Personal Narrative: Rock-Tenn

This quiet and quaint town known as Mt. Holly, NJ is where I grew up. Nestled in the outskirts of New Jersey’s capitol, is known for its small town charm and historic roots. Living here was the best years of my life. I grew up in a part of town that once housed the military families from Ft. Dix and McGuire Air Force Base, which is now known as Joint Base.

People were in groups by boxes where they filled up different items in each box. There were boxes for items such as cereal, grains, bottles, baby items, etc. The time I got there was called a ‘down time.’ There were sometimes “down times” where volunteers are offered a chance to grab a snack or drink

It’s June 16, 2016, and I’m in Eagle River. I’m thinking to myself, “Why am I here? I am not in the mood for this. This isn’t what I planned for. I should be walking through the competitor gates, not the gates for the stands and raffles.”

Golden light from a Texas sunset illuminating stark white fields of cotton, green and yellow tractors leisurely making their way down the middle of Main Street, and a community that will always support you are just a few things one might experience if you came to my hometown in rural Texas. Matador, Texas isn't just a dusty old town in the middle of nowhere, it is a town that no matter who you are or what you are trying to do, hard work is always required; it is where I grew up from the day I was born, spent lazy summer days reading and writing abstract stories without distractions of people, traffic, or even the ever-present cell phone, and where I learned about a whole other side of society, one where the community gathers together for anything

Kids are important because they grow up to be adults with power. They need to be taught how to make well-informed choices. We can teach them these things in children 's church. Teaching k-5th allowed me to help others grow, and to give back some of the lessons I was taught. My church also let me lead them in worship, allowing people feel closest to God during worship.

Whenever my mom has company at her house, guests always ask about the plaque that hangs in the living room on the wall. It reads Championship Mvp, 14-0 season, Jonesboro Wildcats. My mom always smiles and says, “Ask Markus about it.” I don’t mind telling people about the championship game. It is after all one of my fondest memories playing sports.

Several individuals from different ethnicities, races, and citizenships, compose a society. The United Sates allow us to have a close interaction with numerous individuals from diverse backgrounds. In my own case I have been able to interact with many incredible individuals from all over the world who come from extremely different backgrounds. I am a proud Mexican who cherishes respect towards diversity. Coming from a very suffered country I am able to understand not only what does it means to feel proud to be a Latino, but also I can feel acquainted with the pain and struggle that our community has to face every day.

Usually, the rush would come and go and we’d have a pretty decent break until lunchtime. But that day was different. We had a nonstop crowd of

The community I grew up in central Texas celebrated my heritage, honored differences in culture, and fostered personal growth and self-discovery. My parents, with the strong work ethic they developed on their family’s farms in Ghana, encouraged my brother and me to work hard and find ways to use our skills to be of service to others, which wasn’t hard to do growing up in Austin with its many avenues to become involved and take care of the community, whether it was helping to direct families through the Trail of Lights at Zilker Park during the winter or raise money for educational programs for underprivileged kids in the area through working the concession stands at the University of Texas at Austin. It was this collaborative mindset that Austin

Getting down to Nebraska was harsh and the trail was dusty. The children like me had to take care of the animals. Jim, Antonia and myself became really good friends after living next door to each other for a while and we do everything together. When I work, I help my dad to plant and harvest crops and hunt for food. We planted and harvested corn, potatoes, pumpkin, wheat, peas, carrots and tomatoes.

Growing up in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, I have been surrounded by ‘black success’ instead of just ‘success’ for the duration of my life. The blacks in my area are equally as successful, if not more accomplished than, the non-blacks, but we are always titled separately and put into a captive box. The box we are held in told young girls that they should aspire to be athletes, cosmetologists, or plain unemployed. The same box told young men that they could only be considered “somebody” if they were able to catch a ball well. These are occupations we would ‘best be suited for’; these are occupations that perpetuate the box.

Growing up in Texas What is it like growing up in Texas? I have people always state that their home state is the best place to grow up, but I can honestly say where I grew up was the best. We had some much to do and so much to see.

Music From what I have heard, philosophers have said that music tells time, it tells stories about generations, the cultures history, how the world has changed from then, or how the world was changing when the song or music was being made. Music has its own timeline when you think about it, it includes important parts about it, how its changed, or what made it change. In this century, there have been many likable genres, like in the early 1900’s Jazz was a very big part of the century, because from my 8th grade teacher, he said that jazz is Americas very own type of music.

I'm exploring various areas for retirement, which presently includes Raleigh/Durham, and possibly Asheville, for visits up to six months of the year. Hopefully, I will be lucky to meet acquaintances who are similar in age who are willing to connect without the need for a rushed relationship. I would like to settle down but I am realistic and will admit that I am careful. I am hopeful for a mature commitment in the future. An important aspect is flexibility as my lifestyle involves travel, which is unavoidable.

The summer of 2016 my family and I took a road trip to Colorado. Colorado reminded me a lot of Minnesota but on a big Mountain. There are river valleys that are 1,250 feet deep to mountains that are 14,114 feet high. I climbed a mountain in Glenwood Canyon.