Essay on Superpowers

Essay on Superpowers Stephanie Pippins
1/27/09

Each and every one of us comes into the world with unique characteristics, and as we go through life we develop certain strengths and skills that set us apart from each other. However, there are limitations to what those strengths can be, and try as we might, we are bound by certain limits. But what would it be like if we could have one superpower that would set us apart from everyone else in the world? For me, that one superpower would be the ability to listen and tune into the world of men. I would love to know what they are really thinking and why.
I would use my superpower to help women everywhere with their relationships. If I could find out what drives men, their motivations and desires, the world for all of us women would be much easier. I would listen, make notes, and most likely publish my findings so that all women could have access to my insight. I could make this a profession in many ways. One example would be by becoming a personal shopper, to assist women in finding the perfect gift for any occasion for the men in their lives. Another profession could be as a private detective, to find out if a man is having an affair, or to discover their true feelings for their partner.
There would be a few conditions I would like to have with my power. One would be to be able to turn it on and off. Although being able to read men’s minds would be really cool, if I had to listen to their thoughts all the time, I think I would go crazy. I also might want to be able to turn it off when it comes to those close to me, as I might not want to always know what they are thinking. Sometimes it might be nice to be surprised. Another would be to be able to focus on one person’s thoughts at a time, otherwise I might get mixed messages and not be able to understand any at all. If I could hear the thoughts of the men of the world, I would be famous for helping all the women who need to better understand the opposite sex. Hopefully, relationships would improve around the world, staying stronger and lasting longer. Everyone always dreams of whether or not super natural powers really exist. If you could have one power that would help the world, what would yours be?

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Truth and Consequences

Truth and Consequences

Cold, bright and quiet are words I would use to describe my courtroom before I enter. Fear and uncertainty are written on the faces of defendants awaiting their trial. Sweat pours down the faces of some as they know my reputation for always getting to the bottom of things. People do not look me in the eye for fear of giving themselves away. Another day of truth and consequences begins.
As I enter the room, my twelve cases are running through my mind, and I search the courtroom to match up the case with the defendant. The man up front is smirking about the amazing sex he had with his wife last night. He knows he is not guilty of the petty theft he is being charged with, and so do I. The man with the long blond hair is busy rehearsing in his head what he will say to me. He is a wise man and is planning on telling the truth. How do I know? My name is Judge Stephanie and I can read men’s minds.
I developed this wonderful talent 3 years ago after nearly being electrocuted by my toaster. After that experience, things were never the same. Everywhere I went, I could hear the thoughts of men, many of which I wish I did not have to hear. It took me over a year to learn how to control this new power. Now I am able to hear many thoughts all at once. I can turn this power on and off, or I can now just tune into one man at a time if I want.
After discovering my new rare talent, many professions opened up to me. I worked as a couples’ therapist, a personal shopper, and a private detective. All were made simpler by being able to read the minds of the men involved. But none of these options helped eased the ache in my soul. As a young girl I was raped, and the guilty person never experienced any consequences for what he had done. The need for justice ran through me every day, and although I could not get justice for myself, I knew I could use my power to get justice for others.
The path to my goal hit me like a lightening bolt one day while I was walking down the street. I tuned into one man’s mind, and did not like what I found. Apparently he had raped a woman and tricked a judge into believing he was innocent. He got away with that terrible crime, free and clear. It was at that moment I decided I wanted to be a judge, so that type of mistake could never be made again. Guilty men would be put away. The dirt bags of my city would get what they deserve, and people would know that they could not get away with causing pain to others.
As I scanned my courtroom, I looked for the first case. It was a man being charged with killing his wife. He was claiming innocence and accusing his best friend. Since both men were in the room, I thought it would be easy to get to the bottom of the story. It was not as easy as I thought. The case was a little more complicate as it turns out both men worked together to kill her because she was sleeping around. That threw me for a loop for a moment, but then the truth became clear. It always does. Two more criminals off the street. On to the next case. A rape. A chance for more closure, for me and the victim. Guilty!

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English and me

The Few, the Proud, the Students Who Completed English 111

My experience in English 111 was nothing like I expected. I believe this was in part due to my English teacher’s expectations. While I understand that this is college and it requires work, I was not expecting the amount of work required, nor the difficult grading scale used to evaluate our writing. In talking with other students who have completed English 111, they did not have to do nearly the amount of work, and their grades were calculated by their ability to improve their writing by the end of the semester. They only needed to complete the minimum requirement of writing 3500 words.
Our class started out very full, but as it continued, approximately half the class dropped out. In part this was due to realizing that we would be writing more than 3500 words to complete this class. In addition, when reading the prompts for writing projects that would be due, it looked very overwhelming and seemed as if you would have to be a perfect writer even in the beginning of the class. It was more than many expected, including myself.
I am not saying anything bad about my teacher, just that he does things a little differently and has high expectations. My teacher is actually a cool guy, who is funny and smart and only wants to see us achieve greatness. He expects a lot from his students, because he truly believes that we can do it. He wants us to reach within ourselves, and learn new things about ourselves, while learning the proper techniques for writing good essays.
I learned a lot in this class. Before attending this class I never knew what a blog was, or rhetorical appeals such as ethos, pathos or logos. I liked the fact that for everything we wrote we needed to include something about our audience. I think having us focus on our audience for each essay was a good thing, because as writers we are more likely to focus on ourselves and what we want to say, and not consider the needs of those reading our writing. I can notice a big change in my own writing. If I look at the first essay I wrote, and then compare it to the last, I can see that I sounded more educated and I made many less errors.
All and all, although my teacher was tough and required a lot more work than I anticipated, I believe I came out a better writer with skills to write an awesome essay. So, my advice to you is to be ready, willing and able to work, and to join the ranks of the few, the proud, the students who completed English 111.

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