GRAF #'s 15 & 16 Reacton Grafs

GRAF #15

Meta Graf/Reaction Graf on Writing Cause Essay

In the process of thinking about writing a cause essay, I also thought about the resulting effect, since cause and effect obviously go together.  My church is very active in world-wide outreach and many have been on short-term missions, so I interviewed several of them.  I wanted to know what caused them to go and what effect their going had on them and on the people they ministered to.  Rachel’s story impressed me the most, maybe because she was a reluctant participant, only going because so many events fell into place, leading her to believe God really wanted her to go.  Or maybe it was because I could see such an obvious change in her after she returned from her trip.  Or maybe it was the stories she told me of the people she treated there, stories that didn’t fit in with my essay, but that touched my own heart.  Whatever it was, I really enjoyed hearing Rachel’s story and was pleased to be able to share her story with others.

Graf #16

Reaction to Sample Classification Essays

I was glad there were classification essay samples online, since I still had no idea what a classification essay was.  While some essays were nothing I would want to write about or read, others were well-written and interesting.  Seeing how these essays were written and the great variety of topics chosen has given me hope that I can come up with my own idea and write my own essay.  Now, to decide what that will be…

Essay #1 - Cause Essay

Essay #1 - Cause Essay

What would cause an ordinary, middle-aged, country-born, Maine-raised woman to leave the comfort of home, use up her only short bit of vacation time allotted for the year, and head to the hot, dry, remote, drought-stricken land of Kenya?  Is this woman a thrill-seeker, looking for unusual adventures?  Could she be an environmentalist, searching for answers to climate change?  Or perhaps she’s suffering from midlife crisis and thinks something so out of the ordinary will help her find what she’s searching for.  Though these could possibly explain one person’s trek into the desert wilderness, they do not explain Rachel’s journey.  Instead of seeking thrills, she is being obedient.  Instead of searching for answers, she is providing them.  Instead of suffering from midlife crisis, she is using her experience and talents to help others.  But how did she get there?  Rachel’s unusual adventure was the result of a group experience, a personal encounter, and a financial gift.  These three set the stage for what was soon to come.

Rachel’s journey began when Mayla, a native of Africa, came to her church and talked about his country, his people, and his vision for his area.  He talked about his desire to help the women, who are the providers for the family.  Mayla’s visit to her church had a surprisingly strong impact on her.  To hear a man talk so lovingly about the women really touched her, and the thought occurred that she might want to go there herself someday. 

Time passed and it didn’t seem likely that anything would come of that fleeting thought.  But Mayla’s words, spoken at her church, remained in the back of her mind.  Then, at a missions conference elsewhere, listening to others speak of the needs and work in foreign lands, Rachel’s heart was stirred once more.  During a pause, she spoke to the woman who happened to be next to her, “Wouldn’t you want to go?”  “No,” was the succinct reply, and yet that brief personal encounter had unexpected results.

In spite of her experiences at church and at the conference, Rachel had finally decided she would not make the trip.  It was definitely a more adventurous ordeal than her timid personality desired.  Then, suddenly, her funding, a primary consideration for anyone desiring to go on a missions trip, was taken care of in a surprising way.  The woman whom she had barely met at the previous conference heard she was considering making the trip and decided to pay for all of her expenses.  This unexpected financial gift was the confirmation she needed.  She knew this was definitely God’s will for her, and therefore she committed to go.

And so, as a result of an African man’s presentation at her church, her random encounter with a strange woman at a missions conference, and the surprise gift of her needed funding; the seed was planted in Rachel’s heart, and the trip was made possible. All these occurrences led to the events of last January, when Rachel headed to Kenya on a Christian medical mission, traveling 14 hours on dusty, bumpy, dirt trails in the back of a tarp-covered truck, along with 8 others from around the world, to reach a Muslim village with no access to medical care.  There she used her nursing experience to minister to these suffering people and was able to share her love for Jesus and His love for all mankind with those who had never heard such words of love from anyone, much less from a stranger.  Consequently,  lives were changed, not only those in Africa, whose medical needs were met, but also Rachel’s, whose faith, love, and desire to serve has grown, and who is now looking forward to wherever her Lord will lead her next.

GRAF #14 - Isearch Research Plan

GRAF #14

Isearch Research Plan

Since my topic is Alzheimer’s, I plan to do most of my research, if not all, on the internet.  I am expecting to find a wealth of valuable information there.  The problems I foresee are: more information than I need, maybe duplicates of similar information, sorting through it all, deciding what to include and what to leave out, and not enough time to do it all as well as I’d like to.  (I tend to get into my work and research, and my other classes and commitments also require my time and energy.)  I wasn’t planning to talk to anyone, unless that’s a requirement for an I-search, neither am I planning to do any experiments related to this subject; and though there are probably excellent websites on Alzheimer’s out there, I know from experience that each website adds a little something that another one leaves out, so I’m sure I’ll be able to use multiple sources for my project.  That, in a nutshell, is what I plan to do.

Cause Essay Outro

Cause Essay Outro

And so, as a result of an African man’s presentation at her church, her random encounter with a strange woman at a missions conference, and the surprise gift of her needed funding; the seed was planted in Rachel’s heart, and the trip was made possible. All these occurrences led to the events of last January, when Rachel headed to Kenya on a Christian medical mission, traveling 14 hours on dusty, bumpy, dirt trails in the back of a tarp-covered truck, along with 8 others from around the world, to reach a Muslim village with no access to medical care.  There she used her nursing experience to minister to these suffering people and was able to share her love for Jesus and His love for all mankind with those who had never heard such words of love from anyone, much less from a stranger. Consequently, lives were changed, not only those in Africa, whose medical needs were met, but also Rachel’s, whose faith, love, and desire to serve has grown, and who is now looking forward to wherever her Lord will lead her next.

2nd Intro Graf to Cause Essay

2^nd Intro Graf to Cause Essay

Deep in the desert of Africa, sparse, light-brown vegetation randomly dots the dry, light-brown terrain.  The incessant sun glares down, threatening to scorch any who dare to venture out in the unbearable heat of mid-day.  In the midst of this scene, a skinny, middle-aged white woman sits upon an uncomfortable, makeshift seat in the back of a big, old, minimally-maintained cargo truck, barely protected from the glaring sunshine by a thin tarp as she travels to her destination.  She is jostled continually as the vehicle maneuvers through a land where roads are more a pseudonym than a reality.  Her journey is not unlike those traveled by the early pioneers in their covered wagons as they bravely ventured across the wilderness to a new land.  In fact, her bravery is much like that of her pioneer sisters, though her journey in such difficult circumstances is shorter and with a different purpose.  So, who is this woman, where is she going, and why?  This woman, whom we shall call Rachel, is going on what may be her journey of a lifetime.  A year prior to this, she never would have imagined herself in this situation.  To her, the events leading to this point in her life are almost miraculous.  In fact, Rachel’s unusual adventure is the result of a series of events that began with a public presentation, followed by a chance encounter, which culminated in an unexpected gift – all of which made her trip to Africa possible. 

FIRST Intro Graf to Cause Essay

FIRST Intro Graf to Cause Essay

What would cause an ordinary, middle-aged, country-born, Maine-raised woman to leave the comfort of home, use up her only short bit of vacation time she was allotted for the year, and head to the hot, dry, remote, drought-stricken land of Kenya?  Is this woman a thrill-seeker, looking for unusual adventures?  Could she be an environmentalist, searching for answers to climate change?  Or perhaps she’s suffering from midlife crisis and thinks something so out of the ordinary will help her find what she’s searching for.  Though these could possibly explain one person’s trek into the desert wilderness, they do not explain Rachel’s journey.  Instead of seeking thrills, she is being obedient.  Instead of searching for answers, she is providing them.  Instead of suffering from midlife crisis, she is using her experience and talents to help others.  But how did she get there?  Rachel’s unusual adventure was the result of a group experience, a personal encounter, and a financial gift.  These three set the stage for what was soon to come.

GRAF #12 - Place

GRAF #12

Place

It was a fortified stronghold.  Nothing could penetrate its armed defenses.  And we were bunkered down, ready to do battle with anyone foolish enough to try.  The walls were concrete, perhaps with reinforcing wire within, though they weren’t very tall for such an important job.  And the shape was unusual.  It was triangular – perhaps to fit the plot of land allotted such an armament.  Then there were the living quarters: nothing but dirt to eat, drink, or sleep on, hardly optimal living conditions, even for hardened soldiers.  But we didn’t care.  We were young, strong, and brave.  That is, until it was time for supper.  Then we donned our undercover disguises as children, climbed over the garden wall, and returned home to resume our ordinary daily lives.

GRAF #11 - Real Life Research

GRAF #11

Real Life Research

I am a natural-born student.  My older siblings taught me to read before I began Kindergarten, and the library was one of my favorite places to visit.  As I grew older, unlike other children, I preferred books about real things, though I also enjoyed fiction.  Field guides and how-to books weren’t so popular then, and were especially difficult to find in a big city, but I devoured books describing the different kinds of trees, flowers, birds, and animals around me.  This desire to learn has remained with me throughout the years.  When I grew up and left home to begin my new life, I didn’t know anything about living on the land, and so had to research everything.  Most of the things I’ve done and learned since leaving home, I’ve learned from books and later also from the internet.  I’ve learned about organic gardening,  growing and preserving my own food, planting and maintaining an orchard, raising and breeding livestock and pets, homebirths and homeschooling, health and safety, carpentry, sheet rocking, electrical wiring,  butchering, making maple syrup, caring for the elderly, nutrition, the Bible and biblical topics, history, etc., etc, etc.  I’ve done research on cars, schooling, colleges, careers, shelves, dogs, horses, rental units, health problems, product comparisons, and much more.  I could go on and on and on.  In fact, now that I think of it, I can’t even imagine life without books, learning, and research.  Personally, I hope to continue researching and learning until the day I die, and I only wish others could also learn to enjoy learning as much as I do. 

GRAF # 10 - Person

GRAF 10

 Person

 Dark brown, almost black hair curling coquettishly around a strikingly beautiful face – a model’s face.  Her slim body rounded in just the right places; her movements graceful.  Yet something is wrong with this picture.  The attire seems out of place – a police uniform.  Is this a model posing as a policewoman, perhaps for a magazine directed toward unusual women’s careers?  She did, after all, take modeling and acting classes as a teenager.  That must be it…  Or is it?

Growing up, this young woman charmed everyone she met, with her cheerful kindness combined with her attractive physique.  Although she was naturally athletic, and had attained the level of black belt in Tae Kwon Do before going off to college, she was also soft and artistic, with a gift for drawing and writing.  Her mother should have seen it coming, though.  She did, after all, choose serial killers for her term paper.  And she did floor the master when she was testing for her black belt.  But what of her other gifts?  What of her artistic and literary talents?  Are they lost forever?  I think not.  “To every thing there is a season…”  Now is her season as a policewoman, and a fine one at that.  Why shouldn’t a gorgeous girl grace a police department somewhere?  In fact, every department should have one on staff.  It might improve office morale as well as community relations.  But that doesn’t mean this is her ultimate destiny.  It may be; but it may be that this is just a season, to be followed by other seasons when her other talents will have opportunity to come to light.  And perhaps then, this model policewoman (or is it policewoman- model), my very own daughter, will use her time on the force as food for her other talents, and who knows where that will lead her next…

GRAF #9 Object

GRAF # 9

 Object

A simple, hand-held garden trowel, a Craftsman tool with a lifetime guarantee and the inches engraved right into the metal part, not one of those made-in-China cheapies that bend the first time you try to wrestle a weed out of the packed soil, but one that can hold its own against the most stubborn, misplaced vegetation.  This tool has definitely stood the test of time.  Bought in New York City almost 40 years ago, as a seed and a promise for the new life we were hoping to live, it traveled with us all the way to Alaska, then lived with us in Minnesota, stopped for a winter with us back in NYC, before traveling with us again as we explored New England, eventually settling smack dab in the middle of Maine.  Other trowels have come and gone, bending and breaking, but this one remains the same.  It’s been misused, abused, and reused over and over and over again, and yet it’s still my trusty little trowel.  Seems like I should be treating it with more respect, instead of leaving it in a corner of the chicken coop storage area, which happens to be right next to my garden…  But it doesn’t seem to mind.  Whenever I need it, even if it’s been a long time of seeming neglect, it’s always ready to step up to the plate, ready to lead the charge, ready to do whatever needs to be done.  It doesn’t ask for thanks or for honors.  It does what it does because it needs to be done, and it does it well.  That in itself is reward enough.  And though I don’t say it, I am thankful for my trusty little trowel, not only for its continual usefulness, but also for the lessons this humble little trowel is teaching this not-quite-so-humble gardener.