Differences

Describe a time when you had a negative experience with someone who is different from you (race, class, gender, educational attainment). Use an expereince that stirred some strong emotions in you.

My mother decided to re-marry the summer before I entered high school. With this decision came unwanted results for me such as changing schools and moving in with a family of what seemed to me to be total strangers. I had a hard time dealing with the whole ordeal and did everything I could to make new friends. I didn't expect it to be so hard. I guess I figured that things would be like they were at my old school and people would accept me even though I was of lower class. I soon found out the hard way that I was wrong. I had tried to get involved in extracurricular activities in hopes of making up for my lacking social skills, so I auditioned for a musical and was cast the lead role. Pretty much everyone in the play was popular and was pretty "well-off", but I didn't think that mattered to them because they were so welcoming and treated me as if I were "one of them". Despite the fact that the run-down trailer I was living in at the time was falling apart; the roof caving in and the floors rotting out, I decided to invite some of my so called friends over to hang out. When they arrived they were pretty hesitant about getting out of their cars. One of the girls even stated "where's your house"? After I explained to them that this was my house they became very quite and followed me inside. After I introduced them to my mom and step-dad it was only moments before they felt the urge to leave. The next day people treated me differently than they had before. I quickly went from "The girl that can sing" to "The girl that lives in the ragedy shack". I'll admit I found it to be quite embarrassing and felt hurt, but it also let me know who my real friends were.

2. Describe how that experience has affected your general outlook on life.

This experience helped me to realize that it's not what's on the outside, but what's on the inside that counts. Money can't by friendship, love or happiness.

Describe a time when you had a positive experience with someone who is different from you.

After I was born, my mother realized that something was wrong with my eyes, so she did what any worried mother would do and took me to the doctor. The doctor discovered that I had been born with scars over my corneas and strongly suggested that I have cornea transplants or I would be legally blind by the age of four. Though my mother knew how badly I needed the operation, she also knew that there was no way that she would be able to afford it. I grew up as a pretty normal child, despite the thick glasses I was forced to wear and the fact that my eyes were so sensitive to sunlight that I couldn't even go outside with the other kids to play. While staying indoors during recess, I found it relieving that I didn't have to go outside with the other kids because I knew that would only mean that I would get teased more than I already had been. It was during my stay indoors during recess that I became acquainted with my soon-to-be best friend, Melissa Lowery. From hearing her name, you would think that Melissa was American, but I soon found out that she was Hispanic. The reason that she hadn't been outside playing was something her teacher liked to call "A communication barrier", although I found it quite easy to talk to Melissa. Even though I had a made a new friend, that didn't stop the other kids from teasing me, but instead they started teasing us both. Melissa and I did everything together, from playing with barbies to rollerskating, and we remained the best of friends all throughout grade school.

When Melissa and I were in the sixth grade we were assigned a project on what we wanted to be when we grew up, which we had to complete as partners. At the time Melissa wanted more than anything in the world to be a nurse, while I wanted to be a veterinarian. We had this crazy idea that she could take care of all the sick people in the world, while I took care of all the sick animals. It came time for Melissa and I to present our project and she didn't show up for class that morning. I started getting frantic because I only had her half of the project. We had taken each others' half home because our parents had already seen out own half and we weren't going to be getting the projects back. I notice that our teacher seemed to have tears in her eyes as she stood outside the door talking to the principal. It was then that the intercom came on to announce to the entire school that Melissa had been in a car crash and hadn't made it. With millions of thoughts flooding my mind I remembered that Melissa and her mom were suppose to have picked me up from my house that previous Friday so that we could go to the movies, and they had never called or showed up. I immediately began blaming myself and soon the obituary confirmed that it was indeed my fault. The time of death was only a few minutes before she was suppose to have been at my house to pick me up. I know that by now you're probably wondering how this could possibly be a positive experience. Being friends with Melissa taught me a lot of things that molded me into the person I am today. She taught me that everyone is different in their own way, not to let people bring you down with their cruel words, and most importantly, not to stress over the things that I can't change. Melissa couldn't change her nationality, I couldn't change my disability, and no one can change the fact that she's gone. Not only did this experience teach me something, but it made the other students think twice about the hurtful things they say to people. So in a way, Melissa did save people.

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