Blog #7

            Langston Hughes, in his essay Salvation, shares his experience of the pressures of his family’s religion thus tainting his personal religious standing. His aunt told him that he would see a light when Jesus came to him but he never saw the light or Jesus for that matter. Thinking that his aunt was being literal made him falter from his beliefs in Jesus. He may have also realized that many others have possibly been pressured into believing in religions. Family pressures are usually a good thing, but sometimes they can turn out bad; it is because of these instances that I have learned to be stubborn and hardheaded.

            Sibling pressures got to me at a young age leaving me scolded and without a birthday gift. In the summer of ’97, for my 13^th birthday my parents bought me a Marksman II pellet gun. Less than an hour later, my brother, sister and I were out back testing out the gun by shooting cans off a sawhorse. My brother proclaimed “Anybody can shoot a can!” My sister looked around before pointing at the Dodge in the backyard and then chimed in with, “I bet it wouldn’t break the back window of the Dodge.” My brother, being the bully, exclaimed “Shoot it!” Shaking my head at him I turned away. With that he grabbed my arm and told me “If you do it I won’t bother you about it anymore.” As my older brother I learned that he is relentless until he gets what he wants. Turning to the dodge I took aim and fired on the rear passenger window; we shuddered at the sound of breaking glass. The glass fell around the rear passenger door. My sister immediately ran to inform the parental units of the incident. Due to my domineering siblings, I have not seen the pellet gun in question to this day.

            To think that I had learned from the previous sways of my siblings was underestimated when compared with the persuasions of my wife when getting our first pet. A chilly day in fall, my wife Kaitlyn and I headed to the local SPCA to gander at the pack of dogs available to us. We first noticed a 4 month old female Rhodesian ridgeback pit-bull mix. Giving the idea that it was a possibility didn’t help my position but it gave a chance toward other selections. We decided on a pit-bull mix prior to our decision to get a dog. A solemn gray pit-bull, estimated to be around 3 years old, was where we were drawn to next. He was calm, friendly and nice, which gave me the impression that he was a well mannered dog and would work well as our first pet. Of course, she was still fixated on the young Rhodesian across the path. I informed her that my interest was in the older gray dog; however, she brushed me off quickly. She then proceeded to convince me that the young dog would be perfect, we could train her and she could grow up to be our dog unlike an older dog that is already set in its ways. Finally I compromised with the one request that I could name the dog. It was settled quickly and we were off with our little demon named Pixie. I have learned many things about Rhodesians that most people would find impossible to deal with; in the end she is our dog, but she is still a pain in every way. My wife persuaded me into getting our dog which is now a love hate relationship; though, I would never let my wife talk me into another one.

            Recently, my mother gave me her ’96 4Runner because we are having a new baby;  but it is not economically viable, due to gas prices going up and tire costs, keeping the truck does not fall within our means. Even with minimal driving, the tank never seems to stay full.  We found that the tires, even though Lincolns head is covered my rubber, are cracking and need replacing; the price of the tires makes our account balance inadequate. The upside of having an SUV is the ability to take family trips to the river, hiking or camping. The weight of disappointment that I would put on myself if we were to sell the 4runner is heavy; therefore, retention of the vehicle will be beneficial for our growing family.

            I have found that there are times when it is necessary to give in to the pressures of friends, family or life. My experiences have taught me to consider other people’s opinions cautiously. Inclinations of others can give you a different perspective in life, which can lead to enlightened decisions.