Essay 8

Asia Carter

Hamilton Salsich

November, 16 2009

My Breaking Point:

An Essay on War and Death.

1) What's the point of war? 2) Its hard enough to face one death at a time. 3) As I know from the death of my Grandmother. 4) War's repetitive death, and i cant imagine how that would make one feel.

TS) It's hard to imagine what is going through a soldier's mind. SD) The pain that William Manchester describes in "Okinawa: 'The Bloodiest Battle of All'" only gives a minor description of what he actually saw. CM)He described the how he couldn't even sleep at night because of the horrifying sounds of death near by. CM) There was barley any room so everything was so cramped up. SD) Can you imagine being so close to so many people who haven't eaten used a proper toilet, or washed them self in days. CM) Imagine sleeping in someone Else's excretions. CM) Once you go through something like that you are less than likely to keep you sanity. SD) Sadly the war was the "central experience of [his] youth." CM) It had an everlasting impact on Mr.Manchester that I'm positive he wishes he could have left back at the war. CM) He is left with knowing what people still go through everyday. CS) Mr.Manchester shares this pain with many other veterans.

TS) My Grandmother's death was definitely a "central experience of [my] youth."SD) I can remember the night of her death as if it were yesterday. CM) I was over my brother's house because my parents had gone to visit her in the hospital. CM) I was naive of the situation and I thought it was just another opportunity to stay up late on a school night. SD) I can remember thinking that nothing bad could happen to her and that she would be out of the hospital in no time.CM) When it was time to settle down and go to sleep, I really started thinking about what would happen if she did die. CM) I thought that was less than likely to happen so I just quickly said a prayer for her. CM) I asked for someone to be watching over her while in the hospital and I asked to in someway let her know that I will always know her as the strong loving character she was.  SD) When my parents finally came to pick us up, we were asleep. CM) At first the car ride was silent, not one person saying a word. CM) I didn't think it was appropriate to ask how she was until I saw one tear slowly make its way down my father's cheek. SD) I knew then that something was wrong. CM) I asked my father how she was doing and he said in a quiet voice " Honey, your grandmother passed." CM) I didn't have a response and because Kiona was sleeping the whole car ride she didn't know, so I tried to hold my tears in until after my parents told her.CM) I ran into the bathroom and started crying harder than I have ever cried before. Once Kiona found out I went onto my bed a cried myself to sleep. Like Mr.Manchester's wound from his experience with war, this "wound will never heal". CS) I wish that my grandmother was sitting next to me right now, but as Mr. Manchester knows somethings just won't happen.

1)  We don't know what we have till It's gone. 2) In my case it's my Grandmother, and in Mr.Manchester's case it's his sanity. 3) Make sure you count your blessings. 4) Don't take anything for granted.