Believing That You Can Believing That You Can
Now I’m learning English so I can achieve the
American Dream; this American idea of social order, in
which each man and woman shall be able to attain the
fullest stature of which they are innately capable of and to
be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the
fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. I want to do
for others what has been done for me; to let them know they
too can do many things. I want to share my knowledge, to
encourage them and be interactive with other people like me
who are senior citizens. I hope to travel more and, for the
rest of my life, have happiness with my family and to
support this country with my loyalty.
Javier Luna is from Mexico. He is in ESOL Level 5 at the Dunbar
Community School. Mrs. Judy Peck is his teacher.
A Turning Point in My Life
When I was young, my actions were very unacceptable
to the wise people in my family. My words and behavior
could produce a war with my friends and family. I often
caused a lot of problems before I was eighteen years old.
My parents were very tired with my bad attitude because I
refused to go to school or to church.
While I loved to wonder with my friends, my mom
would remind me that one day it will be me who will regret
the many things that I have done in my life. She would
compare me to a famous writer in Haiti. He was a very bad
person and she would call me by his name, Francois Villon.
Then one day, I was on vacation with my parents and I saw
a girl, one of my mother’s friends. We talked and the way
she spoke, and thought, was very different from the way I
thought about things.
I spent some time reflecting and I said to myself, “Why
do I not take my time to learn instead of happily rejoicing in
that pesky way of life? Why do I despise the principles of
wise men and their philosophies?” After that talk with
myself I packed up my regrets and sorrows with the
decision to change my life. I was going to school and to
church. I am different in the way I act and talk. I am a