Burlington High School

Burlington, Kansas

Teacher: Devra Parker

 

My Community, My Life

By Karen George

12th Grade

 

 

To me, a community is a group of people who work together to better their schools, environment, work places, restaurants, and other public places. They don’t just worry about each other; they worry about the town as a whole. It is somewhere the people can feel safe and welcome wherever it may be. A community doesn’t even have to be a town or city; it can be anything. There are animals that live as communities, and the people of a religion form a community even though they are spread out around the world.

 

Until I sat down to write this essay, I wasn’t really sure if I even felt community, but I do and I know that now. I’m still not sure how, although I do know that I had no idea until I moved to Burlington. See, I have lived in so many places I can’t remember which school was where or which friend was from what town. When I first moved here in the eighth grade, I was terrified because everywhere else I had gone the people didn’t really acknowledge me at all. The few afriends that I had were my friends because they were like me and hadn’t been born and raised in the town. My first day I walked into the school, everyone was there with open arms to greet me. I was honestly shocked; I stood there probably looking dumbfounded. That was the day I met one of my best friends.

 

Since that first day of cheerleading practice, she and I have shared everything together. I have been through a lot in the last five years, and she was always at my back to guide me and help me. My sophomore year I was in and out of the hospital for the last semester of school, and she was the only one who could cheer me up. I’ve had multiple surgeries and when she came to see me all those times, I felt so much better after I talked to her and she told me everything was going to be okay. I love her like my sister and I always will no matter what happens when we graduate this year. I will always be there for her just like I know she will always be there for me. She and a few other people are the ones who know the person I am behind closed doors.

 

I’m not too sure how I see the world as a community with all the war and fighting going on. I don’t blame anyone for any of it. I’m just confused as to why we are fighting. I think that it is amazing that people from all around the world want to come and see the United States, and they are fascinated with it. We have Mexican food, Chinese food, Japanese food, Italian food, and many other kinds of food, and it always made me wonder if people from those countries have American food. If we have it here, do they have it there? I don’t know, but maybe I will go to one of those countries and find out someday.

 

The United States is a wonderful place to live. Our country is so important to us, and we are always trying to do something to make it a better place and get ourselves out of debt. I admire our government even though I really do not understand it very well. I mean, I understand what I have to know to get by, but, otherwise, I have no idea how it works. I think it is great that the States get along as well as they do. I have not been to any state that did not welcome me even though I wasn’t from that state.

 

My family has been through many very difficult obstacles, but we are still very close. I live with my mother and I have never met my father. My mom got divorced when I was in the fifth grade, and my sister and I were devastated. The day she told us was the day I found out my sister’s dad wasn’t my dad. I wasn’t sure how to take it. I was very upset with her for the longest time for not telling me. Today we are like best friends, closer than we have ever been. She is my mother and nothing can change that. I think now that I am 18 and am much more mature than I was then, I understand why she never told him or me about it.

 

My relatives are the best family anyone could ever have. My grandparents spoil my cousins and me more than they probably should. They are the only grandparents I have had or known. My family is very close and even though we live so far apart, we talk to all of my cousins, aunts, and uncles almost all the time.

 

My ancestors are pretty interesting. I am related to Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army in the Civil War, which, to me, is pretty cool. I had no idea until we did a project in English last year. I don’t know very much about my ancestors except my grandma’s dad was a popcorn farmer, so maybe that’s why I love popcorn so much.

 

This essay really made me think about my community and how I feel. At first it was hard for me to write this because I was lost; I had no idea how to start, but I did it. There are so many different places and organizations that could be a community it is unbelievable. I have never thought about it so much, and I have learned a lot from this.