I thank the shooter for giving me a reality check, although his intentions may have differed. Since the incident, I have given up my bad habits and at the same time adopted new habits that I benefit from. With both school and a part time job, I have discovered that I am able to

dream. Friends walk in and out of my life; I can always make a new friend, but family is bound by blood and will always play a significant role in my life. I once desired to be accepted by my peers, now I desire to be successful and to make my family and my self proud. Now my mind constantly aches from my studies and part time job. The only thing that relieves me of stress is my mother's

My family will always come first and will always be more important than anything else. Initially, I thrived for the acceptance from my friends and would do anything to satisfy their idea of what is accepted. On any given day, I would hurt my family and my self by playing hooky, violating curfew, and provoking conflicts. I knew it was foolish to commit those acts, but subcons

Some common words found in the essay are:
, past faults, family self, friends social life, realized family, outlook life, social life, path life, friends social, close friends,
Approximate Word count = 705
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)