Lindsey Wolf

Ms Acevedo

EnglishHonors

14 April 2009


Community

A community is a group in which a group of people with a common characteristic or interest interact or at-least the definition that the site Merrian Webster gives.
The word community itself is so very ambiguous it is hard to use one real definition since it means different things to different people. Some may believe it is the town in which they live in {Since I live in Croydon my options were fairly limited.}and to others it is their close knit circle of friends but few really think of the community happening in their own home. Your family is your community for it is a group of people all living in one home with a common goal of not to kill each other, though sometimes it may be difficult they are your family and they are indeed a community that you belong to perhaps among others. Most people have an illusion that a community is only where you live which just simply isn’t true, you must dig farther into the true stationery meaning of community and this is in your own home, under your roof. In this speech I will explain and give my reasoning behind why I think the family truly is the perfect family.

In my first point I will use the Cullen family of Twilight. {Yes I know this seems to be a common theme in my papers.} The Cullen may be atypical of the stereotypical American family but regardless they are indeed a family. The Family is composed of the Carlisle Cullen, the oldest of them all about 300 years old and his wife Esme who along with Carlisle is the rock of the family. Edward Cullen who was transformed by Carlisle in the early 1900’s is the fastest and musician of the family whom in many ways wants to be just left alone, he keeps their family grounded and humble and beside from Carlisle and Esme is the most dedicated to the Vegetative life style. Rosalie Cullen ‘nee Hale is the beauty queen of the family, the overtly serious one who does not let her families mind wonder to far and remind them that they are indeed a vampire family. Emmett Cullen is the strength of the family and gives humorous relief to the sometimes to serious family and his mate Rosalie, he tries to keep the family light and likes to see those around him happy. Alice Cullen can see the future and she is the typical girly girl of the family, I feel in many ways she brings humor to her family also since the Irony of a young spiked hair girl shopping is so realistic that many would not think of her for what she truly is, a vampire transformed in a mental institution. Jasper Cullen or Jasper Hale can regulate emotions and he is by far the most insecure and afraid of what he can do to humans, he is an ongoing project for the family and last but not least Bella, Bella Swan an honorary member of the Cullen family is basically the puppy dog in which they must look out for but adore dearly. Because of these different features they become a strong family unity dedicated to protecting human life. They live under one roof and make living with each other as easily as possible and in many ways they are the ideal family. Whatever one family member is lacking they can find in their mate, brother, sister, father or mother. Without one another they would not necessarily be very strong but being brought together makes the indestructible, the way in which many of our families are if we rely upon each other.

One of my other favorite families is the Carey family of-course. In the early 1970’s and late 60’s you have to keep in mind how rare bi-racial marriages and children were. It was only in the early 60’s that Martin Luther King Jr. had protested against the mistreatment of blacks and even than the cultures had begun to intermingle. When the family consisted of Alfred Roy Carey, a black Venezuelan man married to Patricia Hickey, a white Irish woman from the Midwest that her parents had disowned for her to marry this man, They had three children Shawn {11}, Allison{10}, and Mariah (3). The forbidden marriage was on the rocks for the constant moving and racial tension which caused their house to be shot up, their dogs to be poisoned and their cares to be blown up. As imagined the family leaned upon each other to fight through these times and even when Patricia decided it was time to move her children from there she looked to her children for the inspiration and strength she needed to divorce Alfred which she did. Over the next 15 times the Carey family would move over 23 times, live in friends homes with not one to call their own and lived just barely above the poverty line. As Mariah was a child even though due to their economical situation her mother who was an opera singer gave her singing lessons and always told her to dream big for anything was possible, he told her not to say if I become a singer but when and because of this push from her mother and the money her older brother Shawn put in to make her a demo she succeeded and who would of thought only 2 years after that demo was beginning to be made she would be signed and nearly 20 years later Mariah would be the best selling female artist in history with over 180 million records sold. This without a doubt is the example of family and community, the push each other to do things un-imaginable and light a fire underneath of them, they lean upon each other in times of need and go on to succeed in life.


Last but not least is my favorite family of them all, my own. My family is known for it’s hospitable family business and Croydon in which my grandfather starter some 50 years ago and established himself as the Santa Clause of Croydon, giving oil to families who needed it whether they had money or not that way they would not live the way he grew up in cold orphanages. My family is so reliant on each other I believe because that is something my grandfather started in us, he had no one to rely on growing up so he taught my father and later my sister, brother and I that we always had somewhere to fall back on no matter what mistakes we have made or no matter what we may be, we will be accepted. Since my grandfather married by grandmother Shirley and started the business he relied upon her to stay at home and take over the phones, taking down calls and orders and basically having a phone attached to her ear. People relied upon my grandfather and family for oil to heat their houses and keep their children warm and my grandfather would get up 2 or 3 in the morning to fix heaters or go out and deliver oil on all holidays and weekends, even on Christmas Eve, there was no break for him. He did this so my father who was born 10 years later would have the funds to live a nice childhood unlike himself and than taught my father subconsciously hard work and what it meant to help others. Even though my grandfather is gone he still continues to inspire us to be hardworking and reliant upon each other for many do not have what we have, the ability to have clothes on our back and food to eat and warmth in our bones. With William Winfield Wolf IV my nephew now almost two it is now my brother, sister and myself responsibility to carry on the good nature and thoughtfulness, though a big burden to fill the Santa Claus of Croydon’s shoes. We as a community and family are self reliant upon each other and now we will be accepted and loved unconditionally no matter what we may do or what may happen.

In conclusion, the family is the ideal community. They push each other up and inspire one another to be something more than they could ever dream, they care and protect for one another and catch them as they fall and most importantly they love one another and without that love who knows where we would be today.