Chosing the right path
“Sometimes the right path isn’t the easiest one.”–Grandmother Willow (Pocahontas) Through out the course of this year, we were given many substantial writing tasks and assignments to complete in our Writing Workshop class. We could slack off during class and socialize with our friends instead of writing and doing work if we wanted to.
However, I learned that I had to do the correct and most beneficial actions to earn the good grades I was striving to earn. It was very difficult not to socialize and I did give in a few times and that really affected me. The wrong decisions I made when it came to time management helped educate me on how I must make the right decision even though the journey may be more difficult. I selected this quote because I believe it reflects the struggle encountered when I was working on the assigned projects through out the course of the year. I was given the choice to put my work or social life first when I entered the classroom and I needed to choose what was ethical in the situation.
In today’s society, there are many stereotypes for people based on what they look like, where they are from, or whom they hang out with. Most people who grow up or live in a less wealthy neighborhood are typically stereotyped for participating in gang activity. However, people –especially teenagers– living in these areas must realize that there is another path for them that can lead to a brighter future. However, just as the quote states, “The right path isn’t always the easiest one.” Living in a low-income area, you are surrounded by unhealthy influences such as drugs and illegal activity.
It is extremely difficult to resist these offers because you may be viewed as an outcast because of not participating. However, in the end doing this will benefit you even though it may seem difficult at the time. This relates to my experience as a writer this year because of the aspect of peer pressure. There was never anything wrong with my writing; just the quality would depend on how much time I spent focused and working on the progress of my writing. I would have my peers distracting me and wanting to socialize when I had to work. I did not want to reject them in fear they would get mad, but I knew I had to in order to reach success educationally.
The more time I spent working on writing, the more constructed and stronger my piece became. The journey of my writing through out the year was the farthest from easy but I knew in the end that I made the right decision. Grandmother Willow conveys how in our lives we will be tempted to make the wrong decision because it is not as difficult as choosing the right one. However, when making these decisions we must think of the impact on the future, not the amount of difficulty in the task.
