All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Christopher

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Christopher - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum may not possess the “wow” factor of a book written by John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, or William Shakespeare but that book means more to me than any other book that I have ever had the privilege to open. I also feel that if everyone read the book and took a minute to practice the lessons within, that this world would be a better place. The lessons learned are simple, pragmatic, and most importantly things that are within everyone’s ability to carry out on a daily basis in their lives.

“You may never have proof of your importance but you are more important than you think. There are always those who couldn’t do without you. The rub is that you don’t always know who.” My parents have taught me from a young age that we are all God’s children and that each one of us has a divine spark inside us that makes us important. We all have the ability to help our fellow man/woman and when we do this it can make everyone’s life better. Not only does the person you help benefit from your kind act but you also get a wonderful feeling by helping someone else out. What may seem like a simple favor to another person may have a profound effect on their life. We should never pass up the opportunity to be kind to someone.

“It doesn’t matter what you say you believe - it only matters what you do.” Even at my age I am starting to find out that there are different types of people in this world. The people who talk about doing things and the ones who actually do them. I have experienced this in a variety of ways in my life. There are people that I know that say the right things about avoiding drugs and alcohol but have had peer pressure which caused them to make some decisions that they one day may regret. To stand by your convictions, even when it is an unpopular decision, makes you a better person in the long run. I would rather be unpopular to people who really do not have my best interests at heart than give into pressure that would bother my conscious forever.

“Speed and efficiency do not always increase the quality of life.” I am, like most high school students, addicted to my cell phone and all of the trappings of the internet age. Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. are all part of my daily life. On occasion, I find that sometimes the old ways of doing things have their own distinct advantages. My parents have saved all of the letters that they wrote to each other while they were away from each other while in college. They are physical remembrances of their lives, thoughts, and feelings from that time in their lives. My generation may not have those physical mementos to look back on and hold onto to remind ourselves of where we came from. When my parents look at these and rekindle the memories attached to them I can tell that these letters mean a lot to them.

“Remember, most of us got something for nothing the first time just by showing up here at birth. Now we have to qualify.” When we were born we were promised nothing. We were given the gift of life, but what we do with that gift is entirely up to us. It is only going to be through hard work, focus, and dedication that I am going to make something of myself. I cannot expect to have success handed to me or consider it my birthright. My family has provided me with the tools to be successful, it is up to me to utilize them and leave the world that I came into a better place.

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.” I am going to leave my home and enter into college, and a new phase of my life and path to adulthood. While I look forward to the changes and challenges that lie ahead of me, I hope that I can look back on my childhood to guide me on this journey. When I was a child I was full of excitement about new experiences and full of many hopes and dreams. If I can combine that child-like mentality with my educational growth I feel that I can become a successful student in both the academic classroom and at life in general.