October 20,2012

October 20, 2012 My Motivation Hotheaded, arrogant, and condescending are just three of the many traits I hate about my father. Growing up I never really had a father figure to look up to. All I had was my mom and two brothers to look up to and that didn’t always work out. Then when my father was around all the environment consisted of was fighting between him and my mother, or he would be sleeping on the couch. Everyone wants to be daddy’s chip of the ol’block, yet I strive and try in order to be different. When thinking about a father figure most people think of a leader, or a role model to show their children and others how to be a good person. In my case I didn’t have the greatest father figure that I wanted to look up to or be like. I always had either my mom or myself to ask what the right choices in life I should make and have made. While my dad would be out with his friends at the bar and leave my mom at home to take care of three growing young men. Yet to this day I can’t tell anyone a five minute conversation I’ve had with my father. All that makes me want to make every effort in my life to be a leader, to be different, someone to look up to and most importantly a good parent. I demonstrate all those qualities to this day. I have reached a major accomplishment by being our classes president of national honors society, I teach fifth grade CCD at my church, and every Sunday read in from of the entire church community. People always ask me, ” How do you speak in front of so many people, when neither of your parents could ever do that?'” The answer is simple, people are who they are, and they control their lives no matter what type of influences are or aren’t around them. I always venture in doing my best and have set goals and achieved great things throughout my life. While my father can even accomplish the simplest of things such as going shopping for groceries, or paying the bills. Whenever my mom asks my dad to fix, build, or do something he would start it and never finish. He has no type of motivation to set goals or try to do better. Every day after work he comes home and goes to the couch and sleeps without even acknowledging my presence. When I see and deal with that every day it gets me angry and I think about my future and think of my life and how I want to be different. Unlike my dad who didn’t go to college, I look up colleges almost every day and do research on majors I want to pursue until I finally decide which college I want to attend. One goal I have right now is to be able to dorm in college and become part of many activities on campus and get involved but due to the lack of money in the house because my mom is still paying off my brothers college expenses I’m working two jobs in order to pay for my college own tuition. Just like that goal I have always planned ahead and had time management in order to achieve the goals I set. The way I present myself and the way others present themselves says a lot by the type of person they are. My fathers presentations and characteristics didn’t always make him seem like the cherry on top of the ice cream. Whenever someone would try to speak out or say their opinion, my dad wouldn’t care and just start a fight saying his way is the right and only way. Then when proven wrong my dad throws a fit and leaves to the bar and come home late to a family who is upset and ashamed by his behavior. My mom goes through so much on a daily basis and she is the only one who even cares to ask about how my day was or how school was, from her I learned how to have empathy and care about things in life. As introverted and fragile she may be she has always been strong. From my fathers actions and my moms caring personality I am somehow an extroverted, courageous, and charismatic young man. I may be different but in my eyes and in most of my peers and adult figures around me it’s the type of different you want to be. So now it’s my senior year, and I can honestly say that from my point of view I’ve accomplished a lot. I’ve overcome an obstacle growing up, finding my own way and shaping my own path, setting goals , and being diverse. My father did teach me something very valuable in life, and that’s not to act like him.