The African Zulu Tribe...

                                       (The African Zulu men in their traditional tribal wear)

         Located at the tip of Africa lies a place with diverse cultures and languages. It's a place with stunning landscape full of culture, food, wildlife, and villages. This place I speak of is South Africa. South Africa is home to the largest ethnic group in Africa, The Zulu. They primarily reside in the Kwasulu-Natal province, with a population of approximately 11 million people. Traditionally men and women are expected to give great respect for their traditions, and heritage and fellow tribe members. Both are also involved in different types of arts and crafts. The Zulu women are best known for their bead work and grass basket weaving, while men are known for their wood carvings and for the many objects they make out of animal skins. But, before we dive into who the Zulu's are today, we must understand where these unique people came from (africancraftsmarket.com/Zulupeople).

The history of the African Zulu tribe began long ago in the 16^th century when the tribe migrated to their present location Natal Africa. A young warrior by the name of Shaka became the leader of the Zulu tribe in 1816. Shaka quickly took leadership and control and watched his tribe continue to grow until they were the most powerful tribe in South Africa. They fought many aggressive and bloody wars attacking and defeating other tribes in their area defending, and saving their land. Their great success was due to Shaka's organization for society, that and their warfare. Shaka developed an effective style of fighting that involved the use of short stabbing spears, heavy wooden clubs, sharp chisel fighting sticks, and color coated shields. After twelve years of brilliant leadership and constant growth, Shaka's power grew to a level that caused him to become mentally unstable. He started doing odd things for example; he increased the orders of death to his own men for no apparent reason. Henry Francis Fynn,a white man who was a commander for Shaka, and also traded from the settlement of Port Natal Africa in the mid 1800’s, described the aftermath of one of Shaka’s battles in 1824. “The remnant of the enemy’s army sought shelter in a nearby wood in which they were driven. They began the slaughter of women and children. They were all put to death…Early next morning Shaka arrived at each regiment, previous to its inspection from him, had picked out it’s ‘cowards’ and put them to death. Many of these, no doubt forfeited their lives because their chiefs were in fear that, if they did not condemn some as being guilty, they would incur the resentment of Shaka.” (http://www.historywiz.com/zuluwars.htm) In 1828 Shaka was finally assassinated, by his own brothers. (http://africanadrenalin.co.za/IsibindiAfrica/zulu/history.htm)
 After the death of Shaka, this period of warfare between the tribe, led the British wanting South Africa to become their safe strategic naval base. On Jan 11, 1879 The Zulu war against the British and Dutch began. The Zulu fought with everything they had, shedding blood and tears to try and protect their homes. The British reinforced their troops and defeated Zululand, splitting the land into 13 smaller states and eventually making Zululand its own colony. This was an unfortunate time in Zulu’s history. Since these ancient times the political aspect of the Zulu culture had rested in the hands of their chief. Today, the chief is always determined by his genealogy, and governs the internal affairs of the tribe. He is also the voice of the people on international levels. Even though the Zulu are officially ruled by South Africa, they are seen as separate when viewed nationally (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/shaka-zulu-assassinated).

The Zulu which translates into “the people of heaven,” is an extremely sociable tribe, displaying dedication, and devotion to their religion, beliefs, and way of life. Today, the Zulu men are in charge of raising cattle, goats and sheep, while the women are responsible for the planting and harvesting of crops. Living in villages often without electricity and running water, make it very hard for the men and women to raise their cattle and keep their crops alive. The huts of the Zulu village are constructed of a mixture of mud brick and modern cheap materials such as grass, bark and rocks. The Zulu village is always circular in shape, building their huts to be beehive coned, and constructed by the men of the village. These huts are very stable, warm in the winter and cool in the summer which makes them accommodating for the Zulu people. Food is a very important aspect of the Zulu culture and instead of just preparing a meal for those present in the home, they will instead prepare and cook extra food in case they have a visitor or find a stranger passing through. The types of food prepared alternate between porridge and dumplings, usually eaten with beans, potatoes, cabbage or wild spinach. The Zulu also have a very distinct way of displaying their clothing. Zulu wear is known for their colorful and decorative bead work, due to its beautiful color combinations and patterns they are designed to convey messages between the men and women of the tribe. Displaying intimacy, talent, and showing their relationship standing. The symbols of their bead work express their feelings towards one another and can even relate to their romantic relationships depending on the pattern and colors. These colorful beads are precious to the Zulu tribe, symbolizing the power of good health and excellent living. The bead work of the Zulu community is not only an ornamental display, but it is also sacred and religious to the whole tribe (http://www.eshowe.com/article/articlestatic/65/1/13/).

The Zulu religion is based around their creator, their god named Unkulunkulu (the greatest of great). It's also involves the worship of their ancestors which live in the spirit world and can be traced back for thousands of years. Zulu's believe their god is almighty, but has little to do with their everyday activities. On the other hand the presence of the spirit world is always traditional in their Zulu religion. It is believed that when a person dies this person's spirit will watch over the others from this spirit world. People can come into contact with the spirit world and one's ancestors during their special ceremonies; this is only allowed by the men of the tribe since they are the leaders. The spirits of their ancestors are very important to them and are worship during their everyday activities and rituals which are done to please them. The ancestors of the Zulu tribe must be kept in memory of the family every day otherwise; they may seek to be remembered by bringing trouble and darkness on the people of the tribe. Religion and culture for the Zulu’s also consists of polygamy. The king of their tribe is allowed to take on five wives to bear him children. If the women of the tribe do not bear children for their new husband they are looked down on and loose the position of being a wife of the clan. Each wife lives in her own hut and they are located in order of standing from the husband's hut. The wives also have their own fields to herd and cook only for their immediate family. Along with the Zulu religion and culture, their dancing and ceremonies are also extremely important to them.  (http://izmo.tripod.com/project/zulu.htm)

These dances and ceremonies consist of vocal chants, melodies, and singing along with loud drums being played. The dancers wear the traditional attire which comes from the war dances of the warriors. They believe these activities will promote unity in all their transitional ceremonies such as births, weddings, and funerals. Dance and song symbolizes their lifestyle, with each movement and formation they make they create memories and stories of hunting, tidal movement, and war. One of their national ceremonies includes celebrating their once great leader we learned about earlier named Shaka, founder of the Zulu nation. These ceremonies involve stick fighting and public duels. Guests that attend will be anyone and everyone from the Zulu tribe; they are traditionally greeted with their hospitality and etiquette, and happy smiles ready to show off their heritage. It is custom to the people that only unmarried girls and young men dance alternating in groups. While the young men dance, the girls will provide the singing and clapping, and same thing goes for when the girls of the tribe dance- the boys will do the same (http://www.drakensberg-tourism.com/zulu-culture-traditions.html).

Weddings are also a huge event among the Zulu tribe. Zulu weddings are all different and

depending on the culture of the particular tribe, typically have different ceremonies. Zulu's believe in traditions and rituals that have been passed down from generation to generation. Most weddings today take place in a church and the bride usually wears a white wedding dress. It is not mandatory for the women to wear white, but they usually prefer to because to them it symbolizes purity. A typical wedding consists of a process of rituals, including dancing and singing. In these rituals the women wear an assortment of beads as well as colorful skirts and feathers. The bride will change into her soft leather apron so that it is easy for them to dance in after the wedding ceremony is over. Once the wedding ceremonies and rituals are done at the church, the rest of the wedding takes place at the husband and wife’s home. During the ceremonies, the bride is accepted into the groom’s family and the bride shows her appreciation by giving gifts to her new family members. The wife will change her outfits many times through the duration of the wedding. Her different dresses will present a variety of colors that display her beauty to her new family. There also will be unique beading throughout her dress, as well as in the overall design. The beading shows the woman’s desire and ability to be a good wife and new edition to the family. Even the members of each side of the family compete in different tasks, and the way they dress also shows the other family how well presented they are. The wedding ceremonies and dance rituals have been a part of the Zulu tribe since the time of Shaka and continue to be present today (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/41/121343/Zulu+Weddings?destId=35561).

          Shaka continues to look down from above, and is glorified by who his people have become today. Mazed by the perfection and beauty of the land he once controlled, is now a peaceful and welcoming village. He listens as he hears the Zulu's celebrate another ceremonial full of singing, dancing, clapping, and drums. The Zulu are still displaying their traditional tribal clothing, the men decorated in animal hides- the women in their talented variety of bead work. Shaka feels fulfilled at this moment, knowing he was an important man in their society who made a difference in the Zulu forever. 

                                      (Kwazulu Natal province, the home of the Zulu Tribe)


 

                                                                       Works Cited

African Crafts Market. “Zulu People Traditions & Culture.” africancraftsmarket.com, retrieved from: http://www.africancraftsmarket.com/Zuu_people.htm

Discover Our Drakensber. “Zulu Traditions & Culture” South Africa. Retrieved from:

http://www.drakensberg-tourism.com/zulu-culture-traditions.html

Eshowe. “Zulu Tribe. Zolou Tribe” Top level/Zulu Culture. Eshowe.com retrieved from: http://www.eshowe.com/article/articlestatic/69/1/13

History Wiz. “The Zulu Wars” The Bitter Union: HistoryWiz 1999-2008 retrieved from: http://www.historywiz.com/zuluwars.htm

Isibindi Africa. “The Zulu Nation – A Brief History” africanadrenalin.com 2007

retrieved from: http://africanadrenalin.co.za/IsibindiAfrica/zulu_history.htm

Jung, D. Lonely Planet. “Zulu Weddings” June, 2011 Retrieved from:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/41/121343/Zulu+Weddings?destId=35561

This Day in History. “Shaka Zulu Assassinated” History.com General Interest. Retrieved from: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/shaka-zulu-assassinated

Tripod. “Zulu” Izmo.tripod retrieved from:

http://izmo.tripod.com/project/zulu.htm

A Secret That Lasted 19 Years...

     The day started like any other, quiet at first but with a underlying silence from me just wanting to explode. Something was different about that day as I sat at the foot of my bed and could feel my body start to shake, my heart started racing and sweat started to drip down my face as I witnessed the paper in my hands start to crumble. The paper was not the only thing that was crumbling, my life just changed in a matter of seconds. I felt as if I had been tranquilized after what I had just read, a secret so big that lasted 19 years of my life. How could this man I called my father be so dishonest, greedy, and lie through his teeth like this to me for so many years? There was so much for me to take in all at once and I needed some answers.

     I was ten years old when my parents decided to get a divorce 
after 17 years of marriage. During that time my two older brothers, myself and my younger brother were born. Deciding to not have anymore children due to my dad living the way he was, I was left being the only girl in my family. My dad was a very unfaithful man cheating on my mom multiple times throughout their marriage, some affairs she knew about while some she probably doesn't know about until this day. My mother tried marriage counseling a number of times and was no longer willing to take the time with my dad, working on their marriage to try to make it survive. My mother was a very miserable woman being married to my dad for all those years knowing that he was sneaking around with other women, but for the sake of her children she wanted to try everything in her power to make their marriage last before resulting in divorce. My mother grew up being taught by her faith and parents that the life with your family is very important, playing a major role in your families development also into the person you want to become. My mother strived everyday to make this a priority in life to keep our family strong and together forever. Unfortunately as important as family is, it is a big problem in the world today where more and more families are broken up by divorce, and my family resulted in one of them.

     I was ten years old just finishing up with the 5^th grade, I 
remember sitting at my desk during school listening to my teacher Mrs. Porter read my class and I the story of Green Eggs and Ham By: Dr Suess. “ I would not like them here or there. I would not like them anywhere, I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I am,” read Mrs. Porter. Mrs. Porter was a woman of poise and grace, her thick brown hair fell gracefully onto her shoulders and surrounded her round face reminding me of my mother. She always had a golden brown suntan even during the winter time, making her hazel eyes stand out in a crowd. She was a very happy women who smiled often showing her sparkling white teeth and beaming with confidence. I will never forget this woman she was a wonderful person who made a big impact in my life, this woman was also a wonderful story teller. “ Heather, your mom is waiting for you in the front office to check you out early,” said Mrs. Porter. I looked up at the clock and noticed it was only noon, I wondered why I was leaving school early and knew this was very unusual. “Thank you for the story Mrs. Porter, I'll clean up my desk and see you tomorrow,” I exclaimed.

     As I placed my back pack over my shoulders and walked closer 
to the front office I saw my mom standing by the door way of my school. As I got closer I noticed something was wrong, tears were rolling down her face as she looked at me and tried to hide her agony with a smile. Her eyes gazed into mine puffy and red as she gave me a hug, “Your brother's are waiting in the car sweetie, I have something I need to talk to you four about” She said. My heart was pounding but the words wouldn't come out of my mouth. I didn't know what to say, all I could do was wait for the news and try to understand why my mother was so sad. We walked out to the car hand in hand with our heads down both looking for a way out of this situation. I crawled into the car and my three brother's were sitting there patiently waiting for us. My mother and I got situated but the car was not moving, we sat there in silence with no one saying a word for over a minute which in that moment felt like an hour. “Kids your Mother and Father love you guys very much, we've tried to make our marriage work for a while now and have decided it would be best to split” said my Mother. I looked over at my brother's in tears and knew this was the news I was getting today. “Mom why, we can't have our family split up I want to live with you and Daddy!” I shouted. As I looked up at my mother looking back at us kids the expression on her face said it all, there was nothing more to be done, it was over.

     Twelve years go by after my parent's divorce, my younger 
and I parted ways with my Mother and my two older brother's decided to live with my dad. There had always been a lot of secret's kept from the divorce that my Mother wouldn't tell me about until I was older, “secret's that aren't her place to tell me” she says. With my mother making this remark to me I have always wondered when I would find out more one day, this was the day twelve years later. I was sitting at the foot of my bed when my mother walked into my room, “Heather there's something you need to know, I have a letter for you to read that explains it all come get me when your done so we can talk” says my Mother. I took the letter out of her hands with confusion and taking her advice, she walked out of the room and left me alone to attend to this letter myself.

     I open the letter and start curiously reading, to my surprise it 
stated that I have had a half sister since I was three years old that no one has ever told me about. I sat there confused and broken hearted feeling betrayal, wondering why I have trusted my father for so many years. I knew there were secrets that I wouldn't find out about until I was older, but not secrets to this extent. The tears of pain rolled down my soft cheeks onto the floor, I felt angry as I could feel my body start to tremble and shake. Tranquilized by this information my mother came back into the room, I looked up at her with disappointment and defeat as she bended down to apologize and give me a hug.

     “I have wanted to tell you this news for a long time now, but felt  
your dad needed to take responsibility for his own actions and needed to tell you himself. He cheated on me when you were two years old and the woman he cheated with conceived your half sister when you were three” said my mother. “Why hasn't Dad told me, I have a right to know that I have a sister I have thought my whole life I was the only girl!” I said. “Your Dad is afraid of what you kids might think of him after hearing this news, he worries you guys won't want a relationship with him anymore because of this that's why. I have talked with your Dad about this situation many times and could never get him to say anything to you. Your old enough now that I feel it's time and you have the right to know” said my mother. I try to soak in this news that I am hearing after 19 years of my life, but it doesn't seem real.

     I was ready to take the initiative for myself to find her I wasn't 
about to wait until my Dad decided he was ready, he has had 19 years to tell me this secret he's been keeping and I know he wasn't going to tell me anytime soon. I located her through facebook only knowing her name was Nikki Stout, I pull up her album's and select a photo. My heart immediately sunk into my stomach as I looked at this girl I am supposed to call my sister, she was a spitting image of my dad. At that point I realized this was real, there was no denying her I needed to meet her. We made arrangements to meet for dinner at Applebee’s restaurant a couple weeks later, I could feel my stomach twisting into knots as I parked in front of the restaurant, this was it I was finally going to meet her after 19 years. I walked through the restaurant looking for her knowing I was not going to miss her face, the image of my dad was all I needed. I spotted her out of the corner of my eye, there she was with her long black hair and green eyes. I walked closer to her as we made eye contact, our faces lit up with a smile as we hugged feeling like this should have happened sooner. I sat across from Nikki at that table mesmerized by how much she actually resembled my dad. Her hair was long and black shaping her long and oval shaped face, her broad nose mimicked my dad's as her small red lips smiled at me. Her brows were plucked into thin lines, reminding me of two pencil lines which highlighted her green eyes, this was surreal to me. “ I am so happy to finally have the chance to have found you after so many years, I wish we would have known about each other a lot sooner then now” I stated. “Me too! This is the start of I hope many more memories to come, I'm excited to finally put your face with your name” said Nikki.

     We sat at that dinner table for two hours catching up on all the 
lost time we both have had, reminiscing on what was to come after this night. My feelings of sadness, disappointment, and betrayal were all placed aside as I ate dinner and enjoyed Nikki's company. It was time to put our feelings to rest as it was getting late and continue the conversation another night, we parted ways excited to meet up again soon. The sense of relief I felt that night after finally meeting her was my closure, I knew what I needed to know and it was up to my dad at that point to make the decision to tell me one day. I slept peacefully that night feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulder's, my body and mind could finally rest from this secret all was out in the open and I could move forward.

     I woke up the next day witnessing a beautiful sunny afternoon in May, the sun was finally peaking through the clouds as the rain decided to rest. The birds came out from behind the trees and started singing their peaceful harmonies again. I sat on my porch as I watched the neighbor children pour out of their houses like sardines, joyous and excited to be back outside riding their bikes and playing with friends all while breathing in the fresh afternoon air. This was a start of a new beginning for me I had finally met my sister after so many years, it was time for me to let go of the past and forgive my Dad. Till this day my dad has not told me of Nikki and that situation, I can't let my Dad's decisions he has made effect my life. I am a adult now and need to move forward changing my life for the better and learning from his mistakes, I am confident that my Dad will come around one day and be honest about this situation, until then it is what it is. 

My childhood home...

     I sat in the ambulance with fear in my eyes, my body trembling crying and feeling helpless. I looked at the EMT with despair as he placed the oxygen mask over my face. My heart was beating through my chest as I worried about what was to come from this tragic incident. I looked outside the ambulance and saw flames that were deep red and amber colored raging through the window, black smoke flowing into the sky and ashes falling into the grass. All I could do was sit and wait staring and recording it's stunning recklessness, at that moment I have never felt more helpless. In a world where I felt we had everything, I then felt that we had nothing.

     I lay in the cool green grass after school watching my little 
brother rummage though which toys he was going to play with next. The birds were singing their peaceful afternoon melodies while the sun rests at the peak of the sky. I gaze wondering why clouds move in such a direction and at such speeds but enjoy the stories they tell. It smelt of fresh pavement being layed as I heard cars driving by. I could hear my neighbors laughing with their families while they grilled their dinner. The smell of BBQ sauce swayed though the air and started to make my mouth water. I took this moment to relax and enjoy the simplicity of life.

     I was a freshman in high school with no cares in the world, 
tending my six year old brother while my mom worked. My parents had been divorced for three years at this stage in my life, and my older siblings lived with my dad which left me to care for my little brother while my mom was out. It was about seven o’clock that evening when I got a phone call from my mother joyous that she got to leave work early and spend time with my brother and I. She asked me to place a pot of boiling water on the stove so that she could cook dinner when she got home. Being a freshman in high school I took what my mom told me in one ear and out the other, I was ready and in a hurry to get back on the phone with my friends. I bent down and reached for a large pot and two full containers of vegetable oil, not remembering my mom wanted water not oil. I poured the thick yellow oil into the deep dark pan and place the stove on high not even crossing my mind the danger I was about to cause. I walked back outside to continue watching my little brother and get back on the phone with my friends. Ten minuets go by before I thought to myself I better walk back inside and check on the boiling oil.

     As I am walking inside a feeling of concern comes over me, 
something is about to go wrong and I'm not sure what. As I open the door my stomach sinks, it hits me that I boiled oil instead of water like my mom had asked, everyone knows your not supposed to boil oil because it can cause a grease fire. I look up and to my shock our cabinets in our kitchen are up in flames, I felt the wave of heat cover my body and I saw a huge dark cloud of black smoke cover the ceiling. It was too late the flames were already too intense for me to try and put out myself. I quickly grabbed my cell phone, ran outside and dialed 911. Fortunately my neighbor was outside and heard the 911 call I had made, running across the street with two fire extinguishers he runs into my burning house to try and put this grease fire out. He comes out 10 minuets later with the fire completely out giving me a hug and trying to comfort my tears.

     The firefighters arrive pulling up to my house with their sirens 
screaming and men running inside my home with hoses. With the anxious, hopelessness I was experiencing the paramedic took my brother and I into the ambulance, my face was turning white and my body was shaking uncontrollably I was in need of some oxygen. The tears were running down my cheeks as I saw my mother pull into the driveway, all I could think about was the pain and agony I was about to cause her. She heard of the news and runs into the ambulance relieved that her children were in there safe and sound, the sight of our faces was the comfort she needed knowing that we were safe. Things got settled and the firefighters and paramedics part ways, we were left to deal with this situation on our own. It was now safe and time to go inside and see the damage that the horrific fire had caused.

     I walked inside my home horrified at the sight I saw, our 
beautiful white textured ceiling and our cherry oak cabinets were now vanished into black charcoal and ashes. I fell to the ground weak and overwhelmed, looking up at my mother and seeing the pain I was causing her was worse than the actual fire. This grease fire had burnt for too long forcing us out of our home, taking what was left of our belongings and moving in with my aunt and her family until this situation was resolved. My life had gone from great to bad in all of thirty minuets. I have so many fond memories from this house that once was, I grew up sharing many holidays, laughs and memories there. Every time I watch the news and hear of house fires I experience this pain and heart ache all over again. This home that once was, was were I felt comforted and safe. The warm gratifying feeling I got from being inside that home with my tender family I will never forget. I hope one day I can let this memory be one of my past and move on knowing things could have turned out worse than they did.

     There was a very putrid smell that day that took over the whole 

house, like a bad barbeque party gone horribly wrong. The smell was so overpowering that it took almost two weeks to get it out of our noses and minds. The kitchen and ceiling had burnt down to nothing within a few minuets, making my family and I realize the futility of human life and ventures. It took my family many years to build memories with this house and it took nature only a few minutes to completely destroy them, this house and memory will last my family and I a lifetime. 

What happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico

     
     It was 104 degrees with 80% humidity in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. The sun was beating down on my shoulders as the cool ocean water hit my feet, I was feeling profoundly impressed with the resort I was staying at with all the beautiful scenery that surrounded me. The scenery slowly started falling away as I found myself laying on the sand in the hot sun, surrounded by my own blood and my toe nail missing. What have I got myself into only the first day of my week long adventure.

     School finals were taking place and I could feel the tension and 
stress fall upon my chest. I was overwhelmed from going to school and work full time and was in need of a quick vacation before the next semester was to begin. Coming up on a week break from school this was the perfect time for my husband and I to plan a small vacation and run with it. Our goal was to find a place we could relax and take a minute to take a break from reality and enjoy the simplicity of life. After hours of searching for possible places to visit Puerto Morelos, Mexico was our destination vacation, a remarkable adventure we were about to embark on. There was two weeks to finish out the busy semester before we could begin our journey in paradise. A relaxing week of sitting on the beach, basking in the sun, drinks in our hands, wind in our hair and the calming sound of the Caribbean ocean flowing up on shore, this was a melody to our ears.

     The day to leave had finally arrived with our bags packed and 
passports in hand we enter the loud airplane that was taking us to Mexico. The sounds of crying babies behind us, a million different conversations and the flight attendant telling us to turn off our cell phones and electronic devices, at this point nothing could get in our way the only fillings I felt that day were butterflies in my stomach. We finally made it to our destination safely and before I knew it I could smell the ocean air under my nose and see the palm trees blowing through the soft breeze. A feeling of calmness, relaxation and serenity come over me as I feel so relived to have this opportunity to stay in my paradise for a week. I was baffled by the breathtaking views I was witnessing. How could a place this beautiful and surreal really exist in this world. All I can think about is getting my camera out and capturing these images to save for a lifetime. As I was capturing these images I come across an iguana watching for his prey, this creature is not one to be crawling in the back yards of our Utah homes so I found him very fascinating. I started crawling through the vines and trees snapping many pictures of this amazing animal, as I was doing so I run my foot right into a tree stump. I fall to the ground immediately as I am bleeding profusely laying in the hot sand and realize the tree stump has taken my whole toe nail off my toe. How has this happened to me the first day of my vacation, this journey is going to be a long one.

     As I am laying in the sand sweating in the hot sun I feel a 
calming stroke against my fore head, thankfully my husband is there by my side to help me through this tragic incident. The nurse at our resort was informed of this situation and runs right over, from the look on his face I know there is going to be some bad news coming my way. I am helped up off the ground limping my way to a lounge chair, the tears are running down my face and my mind is racing a hundred miles an hour. The thought of this happening on the first day of our trip is causing me more pain and agony then my possibly broken toe. The good and bad news is told to me, fortunately my toe is not broken but I am not to wear shoes for the next two days and I need to get it cleaned and wrapped today. The nurse applies his gloves, opens his first aid kit and starts cleaning up all of the blood. As I am sitting in the chair watching him reach into his bag grabbing out multiple disinfectants I am dreading him applying these to my mashed up toe, this is not going to feel good. The nurse starts to hold my toe with one hand while he applies peroxide with the other, my body starts shaking as the cold stinging feeling overcomes me. Stubbing my toe and breaking my whole toe nail off is one thing, but this pain I was feeling was a more excruciating pain I have ever encountered before. I would badly like to pull my foot away and be done with this process but I know if I do I would be taking the risk of getting an infection from the blood and dirt drying in my wound. After what felt like an hour the pain I was encountering was almost over, I held in the agony of my emotions for a few more minuets and was so thankful when I was done with this mess.

     I walked away from this incident looking to others a lot worse 
than I really was, limping along side of my husband with dirt covering my body, my toe wrapped up and my shoes in my hand very thankful knowing that there was a lot worse things that could have happened to me while in Mexico. Six more days were ahead of me to deal with my situation, how was I going to continue on to the many adventures we had planned for the next week. With my husband by my side and the peaceful atmosphere we were surrounded in was all I needed, something this small was not going to stop me. We have all had one of those days and that's life, no one is perfect but if we keep pushing forward and striving for the best we are able to get through it and laugh in the end.  

My English Intentions...

     Growing up I was never a avid reader or writer. Taking English I have always dreaded
book reports and essays because there was never a book I could find myself sunk into and find myself to not wonder off to something else in my mind when I start reading it. Friends and family have always recommended books for me to read, but I could never find anything I was interested in and my life always seems to be too busy to take the time to sit down and place my nose in a book.  Growing up I have realized that today I would  be a better reader and writer if I would have taken that time to really find a book I enjoyed and learn from that author's writing. 
     I find myself now more interested in certain topics than I used to be and my confidence in my reading and writing skills have grown, but not where I would like them to be and not where I know I am capable of being at. My intentions for this semester is to really sit down and learn to read and write like I know I am capable of . I would like to have the goal to fufill my reading and writing like I never did in when I was  younger, my attitude and intentions are different now that I am older and am ready to start a new road map in my life to
better my reading and writing skills and
talents.    
     I plan to learn the techniques that are
taught to me and really apply them to my papers and understand what it is that makes a great essay or paper. I plan on using these skills for the of my life to better my vocabulary, reading and writing skills for situations in my near future.