Describe A Person Who Has Significantly Influenced You Essay Example For Students

Describe A Person Who Has Significantly Influenced You Essay I shudder at the sight of it. Id rather see them steal that salad than throw itaway, my father bellows in consternation after witnessing the closing rituals atWendys. Pa, they do it so they can serve fresh food tomorrow, I defend the fast foodemployees actions. Despite our past four and a half years in the Land of Plenty, my father clingsto his frugality and tremendous respect for food, acquired by necessity throughout hislife in the Soviet Union. The sharp contrast between my Americanized perspectiveand old views and habits retained by my father makes such debates a commonoccurrence. Besides performing all the prescribed functions of a parental unit, myfather helps me attain objectivity in my judgments by demonstrating how culturalbackground affects our view of situations. Coming to the United States at the age of thirteen felt like falling into a roaringstream without any swimming skills. Dog paddling, panting, and swallowing gallons ofwater on the way, I learned to keep myself afl oat and gradually gained experience. Cultural adaptation was not a choiceit was a survival need. Along with comic stripsand smiles at supermarkets, my mind absorbed such elements of American culture asequal opportunity and self-confidence. The existence of programs such as English asa Second Language at my junior high school persuaded me that these concepts wereimplemented in daily life. I was thrilled that someone had toiled to ensure thatforeigners like myself had the same access to education as the other students. Thusconvinced of the tangibility of American beliefs, I began to deem them universal. On the other hand, my father, a 45-year old when we arrived, still perceivesreality in Soviet terms, with American customs being an exception to the rule. Hiscomments on the news radically differ from what my American friends have to say. When the hospitalization of the Russian President Boris Yeltsin had the worldpondering Russias future, my father inferred latent meanings from newspaper articles. I can only trust half of what they say, he would grumble. Here they say thePresident doesnt have a liver condition, which, of course, means that he does.Stemming from the paucity of integrity in the old Soviet Union, disbelief and sarcasmpermeate Papas personal philosophy. Dismissing all things immaterial as irrelevant, my father often ridicules the ideas Ihold dear, such as political correctness. Some of my activities he does not question,but admits that their value is a mystery to him. Why do you want to take literatureclasses? he asks me with genuine amazement. You can read on your own, why domore homework? Yet my enrollment in numerous math and science classes does notbaffle him, math and science being matters of substance. When I challenge the legitimacy of Papas beliefs, he rolls his eyes and says, Iam too old to change my typical Soviet mind. At first that seemingly feeble excuseinfuriated me, but then the validity of it started to register. While verbally crossingswords with my father, I realized that only four years ago, I would have sincerelysupported his every word. Further reflection upon this thought led me to be moreattentive to others point of view. Now, when engaged in a discussion, I ask myself,what causes this person to think this way? Viewing the issue from several aspects, Igain a more profound and objective insight. My father provides a point of reference,reminding me of unique circumstances that shape everyones perspective.