How I made someone cry in my Psych class
for you Deanne warning....pretty long
First...it was nothing malicious ;P
We had this timeline assignment to do which was to come up with at least 5 events in your life that have effected you as the person you are today cognitively, socially/emotionally or physically. Then last week we had to choose just one of them and present that to the class. Not surprisingly...the majority of mine were social/emotional events and here is the one I shared.
The event that I chose to share occurred in the emergent adulthood phase of my life but is one that has held a significant impact on my relationship with my father and the things that I value. The event was my undergrad graduation. I honestly had no intent of going to the commencement ceremonies because I was just ecstatic that I was finally getting that expensive piece of paper that would signify that I am now officially an 'intelligent expert' in my field. This would get me a high paying job, and was a stepping stone of one of the accomplishments I knew I wanted to complete to achieve the personal goals I had set for myself. I didn't need to be lost in the sea of green and white cap and gowns in the huge arena to where I would appear to my family as a white dot in the crowd. I soon found out though that I had no choice. My mother informed me that I must go to commencement because this was not only a big part of my life, but was a very big part of theirs. My mother sat down with me and explained how significant this was to my father. How this was one of HIS dreams to make better things happen for his children. How he wanted to give to us the things that he never had but wanted desperately. I understood and ultimately...if it was that important to them, then that is all I needed to hear. So I ordered the tickets and I had my little entourage of my loved ones to experience it with me. I could not see them from where I sat though I searched for them. It wasn't until after the ceremony that we found each other and to this day, I can visualize the look on my father's face. He stood there, with a huge smile on his face and tears welled up in his eyes....and he wasn't able to speak to me. He just embraced me in his arms and held on for a long time. *wow....still tears me up now! lol* ****Ok Deanne....this is when I am looking at my classmates and there is a girl that is using her shirt to wipe tears from her face**** You see, my father came to this country as an immigrant at the age of 17. He never finished high school, he knew very few people here, but his uncle told him he could find him work and so he wanted to come here, to try and catch that American Dream. So he came, and he worked. He worked hard! He worked as a laborer in very poor working conditions. He did whatever was told of him, because it was better than where he would be and he believed if he worked hard, something great was bound to be ahead in the road. So in his embrace the thoughts of this were on my mind. I remembered how tired he was when he would come home, how often his boss wouldn't have money to pay him and told my father he would get it soon, and my father always took his word. I remember him coming home with his back aching, his hands hurting and the smell of the chemicals that he was exposed to. :( But I NEVER remember ever hearing him complain. That's because he never did. He did whatever he had to do to take care of his family and I understand that now. I believe this is the reason I value family more than what monetary or other riches could ever give you. And his tears were tears of joy. I now 'got it'. He wanted better for us. Wanted better for his children and for him to be the catalyst for us going to college and graduating....it truly was a dream come true for him as well. **** crying girl was now nodding her head as if to say amen sista! lol **** Cognitively, I have grown through my college years and my education has taught me and given me the foundation of what I needed to pursue my career paths. However, my college degree has proven to have effected me mostly in the social/emotional domain for several reasons. It signifies the tie between generations. My father and the life he came from, to the better opportunities and paths he has led me to for mine. I can stand here today and say that I DO value education just as much as my father does. I DO see it as a stepping stone to all that I have accomplished so far. It has been that foundation for me to have the confidence and belief in myself that enabled me to start my own business, to go through a career change, and through all those changes, I have never been afraid of the risks because I simply think back to the risk a 17 year old boy from Chios, Greece took one day when he got on a ship for an incredible journey. ****by now...the girl with tears is smiling and I was surprised at how attentive everyone really was at this point****
I ended by letting them know that at the age of 58, my dad finally stopped working for someone else and started his own business. He followed, grasped and is now living that 'American Dream' he came here for. He has my brothers working for him. He and my mother are able to do things that they never could before, and he is the biggest inspiration in my life. He never stopped believing in his dream or in himself and was always driven by the love he had for his family.
The End! lol
First...it was nothing malicious ;P
We had this timeline assignment to do which was to come up with at least 5 events in your life that have effected you as the person you are today cognitively, socially/emotionally or physically. Then last week we had to choose just one of them and present that to the class. Not surprisingly...the majority of mine were social/emotional events and here is the one I shared.
The event that I chose to share occurred in the emergent adulthood phase of my life but is one that has held a significant impact on my relationship with my father and the things that I value. The event was my undergrad graduation. I honestly had no intent of going to the commencement ceremonies because I was just ecstatic that I was finally getting that expensive piece of paper that would signify that I am now officially an 'intelligent expert' in my field. This would get me a high paying job, and was a stepping stone of one of the accomplishments I knew I wanted to complete to achieve the personal goals I had set for myself. I didn't need to be lost in the sea of green and white cap and gowns in the huge arena to where I would appear to my family as a white dot in the crowd. I soon found out though that I had no choice. My mother informed me that I must go to commencement because this was not only a big part of my life, but was a very big part of theirs. My mother sat down with me and explained how significant this was to my father. How this was one of HIS dreams to make better things happen for his children. How he wanted to give to us the things that he never had but wanted desperately. I understood and ultimately...if it was that important to them, then that is all I needed to hear. So I ordered the tickets and I had my little entourage of my loved ones to experience it with me. I could not see them from where I sat though I searched for them. It wasn't until after the ceremony that we found each other and to this day, I can visualize the look on my father's face. He stood there, with a huge smile on his face and tears welled up in his eyes....and he wasn't able to speak to me. He just embraced me in his arms and held on for a long time. *wow....still tears me up now! lol* ****Ok Deanne....this is when I am looking at my classmates and there is a girl that is using her shirt to wipe tears from her face**** You see, my father came to this country as an immigrant at the age of 17. He never finished high school, he knew very few people here, but his uncle told him he could find him work and so he wanted to come here, to try and catch that American Dream. So he came, and he worked. He worked hard! He worked as a laborer in very poor working conditions. He did whatever was told of him, because it was better than where he would be and he believed if he worked hard, something great was bound to be ahead in the road. So in his embrace the thoughts of this were on my mind. I remembered how tired he was when he would come home, how often his boss wouldn't have money to pay him and told my father he would get it soon, and my father always took his word. I remember him coming home with his back aching, his hands hurting and the smell of the chemicals that he was exposed to. :( But I NEVER remember ever hearing him complain. That's because he never did. He did whatever he had to do to take care of his family and I understand that now. I believe this is the reason I value family more than what monetary or other riches could ever give you. And his tears were tears of joy. I now 'got it'. He wanted better for us. Wanted better for his children and for him to be the catalyst for us going to college and graduating....it truly was a dream come true for him as well. **** crying girl was now nodding her head as if to say amen sista! lol **** Cognitively, I have grown through my college years and my education has taught me and given me the foundation of what I needed to pursue my career paths. However, my college degree has proven to have effected me mostly in the social/emotional domain for several reasons. It signifies the tie between generations. My father and the life he came from, to the better opportunities and paths he has led me to for mine. I can stand here today and say that I DO value education just as much as my father does. I DO see it as a stepping stone to all that I have accomplished so far. It has been that foundation for me to have the confidence and belief in myself that enabled me to start my own business, to go through a career change, and through all those changes, I have never been afraid of the risks because I simply think back to the risk a 17 year old boy from Chios, Greece took one day when he got on a ship for an incredible journey. ****by now...the girl with tears is smiling and I was surprised at how attentive everyone really was at this point****
I ended by letting them know that at the age of 58, my dad finally stopped working for someone else and started his own business. He followed, grasped and is now living that 'American Dream' he came here for. He has my brothers working for him. He and my mother are able to do things that they never could before, and he is the biggest inspiration in my life. He never stopped believing in his dream or in himself and was always driven by the love he had for his family.
The End! lol