MoniqueCarter

Eng101
October23,2015
Essay2:TheOtherWesMoore
Afterreadingthebook
TheOtherWesMoore
thereaderwilltakealookintothedifferent
livesoftwoyoungmenwiththesamename,WesMoore,growingupinthesamestreets,butin
differentcities.Bornin1978,theauthorWesMooreandhistwosisterswereraisedbytheirthen
widowedmother.Althoughhestruggledbehavioralandscholasticwisegrowingup,hegothis
lifetogetherbybeingenrolledinmilitaryschool,hegraduatedfromJohnsHopkinsUniversity,
andheearnedhisbachelor'sdegreeinInternationalRelations.TheauthorWesMooreslife
definitelychangedforbettercomparedtotheotherWesMoore.Lifegivessomanylessons,but
howapersondecidestoapplythoselessonsisuptohim/her.Therearemanypeoplewhofold
underpressureandtherearesomewhoknowhowtotakethatpressureandworkevenharder
basicallywhenapersondecidestoturnanegativesituationintoapositiveone,itshowsalotof
optimisticcharacteristicsthatmostofthisworldlacks.But,itisnotaseasyasitseemsittooka
lotofselfcontrol,acknowledgementofthesituation,andrenunciationinorderfortheauthor
WesMooretobeassuccessfulasheistoday.

TheauthorWesMooreslifewasnotasbadforhimasitwasfortheotherWesMoore
hegrewupwithalaidback,butseriousfather,twosisters,andamomwhowasstrictbutloving.
UnliketheotherWesMoore,theauthorWesMooretookthenegativeenvironmenthegrewup
in,andchangedhislifeforthebetter.Ofcourseitwasnotalwayseasyforeitherofthemtogrow

upinthoseneighborhoods,butbeingabletotakethathostileenergyandshapeditintoa
neverendinglifelessontakesalotofcharisma,nerveandperseverance.Weswasenteringhis
adolescentyearssohewasdoingwhatteenagerstendtodo:misbehave,hangaroundthewrong
crowds,andslowly,butsurelybecomingrebellious.Whenhewasaboutfourteen,hewas
arrestedalongwithhisfriendSheafortaggingawall.Whileinthebackofthesquadcar,Wes
wascryinghystericallybecauseheknewthatthislifestylewasnottheoneforhimandheknew
thedisappointmenthismotherwouldfeelforhimandhefearedit.Thoughithadagreatimpact,
itwasnotenoughtotrulyhinderhimfromthiswayoflifeandaweeklaterhewasarrestedagain
forthesamereason,theonlydifferencewasthatherealizedthatthetypeoffriendshehadwould
leadhimintoalotoftrouble,sohecutthemoff.Whenpeoplethinkofpunishment,theyusually
justthinkofphysicaldiscipline,butpunishmentcanbeemotionaldisapprovalfromparentto
child.WhenWeswasinthebackofthatpolicecar,heknewthedisappointmenthismother
wouldfeelforhim,andthatiswhyheburstedoutintears.Afterreadingabouthowparentscan
dealwithdiscipliningateenager,itgivesaninsightonhowparentscandealwithastrongwilled
teen.Butifyoureliedonpunishmenttocontrolyourchild,youmightfindyourselfinshock
(WhatKindOfDisciplineWorkforTeens).Thisbasicallyexplainsthatifaparent/guardianonly
useonetypeofdiscipliningstyle,thenitisnotgiveoffanykindofthreatbecausetheteenageris
usedtoitalmost.IfmoreparentswereemotionallyconnectedtotheirchildhowJoyis
connectedtoWes,thenpunishmentwouldbemoreeffective.LuckilyforJoy,Wesmother,she
neverreallyhadtodealwithanyhorriblebehavioralissues,comparedtotheotherWesMoore,
becausetheauthoralwaysfearedhismotherbecauseofherstrongparentingskills,butitwas
enoughtosendhimofftomilitaryschoolbecauseofhispoorbehavior.

Joylovedhersonverymuch,somuchthatshesawtheviolentpathWeswasheading
downandtooktheinitiativeandsenthimofftomilitaryschoolwherehecouldlearndiscipline
andselfrespect.Inthebeginningofmilitaryschool,theauthorWesMoorethoughtitwasajoke,
mostlybecausehewasbitterbecausehismomsenthimthere,hethoughtthatwhenhewentto
thisschool,thathewasgoingtodowhateverhewantedwheneverhepleased.Onemorning
whenitwastimetogoofftoclass,heobviouslydidnotfeellikeattendingsohedecidedtostay
inbed.Bro,itisfivethirtyinthemorning!Youtellthemtocomegetmeateight(Moore86).
Momentslater,thedrillsergeantoftheschool,alongwithothers,gavehimapersonalvisittohis
roomandarudeawakeningliterally.Hewassounhappytobeatthatschool,heeventriedto
escape.Afterthisincident,hebegantorealizethatinorderforeveryoneelsetotakehim
seriously,hehadtotakehimselfseriouslyfirst.TheauthorWesMoorebegantobecomeactively
involvedwiththemilitaryschoolandwhenitwasover,heappliedeverythinghelearnedthere
intoreallife.Researchhasshownthatinorderforbootcamps,militaryschools,andwilderness
programstobeeffectivefortroubledkids,theparent/guardianmustmakesurethe
program/methodsneededareappropriateasfarasfindingaprogramthatofferscognitive
behavioralbasedprogramsofstudy,andmakingsurethattheprogrammeetseachindividual
child'slearningstyle.Yourchildisntadigitalcamerathatyoucanmailawayandgetfixedand
returnedtoyouinaworkingorder.Youhavetochangeyourdynamicwithinyourfamilyifyou
wanttoseeresults(Bean).ThatiswhyitseemsasifmilitaryschoolwasveryeffectiveonWes
lifebecausehecamefromawellstructuredfamilylifestyle.Ashegotolder,hebecamemore
matureandtrulyunderstoodthateverysituationdoesnotneedareaction.Onenightwhenhe

waswalkingbyhimself,hehadanonphysicalaltercationwithadrunkwhiteguy.Thedrunk
whitemanwascallingauthorWesMooredifferentkindsofracialslurs,butinsteadoftakingthe
angerthatwasbuiltupinsideofhimandfightingthisguy,authorWesMoorejustwalkedaway.
Itwasalmostasifhislifeflashedbeforehiseyes,heknewthateverythingheworkedsohardfor
andallhisaccomplishmentscouldhavebeentakenawayfromhimifhehadnotwalkedaway
andretaliated.Healwaysknew,butthisreallyshowedhimthatlifeisnotalwaysaboutfighting
andcausingtrouble.

AfterreadingthisbiographyofbothWesMoores,itwillshowthereaderthatlifeisfull
ofdifferentfatesandexpectations.Afterhissuccess,hededicatedhislifetohelpingparents,
teachers,andmentorstoeducatetheyouthoftoday,healsodonatedthemajorityofthemoney
hereceivedfrom
"TheOtherWesMoore"
toCityYearandtheUSDreamAcademy.Even
thoughsomepeoplebelievethataperson'sfateisinthepoweroftheuniverse,thisstorygoesto
showthatonlythepersonisincontroloftheirdestiny.Eveniftheoddsareagainstsomeone,if
theybelievetheyarecapableofturningtheirlifestylesaroundforthebetterorworse,thenitwill
happenbutitrequiresalotofselfdiscipline,perceptionofthesituation,andselfrestraint.

WorksCited
Bean,Sara.EfficacyofBootCampsforTroubledTeens.
EmpoweringParents.
Empowering
Parents,2015.Web.23102015.
Markham,Laura.WhatKindofDisciplineWorksforTeens.
AhaParenting.
Dr.Laura
Markham,2015.Web.23102015.
Moore,Wes.
TheOtherWesMoore
.NewYork:Spiegel&Grau,2010.Print.