Essay - Essay on Personal Influence When I Was a Sophomore in...

Essay on Personal Influence

When I was a sophomore in high school, ***** beg*****n to act ***** a w*****y that I now consider disgraceful. My high school was highly self-segregated, and the different ethnic groups refused to interact with one ano*****r. I fell prey to that behavior, though my initial motivation ***** simply to be with people who ***** considered to be my peers, not to exclude others. However, the ugly thing about segregation is that it breeds feelings of hatred and separatism, and my friends fell ***** to that *****havior. Eventually, I began acting that way, as well. To my great embarrassment, I even agreed to participate when some friends decided to deface a Menorah ***** was being displayed as part of local holiday decorations. The police appeared just after we had managed to topple ***** Menorah, and, ***** my friends escaped, I was escorted home in a squad car and faced the possibility of be*****g charged ***** a hate crime. Because *****re was no actual harm done to the *****, the shopping center owners declined ***** press charges, but simply banned me from their center. My parents, however, were ********** as forgiving. They were appalled at my behavior ***** spent the entire winter break deciding an appropriate punish*****nt for me. Finally, on New Year's Eve, my mother approached ***** and told me what my punish*****nt would be. ********** addition to being banned from socializing with that group of friends, I would be required ***** spend three afternoons each week, as well ***** one full day each weekend, volunteering at the local nursing home. Of course, my mom's twist was that the nursing home was Jewish.

***** homes are depressing places, ***** my ***** impression of the infirm elderly was ***** they were a group of very unhappy and angry people. They frequently yelled, at me, at the staff, ***** ***** each other, and never seemed satisfied with anyone's efforts on ***** **********. The *****e notable example was a woman named Rose. The second time ***** went to visit the home; she cornered me, grabbing me with a bony hand, and holding on ***** a strength that seemed inc*****gruous with her frail appearance. She made it clear that she had heard ***** m*****'s explanation for my volunteer work, by asking me, "So, you're the little Nazi, *****n't you?" I was unsure how to respond, ***** she see*****d to enjoy my confusion, laughing as ***** stared at her. She hauled me along to her room, where she put me to work ********** together a bookshelf.

********** day that I appeared, I would ***** with the other residents and try to do ********** to help them, but I actually spoke to them very *****. However, Ms. Rose ***** always find me. Even though I w***** there four *****s a week, she *****lways had ***** type of manual labor for me to do. Initially the hard work was definitely punitive. For *****, one day she put me to work weeding the flowerbeds