The Ghost Essay -- Narrative Memoir Essays

The Ghost I clutched my cell phone tightly ready to call 911. I was so terrified lying there in my bed that I couldn't move. Previous nights while staying at my Grandma's house I had been scared, but nothing compared to the fear that ran through my veins on this unforgettable night. I remember how exciting the idea of living with my grandma and being independent from my parents for a whole summer while our new house was being built sounded to me. My grandma lives in a house that is over a 100 years old! I really don't believe it is haunted or anything, but I have definitely heard sounds in the night, some louder and scarier than other nights. My dad used to tease me that it was my Grandpa's ghost coming back for visits. My grandpa died in January of 2001. I don't believe in ghosts, but just my dad's suggestion of Grandpa's soul coming back made me feel uneasy. One particular night still haunts me and is one that I really wish I could forget. I went to bed that night up at my Grandma's house just like I did almost every night, a little apprehensive about what I might hear. At about 1:00 a.m., I was awakened by a loud bang on my window. I thought maybe it was just a dream, so I closed my eyes and started to fall back asleep. Just as I was almost back to sleep, I heard another loud bang followed by mysterious voices; this time I knew it wasn't a dream. At first, I was so scared that all I could do was lay in my bed motionless. I tried to rationalize what the noises I heard could have been, but I couldn't think of any logical explanation, except that someone was outside. My first instinct was to grab my cell phone and call 911. I quickly grabbed my phone off my headboard and held it close to me, still too scared to move, b... ... always tell her it was branches from the trees hitting the sides of the house. Well, old houses do creak I guess, but the sounds I heard that night were definite loud bangs on my window, which couldn't have possibly been caused by tree branches, since there weren't any tree branches that even touched the house anywhere near the room I slept in. I definitely got the independence that I wanted this past summer, but I wasn't quite as ready for it as I thought I was. I'll probably never have an explanation for what I heard that night, and honestly, I don't think that I really want one. I still don't like the idea of ghosts or souls of people who have died coming back to earth, but I do think that some things just can't be explained by my simple human logic. I'll never forget that night up at my grandma's when I was so scared that I couldn't move a muscle in my body.

Technology Changing Society

Technology changing society Today in America, people are more interested in the new technology that comes out than their world around them. Currently we are in a long drawn out war that never seems to end and still people today tune out to what is really important and draw into the meaningless technology that surrounds them. Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451 puts these concepts into his wittings to show that technology has a huge effect on the people by the expense, the influence and the time consuming effects it has on the people. Technology is expensive, no question about it.People always want the latest and greatest and will pay any price to get it. Manufactures can price their product at extremely high end and the consumers will pay any price that they throw out at them. Buyers upgrade in their technology when what they had before worked just as well as the new. In the book, Mildred wanted another wall of TV. She didn’t care of the price that it was going to cost and what it was going to take to get it. â€Å"It’ll be even more fun when we can afford to have the forth wall installed. How long you figure before we save up and get the forth wall torn out and a fourth wall- TV put in?It’s only about two thousand dollars† (Bradbury 20). Mildred did not care the cost of the wall- TV even though it was one- third of her husband’s yearly pay. She was only worried about her own wants and desires. The pricy technology that Mildred wanted is an example of how the society has evolved into cherishing earthy treasures over things that truly matter. The media has a huge influence on people who watch and listen to it. Technology has made it possible for someone to sit at home, turn the TV on, and see whatever they want. While this can be a good thing, it can always dumb down society.People get so caught up in what is going on in the television shows that are playing that they lose track in what is real and just made up. They start to put th emselves in what they are watching and eventually it becomes their life. It is their every thought and makes it merely impossible to function without. Mildred in the story became this way. â€Å" Floating her, wide-eyed, toward morning† (Bradbury12). Mildred allows technology to dictate how she behaves and lives her life. When a person allows the waves of the sea to float them, they cannot control the direction n which they move. Mildred can no longer decide for herself what she wants to do and that her mind is dominated by technology pleasures. She started to betray her real life with her husband and begin a new one with her â€Å"family† from the shows she watched. It then became the norm to her and many other citizens in the city going through the same situation making a huge effect on society. Think about it†¦ The majority of a person’s day is spent with some type of technology influencing them, whether it is texting, computer work, television or any el ectronic device. The average American spends more time using media devices – television, radio, iPods, and cell phones- than any other activity while awake†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ball State University) What is that saying? Why is our society consumed to these forms of technology? While this can be good giving people information and an easier way to learn about something, it often becomes overused and eventually overtakes the lives of the users. ‘â€Å" I always wanted something very small, something I could talk to, something I could blot out with the palm of my hand , if necessary, nothing that could shout me down, nothing monstrous big’† ( Bradbury 132).As said by Faber, he saw the dangers that technology offers, and the ability to take over. He trumps this danger physically, by keeping the threat literally small. Faber did not allow the technology to take over his life and consume his time. The story behind Bradbury’s book is made up, but is not far from reality. When Fahrenheit 451 was written, it was only the 50’s, but Bradbury could already tell where society was heading. The huge effects that technology had on the characters in the book with the expenses, the influences, and the time consuming consequences are the same people struggle with today†¦ 60 years later.

The Effects Of Obesity On Public Health - 1917 Words

Introduction Obesity is a traditionally first world health problem that is a growing concern throughout the world because of its negative effects on public health as well as the wider economy. According to both the WHO and the NHS, an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI), is an imperfect, yet effective tool for measuring obesity. The WHO definition has determined that a BMI of 25-29.9 is classified as being overweight, whereas a BMI of 30-34.9 is considered to be a sign of obesity (World Health Organization, 2014).The NHS goes on to add that it is useful to consider an individual’s waist circumference as fit and muscular people can also have a relatively high BMI without an excess of fat, and classifies men and women with waist circumferences of 90cm and 80cm respectively as being at risk for obesity related health conditions (Nhs.uk, 2014). Obesity must be dealt with early and at the local level. In the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, 20.1% of year 6 children are classified as obese, high compared to the national average of 18.9%. Conversely, only 13.3% of adults in this borough are obese, much fewer than the national average of 23.0% (Public Health England, 2014). This high prevalence of childhood obesity exists despite the area doing well with traditional indicators such as physical activity and uptake of school lunches. An unpublished 2012 report explained that the greatest risk factors found were eating practices and familial obesity, although depravity,Show MoreRelatedObesity And Its Effects On The Field Of Public Health992 Words   |  4 Pageslong term effects on individuals’ life. According to American Diabetes Association, diabetes has affected 29.1 million Americans in 2012, with $176 billion direct medical costs (American Diabetes Association, 2014). 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