Erwc Personal Narrative

Justin Barragan
ERWC P. 5
Mrs. Scharf
11 April 2017
Integrity

The foundation of the house is what will set the course for the piece that follows. The groundwork that my parents and ancestors have laid out for me to follow and guide me onto the right path. On both sides of my family, the major cornerstones are to serve and or give back to your country. Every male in my family in the past century has been involved in the military or served the country to assist those who serve. My dad’s father fought in the Korean War, while my father himself had fought in the Vietnam War. After the military, my father continued his service to his country in a different form. He became a California Highway Patrol Officer. My mother’s grandfather had volunteered

To me it represents sports. My life has always and will always be surrounded by sports. Ever since I could walk, I have been on a field, in a court, or in a gym. I have played multiple sports throughout my life, but lacrosse and football have been the most influential. My family has always been huge advocates around the idea of playing sports. Once I was of the appropriate age to start playing, my family had put me in Pop Warner Football and I had instantly fallen in love with the sport. At the time, I had dreamed of becoming an NFL football player. That had all changed, when my brother came home from high school one day with a stick in his and a new sport called lacrosse. He told me it was basically football with a stick. The moment I heard that and I held the stick in my hand, I was hooked. I played with that stick everyday my brother came home with it. My family saw the passion in my eyes the day I was able to step on the field and play. The stick became a part of me. The sport had completely change my life. As I grew older, I came to the realization that sports were not just a game, they with life lessons. Without sports, I would not have been in the same place I am today. They have taught me the importance of teamwork, attitude, and perseverance. In almost every sport, a team is a family and with them you are nothing. You learn to rely on the person

It is what has makes me who I am and what I am about. My family has always had religion. When I was young, one of the first lessons my father had taught us was that, “if someone has no faith or nothing to believe in then what is the point of continuing your journey.” I was born and raised in a Catholic household. As a child, attending a Catholic private school, St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School, was somewhat confusing. I did not understand at first what or whom we were praying for or to, but all I knew was that it made me feel good in the end. As time went on, I finally had found the purpose behind all of this. That faith is an aid to help shape and heal someone’s life. Through my time at St. Jeanne’s, my faith only grew stronger as I had learned more and more, but it had never closed my way of thinking. Instead, it had expanded my views of the world. Although I am a Catholic, I am very open to other beliefs and in a way, I have shaped it into my own beliefs. For instance, I believe that all religions are tied together in a way. I also believe that no matter who you are or where you come from, God has a plan for you and will try to guide you down the path of righteousness. However, some may ignore and fall away from the path. I think that without my faith and its teachings I would be lost and have failed to continue on with my journey. No matter what happens, I will always that God and try to do what’s best. It is through this that faith has given me