The summer seemed to fly by like a gentle breeze. My family and I had gone on a ten-day paradise vacation to tropical Hawaii. After we came home, however, my life dropped like a bowling ball on a hard wooden floor. My father lost his job of 28 years. This came as a shock to me because ever since I've been in pigtails and riding my banana seat bicycle, he has been working.

He had made a great salary. For birthdays we always got what we wanted and always had clothes, visits to restaurants and vacations whenever we needed. My life was like the inside of a snow globe: everything had been peaceful and calm until someone turned it upside down and made everything a mess.

My father is 51 years old. I believe his life was shattered by all this. He was fired because the company president did not like his personality. He is currently starting his own business and with his positive attitude, thinks he's on top of the world. He feels that he now can take control of his life and where it is going. But my life is very unstable. When friends talk about school trips which will take place in a few months, I wonder whether I will even be living here then or will I be a memory at my high school?

I feel I may have benefited from this, as I try to piece my world back together. This problem made me realize that I am going to have to try harder in school to achieve my goals. My goals are to go to college and run track. These are not going to be handed to me on a silver platter; I will have to work harder.

Now that my life is starting to settle down from the devastation of just a few months ago, I have an awkward feeling that something else will shake up my world again. n