High School and Graduation Essay Example for Free

High School and Graduation Essay Time gets closer to the day we move our tassels from senior to graduate. Graduation steps on the back of our heels like the annoying freshman running late for class. It acts as if it is going to creep up on us, but we all know it will be here soon. It tip-toes in the back of our minds. Graduation: a day of freedom, maturity, and proof that nobody is any better than another. â€Å"There are many different ways of following through†¦ Sometimes it’s about going there, not getting there. Sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. â€Å" –Drake. This quote says a lot. He actually spoke at a graduation, and told that graduation class this same thing. This quote reaches out to me because I know my journey will be a rough journey. Becoming the person I want to be after high school is a journey all its own. I hope I get to where I want to be. Even if I do not, I have learned. Although graduation is only a few months away, I am getting nervous. I am nervous. But graduation day will be the day I go from high school student to adult. Age is just a number. Intelligence proves adulthood. I am proud to say I am looking forward to graduation day. I am looking forward to becoming an adult. I am looking forward to taking that next step in my life. I want the rest of my class to be as ready and nervous as I am because I will not feel alone. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. Every senior all around the United States is put in this position. We all do the same thing. We all walk onto that stage, shake hands, smile, wait for a picture and walk off with our high school diplomas in hand. Adults and older siblings did not lie when they told me that my four years of high school will be the best four years of my life. I have had an amazing four years. I have lost friends, gained friends, met some amazing people, and even met some people that I did not want to meet. I got put in positions I was not sure I was mature enough to handle. I handled them though. I got forced to make choices I did not know I needed to make on my own, but I made them and I know I made the right ones because of the person I am today. I am already ready to walk on that stage and smile. Smile big for those who made choices that caused them to not be able to walk with me. I smile for the  people who have tried to bring me down in life so far. And most of all I smile for myself, I smile because I made it. I made it to this graduation day; a day full of freedom, maturity, and proof that nobody is any better than me.

Power, Politics and Leadership in the Organization

Power, Politics and Leadership in the Organization PMC 140Project Leadership Political Leadership in the Organization Abstract The Outline of the Topic is based on the Power, Politics and Leadership in the Organization. Design The Questionnaires are as follows Why Politics is important in the workplace how much do we play with it to achieve the reputation or position in your organization? What is meant by power in the organization, how it helps to achieve the leadership qualities? What will be the impacts on Leadership Qualities and Leaders especially in their personalitybyplaying politics and having power in the organization? Keywords Leadership qualities, behaviour, politics in workplace. value -The findings of this paper contribute to the understanding of the relationships between leadership, performance, and politics in the workplace and in the public sector in particular. According to the survey from past several Years and according to my belief the word â€Å"Politics† in the organization is creating the hoax to its original term. Power, Politics and Leadership are the three important factors in the workplace that leads to the success in shortcut manner. We will discuss these three factors which has change the scenario of Organizations and leadership qualities. Politics in the organization Organizational Politics involves intentional acts of the influence to enhance or protect the self-interest of the individuals or the groups. It is an unpreventable and basic reality. Workplace politics is a very human phenomenon that tends to arise in organizations with at least one degree of separation between authoritative decisions. Politics need not be nasty some of it can be safe, like perhaps a director is having a good understanding with another director over which team has better performance. This isnt a direct goal laid out by the senior management, but ultimately it can be concluded that a little internal competition between departments would overall improve quality. Corporate politics naturally have something to do with people attempting to move ahead their careers. This sometimes goes against the welfare of the company as a whole, against principles of fairness, and is generally speaking something you usually dont want to be a part of. Sometimes there are overly ambitious but poorly performing managers. They focus on making everyone else look bad at all costs possible to secure their employment and promotions, which bleeds into daily operation. For instance if two game developers are working on the same product from different teams, and if there is a problem, they will engage in long irrelevant work rather than constructive work. Sometimes there will be slight attempts at challenging teams. For example, lets say you are taking over a code base from someone and they intentionally leave out some vital details during the facts transfer. Alternatively they can choose to control on the data, they look in disposable, and hint that you cannot do the job that they used to do. Ultimately, if you do nothing about it, these kinds of people will excavate trenches around you and make you look bad before senior management. Perception is everything in this kind of a nature of politics, and sadly sometimes you have to play this game to survive. Yes some people play the game just for themselves and are dishonest in what they do. These people are the people who get praise for what others did and who will stab you in the back. The best way to keep the bad people from succeeding though is to play the political game yourself. People cant take unmerited praise for what management already knows you did. But if you have good informa tion and want them adopted by the association, if you want to get promoted to the next level, if you want to defend yourself and your status, you need to play the game. Technical people hate this, but it is true. No one can manage to pay for not to be part of the political game at work. It makes you more helpful. (what-does-politics-mean-in-a-corporate-environment, 2012) Impact of Power in the Organization and Achievements in the Leadership Qualities. Let me draw your attention to the interesting thing that Have you ever notice that the Senior Management probably knows more about whats going on at work than you? Power in the workplace can be a delicate thing. Every day, we need to get the people around us to do things. There are many legal things we need others to do: the report youre waiting on from another department or delegating work to those under you in the organization. But the line that defines getting work done from reinforcing your own position is a misty one at best. Thats why you want to be familiar with the various types of power that youre given in theworkplace. Of course, the game of power is a tantalizing one and we cant cover every kind of authority. You have three main sources of power: role power, expert power and relationship power. Lets break down each and give examples of when to use them. Role Power Role power is theauthority that is given based on the element you play at work. Role power is the most direct kind of power; for example, Managers has power over the staff who report to him. While this is the most understandable example, role power doesnt always flow instantly down. You may have extra role power in a specific context, such as leading up a project that gives you success in your work and input from people higher up the food chain than you.These roles are of people whose jobs, in reality end up being much more important than they initially seem on documents. If youre in one of these types of roles, you may have control over valuable projects or information. The obvious way to gain more role power is toget promoted, but there are things you can do to improve in the role you have. Look at the work that makes up your day-to-day job. You can ask to suggest something else that could be done in this area, even if its just creating an excel spreadsheet that looks at some data in a different way. If its necessary to the company, you want to be part of it. Expert power-Expert power is the power that comes from yourskills and information. A lot of the weight you carry at work comes from the quality of your results and the knowledge you bring to the table. Why is it that out of the whole sales team, people in your office pay more respect to the top salesman. Because whatever hes doing, its working. Hes creating results, and that makes people respect his view and listen when he speaks. Think about the experts at your work. You dont know the process, but the knowledge and the results speak for themselves. Bottom line: You pay your respect the people at work who are good at what they do. The good news is that youre continuously increasing your expert power as you continue your workingcareer. All things being equal, we apt to view those whove been doing something for longer as having more smart. Then again, we also look down on those whove done the same thing for years but are stuck in their ways and struggling. Stay dynamic: Learn new skills, learn more about your business and keep bringing new ideas and new results to the table. Relationship power-Relationship power is the authority you have on others based on your relationship with them. Relationship power is anything in your relationship with others that makes them want to do things for you. Of the three kinds of power, relationship power is the easiest to use, as everyone has a craving to get along at work and for things to go smoothly. Even if you dont want to be friends with the people you work with, you still want to get along and get through your days as smoothly as possibly.Relationshipsare the lubricant that keeps the wheels turning smoothly. Its not just about friendship either: Favours done and returned, or even quick replies with needed information when people ask for it can go a long way toward increasing your social power. Being generally helpful and nice is a huge start. You dont need to be an easy target but be relaxed and help others move company projects forward. When one of your co workers does a good job, give them credit for it. Do the occasional favour as long as youwantto do it and arent being walked on. Everyone has problems, and the day may come when you need to call in that favour. If you have extra time in the morning, bring the crew in some coffee and doughnuts one day. Dont forget, actions speak louder than words and your reputation leads you forward. It doesnt need to be a big signal, but a little set down here and there can build up to a healthy bank balance in your social-circle account. Poweris one of the oldest and most elusive games, and there is still no definitive guide to the stuff. Just because power can never be mastered doesnt mean you shouldnt be making it work for you. Start today to carve out some power for yourself. By paying attention to your role, expert and relationship power, you can begin to control your leadership. (the-three-types-of-power-at-work.html) (aqureshi) Impacts on Leadership Qualities and their Personality byplaying politics and having power in the organization According to the Power and Politics I want you to pull your attention on the Impacts on Leadership Qualities and the change in their Personality by playing Bad politics in the workplace. Let me take the illustrative example of how some Boss goes mad through the office. If your boss is not impressed with you, there’s a good chance that your colleagues are feeling it, too and reacting to the negative energy in turn. Anew study suggests that bullying bosses affect not just the victim of their anxiety, but the victim’s co workers as well, making life miserable for an entire group of colleagues. This phenomenon, second hand bullying, may also have an unintentional impact on the company as well, since it can seriously affect employee’s self-esteem and opinion of the company as a whole. The phenomenon known as abusive direction is one of the more dysfunctional types of leadership, they point out, but it’s one that’s gaining more notice as a very real problem in the workplace. Office bullying is defined as subordinates perceptions of the amount to which supervisors engage in the constant display of aggressive verbal and nonverbal behaviours, excluding physical contact. And this type of psychological bullying often goes on much longer than physical abuse, since it’s less understandable but can be more dangerous, leaving long-lasting scars. But as mentioned, abusive supervision doesn’t just affect the person at whom it’s directed it can affect an entire office. Its occurrence can extend to others second hand, as they hear about it or witness it occurring in co workers and friends. And if it spreads to other people, it may be likely to affect employees overall perception of the company they work for and, in true domino effect, this can affect the efficiency of the company itself. In other words, it’s not something to be taken calmly from a social or a business perspective. To these ends, the authors wanted to measure the effects of rude supervision and explicit abusive supervision on employees’ frustration, the likelihood of co worker abuse, which is how supportive employees perceive their company to be. Top management needs further education regarding the potential impacts of sensational abuse supervision on employees to prevent and mitigate the effects of such abuse. They next hope to look at the effects of both types of abusive management on people in other lines of work, and within specific companies. According to the survey and research in the industry and exploring the real life examples of Victims who have suffered a lot in politics in the workplace, I believe that Politics is Good at its certain level to raise you in the terms of Leaders, it’s quality and behaviour, but it’s bad also as when you mess with it in wrong manner. It can bring a person from Rags to Riches or viceversa.So we should often play Politics in the workplace. (Walton, 2013) Bibliography aqureshi. (n.d.). power-politics-and-leadership. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net: http://www.slideshare.net/aqureshi101/5-power-politics-and-leadership the-three-types-of-power-at-work.html. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ca.askmen.com: http://ca.askmen.com/money/career_300/304_the-three-types-of-power-at-work.html Walton, A. G. (2013, 7 2). http://www.forbes.com/sitesthe-dark-side-of-leadership-the-impact-of-a-bad-boss-can-go-viral-though-the-office/. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com: http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/02/07/the-dark-side-of-leadership-the-impact-of-a-bad-boss-can-go-viral-though-the-office/ what-does-politics-mean-in-a-corporate-environment. (2012, 10 3). Retrieved from http://workplace.stackexchange.com: http://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/4288/what-does-politics-mean-in-a-corporate-environment

On Human Cloning :: Genetics Science Feminist Papers

On Human Cloning How should we think about cloning as philosophers and feminists? Reproduction by cloning is not, in itself, morally inferior to human sexual reproduction. Moral criticism of cloning rests on condemnation of its "unnaturalness" or "impiety," but this kind of criticism should not persuade non-believers. I evaluate cloning in two phases. First, some hypothetical situations involving private choices about cloning are examined within a liberal framework. From this individualistic perspective, cloning appears no more morally problematic than sexual reproduction. A liberal feminist may welcome the possibility of human cloning as an expansion of the range of reproductive options open to women. The second phase argues for a shift in the framework of analysis in order to get a more complete evaluation of the ethical implications of human cloning, including questions of distributive justice and the ideology of reproduction. How should we think about cloning as philosophers and feminists? Reproducing by cloning is not, in itself, morally inferior to reproducing by human sexual reproduction. Moral criticism of cloning in itself rests on condemnation of cloning's "unnaturalness" or "impiety," but this kind of criticism should not persuade non-believers. In this paper, cloning is evaluated in two phases. First, some hypothetical situations involving private choices about cloning are examined within a liberal framework. From this individualistic perspective, cloning appears no more morally problematic than is sexual reproduction. A liberal feminist may welcome the possibility of human cloning, as expanding the range of reproductive options open to women. The second phase argues for a shift in framework of analysis to get a more complete evaluation of the ethical implications of human cloning, including questions of distributive justice and the ideology of reproduction. In this paper, "cloning" refers to a process begun when an enucleated oocyte receives a complete set of genetic material from one adult of the same species, and then develops. The resultant cloned embryo is genetically identical to the adult supplying the DNA. Thus, cloning differs from sexual reproduction, in which half the genetic material of the fertilized egg is supplied from the oocyte itself and half from the sperm. It is also different from "twinning," in which an egg, once fertilized sexually, splits into two genetically identical zygotes, each of which may develop into an embryo. In February 1997, Dr. Ian Wilmut announced the birth of Dolly, the cloned offspring of an ewe. If it is possible to clone sheep, why not then humans?

The Midwestern Farm :: essays research papers

Cary, John. The Social Fabric. Reading, Mass. Longhan Inc. 1999. The Midwestern Farm First let me start off by saying that the Author could have tried to make this essay a little more interesting. Yes, he had to talk about the dail chores of the men, women and children, but he made it so dull. Life in the Midwest was not dull, it was a time of excitement and intrigue and he could have incorporated this into his essay to add some spice. Although, the author did give straight up facts about life on the Midwestern farm. These facts included childbearing, women's place in the household, men's chores and other people's places in society. I am very partial to this article. Some parts I like and others I did not. The author starts off the essay talking about how immigrants are making the population increase in dramatic numbers. He then proceeds on talking about how farming technology is improving. The technology that he talks about is still used today, but it is much improved. The immigrants that came over did not have the new and could not afford the technology that was being used by the bigger farmers. They still had to use the basics: shovel and hoe. This new technology also led to being able to take care of more land at one time and debt. The bankers realized that farmers could not afford the new technology, so banks put out special loans for farmers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After a brief discussion with the technology aspects he starts on how the railroads and trains opened up many new pathways for farmers, which let them become more industrialized. This also let them become more commercialized and specialized.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally he talked about the role of the women, men and children on the farm. It seemed through this essay that women had a lot more chores than men. The women had to take care of the children, chicken coupe, milking, dinner, household chores and many other things. The men took care of the land and the cows. It may seem that women had a lot more work, but men had the more physical aspect of the jobs. They both worked and were very tired at the end of the day. Male children usually worked with the father. Sometimes the male child would help the mother with milking, but this was looked down upon.

The Communist Manifesto Essay -- Communist Manifesto Essays

The Communist Manifesto   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marx describes the problem in great detail in the first chapter. He feels there is a problem between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians. The bourgeoisie were the oppressed class before the French Revolution and he argues that they are now the oppressors. The proletarians are the new working class, which works in the large factory and industries. He says that through mass industry they have sacrificed everything from the old way of religion, employment, to a man’s self worth and replaced it with monetary value. He is mad that the people of ole that use to be upper class such as skills man, trades people, & shopkeepers, are now slipping into the proletarians or working class. He talks of the bourgeoisie getting to be so greedy that they are forced to nest all over the world to hock their goods. This is talking about the new import and export system that has formed. He says the working class has to deal with the flux of the market and is disposed of more eas ily than the machines used in the market. He says that they actually become part of the machine while working. Doing the simplest and most monotonous part of the job. In this new system Marx says â€Å"as repulsiveness of work increases, the wage of work decreases†. He also prophesizes that machines will become so advanced that the wages for man will become one extremely low rate. He says the proletarians live a life of exploitation. By being exploited at work in the w...

Change in Diet Essay

I began this class with very little nutritional knowledge. During week one of this class, it became evident to me that my eating habits were completely unhealthy. Before taking this course, my interpretation of eating right consisted of eating foods that I thought were healthy, and basically sticking to that particular meal plan. I started this class coming off of a self-created protein diet plan of my own. My diet plan consisted solely upon eating cereal for breakfast, chicken breast, white rice, and egg whites for lunch, and drinking a protein shake for dinner, every week on days Monday through Friday. For the weekends, I would basically eat whatever I wanted. The weekends were considered my grace period where I was allowed to ignore my diet for two days. About a week or two before the course began, I had completely stopped my protein diet, and I was basically back to eating whatever I had a taste for at any given time of the day. I had lost all discipline and obedience to my â€Å"healthy† meal plan. The amount of meals I would have each day varied from one meal a day, to two or three meals a day. Rarely was it consistent. I would skip out on breakfast on many occasions. On some days, I would eat solely junk food all day long. Water was almost inexistent in my life. Completing week one’s assignments gave me an opportunity to actually read how bad my eating habits were as I typed them in. I also learned that my once proclaimed healthy diet was in fact not as healthy as I thought it was. I also learned that I was missing key foods necessary to live a long and healthy life such as fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables were nonexistent in my life. Vegetables, I never took well to. Fruits just did not seem as important to me as they should have been, and they definitely never satisfied my sugar craves. I learned the importance of fruits and vegetables. I learned that they provide the vitamins, minerals, and fibers my body needs to live a successfully healthy life. Throughout the course, I learned a lot about nutrition. I now know the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat. I am aware that all fat is not bad for the body. In fact, fat should be apart of every diet, and is required for healthy growth. This course has also given me a better perspective of dehydration. I now fully understand what dehydration is, and the causes of it. I am definitely more aware of the importance of drinking water. Currently, compared to week one of this class, my eating habits are totally different. I definitely see changes in my diet. From completing assignments mixed with personal research, I have learned that a person can actually gain weight from not eating enough. I learned that it is important for individuals to consume their recommended amount of calories each day in order to maintain a healthy and normal metabolism rate. A lack of food can slow metabolism. Metabolism burns fat. So of course, the first change in my diet was to make sure that I was consuming as close to my recommend amount of calories each day as much as I could. In result, I currently eat three healthy meals a day. Fruits and vegetables have become apart of diet. I am eating more fruits and vegetables now, than I ever have in my entire life. I am also making sure to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables compared to eating just one or two types. This course has helped me gain a better understanding of whole foods such as whole grains and wheat. I no longer eat white rice or white bread. I have substituted white rice with brown rice, and I have replaced white bread with whole grain wheat bread. These changes were not easy at all. I loved white rice and white bread. It was definitely a challenge making that transition. I have even made changes to the type of sandwich meats I eat. I have replaced deli ham with white turkey and chicken breast. For breakfast, I have stopped eating cold cereal and frozen waffles, and have started eating whole grain oatmeal with fruit slices. I still drink protein shakes after weight lifting. However, I no longer have protein shakes for dinner. From the course I have learned that oils are needed in any diet. In result, I have begun using olive oil with some of my dishes. I no longer use margarine, and have replaced it with real butter. I have eliminated any idea of a grace period and I try to eat healthy seven days a week. As mentioned early, I have learned a lot about dehydration and the importance of drinking water. I avoid all caffeinated beverages. I have eliminated sodas and other beverages from my diet. I drink milk, green tea, and one hundred percent fruit juices, but mainly water. Throughout researching, I have learned just how necessary it is to drink water. I learned that water helps the body’s organs function properly, water clears the body of toxins, and water helps burn calories. I learned the recommended daily serving of water should be eight to ten glasses, a minimum of 64 ounces. Upon learning this information, I have visited my local supermarket and have purchased a water bottle of 24 ounces. This course has taught me that many people mistake thirst with hunger, causing overeating and weight gain. I now consume 72 ounces of water a day. I make sure to fill and empty my water bottle three times a day. I have also created a system with accordance to my schedule where I eat dinner no later than 7:30 p. m. My workouts at the gym have also changed as well. Before, my workouts consisted solely on weight lifting. I have now made time in the beginning of my workouts for at least thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercises. The changes that I have made to my diet has really changed who I am as I person. I feel different, healthier. There has been a dramatic decrease in my stress levels. I am full of energy and happiness. I am now more aware of what I allow to enter my body.

The Beat That Stole My Heart

A Personal Narrative by Giuditta Paci. February 2nd, 2013. The Beat That Stole My Heart†¦ It seems like some things have never happened to me or I am an alien from some other distant planet. â€Å"Human beings† surprise me, make me cry, make me laugh and make me happy. That Saturday night, my â€Å"alien being† went out the house in desperate search of meaningful paths, beautiful smiles, the sounds of music and something that would make my heart beat just a little faster.Summer was almost over and I was thinking about how strange was the world and how could I possibly find someone to share some interesting conversation and a good dance before the warm and hazy summer nights will turn in to cold and lonely winter nights. It is not that I was broken hearted by the thought that my patience has come to its end, and that I may have to spend the last few weeks of summer wondering about a possible date that will never happen. I looked at the vast starry night-sky and cont inued to walked towards the Bar. I sat there thinking about how I wanted to be another person.I longed for interaction with the opposite sex. Eventually, I realized what my main problem was. I felt that I could not overcome all the â€Å"love† obstacles that life had made me face in the past. I recalled everything I have read in books about love as well as everything that I have experienced myself. In the books everything seemed to be much smoother and easier. My main thought was â€Å"how people can possibly spend their whole life together and stay in love? † specially after ending a ten year marriage only three months ago, and experiencing the big disappointment that love does not last forever.The music started and made me feel even more stupid: standing alone at the bar, listening to songs about love and relationships, without anyone here with me to dance or have a meaningful conversation with. I was ready to leave and call it a night. I decided to walk outside to b reath some air before departing. The summer wind woke me up from my dream and I took a deep breath and looked around. Suddenly I saw this attractive male. He was walking towards me†¦ As there was no one else outside, everyone was inside dancing and having a good time or so I thought.He definitely caught my attention. As he was getting closer I felt a strange sensation in my stomach†¦ I was nervous and didn’t understand why. I had never seen this person before and yet I felt this strange connection. He came up to me and said, â€Å"Hi! Are you enjoying the music? † I replied â€Å"Well, to be honest with you I wasn’t really paying attention. I was getting ready to leave. † This made him laugh for some reason. I felt a bit irritated as if he had broken my unity with nature and disturbed my thoughts with his presence and questions.All the sudden I took a good look at him. I hadn’t really before. He was relatively tall, dark hair, and deep bl ue eyes. His smile reminded me of those toothpaste TV commercials. A perfect smile. He had this smooth but primal Aura to him that made him very attractive and sexy. I could not clearly identify the age, but he looked like he was around 30-36 years old. He seemed so peaceful and yet so full of life and adventure, he was definitely in harmony with himself†¦ He had an edgy style. He was dressed appropriately for this type of event. He looked very much like a â€Å"rock star. Which made me even more curious about him, Part of me has always being attracted to that kind of â€Å"look† At that point I wanted to know who he was and where did he come from? I didn’t do a great job with that. Anyhow, this is how the rest of our conversation went. Me, â€Å"I think I should go home. It’s the same thing here every Saturday. I love being around people, but it’s always the same people. † –  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Him, â€Å"Well I guess you are right in a way†¦ Although tonight is different†¦ at least the music is†¦ You should come inside and check out the band. You may just change your mind. He looked at me, smiled, and made the gesture to follow him inside. I agreed to go with him to check out this â€Å"Band. † I thought about how kind of him to invite me in, at that moment I realized that we hadn’t exchanged names yet. I was now following a complete stranger without even knowing their name. That’s smart I thought! Once inside the venue, he went straight on to the stage and sat in front of the drum set. I was shocked. He was the drummer of the â€Å"band. † I have to be honest, I was a little embarrassed with the way I had acted when we were outside.At this point nothing mattered anymore. The music started playing, and I immediately got captivated by their sounds. My mood had completely shifted from a depressed moody bitch to completely happy girl! Now I was dancing to his beat. My body was moving along with this erotic and Alternative sound. I remember this energy rising thru my spine that made feel alive and aroused. In my mind he was playing for me, or at least that’s what It felt like to me. A couple of times I directed my gaze at him. He was so amazingly handsome and talented. I can honestly say I could see his soul.He was in a trance like state, just like Shamans when they chant or drum in ceremonies for people who are looking for a way to heal their souls. Now, I was now one of those souls. My soul was not only getting healed but my heart was falling in love. It was not only the music or the way he pulsated on the drums. There was a connection that I had never felt before. I could not understand at that very moment what was happening to me. That night I knew it was going to be the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life. Maybe after all†¦ Those winter nights may not be as cold and long as I thought they would be.