| Influence Essay, Research Paper
Describe A Person who has Significantly Influenced You
This essay was found at www.screw-essays.com and should not be plagiarized.
“I shudder at the sight of it. I’d rather see them steal that salad than throw it
away,” my father bellows in consternation after witnessing the closing
rituals at Wendy’s. “Pa, they do it so they can serve fresh food tomorrow,” I defend
the fast food employees’ actions. Despite our past four and a half years in
“the Land of Plenty,” my father clings to his frugality and tremendous respect
for food, acquired by necessity throughout his life in the Soviet Union. The
sharp contrast between my Americanized perspective and old views and
habits retained by my father makes such debates a common occurrence.
Besides performing all the prescribed functions of a “parental unit,” my father
helps me attain objectivity in my judgments by demonstrating how cultural
background affects our view of situations. Coming to the United States at the
age of thirteen felt like falling into a roaring stream without any swimming
skills. Dog paddling, panting, and swallowing gallons of water on the way, I
learned to keep myself afloat and gradually gained experience. Cultural
adaptation was not a choice–it was a survival need. Along with comic strips
and smiles at supermarkets, my mind absorbed such elements of American
culture as equal opportunity and self-confidence. The existence of programs
such as English as a Second Language at my junior high school persuaded me
that these concepts were implemented in daily life. I was thrilled that someone
had toiled to ensure that foreigners like myself had the same access to
education as the other students. Thus convinced of the tangibility of American
beliefs, I began to deem them universal. On the other hand, my father, a
45-year old when we arrived, still perceives reality in Soviet terms, with
American customs being an exception to the rule. His comments on the news
radically differ from what my American friends have to say. When the
hospitalization of the Russian President Boris Yeltsin had the world pondering
Russia’s future, my father inferred latent meanings from newspaper articles. “I
can only trust half of what they say,” he would grumble. “Here they say the
President doesn’t have a liver condition, which, of course, means that he
does.” Stemming from the paucity of integrity in the old Soviet Union,
disbelief and sarcasm permeate Papa’s personal philosophy. Dismissing all
things immaterial as irrelevant, my father often ridicules the ideas I hold dear,
such as political correctness. Some of my activities he does not question, but
admits that their value is a mystery to him. “Why do you want to take
literature classes?” he asks me with genuine amazement. “You can read on
your own, why do more homework?” Yet my enrollment in numerous math
and science classes does not baffle him, math and science being matters of
“substance.” When I challenge the legitimacy of Papa’s beliefs, he rolls his
eyes and says, “I am too old to change my typical Soviet mind.” At first that
seemingly feeble excuse infuriated me, but then the validity of it started to
register. While verbally crossing swords with my father, I realized that only
four years ago, I would have sincerely supported his every word. Further
reflection upon this thought led me to be more attentive to others’ point of
view. Now, when engaged in a discussion, I ask myself, what causes this
person to think this way? Viewing the issue from several aspects, I gain a
more profound and objective insight. My father provides a point of
reference, reminding me of unique circumstances that shape everyone’s perspective.
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