Kaitlyn Albright Paper 3

Mr. Latimer September 29, 2014

While We Are Here

I consider myself lucky when I think about my childhood. Though my parents divorced

when I was young, it abled me to experience different places. They showed the best of both worlds when it comes to the belief you have for something and the belief you have in yourself. Growing up, the one constant in my life was change and because of that I developed a diverse perception of the reality that was presented to me. It felt as if I was in a waiting game; I wanted to be a part of something bigger than me to prove that my time on this earth wasn’t pointless but couldn’t trust the paraphrasing of a book written thousands of years ago. I’ve never considered myself an affiliate of a certain belief; it seems as if I am less interested in why we are here but wholly devoted to while we are here.

My friend Nick has always been my go to friend from where my dad resides. I’ve always

been fascinated by his devotion and selflessness and how he presents his certainty in why he is here. His entire life has been based on how he was raised in the Catholic Church. He believes that repetition is the mother of all skill and that if we live by the Bible, God will provide the answers on how our lives should be fulfilled. All of his failures are because of the almighty plan that was developed for him. He is successful in his career, and has always been a friendly face to see, but he lacks the ability to relate to other people, including his close friends. He has never

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felt comfortable enough to settle in his own skin because he is constantly living his life by someone else’s standards. He so strongly believes in something that is argued to be so uncertain; spending his entire life proving himself in order to be accepted in not this life, but the next one.

Cassandra is my best friend from my hometown and to this day she seems like the

happiest person I’ve ever known. So much so that I would get upset at her ability to make a bad situation good; it was impossible to be upset around her. She has this amazing self-­‐belief of freedom and how our everyday experiences bring the most purpose to our life. She considers herself Buddhist by leading a life of personal morals, having an understanding of what it is to be mindful, and is aware of the actions and thoughts that develop wisdom. Her simple concept of Karma, cause and effect, has relieved her from wanting to know what was next on her life agenda. Her consciousness of