American Literature: Pursuit of Happiness

Caitlyn Parker February 21, 2013 Ameri offer Literature Essay 1 Pursuit of cheer Comes in Many Ways In Ron Carlsons The Ordinary Son. reed instrument discovers that what he might want in emotional state is different than how his family arrive it offs. vibrating reeds family isnt your typical scenario. His family is a famous family, a collection of mastermindes non kn feature by their familys last name besides by each individual. The children even called their parents by their first names. They all had their own names, they were subsistn by who they are non by the traditional guidance of saying, Oh they are the Landers family. Geniuses died not in a typical way of purport. They were so focused on making the next big thing, that they never even fatigued family time together. Their house wasnt exuberant of fancy decorations, much(prenominal)over actually quiet empty. They didnt even engender a dinner party table. Geniuses werent social lights either, they never ha d people come over they didnt keep up with all the tech savvy stuff either. They had no television or border. It was a thaumaturge househ experienced and it wasnt to be diminished by electronic gismos. reed instrument accredited the way of life as a genius family.He realized that living with come to the fore a telephone or refrigerator was natural for him. Didnt even break a car. He was used to not living like society. He accepted this way of life, so simplistic and empty. He noticed that how they embodyd was very different than other peoples lives. He lettered that society mostly was settled around two things television and soft foods with tons of sugar. life story this way meant you didnt sweat the small stuff, and to live for the expire they do, not for things. They dont need anything in life, skillful their brains full of ideas.Being in a household of geniuses is hard for Reed because he wasnt like the rest of his family hes the odd one bulge out. He didnt spend his life trying to show off his talents or be an overachiever like his siblings. He would congratulate them and their successes but lived his life in the shadows, ass the fame. At the age of seventeen Reed discovered that the genius gene had skipped him and that at least he was smart but not vent to be a genius. He was free. He felt more alive than ever. He figured that now he could do any(prenominal) he cute, he had no obligations.These were the age for big change, to start his life the way he wanted too. He started by getting a job doing landscaping and general cleanup maintenance at a motel. He even bought a car. He began to alienate they ways of how he was raised. Reed began to live like society. He felt he was soggy and wanted to learn from his peers. He had a friend, named Jeff who educated him on the larger things in life, like the sex department. He finally felt something to live for. He wanted to experience something so foreign to him and under fend it. Reed was satisfied working a job and not taking the elevated road in life.He worked hard and was making money. He didnt depend the microscopic things he precisely went with the flow. He didnt need to live in the fast lane he was happy with a sweaty clog and a pocketful of cash. He felt as if he was a genius in his own way. Working at the motel allowed him to start having a atomic life. He wise(p) new skills and liked world able to stand up on his two feet without his familys lights shining down on him. Reed was immersing himself in the real world. In Lorrie Moores Community Life. Olena wanted to be an English teacher and teach literature but she failed to polish the study of it.She then transferred to library school where she was taught how to take care of books. She learned to read at a girlish age and loved to read. Olena learned to speak English and was taught to blend into the community at a young age. Every Saturday she would go to the library to read. She loved to go to the library, she felt as if she could do whatever she wanted. She became very fond of the librarian. Olena valued her mother and thanked her for teaching her English. Her parents wanted to give her an Ameri open fire life but Olena was left all totally due to a car misfortune when her parents died.Olena wished to start over, to be someone living in the world, hiding behind books and carefully learning voice. She missed her mother the most. The only thing to get off her pain was to work in a library surrounded by books, she loved to read and universe around something you love helps her stay sane. Olena struggles with beingness social and brave. She likes to hide and not associate herself to the outside world. She likes libraries because theres no whos or whys middling where is it. Its an easy dissolver to escape the world around her. Olena seems very to herself, and doesnt want to live her life like an American.Shes very stubborn when it comes to going out and living her life, she rather stay home and be isolated from the world. This makes her relationship suffer. Her partner, Nick tries to push her to connect to the community and go to events but she exactly argues and hypothesizes these people are too glad-handing people who never really mouth to you but at you about their life stories. She could care less and didnt want to associate with them. Olena lived differently than the society she began to be afraid of going out. She knew that she was a foreigner and a fool and she didnt want to be part of it.Everything about the community was her enemy. She had do a rapist and strived to think something was wrong with her. This was a wide obstacle for her to overcome. She went through hysteria and spent her life in crisis. She hated America and tried to find herself end-to-end the entire process. She was alone as a book, alone as a desk, alone as a library, alone as a pencil, alone as a catalog, alone as a number, alone as a notepad. She had to lift herself from he r loneliness to find her happiness. To be one with her parents again, hard-hitting to find herself.What is your definition of happiness? That is a good question, happiness comes in so many ways from small little gestures or an old friend saying, Youre beautiful today. Happiness is a word that associates with your surroundings. You would in all likelihood be happier if you on the nose bought at new car rather than being hit by one. Your emotions play a lot into how you are feeling. You can feel happier when you see someone else smile because it makes you smile. For me, my happiness comes mostly from my family. With out my family I wouldnt be who I am today.Ive been through a lot of struggles while growing up and having to face problems at a young age made me become more independent on my own and stronger to face lifes hardships. When I was ten I had to live without a mother, this was very hard since she was my rock and I leaned upon her for my either need. It was an adjustment t o acquit to move on with my life and stay mean to my older sister for guidance. Without my sister I dont know how I would have been able to cope and succeed in my transit into adulthood. Ever since I was three years old I have loved to ice skate, skating is my escape from society it lets me free my mind.Whenever Im down, I just think of skating and it makes me feel better. I love to skate and how it makes me feel free from anything, like I can do anything. Free as a bird. I value the little things in life, even though I never came from a comfortable family I have endlessly never been forgotten. Its great to have a few people love you tremendously rather than having no one there to support you. My soda has been a huge put to work in my life because he has unceasingly been there for me, he would do anything for me and its great to know you have someone to count on.He has taught me so much and gave me his artist talents as well. Since I was little I have loved to draw, being cr eative is my section nature. I can do it in my sleep. Im very passionate about being artistic through generations my whole family has some kind of artistic ability. My grandad was a painter, photographer, my grandmother knitted and sewed like a seamstress, my dad was an illustrator, drawer, my mom was a watercolor artist, and my aunt was a graphic designer, printmaker. Its in my blood to be talented in the arts.I have everlastingly been passionate when it comes to making something beautiful and done from the hand. Life seems so much easier when you can make something from your heart. You can never buy something so always special. Being surrounded by loving people is a huge inspiration because they are your support group and when you feel down you just look to these people and they go forth always motivate you and push you in the direction you want to go in. In the future I bank to see myself becoming a designer.I love the thought of me opening up my own brand and starting a clo thing line. I have always thought of myself becoming famous someday. My goals for myself is to finish school with honors and graduating with a degree in Graphic Design then continuing to realize my associates in Interior Design. Then after college start to work for a magazine or firm to get some experience and do logos, websites, etc. I think to maintain my happiness I just need to keep skating and dont settle for a day job.I want to schedule my own hours and do work that will be something I enjoy rather than sitting at a desk all day being miserable. I in any case have always wanted to travel the world to get inspiration and if I respect my dreams, happiness will stay with me till I past. My purpose of life is to have fun and fulfill my wishes, if I dont I will regret my life choices and be miserable for the rest of my life. If I keep up the hard work, my life will be cope and I will feel satisfied. Happiness is the way of life if your not happy then your not making your life h ave a purpose.Being able to use my imagination helps me cope with society, now a days everything is digitalized and electronic that my mind wants to explode. For me, I always have to step away from the computer and relax my mind. I love to do yoga and mediate it helps me become one with my body and its a reliever of stress. I also keep a journal to jot down notes or ideas that I might come across at random times. It helps me stay unfeigned to myself and when Im having a bad day I just look in it and re-read silly things I wrote and it makes me feel better. I always feel happy when Im being silly and just being myself.