Paper # 1

Jonathan Chen
English 1 AB 8:30
1/26/09
Inspired in Times Supermarket
It all started a couple months back, in the Times Supermarket. My mom was shopping for food and I was shopping for candy. I was like a man with a mission; I was as serious as a man can be. Most people would not understand why this trip to Times Supermarket is so important to me because they always get what they want, when they want. Also, most people do not crave candy like I do. For example sometimes I lose my temper because I do not have any candy left to eat. My mom was waiting for me to finish choosing my candy, but I just could not decide between the Twix or the tube of M&Ms. This weekly journey to the supermarket was very important, it was one of the most important part of my day and my week.
I was about to walk to the Twix bar to snatch two more from the shelf and put the M&Ms back. I chose the Twix bar because I thought of that Twix commercial on television a while back with this man dancing on the moon. He was rubbing his chest and singing gaily about the candy bar and how he needs more. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me say, “Oh, excuse me, sorry.” I turned around and I saw a man between the age of 35 or 45. I realized that the man was using crutches as he walked passed me. He was using one of those fore arm crutches that are fastened around his fore arm. He walked past me like he didn’t have this disability. I looked at him in awe as he walked past me. It was one of the first times I have ever met a disabled person in real life and got to be up close to them.
I felt a rush of emotions in my heart and thoughts in my head. I felt like this man must have been through so much in his life because of this disability. He seems totally fine with being like that and he does not expect people to be nice to him, and he does not feel like people owe him anything. I usually do not pity people, and I am not pitying him in this situation but I felt like this person has gone through so much because of his disability and I felt like I can try harder to be a better person. I thought about all the times I could have been a nicer person and greeted someone I knew, even though they did not see me. So from that moment on, I decided to be a better person. I decided right then and there to be a more open and friendly person.
After I tried out my new attitude towards everything, I felt like a new person. I felt that doors opened to me when I had a nicer attitude towards everything. I started to talk to more people and make more friends. This new attitude that I used was more welcome and accepted. I felt that this was one of the most important and useful inspirations that motivated me the most to be a better person and be more caring. I think that this inspiration not only taught me to be a better person and also it taught me to not judge people just from looks and how you were react if you were them.