First Essay of the Year...

To tell you the truth...I wasn't quite sure how this essay would turn out. I wasn't quite sure I could write a 750 word essay. I wasn't quite sure I could pick a prompt without thinking about all of them for forever. And I wasn't quite sure what I was getting myself into. I seriously sat down at my computer and starred at the screen for about 30 minutes trying to get some idea of how to start my essay. But like most people when I got in my "writing groove" my paper soon became 804 words. And I wasn't finished. I had also only finished the first sentence of the introduction and then started writing the rest of my paper, making sure to leave about 100 words for the intro. Like that was gonna happen. My paper was already too long. I didn't know what to do. So I cut out half of the middle of my paper. Word count: 550. Perfect. I then finished my conclusion to the paper, and moved up to the dreaded introduction I knew I had to write. Again, I starred at my computer for forever. I had an idea and wrote it out. Hmmm..no, that doesn't fit. No that one doesn't flow right. This one doesn't even make sense...and so on. I finally came up with what you will soon read...though short, I think it fits with what my papers is trying to get across. Oh and it's 748 words. :)

Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence:

The essay question that I picked was not hard at all. What fictional character has made an influence on my life? Meg March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Why? As you read you will see that Meg, though she lived in the time of the Civil War was not any different from you or I today. Keep in mind that though Meg is a girl the lesson her life displays are not just for women, but for men also.

“Margaret, the eldest of the four, was sixteen, and very pretty, being plump and fair, with large eyes, plenty of soft hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, which she was very proud of.” Meg was growing up to be a lady. Daily she was trying to set an example for her three younger sisters, encouraging them to stay strong for Marmee (their mother) while their Father was away in the Civil War. She had a calm spirit that did not easily fret, though she did have her days when she could be quite “put out”, especially if her wild, fifteen-year-old sister, Jo, got in her way. It was because of this calm spirit that she had patience to nanny for two rowdy young children, earning money for her family. Meg’s tender-heart for her family is most displayed in her care for her youngest sister, Amy. She is the one who is always there for her and, besides Marmee, comforts her more than any other sister. Throughout the book, Meg develops a heart for the home. She was the first daughter to marry and in certain parts of the book we see Meg managing her home as well as she can with two children (she had twins).

Whenever I read this book, or, actually, whenever I see this book I am reminded of Meg and what she is like, how she would respond to a certain situation and try to act like that. (I do want to make something clear: Meg is not my main role model, she is just a girl like me who already has the character of a woman). But how am I like Meg? I don’t knit or nanny or cook, but in some ways I am like her. Meg is very much a lady and in my own way I too am a lady. Though I love adventure, laughing hard till your side aches, running and being wild, I wouldn’t characterize myself as a “tomboy” or unlady-like. I also see myself as having a mild spirit, like Meg. When things get hectic and I have way too many things to do, I don’t stress out and get worried. Usually I sit down with a pen and a sticky-note and make a schedule for my day or week. I also see myself like Meg in that I can’t wait to have my own home with children running around and around. That’s where I think the mild spirit will come in useful.

Just like there are ways that I am like Meg, there are also ways in which I am not like her. One of the biggest ways is setting an example. Meg is the oldest in her family, and while I am not the oldest child I am the oldest girl and I set an example for my younger brother and sister. Will it be one I want them to follow? Will I wish that I had been more respectful in my teen years? Will I wish I had a better relationship with them? With my parents? Everyday I am seeking to refine each one of these questions. Meg left behind an example for her family; I want to leave one for mine.

We all have our Megs. Maybe yours is your Mom or Dad. Their example inspires you to grow in wisdom. It could be your best friend. Or someone famous such as Thomas Edison, who tried and failed nearly 1,000 times to make the light bulb and that inspires you to never give up. I hope that in reading my essay you have seen the how Margaret March can inspire others as well. So many useful things can be learned from her fictional life. I hope that you, my fellow students and teens, will embark on the journey of leaving a legacy to be remembered as I have.

So here's my question: Was it worth it?