Eric Faulk Faulk 1
Professor Jones
English 101 – Essay #1
October 14, 2008
The Hunger of Adolescence
Seldom is hunger a confrontation in the life of the twenty first century American teenager. We have desire. We have the desire to achieve greatness in academics and competition. We have the “thirst” for knowledge, as well as a progressively increasing hormonal appetite for comfort from the opposite sex. I was a teenager once. Not too long ago was I subject to these cravings, accompanied with the inconvenience of true, physical hunger.
To make a long story short, I will say that I was put in my position by decisions I believe no one my age should ever be asked to make. The result of which ended in me finishing my high school career living in a tent on the Dungeness River in sunny Sequim, Washington. I had a lovely campsite, and friends were always anxious to come spend time with me and eager to hear of my new lifestyle in the bush. Everything seemed to be falling into place without much difficulty, until I realized the greatest consequence to my leaving the care and support of the family circle. I needed food.
As a young certified nursing assistant, I had a relatively well paying job for a high school student. My wages would easily have supported myself and my gas-guzzling 1987 Cadillac, if not for the fact that I was only being allowed to work eight hours a
Faulk 2
week until my graduation in two months. Living on less than eighty dollars a week, and juggling a demanding, yet gratifying, social life almost seemed to be too much to bear. I knew I could not go back to my parents and ask for help, and even if I did, I knew the answer that would follow the discussion.
My decision was to use my brain. This wonderful tool God instilled in us was more than enough assistance in my search for satiety. I knew what I needed in food, and I knew where to get it. I knew my preferences, and I knew my yearnings. I started my journey in the...