This I Believe, by Gerald

What do you believe in? Everyone believes in something different, whether it’s everyone should have flowers on there graves to people can wear hats in school. There are a load of things people believe in, I believe that everybody in the world has the same opportunity as everyone else. I hear people all the time talking about how they can't do it, they never had the chance or the opportunity to do anything, which is a big lie, because every single man and woman in America has the chance of a lifetime to do whatever it is they want to do.

Some people jump all over opportunity, and some people don’t jump on the opportunity. Then, they complain when they don’t get that same opportunity again. Opportunities don’t come around often, sometimes never at all. But, when you get the chance to do it, get on it and never stop. Yea, I know that people have problems, people might not have a lot of money, the biggest house, or live in the best community or whatever but the people that do had the same opportunity that you have and they made the best of it. That should be motivation for you to do it too.

An example of equal opportunity is when I had basketball tryouts, and I worked real hard over the summer working on my game doing drills and exercises like that,. This other guy who didn’t practice got cut because he wasn’t in shape and hadn't worked on his game. He told me that he didn’t have the chance that I did, I said, "Yes you did. We did the same drills, we did the same work outs, we did everything the same: you just didn’t seize the opportunity like I did to do your best." That’s what I’m talking about. You make the best of your chances.

The poorest kid in America could become the richest man ever if he puts his mind to it and takes all the opportunities he gets, and has a little patience. I’m going to make something of myself and take all the opportunities I get. That's what I believe in.

This I Believe, by Carter

This I Believe
(based upon NPR's "This I Believe" series)

Has a parent or guardian ever told you a quote or a saying by which they want you to live? Well, my father told me a saying that I try to live by everyday. I believe in always doing the right thing.

My name is Carter Holleman. I am seventeen years old and a junior at Orange High School. Throughout my seventeen years of life, my father has always told me for as long as I can remember, “Always do the right thing and life will be much easier.” Although this rule seems easy, it is not.

I have many stories I could tell about this saying that my father preaches to me, but one sticks out in my head. It was freshmen year of high school, and I had to write a paper on how I thought dogs became man’s best friends. I mostly worked on this project at school but was suppose to work on it at home. Not wanting to do anything at home, I wrote the paper in the library in about twenty minutes. A week passed and the project was due on Monday, and it had to be typed. So being the teenager that I was, I waited until Sunday to type my paper. Whenever I type a paper my parents always check it. You can guess my father’s reaction to the paper. He got really frustrated and very angry with me. He took me to my room and ripped the paper in two and asked “Why did you procrastinate?” I told him the typical teenage answer, “I don’t know.” Needless to say he argued with me some more, then said,” I always tell you do the right thing the first time then life will be much easier. Rewrite the paper and do it right.” I obeyed my fathers instructions and did the paper right.

I ended up making an A on my project and showed my grade to my father. He said,” See what doing the right thing does? Trust me Cater, do it right the first time and life is simple.”

Now in my junior year at high school, I still live by the saying my father told me. I have messed up a little bit, but I always bounce back. Life does seem simpler following this rule. “In the future” I will pass my fathers wisdom on to my children. I believe in doing the right thing the first time.