Getahun’s English Blog

A time when someone's words had a lasting impact on me was the moment a friend of mine casually said, “You’re stronger than you think,” during a particularly tough time in my life. At the time, I didn’t believe it, but those words stuck with me. Over time, whenever I faced challenges or felt like giving up, I’d remember that simple, encouraging phrase. It served as a reminder of my own resilience, and it helped me push through obstacles I thought were unconquerable. Sometimes, the smallest words can leave the biggest mark, shaping how we see ourselves and our own abilities.

Prompt Response: A place where I feel the most at peace is at church. This is because I've been going there all my life, and so I'm familiar with it. Also, it's a space of community, faith, and growth which are all important aspects to promoting inner peace. Another reason why I feel most at peace here is the fact that it's indoors and outdoors, we pray indoors but much of the gathering happens outside in a greenspace, making it the best of both worlds. Last but not least, it is a place where you can remove yourself from the stresses and pressures of your life, and get closer to God.

 An object that holds sentimental value for me is my cross necklace for numerous reasons. For starters, it represents my faith and cultural value in following Christ. It's not a regular necklace but an Ethiopian shaped cross called Meskel. My mom got it from Ethiopia in 2019, and she got it from her mother, aka my grandmother, and brought it back home to me. It's important to me because it's also a gift from my grandmother, whom which I haven't seen in over a decade. It's handmade out of silver and bronze, and is tied around a skinny two-strand black rope. 

 A moment when I had to step out of my comfort zone was playing in my first pick up basketball game. I was around 12 years old, and I had gone to a local park with a basketball court with my brother. This was the second time we came here, as the first time we were disappointed to find out it was closed. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to play now, but I was scared to play with strangers. My brother joined fine, but I was hesitant. After contemplating for some time, I decided to just go in and not think too much about it. To my surprise, everyone was cool and not what I expected initially, this experience taught me to get out of my comfort zone more often and helped me gain confidence.

 If I were the President of the United States, I would fight inflation, reduce the school week to 4 days, raise minimum wage, make healthcare more accessible, and create more jobs. I'd do these things because inflation is one of the biggest problems facing us today, as things are more expensive than ever because of the loss of value of the dollar, but most Americans aren't making more money to compensate for it. I'd reduce the school week to 4 days because it is much more refreshing and helps students and teachers to balance school life and personal life, as well as work life for some students. Raising the minimum wage would improve the quality of life for those struggling, also healthcare can get very expensive nowadays and it's getting more and more difficult for everyday Americans to pay their medical expenses. Lastly, creating more jobs would help with the economy.

A dream I had that felt real was a dream where I was traversing sand dunes in the middle east with my mom and some relatives. In the dream, I was lost in a sand storm and when the dust settled I saw my mom, and we just walked across the dunes trying to get somewhere. Along the way, we found some other family members like my sister and cousins. Eventually, we reached a high bridge after hiking up a hill, and as we were crossing the bridge, disaster struck. Another sand storm hit, and in the chaos, the bridge snapped and I was trying to hold on to others to make sure they didn't fall, but the wind was too strong, and as I was falling towards the ground, I happened to wake up. I think part of what made this dream feel so real to me is that I've had it more than once.

This past holiday break I stayed in for most of the first week. The first two days I went to the ice-skating rink in Atlantic Station with family and friends. On Christmas, I also stayed in and opened gifts with my family. On New Years day until the end of the second week, I stayed at my cousins house, where we celebrated the new year as well as go to the movies and play basketball at a local park. 5 personal goals I want to achieve in 2025 are to wake up early every day of the week, be on time to all of my classes, try more to be a positive impact on others, go to the gym more consistently, and get better at driving. I chose these goals because they will have a positive impact on others and my own life academically, physically, and will help will improve skills I will need for the rest of my life.