MAKE MOST OF LIFE

I firmly believe that we must realize the importance of treasuring each

moment throughout life. In a fast-paced and unpredictable world, it's easy to get
caught up in the chaos of daily life and lose sight of the present moment. The
story of Orpheus serves as a poignant reminder to all of us that life is full of
uncertainties, and we must make the most out of it.
Let us look back to what happened with Orpheus and Eurydice in the story.
“Orpheus loved a young woman named Eurydice, and when they were married,
they looked forward to many years of happiness together. But soon after, Eurydice
stepped on a poisonous snake and died”. This highlights the fragility of life and the
fleeting nature of time. Just like Orpheus, we all hope and anticipate many years
of happiness with our loved ones but unfortunately time is beyond our control.
We must not take life for granted.
It reminds us that “life is not always rainbows and butterflies” for us to learn
and grow. It teaches us the value of cherishing each second with the people we
love, as we never know when these moments may be taken from us. So, what are
we waiting then? Let us express our love and affection to our family and friends!
Never forget to live life to the fullest, without regrets.
REACTION PAPER ABOUT THE MOVIE LEE DANIEL’S THE BUTLER
For me, The Butler is an inspiring true to life movie about Cecil Gaines. It was evident
that the film showcased what life was for the Black-American people before they achieved their
“freedom”. At the beginning of the story, I felt disgust and pity because of the ill-treatment of
the “whites” towards the “black people”. I saw how horrible they lived during that time as they
were considered as slaves and abused repeatedly leading Cecil’s mother go mentally ill and his
father killed in front of him. The Black-American people had no right to fight back or even speak
up for themselves. They were considered almost like an animal. Despite all those, hope aroused
in me when Cecil was taken in by the estate's caretaker, who trained him to be a house servant
better known as a butler.
It was a great relief when Cecil was able to live life and achieve dreams when he left the
plantation at the age of 18, got a job, met his wife Gloria, and had two sons: Louis and Charlie.
Sadly, it was cut short because after he was appointed by the White House during Dwight D.
Eisenhower's administration, his son Louis got arrested after joining SCLC and Gloria descended
to alcohol. As a viewer, I can feel how painful it was for Cecil. As for Louis, though he made
reckless decisions, I strongly believe that he is a hero as he was brave enough to fight for his
rights despite getting attacked by the racist Ku Klux Klan while on a freedom ride.
In the film was the devastating assassination of President John F. Kennedy known as JFK.
As a goodwill gesture, Jackie Kennedy gave Cecil one of the former president's neckties. A lot
has happened after that which has overwhelmed me especially when Cecil’s son, Charlie, died in
the Vietnam War. The line “you got the wrong house” broke my heart knowing that despite
what they’re going through Charlie was willing to fight for his country. Imagine giving up your
life for a country that still hasn’t given your people the right you deserve.
Later on, Gloria encouraged Cecil to mend his relationship with Louis. Realizing his son's
actions are heroic, he joined him at a protest where they both got arrested and jailed.
Unfortunately, Gloria died before President Barack Obama got elected as the nation’s first black
president. The scene where Cecil cried because of the President’s victory moved me. It made
me feel happy that finally God gave the Black-American people the hope they’ve been praying
for. My eyes got teary as I watched Cecil get ready and make his way to meet the president
saying that he knows the way and walks down the hall to the office.
After watching this film, I am in stack of awe with the way Cecil and the Black-American
community conquered everything that stood in the way for achieving their dreams. Despite all
the sufferings they had to go through they didn’t lose their hope even though those were such
tough times. I guess, what we can take from this story is that we should see our sufferings not
as hindrances rather, as challenges to make us strive for more. It makes us realize how
important respect is and to love each other regardless of our color and ethnicity because we are
all human beings, and we deserve to be treated equally.