American Childhood essays

American Childhood essays 1. The setting of the story was a little confusing because of the different perspectives and scenery jumps. It takes place in the 1950s. The place where the story first occurs is a suburban Pittsburgh neighborhood. The background is her environment. The tone relates to the story by it being in 1st person perspective. She is remembering her childhood and telling the reader about how her feelings on different things changed. The mood is family warmth and togetherness and how it relates to the suburban neighborhood. 2. There was only one main character in the story, and it was Annie Dillard, the author. Annie has light colored hair and a slender body. She is very adventurous and loves nature. She spends a lot of time reading books. She inherited her fathers taste for music. She likes jazz and Dixieland. Her family loves comedy and teaches her the science of joke telling, so she practices as the straight man in her fathers jokes. There are many different words to describe her, but if I had to choose one I would have to say she is a daydreamer. 3. The theme has to deal with life in general and all changes in it. Life is a journey from childhood to death; with each step through life you become more awake and aware. When she talks about becoming more awake and aware she is saying that youre able to notice changes in yourself and the world. Also, you realize the more you know the less you really know. The world is a very big place always changing and never ending, thats how I think the author would describe the theme of her book. She was showing how everyone elses perspective on life and the world change, as you get older. 4. She starts out in a Pittsburgh neighborhood remembering her early childhood. The story starts with her talking about her family and how she changed over the years. There is no conflict it is just her remembering her childhoo...

6 Common Career Regrets to Avoid

6 Common Career Regrets to Avoid We all have regrets in life. Regret after eating those tacos at 11:30 last night. Regret over not asking that perfect person on a date back in college. Your career isn’t immune to that same level of â€Å"what if?†, but by identifying some common areas of potential regret, you might be able to change your professional destiny a bit. 1. Playing it too safeDid you avoid asking for a promotion because your manager might say no? Have you waited for colleagues to speak up with their ideas because you weren’t sure how yours would be received? Being bold and taking a risk (or a stand) once in a while can lead you to workplace opportunities you might never have noticed otherwise.2. Staying for the moneyA large salary can be hard thing to walk away from- but if you think about your current career path and the biggest (or only) positive is your paycheck, you might want to reconsider. Without the fulfillment of a job that challenges you and makes you greet projects with ent husiasm, your 20-years-from-now self will likely  be stressed and unhappy.3. Staying for the friendsAs with the money, if your awesome colleagues are the only reason you’re excited to head into the office in the morning, you might want to rethink your job. Sure, the friendly chats, goofy emails, and bonding over office absurdities can get you through the day, but don’t let that cover up your relationship with your job.If you’re not satisfied with your day-to-day workload or the way you’re managed, friends may not make up for that in the long term. And what happens when your buddies move on to other jobs and opportunities, leaving you behind at a job you don’t especially like?4. Not making an effort with your coworkersOn the flip side, we’ve all seen coworkers who have zero interest in being one of the gang. If you’re that coworker (you know, the one who wears headphones 24/7 or awkwardly avoids small talk at the espresso machine), y ou might want to reach out a little more and get to know your colleagues.You don’t have to go to every happy hour, or â€Å"like† everything they post on Facebook. But you spend many hours a week with these people. You all share a common goal (workplace success), and knowing people’s personalities and strengths can help make your own work more effective. Besides, a little bonding can help you get through those tough projects and long days together.5. Not maintaining your networkRemember whatsherface, whose cubicle was across from yours six years ago? Well, now she works for your dream company, and she could totally get you a foot in the door- if only you had maintained a relationship.Once you start at a new job, â€Å"out of sight, out of mind† can be tempting as you meet new colleagues and learn a new workplace culture. However, keeping in touch with your former colleagues and mentors can help you build a large and fruitful network as you move through yo ur career. You never know when you’ll be perfect for an opening at your old boss’s new company†¦ but you’ll definitely never know if you haven’t bothered to email him since your last day together in the office.6. Neglecting work-life balanceIf you go to a colleague’s retirement party and ask them to reflect on their long career, you know what you’re not going to hear? â€Å"I wish I’d worked more 14-hour days.† Whether that means leaving the office on time, not answering emails after 9 p.m., or just making sure you take a lunch break, it’s important to maintain boundaries.Working (or thinking about working) all the time can lead to stress and burnout. Making sure you’re able to devote time to your family (or to your longtime hobby of knitting sweaters for cats) can help you get the balance you need to be productive and satisfied throughout your career.