Free Essay

Leaving the Herd

In:

Submitted By jdnorth1212
Words 929
Pages 4
An Awkward Easter
It was a perfect day for an Easter egg hunt, when we stepped outside that Easter morning we were met by the warm glow of the sun and a bird’s song. It was the first nice day of spring. We had just left our house to walk down to the park less than a block away to hide some Easter eggs for my two year old son Carter. The events that followed will make for a memory I won’t soon forget; between trying to make divorced grandparents happy and random drug addicts who don’t deserve parenthood my son still had a great day hunting eggs. We had just arrived at the park and my son was running through the grass chasing our dog Claire. My wife’s mother and her younger brother and sister were waiting for us to come over by the play structure; they had arrived earlier to hide the eggs. We took our time making it over to them frolicking through the grass chasing, growling and barking as Carter and I pursued Claire with Christina and Natalie not far behind. As usual my father was late so we all ran around on the play structure while we waited for him and my sister to show up. I noticed a girl a year or so older than my son also playing alongside us. I asked my wife if she had seen who was with the little girl and she replied “I haven’t seen anyone with her, maybe she belongs to the group of people over there” pointing to a group about two football fields away. I was starting to get annoyed trying to keep my son away from the hidden Easter eggs, twenty minutes had passed since I had called and told my father that we were leaving the house it had also been around fifteen minutes since I noticed the little girl with no supervision. A few moments had passed when two very obvious meth users walked in front of the playground, the little girl yelled out “hey Mom watch me, watch me Mom”. The mom replied “just stay there and play.” My heart immediately sank so I told my wife that I was going to hide some of Carters eggs for her, while hiding a few eggs in a different spot the little girl fell off the slide and busted her lip open. The mother was within screaming distance and took her time making it over to her crying child . She showed more anger as if she was inconvenienced by her daughter’s injury rather than compassion for her hurt child. The mother proceeded to pull her by the arm screaming and bleeding toward the parking lot in direct path of Carters hidden Easter eggs. The screaming little girl immediately stopped to a mire sniffle once she had discovered the brightly colored eggs, again my heart sank. I was thinking to myself how could I tell this neglected little girl the eggs weren’t for her. The mother started encouraging her to pick up the candy filled plastic eggs and was doing so herself when I finally said “Excuse me those are for my boy, but she can have some”. The mother threw all but one of the eggs down and grabbed the girl by the arm and headed for the parking lot about the same time I noticed my father and sister walking over from the parking lot by the tennis court. I quickly re-hid the eggs and we started the hunt, it wasn’t long before Carter had scaled around the giant tree trunk yelling “I found it” getting all the strategically placed eggs for optimal photo shoot capability. My wife was holding our newborn Natalie and taking pictures. Her mom, brother and sister were making funny faces and taking pictures while my dad and sister were trying not to get wrapped up in his dogs leash while also taking pictures. Despite the awkward paparazzi Carter was climbing all over the tree and eating his chocolate like the happiest Easter monkey you’ve ever seen. Holidays are always a strategically planed event in my house. We always try to make sure all three separate grandparents get quality holiday time with our son and his newborn sister, but like water and oil, separated grandparents don’t mix well. After the egg hunt we all started walking toward the tennis courts when we noticed my ex-step mother and her two daughters playing tennis whom I and my sister are still very close with. My sister went over to see them while we were saying goodbye to my father as he sneered over at the tennis courts mumbling a few snide remarks under his breath. He and my sister left shortly after that, turning down the invitation to come over for dinner despite my sisters’ wishes. After fooling around in the tennis courts and talking with my step mother and sisters we headed home. The hunt was over, Carter had eaten all the candy he could open by himself and all the grandparents were gone. While looking at my chocolate faced little boy I realized he didn’t see a neglected little girl with an unfit parent, he met a friend that he played and shared his candy with. He didn’t see or feel the tension between grandparents, he laughed and saw a bunch of funny people that care about him and most importantly I realized my son had a great day at the park hunting eggs with his family however awkward it may be between them.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Nature's Splendour

...Nature’s Splendour Nature’s Splendour Nature has a way of unveiling its splendour and abundant beauty. This is evident in the variations of the flora and fauna found all over the World. But none compares and is as majestic as the eighth wonder of the World, “the migration of the Wildebeest in East Africa”. Tucked away in the rolling, lush savannah grassland plains of East Africa, are the Serengeti and Maasai Mara national parks. Their sheer sizes traverses, two countries of Kenya and Tanzania, Maasai Mara being in the former while Serengeti in the latter. The landscape is comprised of undulating grasslands, with the occasional hill and dotted with Acacia trees. Another amazing feature is the array of colour depending on the season, with the dry season turning the landscape to a crisp golden brown, while in the wet season, a sumptuous green carpet. Cool winds from the Great Rift Valley swoop down on the plains to provide a natural air conditioning during the hot, dry season and also bring the rains during the wet season. Two rivers, the Mara and the Grumeti, meander parallel across the plains, and are the only source of water for the wildlife in these vast lands. It is the month of August in the Mara Triangle, a name sometimes used to refer to the Maasai Mara national park. The rains have just ended, and the terrain is a blossoming green, while on opposite side in the Serengeti, the dry season is at its peak. A cloud of dust emerges at a distance from the Serengeti side...

Words: 641 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

North American Bison

...very high regard and Native Americans considered bison a spiritual animal. When Native Americans hunted bison, they utilized every part of the animal so that none of the killing was in vein. The hides were used as shields, made moccasins, saddles, as well as shelter. The hair was used to stuff pillows, make robes and sturdy ropes. They also managed to use the brains, bones, and stomach lining. The brains helped to prepare the hides when constructing teepees, while the bones helped to keep the shelter sturdy. The stomach lining was used for medicinal purposes. They also used the bones to help build bows and arrows, and the hooves provided a type of glue to help hold everything together. The immigration of white settlers quickly put the bison herds in danger and soon the land turned into violent war between Whites and Indians, bison and cattle. Pioneers slowly pushed out bison to make room for their selves, and some settlers killed bison on their land to make room for their own...

Words: 1026 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Vaccination

...Amer El Ghali Jghali@knights.ucf.edu Vaccination Before we can understand why it is so vital to continue to vaccinate our population, we must understand what vaccination is. The concept behind vaccination involves tricking your body into thinking it is being attacked by a foreign pathogen. By stimulating the body’s immune system macrophages begin to “gobble” up the pathogens leaving leftover antigens in its wake. “Antibodies attack the antigens left behind by the macrophages. Antibodies are produced by defensive white blood cells called B-lymphocytes (CDC,2013).” After the antibodies attack and destroy all known pathogens, a T-lymphocyte also called a memory white blood cell stores this information about the pathogen and will mobilize if the pathogen enters the body again. This is a very important process as many people do not have this key ability of fighting off Infection and cannot be administered a vaccination because their immune system is so compromised their body might elicit a response. They rely solely on what we call “herd immunity”, which is achieved when a target percentage of the population is immunized. By having most of the population immunized it prevents the disease from spreading and limits the immunocompromised individuals contact with the pathogen. Prior to vaccination microbes were the number 1,2, and 3 causes of death in the united states, and what we regard today as just a few days of the fever was considered a life threatening...

Words: 510 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Case Study: Hog Primal Butt

...better roast that can be cooked slow and low, which can turn out very flavorful. The best pulled pork is made from the Boston Butt because of its fat content which contributes to flavor. It is marbled with fat and also contains a lot of connective tissues. The Primal Butt is also a meat product that is very inexpensive, leaving it affordable for families to buy. Steers 80% Choice is a Live FOB Basis. These are steers that are ranking in the highest category of Choice. I chose these items because my family has been in the hog business for almost 20 years. Annually, we finish out around 3,000 head of hogs a year. My family is in a...

Words: 671 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

What Is The Decline Of The Cattle Industry

...With the increasing technology of railroads, it has provided people with better and faster transportation, especially to and from far away places. My family is poor and the only way for me to earn money was to herd cattle from Texas to the north. It was one of the ways to earn big money. I had to herd these cattles on a route known as the long drive. Railroad and train transportation would’ve helped faster transport these, but unfortunately no direct railroad tracks were built for this route. Typically we drove roughly 2,500 cattles with seven or eight other cattle drivers along the long drive. Though this might seem very simple of a job, it has its disadvantageous sides. The cattle industry has been declining leaving many people unemployed....

Words: 356 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

The Maasai Culture

...century which saw increasing western encroachment into Kenya. This took the form of missionaries and explorers. The missionaries were keen to convert tribes to Christianity, halt slave trading and stop some of the Maasai practices which they perceived as barbaric (such as dressing almost naked and leaving their dead for wild animals to scavenge rather than having a burial ceremony). The explorers were less interested in tribal welfare and more interested in commerce, setting up a trade route from the coast through Kenya to Uganda (which took the form of a railway at the end of the nineteenth century; Nairobi was founded as head-quarters of development midway along this railway in 1899); some explorers did try negotiating land and access rights with local tribes but these were not always favourable to the native population. Arabs also headed inland attempting to widen their trading (in particular there was a busy slave-market at Zanzibar and a large demand for ivory) and unwittingly spreading the Swahili language. Already under great pressure from foreign influence and some inter-tribal warfare, the Maasai were deeply affected when rinderpest (a cattle disease) struck their herds around 1880-1890; the reduced grazing led to more woodland which encouraged breeding of the harmful Tse tse fly. The Maasai were also hit with drought, famine, smallpox and cholera. In 1910 they were forced out of even more of their homeland which had already been bisected by the Kenya/Uganda railway...

Words: 1707 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

2012 Drought Economic Impact

...Graduate Finance 29 August 2012 2012 Drought Economic Impact The persistent heat and drought seem to be the only topic of discussion lately as the rain starved fields beg for some watery relief. Increasing food prices and fuel costs will soon be joining the ever important conversation as the worst drought in 50 years persists, thus having a very negative impact on the already sluggish economy. In my paper, I will discuss some of the economic impact the drought is having on consumers, farmers and ranchers; also what actions the Obama administration will take in order to ease fears for all those involved. The drought has hit corn especially hard during the ever important pollination process thus causing the growing cycle to be very much disrupted. However soybeans which mature later in the season should be better off than corn, although prices are expected to increase for both. Futures prices for corn have increased 60 percent, wheat is up to 41percent and soybeans have risen 24 percent (Lempert).Corn is the biggest U.S. crop, valued at $76.5 billion in 2011, followed by soybeans at $35.8 billion, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (Lempert). It is crisis such as this which reminds the consumers how important and fragile American’s farming industry is. In fact about 60 percent of U.S. farmland and more than one half of American counties have been affected by the drought and are currently designated drought disaster areas (Lempert)...

Words: 1497 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Childhood Vaccinations

...“Prevention is better than cure.” This common statement could not relate any better than it does with the controversy surrounding the morality, effectiveness, and safety of childhood immunizations. The major argument is whether or not laws should be established to declare vaccination mandatory for all children. “The US food and Drug administration (FDA) regulates all vaccines to ensure safety and effectiveness,” (ProCon.org, 2012) therefor there should not be any reason to risk the health of any child. Vaccinating our children not only ensures their safety but also that of their future to come. The first major concern parents have when it comes to childhood vaccinations is that of the health and safety of their children. Some parents believe that vaccines were developed to help the spread against dangerous transmittable diseases. Other parents are under the impression that vaccines themselves present high risk factors for their children. Both have strong arguing points in this controversy and have good reason to believe in what they do. Proponents argue and the facts clearly show that since the emergence of vaccines in the twentieth century for common life threatening diseases, such as measles and diphtheria, the related number of deaths has decreased by more than 500%. On the other side, opponents argue that childhood vaccines are responsible for the dramatic increase of autoimmune diseases. Many proponents argue that childhood vaccination is vital and should be...

Words: 1452 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Walking Dead

...surviving in a hostile world. This includes battling the zombie hordes, coping with casualties, and dealing with predatory human survivors. The group is led by Rick Grimes, who was a sheriff's deputy[3] before the zombie outbreak. At every turn they are faced with the horror of the walking zombies, the changing dynamic of their group, and hostility from the scattered remains of a struggling human populace who are focused on their own survival now that society's structures have collapsed. Season 1 (2010)[edit] Main article: The Walking Dead (season 1) The series begins with sheriff's deputy[3] Rick Grimes being wounded in a shootout with armed criminals. He awakens weeks later from a coma in an abandoned and badly damaged hospital. Upon leaving, Rick discovers a post-apocalyptic world overrun with zombies (or "walkers", as they are often referred to in-show). Rick also discovers his wife and son are missing, and he encounters two survivors — Morgan Jones and his son Duane — who explain the situation to him. Acting on a rumor the Joneses had heard, Rick arms himself and begins a perilous journey to Atlanta,...

Words: 2103 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Cause and Effect

...Our Sheltie, Humphrey Bogart, likes to herd things and to protect the house. It's instinctive. Unfortunately for Humphrey, we don't keep sheep or cattle in our backyard and the squirrels and rabbits have learned to keep their distance. So what's a Sheltie to do? Chase aircraft! We live north of DFW Airport and can easily see planes flying over our house on final approach. Humphrey can see them too. He doesn't like them. Humphrey used to leap into the air trying to catch the planes, but never got close. Now, he just barks at them until they leave. As far as Humphrey's concerned, he's chasing the planes away. He knows it's happening because every time he barks at one, it goes away. Humphrey associates his barking with the plane's leaving and concludes one causes the other. In a way, he's right. The plane shows up and Humphrey barks until it leaves. Getting cause and effect wrong is all too common. Service callbacks increase. Is this the result of a lack of training, poorly designed incentives, bad products, or something else? It could be anything. The mistake is to note a correlation and draw a conclusion without understanding the relationships. In another example, a business owner hears from the media about the poor state of the economy. Nervous, he reduces expenses, cutting marketing and delaying business investment. Sure enough, business falls off, but the slide is more a result of the owner's actions than the economy. A competitor fills the void left by the...

Words: 327 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

American West

...1837 Great Financial Crisis In 1837 the Eastern USA suffered an economic collapse. Many people lost their jobs, and as Banks went bust they also lost their savings. People were bankrupted and factories and businesses closed. The Mormons, whose Bank also collapsed ruining many non-believers, became one of the more popular scapegoats for the ruin. This resulted in many Mormons choosing to move West in the face of increasing violence. The increasing population had made land hard to come by. This combined with the desperation and increasing crime in the East forced people to consider moving West. The Crisis became a big PUSH factor in encouraging people to migrate westward. 1844 Joseph Smith Died As the Prophet and founder of the Mormon Church he was the leader of many thousands of believers. He led them in a desperate search for a safe haven for the community to settle. Smith would not lead his Mormons West as he thought it unfit to build the Zion for the coming of Jesus. Smith was shot dead in 1844 as he tried to escape from jail. Brigham Young was the new leader of the Mormons and chose to lead them West, to Great Salt Lake where they settled successfully. This was an important turning point for the Mormons. 1848 Gold Rush 1848!! Before Gold was discovered in 1848 by James Marshall, around 5,000 people per year were drifting west across the Great Plains. However with the discovery this increased tenfold by the following year.The 50,000 miners were hunting for...

Words: 1164 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Apex Study 12345

...1.5.3 Test (TS): Post Civil War America! ! ! Test! U.S. History since the Civil War Sem 1 (S2561969)! ! ! SU14-Alex Sanford! Points possible: 60! ! ! ! ! ! Unit Six Big Question: What were the social and political consequences of the Civil War? What factors led to the expansion of the United States during the period after the Civil War, and what were the effects of expansion?! Section 1: Short Answer Questions (30 points)! Write multi-sentence responses for the prompts below. Be specific and give examples from the history we have learned.! A. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution changes laws for the entire country. Three amendments changed laws especially for African Americans. Explain how each of the following amendments changed the law for African Americans. (10 points total)! ! a. Thirteenth Amendment (3 points)! ! ! The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. It freed all African Americans and prevented them from being forced to return to slavery.! ! ! b. Fourteenth Amendment (4 points)! ! ! ! c. Fifteenth Amendment (3 points)! ! ! ! The amendment addresses citizenship rights and equal protection of the laws, and was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War. All African Americans were now counted for purposes of representation.! The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the federal and...

Words: 1102 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Essay On Employee Retention

...also to retain them. *Increasing opportunities for carrier development. *Lifestyle choices. *Job switching. *Unbalanced work life. Which influences an individual’s decision to continue or leave? Employee retention is a process in which the employees are encouraged to remain or stay with the organization for the maximum period of time or until the completion of the project. And not leaving the job. Or, in a layman’s language it is retainment of the employees. We or the companies can’t stop an employee from leaving unless we have a plan to make them stay with us or the organization. Some of the reasons I have got to know about the switching off jobs so often -Environment or circumstances - Work culture -Relationship -Growth -Compensation I got to learn why retaining them is important The cost of turnover. They are an integral part of the organization, without them it will not grow and be able to achieve anything. Goodwill of the company. Interruption in the customer service. The loss of company’s knowledge. Maintaining the efficiency. Turnovers lead to more turnovers. Herd mentality people posses. Retention is all about:...

Words: 708 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Persuasive Essay On Zoos

...Kali, a two-year-old male polar bear, was shipped in a crate from Buffalo Zoo to St. Louis Zoo by FedEx. The cage Kali was shipped in was made of wood, leaving Kali completely unaware of what was happening. However, this was not the first time Kali was shipped around and he acted like it was a normal thing when it should not be thought of in that way. Kali was given only a month before he was displayed to the public (Associated Press 1). This type of change can be very traumatizing to most animals. An animal being shipped around could be locked in a cage for not only hours but days. While in the cage, animals can only be fed by a tube because food cannot be kept in the cage with them. Animals can become distressed, and they can try to physically hurt...

Words: 1075 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Mandatory Vaccine Research Paper

...years of life. But, at least 10% of parents skip or delay some shots, and around 1% do not vaccinate at all "Vaccines-Calling the Shots". Most people have gotten at least vaccinated once in their lives. Doctors use vaccines as sort of a boot camp for immune systems from adults to small children. The way it works is by using a dead or weakened virus that would imitate the real virus if it attacks. The immune system responds by attack to virus and leaving behind white blood cells that know how to fight the virus now. Vaccines came from Dr. Edward Jenner. He was the first man to deliberately inoculate people with a mild, non-fatal disease called "cowpox" that came from a similar strain to smallpox, thus making people immune to the virus. He called his technique "vaccine” from "vacca" Latin for cow "Vaccines-Calling the Shots"....

Words: 391 - Pages: 2