My Last Ride with Mimi Essay Example For Students

My Last Ride with Mimi Essay The last time I saw my grandmother, whom I call â€Å"Mimi,† was the thanks giving of 2012. My grandmother and I were able to spend the whole day together, just her and I. At first, I did not want to. My mother selected me to be responsible for driving Mimi home to Virginia Beach and then back to Ashland Virginia, that’s a four hour ride. I chose to do the right thing and listen to my mom. Because I listened to my mom, I was gifted a priceless memory that will last a lifetime, so I suggest you listen to your mom next time she asks a favor of you. My huge Italian family was gathered for thanksgiving in my aunt Cindy and Uncle Gary’s beautiful, self-designed home that sat of 20 acers of impeccable landscape, which was tucked away in the country of Ashland Virginia. I had just turned 21 and was getting ready to go out with my cousins for the first time when my mother presented me with the opportunity to drive Mimi back to Virginia Beach. At first the thoughts that rushed through my head were, no way! That’s four hours of driving, gas money, and I’ll miss out on all the fun. My mom gave me a look and said, â€Å"Nicholas this is your sweet grandmother you don’t get to see her much, trust me. † Something told me I should listen to her, and I did. Mimi was 86 at the time and had been fighting awful arthritis in her neck and hip and basically all over her body for a few years now and the task at hand was to get her back safely to Virginia Beach. As I was loading Mimi’s luggage into the car I remember having thoughts like, I hope this ride isn’t going to be awkward, I’ve never been all alone with her, especially not for a two hour car ride, I wonder what we will talk about? Or if she will even be feeling to converse. What kind of music should I play? How funny would it be if she liked rap. I shut the trunk, hopped into the drivers seat, fastened my seat belt, threw the sports car into gear, and headed out of the long driveway that had elegant maple leaf trees guiding us on each side of the path. Mimi looks at me and with great big smile that she is known for and says to me, â€Å"Im so thankful to have you as my grandson, I love you, thank you for taking the time to drive me home. I remember looking at her, feeling an overwhelming sense of joy and appreciation to be apart of such a great family and to be in the presence of such a great women. To me surprise, Mimi literally did not stop talking the whole car ride. Who knew a little old lady, experiencing so much pain, would be such a conservationist. And her conversation was rich. She had so many great life stories, she told so many great jokes, and always was able to create meaning in the end. I remember one story she told was about her and my grandpa who I called â€Å"Gramps,† and how they first met. My Gramps was a caption in the navy and my Mimi was a nurse, the classical romance, not exactly. She told me she was set up on a blind date and was not happy about it. Mimi said, â€Å"during the date, I hardly said a word, I was kind of rude, and I felt uncomfortable. I remember starring at the clock counting down the minutes until I could leave. † I asked her, â€Å"What did gramps do? † â€Å"Nothing, he just sat there smiling at me, trying to ask me questions. .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 , .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 .postImageUrl , .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 , .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24:hover , .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24:visited , .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24:active { border:0!important; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24:active , .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24 .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udb31df4f81e481646c2f59b1ccabdb24:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Tivo Marketing Case Analysis (Hbs) EssayI thought he was crazy. † She proceeded by saying, â€Å"and the next day he showed up at my house! I don’t know how he found out where I lived, and he introduced himself to my parents and next thing you know he is sitting in the living room with my mom and dad talking for hours. † I asked, â€Å"Where were you? † â€Å"Oh I was upstairs hiding. † I laughed aloud. I remember thinking to myself how funny it was to hear this story and get this perspective of my grandparents, who would have thought? I curiously asked, â€Å"So what happened next? â€Å"He kept coming over at least twice a week, just h anging around with my parents. The fourth time I give in and decided I would talk. † I butted in with much curiosity. â€Å"And then? † with a big grin on my face. She said it with such assurance, â€Å"I knew I loved him and would spend the rest of my life with him. I asked, â€Å"Why were you so reluctant to talk to him at first? † Mimi’s response was, â€Å"I was only a young lady getting into modeling, not thinking about the future and he knew exactly what he wanted. I was scared. She proceeded to say, â€Å"You know Nicholas, sometimes the things you fear most in life turn out to be your greatest gift or talent. † I thought to myself, kind of like how I did not want drive my Mimi all the way back to Virginia and miss out on all the fun but the drive turned out to be an amazing experience that I will always cherish. We arrived to Virginia Beach safely, I made sure Mimi got settled into her room nice and comfortably. I remember sitting with her in her living room filled pictures of all her family and loved ones. I strongly remember feeling a rush of emotion wash over me. It was a mixture of joy to have such a great experience and to be apart of such a great family. There was also sadness that it was ending and that I did not get to see them enough. I did not want to leave her all by herself. As I was thinking this My Mimi held my hand and said, â€Å"Nicholas, don’t worry, I will be fine, thank you for your company, and thank you for being my grandson. You are a very special person and I love you. † My eyes filled up year tears and I gave my Mimi a big hug and told her I loved her very much. And then departed on my way back to Virginia. On the car ride home I felt a great sense of peace and joy and happiness while crossing over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, gazing at the sunset in amazement. The following week I got a call from my mother, â€Å"Mimi passed away. † I remember the first thought in my head was, thank you mom, I’m so glad I listened to you, I will forever cherish my last ride with Mimi. My suggestion to you would be to give a little more, listen to your mother, and love your family. You never know when the last time you may see them.

Theme of Personal Obsession in The Emperor’s Babe and Purple Hibiscus Essay Example

Theme of Personal Obsession in The Emperor’s Babe and Purple Hibiscus Essay Both the stories in question have a female, colored protagonist. The two central characters Zuleika and Kambili are also similarly aged – it is their teenage years that are being explored. Even before they reach adulthood they go through enormous upheavals in their lives. Moreover, their stories fit into a colonial discourse with attendant features of cultural displacement, social alienation and economic exploitation. There is yet another interesting similarity between the two heroines, namely, their personal obsessions. But the objects of their obsessions are not the same. Likewise, secondary characters in the two stories have obsessions of their own. This essay endeavors to show how there are a range of psychological dispositions among various characters which account for their obsessions and how the authors’ own obsessions bear upon them. The Emperor’s Babe is a fresh and vivid verse narrative of a young woman in Ancient Rome. Born into poverty and slavery, she is married off (or rather sold off) when she was merely eleven to a wealthy patrician a few times her age. Despite constraints to her liberty and growth from all sides, Zuleika yet manages to assert her individuality. It is perhaps due to these powerful extraneous forces acting on her life that she sought refuge in an inner sanctum. This clinging manifests as obsessions of various sorts. For one, her insecurities made her a little aggressive towards others. Aggression expressed regularly betrays an underlying obsession with insecurity. This aggression is also manifest in her sexual behavior, whereby, her attractiveness and youth serves as a source of empowerment over men. As the short and eventful life of the adolescent girl unfolds through Evaristo’s lyrical prose, more dimensions to her heroine’s obsessions are unraveled. We will write a custom essay sample on Theme of Personal Obsession in The Emperor’s Babe and Purple Hibiscus specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Theme of Personal Obsession in The Emperor’s Babe and Purple Hibiscus specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Theme of Personal Obsession in The Emperor’s Babe and Purple Hibiscus specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Zuleika’s father Anlamani is obsessed with his own position in society. He sees an opportunity to climb up the social ladder by marrying his beautiful daughter to a person of prestige. The person he has in mind is Mr. Felix, a wealthy aristocrat of the Roman Empire. He is quite older to Zuleika (who was just 11 at the time of being betrothed). Anlamani resorts to a menially worded marriage offer to Mr. Felix. For example, he says, â€Å"Si, Mr. Felix. Zuleika very obediens girl, sir. / No problemata, she make very optima wife, sir.† (Evaristo, p.27) This pitch from Anlamani makes it clear that his daughter’s well being is secondary compared to his own selfish motive. Likewise, Felix is a man with his own obsessions. In his case he is obsessed with power. Having a pretty young wife would add to his prestige. He can show her off in his social circles as a trophy wife. That he is obsessed with power and prestige is evident in his response to Anlamaniâ€⠄¢s offer of marriage: â€Å"I intend to make this my far-western base/ and I need to warm my home with a wife./ I am a man of multiple interests: a senator,/ military man, businessman, I undertake/ trading missions for the government,/ and I’m a landowner.† (Evaristo, p.29) Kambili is obsessed over her relationship with Father Amadi. She falls in love with him. Although the Father also loves her, he could not consummate his love due to his commitments to Church and community. Her love is expressed overtly and covertly on a few occasions. As Zambilii says wittily â€Å"People have crushes on priests all the time, you know. It’s exciting to have to deal with God as a rival.† (Adichie, p.89) However, Kambili’s obsessive love for Father Amadi pales in comparison to the religious obsession of her own father Eugene. Kambili’s father, Papa as she calls him, is very possessive of his son and daughter. He imposes his authority on them to even the smallest detail. In other words he is obsessive of his son and daughter to the extent of being a control freak. For example, â€Å"Papa sat down at the table and poured his tea from the china tea set with pink flowers on the edges. I waited for him to ask Jaja and me to take a sip, as h e always did. A love sip, he called it, because you shared the little things you loved with the people you love.† (Adichie, p.59) Although Papa Eugune thinks he is expressing his love in this fashion, in reality he is stifling the autonomy and individuality of them both. What makes matters worse for Kambili is that she does not find her father’s obsession to be malign. In fact, she is so used to it that she feels that it is the norm. Having been so accustomed to obeying the dictates of her father, Kambili possessed little sense of independent judgement during her time with her parents. As evident in the above quote from the novel, her main concern was getting praise from her father by waiting for his orders before sipping tea. She would dare not break this tradition irrespective of her how she feels personally about the practice. But the truth is that Papa Eugene did not love his children as had believed. It is perhaps his strict adherence to orthodox religious practices that has made him outlook blinkered and his thinking one-dimensional. His obsession had also made him prone to fits of rage. For example, â€Å"Things started to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion and Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the etagere.† (Adichie, p.112) Hence author Bernardine Adichie carves up a variety of obsessions in Purple Hibiscus. Not only are these obsessive behaviour patterns realistically portrayed, they also fit into the plot, theme and perspectives of the author. We can see how the theme of obsession is common to the two books. Both authors – Bernardine Evaristo and Chimamanda Adichie use it in slightly different perspectives. For Evaristo, the context was obsessions that were manifest in the milieu of ancient imperialism. For Adichie, it is the backdrop of postcolonial Nigeria in which different characters play out their obsessions. We cannot make a judgment as to which of the two preoccupations is salient to the student of literature. This is so because obsession has its basis in neurosis and is a common human trait. The two authors seem to draw from the fact that obsession is fundamental to human makeup. It is perhaps due to the universality of this trait, that the reader can immediately relate or recognize the motivations and implications of obsessive behavior in the two novels.

Improve Your Food Safety Essay Topics

Improve Your Food Safety Essay TopicsIt is no longer sufficient to merely write about a food safety topic; it has to be written with precision and clarity. If you do not appear to be able to write your food safety essay topics coherently and logically, you may want to take the advice of an expert. A food safety essay expert can evaluate your work and point out areas where you need to improve.Most universities have courses in writing food safety essay topics. However, if you do not have the time or inclination to write a textbook-level essay on the subject, you may want to look for someone who is a food safety essay expert. You can also write an essay on your own for a friend or colleague, but you need to be careful not to overdo the job.Food safety essay topics are usually concise and easy to understand. It should not take an experienced food safety essay expert long to assess your work and identify problems. Look for a professional food safety essay expert to review your writing bef ore you send it off. If the essay is badly flawed, it will not be received well by the person who will be reading it could be as badly received as if you had sent it out blindfolded.Your essay must clearly demonstrate that you have knowledge of the facts concerning your topic. That means that you must have read the document in question and have understood it completely. There is no room for speculation; the essay must show evidence that you understand the subject matter and that you know what you are talking about.Your essay should present your knowledge in a coherent manner. When you are trying to teach a new concept, you should spell it out and show how it applies to your topic. Unfortunately, food safety is not a new concept; rather, it is one of the most critical areas of concern for those who would handle it.Food safety essay topics should be used in an academic setting, unless you are not pursuing a graduate degree. These types of essays are almost always required when you app ly for a position. If you are trying to be considered for advancement, you will need to be able to demonstrate how much experience you have.If you are unsure about how to write the correct food safety essay topics, do not worry. A professional will help you. There are a number of different organizations which specialize in producing a variety of food safety essay topics.Food safety essay topics are very important for people in the food service industry and those who sell fresh foods. An essay is your best tool in proving that you know what you are talking about. You can improve your food safety essay topic skills by hiring a professional writer.

Suffering Ignored Essays - Muse Des Beaux Arts, W. H. Auden

Suffering Ignored Essays - Muse Des Beaux Arts, W. H. Auden Suffering Ignored On February 21, 1907 Wystan Hugh Auden was born in York England. Auden was a poet, dramatist, and literary critic whose everyday language and conversational rhythms has had a major influence on modern poetry. Auden was initially a science major but after several years at Gresham School he realized science was not the career for his future. With the influence from Robert Medley, Auden began to write poetry. Due to this big change in Auden's life, he enrolled in Christ Church, at Oxford. Before his departure from Gresham School Auden came to recognize his homosexuality. At the beginning of Auden writing career he had an interest in Anglo-Saxon poetry. Auden's poetry in the 1930's "largely constitutes a diagnosis of industrial English society in the midst of economic and moral decay." (Bahr p. 212) In 1930 Auden began to teach school in his community. In 1935 Auden married a young lady named Erika Mann. Erika was the daughter of a German novelist. The marriage occurred only so Erika cou ld receive a British passport. In 1939 Auden moved to America. This was a turning point in his life. Auden's writing style "shifted away from many of his earlier intellectual convictions and moved toward a reaffirmation of his childhood faith." (Magill p. 73) This change allowed him to write poetry that was said to influence people to Christianity. Auden was a popular modern poet who impressive reputation was based on his technical writing and overall work. Although several critics say Auden's writing digressed after the 1930's, he is still a well admired poet. As expected Auden has received several literary awards. Auden received the King's Gold Medal for poetry in 1937, the Guggenheim fellowships in 1942 and 1945 and the Pulitzer Prize in 1948. (Magill 72) Auden is a poem that can not and will not be forgot in literary history. In 1939 Auden published a poem titled "Musee des Beaux Arts." This is a poem about "The universal indifference to human misfortune." (Masterplots p.1430) "Musee des Beaux Arts" talks about how individuals do not care about the suffering of one another. This poem theme is based on a painting by Pieter Bruegel called The Fall of Icarus. While in Brussels, Auden visited the Musees Royaux des beaux-arts where he was motivated by three of Bruegel painting. . "Musee des Beaux Arts" can be paralled to the painting by Bruegel. The insignificance of Icarus fall in the ocean, displayed by his legs sticking out the ocean, seen in the bottom right hand corner, is similar to how the suffering of individuals are not important to each other. The poem is written in two paragraphs. The first paragraph consists of several broad statements. In the second paragraph there are applications for those broad statements. In the first section of the poem the word suffering is used only in the first line, in fact suffering is the first noun. This is important because the poem is "constructed to demonstrate that it is only in its own first line and nowhere else in the world that human agony receives any emphasis." (Masterplots p. 1430) As the poem continues Auden mentions people "eating or opening a window or just walking dully along." These statements highlight how the suffering of people does not have any effect on how others live their life. The death of a stranger will not cause one to slit a wrist. As the poem continues Auden refers to the birth of Jesus. As the first stanza comes to an ending there is reference to the crucifixion of Jesus. In the poem the crucifixion is interrupted by dogs, "the dogs go on with their doggy life" Auden uses the word doggy to "represent to childish vocabulary." (Masterplots p.1430) Auden uses the word life rather than lives because he once again wants to emphasis the childish vocabulary. While Jesus is being tortured the torturer's horse scratches his bottom side. . The word "behind" is used to emphasis the innocents of the children. This distracts the reader from the horrible evil deed that was being executed. Auden uses a simple vocabulary in the "Musee des Beaux Arts" so the reader can visualize the common air. In today's society

Role and Duties of the Governor General of Canada

Role and Duties of the Governor General of Canada The Queen or sovereign is the head of state in Canada. The Governor General of Canada represents the sovereign, and most of the powers and authority of the sovereign have been delegated to the Governor General. The role of the Canadian Governor General is mostly symbolic and ceremonial. The head of government in Canada is the Prime Minister, an elected political leader. Appointment of the Governor General The Canadian Governor General is selected by the Prime Minister of Canada, although the formal appointment is made by the Queen. The term of office of the Governor General is usually five years, but it is sometimes extended up to seven years. There is a tradition of alternating between anglophone and francophone Governors-General in Canada. Official Duties of the Governor General of Canada The official duties of the Governor General of Canada include: giving Royal Assent to bills passed in the Canadian House of Commons and Senatereading the Speech from the Throne which outlines the Canadian federal government agenda for a new session of Parliamentexecuting orders-in-council or cabinet decisionsappointing superior court judges, on the advice of ​the  cabinetsummoning, closing and dissolving Parliament, on the advice of the Prime Ministerinviting the leader of the party with the most support in the House of Commons to form the government. That party leader becomes Prime Minister.in times of emergency or special circumstances, exercising the special personal authority of the Governor General to appoint or dismiss a prime minister or dissolve Parliament. This authority is rarely used.receiving and sending ambassadors. The Canadian Governor General plays a strong role in encouraging excellence in Canada through a system of honors and awards such as the Order of Canada and promotes national identity and national unity. The Governor General of Canada is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Australian taxation law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Australian taxation law - Assignment Example (1+GST rate) ? FBT rate Hence, the following benefits of Paul shall be as follows: Car fringe Benefit $22,500 Entertainment Fringe Benefit $ 2,000 Loan Fringe Benefit $ 8,000 ---------------- Employer’s type 1 aggregate fringe benefits $32,500 amount 46.5% + 10% ------------------------------------------- $32,500 x (1 – 46.5%) ? (1+ 10%) ? 46.5% rate $32,500 ? 2.0647 = $67,102.75 Total Fringe Liability This is the total value of the fringe benefits tax liability of Chatswood Pty Ltd. for the year ended 31 March 2011. For purposes of computation, ‘the FBT year is the 12 months beginning 1 April and ending 31 March. Currently, the FBT rate is 46.5%. A GST of 10% is applied on most goods and services that are supplied in Australia and on goods imported into Australia’2. ‘If an employee receives certain fringe benefits with a total taxable value of more than $1,000 in an FBT year (1 April to 31 March), employer must report the grossed-up taxable value of the benefits on their payment summary for the corresponding income year (1 July to 30 June). This is called the reportable fringe benefits amount’3. Therefore, the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) that should be paid by the employer Chatswood Pty Ltd., at the end of the year is $67,102.75. The car fringe benefit, the loan fringe benefit and the entertainment fringe benefit which were granted to Paul by his employer are all entitled to Goods and Services Tax (GST) credit that is available to Chatswood Pty Ltd. However, the $1,000 salary of Paul is not considered as a fringe benefit since there is an imposed tax on the salary which is being paid by the employee. As defined under the Finance Act of 2005: â€Å"Fringe Benefits† means any consideration for employment provided by way of: (a)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"any privilege, service, facility or amenity, directly or indirectly, provided by an employer, whether by way of reimbursement or otherwise, to his employees (including former employee or employees) (b)  Ã‚  Ã‚  any free or  concessional  ticket provided by the employer for private journeys of his employees or their family members;  Ã‚  and (c)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  any contribution by the employer to an approved superannuation fund for employees†.4 The total value of all fringe benefits given to a particular employee by his or her employer in an FBT year is known as their individual fringe benefits amount. 2. Peter’s is liable to pay a capital gains tax (CGT) for the sale of the gift shop for the year 2010/2011 based on the following computation: Gross Sale Proceeds from the gift shop: $840,000 Less: Incidental Cost of Disposal : $(60,000) Net Sale Proceeds: $780,000 Less Cost of Asset: $(450,000) Capital Gain: $330,000 Therefore, Peter shall be liable to pay a CGT on his gain amounting to $330,000. ‘Capital gains tax is a tax on the profits which may be made from the sale of capital assets. Only individuals are liable to pay CGT, cor porations are not liable to CGT. A liability to pay CGT arises only when a chargeable person makes a chargeable disposal of a chargeable assets’5. Some of chargeable assets include lands and buildings, paintings, jewelry, plant and machinery. However, no CGT shall be imposed on the sale of his main residence as he is entitled to ‘Private Residence Relief’. To qualify for the exemption based on the ‘Private Residenc

Similarities between the Picture House and theme parks in Disneyland Essay

Similarities between the Picture House and theme parks in Disneyland - Essay Example The only answer would be that until then we were confined to having pictures painted, but the possibility of seeing our pictures on paper as though they were real, enthralled people. The advent of the motion picture further popularized this cause. With the creation of movies, people who watched them began to feel that they were integral entities in the movie so much so that if there were an emotional scene, then most would be in tears, or if there were any action, one could see people emulating their favorite actors and sometimes would end up punching the fellow next to them accidentally. People began to sense their lives in the movie's story and this is the prime reason as to why people loved to throng the picture house. Pictures were beginning to be made on all sorts of subjects, from comedy to tragedy; from history to mystery; from morals to quarrels etc. Within due course of time, movies had extended such an influence over the public that everyone wanted to emulate his personal hero, for whom he was god (the actors in this case). We like to develop ourselves into looking and behave like our heroes. Cinemas became symbols of economic prosperity, and people felt proud of its stature.