Cause Inro 2

           It was a sunny and hot day in Fallujah; three days remained on my tour in Iraq.  Three days and we would be relieved by a new unit; Ten days and I would be home with my wife after seven long months in this desert waste land.  At first, everything seemed normal as we drove through Entry Control Point 1, under the clover leaf and into the city on the main road that was referred to as “Fran” by coalition forces. The local children were playing soccer in the streets, paying no attention to the heavily armed convoy that was driving by; it was a day like many others before.  The radio beeped as local units could be heard reporting their positions; a fighter could be heard flying over head.  It was like a normal day until it happened.  I think about it often and wonder if we could have avoided it.

Graf 13

                As I read the sample cause essays, a small discomfort builds in my stomach and a bead of sweat on my eyebrow.  I start to think about what I could possibly write about for this assignment.  This is the first graf that I have no idea where to even begin.  These samples are creative and unique; they tell a story that could not be made up in fiction.  I have done one or two interesting things in my life but, which ones would be interesting to a reader?  What have I had happen to me that I can tell a whole story about?  I can say that I am at a loss for words and do not know where to begin on my own cause essay.

Cause Intro 1

             I stare at my screen with a blank look on my face; what in the world am I going to write about?  “Writer’s cramp?” my wife asks with a chuckle.  I reply with a simple grunt and go back to staring at the millions of pixels that make up my screen.   I am lost and unsure of what to write about.  I am frustrated with myself for being so far behind in my English 101 assignments.  Has it finally happened?  Have I finally bitten off more than I can chew?  Is it only going to get worse with Collin due to be born in ten days?  I guess I need to backtrack and go back to the beginning (or at least a week) to figure out how I got to where I am today.

Motivation for Isearch

                As an Emergency Medical Technician, I have been on many calls where the patient is suffering from some sort of diabetic emergency.  These patients may have too much sugar in their system or not enough.  Either way, this is possibly a life threatening condition for them.  I have often wondered about what causes a person to become diabetic.  What is happening inside the body of a diabetic that is different than someone who is not?  As an EMS provider, how can I help these patients to better understand and manage this condition?
                Recently, this condition has gone from being a part of my weekend and evening job to becoming personal when both my Grandmothers were diagnosed with diabetes.  Diabetes became a personal and I became even more determined to find out more about it when I heard the news.  So, that is my motivation for researching diabetes; my Grandmothers are my drive.  These are the questions that I hope to answer:

1)      What causes diabetes in a human?

2)      Besides insulin; what is the best way to manage diabetes?

a.     What consists of a diabetic diet?

b.      Does weight play a major role in diabetes?

3)       Are there any other medical conditions that are directly related to diabetes?

      4)      Is diabetes hereditary?

             a.       If so, how can I lessen my odds of becoming diabetic?

             b.      How can I lessen my sons’ chance of becoming diabetic?

Graf 12

                It was a quiet ride and we were packed in like sardines.  Some listened to their IPods, some slept and others just sat there in silence.  All of us had the same thoughts on our mind though.  What are we to expect?  What have we gotten ourselves into?  Shortly after two o’clock in the morning, the overhead lights went out and the green light on the wall turned to red; signifying our presence in hostile air space.  After what seemed like hours we the crew chief announced that we were starting our decent into Al Taqaddum Airbase, Iraq; a former airbase of the Baath Party that was taken over in the initial invasion and a stopping point for all service members entering and leaving the country.  The massive plane banked hard right, hard left and was then on the ground; a technique used by pilots to counter RPG and rocket fire from our enemies.  I would never have imagined that a plane that size, could maneuver that way!

                As we stepped off the plane, it was pitch black and the heat took my breath away.  Small generator powered lights came on and a convoy of busses pulled up to give us a ride off the airfield; the sky lit up from illumination type artillery fire in the distance.  We spent the night at the base that is simply referred to as “TQ” and was able to sleep in the next morning.  All that day, we spent going over our gear, cleaning our weapons and preparing for the convoy to Camp Baharia later that day; most certainly after dark.  The air was dry and dusty and the sun seemed to melt the sand.  “Dirt” I thought, all I could see for miles was dirt!

                The convoy rolled up at about 2200 hours (10 pm for those non-military type) to pick us up and take us to our new home for the next seven months.  After the convoy commander briefed us on our route, we loaded up and headed for Fallujah.  As we crossed the Euphrates River, I could see small buildings on the outskirts of town with lights glowing in small windows.  The air had a smell of sewage and filth from the sewer systems all but being destroyed.  I could see a small pack of wild dogs scrounging for food in an alley; an IED explodes somewhere to our south.  Sure enough, we have reached Fallujah, Iraq; we have reached Hell on earth.  It was 2345 hours (11pm) when we pulled through the gates of Camp Baharia.

                We were assigned our temporary homes for the night and told to get some sleep.  I couldn’t sleep that night; thoughts of home and my wife ran through my head.  A few times that evening, we even had “incoming alarms” to alert us of incoming mortar fire from Al Qaida insurgents.  Each alarm was false but, we were not always that lucky in the months to come.  I finally could see a small ray of sun coming in from under my hut door; it was morning and I had just been through my first full night in Iraq.

Graf 11A

At 32 years old, I feel that I have had to make quite a few major decisions in my life; most of which have had a substantial impact on me in one way or another.  Most decisions that I have made have come easily though.  When I met my wife, I did not have to think about whether not she was “the one.”  There was no question in my mind about if I wanted a child or not.  Most decisions seem to come naturally to me, requiring little thought or research.  I believe that God sends us in the direction that He wants us to go; we just need to listen.

                The biggest decision that I had to make was when I was getting ready to graduate high school.  Did I go to college right away and possibly party away a ton of money?  Did I even know what I wanted to be at such a young age?  If so, what school would fit my interests?  Do I even want to go to college, or join the military? If I joined the military, what branch?  All these questions seemed to torment me for months.  All these questions deserved research.

                In the end, I decided to join the United States Marine Corps.  I researched the branches by speaking to what seemed like a million different recruiters.  While all the branches seemed to offer the same tangible things such as education, jobs and benefits; The Marines seemed different.  It was the intangibles that sold me.  The Marine recruiter carried himself differently than the others; he had a certain swagger that made him stand out from the others.  Through Sergeant Rios I learned that I could join the military, grow up and then go to school. 

                I served nine years in the Corps; growing and learning a lot about the world an myself.  I learned that I could grow, serve my country and go to school when I got out.  That’s what I am doing now.  Through research, I have also decided that I want to continue my education in the medical field and plan on applying to the nursing program here at EMCC this fall. 

Graf 10

                We have all known him at one point in our lives; If not yet, you eventually will.  He was what made getting out of bed in the morning hard.  How could anyone be so ignorant and downright evil to another human being?  I believe that it was his main purpose in life, to make others miserable.  He made me dread finally pulling through the gates of work.  He was the worst boss ever!

                Rich was a short, round man.  His hair was gray; surely from the un-needed stress that he has caused himself and others.  He wore a silver framed pair of glasses that he would tilt down on his nose so he could glare at you over the top of them.  His beady little eyes seemed all black; with the whites being always bloodshot from a severe case of diabetes.  These were the type of eyes that seemed to pierce through a person with pure evil and hatred.  Even though he was insulin dependent, he would always show up with a large Dunkin Donuts ice coffee and box of munchkins.  I remember how my stomach would turn as he inhaled each donut hole while making the sound of a furrow hog on its death bed.  Some say that he was so moody due to his extreme diabetes; I don’t buy it for a minute!  The man loved to yell, scream and put down his employees for any reason at all.  There was no talking, just listening in fear of losing our jobs if we retorted.  He was an evil man; the worst boss ever!

                We all knew the day would come where one of us would snap on him; there was even a bet on who would be the one to do it!  It was a sunny day is September when Rich came to me and said that I would have to stay another shift with him.  I was not happy!  A whole shift with this jerk!  Are you kidding me?  The only thing that made things better was the fact that I had been offered another job for the Florida Department of Corrections.  Surely, convicted murderers and felons would be better company than this guy!  I spent my whole shift trying to figure out if I would give the standard two weeks or just quit since I was told it was my option as to when I could start.  That evening, Rich made my decision easy.  We were sitting in the control room, both staring blankly at the screens that controlled our assigned machinery when Rich began his rampage of screaming and yelling.  To this day, I have no idea as to what he was he was screaming about!

                I was told that the guys would replay the security video footage over and over again just for a laugh.  The sight of me standing in front of Rich, screaming back at the top of my lungs must have been priceless;  I know the expression on Richs face when I through my I.D. at him and quit was! Finally putting Rich in his place apparently opened up his eyes to how he treated his employees.  I was told that he was really nice for the next few days!  Either way, I was so happy to get away from the worst boss ever!

Graf 9

       I can remember getting it for my tenth birthday.  It was the first one that was not a hand me down from older relatives; I guess my parents finally thought that I was ready for my first new one.  It fit me perfectly and my friends were all envious of my new present.  It was red and black with stickers that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.  It brought me years of fun and numerous band-aids on my knees and elbows.  It had pegs on the front and back that allowed me to do tricks; they also were responsible for my first broken bone.  The wheels were shiny black with chrome rims; perfect for placing a folded playing card in to make that cool clicking sound.  The middle bar had the word “Huffy” in big red letters, a sure sign that this new bike was made for me.  My bike was transformed into a tank, a police car, a fire engine and even an airplane. My new bike took me to faraway lands and had me home in time for dinner, well before the street lights came on.  I understand now why my parents waited so long to give me a brand new bike.

Graf 8

                I really enjoyed reading through some of the sample isearch papers.  This is an opportunity for us to research something that we may have been thinking about for a long time and never had the motivation to look into.  I feel that this is a great chance to become better educated on a topic that may really interest us while earning college credits.  I understand how one would feel that some topics may be too simple and not interesting as a research paper though.  On the other hand, since we are not required to research an assigned topic; I find it hard to come up with something that  

                 We wrote a graf to prove how unique we are as individuals.  That being said, we each have unique interests that may or may not be of interest to others.  I would never care about researching how to build my own environmentally friendly house or even be more efficient in the garden.  However, I did find the paper on home brewing to be very interesting.   I guess that I am just trying to say that in order for us to do a good job; we need the freedom to research whatever we feel is interesting to us.

Graf 6

                How am I unique? Am I not like everyone else?  Do I not live the same hum drum life that everyone else lives?  Is my life not the same as everyone else I see?  I do not have a fancy car or an adventure filled life.  Besides my DNA, I am just like everyone else.  Forget that thought;  I am unique!

I am an individual unlike any other placed on this earth.  I am an Assistant Store Manager that hates to charge students too much for their textbooks.  I understand the challenges faced by these students because I am one myself.  However, I am treated as the enemy and as if I could never understand what they are going through.  I am unique because I am able to take the attitudes and let it roll off my shoulders without letting their attitudes ruin my day.

  I spend my weekdays in the bookstore and my weekends as an Emergency Medical Technician; hoping to help others in their time of need.  I am willing to jump out of bed at three in the morning because my neighbor is having a medical emergency.  I will always get up when my pager goes off.  I am unique because I am willing to give of myself when most others are only willing to take.

I am a full time student, an employee at three separate jobs, a husband and a soon to be father. Even though my son will not be born for another month, I want to set an example for him and those who know me.  I want people to know that hard work really does pay off.  I want to be an example of determination and dedication.  I want people to understand that you must work hard for all that you have and things are not just handed to you.  Even though there may be many like me, I am unique. 

Graf 5

EMT

Diseases

Diabetes

Training

Medicine

Life saving

Improvement

Hiking

Snowshoeing

Skiing

Something that will make me better at my current/future career

Family  

Familiarization

Common to see

Diabetes

Types

Treatments

Signs and symptoms

Causes

Physiology

Can I become a better EMT by understanding such a common human disease / process better?

What are the early signs and symptoms of Diabetes?

What are the signs and symptoms of a diabetic emergency?

What are the treatments for Hyperglycemia?

What are the treatments for Hypoglycemia?

What is taking place in the body systems of a diabetic?

What are the Maine EMS protocols?

Graf 4

                I very much appreciate the advice that you have provided to us when it comes to writing.  I was happy to realize that I have already been following your advice without even knowing it.  Well, I at least feel like I have been.  To me, the best advice centered on not over thinking your work.  It makes it hard to write when you do this.  The questions are all posed in a way that can be useful in all writing situations.  I was worried about writing and not meeting the requirements of the assignment in the past.  So far, this advice (and your feedback) has encouraged me to be more creative with the assignments at hand.  I appreciate this advice.  I mean, I wouldn’t be taking this class if I did not want to learn how to become a better writer.  I guess that is why you are the teacher!

Graf 3

Inventory of a military shadow box.

1 – Rifle Sharpshooter Award

1 – Pistol Sharpshooter Award

1 – Set dog tags

1 – US Marine Corps Seal

1 – French Fourragere Shoulder Cord

1 – Dress Blue Sergeants Chevron

1 – Metal Sergeants Chevron (worn on camouflage uniform)

1 – Tan name tag with name, rank, blood type and last four of SSN

1 – Ribbon set with the following:

                1 – Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Ribbon with one gold star

                1 – Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon

                1 – Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon

                1 – Marine Corps Good Conduct Ribbon with 3 bronze stars

                1 – National Defense Ribbon

                1 – Iraq Campaign Ribbon

                1 – Global War on Terrorism Ribbon

                1 – Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with one bronze star

                1 –Marine Corps Recruiting Ribbon

1 – Medal set with the following:

                1 – Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with One Gold Star

                1 – Good Conduct Medal with three bronze stars

                1 – National Defense Medal

                1 - Iraq Campaign Medal

                1 – Global War on Terrorism Medal 

                The awards in this box tell a lot about its owner.  They tell stories of adventures and of a decade of honorable service to its owners’ country.  There is a history here that the owner will surely share with his/her kids in the years to come.  Its place of honor in the home shows the owners pride in his/her accomplishments.  This box will surely bring many memories to its owner in the years that lay ahead.  There will be good memories of trips to foreign lands; spent exploring the streets and meeting the friendly people.  However, I am sure the owner will also have other memories; those that were spent in foreign lands, where the people were not friendly at all. Each award tells a little more about its owner.  The achievement medals show that the owner was willing to give a little more to ensure that the mission was accomplished.  The Good Conduct Medals tell about the honor in its owners’ character.  The last three medals show the courage and commitment that was devoted to its owner’s country.  The ribbon displays duplicates the medals, but also have unique ribbons that have no medal to go with them.  There are ribbons that show group accomplishments here; certainly a testimony to the owner’s ability to work in a team.   There is a tan name tag here.  This tag serves the same purpose as the dog tags and was worn on the owners’ uniform in Iraq; a way of quick identification in case the worst ever happened.   A grim reminder of the dangers and reality in that was associated with this job.  This box tells a story; it tells a lot about its owner.

Graf 2

                Who gets the distinct dishonor of being named my worst teacher?  This is such a hard assignment to work on since even the bad teachers teach us something.  Do I only think about the people whom I have had in school or do I include those that have taught me lessons in life?  Both categories of teachers are in many ways equally important.  I would not be able to pinpoint any certain teachers who I feel were horrible in school.  I really wish that I could think of one math teacher who made me hate math; the one who did such a horrible job at ensuring that I learned my multiplication tables when I was supposed to.  It would probably make me feel better to blame someone else for my shortcomings; to say that it was a combined failure of an entire system.  I would love to bestow this title on my father also.  After all, he was supposed to be there in order to teach me how to be a man.  He was supposed to teach me how to hunt and how to fish and be a father myself one day.  However, by not being there; he was still able to teach me these things.  A great definition of “irony” if you ask me!  Who is my worst teacher?  I have even wondered if I was my own worst teacher while writing this assignment.  After all, we are the ones who are responsible for ensuring that we understand the material being taught.  I have had teachers that were mean.  I have had teachers that were boring.  I have even had teachers that I thought were just plain dumb and often wondered how they even became a teacher to begin with.  However, I still am not able to crown a winner!  All of them have taught me a lesson in life that was important; they all taught me one thing or another that I carried on with me in life.