The Miracle of Life Essay -- Personal Narrative Pregnancy Labor Essays

The Miracle of Life The miracle of life is something most of us will experience in our lifetime. The process before actually giving birth, I think is the hardest part of the entire scenario of child bearing. This amazing experience is something that can make the individuals who are involved in the process change in so many ways. The process of giving birth, for those of you who have not experienced or will never experience it, can be very hard, long and rewarding all at the same time. To give a better description, think of eating a fireball. At first the fireball is tame and calm, but just when you least expect it the fireball becomes hot. Then, when the hot sensation becomes too much, the sweet flavor of the fireball breaks through. I am a person who can't sit still over long periods of time. I had planned to start my maternity leave two weeks before the baby's due date but I refused to stay home just because I was 9 months pregnant. I figured I if I stayed home, doing nothing, I would constantly be reminded of my back pains, a 6to 8 pound human being doing aerobics in a small compacted space, and the frequent use of the restroom. Instead of being reminded of all these things, I decided to work until the day I gave birth to help keep the agony of being pregnant from my mind. After months and months of eating for two, constant visits to the doctors, and my husbands teasing, the moment of truth finally hit me. I was actually going to give birth to this tiny individual who had been living in my stomach for the past nine months. I was finally going to meet the creature that had been kicking me and keeping me from a great nights sleep. The one thing from this experience that I have learned is that nobody will ever be able ... ...ural. An epidural, is the best thing I pregnant women could ever ask for. The pain of the contractions simple vanished and left me feeling as happy as a clam. Just imagine having laughing gas and that is how happy and relaxed I felt. The funny thing about the administration of the epidural was that it didn't hurt when it was administered. The pleasure of not feeling anymore pain was more than I could ever ask for. After what seemed like an eternity of pushing, sweating, and pain I was able to give birth to my son. My entire labor lasted about twelve hours, but to me it seemed like a life time. The pain I experienced was well worth it, because I was able to give life to another person. After all that I had experienced for those long nine months many people have asked if I would do it again. My reply to all who have asked me is, â€Å"of course I would, in a heart beat.

Mockingbird: Racism and White Community Essay

Also victimized by racism and its repercussions, Helen Robinson, Tom’s wife, suffered in the aftermath of her husband’s trial and death. Widowed, she must raise her children, maintain her household and work to make a living for herself. Because she is black, a woman, and the wife of a man accused of raping a white woman, Helen has a very difficult time finding work. This is because of the racism in the white community of Maycomb. The only person who will hire her is Mr. Link Deas, Tom’s former employer. He does not really need Helen’s services, but fells bad about what happened to Tom and he is one of the few decent people in Maycomb where coloured people are concerned. â€Å"He doesn’t really need her, but he said he felt right bad about the way things turned out. † (TKAM, pg. 248-249). However, Helen does not escape the touch of racism. On her way to work one morning, Bob Ewell follows Helen, crooning foul words at her, for no reason other than she was Tom’s wife and he was racist. Although he does not attack her, Helen is terrified of him. â€Å"Thoroughly frightened, she telephoned Mr. Link at his store, which was not too far from his house†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (TKAM, pg. 256). Mr. Link Deas makes Bob Ewell leave Helen alone, but she is still frightened of him. Her life has become very difficult due to the effects of racism. In a different way, Bob Ewell himself is destroyed by racism. The racism that sparked Tom Robinson’s trial leads Bob Ewell to harbour a grudge against Atticus and Judge Taylor, both of whom made him look foolish. He attempts, but fails to burgle John Taylor’s house. Later on, he attacks Atticus’s children to exact his revenge on Atticus. A grudge born of racism, courage born of whiskey, and arrogant pride lead to his attack on Jem and Scout, but Arthur Radley comes to the children’s aid. In the struggle, Bob Ewell is killed. It was the grudge he held based on racist beliefs that cause his death. Some may call it justice, some may not, but the irony is undeniable. Of all the destructive powers humans possess, none ruin other lives and destroy our humanity quite like racism does. This is proven in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ by the fates of Tom and Helen Robinson and their tormentor, Bob Ewell. It is unfair that prejudices based on a person’s skin colour should wreak such havoc on their lives, and yet it was once commonplace. Although less evident today than it once was, racism remains just as destructive and just as unnecessary.

Poverty Definition in Sociology and Types

Poverty is a social condition that is characterized by the lack of resources necessary for basic survival or necessary to meet a certain minimum level of living standards expected for the place where one lives. The income level that determines poverty is different from place to place, so social scientists believe that it is best defined by conditions of existence, like lack of access to food, clothing, and shelter. People in poverty typically experience persistent hunger or starvation, inadequate or absent education and health care, and are usually alienated from mainstream society. Poverty is a consequence of the uneven distribution of material resources and wealth on a global scale and within nations. Sociologists see it as a social condition of societies with an unequal and inequitable distribution of income and wealth, of the de-industrialization of Western societies, and the exploitative effects of global capitalism. Poverty is not an equal opportunity social condition. Around the world and within the U.S., women, children, and people of color are far more likely to experience poverty than are white men. While this description offers a general understanding of poverty, sociologists recognize a few different types of it. Types of Poverty Defined Absolute poverty  is what most people probably think of when they think of poverty, especially if they think about it at the global level. It is defined as the total lack of  resources and means required to meet the most basic standards of living. It is characterized by a lack of access to food, clothing, and shelter. The characteristics of this type of poverty are the same from place to place.Relative poverty  is defined differently from place to place because it depends on the social and economic contexts in which one lives. Relative poverty exists when one lacks the means and resources required to meet a minimum level of living standards that are considered normal in the society or community where one lives.  In many parts of the world, for example, indoor plumbing is regarded as a sign of affluence, but in industrial societies, it is taken for granted and its absence in a household is taken as a sign of poverty.Income poverty  is the type of poverty measured by the fede ral government in the U.S. and documented by the U.S. Census. It  exists when a household does not meet a set national minimum income considered necessary for the members of that household to achieve basic standards of living. The figure used to define poverty on a global scale is living on less than $2 per day. In the U.S., income poverty is determined by the size of the household and the number of children in the household, so there is no fixed income level that defines poverty for all. According to the U.S. Census, the poverty threshold for a single person living alone was $12,331 per year. For two adults living together, it was $15,871, and for two adults with a child, it was $16,337.Cyclical poverty  is a condition in which poverty is widespread but limited in its duration. This type of poverty is typically linked to specific events that disrupt a society, like war, an economic crash or recession, or natural phenomena or disasters that disrupt the distribution of food and o ther resources. For example, the poverty rate within the U.S. climbed throughout the Great Recession that began in 2008, and since 2010 has declined. This is a case in which an economic event caused a cycle of more intensive poverty that was fixed in duration (about three years).Collective poverty  is a lack of basic resources that are so widespread that it afflicts an entire society or subgroup of people within that society. This form of poverty persists over periods of time stretching across generations. It is common in formerly colonized places, frequently war-torn places, and places that have been heavily exploited by or excluded from participation in global commerce, including parts of Asia, the Middle East, much of Africa, and parts of Central and South America.Concentrated collective poverty  occurs when the kind of collective poverty described above is suffered by specific subgroups within a society, or localized in particular communities or regions that are devoid of in dustry, good-paying jobs, and that lack access to fresh and healthy food. For example, within the U.S., poverty within metropolitan regions is concentrated within the principal cities of those regions, and often also within specific neighborhoods within cities.Case poverty  occurs when a person or family is unable to secure resources required to meet their basic needs despite the fact that resources are not scarce and those around them are generally living well. Case poverty might be produced by the sudden loss of employment, inability to work, or injury or illness. While it might at first glance seem like an individual condition, it is actually a social one, because it is unlikely to occur in societies that provide economic safety nets to their populations.Asset poverty is more common and widespread that income poverty and other forms. It exists when a person or household does not have enough wealth assets (in the form of property, investments, or money saved) to survive for thre e months if necessary. In fact, many people living in the U.S. today live in asset poverty. They may not be impoverished so long as they are employed, but could be thrown immediately into poverty if their pay were to stop.