camp was more like a keg party without any alcohol. and on the very first day our counselor gathered us all together and she taught us a cheer that she said we would be doing every day for the rest of the summer to instill camp spirit. and it went like this: “r-o-w-d-i-e, that's the way we spell rowdie. rowdie, rowdie, let's get rowdie.“ yeah. so i couldn't figure out for the life of me why we were supposed to be so rowdy, or why we had to spell this word incorrectly. (laughter) but i recited a cheer. i recited a cheer along with everybody else. i did my best. and i just waited for the time that i could go off and read my books.
but the first time that i took my book out of my suitcase, the coolest girl in the bunk came up to me and she asked me, “why are you being so mellow?“ -- mellow, of course, being the exact opposite of r-o-w-d-i-e. and then the second time i tried it, the counselor came up to me with a concerned expression on her face and she repeated the point about camp spirit and said we should all work very hard to be outgoing.
and so i put my books away, back in their suitcase, and i put them under my bed, and there they stayed for the rest of the summer. and i felt kind of guilty about this. i felt as if the books needed me somehow, and they were calling out to me and i was forsaking them. but i did forsake them and i didn't open that suitcase again until i was back home with my family at the end of the summer.
now, i tell you this story about summer camp. i could have told you 50 others just like it -- all the times that i got the message that somehow my quiet and introverted style of being was not necessarily the right way to go, that i should be trying to pass as more of an extrovert. and i always sensed deep down that this was wrong and that introverts were pretty excellent just as they were. but for years i denied this intuition, and so i became a wall street lawyer, of all things, instead of the writer that i had always longed to be -- partly because i needed to prove to myself that i could be bold and assertive too. and i was always going off to crowded bars when i really would have preferred to just have a nice dinner with friends. and i made these self-negating choices so reflexively, that i wasn't even aware that i was making them.
There is a wisdom called to let go, there is a kind of learning is called choice, there is a kind of victory is called a successful selection and composition of 500 15 choice and successful composition 500 words article 15. Some give up, choose more suitable for their goals, may success closer.
Materials thinkers in stork say; "The ability of survival needs more than one! Rabbit cannot learn swimming in school make hole, squirrel learn swimming in school to climb trees!" I think this is right. The swimming may really not suitable for a rabbit if give up swimming, choose to make hole maybe it could be a hole experts; Pine swim, climb a tree, I believe it will do very well.
She also have a gift for painting, usually can get something, drawing, it makes me admire her. She told me: "as long as the heart, you also can do a good job." I learned to do a good job in every thing by heart.
She taught me a lot, but most of them are of some minor in life, but it let me change a lot.
Moment of parting is always painful, tearfully bid farewell to you, my dear friends, at this moment, I just want to say to you: "thank you, this is my confession, inner, which really! Though we are far away from the, but our hearts are linked together, forever, because you are my best friend."
Ilana Wexler's speech at 20xx
My name is Ilana Wexler. I'm 12 years old, and I am the founder of “Kids for Kerry.”
Kids for Kerry is a grassroots organization of kids that support John Kerry, want to help their futures, and get active in politics.
When my parents went to see Teresa Heinz Kerry speak, they told me that she was amazing! -- and that they thought John Kerry would make a great President. I decided to find out more about John Kerry. I talk about what I learned by using my ABCs.
“A” is America. John Kerry is a hero to America, and he will help our futures. He is a great and positive role model.
“B” is Better education. John Kerry wants to make class sizes smaller, so that children get the best part out of learning. He wants to help teachers because being a teacher is educating children, and letting them out into the world to do good things.
“C” is Compassion towards children. John Kerry wants to make sure that health care is not a privilege, but it is something that we can all afford.
This summer, I was supposed to go to my favorite camp. But instead, I decided to go to the John Kerry office every day. Kids can really help!
On , we have an interactive presidential quiz. There are 270 questions for the electoral votes John Kerry will win. Plus, 25 questions to make up for Florida from the last election.
Our next goal is to have a petition for “National No Name-Calling Day,” a day that the candidates don't say anything negative about one another. When our Vice President had a disagreement with a Democratic senator, he used a REALLY BAD word.
If I said that -- If I said that word, I would be put in a “time-out.”
I think he should be put in a time-out.
The last time I saw John Kerry, he grabbed my arm and said, “See you at the convention.” And here I am!
What will be even more amazing will be the inauguration in January, when we have a new President, knowing that kids have made a difference in this election.
To summarize, Teresa Heinz Kerry: Inspirational, amazing!
John Kerry: American hero, next President.
Kids need-Kids need positive-Kids need positive role models in politics. And our Vice President deserves a long time-out.
love can not pretend, nor can it tolerate too much selfish motives. it is reported that an old man in jiangsu province left his million yuan heritage to his young housekeeper instead of his own children, because his own children didn't take care of him while the young housekeeper accompanied him through his last lonely and helpless years.
love is easily perceivable and perceptible. flattery words may be cheatable, but true love and false feelings can easily be distinguished. if the people you love only know how to spend your money, you should be careful of them. everyone can help you spend your money if you give them the chance. never turn your love into the slave of money.
love should be selfless, and feelings should be sincere. we shouldn't judge our feelings according to the distance of the relationship. everyone treasures love and nobody can fool himself or the others. a chinese saying goes: real heroes yearn even more for true love, and great men cherish tender love for their children.
we are the saint on earth, and should treasure our love, but we should know how much is good and where to stop. since there's no ever-lasting banquet, nor is there an endless love story, we should take the gains and losses of love with perfect composure. there's fragrant grass in every corner of the earth, and you can always find your love in this world.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen:
Today I would like to begin with a story. There was once a physical therapist who traveled all the way from America to Africa to do a census about mountain gorillas. These gorillas are a main attraction to tourists from all over the world; this put them severely under threat of poaching and being put into the zoo. She went there out of curiosity, but what she saw strengthened her determination to devote her whole life to fighting for those beautiful creatures. She witnessed a scene, a scene taking us to a place we never imaged we've ever been, where in the very depth of the African rainforest, surrounded by trees, flowers and butterflies, the mother gorillas cuddled their babies.
Yes, that's a memorable scene in one of my favorite movies, called Gorillas in the Mist, based on a true story of Mrs. Diana Fossey, who spent most of her lifetime in Rwanda to protect the ecoenvironment there until the very end of her life.
Many people burn incense and kowtow, do good deeds and strive for virtues, not just for the present, but mainly to let God see their sincerity so as to be reborn into a better afterlife, or to achieve the highest enlightenment after several lives of practice. They do believe in afterlife. But I can't help asking: Suppose there were no afterlife, would you still do good deeds and strive for virtues? And If God does not see what you are doing, would you still be so upright and selfless? If you work, not for serving the public and liberating the others, but just for a better afterlife of your own, isn't it a little too selfish? Comparing with this kind of believers, those who don't believe in afterlife, but still keep doing good deeds, are the most sincere and honest philanthropists, because they do them not for themselves but for other.
You may wonder if I believe in afterlife. My answer is: I know nothing about my previous life, so I dare not make improper comments on afterlife. But I do hope there's afterlife! Because our present life is so short that so many things slip away before our proper understanding. I have so many dreams, so many wishes, so many ambitions, as well as so many regrets and concerns. If there were no afterlife, all of them will remain unrealized!