Growing up in a town filled with poverty, I rarely heard anyone talk about investing. People worked hard just to get by, and the idea of putting money into something like stocks or bonds felt completely out of reach. Most people were focused on surviving the week, not planning for the future. But as I got older and started learning more about money on my own, I realized investing isn’t something only rich people do. It’s actually one of the most powerful tools that anyone can use to create financial stability. It’s not about how much money you make, it’s about how much you invest and how early you start. Even if someone starts small, consistent investing over time can lead to real growth and independence. The problem is, most people never get the chance to learn that. That lack of financial knowledge doesn’t just limit opportunities, it can cause people to suffer. The 2008 financial crisis is one of the clearest examples of how damaging it can be when people don’t understand the system. In the movie The Big Short, we see how a small group of investors saw the housing collapse coming because they took the time to read the fine print, ask questions, and understand the risks. Meanwhile, most of the public didn’t have the tools or knowledge to even know what questions to ask. People were getting approved for mortgages they couldn’t afford, and no one was explaining what subprime loans or adjustable rates really meant. They trusted the system, not realizing that the system wasn’t built to protect them. The Big Short highlights just how important investment literacy really is. The people who lost their homes, savings, and jobs weren’t reckless. They were just uninformed. And while the banks and financial institutions absolutely deserve blame for being dishonest and greedy, the truth is that a better understanding of money and investing might have helped regular people avoid some of the worst outcomes. Knowing how interest rates work, what kind of debt to avoid, or how to spot risky financial products could have made a big difference. It showed me that financial literacy isn’t just helpful, it’s necessary. That’s why I’m passionate about making investing feel more accessible, especially for people in communities like the one I grew up in. I want people to see that you don’t need to be rich to invest. You just need to start with what you have and be willing to learn. For my research, I plan to use credible financial sources like Investopedia, articles by certified financial planners, and real stories from people who started with little and built something for themselves. My goal is to inspire people to take control of their financial futures. I want them to see that even if you come from a place where no one talks about money or investing, you can still break the cycle. You can learn. You can build. And you can invest in yourself.

When it comes to preparing for the exam, I focused on two stories from Her Body and Other Parties. I wanted to make sure I understood them well enough to write a decent essay, so I spent time going over key themes, ideas, and anything that stood out to me. Reviewing the stories helped me feel more prepared, but when it came time to write the actual essay, it was definitely a challenge. Writing under pressure is always difficult, and I struggled to get my thoughts organized in a way that made sense. The essay itself was tough because I barely made it to three pages. At first, I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to say and how to structure my points. I had a lot of ideas, but getting them down on paper in a clear and organized way was not easy. I found myself second-guessing whether I was making my points strong enough and whether I was explaining things in a way that would make sense to the reader. The hardest part was making sure everything flowed together properly, and I didn’t want my ideas to feel scattered or all over the place. Even though it was difficult, I eventually found a rhythm. Once I started writing, I was able to build on my points and figure out what direction I wanted to go in. It still wasn’t easy, but as I kept going, I started to feel more confident about my argument. I made sure to go back over my work to check that my thoughts were sharp, concise, and to the point. I didn’t want to add unnecessary sentences just to fill space, so I focused on making sure everything I wrote had a purpose. Looking back, even though I struggled, I think the essay ended up working out in the end. One thing I hope to improve in the future is making my writing more cohesive. I want my ideas to connect better so that everything matches together nicely. At times my writing jumps from one point to another without transitioning smoothly, and I want to work on fixing that. I also want to work on my vocabulary and use larger words to make my writing sound more polished. I know that using a stronger vocabulary can help my writing feel more professional and make my arguments more persuasive, so that’s something I plan to focus on moving forward.The discussions with my classmates were one of the best parts of this experience. It was very cool to see everyone’s opinions on the stories and how different people interpreted them in their own way. Hearing other perspectives made me think about things in ways I hadn’t considered before, and it reminded me how literature can be understood in so many different ways depending on the reader. Overall, while the essay was challenging, I learned a lot from the experience, and I’m looking forward to improving my writing skills in the future. Glad that I did this though first time writing a in class essay.

I believe the message in Real Women Have Bodies is deep because it shows how society can make people, especially women, feel invisible. The idea that women are literally fading away and no one is doing anything about it is really powerful. It shows how people can just ignore things that don’t directly affect them, even when others are suffering. This happens a lot in real life. People will watch bad things happen and still keep moving like nothing is wrong.The title itself is interesting because it forces you to think about what it means to “have a body.” In the story, women are losing their physical form, but they are still here. It’s like the world decides when a person is valuable, instead of people being valuable just because they exist. That’s not fair.One of the things that stood out to me is how the dresses represent the fading women. The fact that the women are still working, sewing these dresses, even when they are disappearing, shows how people can be taken advantage of. It’s like even when someone is struggling or suffering, society just expects them to keep going, keep producing, keep contributing. But what happens to them? What happens when they are completely gone? No one seems to care. I also really liked the relationship between the protagonist and Petra. It made me think about how love exists even in situations that feel hopeless. What I learned from this story is that people deserve to be seen, to be valued, and to have control over their own lives. No one should be forced into the background, made to feel like they don’t exist or don’t matter. But that’s what happens to a lot of people in real life. The world should be a place where everyone is free to exist, express themselves, and be who they are without fear of disappearing. That’s why it’s so important to change the way society works to stop making people feel invisible and to actually see them for who they are.

I believe the message in Eight Bites is really powerful because it shows how people are pressured to change themselves just to fit into society’s expectations. The story focuses on this woman who goes through weight-loss surgery because she believes it will make her happy, but instead, she ends up feeling like she’s lost a part of herself. That really stood out to me because it shows how people think changing their appearance will fix everything, but in reality, it doesn’t always work that way.The title Eight Bites is really interesting because it comes from the idea that eating only eight bites is the right way to eat. It’s a rule that was just created by someone, but the woman in the story follows it like it’s the truth. That reminds me of how society makes up these rules about what people should look like, how they should act, and what should make them happy. But just because a rule exists doesn’t mean it’s right. One of the most disturbing parts of the story is the shadow-like figure that appears after the surgery. It’s like the part of her that got removed didn’t just disappear, it’s still there, haunting her. That really hit me because it shows how you can’t just cut away parts of yourself and expect to feel whole. Another thing that stood out to me is how the narrator’s sisters all went through the same surgery, and they act like it’s the best thing ever. It’s like they’re trapped in this cycle of thinking that being thin equals happiness, but no one is actually questioning it. That happens a lot in real life. People follow societal norms without even realizing they have a choice. It’s sad because instead of learning to accept themselves, they just keep trying to become what other people expect them to be.What I learned from this story is that people should be allowed to exist as they are without feeling pressured to change. Society makes people think they have to be a certain way to be happy, but that’s not true. Everyone has the right to define happiness for themselves. No one should feel like they have to erase a part of who they are just to be accepted. The world should be a place where people can just be themselves without judgment. But right now, there’s still so much work to do to make that a reality.

I believe the message in The husband Stitch is powerful as no one human being should have control of the other. It is not fair for a societal norm to hurt another individual and it is important to break societal norms that harm people. The title in it of itself being Husbands Stitch shows the messed up thing that goes on in the world. In especially heinous we see that Benson constantly is facing trauma. As she works cases she sees more and more trauma and this is bad for anyone. It is hard enough to stay positive but now with constant pain everywhere it is even more difficult and this can take a toll on one’s mental state. What I learned from the passage was that everyone is not treated equally, which is not right. Anyone living has their own purpose, their purpose is not for someone else. They also have the right to find the purpose and they should not be told or forced to do anything. The world is a place of freedom and expression and anyone should be able to express themselves openly without judgment from others. Also one should not have the ability to force another to do anything. Not only that but any individual should be able to make the decisions on what they want to do in life. I see a lot of people believe they can control each other and force their will, this is a bad concept and leads to resentment. It is important you allow people to be themselves and do not take a role in imposing your will on anyone. People are just that, and as a person you can make your own decisions. Definitely reminds me of how things have changed and how their is still much work to do when it comes to people showing acceptance and changing societal norms to healthy practices instead of detrimental practices.

I enjoyed writing this OP ED. One thing I have learned from the class that I truly respect and understand is that when you write about something you care about it does not feel like a chore. When you are told to write about things you may not necessarily care about, the true thoughts rarely get on paper. It is like a robot writing, or someone writing just so they can pass a class. The meaning changes when you write about something you care about and want to get other opinions on. I relate it back to overhearing a discussion we have all had that moment when we are around strangers and they are talking about something you care about. You have to fight within not to buy in and put in your two cents. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of writing this. I wrote this essay just from my thoughts. I just wrote what came to mind. I believe doing this allows one to understand a lot about what is going on in one’s mind  and how they feel about different topics. No matter who educates you, no matter who tells you and assists you to get on track, the chances of you reeversing your habits built up over years is slim to know. That is why we are not taught because the system leaves it to you to get education on these things but by the time you get the info and start to learn a lot of times it’s already over. Because the habits you have created will take years to break most of the time.Lack of financial literacy keeps this country rich. Imagine if when we were kids we were  taught to spend frivolously and  to only get things you need. And that when you get a credit card, pay it off immediately because you end up getting points which are free money and you can stack these points up and go on a free trip. If we were taught this the economy would not flourish as it does now. The economy benefits from reckless spending and lack of financial literacy. America is a business first. I also wrote Growing up getting your first credit card after just using a debit card your whole life. You are given this tool that will make or break your financial life and you are given this “toy” with no manual. The credit card has minimum payments that will keep you in debt for years, some individuals believe that the minimum payment is what needs to be paid and that only. Osme believe that you can pay a credit card back whenever you have the money. A credit card was put in place so that you can continue to owe money. Credit Card companies especially ones that do not charge an Annual Fee do not make money off of individuals paying off their statements every month. They make money off of individuals missing payments and owing money. This was all very important to me.

I wrote this essay feeling very interested. I do believe that when you are interested in a topic you do write more and the ideas come to you more smoothly. I got the idea of this community because I do consider myself to be a part of the community also Investments and financial literacy is a topic I enjoy speaking about. It took me a good amount of time to write this essay. I just decided to write down my thoughts on paper and that is how I wrote through this essay. I did not outline. I believe my process is to think and then to write exactly what I am thinking in a way that others can understand. When I am writing what I tend to think about a lot is , “is what I am saying making sense, can anyone understand. I like most that I underlined the fact that in a community there are subdivisions and with subdivisions in a community there are even more subdivisions. It is important to understand that some within communities are communities. I hope to improve my ability to communicate. I feel like it is possible for me to get my point across more effectively. I hope to continuously adapt how I write and use different strategies to convey my points. I am excited to learn more about writing and the different strategies that are used when writing. I am also excited to read new books and learn more about the author’s and how they write. Analyzing how the authors write will assist me in becoming a better writer and allow me to continue changing and molding my writing to be better. Moving forward I will also be reading other books that I find interesting, using the writing style in these books I will also learn a lot. It is easy to see that people have a pattern when writing and I am starting to notice patterns in my writing as well, especially in the way I like to convey ideas. Writing about the community was surprisingly refreshing. Different people have different communities, in our assignment it opened the question about community. Community is something that is often questioned and also left as well. People a lot of times find themselves exiting one community and going into another as life progresses. The communities we identify with change as life goes on and this is seen extensively through everyone’s life. Communities also have many different variations within one community. The ability for a community to change someone’s life and make an individual feel embraced is also very important. Communities allow individuals to be a part of a group. And this can help an individual in their life as they now have people with similar interests as those around them. Being able to call on a community for advice and to look at a community and put in your own two cents is important. Group decisions can be formed and the community can shape a new mission and drive. 

One quote that I found to stand out to me was “That slave owners could not have fully dehumanized these men and women, because they were first and foremost people, is important, but it’s worth recognizing that slavery’s objective was to make them both present and absent simultaneously —to enslave someone was not necessarily to efface that person entirely but to render him or her a ghost.“ This was such a powerful quote because I believe it shows how slaves were seen in this time. They were seen as a ghost their voice was not heard. They effectively silenced a group of people. They made sure that slaves were not allowed to speak their mind and that they did as they were told. This quote shows and explains what slaves seen as a whole no presence just ghosts. I also saw a word that I did not know, the word efface this also made this quote stand out to me more. Efface meaning is to erase, so I believe that in the ending part of the quote the author is saying that the goal was not to erase slaves presence. The goal was to make there presence be unknown and untraceable like a ghost. Meaning all of the important things that individuals discuss and agree upon as a society was not to be discussed with slaves and that they would not get a voice to effect change on any of the problems that our society faces. It made me think about how many voices today are still silenced. And that many people to this day do not have the ability to effect change on problems that they should have a say so in. I believe that it is important to see that today the same problem is faced today. It is very important that we do realize that although we are in a different time it is important to understand history as it seems that a lot of the problems faced in history continue to be problems we face today.

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