"The Meaning of Work” by Rodrigo Joseph Rodriguez

After reading “The Meaning of Work” by Rodrigo Joseph Rodriguez it made me think to myself what I value in a job or career. I’ve come to the conclusion that what I want for my job is something I enjoy doing everyday. I want to be happy with my job, if I’m spending the rest of my life doing the same job it might as well be something worth getting out of bed for. Although a good salary is also a very good plus I think I would rather have something I enjoy. My plans for the future is to become a Nurse Anesthetist, lucky for me they have a very good salary so hopefully it will be something I really enjoy. I enjoy the math and science so hopefully this job will be a good fit for me. My grandmother was the one who suggested nursing to me because she was a nurse then after doing more research I decided to go for Nurse Anesthetist.

"Bricklayer's Boy" by Alfred Lubrano

In Lubrano’s essay he talks about how for once his father let him pay for something, even though it was just something small and simple. But it meant so much to him that his father finally let him do that for him.  I can relate to this with my own family. My parents have spent countless dollars on me my entire life. Once I got my own job, I finally had money of my own. My parents don’t like it when I offer to pay for my own things but it gives me a sense of accomplishment to know I am able to pay for the things I want and not have to take my parents money that they earned. Once my mother let me pay for dinner at a local restaurant called Bellini’s. It was a special treat for my family and I. It wasn’t that expensive but it’s the thought that counts.

"Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan

I can completely relate to Amy Tan's short story "Mother Tongue" and how she had to use “standard English” for her mother to understand what she was talking about. But instead of myself having the issue to change my words so others understand, I am the one who doesn’t understand. Sometimes the people I am around say words that I just don’t understand the meaning. I’m the type of person who isn’t very good with large words. I stick to simple words. It can be embarrassing sometimes when I have to ask what a word means. Sometimes I just play it off like I know the meaning and work around the word and just try to understand the rest of the sentence. It would give me a better excuse if I was from another country and didn’t speak English very well. But the sad fact is I was born and raised in America and still don’t know the definition of the larger words that many people do know and use on a daily bases. I’m always open to learning new things so even if they need to break it down for me I can learn from them and use it to enhance my own vocabulary. 

"And Then I Went to School" by Joseph Suina

In the short story of “And Then I Went to School” by Joseph Suina, the author went to a new school for “a better life in the future”.  In result of going to this new school there were multiple changes in his life that were very different from the life he was living before. For example he was now exposed to running water and a new language. In a way his life does get better, he is exposed to a new way of living and can make a decision on his own for which way he would like to live. Attending college would provide him a better life because he will be more successful in life and the school will open him to more opportunities than he was offered before. If Suina is giving anything up it’s seeing his family everyday. On page six he says, “I left to attend a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school 30 miles from home.” He mentioned before how his family doesn’t have a car so they can’t drive back and forth to see him. He was very close with him grandma so not seeing her everyday was probably the hardest part for him.