My Childhood - Original Writing - 954 Words

I lived in a dominantly white neighborhood, with dominantly white friends, and surrounded by dominantly white role-models. All the girls wore Abercrombie and were on the cheerleading squad, and all the boys wore Ralph Lauren and played lacrosse or football. We played outside until the street light came on, and were told just like every other child about stranger danger. The only difference in my childhood as opposed to every other child in my neighborhood was my older brother. And he had a very large impact on my life. Salameh, or Sam for short, is a first generation Kuwaiti-American. While all of my schoolmates would head off to vacation with their American-dream family, people would always ask our family if Sam was my boyfriend tagging along on vacation. And when these people (waitresses, sales clerks, hotel concierges) were told we were siblings, a look of utter confusion always crossed their faces. Additionally, a look of dismay always passed over my brother’s. The first thing I learned in this course was how differently our culture in the United States treats people based on sex, race, and class (Rothenberg, 2014). Each of these things can be broken down into two categories: Sex as male and female, race as white and colored, and class as rich and poor (because let’s face it, the middle-class is a dying breed). Even though my brother had two of the three advantageous characteristics â€Å"necessary† to make it through life in America, he was missing what whiteShow MoreRelatedMy Childhood - Original Writing Essay1683 Words   |  7 Pagesleaves would crunch beneath my steel covered toes and the fresh, cool forest wind would numb my cheeks. In my childhood years, several years after my parents’ divorce, my dad would take my sister and I out to hunting camp on the weekends. It was usually deer hunting season when we would travel there. My sister and I would hunker down and stay quiet in the early mornings before the sun would come up and at dusk before it would get dark. These were prime deer hunting times. My little sister Lizzy and IRead MoreMy Childhood - Original Writing Essay1312 Words   |  6 Pagesreminds me of my childhood – perhaps a name, a memory, a smell, a picture - who knows what brings the memories into my head? But recently, a memory came back with the sounds, smells, tastes, and sights that I hadn’t experienced in about 45 years. Those memories comfort me, but now smoke clouds my treasured past. Almost two years ago, my last uncle passed away. That was the end of the older generation for me. I cherish the moments I spent with him the summer before he died. My brother andRead MoreMy Childhood - Original Writing1035 Words   |  5 Pages My mom got remarried the year before I started first grade. We moved from our small two bedroom home in Austin, MN to a four bedroom farmhouse that was built in the 1890’s. I grew up most of my childhood in the farmhouse. When I was in 9th grade my family started to build a house just a few feet away from the farmhouse. It took about 5 years to finish the project, with many setbacks along the way. It wasn’t until March of this year that I actually got to live in the beautiful house that my step-dadRead MoreMy Childhood - Original Writing990 Words   |  4 Pageswas in for a shock. In 2003, my parents announced that they were getting a divorce. At first I didn’t really understand what was going on as I was only 8 years old. I overlooked the fact that there were always tears in mum’s eyes and that most nights I could hear constant yelling. My innocents ignored the reality of what was really going on behind the closed doors. My dad was forced to move out and he struggled to find a permanent house to live in. He stayed with my grandma in the mean while. IRead MoreMy Childhood - Original Writing985 Words   |  4 PagesMy childhood was never exactly normal or easy. My parents had split up when I was three and I was sent to live with my grandparents. My dad moved back to Ohio and I never had much of a relationship with him. My mom stayed in North Carolina, but moved to a different city. She had a nice job, a nice relationship, and she even got to visit her kids. I was always much closer to my mother than my father. A few years later, my mom lost her job and decided to move in with us to help take care of everyoneRead MoreMy Childhood - Original Writing Essay944 Words   |  4 Pagesdid my mom lose her voice?† I asked my grandma with a heavy tone. â€Å"She was 20 years old, almost the same as your current age. I still remember the day that she came to me and said ‘mom, sometimes I feel nothing in my ear. I don t know how to explain my feeling to you but it s painful and scary.’ I got shocked. She was young and she has her dreams to achieve. How can she be stuck at her 20s?† I thought my feelings was the exactly same as my grandma. Slithering beads of rain sluiced down my windowRead MoreMy Childhood - Original Writing1607 Words   |  7 Pagesurbanization, my parents frequently would bring my two younger brothers and I to parks throughout the city. Playing on the jungle gyms, swinging on the swings, and just running around was such a normal part of my childhood. I spent countless hours breathing in fresh air, instilling me with a strong appreciation for the outdoors and a sense of inner peace in the outside world. As I aged, my parents allowed me to venture to the parks nearby by myself. However, I was rarely alone since frequently my youngerRead MoreMy Childhood - Original Writing1005 Words   |  5 PagesMy Protectors â€Å"Family is like branches on a tree we may grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one.† When I think of this quote, I think a lot about my brothers. When I was younger I hated having three brothers. It was probably one of the worst things in my life. It was until I got older that I realized that they were there to protect me. Growing up with three brothers was a constant circus. I don’t think we ever did something that was nice and benefited all of us. Andrew, CoryRead MoreMy Childhood - Original Writing Essay708 Words   |  3 Pagesup that day my life would change. In second grade, during the summer, my parents were fighting. A common occurrence in my household, so there was no reason to be worried. My siblings were at my grandma’s house while I wanted to stay with my mom and dad. Unfortunately, my mom agreed to let me stay. The day seemed normal enough in the morning. I woke up to watch Dora and Diego. I ate my cereal my father made for me. I loved when Emily and Bryce were gone; I had all the attention of my mom and dadRead MoreMy Childhood - Original Writing989 Words   |  4 Pagesvarious chapters of my childhood, all I can remember is her. In those moments, I am a character shrunk to microscopic proportions, and she is the frightening giant towering over my entire universe. I become invisible. I collapse into myself, engulfed by my mother’s fury and love and contempt: all that threatened to tear me apart only to piece me together again with a soft â€Å"You know how much I love you, don’t you?† And don’t I? Had my mother’s disquieting presence in my childhood overshadowed completely