Friday, January 24, 2020
Health Care Essay -- Papers Insurance Work Essays
Health Care Abstract "Health Care", This is becoming more important in today's world of corporate streamlining, downsizing, and increased health care costs. A compensation package for the employees of today is more valuable than it has ever been. The average employee no longer is just concerned with the wages or salary they receive, their attention has been drawn to the overall compensation package. As health care costs rise the importance of an enrollment in a health care plan grows. Health care will continue to be an important factor for employees as long as costs continue to grow. I. Health Care. Starting from the time a person leaves their parents and as they enter the workforce and continue through life healthcare is an issue. Security is a basic human need and health care is one of the biggest parts of that security. It is important to know if one becomes ill or injured that treatment is readily available to them. This includes not only the employee but also the employee's family and or life partner. Health care here in the United States is not socialized and therefore is provided through the purchase of health care plans entirely by the employer or with co-payments from the employees. A. Providing health care programs is not always a guaranteed part of a compensation package when employed. Depending on the organization and its total compensation package health care may or may not be included. The organization may chose to provide the health care to the employees free of charge or they may be required to contribute a significant amount each month. 1. An employer designs compensation packages to attract qualified employees who have the knowl... ...f the organization a viable health care plan is necessary. To ensure plans are within an acceptable expense it is necessary to educate employees in preventive health care measures. Healthy employees make for less expenditures of plans and more productivity. Reviewing the facts and reports it is clear that health plans are a necessity rather than a nicety to help the organization meet its goals. References: Compensation Management in a Knowledge-Based World, (2000). By Richard I. Henderson. Henry Holt and Company Inc., (1999). "Forbidden Love" by Gary B. Nash http://www.ebri.org/ http://www.ifeb.org/icnewind.html http://www.nbch.org/ http://www.healthgrades.com http://www.presbyterian.org/employers.html http://www.healthcareresource.net/healthplan.html http://www.ftp.bls.gov/publ/news.release/hce.txt
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Who Are Aware of the Demands of Religious Commitment in Everyday Life.ââ¬â¢ in What Ways Does Classroom Re Achieve This
The outcome of religious education is religiously literate young people â⬠¦ who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life. ââ¬â¢ In what ways does classroom RE achieve this? The quote in this essay title not only states that children who experience religious education become religiously literate young people; but that they also begin to know the importance of religious commitment in everyday life. This however is an easy proposition to state, but to achieve this in classroom Religious Education can be a demanding and challenging realisation.For a child to become religiously literate they need to be able to understand and have knowledge about Religion, but to become aware of the demands they not only need to learn about Religious Education, they need to learn from it. Religious Education in catholic schools is not only learning from classroom RE but from the wider community: from parents and the parish. It is important when learning catholic religion in a catholic school the teacher links the learning in the classroom to the wider community so the children can become aware and possibly adapt the demands of the catholic everyday life.As the Catholic Education Service says ââ¬ËIf in Catholic schools, we are able to play our part in the moral development of the young people in our charge, we need to agree among ourselves, with parents, what are shared values are and how we plan to put them into practice. A school contributes or fails to contribute, to the moral development of its pupils, by the broad values that are upheld by the school generally. ââ¬â¢ (1995,20) Catholic Education inspires children to be able to make their own decisions, as Catholics believe we were all made in the image and likeness of god.Religious Education should be portrayed to children as a journey, where children can use their free will to choose their own religious path. They should be able to understand that everything we do our talents, gifts and expe riences help us to lead a life in the image of God; this is a huge commitment Catholics make in their everyday lives. Children in Classroom religion should be able to reflect on this and become aware of the demands of religious responsibility. As it states in the Bishops conference, ââ¬ËThe catholic vision of education promotes the dignity and freedom of every person as created in the image and likeness of God.This vision inspires and encourages the beliefs and values which are lived out in the daily life of the catholic school. ââ¬â¢ (1996,10) When teaching Religious Education in a catholic school the teachers aim should be to develop the childrenââ¬â¢s knowledge about religion and help them understand it. It should be able to allow children to investigate and have opinion on some of the biggest question asked. However even when teaching in a catholic school not all children may have been exposed to religion and this may be their first look into it.Some children will have come from very catholic backgrounds and when they look into Catholicism deeper it may heighten their faith. However to some children it may make them realise that they don't want to commit to the religious way of life. Whatever the children's beliefs it is important in a catholic school children are able to understand the religion and what it is about, as Grace and Oââ¬â¢Keefe suggest ââ¬ËFor some, classroom religious education will deepen and enhance their personal faith; for many it may well be the first presentation of the Christian beliefsâ⬠¦. he freedom of conscience must be respected. ââ¬â¢ (2007, 262) Although Religious Education is not subject to nationally prescribed attainment targets there are two attainment targets for Religious Education they are: Learning about Religions and Learning from religion. Learning about Religions covers skills necessary for pupils to develop knowledge and understanding of a variety of religions. Even in a Catholic school it is im portant children learn about other religions to give them a broader knowledge of the world around us.Learning from religion encourages reflection and allows learning from each other and listening to what the children bring to the class, by them sharing their own thoughts and ideas. Learning from religion allows children to ask questions about life's meaning and purpose and explore and share human experiences. Religious Education encompasses many things and can be linked to many cross curricular subjects. It is important that religion helps develop children morally and spiritually.Religion can be linked to many subjects such as English, History, PSHE, I. C. T, Art, Drama and Mathematics. Linking Religious Education to these subjects helps children grasp topics more easily and makes the lessons more varied. For example when I was on placement in a Catholic school I taught an RE lesson, the learning objective was to learn about the different stories the bible tells us about the birth o f Jesus. We looked at the Annunciation and The Visitation, when we looked at the Visitation we looked at Luke 2:8-20 and Matthew 2:1-12.The children then drew on their tables using a whiteboard pen a Venn diagram to show the differences and similarities between the two versions of the story. This brought maths into the lesson and the children stayed engaged all the way through as they were doing something different. Afterward we then did some freeze frames of the stories, if the children were tapped on the shoulder they would become the character and say how they were feeling at the time.This encompassed drama into the lesson, and the children were able to get up and involved in the lesson, it really helped them understand the story and become part of it for a few moments. Another way to keep the children engaged and bring variety to Religion is by going to visit a place of worship, for example if we were studying Islam the children could be taken to Mosques this will allow reflecti on and add reality to the learning experience. McCreery, Bowen and Berminghem suggest ââ¬ËThe presence of such places will reflect the religious and cultural make-up of the local community.A place of worship is the source of a first-hand learning experience in which children can begin to recognise that their community is made up of diverse groups of people. ââ¬â¢ (2007,93) One subject to which Religious Education particularity links to is PSHE and they complement each other well; together they can help moralistic development. Children can learn from faith about many contemporary issues, for example forgiveness in the playground, helping others, living life in the image and likeness of Jesus.Much can be learnt from parables in the bible; one parable that in particular gives a clear message across to the children is the parable of the good Samaritan. This shows children that no matter what we are doing or who is in need of help, it is important that we always lend a helping hand to the people around us; just like the Samaritan did. The Samaritan helped the man on the side of the road even though he was a Jew; people would think he would have done the opposite as Samaritans disliked the Jews.Whereas the priest and the Levites just walked past, it is important children understand this is the wrong thing to do and they would follow in the Samaritans footsteps. They can think as if they were walking past the old man what would they do? This is not just teaching the children about the parables but linking it to real life situations, making them aware of the commitment to Catholicism in everyday life. For children to completely understand ââ¬Ëthe demands of religious commitment in everyday lifeââ¬â¢ it is important that they can link religion to everyday and the world around us.A good way to do this would be to talk about media, for example earlier this year Stephen Lawrence was murdered and his mother after loosing her son was willing to forgive the murde rers however she said in an article ââ¬Å"I don't forgive the boys who killed Stephen. They don't think they have done anything wrong. They took away Stephen's life and there is nothing in their behavior or anything to show they regret what their actions have done and the pain it has caused us as a family. It is important especially in a KS2 RE classroom to talk about the way the mum would be feeling? The fact sheââ¬â¢s forgive the murderers if they showed any remorse, is this a Christian way to behave? This allows children to develop their knowledge and understanding of, and their ability to respond to, Christianity in Britain. Although achieving a standard in an RE classroom where children can become ââ¬Ëreligiously literate young peopleââ¬â¢can be challenging; I believe with the right attitude and variety it is very possible.Using other subjects to keep the children engaged and links to the world around us, children will become aware of the demands of a religious life. However whatever is taught in the classroom must be seen through the life of the catholic school, through charity work, kindness and forgiveness. Religious Education is not part of the national curriculum, however if working in a catholic school I think teaching Religious Eduction is vital and will develop children morally and spiritually, as the learn from and about religion.Catholic Education Service (1995) Spiritual and Moral development across the curriculum. Matthew James Publishing Hoodless, P, Mccreery, E, Bowen, B and Berminghem (2007) Teaching humanities in primary schools. S Learning matters ltd The Bishopââ¬â¢s Conference of England and Wales (1996), Religious Education Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools, London, Catholic Education Service. Grace,R and Oââ¬â¢Keefe, SJ (2007) International Handbook of catholic Education. Springer
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Whats Behind The Curtain - 1178 Words
Throughout history, there have been problems in society where most of society is totally oblivious to. However, these problems have caught the awareness of a few people who have an understanding of what is really occurring behind the curtain. In the book The Jungle, Upton Sinclair reveals the issue of the immoral goals of capitalistic society during the late 1800ââ¬â¢s and early 1900ââ¬â¢s. Similarly, in the movie Food Inc, the producers of the film reveal the truth about modern capitalism through the use of personal accounts and facts, which all effectively use the rhetorical techniques of imagery, pathos, and logos. In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair bases his novel around the sad life of Jurgis Rudkus. Originally born in Lithuania, Rudkus decidedâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦coli. These feed lots are so horrible that the beef industry has put into place laws that prevent any pictures from being taken of said feed lots. By adding these stunning clips, the movie producers are able to physically show the audience what is really happening. By seeing the atrocious events on a screen, rather than reading them in the paper, the audience will reach in a much stronger wayââ¬âand even move toward what the producers of the movie want (buying locally grown and raised organic foods). The producers of the movie Food Inc, as well as the author of the book The Jungle, appeal to logos to reveal the corruption of the food industry to people who are less receptive to sad stories and horrifying images. The producers of Food Inc incorporate written facts on the screen during key point of the movie. These facts disclose startling information that may not be known to any normal person. For example, during the Smithfield hog slaughter plant scene, there is a white caption that reads ââ¬Å"â⬠¦more than 32,000 hogs are slaughtered at Smithfield each day.â⬠Numbers like these cannot just be pushed aside, but must be met with some thought. 32,000 hogs slaughtered each d ay is a very large amount, and such an efficient process may not tend to the need of the hogs, nor the consumer. By adding these captions, the producers of Food Inc effectively distributeShow MoreRelatedNarrative Essay About Up In The North1698 Words à |à 7 PagesMartin whimpered. The ground shaking terribly, suddenly Ivyââ¬â¢s cocoon cracks in half, earth shaking; Nevertheless, Dr. martin runs out of there as fast as he can without looking back to see if Ivy is alright. He hops in the Jeep leaves everything behind and drove off. The cocoon bursts off her body, around her Flat as a pancake. She sits in the middle of total destruction all around her. Sit thereââ¬â¢s and sobbing thinking if anything is real anymore. Suddenly, three black SUVs pull up on the sideRead MoreLying to Children769 Words à |à 4 Pagesdonââ¬â¢t know the differenceâ⬠and then leave it there. Think back to when you were a child and your parents told you that a man in a red suit named Santa Clause came down your chimney on Christmas and brought you presents if you were good. The agenda behind this lie was so that you would be good. Adults use lies for various reasons. Sometimes itââ¬â¢s so you donââ¬â¢t have to face consequences. Other times itââ¬â¢s to invoke a specific behavior. In the case of ââ¬Å"Salvationâ⬠by Langston Hughes, lying to the childrenRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1356 Words à |à 6 Pagessuspects someone behind the curtain. Hamlet is speaking with Gertrude and suddenly he begins to stab the curtains that someone is hiding behind and later finds it to be Polonius. Hamlet thought it was Claudius spying on him but was certainly wrong. Hamlet had a different opportunity t o kill Claudius prior to this but he didnââ¬â¢t want to kill him as he was repenting his sins in the confessional. Instead he kills Polonius spying on him before he could even check who it was behind the curtain. Hamlet carelesslyRead MoreYerma by Federico Garcia Lorca: Planning the Play1722 Words à |à 7 Pagescanââ¬â¢t have children her dull marriage with Juan and the fact that he doesnââ¬â¢t want to and canââ¬â¢t have children. ââ¬Å"YERMA (dropping her voice): What you know. Why am I childless? Must I spend the rest of my life feeding chickens and hanging neat little curtains in the windows? Tell me what to do and Iââ¬â¢ll do it even if I have to stick pins in my eyeballs.â⬠Here we can see how passionate Yerma is to have children, thus highlighting another theme, passion. Another theme is nature, since each act is in differentRead MoreYerma by Federico Garcia Lorca: Planning the Play1734 Words à |à 7 Pagescanââ¬â¢t have children her dull marriage w ith Juan and the fact that he doesnââ¬â¢t want to and canââ¬â¢t have children. ââ¬Å"YERMA (dropping her voice): What you know. Why am I childless? Must I spend the rest of my life feeding chickens and hanging neat little curtains in the windows? Tell me what to do and Iââ¬â¢ll do it even if I have to stick pins in my eyeballs.â⬠Here we can see how passionate Yerma is to have children, thus highlighting another theme, passion. Another theme is nature, since each act is in differentRead MoreShopping At Home Vs. Shopping1540 Words à |à 7 Pagesgoods. Whatââ¬â¢s more, online shopping is way much easier due to the variety of options. Online shopping is more navigating while you are deciding. After you click on some products, a list of so called ââ¬Å"recommendedâ⬠or ââ¬Å"relatedâ⬠products will be listed at the bottom of the window. Lastly, there are thousands of products can be listed online which canââ¬â¢t be possible in actual store, online shopping provides more options than actual stores. For example, if a customer wants to buy a shower curtain, he /Read MoreEssay on WikiLeaks: Changing the World1151 Words à |à 5 Pagesbulk and stores them out of reach of governments or others trying to get a hold of them and releases it worldwide (ââ¬Å"WikiLeaksâ⬠). WikiLeaks isnââ¬â¢t the traditional journalism but itââ¬â¢s soon redefining it. WikiLeaks plans to shine light on whatââ¬â¢s really happening behind closed doors. They feel like the people should know everything that is going on in their own government and the secrets and lies should stop. A video called Collateral Murder was posted on the website, where innocent Iraqis and two reportersRead MoreShort Story918 Words à |à 4 Pagesour foyer. Then, I kick my shoes off relatively near our front door. Iââ¬â¢m exhausted. The school day, homework, cross country practice, and a student council meeting all seems impossible to handle in one day. I sweep the fallen pieces of my ponytail behind my ear and push my large square framed glasses up the bridge of my nose. ââ¬Å"Beth, join us for dinner please!â⬠I huff and trot into the kitchen where my family is seated for dinner. I sit in my usual spot across from my 10 year old brother, Brennan,Read More The Negative Impact of Internet and Television on our Youth Essay1410 Words à |à 6 Pageseyes that sat under a continuous downcast brow, which made him seem almost humorous. Behind the horrendous face, rain pounded to the ground under a dark, cloudy night. Suddenly the scene changed to a two-storied house. The mysterious man slowly trudged over to the house. A ghostly wind swept back sheer curtains covering a sliding glass door to a bedroom of the two-storied house. A second breeze blew the curtain to reveal the mysterious man standing inside head turned down and arms out to his sidesRead MoreBottled Water : An Overview706 Words à |à 3 Pagesproduct to nature, that disguises their products as pure and clean as nature. In this way, there are more selling points on the product. As the res ult, the success triggers them to treat nature more as commodity that is profitable. The incentive behind the misleading advertisements and high commodification of nature is that the company always react upon the consumers. People like nature, and people are willing to buy things that are organic, in other words, natural. The advertiser caught the favor
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Monday, December 23, 2019
Psychological And Physical Side Effects On Children Essay
Divorce causes both psychological and physical side effects in the involved children. Typically, children enter into an emotional state of fear and anxiety resulting from the monumental changes occurring within their environmental and family contexts. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines anxiety and fear as, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦the emotional response to real or perceived threats, whereas anxiety is anticipation of future threatâ⬠(American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 189). Children of divorce often experience both emotional states simultaneously. Children also experience fear stemming from the current perceived threat of their parentsââ¬â¢ divorcing, and they experience anxiety stemming from the perceived threat of a radically different parental relationship and home environment. While not necessarily called to engage in psychoanalysis or official medical diagnoses, those serving within a pastoral role will routinely encounter children dealing with the realities of divorce. Ministers should be well aware of the physical symptoms of fear and anxiety in order to discern such issues within their younger parishioners and determine the necessity of a counseling referral. Numerous physical side effects manifest within children experiencing the emotional states of fear and anxiety. These symptoms can range from restlessness, sweating, and hyperventilation, to chest tightness and gastro-intestinal issues. Children battling excessive fear and anxiety oftenShow MoreRelatedEssay about Abortion Is Murder1200 Words à |à 5 Pagesratification, more than forty-eight million unborn children have been killed by means of abortion in the United States since the Roe vs. Wade judgment (Abortion in the United States).With abortion outlawed, these lives could have been saved and given the opportunity to live. Abortion is a form of murder, which is why it should be abolished. In addition, abortion can also lead to detrimental side effects, which are both physical and psychological. Finally, there are thousands of families who are waitingRead MoreEssay on Stress Management649 Words à |à 3 Pagespresent different impacts on each individual. Stressors have a physical and psychological effect on people although some people seem to be much less effected by stress being able to withstand high levels of stress almost as if there daily lives depend on it. Even though it is accepted stress is with us from are waking moment to the minute we sleep, almost all individuals through time suffer physical or psychological illness. Individual responses to stress have been put intoRead MoreThe Psychological Effects of Child Abuse731 Words à |à 3 PagesThe Psychological Effects of Child Abuse A recent study has found that five children die daily, due to abuse and neglect. According to the World Health Organization, ââ¬Å"Studies show that psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior are side effects of violence towards infants and younger children. Some of damaging behavior caused by abuse includes the following: Depression, alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, anxiety disorders, aggression and violence towards others, risky sexual behaviors and post-traumaticRead MoreNegative Effects Of Corporal Punishment954 Words à |à 4 PagesThere have been countless studies done on whether corporal punishment actually works, or if it, in fact, is instead causing long-term adverse effects. Corporal punishment today is seen less and less with this new generations parents. Corporal punishment was mainly seen in parenting before the 2000s. Cloud (2009) states that sociologist, Murray Straus, found that in a 1968 survey that had taken place, 94% of Americans agreed that corporal punishme nt was seen as an acceptable form of discipline. ThisRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Society1342 Words à |à 6 Pagesthemselves. The children of our country. There are generally three types of abuse. They include psychological, sexual, and physical abuse. Child abuse can be described in many different ways. Some people will describe abuse as spanking a child. While others think that abuse only happens when someone uses an instrument to beat a child or inflicts such violence on a child that they end up dying. These are two very different ends of the spectrum. Child abuse is much more than the physical abuse we areRead MoreWhat Is 22 Random Control Trials For Patients With Chemotherapy And Treatment?1000 Words à |à 4 Pagescapacity improved significantly. These trials were reported from walking programs to supervised sessions including aerobic, resistance, and flexibility activities. In terms of a psychological approach, the trials also used anxiety levels as a factor in their exercise plans. Out of five trials, three demonstrated positive effects, while two showed no statistical significance. Again, these programs included walking bas ed programs and telephone counseling interventions. (Schmitz et al., 2010) The nextRead MoreAbortion : The Deliberate Termination Of A Human Pregnancy937 Words à |à 4 Pagesunder the United States Constitution and it violated the first, fourth, ninth, and fourteenth amendments, which all discuss privacy (pbs.org). No country should recognize abortion as a legal act because it is murder, medically dangerous, leaves psychological scars, and adoption is an alternative. There is a type of procedure for abortion. According to the American Pregnancy Association, dilation and evacuation (D and E) is a surgical procedure where the doctor uses forceps to grab and twistRead MoreThe Society Of Prevention Of Cruelty907 Words à |à 4 PagesPrevention of Cruelty to Children was established. On the flip side, in certain states spousal rape societies have yet to be established. There have been analysts who have alluded to the fact of removing or stopping the problem of violence may cause iatrogenic effects. One needs to be able to distinguish between the different types of abuse especially for when one wants to intervene. The aticle define the following definition as follows: family maltreatment- ââ¬Å"minimal physical or sexual harm or endangermentâ⬠Read MoreBeauty Pageants : Harmful Effects On Young Girls1030 Words à |à 5 Pagesindustry worldwide, with over 250,000 children participating every year. These ââ¬Å"beautyâ⬠pageants focus on judging young girls aged 2 to 17, based on perceived outer beauty, talent, and poise. Beauty pageants can have harmful effects on young girls as they can act as the foundation for physical, psychological, and emotional issues. A number of parents praise these beauty pageants for the ââ¬Å"positiveâ⬠outcomes they believe they have on their daughters. On the opposing side, there are also a number of peopleRead MoreNarcotics Impairing The Mind Of The User1520 Words à |à 7 Pagesare a big deal and can impair the mind of the user b y giving them physical side effects and psychological effects and create an addiction that can and will harm the brain and even cause death to the user. With this worldwide trend of the overuse of narcotic drugs, people have to power to stop it. A few ways to stop the overuse of narcotic drugs is to inform children, young adults especially and everyone all over about the side affects to the overuse of narcotic drugs. Caffeine, cigarettes and
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Women Leadership Free Essays
string(30) " viewed as equally competent\." WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP Leadership: A simple definition of leadership is that leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. Put even more simply, the leader is the inspiration and director of the action. He or she is the person in the group that possesses the combination of personality and skills that makes others want to follow his or her direction. We will write a custom essay sample on Women Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now In business, leadership is welded to performance. Effective leaders are those who increase their companiesââ¬Ë bottom lines. To further confuse the issue, we tend to use the terms ââ¬Å"leadershipâ⬠and ââ¬Å"managementâ⬠interchangeably, referring to a companyââ¬â¢s management structure as its leadership, or to individuals who are actually managers as the ââ¬Å"leadersâ⬠of various management teams. Is a leader born or made? While there are people who seem to be naturally endowed with more leadership abilities than others, all believe that people can learn to become leaders by concentrating on improving particular leadership skills. 1. A leader plans. 2. A leader has a vision. 3. A leader takes charge . A leader shares her vision 5. A leader inspires through example. Women Leadership: When modern feminists movement emerged it dint feature much discussion of leadership. There was virtually no analysis of what feminist leadership might entail. Because leadership has been largely a privilege of men, and feminism focused on women. It is understandable that study of leadership dint have mu ch salience. Feminists wanted to understand the womenââ¬Ës experiences and routes of womenââ¬Ës oppression. Psychologists is particular have neglected study of women. Therefore, new topics emerged ââ¬â sexual harassment, rape, math anxiety, family violence and the politics of reproductive rights, to name just a few. To study leadership is it in organizations or in politics would have meant focusing on men. The discovery and development of women focus topics made a good sense. Much has changed. Women are now far more common in ranks of leaders. For example, women occupy 24% of chief executive positions in United States (U. S Bureau of Labor Statistics- 2006). They constitute 44% of school principles (U. S National Center for Education Statistics, 2005) and 21% of college and University presidents (Corrigan, 2002). It makes sense that feminists find the study of leadership appropriate now that it addresses the experiences of women as well as men. Although women remain rare in the corporate leadership and greatly under presented in politics, womenââ¬Ës increasing presence in these and other leadership roles raises many questions about their functioning as leaders. When it comes to leadership, does gender matter? Is there a difference between women leaders and men who lead? Characteristics that distinguish women leaders from men in leadership: ? Women leaders are more assertive and persuasive, have a stronger need to get things done and are more willing to take risks than male leaders. ? Women leaders were also found to be more empathetic and flexible, as well as stronger in interpersonal skills than their male counterparts enabling them to read situations accurately and take information in from all sides. ? These women leaders are able to bring others around to their point of view because they are leading feel more understood, supported and valued. Four specific statements about womenââ¬â¢s leadership qualities: ? ? ? ? Women leaders are more persuasive than their male counterparts. When feeling the sting of rejection, women leaders learn from adversity and carry on with an ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ll show youâ⬠attitude. Women leaders demonstrate an inclusive, team-building leadership style of problem solving and decision making. Women leaders are more likely to ignore rules and take risks. This evidence ââ¬â that the leadership style of women is not simply unique but possibly at odds with what men practice ââ¬â begs the question: Do these qualities have value in the marketplace? Is this type of leadership welcomed by society and by the public and private sector? Differences between women and men leadership: There are several key ways in which people respond differently to women and men who are leaders. Conflicting, sets of expectations, high-profile women leaders in the United States are relentlessly held to a higher standard than their male counterparts. ? Different Responses to Women and Men in Leadership Roles Researchers have identified four key ways in which female and male leaders elicit different responses from those around them. These different responses appear to be due, not so much to different leadership behaviors by women and men, as to the stimulus value of women or men in these roles. A woman leader stimulates a different reaction than a male leader because of learned expectations, shaped and supported by the surrounding social structure, that invalidate and undercut womenââ¬Ës attempts to be effective, influential, and powerful. ? Women are expected to combine Leadership with Compassionââ¬âand are disliked when they donââ¬â¢t Researchers have long found that people think ? male? when they think ? leader?. Because of perceived incompatibility between the requirements of femininity and those of leadership, women are often required to ? soften? their leadership styles to gain the approval of their constituents. Women who do not temper their agency and competence with warmth and friendliness risk being disliked and less influential. Women who lead with an autocratic style are the targets of more disapproval than those who enact a more democratic style; men may choose the autocratic style with relative impunity, if they are effective leaders. Often requires the application of a ? harder? eadership style, they are disliked and disparaged. ? People do not listen to or take direction from women as comfortably as from men The stereotype that women are more talkative than men is unsupported by evidence. Women report that they do not feel listened to, that when they speak in meetings their comments and suggestions are ignored or belittledââ¬âand that the same comments or suggestions from men have more impact. Field studies of small group meetings in organizations show that women leaders are targets of more displays of negative emotion than men leaders, even when both sets of leaders are viewed as equally competent. You read "Women Leadership" in category "Leadership" Women who promote themselves and their abilities reap disapproval Women who act more confident and assertive than is normative for women run the risk of disapproval. Research demonstrates that when women promote their own accomplishments it can cause their audience to view them as more competentââ¬âbut at the cost of viewing them as less likeable. Men who promote their own accomplishments do not reap the same mixed outcomes: as long as they do not overdo it, self-promotion brings them both higher evaluations of competence and likeability. ? Women require more external validation than men do to be accepted as leaders in some contexts In competitive, highly-masculinized contexts, simply having leadership training or taskrelated expertise does not guarantee a womanââ¬Ës success unless accompanied by legitimating by another established leader. Gender stereotypes interfere with observersââ¬Ë ability to see womenââ¬Ës competence; it is sometimes necessary to for a high-status other to provide them with credibility. Qualities of Women Leader: ? Committed. ? Outspoken. ? Enthusing. ? Vivacious. ? Happy. ? Creator. ? Charismatic. ? Lively. ? Talented. ? Friendly. ? Free-Spirited. ? Outgoing. ? Measured. ? Reflective. ? Spirited. ? Open and Honest. ? Determined. ? Cheerful. Altruistic. ? Keeping my interests ? Feisty. ? Inspirational. ? Trustworthy. ? Positive. ? Forthright. ? Energetic. ? Passion. ? Inspiring. ? Supportive. ? Optimistic. ? Cosmopolitan. ? Impressive. ? Eclectic. ? Fair. ? Hardworking. ? Confident. ? Assertive. ? Caring. ? Articulate. ? Humorous. to my self. ? Complex. ? Resilient. ? Calm. ? Spar kling Women Empowerment: ââ¬ËWomenââ¬â¢s empowermentââ¬â¢ is the ability to exercise full control over oneââ¬â¢s actions. The Government of India had ushered in the new millennium by declaring the year 2001 as ââ¬ËWomenââ¬â¢s Empowerment Yearââ¬â¢ to focus on a vision ââ¬Ëwhere women are equal partners like menââ¬â¢. The last decades have witnessed some basic changes in the status and role of women in our society. There has been shift in policy approaches from the concept of ââ¬Ëwelfareââ¬â¢ in the seventies to ââ¬Ëdevelopmentââ¬â¢ in the eighties and now to ââ¬â¢empowermentââ¬â¢ in the nineties. The Constitution of India grants equality to women in various fields of life. Yet a large number of women are either ill equipped or not in a position to propel themselves out of their traditionally unsatisfactory socio-economic conditions. Leaving a meager number of urban and sub-urban women, Indian women are still crying for social justice. A review of governmentââ¬â¢s various programmes for women empowerment such as Swashakti, Swayamsidha, Streeshakti, Balika samrudhi yojana and another two thousand projects reveal that little has been done or achieved through these programmes. The discrepancy in the ideology and practice of the empowerment policy of women in India constitutes its continued social, economic and social backwardness Empowerment would not hold any meaning unless they are made strong, alert and aware of their equal status in the society. The need of the hour is to improve female literacy as education holds the key to development. Empowerment would become more relevant if women are educated, better informed and can take rational decisions. The greatest challenge is to recognize the obstacles that stand in the way of their right to good health. To be useful to the family, community and the society, women must be provided with health care facilities. They should be provided with proper wages and work at par with men so that their status can be elevated in society. In recent years there have been explicit moves to increase womenââ¬â¢s political participation. The Womenââ¬â¢s reservation policy bill is however a very sad story as it is repeatedly being scuttled in parliament. In the Panchayati Raj system, however, women have been given representation as a sign of political empowerment. There are many elected women representatives at the village council level. However their power is restricted, as it the men who wield all the authority. Their decisions are often over-ruled by the government machinery. It is crucial to train and give real power to these women leaders so that they can catalyst change in their villages regarding women. All this shows that the process of gender equality and womenââ¬â¢s empowerment still has a long way to go and may even have become more difficult in the recent years. The main reason for the contradiction is that, targeted schemes tend to have only limited impact when the basic thrust of development is not reaching an average woman, making her life more fragile and vulnerable. To make a positive change basic infrastructure should be provided in every village and city. To begin with, providing safe drinking water supply and better sanitation not only directly improved the lives and health of women but also reduces their workload in terms of provisioning and ensuring such facilities. An access to affordable cooking fuel reduces the need to travel long distances in search of fuel wood. Improved transport connecting villages with each other and with towns can also directly improve living conditions as well as unpaid labour time spent in transporting household items. It can also lead to access to a wider range of goods and services plus a better access to health facilities. Expenditure on food subsidy and better provisions for public distribution services directly affects the lives of women and girl children in terms of adequate nutrition. The patterns of resource mobilization by government also have significant effects on women that are usually not recognized. When taxes are regressive and fall disproportionately on items of mass consumption, once again these tend to affect women more. This is not only because the consumption of such items may be curtailed but also because the provisioning of such items is frequently considered to be the responsibility of the women of the household. Also credit policies reduce the flow of credit to small-scale enterprises thus reducing the employment opportunities for women. There is a need to have womenfriendly economic policies that can enhance their social and economic position and make them self-reliant. There is no doubt about the fact that development of women has always been the central focus of planning since Independence. Empowerment is a major step in this direction but it has to be seen in a relational context. A clear vision is needed to remove the obstacles to the path of womenââ¬â¢s emancipation both from the government and women themselves. Efforts should be directed towards all round development of each and every section of Indian women by giving them their due share. Impact women leaders contribute to business: ? There are three key drivers why businesses are interested in women today: leadership, talent and markets. There is now data and studies to prove that more women in leadership means better bottom-line performance. Fortune 500 companies with the most women at the top have a 35 percent higher return on shareholder return to equity, and a Catalyst study showed boards with more than three women on them have an 83 percent higher return to shareholder value than boards without women. Itââ¬â¢s not about women taking over everything, itââ¬â¢s about having gender balance because that really does seem to tie into much greater profitability and striking performance financially. ? One of the most compelling reasons for an organization to pay attention to the demographic makeup of its workforce is that a diverse employee base can have significant bottom-line impact. Yet, when the issue is workplace gender balance and actualizing womenââ¬â¢s economic and leadership potential, India trails behind less developing countries. ? Oftentimes when the subject of women in business is discussed, comparisons with men are made as if men are the barometer for business. This is a false perception and false too is the language. Business is not an entity separated from life; it is an entity encompassed by life. The definitions of a business consists of a line of work, to work, a profession, a job, a trade, a position, a vocation, a field, a calling and a career. Before today, societies around the globe have claimed that women didnââ¬Ët work and therefore couldnââ¬Ët understand the parameters of ? formal? business. This misconception rivals some of the largest platitudes in history: the near-sighted earth is flat, the purposeful stork delivers babies and the perforated theory of evolution. The business world has presented itself to women as if it spoke a foreign language on an uncharted map. But the truth is that the language is fabricated and the world of business operates in a land not unknown to women. By definition, everything women do and have always done is in fact a business. Women have labored the child, harvested the crop, fed the hungry, nursed the needy and educated the willing. All of those are jobs, careers, trades, vocations and callings. Women arenââ¬Ët new to business; theyââ¬Ëre only new to the financial rewards. ? Today, more than ever, women are in the workplace and now own the workplace. Women have always been established in business but now they are in business for profit by way of monetary means. Today over 10 million businesses are owned or controlled by women and those businesses account for over two (2) trillion dollars in sales. Thatââ¬Ës an astounding number and a resounding accomplishment when all considerations are factored. This doesnââ¬Ët come as a result of women learning anything new. This is a manifestation of which women already are: industrious, innovative, instinctive and intelligent. The traits of women are not to be compared with that of men, just shared in composition of a more productive and progressive society. Every household around the world that houses women, women manage and most commonly manage well. The interactive and intuitive management style of women is a prerequisite to a thriving business and a productive workplace environment. Women-owned businesses employ almost 20 million people and steadily rising. ? There was a time not long ago when any man in a three-piece suit could qualify for a business loan. Those times are no more, as much money was lost and many laws were circumvented. The measures applied in todayââ¬Ës market are far more reasonable and more accessible to female entrepreneurs. Commercial lenders and Venture Capitalists want to see that the company has done its research in that respective field. Itââ¬Ës important for them to know that you have experience in this area of expertise. Another major factor will be how you intend to market the product and what the infrastructure of the company is. As you design your company, research successful companies already in that industry, introduce yourselves to other women in business and network to assist each other. Those around you that make claims of what you canââ¬Ët do must be excluded from your conversations, so that you may focus on the task at hand. Whether you are single, a single mother or married, taking advantage of free enterprise is the way to independence and interdependence. The success in business that any male has experienced is not because males possess some superior trait over women; itââ¬Ës because men have been the only players. Women can compete in any and every business. Itââ¬Ës just a matter of choice and now that choice is ours. For one to operate a successful business, they must first define what su ccess is in their own terms. ? The sole reason why the numbers of women-owned businesses arenââ¬Ët more reflective of the population is because they havenââ¬Ët been encouraged to do and supported when doing so. Itââ¬Ës been a blight on the world community and a recessive gene to societal growth. Today we see women straightening that crooked path and every society will become a more powerful force because of it. Yesterday, we gorged the bitterness of bigotry. Today, we taste the fruits of unity and diversity. Today, we plant the untainted seeds of effortless innovation and boundless meritocracy. Today, little girls and little boys will witness the ubiquitous talents of women in power and exalt their leadership. Young women will know they have a reasonable option before them and no law will disallow their choices. Itââ¬Ës paramount that not only young women see their defined roles as unrestrained but that young men do and work in concert as we brave a new world. Itââ¬Ës true: Today is the greatest day in the history of the world and tomorrow will be even better. Challenges for women leadership: In spite of decades of organization and legislative support for gender equality, it appears that there is still very much a glass ceiling facing women in many aspects of leadership. Most women gaining or holding leadership roles ââ¬â whether in the workplace or in community organizations ââ¬â Face many challenges and oppositions which can be very hurtful and demoralizing. Women leaders still face many unique challenges brought on by a combination of social and cultural stereotyping, gender bias, family demands and also their innate female tendencies. Women leaders still earn less in general, receive less recognition and less support especially in the male dominated, competitive corporate world but also in other professional fields, such as medicine. The most common challenges faced by women leaders are: ? The challenge of family responsibility: It is a common lament that women are expected to juggle the demands of career and family, with constant criticism from both sides for failure to achieve perfection. For women leaders, the constant struggle to balance their responsibilities in both the professional and personal arena can be overwhelming, especially given the lack of support and the constant fight they have against the obstacles generated from traditional prejudices and gender stereotyping. In the greatest majority of break ups it is the woman who leaves. She leaves because her needs werenââ¬Ët given sufficient weight in the relationship. However still men around with a 1950ââ¬Ës masculinity are happy for their women to work if they can manage it around all their other commitments at home. They expect their working wives to do everything that their stay -at-home mothers do. ? The challenges from personal inclinations: For many women, learning to operate and succeed in a male dominated world means having to learn to over ride or ignore their more feminine inclinations. When the women get overwhelmed by the responsibility of looking after everyone and everything, these men offer no support except to tell their wives that they will have to quit their job if they canââ¬Ët cope. ? Woman has a potential and power to be a leader. However women often lack opportunities skills and resources for realizing their potential. Much of womenââ¬Ës leadership over the centuries has been invisible because the question of leadership has been viewed through gender ââ¬â biased lenses. Women have been pulling together to make something happen , but all of these have been viewed as ordinary and domestic work, performed in the private sphere that did not qualify for leadership. So the first challenge is to make womenââ¬Ës leadership visible. ? Gender biased lenses see leadership as happening in the ? public sphere ? hich was for generations and still is to an extent the domain of men. Ironically even women have and still reinforce this bias, which is an indication that the way we are socialized determines how we think and act. a very big challenge is becoming aware that we need new lenses that will make us see thing differently. How to overcome the challenges faced by women in leadership: When we have seen each other ââ¬â¢s work we learned the value of different work and further understood the roles of women in disasters and communities and how to strengthen their leadership. Leadership has no gender does it? May be women are more conscious of themselves, they can lead as well as men. The Leader at home is mostly a woman who have created talented children, built savings, assets and they can built Nation with character 1. The philosophy of Panchayati Raj is deeply steeped in the tradition and culture of rural India and is by no means a new concept. ?The rationale behind the concept is to involve the public in local planning, identification of beneficiaries, decision making and proper implementation of policies and programmes of the people as described by them. Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have today the basic commitment towards rural development. 2 . Panchayati Raj, as a system of governance, has had its ebbs and flows in the Indian polity ever since Indian attained independence. Various committees headed by Balwant Rai Mehta, Ashok Mehta, V. P. Naik, P. B. Patil, G. V. R. Rao, L. N. Singhvi overhauled these institutions which gave necessary impetus to the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act. Gender equality and gender equity are emerging as major challenges in the global development debate. Social scientists and development activists are giving increasing emphasis to these fields in their agenda for research and development. 4 As Noble Prizewinning economist Amartya Sen has pointed out, ? Democracy is not only the goal of development, it is the primary means of development. 5. Womenââ¬Ës participation in political processes is important for strengthening democracy and for their struggle against marginalisation, trivialisation and oppression. Emergence of women as a strong group would change the prevailing political practices, the nature and content of debates in the legislature and womenââ¬Ës issues can be taken care of from the feminist perspective both in policy formulation and implementation. .6. In fact, right from the days of the freedom struggle the Indian women have been consistently encouraged to take part in active politics. But due to the vitiated political milieu, resulting from increasing politicization and criminalization of politics, he level of political participation of women has been adversely affected despite the fact that there has been a marked increase in the level of literacy and political awareness among women. . India is perhaps the first country to recognize this social fact underlined by Lenin on the International Working Womenââ¬Ës Day in 1921,8 and to have taken concrete measures to draw women into leadership positions and thereby into politics by giving them one-third reservation in wha t may now be called the third tier of governanceââ¬âthe Panchayati Raj. The constitutional amendment providing one-third representation to women in elected bodies as well as reserving one-third of the offices of chairpersons for them will have far-reaching consequences in Indian political and social life. Now, some general observations can be made regarding the role of women in grassroots level governance. It has come to the notice that the percentage of women at various levels of political activities has increased formally. The general trend is that those in politics are women belonging to the younger age-group between 25-45. It is also revealed that women take up political career as an extension of their domestic role. While women have been active in mass movements, their presence is not felt in decisionmaking. The influence of the husbands and close relatives is quite palpable. This tendency is due to lack of confidence. This dependency is a stumping block in their empowerment. ?Another positive impact of the grassroot level experiment is the increase in the female literacy rate. Studies reveal that after two years of their election to PRIs, many women demanded literacy skills and also felt the need to educate their daughters. Issues in which women representatives generally take interest are drinking water supply, primary health, child care, public distribution system and environmental protection. One quality observed among women representatives is their patience to hear the problems of the public. They also work in adverse circumstances. It has been observed that women representatives are honest and accurate in presenting issues to the decision-making bodies and authorities. Women would bring new ideas in local governance. They believe in a sustainable development and their emphasis is on natural resources management. Women representatives working at the grassroot level also believe that communal harmony is an important element of development and they strive to achieve this objective. Another promising fact is that they do not indulge in corrupt practices. The elected women have exhibited their leadership in solving some of the local problems and creating facilities for betterment of the rural society. Women are considered an extremely pivotal point in the process of change in the rural areas. Womenââ¬Ës participation in panchayats provided opportunities to women to participate in the decision-making process. Womenââ¬Ës participation proved to be the most effective instrument in bringing about a change in their way of life in terms of economic well-being and adoption of new technology. Womenââ¬Ës entry into PRIs, both as members as well as heads of Panchayats, has pushed them into the policy-making and policy-implementation process in a very big way. Whether their husbands, fathers, brothers or other relatives compelled them to take up these roles, or whether they assumed these roles as dummy incumbents, one thing is certain: they crossed the rigid boundaries drawn through their households by the same male relatives. omen are leading in ensuring that families function well and have necessities for development. Women are running the ? Caring Industry,? by managing the well being of the sick, the children and the elderly etc. Women are resolving conflict and finding solutions for issues in communities, whether it is getting clean water in a village or a streetlight fixed to prevent ch ildren and pedestrians from being knocked down by cars. Women throughout history have always been making priorities, budgets, and action plans. Women have as managers of families and communities to the management of our nations, our businesses, religious institutions and our world. This is about making the personal public and the private political. It is about tearing down the walls of dualism and discrimination. Negotiating to ensure that women are in positions at every level of public governance beginning from kindergarten through parliaments, businesses all the way to the United Nations require strong women-led politically-motivated civil societies to support their leaders and hold them accountable. Advocacy work ust show that both women and men must work together for common good. There has to be a critical mass of women in leadership so that they can be companions with each other and allow themselves to be what they want or be allowed to be themselves and not to prove themselves . The first sign of success is when the women pioneers in leadership have space and voice to be visible on their own terms and to practice their leadership in positions commensurate with their skills . Female leadership including the skills that mothers use to manage sibling fights there will be possibilities for new beginnings. We should have more women in politics. workshops are essential to train potential leaders as well as encourage the ones who are successful at the local governance level to enter the State Assemblies and National Parliament. More women should participate in political system to set an example for the entire world by efficiently working on issues that are close to their heart?. Top 10 women leaders in India: ? Pratibha Patil- Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the current President of India, is the first woman to hold the office. She was also the first woman Governor of Rajasthan (2004-2007). ? Vasundhara Raje Scindia- Vasundhara Raje, the daughter of Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia and Jivaji Rao Scindia of Gwalior, entered the politics in 1984. Besides being the first women Chief Minister of Rajasthan, she was the Minister of State for External Affairs. ? Uma Bharti- Uma Bharti held various state-level portfolios in India including Youth Affairs Sports, Human Resource Development, Tourism and Coal Mines. ? Sushma Swaraj- Sushma swaraj, a lawyer by profession, was elected as a member of Rajya Sabha in 1990. Later, she became the Minister of Information and Broadcasting and president of Hindu Sahitya Sammelan for Four years. ? Sonia Gandhi- Sonia Gandhi, the President of the Indian National Congress Party (NCP), was married to Rajeev Gandhi in 1969. Now a widow of former Prime Minister of India, Sonia was named the sixth most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine. ? Mehmooba Mufti- Mehmooba Mufti, the president of the Jammu and Kashmir people Democratic Party, is the daughter of the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohmmad Sayeed. Brinda Karat- Brinda Karat was the first women member of the Communist Party of India. ? Mamta Banerjee- Mamata Banerjee is the founder and chief executive of the All India Trinamool Congress Party. Later, she was also made the Youth Affairs and Sport, Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development and Women and Child Development. ? Sheila Dixit- Sheila Dixit, belonging to the Indian National Congress, is the Chief Minister of Delhi since 1998. ? Mayawati Kumari- Mayawati Naina Kumari, the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, is the highest income tax payer among all politicians in India. Besides these top 10 women leaders in India, Late Indira Gandhi has also been an epitome of leadership in India. References: Women and Leadership ââ¬â Jean Lau Chin, Bernice Lott, Joy K. Rice http://www. emergingwomenleaders. org/ http://books. google. co. in/books? id=ZyhRWzTm_RwCpg=PR4lpg=PP1ots=IPACfy zBWQdq=women+leadership#v=onepageqf=false http://www. emergingwomenleaders. org/2009/11/women-leadership-and-personalityinsights-form-the-myers-briggs-type-indicator/ Team Members: V. Ashwini Reddy Mala Mankotia Manjusha. P Ramya Sree Rashmi Kumari G. Swetha Reddy R. Swathi Sree Usha Kiran How to cite Women Leadership, Essays
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Short Story Im Going Home Essay Example For Students
Short Story Im Going Home Essay It was one of those days. Those days where the weather outside was sticky hot. Those days where as soon as you step outside, a coat of sweat quickly emerged on your face and trickled down your face. With a basketball in hand, a subtle smirk appeared on my face as I noticed my neighbor, Pat, was already outside playing basketball. He was always one step ahead of me, an inch taller than me, a year older than me, and a second faster than me. He was always, in my eyes, a rival, even if he never acknowledged it to me. Today was supposed to be like any other summer day: we were going to shoot around, drink from the water hose faucet, and end the evening with multiple games of one-on-one. It was supposed to be like any other summer day. I played Pat one-on-one on several occasions. Each game had its own personality, its own story. The first time I played Pat, I was about four or five years old. My family had just moved into the neighborhood and I was trying to get accustomed to meeting new people. At that point, I had never played an organized game of basketball before. I learned the game from Pat, his older brother Fred, and their dad after we moved to the neighborhood. Needless to say, Pat showed absolutely no mercy in providing me with my first taste of defeat. I didnââ¬â¢t take defeat too well, because I definitely remember taking my ball and telling Pat ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m going home! â⬠By no means was I a crybaby. That was something that I remember my dad telling me never to be. I just wanted to imitate everything related to basketball that I saw on television. At the time, I didnââ¬â¢t understand why I wasnââ¬â¢t able to imitate Michael Jordanââ¬â¢s signature fade-away shot. I believed I could do it, but why couldnââ¬â¢t I? The only other option I had was to practice. They taught ââ¬Å"practice makes perfectâ⬠at my school and I took the concept to heart. I practiced and practiced and practiced but I just could not beat Pat in a game of one on one. It got to the point where it wasnââ¬â¢t even about basketball anymore. I was beginning to believe that Pat was better than me at all aspects of life. While I was stuck wearing the same gym shoes every time we played a game, Pat had all of these newest shoes. While I was stuck with my dad who could only buy me tapes from the 1970s about how to learn to play basketball, Patââ¬â¢s dad was an expert at basketball (he had played in college) and was able to teach him the skills of the game. While I was stuck with an older sister who only gawked at basketball players, Pat had an older brother who dunked on basketball players. I was beginning to realize that Pat had some sort of God-given advantage over me. It was unfair. As I grew older and became more serious about basketball, my emotions began to take over. I was obviously getting better at the game because I practiced almost daily. My father noticed my efforts and pushed me to continue to get better. I wasnââ¬â¢t sure if I loved basketball itself or simply the competitive nature that came with it. Regardless, I allowed my father to push me. By the age of thirteen, my friendship with Pat was not nearly as strong as it was when we were younger. Iââ¬â¢m not sure if our interests were totally different, because he no longer came to our door and asked if I could come outside to play basketball. On the contrary, I wasnââ¬â¢t doing the same for him either. However, something in me made me want to go outside when I saw him and one of his basketball teammates, Farrakhan, playing a game of one-on-one during the summer of my thirteenth birthday. I stepped outside into the summerââ¬â¢s heat, walking down the driveway with a blank but confident expression on my face. ââ¬Å"Yââ¬â¢all playing a game? â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"Aw shit, you tryna get in on this ass whooping too? â⬠Pat said with a smirk on his face. I smiled and chuckled. ââ¬Å"Hell nah, you ainââ¬â¢t gone beat me. Bust up for twenty-one. â⬠The game ââ¬Å"twenty-oneâ⬠was kind of like a game of one-on-one with an extra person, thus making it one-on-one-on-one. Basically, it was a basketball game that was about ââ¬Å"every man for himselfâ⬠until someone scored twenty-one points. Since I was ââ¬Å"the youngestâ⬠, they allowed me to shoot the ball first (ââ¬Å"Busting upâ⬠). Pat rolled the basketball to me as I stood behind the chalk line that indicated the three-point line. I stared at the goal that no longer seemed as intimidating as it was when I was younger. I took a deep breath and jumped off my feet as my eyes focused on the net of the goal. Lifting the ball with my left hand, I flicked my wrist effortlessly as it released from my hand, resulting in a very high arcing shot. Trifles EssayBut I needed closure for this day. I felt nothing as I passed the ball the Pat. I wanted him to get the ball first just to test how tired I would be on defense. After receiving the ball, Pat squared his feet and took a shot from behind the chalk line was that drawn there every summer. Swish. I didnââ¬â¢t let the fact that he had scored the first points of the game discourage me. In fact, it heightened my sense of urgency to play harder, tougher. Soon, Pat received the ball again and took another shot. Brick. He missed the shot, which caused me to quickly sprint towards the ball. He ran to defend me, but I had realized that that meant he was going to be ill-prepared to shift his feet in time to stop me from penetrating toward the goal. I flew past him swiftly and laid the ball up, kissing it off the backboard as it swished inside the net. The game was tied. The game carried on for what seemed to be hours. The humidity of the summer air managed to drain our energy, but someone had to emerge from this battle victorious. I was 15 and he was 16, but at this point, I wasnââ¬â¢t worried about age. I wasnââ¬â¢t worried about height. I wasnââ¬â¢t worried about speed. I wasnââ¬â¢t even worried about winning the game. I had possession of the ball after Pat missed an attempt at a layup on the goal. I took the ball behind the chalk line and gathered myself. I was too tired at this point to try and attack the basket. I was met with Patââ¬â¢s defense as I stood there, dribbling the ball slowly. I noticed the air space between us that allowed me the freedom of taking an open shot if I wanted to. It was a dangerous chance for me to take, but at this point, losing by one point, I was desperate for anything. He seemed to dare me to take the shot as he backed away from me. I believed that he thought that if I missed the shot, it would provide him the opportunity to rebound the ball and score easily before I could even recover defensively. I took this thought as a chance to prove Pat and myself wrong by lifting off my feet, flicking my wrist, and releasing a high arcing shot. Swish. Confidence filled my veins as I had tied the game, but I didnââ¬â¢t let that confidence show in my facial expression. The game was tied, but there was still a chance that I could lose the game. Pat threw the ball my way, harder than usual, and I caught the ball. It was then I knew that he was trying to rile up my emotions in an attempt to throw me off my game. It worked. I thought back to our game of twenty-one where he blocked my shot and I fell into the grass. I remembered the feeling of defeat after I fought with him, which ended with me going home with scrapes and bruises. I wasnââ¬â¢t going to allow that to happen again. I attacked the basket quickly, but my force was met by Pat as he blocked my opportunity to lay the ball. My back naturally turned to block him in an attempt to protect the ball. He was not going to feel the pleasure of taking this game from me. I thought back to the numerous occasions where Michael Jordan used his signature fade-away shot over defenders and how he made it look so effortless. By this point in my life, I had practiced this move countless times trying to perfect it. I had practiced hitting the shot on numerous occasions and I believed that I could hit the shot. After a few dribbles with my back facing Pat, I immediately pivoted my right foot, jumping off of it. Pat jumped to block my shot, but was unable to do so since I had faded so far back. I released the shot with a quick flick of my wrist as the ball sailed into the air. I stepped back in admiration of the shot as I watched the ball spiral upward toward the goal before finally descending downward. Swish. ââ¬Å"OHHHH! â⬠I screamed as I took off running towards my home with a finger pointed in the air. I didnââ¬â¢t look back to see Patââ¬â¢s reaction of finally losing in a game to me, but I didnââ¬â¢t care. All that I knew was that I had won the game and I was going home.
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