised Land were offered peace before being destroyed (Wham, n. D. ). In chapter twenty, why would our God tell his people to annihilate and destroy a nation not leaving anything alive that breathes?Aren't humans God's own creation? When these particular verses are read independently God does in fact come across as contradi cting Himself and failing to practice what He preaches. However, when read in context, we are able to see that God is by no means going against the sixth commandment, Mimi shall not murder,† but He is actually sticking to His word Just as He said He would. If we take a look into some of Deuteron chapter twenty's surrounding scripture we come across some eye opening information.For example, in Deuteron 7:9-10 scripture reads, â€Å"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. But those ho hate him will repay to their face by destruction; he will not be slow to repay to their face those who hate him. † This verse shows us God's reasoning behind why He wants the Israelites to destroy them. This reference takes away from the sting of the idea that God wants us to kill people, and therefore, allows us to interpret this text as historical.It is also suggested by Reverend C. Clearance, a biblical scholar, that the reasoning why the nations within the Promised Land were not offered peace before being destroyed is because they had already had their day of grace in Genesis 1 5:16 ND that they should be overcome by destruction lest they continue to pollute the land (Clearance, n. D. ). Another example is found in Deuteron 13. Biblical scholars Reverend J. Orr, Reverend D. Davies, and Reverend R. M. Edgar point out that in verse 14, which states, â€Å"then you must inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly.

Escape From Poverty - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1343 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/04/16 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Poverty Essay Did you like this example? Living in a country where people have the freedom to define their own destiny, based on the choices made over a lifetime, means that no one has the power to define who you are and what you choose to pursue in life. Glass Castle, written by Jeannette Walls, is a powerful true story about a young girl who does not allow the challenges of growing up in poverty define who she becomes as an adult. Her childhood was plagued with people defining her worth by what they saw and assumed rather than truly understanding that within the poor, tattered young girl was a bright, creative mind wanting nothing more than to survive and be safe. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Escape From Poverty" essay for you Create order Learning was something she believed in and made time for as she was growing up, but it was pure survival that kept her going from day to day. Jeannettes memoir reinforces the fact that no person should be labeled based on socioeconomic status because wealth does not define character and value. Pride and self-awareness is something that lives within us. I believe that it is that same pride and self-awareness that feeds us from within and helps us move from one point of social status to another as it drives us to learn and grow. People do not choose to be born into poverty, but those who experience that life and choose to rise above that lifestyle do so by being aware that they have the power to change their life experiences. Jeannette begins her memoir by describing a moment when she spots a homeless woman sifting through a dumpster in search of food and necessary items. Embarrassment and frustration sets in when Jeannette realizes the woman is actually her mother. Rather than stopping to help her mother or ensure her mothers needs are met, Jeannette continues on to her party praying her family secret will never be shared with others. Even though Jeannette is now considered a respected, educated member of society, what no ones knows is that she was once a child of pov erty being raised by the very woman digging trash out of the dumpster. That poor, dirty woman was the same mother who attempted to keep Jeannette and her siblings safe and loved as they moved from one place to another trying to outsmart the welfare system and stay off the radar of others who were judging their existence. At the end of the novel Jeannette reflects on the fact that her parents, even when offered support from their children, did not want to rise out of the life of poverty because it was a life that they knew and understood. I have had the experience of going to school with students who struggle with having their basic needs met at home. Those kids are in my honors classes and working hard to get good grades so a free college education can be an option for them. Those same students share stories of siblings and family members who dropped out of school and choose to live on the system like their parents because that was all they knew and all they aspired to be. I h ave the greatest respect for those who work hard to overcome their life of poverty and struggle when I speak with classmates who do not feel the need to work for what they have knowing they will be cared for by the system. No matter how I feel, I realize it is not my place to judge. Throughout the novel, Jeannette reflects on a childhood where she and her siblings never knew where they would sleep at night because her parents would up and move with little to no warning. They were never able to take their personal items with them so they never got attached to what little they had. It was not uncommon to hear the words of their father stating, Time to pull up the stakes and leave this shithole behind, he hollered. (Walls, Page 17) These midnight moves were often based on Jeannettes parents discussing, in the dark hours of the night, that the government was after them for not paying their taxes. When moving, the family belongings, as well as the five of them, would all fit in the family car. The items consistently moved from one location to another included, A big black cast iron skillet and the Dutch oven, some army-surplus tin plates, a few knives, his pistol, and moms archery set. (Walls, Page 17) With each new home came the chance to start over and hope for new adventures. I have been fortunate to live in the same home for seventeen years so I cannot relate to the transient existence of many people living in poverty. I have seen students come and go at my school and have observed those students not connect with anyone in the short time they are in school. After reading about Jeannettes experiences as a child, I now better understand that many children growing up in poverty live in a state of paranoia, uncertainty and constant change. Unfortunately, the result of this type of lifestyle is poor school attendance, lack of connection with others and behavior problems due to defending your familys lifestyle, which so many do not understand. Education is the key to defining your future because knowledge is the one thing that cannot be taken away from you. Jeannette describes the greatest challenge of growing up in poverty being one of transiency and navigating school and the peer pressure that accompanies school when you come without the tools needed to fit in and learn. As we fought, they called me poor and ugly and dirty, and it was hard to argue the point. I had three dresses to my name, all hand-me-downs or from a thrift store, which meant each week I had to wear two of them twicewe were also always dirty. (Walls, Page 140) As a transient family, the parents often moved without the school records necessary to prove how smart the children were so Jeannette would find herself enrolled in a special education classroom because they assumed she could not read. This assumption was made on first impressions rather than academic data. With each new school placement, social services was probably notified within weeks wh ich would lead to another move in order to avoid the system getting involved and breaking up their family. What Jeannette learned, as a young adult, is that her mother owned property in Texas that was worth quite a lot of money. Jeannette could not understand why her mother would hold onto that land as a family treasure when they had lived the life of poverty for so many years and were eating out of dumpsters in order to survive. Jeannette and her siblings, as successful adults, had also offered to take their parents in, but both chose to continue to live a life on the streets, because that was the only life they knew. What Jeannette, growing out of a life of poverty and now accessing a world open to her through her education, hard work and connections, may never understand is how her parents could take pride in the life they lived. How can it be rewarding to never know where your next home will be or what your next meal will consist of? What would a life of looking over your shoulder or always assuming the worst in others do to a person over time? When reading The Glass Castle, a person learns quickly that it is no ones place to judge the lifestyle or worthiness of another human being. As children, we are at the mercy of the adults who are there to guide and care for us. No child is given the opportunity to pick a parent, nor control the way the parent raise them. This memoir is just one example of how a person in poverty can rise out of that experience by maximizing the opportunities along the way in order to become their very best self. Works Cited Walls, Jeannette. Glass Castle. Scribner, 2005.