Devotion To make something precious to you, to favor it with all your energy, to sacrifice your own comfort or preferences to satisfy someone else's needs-that is true devotion.
My Life in the Footsteps of Technology My mom always made us kids keep a quarter in our pockets just in case we had to call her in an emergency. I think I had carried mine for two years.
School
Bully I noticed that after the fight some kids had a new respect for me. It was not because they liked me. It was because they were scared of me.
The
Fine Art of Procrastination I pulled out my X Box, plugged in my controller, loaded my Halo 2 disc, and started killing a bunch of aliens.
Scrubbing Bubbles Oh, the gut-wrenching pain and heartache of having been deceived by someone so close . . . a gigantic multi-billion dollar conglomerate over a thousand miles away that had worked so hard to earn my trust in several strategically positioned, thirty-second television commercial spots!
Taboo It is also a mystery why some people happen to come to resemble a mummified corpse found buried under the vast sand dunes of Egypt.
The Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs It has gotten to the point where athletes from other countries are coming to the United States to buy performance-enhancing drugs that are illegal in their home countries.
Women
Like Me As an only child of a single mother, I have done what is expected of me, but in the privacy of my heart and mind I write to reveal to myself what exactly is true to me.
Is Wal-Mart Good for Small Town America? Probably the most controversial issue and the one most likely to raise a debate, is the attempt to build a super Wal-Mart in Lodi.
America the Promised Land In the sizzling cauldron of America, all that beautiful sacredness of our former traditions dies to give way to celebrations that merely emphasize material aspects.
What I Believe Was Our Last Commute They gave my dad a ride into town to get food and a new part for our van-the one that was most likely to run.
Wreck the Hall with Antique Vases Before I knew it, Auntie Ashie was ushering me into the family room. Her nostrils flared as fear wrapped itself around me.
Beauty is the Beast If I, as a woman, received every procedure to correct what society deems as unattractive, I would look atrocious.
