Hi I'm new to USA and my grammar's bad. This is a 8th grade paper based on the reading of Tuesdays with morrie. If you can help me find some grammar errors i'll be very glad. Thx again.
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A Refreshed Life
“Look at my new car!” Everyday, we hear conversations of fascinating machines and new technologies. I am one of the zillions that have their mind soaked up with egotistical tasks. Rarely, if not never, does the word “death” come to our mind. It is a fear hidden inside us that we all try to avoid. Morrie, however, took death as a pleasure. Through the book of Tuesdays with Morrie, the ALS victim taught us about origin of fear and enjoyment of life. It was a lesson that would guide me through life.
First, Morrie said, we were all afraid because of disbelief. “Everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it.” (80) Almost everybody have seen the death of others, but their lives are so much wrapped up with business and money that they never think about facing death themselves. “Most of us walk around as if we are sleepwalking… doing things we automatically think we have to do.” (83) Culture is the cause of those “automatic things.” According to culture, money is the greatest success one can have. People earn money through their careers to compete for cars and houses. When they don’t gain the respect that they craved, they work some more. Time passes as the cycle goes on. In the end, they don’t become satisfied. Instead of competing for respect, Morrie lectured that giving love will be more satisfying. If those people had been prepared to die at any time, they would value their time and learn to enjoy—through love. “Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” (82) They would experience more of nature and spend more time with their family. By living a content life everyday, they would die without regrets.
As I was analyzing Morrie’s ideas, I realized that I was walking directly into “dead-ends”. I had violated all three of Morrie’s principles: craving for money, rejection to nature, and lack of love. In all of my life, my ultimate goal was money. I noticed my ability on mathematics since kindergarten. After moving to America, I set up a plan and vowed to myself that I would follow it. First, I would receive all A’s in high school, have above 1500 points on the SAT, and enroll in one of the famous California universities. Then I would complete the highest degrees possible. Finally, a high-tech job with over $100/hr salary would be in my hands. Now, I am fully focused on studying as part of my plan. Neither nature nor family can distract me. If there is any kind of outside activities, I will say “forget it” without thinking. I think of nature is a waste of time. Once, my parents were going to a mountain trip for a month. “I’m not going, ” I told them, “I would just stay at Grandma’s.” It came even as a surprise to myself when I never missed them during the month! Now that I look back at these, I deeply feel that I need to change.
I am beginning to look at death now. I want to be a content person without having regrets. I will continue my hard study, but the goal is not money anymore. I will study for contribution and to give love to others. Nature is now part of my home, and I will start to enjoy outside activities. Moreover, family become part of my life and I will share more feelings with them. I will become content, and when the day comes, I will take gratification with me.