When I was a little girl , my mom would always tell me "This is your life ,you must choose your own way.No one can help you." But I don't think I understood .At that age I didn't know anything, I just liked playing with my childhood friends ,and all I hoped for was that there will be no school and no homework.
As the time passed I began to understand what my mother was saying. She has 6 sisters and brothers ,she was the oldest one .They have a big family and they were very poor. My mom wanted to go to school, but they don't have enough money for all of them ,so she had to work.At that time ,people felt that women don't need to go to school. The best thing for them was to find a man and marry him.My mother felt sad for this."I can't choose my way ,but you can."she said.
As my high school year began ,I became more independent and began making more and more decisions for myself .I decided to study arts and drawing. After high school, I decided to continue to attend college. After college I thought I should go abroad . At first , my parents opposed the decision, but I felt it was the right thing to do .They gave me a chance if I got the visa approved after the first interview then I can go .Now I am here.
So far I feel the decision I have made, has led me down a path , I enjoy walking.
I believe Buddha when I was child, my grand ,grand mother and my grandmother all believe Buddha. they enshrine and worship some Buddha’s statue in our house. I was followed them to bowl these statue. I didn’tknow why? But I know Buddha could bless and protect our family safe and happy.
In 1966 I was after 10 years. The China culture revolution happened. The communist party didn’t believe religious. If believe it, who would be superstition andcriticize. Since that my family couldn’t keep those Buddha statue and couldn’tbelieve Buddha.
In 2004 my family got a big hit that I lost my relative. I was very grief. In that time I met a buddhaism. He help me relive my pain and to changed my mind. I also established my religious belief.
Four years ago. I came to America with my son. The life was difficult for me. One day I went to Chinatown and saw The “Gold mountain temple”, that is a very imposing place, many people in there, I was very want to join them. After that day I almost go there every weekend. I have been listening to master lecture and practicing the Buddha Dharma. After a period I was feeling peacful than before,my whole life is gotting better.
Right now. I am more profound understaning of Buddhism, and realized the importance of learning and practicing the Buddha Dharma.
WHEN I WAS TEN YEAR OLD. I WAS A FOUR GRADE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT. MY MATH, CHINESE, ENGLISH EXAM SCORES WERE NOT TOO BAD BUT WERE NOT VERY GOOD. I WAS A SCHOOL TABLE TENNIS PLAYER. BUT I WAS NOT THE GOOD PLAYER. SO I HAD GIVEN IT UP ONE YEAR LATER. I LIVED IN A NORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD. I HAVE TWO YOUNGER BROTHERS. MY PARENTS WERE HARD WORKERS. THEY EARNED THE NORMAL SALARY TO SUPPORTED THE FAMILY. SO I DID NOT HAVE ANY LUXURY LIFE. BUT OUR DAILY LIFE WAS OK. I MEAN WE NEVER HAD ANY TOUGH LIFE.
NOW IT IS THE TOUGH ECONOMY IN THE U.S. I AM AN UNEMPLOYED PERSON LIKE HUNDRED THOUSAND AMERICAN PEOPLE. I BACK TO SCHOOL TO LEARN MORE LANGUAGE SKILLS AND COMPUTER SKILLS. I AM LOOKING FOR A JOB EVERYDAY. BUT I STILL HAVE GOOD WISH TO MY DAILY LIVES. I HOPE THE GOVERNMENTS SAVE THE WORST NATIONAL ECONOMY. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME WISH. DON'T YOU!
LOOKING FORWARD MY FUTURE. I WILL HAVE A JOB TO SUPPORT MY FAMILY. I WILL HAVE MY OWN HOUSE. I WILL HAVE A NEW CAR.I WILL HAVE A HAPPY FAMILY. I WILL STILL HAVE A GOOD SITUATION TO FACE ANY CHALLENGE. THOSE ARE AMERICAN VALUE. ARE'T THEY!
I Believe There Will No Discrimination in the World
Discrimination will disappear in the future, that’s what I support, I wish and I believe.
When I was 8 years old, my teacher told me that there is a lot ofdiscriminationin the world. Many people discriminate the disabled such as blind people or maimed people. The Europeans always discriminate against Africans and the Asians. As I was a child without a lot of experience of life so I could not understood it very much. I thought people were all the same and there should be the same rights for all people but not only the healthy people or the specific race.
When I was 12 years old, I met a disabled man who had no left leg at the bus on my way home. As there were a lot of people at the bus so the man had to stand and he seemed be very tired and did not feel good. But to my surprise, no one gave a seat to him but everyone looked at him disgusted. A little girl wanted to talk to him and her mother prevented her. I was very angry and disappointed so I left my seat and told the man to sit in my chair. It moved me deeply that I saw there were tears full of his eyes.
Is there no discrimination in the world? I always asked myself. In my childhood’s point of view, only if there is no discrimination in the world, can people respect each other and help the people in need in a fair atmosphere. Helping others especially the disabled is a virtue that makes our lives more beautiful.
When I was 18 years old, theParalympics were held in Beijing. Many people were interest in it, so did I. From the TV, I was deeply moved by the athletics whofought against their destiny in the silent battles. Everyone who watchedParalympicsshowed thehonors to those heroes .It seemed discrimination disappeared at that moment as the power and the strength was unfolded by the disabled and many people changed their mind that the disabled are not unable to do everything but can get beyond to the healthy people.
I was glad to see the barrier was tearing down between the healthy people and the disabled and so did the discrimination.
When I was 19 years old, I came to San Francisco. It is very beautiful and Ididn’t feel any discrimination between the White and the Black or the Brown. I confused me as is was told by my teacher that they were a lot of racial discrimination in the USA. Then my father told me that it is a heavy crime to discriminate others basing on the race and as people’spoints of view were changing as the policy was improving, the browns and the Blacks were more and more respected because of their efforts.
I always think myself that if I become a disabled person and how do I live in this world. after thinking and thinking, I got the answer: To respect myself and be confident to pay efforts to prove my power so that I can do something important that I even cannot imagine. Not only it is the philosophy of a disabled person but the philosophy for all the people.
Now I am 20 years old. I decided to learn more knowledge to improve myself so that I can pay my efforts to destroy the discrimination between person and person, the whites and the blacks and the browns.
Discrimination will disappear in the future, that’s what I support, I wish and I believe.
I think it's true, that the first impression is the most important, even if you don't think you ever going to see the person again.
It leaves an impression, no matter what.
One of these gray, rainy days in San Francisco, you ride an overcrowded Muni; everyone seems so upset about the weather. You can see it in their faces, their gestures and the way they behave to one another.
There is no reason for me to stop smiling if someone asks me for something or if I have eye contact with someone. No reason for me to stop being polite.
I don't always get a positive response, there is sometimes no response at all, but whatever, I don't care, as long as I am the person I want to be.
They're just humans, maybe they had a bad day, so they could use a smile.
I'm on a mission to make other people feel better, without prejudice, no bad mood and always be polite to others.
I believe in saying "Excuse me", "Sorry", "My bad" and "Thank you" and that always with a smile, even if I don't feel like it.
The instant I start to smile it doesn't just make other people smile it also helps me, makes me feel better and I forget for a moment all the problems that were filling my head with worries, like "What am I going to study?" or "Are my parents doing well without me?".
So I'm not just trying to help others, I also help myself.
Next time you have a bad day, you should try it, too.
As all we know, life is not always feel calm. However, I till believe in life is wonderful.
I had been in HONG KONG many years ago. There are a lot of Pilipino who worked in H.K.as babysitters. Every Sunday,they must get together freely in a park. they sang, danced, played guitars, laughed and ate. Everybody was so excited. Their faces made those differences seem smaller. The world seemed simple. I looked at them, at the moment, I had learned something from them: do not expect too much. be satisfied with what you have. Such as your good health, job and a complete family. If so, I am sure, we all will believe in life just as sunshine everyday.
The other person who I had learned from is Audrey Hepburt. In her late age, despite cancer, she was still concerned about the famine, poverty and children in Africa. She gave out all her love to the African. She made her life peaceful and beautiful because of love.
§I believe in play any sport, it is good for health and mind.
§I believe in every minute, every hour, every day, god give to everybody.
§I believe in my parents.
§I believe in every body.
§I believe in work hard.
§I believe in my youth.
§I believe in my parent’s affection.
§I believe in healthy mind.
§I believe in Parent’s support.
We are living in complicated times, our society confront new problems, the rezone is how our society has been developed.The children, don’t have enough attention, The parents are busy all the time, The most of people is poor whereas a few amass big fortunes, so in this form, We can see how our society is grown, with people sleeping on the street, gangs over panting graffiti and killing people.
I believe in parent’s affection, I believe in play any sport is good for health and mind, It can build a strong and positive mental in the child, to confront any problem in the life. Certain we are going to have less problems in the life.
This is a a safe place for my ESL students to publish, share, and enjoy each others' writing and projects. Although most of the writing has gone through editing stages, it is authentic student writing, not teacher-edited; understandably, there will be errors.
Please enjoy!
Denise Maduli-Williams, ESL Instructor City College of San Francisco Chinatown Campus dmaduli@ccsf.edu
