Harvest of Joy :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

Harvest of Joy    It seemed pretty simple at the beginning.   My father showed me how to prepare the soil, to plant the seeds and to water them, and to harvest the vegetables.   If I sustained the garden, the garden would sustain me.   But my relationship with our garden has grown much more complicated than that.   Over time, the garden has sustained me more than I have sustained it.    In December, my father suffered a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.   His heart stopped twice during the operation, and he was not expected to survive.   He had an intensive recovery period, and I wanted nothing more than to make him better immediately.   His trauma had made me impatient and afraid to hope.   I was having trouble waiting for things to unfold naturally and wanted to know what would happen in the end. Simple, everyday decisions or occurrences took on great importance.      For six weeks, I was running between the hospital, home and work, between fear and hope, anxiety and joy.   One January morning, I went out to the garden to check on a small patch of parsley that my father kept covered with blankets to protect it from the snow.   It had been neglected since he went into the hospital.   When I uncovered it, I was surprised to find bright green and fragrant parsley. I began to become filled with hope that like that small patch of parsley that was still flourishing in the winter despite the odds, my father would flourish again as well.      By the time spring came, my father was regaining his strength.   My father and I tilled and prepared the soil, then began planting the seeds. Though I wanted them to sprout immediately, they had their own timetable.   When they finally did, I was so excited to see them pushing their way up through the dirt and climbing towards the sun. We cared for the seedlings, giving them manure, aerating the soil, watering them daily, doing everything we could so they would keep growing.   But my father would point out that the first rule of gardening is that we are not in control.   We can only wait and watch and enjoy each moment.   As the plants grew stronger, I felt myself growing stronger as well.   Slowly, I was learning to wait and coming to understand that the growth process, like life itself, has a force and rhythm of its own, and that I could rely on it.

A Multicultural Workplace

A Multicultural Workplace A multicultural workplace refers to a group of individuals who represent all types of human difference gathered to achieve a common goal, which is the organization or company’s mission. For some, a multicultural organization may refer to their workplace as such, due to the variation of individuals’ age, sex, ethnicity, physical abilities, and even sexual orientation. Additionally, the diversity among this workforce is likely to be considered such based on its employees racial, social and ability characteristics.The scope of diversity within an organization should go beyond the personal characterizes listed here. The scope of diversity within an organization should include the way an organization responds to their multicultural workforce. The times of suppressing cultural differences, which forced individuals to sacrifice parts of their heritage in order to obtain gainful employment, is becoming outdated. Today, conforming to the majority cultur e of this western society is becoming less and less of an issue, and thankfully so.Originally, multicultural initiatives, beginning in the late 1960’s, where associated with race and gender. Today, all differences are encompassed in organization based multicultural or diversity programs with the expectation that all employees become cultural competent and embrace cultural awareness. That is if an organization has created such programs. At Milwaukee Center for Independence (MCFI), multicultural and diversity programs do exist. The organization has created a climate of cultural inclusion, incorporating genuine value for diversity within the workplace and among employees.The organizations diversity initiatives are strengthened by annual culture training, communication, a Diversity Team, and mentoring programs for both internal clients and staff and throughout the community. Cultural training courses are conducted annually for each department within the organization. In addition, MCFI conducts a â€Å"Cultures Week† event each year in celebration of culture and diversity reaching out to all employees and the community. The vision of the MCFI Diversity Team and the agency as a whole is to â€Å"be the benchmark of diversity and inclusion among nonprofit agencies in Southeastern Wisconsin.MCFI will be the organization from which clients want to receive services, for which funders want to provide support, where vendors want to do business and employees see diverse opportunities† (MCFI, 2012). The team’s goals include a commitment to understanding what diversity is and its impact on the workplace and the community (MCFI, 2012). The Diversity Team also works to increase appreciation for richness, which is brought by different attitudes, skills sets, abilities, approaches, and perspectives, as well as promoting cooperation and an understanding of and among individuals of diverse backgrounds.Communication tools have also been created for great er understanding and knowledge of diversity through innovative and creative management. MCFI and the Diversity Team collaborate with other community agencies and businesses throughout the Milwaukee area to spread an understanding of diversity and the vision of MCFI (MCFI, 2012). The managerial principles behind the Milwaukee Center for Independence Diversity Team include members that represent a cross-section of the organization, which is structured to reflect the agency wide culture.In addition, the Diversity Team and its Director, Al Hill, have developed tracking systems to watch and ensure the progress of the agency and team mission, vision, and goals, such as the community outreach programs. Further, the team stays linked with key agency internal and external functions, such as within Human Resources, communication, and training and development team’s agency wide. MCFI was recognized for its achievements in the area of diversity within the workforce. MCFI won the 2009 Awa rd of Excellence from the Wisconsin Association of Equal Opportunity.In addition, MCFI was honored with the 2010 Wisconsin State Society for Human Resource Management’s Workplace Diversity Award. MCFI goes far beyond mere diversity training, expanding to the creation of an inclusive work environment. MCFI’s dedication to diversity in the workplace encourages creative thinking. The agencies clients and employees represent a full spectrum of ages, disabilities, education levels, ethnicities, religions, experiences, sexual orientation, gender, opinions, beliefs, and races.MCFI considers diversity as not just a moral obligation, but visions it as imperative to the success of the organization, which is reaching as many individuals and families with special needs as possible. The MCFI Diversity Team includes internal employees as well as individuals from its affiliates and community agencies. The main objective of MCFI and the Diversity Team is to be the main point of refere nce for inclusion and diversity among non-profit agencies throughout the immediate and outlying communities.Additional visions of MCFI are to be the premier agency for client, vender, and employee choice in regards to services, business affiliation, and employment opportunity. I am confident in saying that MCFI is an excellent place to feel welcome, allowing myself and others to express their individuality. MCFI also allows each employee and client to learn about what makes others different, yet similar, and supporting the acceptance of all human difference. One of the positive impacts of MCFI diversity initiatives is the opportunity given to everyone to see things from different perspectives.Their voice and perspectives are heard in a safe, nonjudgmental, and bias free environment. Working with others with different attitudes, beliefs, and values provide an outstanding opportunity to expand individual knowledge, which only assists to better service the clients of the agency. Along with increased diversity comes an increase in different perspectives providing unique viewpoints for problem solving as well as co-worker and client interaction. At times, there may be barriers in effectively creating a diverse workplace.It is essential to incorporate diversity programs into the company or organizations strategic plan. Further, diversity training should also be tied into a company’ vision, goals, and objectives. In order to execute diversity training and awareness successfully, an organization or company must clearly communicate the main objectives of diversity training; establish a means of reinforcement and metrics to measure the effectiveness. In addition, a company or organization must include both minority and majority groups in strategic planning and implementation of a diversity program.I have seen and read much information on diversity and cultural training within the organization I am employed. The organization keeps its employees engaged in diversit y training throughout the year. Monthly conferences are available on site to all internal staff and community guests. Conferences include topics such as the understanding of specific types of behavioral health issues and disabilities. Additionally, guest speakers come throughout Hispanic, African American, and Hmong Culture Awareness months. The opportunities to engage in and open up to awareness of different cultures at MCFI are endless.Issues and problems within the diverse workplace of MCFI are handled with an understanding that individuals are different. Employees of the organization are single mothers and fathers, individuals with disabilities, student’s health issues, and all from different religious, ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds and heritage. I have personal experience issues that I needed to address with management. As a full time student and a full time employee, who believe in the importance of family and work/life balance, the organization listened to m y need for time off and alternate schedules to accommodate my life.Flexibility in the work place also allows for such things as difference cultural rituals and holiday celebrations that are outside the norm of western culture. I believe it is crucial for companies and organizations to consider an individual’s differences to allow for some flexibility concerning individual culture differences and life changes. With that, employees remain happy in the work place and continue to work toward the company's mission and continue to be a productive team member. References MCFI. (2012). Diversity mission and vision. Retrieved from http://www. mcfi. net/MCFI-Diversity/Mission-Vision. htm

Managing a police service Area Essay

Commanders managing a police service area faced with a number of challenges. Some of these include corruption, racial profiling, and poor cooperation and relationship between the police force and the local community. All this problems have been attributed among other reasons to insufficient training of law enforcement, discriminative administration, and lack of employee engagement. Therefore, managing a police service area challenges can be mitigated by ensuring a highly motivated and trained police force as well as engaging the community to enhance their appreciation of the police. Corruption has been cited as a major problem compromising the effectiveness of the police force. According to available statistical evidence, the problem of drug dealings is increasing becoming an issue of national concern in the American nation. This is despite the fact that the law enforcement has the potential to identify, mitigate or prosecute the offenders. However, the problem of corruption has been closely attributed to poor motivation to police officers as well as lack of an effective channel for getting public feedback on the conduct of police officers. Another problem facing commanders managing a police service area is poor communication and cooperation of police officers and the community. The community is evidently identified as a crucial tool for aiding in the identification and mitigation in the community. Therefore, poor relationships between local law enforcement and the community serve only to escalate crime in the community, a negation to the sole duty of the police service area commander. Indeed, such poor relationships are a major threaten to the life of officers as they are perceived by the community as enemies rather than just and fair law enforcer. The third challenge affecting commanders managing a police service area is racial profiling. Racial discrimination in the law enforcement agencies has been a major critic from the general public. The sole duty of all police officers is to ensure sustainable peace and security in the community. This means that police officers should function to investigate on suspected crime offenders based on substantial evidence rather than based on their race, nationality, and ethnicity. It is this practices which remains a major challenge for commanders to oversee the fair and just enforcement of the rule of the law. As a police manager, there are a number of actions I would take to mitigate these problems. First, I would ensure implementation policies as a way of mitigating the problem of police corruption. Such practices would include increment of payment and service allowances for the police. Other could be engaging officers in retirement benefit schemes as well as providing job security. This is because I believe that most officers engage in corruption as a way of accumulating extra earnings for their present and future needs. On the problem of poor relationship between police and community as well as racial profiling, I would ensure the introduction of a comprehensive police training scheme. Skilled and reliable police officers should high sufficient skills on public relations. Such training will also equip the officers with the necessary skills of dealing with a diverse population, a factor that could compromise racial profiling. The biggest problem causing poor relationship between the police and the community is poor communication. To eliminate this problem, I would encourage interactive sections between the police and the community members as a way of breaking the current relational gap.

Horace “Adversity” Discussion Board

Discussion Board Essay #1 â€Å"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant,† by Roman poet, Horace. His statement implies that only misfortune may bring forth greatness. Ruin reveals true genius, in clover conceals it. The quote, â€Å"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant,† by Roman poet, Horace, wouldn’t mean much to me if it wasn’t so utterly true.Everyone faces some sort of adversity throughout their lifetime. Adversities or obstacles agreeably involve weighing one’s options and then deciding what to do. The decisions we make shape who we are. So consequently adversity plays a crucial role in developing a person’s character. In Richard Rodriguez’s Hunger of Memory, Rodriguez is left feeling socially disadvantaged from his inability to speak English. He also had Mexican immigrants as a child which coupled wi th all his other â€Å"disadvantages† led him to be studious.He became distant from his family and chose to become a student: looking towards teachers for role models. Without this disadvantage/ adversity, he wouldn’t have realized his true potential as a student and writer. How we handle adversity is what matters†¦ Take a common scenario, therapy for example, in consideration when viewing adversity. In almost all situations the psychologist will let you pour out all your emotions and troubles (adversity).He or she will then ask you how you feel and offer words of wisdom. Then you’ll make your decision. The psychologist will usher concepts of â€Å"taking responsibility† and action. Whether or not someone heeds this advice is up to the person and the path taken will always shape someone’s character. When facing adversity I would try to be optimistic, opting never to quit. I know the challenges of my life have made me who I am today and it has brought out a lot of my talents.If I had more smothering, wealthy parents, â€Å"prosperous circumstances†, I wouldn’t have been even remotely near the person that I am today†¦ The fact that I felt distant from my family at a young age caused me to be more independent (in school). I practically forced myself to learn, looking up to teachers as role models. In turn, I absorbed the merits my teachers valued. Because of them I always try my best and put quality over quantity. The extra attention to quality I gained has caused me to think more creatively and become more in tune with my artistic side. Word Count: 409

Humanities are not useless Essay

Humanities are the subjects such as history, philosophy, and literature which are concerned with human ideas and behaviors. This is only a general idea. The deeper meaning of studying humanities is that it is an academic approach to understanding people better, a way to enable us to develop better not only through four years university life but also in one’s entire life. Some people may say that humanities are useless because people cannot make considerable money with them. However, that is not the truth. Once someone has realized the value of studying humanities, this will be beneficial for his or her life. I study humanities because I believe I will gain plenty of meanings of life through the learning process. Most people think that humanities are useless, my mother is one of those people. She is always asking me that why would you waste our money and your time on such useless stuff. However, my father does not think so, he believes that everything has its own value, even humanities. In this case, I strongly agree with my father. The reason why my mother thinks that humanities are useless is that people cannot make good money with them; the jobs related to humanities are not well-paid. Actually this is a generalization which people have commonly. Nevertheless, people who think so are wrong. The truth is opposite. According to the article â€Å"Liberal Arts and the Advantages of Being Useless†, the author explains that even people with Liberal Arts degree have pretty much the same chance as other majors to end up making good money. Although humanities are useless for maximal one’s salary immediately after graduation, and bring a slightly greater risk of unemployment immediately after graduation, there is good evidence that Liberal Arts majors tend to earn higher salaries by midcareer. Besides, life is short, and it should not be all about money. There are other intangible things to pursue. â€Å"There are lessons to be learned from the humanities that were not available anywhere else† said by Julia T. Cadenhead(2001). According to the Syllabus of ACMA01, courses in humanities explore such fundamental questions as how we use language, how our ideas and thoughts on the human experience are expressed and interpreted, how we determine value of meaning, how we define ideas such as †truth† â€Å"beauty†, and â€Å"arts†. They consider ideas about meaning of life, the reasons for our thoughts and actions, and the values and principles that inform our laws, norms and customs those written and unwritten. Unlike science, there are not standard answers to these questions. Furthermore, different people grew up in different environments, they have various cultures, backgrounds, and languages. Studying humanities make people think in different ways and experience a journey that they have never taken before. In addition, people who are studying humanities are becoming more comprehensive and compassionate about one’s self and one’s community. Different from other subjects such as medicine and law which make people useful for specific purposes, humanities make people better citizens. During the learning process, people gain self-improvements because studying humanities can make people think meaningful questions that somehow change people’s life in a good way. For example, many prisoners do not have religions before they go to prison, but some of these people are found through religions. When they are not only learning religions but studying humanities as a whole, they reflect what they have done. They can tell the rights from wrongs. They are becoming better. After they are released from prison, they behave well, they become useful citizens. This is beneficial for both society and individuals. Humanities are not useless. They can make you earn considerable money; they can make you gain self-improvements; they can make you question things that may change your life. Once someone has discovered the value of studying humanities, his or her life will change. Reference: Jones, Nichlaos. â€Å"Liberal Arts, and the Advantages of Being Useless. † Academia. edu. n. p. n. d. Web. 5 Sept. 2013.

Thesis on the book Vox by Nicholson Baker Proposal

On the book Vox by Nicholson Baker - Thesis Proposal Example He further presents that the book could not have been published at a better time considering that this is currently an era shadowed with AIDS and other forms of self exploration. When the two main characters in the book get together through technology, they seem to have begun a new kind of hands-on relationship that is less risky and greatly influenced by technology (ODonnell, 2011: The Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Fiction). The book remarkably describes the activities that actually takes place in the real world for instance, it is a common occurrence for most young adults to meet at adult parties and establish a sexual relationship on that instant as it was the case with Abby and Jim, the two main characters in Vox. Baker employs a rather bold technique in describing the unfolding of events between the two especially in which they open up to each other in what first appears to be some form of striptease that gradually turns out into a passionate revelation of truth and fantasies. A careful analysis of Vox will also bring into the readers realization that youths in the contemporary societies do not have any regard in initial courtship and will only focus their minds on sexual activities. In his book, Baker also tries to reveal that there are a number of media through which sexual activities can be perpetrated within the society such as through the phone as evident through the two main characters in the book (Fuller, 1996: Media-mediated relationships: straight and gay, mainstream and alternative perspectives). Considering that sex is part and parcel of humanity right from the time of the ancestors up until now, the novel has considerably strived to present just how this natural human need has continued to be a focal point in our contemporary cultures just as it was in the past. As such, the book therefore presents us with an issue that stirs a mixture of

Summry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summry - Assignment Example The front view is shown as full section. This kind of section is advantageous when the object is symmetrical about a centre line. Here, full section view may not be necessary. In this case, a half sectional view is drawn as a front view which shows internal details of half the component. In cases where full information cannot be obtained if the section is taken along the centre line, offset section is used. To obtain full details the cutting plane is offset by 90 degrees to pass through all the holes and slots. The advantage of this section lies where there are elongated parts of the object are also present. This is used to show the transverse section of one part of object. The cutting plane is shown in section by cutting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. An adjacent view is obtained by rotating the cut section by 90 degrees. The Disadvantage of this kind of section is that when too many parts are present then using this section view may get complicated. In such cases, removed section proves to be advantageous as the section are shown removed from the front view located adjacently. This kind of sectional view has its own advantage as it does not use a cutting plane at all. Instead, the section view is shown with the front view and a jagged line is used to show the break. Hence, one may chose to break the object any way which helps showing the full internal details. The disadvantage of this view is that it may some how become difficult to decide how to introduce the break. In case, the object has elongated parts, the application of this section may become very