summary of social cognition essays

summary of social cognition essays CHAPTER 17: SOCIAL COGNITION AND EFFECT Social psychology is the study of how people think and feel about their social world and how they interact and influence one another. - Social psychologists begin with the basic observation that human behaviour is a function of both the person and the situation. - Research has repeatedly shown that situations are more powerful determinants of behaviour than our intuitions lead us to believe. - Individuals, however, do not react simply to the objective features of situations but to their subjective interpretations of them. Intuitive Theories of Social Behaviour - In attempting to understand people, we act like informal scientists and construct our own intuitive theories of human behaviour. In doing so we face the same basic tasks as the formal scientist: 2. We attempt to detact covariation or correlation, to discern what goes with what. 3. We try to infer cause and effect, to evaluate what causes what. - We go through this same process in trying to understand ourselves: 1. We observe our own thoughts, feelings or actions. 2. We attempt to detect covariation. 3. We try to infer cause and effect. - Our intuitive attempts to apply scientific reasoning to everyday life work surprisingly well. However, our theories can actually shape our perceptions of data, distort our estimates of covariation, and bias our evaluations of cause and effect. - The first difficulty we face as informal scientists is that of collecting data in a systematic and unbiased way. - When, as informal survey researchers, we try to make the estimate of a representative sample intuitively, our major source of data is likely to be the people we know personally. Obviously, this is not a represantative sample of the population. - Another major source of data is the mass media, which also provide nonrandom and nonrepresentative sample: the data mass media gives us ...

Ideas for Teaching Life Skills in School

Ideas for Teaching Life Skills in School Functional life skills are skills that we acquire in order to live a better, more fulfilling life. They enable us to exist happily in our families, and in the societies in which we are born. For more typical learners, functional life skills are  often directed at the goal of finding and keeping a job. Examples of typical functional life skills topics for curricula are preparing for job interviews, learning how to dress professionally, and how to determine living expenses. But occupational skills are not the only area of life skills that can be taught in schools. Kinds of Life Skills The three major life skills areas are daily living, personal and social skills, and occupational skills. Daily living skills range from cooking and cleaning to managing a personal budget. They are the skills necessary for supporting a family and running a household. Personal and social skills help nurture the relationships that students will have outside of school: in the workplace, in the community, and the relationships they will have with themselves. Occupational skills, as discussed, are focused on finding and keeping employment. Why Are Life Skills Important? The key element in most of these curricula is a transition, preparing students to eventually become responsible young adults. For the special ed student, transition goals may be more modest, but these students also benefit from a life skills curriculum- perhaps even more so than typical learners. 70-80% of disabled adults are unemployed after graduating from high school when with a head start, many can join the mainstream of society. The list below is intended to provide teachers with great programming ideas to support responsibility and life skills training for all students. In the Classroom Help with taking down or putting up bulletin boards.Care for plants or pets.Organize materials such as pencils, books, crayons, etc.Hand out completed assignments.Distribute newsletters or other materials.Help with checklists for money for trips, food, or permissions forms.Clean chalk- or whiteboards and brushes. In the Gym Help with any setup.Prepare the gym space for assemblies.Help to keep the gyms storage room organized. Throughout the School Pick up and deliver audio/visual equipment to classrooms.Help in the library by returning books to shelves and repairing damaged books.Wipe down computer monitors and shut them down each day.Clean the computer keyboards with slightly damp paintbrushes.Distribute the attendance records back to classes for the morning.Help keep the teachers lounge tidy. Help in the Office Bring mail and newsletters to the staff mailboxes or deliver to each of the classrooms.Help photocopy materials and count them into their piles as per need.Collate photocopied materials.Alphabetize any files that need sorting. Supporting the Custodian Help with regular school maintenance: sweeping, floor polishing, shoveling, window cleaning, dusting, and any outdoor maintenance. For the Teacher Everyone needs life skills for daily, personal functioning. However, some students will require repetition, redundancy, review and regular reinforcement to become successful. Dont take anything for granted.Teach, model, let the student try, support and reinforce the skill.Reinforcing may be required on each new day the child performs the skill required.Be patient, understanding and persevere.

Does a diasporic identity erase, alter, re-creat or negate this Essay

Does a diasporic identity erase, alter, re-creat or negate this obsession with chinea obvious in much of 20 century chinese literature - Essay Example Chinese authors have bared their souls through printed text that clearly displays divergent views about what it is about China that makes it citizens so resilient, yet willing to submit to a status quo element that maintains the continuity of the good and bad sides of Chinese society. C.T. Hsia has made strong assertions in the article, â€Å"Obsession with China: The Moral Burden of Modern Chinese Literature†. To truly understand Hsia’s views, it is essential that we carefully analyze key excerpts of the article. Note the following: â€Å"What distinguishes the â€Å"modern† phase of Chinese literature from the traditional phase is rather its burden of moral contemplation: its obsessive concern with China as a nation afflicted with a spiritual disease and therefore unable to strengthen itself or change its set ways of inhumanity.† Chinese citizens operating from a diasporic identity clearly feel it is their duty to articulate the horrors that occur in china concerning oppression of and human rights abuses against Chinese citizens. Theoretically, where traditional Chinese literature required and in many cases demanded compliance from Chinese authors in representing China as the government would have the world see it instead of how it was operating in reality, Chinese citizens in the diaspora are articulating chilling excerpts of life under oppressive regimes. Surprisingly, the proponents of traditional Chinese literature represented the lower social classes in many cases. Modern authors of Chinese literature are working feverishly to bring the lower classes to the realization that they must voice their displeasure about human rights abuses that affect them and if these atrocities do not affect them, the modern authors are sparing no expense to change that reality, as the lower class citizens will have to be en listed in any successful

Are political parties still the central actors in politics Essay

Are political parties still the central actors in politics - Essay Example Politics, therefore, does not occur in a proverbial vacuum, consisting of a variety of interactions between society and the political actor and other relevant political figures that maintain responsibility for community governance. Politicians are often affiliated with a specific political party, an organisation that aims to influence the development of government party that are considered appropriate for securing the party’s objectives and agendas. Political parties serve as coalitions consisting of like-minded politicians that have the same ideologies and expectations for government. The question at hand is whether political parties are still the central actors in politics. Though political parties are highly influential and often serve as the underpinning for how politicians identify themselves comparatively to other political figures, there is little evidence that political parties are the principle actor along a political model or system. In fact, it would appear that the media is now the central actor in politics as media services a much broader role in society as it pertains to political activity. The media is able to influence politicians and societal members, promote real-time political activities, engage society about politically-relevant events, and even serve to expose questionable political behaviours. Political parties are no longer the central actor in politics. Political party affiliation is a method by which to classify a politician and their unique agendas as compared to other politicians. In the United States, political parties were established in the late 1700s when it became clear to those running for public office that they would need to garner public support to obtain a majority vote competitively (Nichols 1967). As there were no established political parties in the United States prior to 1787, the ideologies of the Republican Party and the Democratic Party (the two main parties in the country) became

Progressive Era and Gilded Age Essay Example for Free

Progressive Era and Gilded Age Essay In Walter Nugent’s book Progressivism: A Very Short Introduction, he claims Progressivism emerged as a response to the Gilded Age, an unfortunate era that left the average working Americans poor while a new class of wealthier people started to rise. Nugent explains to us the breakdown of Progressivism and what occurred when it struck our nation. Progressivism began to come together in the end of the 1800s due to the ills of American Society that had developed during the great spurt of industrial growth. It shaped and progressed from 1900 to 1917 and finally started to disappear from 1917 to the early 1920s. Nugent claims Progressivism emerged as a response to the Gilded Age, an unfortunate era that left the average working Americans poor while a new class of wealthier people started to rise. For once, Americans sensed change in their society. Some change for the good but most of it for the worse. Nugent talks about how cities began growing up faster than the blink of an eye. The railroad companies started to turn into monopolies. Unfortunately, more problems started to rise in America other than this one. The rich became wealthier and the poor became poorer. The nation had also previously faced a serious recession from 1893-1896, and recovery did not actually really begin until 1897. Other factors that occurred during the progressive era: prostitution and alcohol abuse, the great railroad strike of 1877, and the Homestead Strike. The main progressive leaders, such as, Theodore Roosevelt, William Jennings Bryan, and Woodrow Wilson stepped in to make a difference. Theodore Roosevelt claimed he backed up the middle class and showed no mercy toward monopolies. Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson accomplished many things such as: the 16th amendment which modified the structure of taxation, demolishing the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to dissolve trust so the railroads would not create a complete monopoly in the North West part of the country, the 18th amendment which banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol, and the passing of the Woman’s Suffrage Act in 1920 which allowed women to have larger roles in issues with our society. However, according to Nugent, reformers such as Jane Addams, W. E. B DuBois, and Booker T. Washington also had a huge impact on the Progressive Era as well. Addams founded settlement houses like the famous Hull House, where immigrants and the poor resided. The Hull- House also showed change could come without overthrowing the political and economic system. DuBois, head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), helped to reduce discrimination. Nugent later describes what occurred in America when Progressivism slowly started to die out. It considered to have ended with the outbreak of the First World War. The war left over 53,000 killed in combat while 63,000 died from other causes. A Flu pandemic also struck which killed roughly 600,000 Americans. In conclusion the progressive era had rough times. Although not everything turned out completely successful, it did put America in the position it needed to be in in order to achieve success.

Encouraging Girls in Math and Science Essay -- Essays Papers

Encouraging Girls in Math and Science An ideal classroom in an elementary school would allow both boys and girls to learn fairly, equally, and also be encouraged to be involved in the classroom. The teacher would expect the same effort from the boys as well as the girls. The teacher would implement a respectful atmosphere where the teacher as well as the students would respect one another. The reality is that girls quickly become discouraged to pursue math and/or science related careers. Girls lose their self-esteem from experiencing negative attitudes from their teachers as well as from the boys in their class. Girls are not encouraged to participate in math and science, and they feel that they are not capable of doing well in these subjects. The low self-esteem is reflected on girls’ actions and choices. Girls become at risk for dropping out of high school, experiencing gender bias in the classroom and on their assessment tests, not enrolling in math and/or science classes, teen pregnancy, and possibly experiencing sexual harassment at school. Therefore, I believe that it is extremely important that teachers realize these risks and try to find solutions in their teaching methods and assessments. Even though drop-out rates are higher among boys than girls, the number of girls who do not return to school or get their GED is higher than boys. Many reasons that girls drop out of school reflect: â€Å"a sense of alienation from school: a lack of individual success and/or that school is not worthwhile†. (MAEC, 1993) Reasons include: â€Å"having a large number of siblings, mother’s educational level, and belief in traditional gender-role stereotypes†. (MAEC, 1993) Girls who don’... ...esearch Matters - to the Science Teacher. Retrieved on March 20, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/class.htm Kahle, Jane Butler. (1985) Encouraging Girls in Science Courses and Careers. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/encourage/htm Kahle, Jane Butler and Arta Damnjanovic. (1997) How Research Helps Address Gender Equity. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/gender2.htm The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. (1993) Beyond Title IX: Gender Equity Issues in Schools. Retrieved on March 17, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.maec.org/beyond.html NEA. (2001) Be an advocate for gender equity in your classroom, school, and district. Retrieved on March 18, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.nea.org/bt/1-students/1-3-q-b.html Encouraging Girls in Math and Science Essay -- Essays Papers Encouraging Girls in Math and Science An ideal classroom in an elementary school would allow both boys and girls to learn fairly, equally, and also be encouraged to be involved in the classroom. The teacher would expect the same effort from the boys as well as the girls. The teacher would implement a respectful atmosphere where the teacher as well as the students would respect one another. The reality is that girls quickly become discouraged to pursue math and/or science related careers. Girls lose their self-esteem from experiencing negative attitudes from their teachers as well as from the boys in their class. Girls are not encouraged to participate in math and science, and they feel that they are not capable of doing well in these subjects. The low self-esteem is reflected on girls’ actions and choices. Girls become at risk for dropping out of high school, experiencing gender bias in the classroom and on their assessment tests, not enrolling in math and/or science classes, teen pregnancy, and possibly experiencing sexual harassment at school. Therefore, I believe that it is extremely important that teachers realize these risks and try to find solutions in their teaching methods and assessments. Even though drop-out rates are higher among boys than girls, the number of girls who do not return to school or get their GED is higher than boys. Many reasons that girls drop out of school reflect: â€Å"a sense of alienation from school: a lack of individual success and/or that school is not worthwhile†. (MAEC, 1993) Reasons include: â€Å"having a large number of siblings, mother’s educational level, and belief in traditional gender-role stereotypes†. (MAEC, 1993) Girls who don’... ...esearch Matters - to the Science Teacher. Retrieved on March 20, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/class.htm Kahle, Jane Butler. (1985) Encouraging Girls in Science Courses and Careers. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/encourage/htm Kahle, Jane Butler and Arta Damnjanovic. (1997) How Research Helps Address Gender Equity. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/gender2.htm The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. (1993) Beyond Title IX: Gender Equity Issues in Schools. Retrieved on March 17, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.maec.org/beyond.html NEA. (2001) Be an advocate for gender equity in your classroom, school, and district. Retrieved on March 18, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.nea.org/bt/1-students/1-3-q-b.html

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 2. EVASION

I FELT ODDLY BUOYANT AS I WALKED FROM SPANISH toward the cafeteria, and it wasn't just because I was holding hands with the most perfect person on the planet, though that was certainly part of it. Maybe it was the knowledge that my sentence was served and I was a free woman again. Or maybe it wasn't anything to do with me specifically. Maybe it was the atmosphere of freedom that hung over the entire campus. School was winding down, and, for the senior class especially, there was a perceptible thrill in the air. Freedom was so close it was touchable, taste-able. Signs of it were everywhere. Posters crowded together on the cafeteria walls, and the trashcans wore a colorful skirt of spilled-over fliers: reminders to buy yearbooks, class rings, and announcements; deadlines to order graduation gowns, hats, and tassels; neon- bright sales pitches – the juniors campaigning for class office; ominous, rose-wreathed advertisements for this year's prom. The big dance was this coming weekend, but I had an ironclad promise from Edward that I would not be subjected to that again. After all, I'd already had that human experience. No, it must be my personal freedom that lightened me today. The ending of the school year did not give me the pleasure it seemed to give the other students. Actually, I felt nervous to the point of nausea whenever I thought of it. I tried to not think of it. But it was hard to escape such an omnipresent topic as graduation. â€Å"Have you sent your announcements, yet?† Angela asked when Edward and I sat down at our table. She had her light brown hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail instead of her usual smooth hairdo, and there was a slightly frantic look about her eyes. Alice and Ben were already there, too, on either side of Angela. Ben was intent over a comic book, his glasses sliding down his narrow nose. Alice was scrutinizing my boring jeans-and-a-t-shirt outfit in a way that made me self-conscious. Probably plotting another makeover. I sighed. My indifferent attitude to fashion was a constant thorn in her side. If I'd allow it, she'd love to dress me every day – perhaps several times a day – like some oversized three-dimensional paper doll. â€Å"No,† I answered Angela. â€Å"There's no point, really. Rene knows when I'm graduating. Who else is there?† â€Å"How about you, Alice?† Alice smiled. â€Å"All done.† â€Å"Lucky you.† Angela sighed. â€Å"My mother has a thousand cousins and she expects me to hand-address one to everybody. I'm going to get carpal tunnel. I can't put it off any longer and I'm just dreading it.† â€Å"I'll help you,† I volunteered. â€Å"If you don't mind my awful handwriting.† Charlie would like that. From the corner of my eye, I saw Edward smile. He must like that, too – me fulfilling Charlie's conditions without involving werewolves. Angela looked relieved. â€Å"That's so nice of you. I'll come over any time you want.† â€Å"Actually, I'd rather go to your house if that's okay – I'm sick of mine. Charlie un-grounded me last night.† I grinned as I announced my good news. â€Å"Really?† Angela asked, mild excitement lighting her always-gentle brown eyes. â€Å"I thought you said you were in for life.† â€Å"I'm more surprised than you are. I was sure I would at least have finished high school before he set me free.† â€Å"Well, this is great, Bella! We'll have to go out to celebrate.† â€Å"You have no idea how good that sounds.† â€Å"What should we do?† Alice mused, her face lighting up at the possibilities. Alice's ideas were usually a little grandiose for me, and I could see it in her eyes now – the tendency to take things too far kicking into action. â€Å"Whatever you're thinking, Alice, I doubt I'm that free.† â€Å"Free is free, right?† she insisted. â€Å"I'm sure I still have boundaries – like the continental U.S., for example.† Angela and Ben laughed, but Alice grimaced in real disappointment. â€Å"So what are we doing tonight?† she persisted. â€Å"Nothing. Look, let's give it a couple of days to make sure he wasn't joking. It's a school night, anyway.† â€Å"We'll celebrate this weekend, then.† Alice's enthusiasm was impossible to repress. â€Å"Sure,† I said, hoping to placate her. I knew I wasn't going to do anything too outlandish; it would be safer to take it slow with Charlie. Give him a chance to appreciate how trustworthy and mature I was before I asked for any favors. Angela and Alice started talking about options; Ben joined the conversation, setting his comics aside. My attention drifted. I was surprised to find that the subject of my freedom was suddenly not as gratifying as it had been just a moment ago. While they discussed things to do in Port Angeles or maybe Hoquiam, I began to feel disgruntled. It didn't take long to determine where my restlessness stemmed from. Ever since I'd said goodbye to Jacob Black in the forest outside my home, I'd been plagued by a persistent, uncomfortable intrusion of a specific mental picture. It popped into my thoughts at regular intervals like some annoying alarm clock set to sound every half hour, filling my head with the image of Jacob's face crumpled in pain. This was the last memory I had of him. As the disturbing vision struck again, I knew exactly why I was dissatisfied with my liberty. Because it was incomplete. Sure, I was free to go to anywhere I wanted – except La Push; free to do anything I wanted – except see Jacob. I frowned at the table. There had to be some kind of middle ground. â€Å"Alice? Alice!† Angela's voice yanked me from my reverie. She was waving her hand back and forth in front of Alice's blank, staring face. Alice's expression was something I recognized – an expression that sent an automatic shock of panic through my body. The vacant look in her eyes told me that she was seeing something very different from the mundane lunchroom scene that surrounded us, but something that was every bit as real in its own way. Something that was coming, something that would happen soon. I felt the blood slither from my face. Then Edward laughed, a very natural, relaxed sound. Angela and Ben looked toward him, but my eyes were locked on Alice. She jumped suddenly, as if someone had kicked her under the table. â€Å"Is it naptime already, Alice?† Edward teased. Alice was herself again. â€Å"Sorry, I was daydreaming, I guess.† â€Å"Daydreaming's better than facing two more hours of school,† Ben said. Alice threw herself back into the conversation with more animation than before – just a little bit too much. Once I saw her eyes lock with Edward's, only for a moment, and then she looked back to Angela before anyone else noticed. Edward was quiet, playing absentmindedly with a strand of my hair. I waited anxiously for a chance to ask Edward what Alice had seen in her vision, but the afternoon passed without one minute of alone time. It felt odd to me, almost deliberate. After lunch, Edward slowed his pace to match Ben's, talking about some assignment I knew he'd already finished. Then there was always someone else there between classes, though we usually had a few minutes to ourselves. When the final bell rang, Edward struck up a conversation with Mike Newton of all people, falling into step beside him as Mike headed for the parking lot. I trailed behind, letting Edward tow me along. I listened, confused, while Mike answered Edward's unusually friendly queries. It seemed Mike was having car troubles. â€Å". . . but I just replaced the battery,† Mike was saying. His eyes darted ahead and then back to Edward warily. Mystified, just like I was. â€Å"Perhaps it's the cables?† Edward offered. â€Å"Maybe. I really don't know anything about cars,† Mike admitted. â€Å"I need to have someone look at it, but I can't afford to take it to Dowling's.† I opened my mouth to suggest my mechanic, and then snapped it shut again. My mechanic was busy these days – busy running around as a giant wolf. â€Å"I know a few things – I could take a look, if you like,† Edward offered. â€Å"Just let me drop Alice and Bella at home.† Mike and I both stared at Edward with our mouths hanging open. â€Å"Er . . . thanks,† Mike mumbled when he recovered. â€Å"But I have to get to work. Maybe some other time.† â€Å"Absolutely.† â€Å"See ya.† Mike climbed into his car, shaking his head in disbelief. Edward's Volvo, with Alice already inside, was just two cars away. â€Å"What was that about?† I muttered as Edward held the passenger door for me. â€Å"Just being helpful,† Edward answered. And then Alice, waiting in the backseat, was babbling at top speed. â€Å"You're really not that good a mechanic, Edward. Maybe you should have Rosalie take a look at it tonight, just so you look good if Mike decides to let you help, you know. Not that it wouldn't be fun to watch his face if Rosalie showed up to help. But since Rosalie is supposed to be across the country attending college, I guess that's not the best idea. Too bad. Though I suppose, for Mike's car, you'll do. It's only within the finer tunings of a good Italian sports car that you're out of your depth. And speaking of Italy and sports cars that I stole there, you still owe me a yellow Porsche. I don't know that I want to wait for Christmas. . . .† I stopped listening after a minute, letting her quick voice become just a hum in the background as I settled into my patient mode. It looked to me like Edward was trying to avoid my questions. Fine. He would have to be alone with me soon enough. It was only a matter of time. Edward seemed to realize that, too. He dropped Alice at the mouth of the Cullens' drive as usual, though by this point I half expected him to drive her to the door and walk her in. As she got out, Alice threw a sharp look at his face. Edward seemed completely at ease. â€Å"See you later,† he said. And then, ever so slightly, he nodded. Alice turned to disappear into the trees. He was quiet as he turned the car around and headed back to Forks. I waited, wondering if he would bring it up himself. He didn't, and this made me tense. What had Alice seen today at lunch? Something he didn't want to tell me, and I tried to think of a reason why he would keep secrets. Maybe it would be better to prepare myself before I asked. I didn't want to freak out and have him think I couldn't handle it, whatever it was. So we were both silent until we got to back to Charlie's house. â€Å"Light homework load tonight,† he commented. â€Å"Mmm,† I assented. â€Å"Do you suppose I'm allowed inside again?† â€Å"Charlie didn't throw a fit when you picked me up for school.† But I was sure Charlie was going to turn sulky fast when he got home and found Edward here. Maybe I should make something extra-special for dinner. Inside, I headed up the stairs, and Edward followed. He lounged on my bed and gazed out the window, seeming oblivious to my edginess. I stowed my bag and turned the computer on. There was an unanswered e-mail from my mom to attend to, and she got panicky when I took too long. I drummed my fingers as I waited for my decrepit computer to wheeze awake; they snapped against the desk, staccato and anxious. And then his fingers were on mine, holding them still. â€Å"Are we a little impatient today?† he murmured. I looked up, intending to make a sarcastic remark, but his face was closer than I'd expected. His golden eyes were smoldering, just inches away, and his breath was cool against my open lips. I could taste his scent on my tongue. I couldn't remember the witty response I'd been about to make. I couldn't remember my name. He didn't give me a chance to recover. If I had my way, I would spend the majority of my time kissing Edward. There wasn't anything I'd experienced in my life that compared to the feeling of his cool lips, marble hard but always so gentle, moving with mine. I didn't often get my way. So it surprised me a little when his fingers braided themselves into my hair, securing my face to his. My arms locked behind his neck, and I wished I was stronger – strong enough to keep him prisoner here. One hand slid down my back, pressing me tighter against his stone chest. Even through his sweater, his skin was cold enough to make me shiver – it was a shiver of pleasure, of happiness, but his hands began to loosen in response. I knew I had about three seconds before he would sigh and slide me deftly away, saying something about how we'd risked my life enough for one afternoon. Making the most of my last seconds, I crushed myself closer, molding myself to the shape of him. The tip of my tongue traced the curve of his lower lip; it was as flawlessly smooth as if it had been polished, and the taste – He pulled my face away from his, breaking my hold with ease – he probably didn't even realize that I was using all my strength. He chuckled once, a low, throaty sound. His eyes were bright with the excitement he so rigidly disciplined. â€Å"Ah, Bella.† He sighed. â€Å"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not.† â€Å"And I should feel sorry that you're not sorry, but I don't. Maybe I should go sit on the bed.† I exhaled a little dizzily. â€Å"If you think that's necessary. . . .† He smiled crookedly and disentangled himself. I shook my head a few times, trying to clear it, and turned back to my computer. It was all warmed up and humming now. Well, not as much humming as groaning. â€Å"Tell Rene I said hello.† â€Å"Sure thing.† I scanned through Rene's e-mail, shaking my head now and then at some of the dippier things she'd done. I was just as entertained and horrified as the first time I'd read this. It was so like my mother to forget exactly how paralyzed she was by heights until she was already strapped to a parachute and a dive instructor. I felt a little frustrated with Phil, her husband of almost two years, for allowing that one. I would have taken better care of her. I knew her so much better. You have to let them go their own way eventually, I reminded myself. You have to let them have their own life. . . . I'd spent most of my life taking care of Rene, patiently guiding her away from her craziest plans, good- naturedly enduring the ones I couldn't talk her out of. I'd always been indulgent with my mom, amused by her, even a little condescending to her. I saw her cornucopia of mistakes and laughed privately to myself. Scatterbrained Rene. I was a very different person from my mother. Someone thoughtful and cautious. The responsible one, the grown-up. That's how I saw myself. That was the person I knew. With the blood still pounding inmy head from Edward's kiss, I couldn't help but think of my mother's most life-altering mistake. Silly and romantic, getting married fresh out of high school to a man she barely knew, then producing me a year later. She'd always promised me that she had no regrets, that I was the best gift her life had ever given her. And yet she'd drilled it into me over and over – smart people took marriage seriously. Mature people went to college and started careers before they got deeply involved in a relationship. She knew I would never be as thoughtless and goofy and small-town as she'd been. . . . I gritted my teeth and tried to concentrate as I answered her letter. Then I hit her parting line and remembered why I'd neglected to write sooner. You haven't said anything about Jacob in a long time, she'd written. What's he up to these days? Charlie was prompting her, I was sure. I sighed and typed quickly, tucking the answer to her question between two less sensitive paragraphs. Jacob is fine, I guess. I don't see him much; he spends most of his time with a pack of his friends down at La Push these days. Smiling wryly to myself, I added Edward's greeting and hit â€Å"send.† I didn't realize that Edward was standing silently behind me again until after I'd turned off the computer and shoved away from the desk. I was about to scold him for reading over my shoulder when I realized that he wasn't paying any attention to me. He was examining a flat black box with wires curling crookedly away from the main square in a way that didn't look healthy for whatever it was. After a second, I recognized the car stereo Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper had given me for my last birthday. I'd forgotten about the birthday presents hiding under a growing pile of dust on the floor of my closet. â€Å"What did you do to this?† he asked in a horrorstruck voice. â€Å"It didn't want to come out of the dashboard.† â€Å"So you felt the need to torture it?† â€Å"You know how I am with tools. No pain was inflicted intentionally.† He shook his head, his face a mask of faux tragedy. â€Å"You killed it.† I shrugged. â€Å"Oh, well.† â€Å"It would hurt their feelings if they saw this,† he said. â€Å"I guess it's a good thing that you've been on house arrest. I'll have to get another one in place before they notice.† â€Å"Thanks, but I don't need a fancy stereo.† â€Å"It's not for your sake that I'm going to replace it.† I sighed. â€Å"You didn't get much good out of your birthday presents last year,† he said in a disgruntled voice. Suddenly, he was fanning himself with a stiff rectangle of paper. I didn't answer, for fear my voice would shake. My disastrous eighteenth birthday – with all its far- reaching consequences – wasn't something I cared to remember, and I was surprised that he would bring it up. He was even more sensitive about it than I was. â€Å"Do you realize these are about to expire?† he asked, holding the paper out to me. It was another present – the voucher for airplane tickets that Esme and Carlisle had given me so that I could visit Rene in Florida. I took a deep breath and answered in a flat voice. â€Å"No. I'd forgotten all about them, actually.† His expression was carefully bright and positive; there was no trace of any deep emotion as he continued. â€Å"Well, we still have a little time. You've been liberated . . . and we have no plans this weekend, as you refuse to go to the prom with me.† He grinned. â€Å"Why not celebrate your freedom this way?† I gasped. â€Å"By going to Florida?† â€Å"You did say something about the continental U.S. being allowable.† I glared at him, suspicious, trying to understand where this had come from. â€Å"Well?† he demanded. â€Å"Are we going to see Rene or not?† â€Å"Charlie will never allow it.† â€Å"Charlie can't keep you from visiting your mother. She still has primary custody.† â€Å"Nobody has custody of me. I'm an adult.† He flashed a brilliant smile. â€Å"Exactly.† I thought it over for a short minute before deciding that it wasn't worth the fight. Charlie would be furious – not that I was going to see Rene, but that Edward was going with me. Charlie wouldn't speak to me for months, and I'd probably end up grounded again. It was definitely smarter not to even bring it up. Maybe in a few weeks, as a graduation favor or something. But the idea of seeing my mother now, not weeks from now, was hard to resist. It had been so long since I'd seen Rene. And even longer since I'd seen her under pleasant circumstances. The last time I'd been with her in Phoenix, I'd spent the whole time in a hospital bed. The last time she'd come here, I'd been more or less catatonic. Not exactly the best memories to leave her with. And maybe, if she saw how happy I was with Edward, she would tell Charlie to ease up. Edward scrutinized my face while I deliberated. I sighed. â€Å"Not this weekend.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I don't want to fight with Charlie. Not so soon after he's forgiven me.† His eyebrows pulled together. â€Å"I think this weekend is perfect,† he muttered. I shook my head. â€Å"Another time.† â€Å"You aren't the only one who's been trapped in this house, you know.† He frowned at me. Suspicion returned. This kind of behavior was unlike him. He was always so impossibly selfless; I knew it was making me spoiled. â€Å"You can go anywhere you want,† I pointed out. â€Å"The outside world holds no interest for me without you.† I rolled my eyes at the hyperbole. â€Å"I'm serious,† he said. â€Å"Let's take the outside world slowly, all right? For example, we could start with a movie in Port Angeles. . . .† He groaned. â€Å"Never mind. We'll talk about it later.† â€Å"There's nothing left to talk about.† He shrugged. â€Å"Okay, then, new subject,† I said. I'd almost forgotten my worries about this afternoon – had that been his intention? â€Å"What did Alice see today at lunch?† My eyes were fixed on his face as I spoke, measuring his reaction. His expression was composed; there was only the slightest hardening of his topaz eyes. â€Å"She's been seeing Jasper in a strange place, somewhere in the southwest, she thinks, near his former . . . family. But he has no conscious intentions to go back.† He sighed. â€Å"It's got her worried.† â€Å"Oh.† That was nothing close to what I'd been expecting. But of course it made sense that Alice would be watching out for Jasper's future. He was her soul mate, her true other half, though they weren't as flamboyant about their relationship as Rosalie and Emmett were. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me before?† â€Å"I didn't realize you'd noticed,† he said. â€Å"It's probably nothing important, in any case.† My imagination was sadly out of control. I'd taken a perfectly normal afternoon and twisted it until it looked like Edward was going out of his way to keep things from me. I needed therapy. We went downstairs to work on our homework, just in case Charlie showed up early. Edward finished in minutes; I slogged laboriously through my calculus until I decided it was time to fix Charlie's dinner. Edward helped, making faces every so often at the raw ingredients – human food was mildly repulsive to him. I made stroganoff from Grandma Swan's recipe, because I was sucking up. It wasn't one of my favorites, but it would please Charlie. Charlie seemed to already be in a good mood when he got home. He didn't even go out of his way to be rude to Edward. Edward excused himself from eating with us, as usual. The sound of the nightly news drifted from the front room, but I doubted Edward was really watching. After forcing down three helpings, Charlie kicked his feet up on the spare chair and folded his hands contentedly across his distended stomach. â€Å"That was great, Bells.† â€Å"I'm glad you liked it. How was work?† He'd been eating with too much concentration for me to make conversation before. â€Å"Sort of slow. Well, dead slow really. Mark and I played cards for a good part of the afternoon,† he admitted with a grin. â€Å"I won, nineteen hands to seven. And then I was on the phone with Billy for a while.† I tried to keep my expression the same. â€Å"How is he?† â€Å"Good, good. His joints are bothering him a little.† â€Å"Oh. That's too bad.† â€Å"Yeah. He invited us down to visit this weekend. He was thinking of having the Clearwaters and the Uleys over too. Sort of a playoff party. . . .† â€Å"Huh,† was my genius response. But what could I say? I knew I wouldn't be allowed to hit a werewolf party, even with parental supervision. I wondered if Edward would have a problem with Charlie hanging out in La Push. Or would he suppose that, since Charlie was mostly spending time with Billy, who was only human, my father wouldn't be in danger? I got up and piled the dishes together without looking at Charlie. I dumped them into the sink and started the water. Edward appeared silently and grabbed a dishtowel. Charlie sighed and gave up for the moment, though I imagined he would revisit the subject when we were alone again. He heaved himself to his feet and headed for the TV, just like every other night. â€Å"Charlie,† Edward said in a conversational tone. Charlie stopped in the middle of his little kitchen. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Did Bella ever tell you that my parents gave her airplane tickets on her last birthday, so that she could visit Rene?† I dropped the plate I was scrubbing. It glanced off the counter and clattered noisily to the floor. It didn't break, but it spattered the room, and all three of us, with soapy water. Charlie didn't even seem to notice. â€Å"Bella?† he asked in a stunned voice. I kept my eyes on the plate as I retrieved it. â€Å"Yeah, they did.† Charlie swallowed loudly, and then his eyes narrowed as he turned back to Edward. â€Å"No, she never mentioned it.† â€Å"Hmm,† Edward murmured. â€Å"Was there a reason you brought it up?† Charlie asked in a hard voice. Edward shrugged. â€Å"They're about to expire. I think it might hurt Esme's feelings if Bella doesn't use her gift. Not that she'd say anything.† I stared at Edward in disbelief. Charlie thought for a minute. â€Å"It's probably a good idea for you to visit your mom, Bella. She'd love that. I'm surprised you didn't say anything about this, though.† â€Å"I forgot,† I admitted. He frowned. â€Å"You forgot that someone gave you plane tickets?† â€Å"Mmm,† I murmured vaguely, and turned back to the sink. â€Å"I noticed that you said they're about to expire, Edward,† Charlie went on. â€Å"How many tickets did your parents give her?† â€Å"Just one for her . . . and one for me.† The plate I dropped this time landed in the sink, so it didn't make as much noise. I could easily hear the sharp huff as my father exhaled. The blood rushed into my face, fueled by irritation and chagrin. Why was Edward doing this? I glared at the bubbles in the sink, panicking. â€Å"That's out of the question!† Charlie was abruptly in a rage, shouting the words. â€Å"Why?† Edward asked, his voice saturated with innocent surprise. â€Å"You just said it was a good idea for her to see her mother.† Charlie ignored him. â€Å"You're not going anywhere with him, young lady!† he yelled. I spun around and he was jabbing a finger at me. Anger pulsed through me automatically, an instinctive reaction to his tone. â€Å"I'm not a child, Dad. And I'm not grounded anymore, remember?† â€Å"Oh yes, you are. Starting now.† â€Å"For what?!† â€Å"Because I said so.† â€Å"Do I need to remind you that I'm a legal adult, Charlie?† â€Å"This is my house – you follow my rules!† My glare turned icy. â€Å"If that's how you want it. Do you want me to move out tonight? Or can I have a few days to pack?† Charlie's face went bright red. I instantly felt horrible for playing the move-out card. I took a deep breath and tried to make my tone more reasonable. â€Å"I'll do my time without complaining when I've done something wrong, Dad, but I'm not going to put up with your prejudices.† He sputtered, but managed nothing coherent. â€Å"Now, I know that you know that I have every right to see Mom for the weekend. You can't honestly tell me you'd object to the plan if I was going with Alice or Angela.† â€Å"Girls,† he grunted, with a nod. â€Å"Would it bother you if I took Jacob?† I'd only picked the name because I knew of my father's preference for Jacob, but I quickly wished I hadn't; Edward's teeth clenched together with an audible snap. My father struggled to compose himself before he answered. â€Å"Yes,† he said in an unconvincing voice. â€Å"That would bother me.† â€Å"You're a rotten liar, Dad.† â€Å"Bella -â€Å" â€Å"It's not like I'm headed off to Vegas to be a showgirl or anything. I'm going to see Mom,† I reminded him. â€Å"She's just as much my parental authority as you are.† He threw me a withering look. â€Å"Are you implying something about Mom's ability to look after me?† Charlie flinched at the threat implicit in my question. â€Å"You'd better hope I don't mention this to her,† I said. â€Å"You'd better not,† he warned. â€Å"I'm not happy about this, Bella.† â€Å"There's no reason for you to be upset.† He rolled his eyes, but I could tell the storm was over. I turned to pull the plug out of the sink. â€Å"So my homework is done, your dinner is done, the dishes are done, and I'm not grounded. I'm going out. I'll be back before ten-thirty.† â€Å"Where are you going?† His face, almost back to normal, flushed light red again. â€Å"I'm not sure,† I admitted. â€Å"I'll keep it within a ten-mile radius, though. Okay?† He grunted something that did not sound like approval, and stalked out of the room. Naturally, as soon as I'd won the fight, I began to feel guilty. â€Å"We're going out?† Edward asked, his voice low but enthusiastic. I turned to glower at him. â€Å"Yes. I think I'd like to speak to you alone.† He didn't look as apprehensive as I thought he should. I waited to begin until we were safely in his car. â€Å"What was that?† I demanded. â€Å"I know you want to see your mother, Bella – you've been talking about her in your sleep. Worrying actually.† â€Å"I have?† He nodded. â€Å"But, clearly, you were too much of a coward to deal with Charlie, so I interceded on your behalf.† â€Å"Interceded? You threw me to the sharks!† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"I don't think you were in any danger.† â€Å"I told you I didn't want to fight with Charlie.† â€Å"Nobody said that you had to.† I glowered at him. â€Å"I can't help myself when he gets all bossy like that – my natural teenage instincts overpower me.† He chuckled. â€Å"Well, that's not my fault.† I stared at him, speculating. He didn't seem to notice. His face was serene as he gazed out the windshield. Something was off, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Or maybe it was just my imagination again, running wild like it had this afternoon. â€Å"Does this sudden urge to see Florida have anything to do with the party at Billy's place?† His jaw flexed. â€Å"Nothing at all. It wouldn't matter if you were here or on the other side of the world, you still wouldn't be going.† It was just like with Charlie before – just like being treated as a misbehaving child. I gritted my teeth together so I wouldn't start shouting. I didn't want to fight with Edward, too. Edward sighed, and when he spoke his voice was warm and velvet again. â€Å"So what do you want to do tonight?† he asked. â€Å"Can we go to your house? I haven't seen Esme in so long.† He smiled. â€Å"She'll like that. Especially when she hears what we're doing this weekend.† I groaned in defeat. We didn't stay out late, as I'd promised. I was not surprised to see the lights still on when we pulled up in front of the house – I knew Charlie would be waiting to yell at me some more. â€Å"You'd better not come inside,† I said. â€Å"It will only make things worse.† â€Å"His thoughts are relatively calm,† Edward teased. His expression made me wonder if there was some additional joke I was missing. The corners of his mouth twitched, fighting a smile. â€Å"I'll see you later,† I muttered glumly. He laughed and kissed the top of my head. â€Å"I'll be back when Charlie's snoring.† The TV was loud when I got inside. I briefly considered trying to sneak past him. â€Å"Could you come in here, Bella?† Charlie called, sinking that plan. My feet dragged as I took the five necessary steps. â€Å"What's up, Dad?† â€Å"Did you have a nice time tonight?† he asked. He seemed ill at ease. I looked for hidden meanings in his words before I answered. â€Å"Yes,† I said hesitantly. â€Å"What did you do?† I shrugged. â€Å"Hung out with Alice and Jasper. Edward beat Alice at chess, and then I played Jasper. He buried me.† I smiled. Edward and Alice playing chess was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen. They'd sat there nearly motionless, staring at the board, while Alice foresaw the moves he would make and he picked the moves she would make in return out of her head. They played most of the game in their minds; I think they'd each moved two pawns when Alice suddenly flicked her king over and surrendered. It took all of three minutes. Charlie hit the mute button – an unusual action. â€Å"Look, there's something I need to say.† He frowned, looking very uncomfortable. I sat still, waiting. He met my gaze for a second before shifting his eyes to the floor. He didn't say anything more. â€Å"What is it, Dad?† He sighed. â€Å"I'm not good at this kind of thing. I don't know how to start. . . .† I waited again. â€Å"Okay, Bella. Here's the thing.† He got up from the couch and started pacing back and forth across the room, looking as his feet all the time. â€Å"You and Edward seem pretty serious, and there are some things that you need to be careful about. I know you're an adult now, but you're still young, Bella, and there are a lot of important things you need to know when you . . . well, when you're physically involved with -â€Å" â€Å"Oh, please, please no!† I begged, jumping to my feet. â€Å"Please tell me you are not trying to have a sex talk with me, Charlie.† He glared at the floor. â€Å"I am your father. I have responsibilities. Remember, I'm just as embarrassed as you are.† â€Å"I don't think that's humanly possible. Anyway, Mom beat you to the punch about ten years ago. You're off the hook.† â€Å"Ten years ago you didn't have a boyfriend,† he muttered unwillingly. I could tell he was battling with his desire to drop the subject. We were both standing up, looking at the floor, and facing away from each other. â€Å"I don't think the essentials have changed that much,† I mumbled, and my face had to be as red as his. This was beyond the seventh circle of Hades; even worse was realizing that Edward had known this was coming. No wonder he'd seemed so smug in the car. â€Å"Just tell me that you two are being responsible,† Charlie pled, obviously wishing a pit would open in the floor so that he could fall in. â€Å"Don't worry about it, Dad, it's not like that.† â€Å"Not that I don't trust you, Bella, but I know you don't want to tell me anything about this, and you know I don't really want to hear it. I will try to be open-minded, though. I know the times have changed.† I laughed awkwardly. â€Å"Maybe the times have, but Edward is very old-fashioned. You have nothing to worry about.† Charlie sighed. â€Å"Sure he is,† he muttered. â€Å"Ugh!† I groaned. â€Å"I really wish you were not forcing me to say this out loud, Dad. Really. But . . . I am a . . . virgin, and I have no immediate plans to change that status.† We both cringed, but then Charlie's face smoothed out. He seemed to believe me. â€Å"Can I go to bed, now? Please.† â€Å"In a minute,† he said. â€Å"Aw, please, Dad? I'm begging you.† â€Å"The embarrassing part's over, I promise,† he assured me. I shot a glance at him, and was grateful to see that he looked more relaxed, that his face was back to its regular color. He sank down onto the sofa, sighing with relief that he was past the sex speech. â€Å"What now?† â€Å"I just wanted to know how the balance thing is coming along.† â€Å"Oh. Good, I guess. I made plans with Angela today. I'm going to help her with her graduation announcements. Just us girls.† â€Å"That's nice. And what about Jake?† I sighed. â€Å"I haven't figured that one out yet, Dad.† â€Å"Keep trying, Bella. I know you'll do the right thing. You're a good person.† Nice. So if I didn't figure out some way to make things right with Jacob, then I was a bad person? That was below the belt. â€Å"Sure, sure,† I agreed. The automatic response almost made me smile – it was something I'd picked up from Jacob. I even said it in the same patronizing tone he used with his own father. Charlie grinned and turned the sound back on. He slumped lower into the cushions, pleased with his night's work. I could tell he would be up with the game for a while. â€Å"‘Night, Bells.† â€Å"See you in the morning!† I sprinted for the stairs. Edward was long gone and he wouldn't be back until Charlie was asleep – he was probably out hunting or something to pass the time – so I was in no hurry to undress for bed. I wasn't in the mood to be alone, but I certainly wasn't going to go back downstairs to hang out with my Dad, just in case he thought of some topic of sex education that he hadn't touched on before; I shuddered. So, thanks to Charlie, I was wound up and anxious. My homework was done and I didn't feel mellow enough for reading or just listening to music. I considered calling Rene with the news of my visit, but then I realized that it was three hours later in Florida, and she would be asleep. I could call Angela, I supposed. But suddenly I knew that it wasn't Angela that I wanted to talk to. That I needed to talk to. I stared at the blank black window, biting my lip. I don't know how long I stood there weighing the pros against the cons – doing the right thing by Jacob, seeing my closest friend again, being a good person, versus making Edward furious with me. Ten minutes maybe. Long enough to decide that the pros were valid while the cons were not. Edward was only concerned about my safety, and I knew that there was really no problem on that count. The phone wasn't any help; Jacob had refused to answer my phone calls since Edward's return. Besides, I needed to see him – see him smiling again the way he used to. I needed to replace that awful last memory of his face warped and twisted by pain if I was ever going to have any peace of mind. I had an hour probably. I could make a quick run down to La Push and be back before Edward realized I had gone. It was past my curfew, but would Charlie really care about that when Edward wasn't involved? One way to find out. I grabbed my jacket and shoved my arms through the sleeves as I ran down the stairs. Charlie looked up from the game, instantly suspicious. â€Å"You care if I go see Jake tonight?† I asked breathlessly. â€Å"I won't stay long.† As soon as I said Jake's name, Charlie's expression relaxed into a smug smile. He didn't seem surprised at all that his lecture had taken effect so quickly. â€Å"Sure, kid. No problem. Stay as long as you like.† â€Å"Thanks, Dad,† I said as I darted out the door. Like any fugitive, I couldn't help looking over my shoulder a few times while I jogged to my truck, but the night was so black that there really was no point. I had to feel my way along the side of the truck to the handle. My eyes were just beginning to adjust as I shoved my keys in the ignition. I twisted them hard to the left, but instead of roaring deafeningly to life, the engine just clicked. I tried it again with the same results. And then a small motion in my peripheral vision made me jump. â€Å"Gah!† I gasped in shock when I saw that I was not alone in the cab. Edward sat very still, a faint bright spot in the darkness, only his hands moving as he turned a mysterious black object around and around. He stared at the object as he spoke. â€Å"Alice called,† he murmured. Alice! Damn. I'd forgotten to account for her in my plans. He must have her watching me. â€Å"She got nervous when your future rather abruptly disappeared five minutes ago.† My eyes, already wide with surprise, popped wider. â€Å"Because she can't see the wolves, you know,† he explained in the same low murmur. â€Å"Had you forgotten that? When you decide to mingle your fate with theirs, you disappear, too. You couldn't know that part, I realize that. But can you understand why that might make me a little . . . anxious? Alice saw you disappear, and she couldn't even tell if you'd come home or not. Your future got lost, just like theirs. â€Å"We're not sure why this is. Some natural defense they're born with?† He spoke as if he were talking to himself now, still looking at the piece of my truck's engine as he twirled it in his hands. â€Å"That doesn't seem entirely likely, since I haven't had any trouble reading their thoughts. The Blacks' at least. Carlisle theorizes that it's because their lives are so ruled by their transformations. It's more an involuntary reaction than a decision. Utterly unpredictable, and it changes everything about them. In that instant when they shift from one form to the other, they don't really even exist. The future can't hold them. . . .† I listened to his musing in stony silence. â€Å"I'll put your car back together in time for school, in case you'd like to drive yourself,† he assured me after a minute. With my lips mashed together, I retrieved my keys and stiffly climbed out of the truck. â€Å"Shut your window if you want me to stay away tonight. I'll understand,† he whispered just before I slammed the door. I stomped into the house, slamming that door, too. â€Å"What's wrong?† Charlie demanded from the couch. â€Å"Truck won't start,† I growled. â€Å"Want me to look at it?† â€Å"No. I'll try it in the morning.† â€Å"Want to use my car?† I wasn't supposed to drive his police cruiser. Charlie must be really desperate to get me to La Push. Nearly as desperate as I was. â€Å"No. I'm tired,† I grumbled. â€Å"‘Night.† I stamped my way up the stairs, and went straight to my window. I shoved the metal frame roughly – it crashed shut and the glass trembled. I stared at the shivering black glass for a long moment, until it was still. Then I sighed, and opened the window as wide as it would go.

How Did the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny Essay

Abraham Lincoln was Born on February 12, 1809 in Kentucky. Lincoln Died on April 15, 1865 at the age of 65 Lincoln’s Formal education was limited to 18 months of schooling. Prior to politics Lincoln was a lawyer Lincoln served as an Illinois state legislator, member of the House of Representatives and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Senate. Elected President in 1860; Lincoln served from 1861-1865 as the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln wanted to evoke a Spirit of reconciliation with the states that had seceded! because he didn’t want to dissolve the union IN COMPLIANCE with a custom as old as the Government itself, I appear before you to address you brieï ¬â€šy and to take in your presence the oath prescribed by the Constitution of the United States to be taken by the President â€Å"before he enters on the execution of this office.† I do not consider it necessary at present for me to -Timeliness discuss those matters of administration about which there is no special anxiety or excitement. Apprehension seems to exist among the people of -Lincoln Openly Addresses prominent issues of the Southern States that by the accession of a the time. Republican Administration their property and their peace and personal security are to be endangered. There has never been any reasonable cause for such apprehension. Indeed, the most ample evidence to the contrary has all the while existed and been open to their inspection. It is found in nearly all the published speeches of him who now addresses you. I do but quote from one of those speeches when I declare that I have no purpose, directly or -Antithesis indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no -Parallelism lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. Those who nominated and elected me did so with full knowledge that I had made this and many similar declarations and had never recanted them; and more than this, they placed in the platform for my acceptance, and as a law to themselves and to me, the clear and emphatic resolution which I now read: Resolved, That the maintenance inviolate of the rights of the States, and especially the right of each State to order and control its own domestic institutions according to its own judgment exclusively, is essential to that balance of power on which the perfection and endurance of our political fabric depend; and we denounce the lawless invasion by armed force of the soil of any State or Territory, no matter what pretext, as among the gravest of crimes. I now reiterate these sentiments, and in doing so I only press upon the public attention the most conclusive evidence of which the case is susceptible that the property, peace, and security of no section are to be in any wise endangered by the now incoming Administration. I add, too, that all the protection which, consistently with the Constitution and the laws, can be given will be cheerfully given to all the States when lawfully demanded, for whatever cause—as cheerfully to one section as to another. There is much controversy about the delivering up of fugitives from service or labor. The clause I now read is as plainly written in the Constitution as any other of its provisions: No person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall in consequence of any law or regulation therein be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due. It is scarcely questioned that this provision was intended by those who made it for the reclaiming of what we call fugitive slaves; and the intention of the lawgiver is the law. All members of Congress swear their support to the whole Constitution—to this provision as much as to any other. To the proposition, then, that slaves whose cases come within the terms of this clause â€Å"shall be delivered up† their oaths are unanimous. Now, if they would make the effort in good temper, could they not with nearly equal unanimity frame and pass a law by means of which to keep good that unanimous oath? There is some difference of opinion whether this clause should be enforced by national or by State authority, but surely that difference is not a very material one. If the slave is to be surrendered, it can be of but little consequence to him or to others by which authority it is done. And should anyone in any case be content that his oath shall go unkept on a merely unsubstantial controversy as to how it shall be kept? Again: In any law upon this subject ought not all the safeguards of liberty known in civilized and humane jurisprudence to be introduced, so that a free man be not in any case surrendered as a slave? And might it not be well at the same time to provide by law for the enforcement of that clause in the Constitution which guarantees that â€Å"the citizens of each State shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States†? I take the ofï ¬ cial oath to-day with no mental reservations and with no purpose to construe the Constitution or laws by any hypercritical rules; and while I do not choose now to specify particular acts of Congress as proper to be enforced, I do suggest that it will be much safer for all, both in ofï ¬ cial and private stations, to conform to and abide by all those acts which stand unrepealed than to violate any of them trusting to ï ¬ nd impunity in having them held to be unconstitutional. It is seventy-two years since the ï ¬ rst inauguration of a President under our National Constitution. During that period ï ¬ fteen different and greatly distinguished citizens have in succession administered the executive branch of the Government. They have conducted it through many perils, and generally with great success. Yet, with all this scope of precedent, I now enter upon the same task for the brief constitutional term of four years under great and peculiar difï ¬ culty. A disruption of the Federal Union, heretofore only menaced, is now formidably attempted. Lincoln’s Inaugural had many important points that are critical to understanding the time. Point One: He promoted and promised-Strongest possible federal support for the Fugitive Slave Law and the service/labour clause. There is much controversy about the delivering up of fugitives from service or labor. The clause I now read is as plainly written in the Constitution as any other of its provisions: No person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall in consequence of any law or regulation therein be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due. It is scarcely questioned that this provision was intended by those who made it for the reclaiming of what we call fugitive slaves; and the intention of the lawgiver is the law. All members of Congress swear their support to the whole Constitution—to this provision as much as to any other. To the proposition, then, that slaves whose cases come within the terms of this clause â€Å"shall be delivered up† their oaths are unanimous. Now, if they would make the effort in good temper, could they not with nearly equal unanimity frame and pass a law by means of which to keep good that unanimous oath? There is some difference of opinion whether this clause should be enforced by national or by State authority, but surely that difference is not a very material one. If the slave is to be surrendered, it can be of but little consequence to him or to others by which authority it is done. And should anyone in any case be content that his oath shall go unkept on a merely unsubstantial controversy as to how it shall be kept? Again: In any law upon this subject ought not all the safeguards of liberty known in civilized and humane jurisprudence to be introduced, so that a free man be not in any case surrendered as a slave? And might it not be well at the same time to provide by law for the enforcement of that clause in the Constitution which guarantees that â€Å"the citizens of each State shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States†? Timeliness There is much controversy about the delivering up of fugitives from service or labor. The clause I now read is as plainly written in the Constitution as any other of its provisions: No person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall in consequence of any law or regulation therein be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due. Here Lincoln uses a direct reference to a portion of the constitution under debate. -Timeliness. . Lincoln wanted to see that the Laws of the Union, be abided by all states. Being The President-Elect, Lincoln knew it was his job to uphold the laws. I take the ofï ¬ cial oath to-day with no mental reservations and with no purpose to construe the Constitution or laws by any hypercritical rules; and while I do not choose now to specify particular acts of Congress as proper to be enforced, I do suggest that it will be much safer for all, both in ofï ¬ cial and private stations, to conform to and abide by all those acts which stand unrepealed than to violate any of them trusting to ï ¬ nd impunity in having them held to be unconstitutional. It is seventy-two years since the ï ¬ rst inauguration of a President under our National Constitution. During that period ï ¬ fteen different and greatly distinguished citizens have in succession administered the executive branch of the Government. They have conducted it through many perils, and generally with great success. Yet, with all this scope of precedent, I now enter upon the same task for the brief constitutional term of four years under great and peculiar difï ¬ culty. A disruption of the Federal Union, heretofore only menaced, is now formidably attempted. I hold that in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution the Union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments. It is safe to assert that no government proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its own termination. Continue to execute all the express provisions of our National Constitution, and the Union will endure forever, it being impossible to destroy it except by some action not provided for in the instrument itself. I hold that in contemplation of universal law and of the Constitution the Union of these States is perpetual. Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments. It is safe to assert that no government proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its own termination. Continue to execute all the express provisions of our National Constitution, and the Union will endure forever, it being impossible to destroy it except by some action not provided for in the instrument itself. Eloquence Timelessness Perpetuity. The Constitution was established â€Å"to form a more perfect union† than the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union had been, which was explicitly perpetual in name and text, and thus the Constitution too was perpetual. He added that even were the Constitution construed as a simple contract, it could not be legally rescinded without an agreement between all parties. Lincoln didn’t recognize the Confederacy and attempted to reunite the Union in his 1st inaugural He looked at the Constitution as a contract and that A group can breach a contract but legally they are still bound to it. Again: If the United States be not a government proper, but an association of States in the nature of contract merely, can it, as a contract, be peaceably unmade by less than all the parties who made it? One party to a contract may violate it—break it, so to speak—but does it not require all to lawfully rescind it? Descending from these general principles, we ï ¬ nd the proposition that in legal contemplation the Union is perpetual conï ¬ rmed by the history of the Union itself. The Union is much older than the Constitution. It was formed, in fact, by the Articles of Association in 1774. It was matured and continued by the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It was further matured, and the faith of all the then thirteen States expressly plighted and engaged that it should be perpetual, by the Articles of Confederation in 1778. And ï ¬ nally, in 1787, one of the declared objects for ordaining and establishing the Constitution was â€Å"to form a more perfect Union.† But if destruction of the Union by one or by a part only of the States be lawfully possible, the Union is less perfect than before the Constitution, having lost the vital element of perpetuity. It follows from these views that no State upon its own mere motion can lawfully get out of the Union; that resolves and ordinances to that effect are legally void, and that acts of violence within any State or States against the authority of the United States are insurrectionary or revolutionary, according to circumstances. Lincoln during his speech told his audience that there wouldn’t be an invasion of the southern territory unless it were necessary for him to uphold his obligation to hold, occupy and possess the property and places belonging to the Federal government. Therefore consider that in view of the Constitution and the -Timeliness laws the Union is unbroken, and to the extent of my ability, I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in -Civil war was about to begin all the States. Doing this I deem to be only a simple duty on my part, and I shall perform it so far as practicable unless my rightful masters, the American people, shall withhold the requisite means or in some authoritative manner direct the contrary. I trust this will not be regarded as a menace, but only as the declared purpose of the Union that it will -Subtle Warning constitutionally defend and maintain itself. -Timeliness In doing this there needs to be no bloodshed or violence, and there shall be none unless it be forced upon the national authority. The power confided to me will be used to hold, -Lincoln is Speaking Directly to Secession and occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the approaching Civil War. Government and to collect the duties and imposts; but beyond what may be necessary for these objects, there will be no invasion, no using of force against or among the people anywhere. Where hostility to the United States in any interior -Here we See Lincoln’s point that locality shall be so great and universal as to prevent competent resident citizens from holding the Federal offices, there would be no invasion for the there will be no attempt to force obnoxious strangers among the people for that object. While the strict legal right may south unless it were necessary to do exist in the Government to enforce the exercise of these offices, the attempt to do so would be so irritating and so so to uphold the government or to nearly impracticable withal that I deem it better to forego for the time the uses of such offices. defend the union. There would be no invasion of the South unless such were necessary for him as President to fulfill his obligation to hold, occupy, and possess the property and places belonging to the federal government. The Mail would Continue The mails, unless repelled, will continue to be furnished in all parts of the Union. So far as possible the people everywhere shall have that sense of perfect security which is most favorable to calm thought and reï ¬â€šection. The course here indicated will be followed unless current events and experience shall show a modiï ¬ cation or change to be proper, and in every case and exigency my best discretion will be exercised, according to circumstances actually existing and with a view and a hope of a peaceful solution of the national troubles and the restoration of fraternal sympathies and affections. That there are persons in one section or another who seek to destroy the Union at all events and are glad of any pretext to do it I will neither afï ¬ rm nor -Antithesis deny; but if there be such, I need address no word to them. To those, however, who really love the Union may I not speak? Friday, November 7, 2008 23 Before entering upon so grave a matter as the destruction of our national fabric, with all its beneï ¬ ts, its memories, and its hopes, would it not be wise to ascertain precisely why we do it? Will you hazard so desperate a step while there is any possibility that any portion of the ills you ï ¬â€šy from have no real existence? Will you, while the certain ills you ï ¬â€šy to are greater than all the real ones you ï ¬â€šy from, will you risk the commission of so fearful a mistake? Reconciliation Timely All profess to be content in the Union if all constitutional rights can be maintained. Is it true, then, that any right plainly written in the Constitution has been denied? I think not. Happily, the human mind is so constituted that no party can reach to the audacity of doing this. Think, if you can, of a single instance in which a plainly written provision of the Constitution has ever been denied. If by the mere force of numbers a majority should deprive a minority of any clearly written constitutional right, it might in a moral point of view justify revolution; certainly would if such right were a vital one. But such is not our case. All the vital rights of minorities and of individuals are so plainly assured to them by afï ¬ rmations and -Periodic Sentence negations, guaranties and prohibitions, in the Constitution that controversies never arise concerning them. But no organic law can ever be framed with a provision speciï ¬ cally applicable to every question which may occur in practical administration. No foresight can anticipate nor any document of reasonable length contain express provisions for all possible questions. Shall fugitives from labor be surrendered by national or by State authority? The Constitution does not expressly say. May Congress prohibit slavery in the Territories? The -Parallelism Constitution does not expressly say. Must Congress protect slavery in the Territories? The Constitution does not expressly say. From questions of this class spring all our constitutional controversies, and we divide upon them into majorities and minorities. If the minority will not acquiesce, the majority must, or the Government must cease. There is no other alternative, for continuing the Government is acquiescence on one side or the other. If a minority in such case will secede rather than acquiesce, they make a precedent which in turn will divide and ruin them, for a minority of their own will secede from them whenever a majority -Timeless refuses to be controlled by such minority. For instance, why may not Speaks to nation at anytime anyplace. any portion of a new confederacy a year or two hence arbitrarily secede again, precisely as portions of the present Union now claim to About unity. secede from it? All who cherish disunion sentiments are now being educated to the exact temper of doing this. Is there such perfect identity of interests among the States to compose a new union as to produce harmony only and prevent renewed secession? Plainly the central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy. A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations, -Periodic and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of a free people. Sentence Whoever rejects it does of necessity ï ¬â€šy to anarchy or to despotism. Unanimity is impossible. The rule of a minority, as a permanent arrangement, is wholly inadmissible; so that, rejecting the majority principle, anarchy or despotism in some form is all that is left. I do not forget the position assumed by some that constitutional questions are to be -Parallelism decided by the Supreme Court, nor do I deny that such decisions must be binding in any case upon the parties to a suit as to the object of that suit, while they are also entitled to very high respect and consideration in all parallel cases by all other departments of the Government. And while it is obviously possible that such decision may be erroneous in any given case, still the evil effect -Periodic following it, being limited to that particular Sentence case, with the chance that it may be overruled and never become a precedent for other cases, can better be borne than could the evils of a different practice. At the same time, the candid citizen must confess that if the policy of the Government upon vital questions affecting the whole people is to be irrevocably ï ¬ xed by decisions of the Supreme Court, the instant they are made in ordinary litigation between parties in personal actions the people will have ceased to be their own rulers, having to that extent practically resigned their Government into the hands of that eminent tribunal. Nor is there in this view any assault upon the court or the judges. It is a duty from which they may not shrink to decide cases properly brought before them, and it is no fault of theirs if others seek to turn their decisions to political purposes. One section of our country believes slavery is right and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong and ought not to be -Antithesis extended. This is the only substantial dispute. The fugitive-slave clause of the Constitution and the law for the suppression of the foreign slave trade are each as well enforced, perhaps, as any law can ever be in a community where the moral sense of the people imperfectly supports the law itself. The great body of the people abide by the dry legal >Timely- obligation in both cases, and a few break over in each. This, I think, Slavery-Major debate in country. can not be perfectly cured, and it would be worse in both cases after the separation of the sections than before. The foreign slave trade, now imperfectly suppressed, would be ultimately revived without restriction in one section, while fugitive slaves, now only partially surrendered, would not be surrendered at all by the other. Physically speaking, we can not separate. We can not remove our respective sections from each other nor build an impassable wall between them. A husband and wife may be divorced and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other, but the different parts of >Timelessness our country can not do this. They can not but remain face to face, and -Unity intercourse, either amicable or hostile, must continue between them. Is -Separate it possible, then, to make that intercourse more advantageous or more satisfactory after separation than before? Can aliens make treaties -relevant-still today easier than friends can make laws? Can treaties be more faithfully enforced between aliens than laws can among friends? Suppose you go to war, you cannot ï ¬ ght always; and when, after much loss on both sides and no gain on either, you cease ï ¬ ghting, the identical old questions, as to terms of intercourse, are again upon you. This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it. I cannot be ignorant of the fact that many worthy and patriotic citizens are desirous of having the National Constitution amended. While I make no recommendation of amendments, I fully recognize the rightful authority of the people over the whole subject, to be exercised in either of the modes prescribed in the instrument itself; and I should, under existing circumstances, favor rather than oppose a fair opportunity being afforded the people to act upon it. I will venture to add that to me the convention mode seems preferable, in that it allows amendments to originate with the people themselves, instead of only permitting them to take or reject propositions originated by others, not especially chosen for the purpose, and which might not be precisely such as they would wish to either accept or refuse. I understand a proposed amendment to the Constitution— which amendment, however, I have not seen—has passed Congress, to the effect that the Federal Government shall never interfere with the domestic institutions of the States, including that of persons held to service. To avoid misconstruction of what I have said, I depart from my purpose not to speak of particular amendments so far as to say that, holding such a provision to now be implied constitutional law, I have no objection to its being made express and irrevocable. The Chief Magistrate derives all his authority from the people, and they have referred none upon him to ï ¬ x terms for the separation of the States. The people themselves can do this if also they choose, but the Executive as such has nothing to do with it. His duty is to administer the present Government as it came to his hands and to transmit it unimpaired by him to his successor. Antithesis – I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battleï ¬ eld and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our ELOQUENCE- nature. Friday, November 7, 2008 30 Effectiveness -One month Later the Civil War Began. -Awkward, what Lincoln had to say to the audience was irrelevant. -Shortly After his speech many of the southern states seceded. -Rather Tedious and Defensive. -In the Shadow of future speeches, Gettysburg, Lincoln second inaugural. -They didn’t have that much effectiveness for what ensued. Abraham Lincoln Transformation Period 1861-1865. The South wasn’t thrilled with Lincoln’s Election. Lincoln’s election left the south with no other option but secession-out of dislike or fear of Lincoln. Over the next four years the country would experience wars that impacted not only the ideologies of countrymen but President Lincoln as well. Through these events we see how Lincoln’s role as President led to the transformation of a nation and himself as a public ï ¬ gure. Timeline of Events April 12, (4:30A.M.) 1861 — Attack on Fort June 1861 — Four Slave States Stay in the Sumter. President Lincoln planned to send Union. Despite accepting slavery, Delaware, supplies to Fort Sumter, he alerted the state in Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri didn’t join advance as an attempt to avoid hostile actions. the Confederacy. Although divided in their South Carolina didn’t trust Lincoln; the loyalties, a combination of political commander of the fort, Robert Anderson, was maneuvering and the Union military asked to surrender immediately. Anderson maneuvered these states from secession. offered to surrender, only once his supplies had been exhausted. His offer was met with rejection and The Civil War began when Ft. Sumter was ï ¬ red on. April 1861 — Four More States Join the Confederacy. The attack Sumter prompted four more states to join the Confederacy. With Virginia’s secession, Richmond was named the Confederate capitol. Emancipation Proclamation January 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln didn’t want to upset bordering slave- holding states so in an attempt to soothe things over, Lincoln resisted the demands of many Republicans for complete abolition. In 1861, Congress had passed an act stating that all slaves employed against the Union were to be considered free. In 1862, another act stated that all slaves of men who supported the Confederacy were to be considered free. Gettysburg July 1-July 3 1863 — Gettysburg. Lincoln’s Second Inaugural November 1864 — Abraham Lincoln Is Re-Elected. The Republican party nominated President Abraham Lincoln as its presidential candidate, and Andrew Johnson for vice-president. Context The country had been through terrible conditions due to the war. The ground was muddy- wet weather was uncomfortable and it was cold – yet thousands upon thousands arrived on capitol grounds in Pennsylvania to hear Lincoln speak in hopes for change and an end to war. Context Continued Times had changed. For the ï ¬ rst time ever, Black Soldier’s were allowed to attend a presidential Inaugural – a monumental change in American History. Licoln’s Second Inaugural Fellow-Countrymen: At this second appearing to take the oath of the Presidential ofï ¬ ce there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the ï ¬ rst. Then a statement somewhat in detail of a course to be pursued seemed ï ¬ tting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public -Periodic declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which Sentences still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chieï ¬â€šy depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured. Past history of the war On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to -Antithesis avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, urgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came.! -Timeliness Hopes for the Future One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which -Will of the God the insurgents would rend the Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conï ¬â€šict might cease with or even before the conï ¬â€šict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. â€Å"Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.† If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God -Timelessness wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred and ï ¬ fty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said â€Å"the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.†! With malice toward none, with charity for all, with ï ¬ rmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to ï ¬ nish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may – achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.! Timelessness -Effectiveness

What it Takes to be a Working Mother essays

What it Takes to be a Working Mother essays I would be confident to say that everyone knows a working mother or two personally. Working mothers are quite the norm and touch every aspect of our modern day society. I am one of the many working mothers in the full time work force today. Personally, I would laugh at the term normal when used in the same sentence as mother. At times my life and is quite the opposite of what others would consider to be normal. I have a full time job and a full time family. I can say that life can be hectic, challenging and rewarding all in a single day at any given time. Each day is filled with the challenge of holding down a full time career and the grace of being a loving mother of challenging children. In the end, the rewards are endless and my goal is clearly to be the best at all I do in my career and for my family. I can personally say that having a full time career and being a single mother is draining for a lack of a better term. I raised my son Alex as a single mother since he was 7 years old. During that time I worked full time as an Escrow Officer in the real estate industry and attended a career college part time. My day started at 5 am with making lunches, checking homework and getting my son off to school. If there was any time left I then felt privileged to enjoy a cup of coffee or do my own hair before rushing out the door. My morning challenge began by taking my son to school, fighting traffic and trying to make a goal of getting it to work on time. My day then continued with the usual rat race of phones, clients and time crunches to the very end. During the day I had to also find time to run down the daily list of personal mental chores in my head. Is my son having a good day and are his grades doing well? Are my finances in order? Do we have milk at home? These were just a few of the normal laundry list of things dancing around in my head daily. I also felt that I wasnt just working a job, but I was working on a career to ...

How to Write a Career-Winning or Award-Winning Executive Resume

How to Write a Career-Winning or Award-Winning Executive Resume As the owner of an executive resume writing company, I am extremely proud to have four writers on my team, including myself, who have won coveted TORI (Toast of the Resume Industry) awards for their Executive Resume, Finance Resume, International Resume, Sales Resume, and New Graduate Resume entries. On February 9th, Laura DeCarlo, President of Career Directors International, author of Resumes for Dummies, and my personal resume writing and business mentor, presented a teleseminar on how to win these competitive awards. While her presentation was targeted toward resume writers and executive resume writers who wish to compete for TORI awards, some of the points she raised apply to any executive or job seeker creating a career-winning resume. Here are some of the points to keep in mind if you want to write a resume or executive resume that rivals the TORI winners from this past year: 1. Create a compelling format. First of all, know your industry and adjust accordingly. For instance, you can take more creative license as a marketing or sales executive than you can as an insurance or finance executive. Once you determine your industry’s comfort level with design, as well as your own, create something that â€Å"pops† while not going overboard. You don’t need fancy graphics programs to design a great looking resume. You might be surprised by how much you can do with Word! For instance, use edge-to-edge design, different backgrounds (with discretion), color saturation variations, etc. Include a little smart art if appropriate – it’s all in Word – or create a chart in Excel and paste that into your resume. Include plenty of white space, as text-dense resumes are not well-received. Print it out before sending – and run it by some colleagues in your industry for their opinion. 2. Watch your language! Use smart word choices, dynamic and varied verbs, and good sentence structure. No misspellings or run-on sentences please! Many hiring managers will dismiss a resume out of hand for a single grammatical error. And if they start getting bored because you started every bullet with the verb â€Å"led† or â€Å"managed,† you could lose them fast. 3. Deliver â€Å"power and punch.† Keep the reader engaged. Pack your executive resume with measurable achievements – metrics and concrete/tangible results. Also, deliver a clear description of the scope of your responsibilities. Share your CAR (Challenge/Action/Result), PAR (Problem/Action/Result) or STAR (Situation/Task/Action/Result) stories that show how you have tackle challenges and what results you have created. These accomplishments will demonstrate what you’re capable of creating for your next company. 4. Convey your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Tell us what makes you stand out as opposed to anyone else applying for this position. Do this in the first few lines of your resume! Don’t be scared of selling yourself by dropping names and numbers directly into your resume summary. Make yourself shine! 5. Put yourself in the employee’s shoes. Imagine yourself reading your resume as your future employer. What would you be looking for? Would you hire you? As someone reading a resume, you would of course want to see some of the keywords that are essential to the position. That’s just the basics. Once that threshold is past, is this resume enjoyable to read? Do you have to squint to read it? Are you bored? Do you really get who this person is and the difference they could make for your company? Be rigorous in asking – and answering –   these questions. 6. Do your homework. As the time to write your new resume approaches, start looking for formats and content that you like. When you come across something that impresses you, put it in a file on your computer. You can use this file whether you create your own resume or hire someone to do it. At The Essay Expert, we will always be happy to create the type of format you like. I believe any good resume writing company will do that, while steering you gently in the right direction. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, get some good books on resume writing or executive resume writing. I recommend my e-books, How to Write a WINNING Resume and How to Write a STELLAR Executive Resume, as well as Laura DeCarlo’s Resumes for Dummies. Overall, your resume or executive resume requires high-level storytelling that knocks the reader’s socks off with both an appealing format and impressive language. I can’t tell you how many of my clients come back to me and tell me they’ve received feedback from employers that â€Å"this is the best resume [they’ve] ever seen.† That means you have done something no one has ever done before. That’s what’s required to win a TORI award, and that’s what can get you your dream job. Want to view this year’s TORI Award-Winning masterpieces? Click here. TORI Award Categories are as follows: Best Accounting Finance Resume Best Executive Resume Best Healthcare/Medical Resume Best Hospitality Resume Best Information Technology Resume Best International Resume Best New Graduate Resume Best Sales Resume Save