Vivid Memories Essay, Research Paper

A teacher of mine once asked, ?What makes you, you?? The first answer that came to my mind was my name; however, I was wrong. The correct answer turned out to be our life experiences. My life experiences have made me a better person. Nearly six years ago I took a trip to Lebanon, and the generosity of the poverty stricken people made me realize that spiritual wealth far outweighs economical wealth.

The people in the small village I stayed at seemed to be truly happy. Every time I saw them they were laughing, smiling, and didn?t seem to have a care in the world. This attitude towards life rubbed off on me. Now, no matter how tough a situation I am in, I can always seem to smile and thank God for my wonderful life.

Also, I realized that the villagers did not have an ounce of selfishness in them. Every visitor that came to welcome us at our house never came empty handed. Often, they brought with them a box of fruit, such as tangerines or peaches, from their own gardens and orchards. One man even brought us a live goat.

The man that brought us the goat was a local villager that was good friends with my grandpa. Though it seemed weird to me at the time, I thought about it and realized that he was giving us the goat as a going away present. Now, whenever I am entertaining a guest or have someone staying at my house I always treat them like I was treated back in the small little Lebanese village.

If I am ever asked again ?what makes you yourself?? I will know the right answer and have experiences to support it with. When I came back to America, I understood the world differently. I viewed everything in an optimistic manner. I smile a lot more now, and have a better outlook on life.