Langston's Life example essay topic

Never having any guidance, or direction, he has always seemed to work through all obstacles. Langston was a young man, roughly beginning his first year of medical school. Everyone he knew saw it a miracle that he ever made it as far as a bachelors degree, much less a Medical Degree. Born a "mistake" never knowing his mother, or father he spent much of his childhood and adolescence running from foster homes east and west, he had never known unconditional love or the feel of a true family. At the age of 24, only one person in his life had ever before cared enough to keep in touch with him. She was a young woman he called Mams.

Natalie Green Entered is life when he was around the age of four, as his "big sister". She was only 18 and needed community service hours to receive a scholarship, never anticipating that such a loving relationship would grow with the young boy. Mams was an only child to a middle class black family, raised with a father that believe you must earn and work for everything you receive. Even then the nature and history, of Langston's life, at the age of four, shocked her. For the 12 months they spent together, in St. Louis, every weekend, and twice during the week they escaped from their lives.

She took him to plays, book readings, social events, anything she thought would open his eyes to the opportunities surrounding him. As a result Langston was well on his was to success. Even after she left for collage, and he moved to a new "home", every birthday, Easter, Christmas, Halloween, and any other special event, Langston would receive a letter or post card with just enough words to make him keep trying. She was the main and only motivation in his life. On a Sunny day, in the beginning of September, Langston hopped on his bike and hurried home to his apartment to change clothes and rush to work, his daily routine.

The door flung open, his shoes flew across the room, he ran to the bathroom he turned on the shower, then ran into the kitchen, and was then brought to a paused when he noticed the mail he must have overlooked when first entering. The shower still running, he grabbed the mail, not expecting anything in particular besides the usual junk mail. When suddenly he was surprised to see a peach envelope with purple ink writing, reading Langston Brown though, he didn't recognize the handwriting. With a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach he ran to the bathroom to shut off the water, then slowly walked to the living room were he sat squeamishly in the most uncomfortable chair, and nervously he began to open the envelope. The first words of the letter brought him to tears, "Dear Langston, your probably wondering who this is, I am Julie Morris, Up until two days ago I was Natalie Greens best friend. Knowing you were a dear friend to her I felt obligated to inform you...

". He stopped, he knew what had happened, not being able to read anymore, the letter dropped to the floor and he froze in silence, for what seamed a decade. Mams the only person who held any significance in his life had committed suicide, she was only thirty eight. Since the beginning of his life all the insults, set backs, and rejections; none of this compared to the emotions he was faced with at this time. The impact Mams suicide had on Langston's life was tremendous. Although he only got four or five letters a year from her and they seldom saw each other, she was still the one that drove Langston.

With her gone he felt useless. In the months following, Langston 3.8 GPA had taken a cliff dive to a 2.5, he went from job to job, not being able to handle the once seamed easy requirements and responsibilities. Langston was depressed and drowning in self pity. Even the few shallow party friends Langston had come to know in college couldn't redeem his spirits.

His hard work, amazing accomplishments and overwhelming ambition were slowly being flushed down the toilet. Yet the only thoughts rushing his mind were, "why her? , what could I have done? , how could she do this to me and herself? , why is life so unfair?" with other pending questions, the confusion overcame him. On a Wednesday Afternoon, about 2: 30 p. m., half an hour after his first exam began, He barely rolled out of bed, Eyes half shut he f loped down the hallway toward the kitchen, expecting to find something to eat. He opened the freezer, no Eggs, he opened the fridge, empty, he went to the pantry, hoping he would find cereal, though nothing but bareness. Then he noticed a piece of unfamiliar paper lay dusty and stained on the pantry floor. Out of pure curiosity Langston found the energy to kneel down and pick it up.

Upon flipping the paper Langston found a poem. It read: Well son I tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. Its had tracks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor-Bare. But all the time " se been a-climb in' on, And reach in' land in's, And turn in' corners, And sometimes go in' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So boy, don't you turn back.

Don't you set down on the steps " Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now-For I'se still go in', honey, I'se still climb in', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair. Filled with astonishment Langston realized those were the closing words of Mam's eulogy, Langston had been so greef stricken he totally zoned out the entire funeral ceremony, even the lasting moment os she left for him. Mams hadn't forgotten him, nor not cared for him, for whatever reason she felt she had to die, she wanted Langston to knowhow much she was proud of him, and how much she believed he was capable of. Such a small, yet overlooked aspect. Who knew how much these few words could change Langston's life.

Suddenly he felt powerful and ambitious once again. He no longer blamed himself, or questioned the ways of life, he learned to accept the past and prepare for the future. Though some people looked down on Natalie Green for her " cowardly" death, contrary, Langston still holds her in the highest respect, for she changed his life in ways he can never repay. She gave him hope and strength when there was no one else around to care if he woke up the next morning.

She understood how much he needed her in his life. Natalie Green was his Mams, warm hearted, strong, independent; the most influential, loving person in his life.