SPM ESSAYS.: Sir,This essay is referring to your earlier questi...

SPM ESSAYS.: Sir,This essay is referring to your earlier questi...: Sir,This essay is referring to your earlier question on speech by the President of Residents Association on How to prevent snatch-thefts and...

SPM ESSAYS.: SPM NARRATIVE ESSAY

SPM ESSAYS.: SPM NARRATIVE ESSAY: This is Ashraff of Maahad Pasir Mas.I hope you can tell me whether this essay really good. Write a story ending with:I was so happy to see...

SPM ESSAYS.: SPM NARRATIVE ESSAY:Write a story ending with: we ...

SPM ESSAYS.: SPM NARRATIVE ESSAY:Write a story ending with: we ...: Sir,it's me Alisya of SIS Pasir Mas.I hope my colleagues enjoy this fiction. I am a hardworking woman, very dedicated to my work and...

A father, a daughter and a dog

“Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!” My father yelled at me. “Can’t you do anything right?”
Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn’t prepared for another battle.
“I saw the car, Dad. Please don’t yell at me when I’m driving.”
My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.
Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. At home I left Dad in front of the television and went outside to collect my thoughts. Dark, heavy clouds hung in the air with a promise of rain. The rumble of distant thunder seemed to echo my inner turmoil. What could I do about him?
Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon He had enjoyed being outdoors and had reveled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered grueling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often.
The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his powers.
The years marched on relentlessly. The first time he couldn’t lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn’t do something he had done as a younger man.
Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing.
At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived… But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone He obstinately refused to follow doctor’s orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.
My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust.
Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody. Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue..
Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counseling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad’s
troubled mind.
But the months wore on and God was silent. Something had to be done and it was up to me to do it.
The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered in vain.
Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, “I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.”
I listened as she read.. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.
I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. The odor of disinfectant stung my nostrils as I moved down the row of pens. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair. As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world’s aristocrats. But this was a caricature of the breed..
Years had etched his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hipbones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention.. Calm and clear, they beheld me unwaveringly.
I pointed to the dog “Can you tell me about him?”
The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement. “He’s a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we’ve heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow..” He gestured helplessly.
As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. “You mean you’re going to kill him?”
“Ma’am,” he said gently, “that’s our policy. We don’t have room for every unclaimed dog.”
I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. “I’ll take him,” I said..
I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch. “Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!” I said excitedly.
Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. “If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don’t want it” Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.
Anger rose inside me It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples. “You’d better get used to him, Dad. He’s staying!”
Dad ignored me. “Did you hear me, Dad?” I screamed.
At those words Dad whirled angrily, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate.
We stood glaring at each other like duelists, when suddenly the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw.
Dad’s lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.
It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet.
Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad’s bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne’s cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke Dick, put on my robe and ran into my father’s room. Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.
Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad’s bed.. I wrapped his still form in the rag rug he had slept on. As Dick and I buried him near a favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad’s peace of mind.
The morning of Dad’s funeral dawned overcast and dreary. This day looks like the way I feel, I thought, as I walked down the aisle to the pews reserved for family. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling the church. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life. And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
“I’ve often thanked God for sending that angel,” he said.
For me, the past dropped into place, completing a puzzle that I had not seen before: the sympathetic voice that had just read the right article….
Cheyenne ‘s unexpected appearance at the animal shelter. .. ..his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father. . and the proximity of their deaths. And suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all.

By Catherine Moore

LAUGHTER THE BEST MEDICINE

Some scientists decided to do the following experiments on a dog.

For the first experiment, they cut one of the dog's legs off, then they told the dog to walk. The dog got up and walked, so they they learned that a dog could walk with just three legs.

For the second experiment, they cut off a second leg from the dog, then they told the dog once more to walk. The dog was still able to walk with only two legs.

For the third experiment, they cut off yet another leg from the dog and once more they told the dog to walk. However, the dog wasn't able to walk with only one leg.

As a result of these three experiments, the scientists wrote in their final report that the dog had lost it's hearing after having three legs cut off.

English Words for Describing People and Personalities

English Words for Describing People and Personalities

Outgoing

Listen to the phrase »

To be friendly and sociable.

“I wish my girlfriend was more outgoing. She justs sits in the corner quietly at parties.”

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A go getter

Listen to the phrase »

A person who is very motivated and tries hard to be successful at what he does.

“My brother is a real go getter. He started his own software company and he now makes a lot of money.”

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People person

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Someone who enjoys and thrives being around other people.

“A sales person needs to be a people person. You have to talk to potential customers all day.”

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Magnetic personality

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A person who has a confident and positive personality. This person has charisma and people want to be around him.

“My new boss Terry has a magnetic personality. He is full of energy and charm.”

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To be driven

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To have a lot of motivation to succeed. To be a hard worker who is always focused on accomplishing goals.

“John is a very driven person. He wakes up early and works hard all day. He rarely takes a day off.”

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Goofy

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A person who is silly and jokes around a lot can be called “goofy”.

“My dad is so goofy. When my friends come over he dances around with a kitchen apron on singing strange songs.”

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To be good natured

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To be friendly and pleasant to be around. A person with an overall good attitude.

“He is such a good natured guy. He never gets in arguments with anyone.”

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A ham

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A person who likes to be silly and tell jokes.

“My uncle Bob is quite a ham. He tells jokes all day and plays tricks on us.”

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To be a shallow person

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A person who is not caring and only is concerned about things like money or fame is considered “shallow”.

“Barbara is a shallow girl. Before she goes out with a guy she needs to know how much he makes a year.”

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To have demons

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To have issues in your past that affect you to this day.

“Harold is a nice guy, but he has his demons. He had a rough childhood and it still affects him.”

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To be stiff

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To be an awkward person who is not relaxed and makes everyone uncomfortable.

“My cousin Larry is a little stiff. He just stands there quietly not knowing what to say.”

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To be creepy

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To have a personality that kind of scares people. To have a strange intense way about you that looks like you might be up to no good.

“Don’t go out with Tom. He is a creepy dude. He stares at young girls with a strange look in his eyes.”

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A basket case

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A person who is emotionally unstable and highly agitated.

“I was a basket case after hearing that my dog was run over by a truck. I loved that dog and I was very upset.”

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A nut job

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A negative slang expression that describes a person who does strange and crazy things.

“My physics professor is a real nut job. He teaches with his back to us and he puts his shoes on the wrong feet.”