This first paper has been one heck of a run, and one crazy trip through memory lane, but out of all those trips I took, this was the only one that taught me something about myself and my understanding of the English Language. This paper was mostly impacted by my concept of an audience, To clarify on this, despite the fact this paper obviously won’t be published or read by thousands of others, and the fact that this is my story, my journey, I wrote this with the mindset that if there were more people to read this, some would be able to relate on some level because statistically 1 in 10 people have experienced social exclusion at some point in their lives. So, this experience is extremely common. And even though this doesn’t seem like something serious, there are actually a lot of negative consequences to being socially excluded. To keep it simple, being socially excluded is the practical equal of isolation. Long term isolation can lead to extreme changes in psychiatric behavior that can in worst cases be permanent. This can lead an individual to be a danger to themselves and others around them. Therefore, trying to bring some level of awareness to this common issue is important regardless if its through statistics or from a personal account. What this assignment has helped me to achieve is that there is always a deeper understanding to everything I discuss no matter how recent or how old it is, there is always some deeper meaning that can lead to a bigger connection. This assignment also showed me that you don’t need to know how to use all those complete strategies and writing techniques to write a good paper, you can just know how to hook an audience and connect your argument to the bigger picture and you can have a successful paper.

  Asif Uddin

Professor Miller

English 110    

Feb. 6, 2019

Acceptance

Growing up almost everyone’s childhood consisted of eating with friends, playing with friends, doing practically everything with friends, having something to do with someone. I on the other hand happened to be that one kid that was excluded from all that, the kid nobody wanted to hang out with. I watched T.V by myself, ate by myself, went to the park by myself, played video games by myself. Then one day I picked up a book and instantly got sucked into a whole new world. The adventures, the action, the trills, the literal emotional connections I felt with the main characters. I finally found a place where I belong, where I felt accepted. I fell in love with these worlds so much, that day and night, with every free moment I got, you could find me reading a book guaranteed. For probably the next 8-10 years, the amount I was reading greatly advanced my reading and writing skills, even though I haven’t always been a great writer, I became better at communicating in social situations, which greatly changed my life, as it actually lead to me gaining popularity amongst groups in school or in the communities where I hang out. But because I was becoming more socially accepted, leading to the point where more and more people and groups wanted to include me in whatever it is that they did, that meant I was getting less time to read now. This new social life led to a completely new lifestyle that made me feel a new type of alive, that it ultimately led to the fact that I was reading less now. What was once my greatest tool, my crutch, was its own demise. I began to read much less than what I was used to reading, my writing remained unchanged as it was never even really that great to begin with. But as an advantage, regardless of how shy I was, it became easier for me to be less socially awkward, since I grew so accustomed to not talking to others that much.  It should be clear that what type of books you read can factor greatly in how impacting it is in your life, I personally read anything with an interesting cover and title. One of the most amazing books that probably impacted the most on how I view social interactions amongst individuals is called “My Bloody Life” by Reymundo Sanchez, is an autobiography, about the authors life as a teen street gang member in Chicago. Throughout the book, the author focuses on social interactions with other gang members, girls he was with, and how each of these altercations with these people(s) negatively impacted him in some way, leading him down paths resentment of his decisions to become a street gang member in the first place. Sanchez went well in depth with not just the key conversations that would lay the path for him throughout the book, but as well as the events and moments that led up to each of those life-changing conversations. The progression and level of integrity throughout this book has taught me the benefits and risks of a simple conversation, meeting new people that advise us and help us sprout into better versions of ourselves. While a simple conversation can on the other hand introduce back stabbers, people who will use you for their own benefit, and those who will steer you down a path full of regret and resentment. Sanchez’s story has taught me how to trust based on words, how to trust based on actions. It taught me that not everyone is who they seem they might be. This book showed me the first steps I

needed to learn to have the social life I never properly had. This eventually led on to my increased social life that completely changed my reading lifestyle, I slowly began to read less and less, until eventually it took me weeks to get through just one book. Reading has taught me so much about the real world that I never knew about growing up. Regardless of the story being fiction or non-fiction it has shown us connections to real world dilemma’s that we all encounter in our own ways at one point in our lives. Reading has taught me the importance of having a circle and who to include and not include, as well as the importance of keeping to myself and why its important to never depend on others.  But after all these teachings, the biggest thing reading has taught me is that the kind of person I was growing up, the person I’ve been a majority of my life is perfect as it was, because regardless of always being left out, I still had a perfectly normal life, and the friends, the love, the popularity, is nothing more than just a sacrifice that reading made so that I could have the one thing reading could never give me…. Acceptance.