Belonging

I feel like I belong with my family and in Indiana. I feel like my family understands me very well and that we all get along. I could not have picked a better family that knows me, so in that sense, I feel like I belong with them. I feel like I belong in Indiana because I have grown up here my whole life. Although I don’t know anywhere else because I have never lived anywhere else, through my travels I have found that I belong in Indiana the most. However, I could also find myself in a European country, such as England or Italy. From visiting those, I feel like they, along with Indiana, would be a good fit for me. I feel like I am pretty casual and I am not a person who would not feel like they belong somewhere. I feel like even if I was not happy where I was, I would find a way to make me feel a little bit more like I belong. Sometimes I don’t feel like I belong at University. For the most part, I feel like I belong but there are those days where I feel like nobody knows me and that I should be at a different high school. This is one of the things where I try to find something that makes me feel like I belong, and for University, that is my friends. All my friends here understand me and make me feel like I belong. I think the thing that makes a person feel like they belong and what makes them feel like they don’t belong is a sense of home and someone who they can relate to. Wherever you go in life, everybody needs a sense of home. Whether it’s an animal, or a group of friends, whatever makes you feel at home, is essential anyplace you may go. It is also essential to have somebody who you can relate to. Everyone needs somebody to talk to when they’re down and they need to have someone whom they can be their selves around. For this reason, I feel like I could belong anywhere if I really tried, but for me I feel like Indiana is the best fit for me. I have never felt like I did not belong in Indiana. A sense of belonging is one of the most important things in life, and for me, I feel like I have found it.

Favorite Character in Of Mice and Men

My favorite character in this book would have to be George. I love how he takes care of Lennie 24/7. This characteristic is very admirable, in my opinion. There are times when he loses his patience with Lennie, but that is completely understandable and expected. With someone like Lennie it is like being a constant babysitter for someone who will never grow up. The way he never leaves Lennie when in reality he could leave whenever he had had enough of his trouble. He is not related to him through blood and therefore is not obligated to take care of him like he does. This constant companionship is great for the both of them but it is most helpful to Lennie. If Lennie did not have George he would get in even more trouble and most likely he would die sooner because he would have forgotten to eat or something minuscule like that. George goes out of his way to take care of Lennie and that compassion is admirable in any human being. Yes, George does end up killing Lennie in the end, but he did it with love. He could have let some other stranger kill Lennie, but he knew that Lennie did not want to be separated from George. He was with him until the end because George respected Lennie's wish to be together forever. Also, the fact that George would repeat their dream over and over showed how sweet and compassionate he was. George did not have to do that. He could have told Lennie to remember it because he would never tell it again. But he didn't. He knew how much joy the dream brought Lennie and so he told the story over and over just for him. He does so many little things that put himself in a disposition but offer comfort to Lennie. Another example of this is their constant move from workplace to workplace. George didn't have to leave Weed when Lennie got in trouble. He could have stayed at his constant job and earned a good amount of money that he could do whatever he wanted with. But instead, when Lennie got in trouble, George was along for the ride to do whatever it takes to keep Lennie safe and happy. George felt it was his responsibility to take care of Lennie, and in a way it was, but it was a responsibility he could have dropped anytime he chose. He took on a huge extra load that often times put himself at a loss, but he remained true to Lennie and took care of him until the end.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is the "painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. The practice is illegal in most countries." This idea causes many debates and controversies. Euthanasia is used very frequently with animals and very little is thought of the matter. However, with people this practice takes on a whole new life. For animals, we don't know what they're thinking of whether they want to live, so we can take it under our hands to put them to sleep and out of their misery if we feel it is necessary. However, the same thing can be said in certain situations with humans. Sometimes, humans are in a coma and remain in one for a while. These people cannot talk and say how they're feeling or if they would rather die than live in misery. I feel like in some cases euthanasia i very beneficial. For instance, with animals I think it is very helpful. In humans, I feel like yes, sometimes people that are in a coma for a long time would in fact rather die than stay in a vegetable-like state, but also we never know. There are some humans who have the will to live, no matter their conditions, and would rather stay in a coma until it was their time, instead of having family members make that choice for them when they are physically unable. I think euthanasia is helpful and means well until it may become overused. I feel like if euthanasia were made legal in more countries, life would not be regarded as high. Whenever doctors felt that they didn't want to devote time and effort to making a patient feel better, they could go to euthanasia to solve their problems. In this light, this practice is bad and I am very against it. However, how do we ever know if doctors are serious and the patient really has no chance of recovering? How do we know whether there is nothing more that can be done? How do we know the patient will not develop a little bit of fight and come back kicking? There are many questions that have to be asked and the truth is we cannot really answer them. I think that patients should state somewhere whether after a certain amount of days of serious bad health, such as coma, and they are for it, the doctor can use euthanasia. There should be a minimum amount of days that the doctor has to work for the patient and do all they can to make them healthy, instead of just falling to euthanasia when there is nothing available at the moment. Also, I think that the family members of the patient have to be fully on board. After all, it is their life the euthanasia would be affecting also. They are losing a loved one so they have to decide when the time comes. I approve this idea but I think there have to be many restrictions so that people don't just use it as an easy way out. Doctors have to take in to account everything in regards to the patient to see if whether there is ANY chance of the patient making it. If there is no ounce of a chance, then euthanasia could/should be used to take the person out of their pain and suffering, as long as the restrictions are met.