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German Elevator Market Analysis - 2480 Words

1. German Elevator Market Analysis Introduction Customers The customers in German low-rise elevator market were split into two categories such as decision makers and influencers. Table x shows key customer types involving in decision making and their top priorities: General Contractors Architects Property Developers - 50% - a great influence on elevator purchase - 4 largest German contractors controlled 20% of the market - 20,000 small contractors fighting on pricing - 40% - a high impact on final purchase decision - Selected elevators for cosmetic options (interior panel material, colours of elevators etc.) in the higher-end market - 10% - Rarely involved in decision - Mainly concerned with cost of developing a new building, upfront costs, and less about elevator selection Energy suppliers acted as an influence group and recommended MonoSpace. Purchasing Process Process Explanation Purchasing Decision - Low rise residential elevator purchase decision includes 4 or 5 parties: property owner, construction company manager, architect, construction company purchasing agent, building service manager, etc. - Purchase decision is impacted by price, effect on architectural drawings, quality and relevance of information provided to costumer, level of service, design of the bid document, customer’s impression of salesperson. Bidding Process - A very competitive, price oriented bidding process. Generally, property developers invite 3-4 contractors to reduce prices. Kone SellingShow MoreRelatedDescription Of A Controller Area Network1715 Words   |  7 Pagescomplexity, and weight. This development of the CAN bus started in 1983 at Robert Bosch, a German automotive system supplier (Robert Bosch, GmbH, Postfach, Stuttgart, 1991). 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NVQ Business studies free essay sample

Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. We will write a custom essay sample on NVQ Business studies or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world. ?OCR Business and Administration NVQ (QCF) UNIT 203 Title Work in a business environment Level 2 Credit 2 1. 1Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world. ?OCR Business and Administration NVQ (QCF) UNIT 203 Title Work in a business environment Level 2 Credit 2 1. 1Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world. ?OCR Business and Administration NVQ (QCF) UNIT 203 Title Work in a business environment Level 2 Credit 2 1. 1Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world. ?OCR Business and Administration NVQ (QCF) UNIT 203 Title Work in a business environment Level 2 Credit 2 1. 1Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world. ?OCR Business and Administration NVQ (QCF) UNIT 203 Title Work in a business environment Level 2 Credit 2 1. 1Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world. ?OCR Business and Administration NVQ (QCF) UNIT 203 Title Work in a business environment Level 2 Credit 2 1. 1Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world. ?OCR Business and Administration NVQ (QCF) UNIT 203 Title Work in a business environment Level 2 Credit 2 1. 1Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world. ?OCR Business and Administration NVQ (QCF) UNIT 203 Title Work in a business environment Level 2 Credit 2 1. 1Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world. ?OCR Business and Administration NVQ (QCF) UNIT 203 Title Work in a business environment Level 2 Credit 2 1. 1Describe what is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? Diversity should be respected and valued, because nobody is completely the same as anyone else. It is everywhere in our lives which makes rich and varied. In our lives diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs, customs, mental capabilities, physical appearances etc. It should be valued because no one is completely the same as anyone else, even within the above categories. If diversity is not valued then it can lead to violence and hatred. People tend to reject what is different. Our differences/diversities can lead to growth as a society or it can lead to violence and hatred. We must value our diversity in order to work together for the common good of our society/world.

Racism free essay sample

This paper focuses on the lives of a group of girls living in a periurban community outside of Maputo, Mozambique. Using participatory methodologies, we hear directly from the girls the influencing role gender and culture has in preventing girls from accessing a higher quality of life. Noticeably absent in girls and poverty related dialogue are the voices of girls living with poverty, as well as the fundamental role of gender inequality and culture in relation to the opportunity and capacity of girls becoming visible, having voice and agency and ultimately leaving a life of poverty. BIO Dr. Zainul Sajan Virgi’s research is based in Maputo, Mozambique where she is focusing on the lives of vulnerable pre-adolescent and adolescent girls and the possibilities for accessing a higher quality of life â€Å"as seen through their eyes†. Zainul is the first recipient of the Jackie Kirk Fellowship in Education. Zainul has worked as a community / international development expert in Canada, Mozambique,Tanzania, and India. We will write a custom essay sample on Racism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She has utilized her research skills and translated the outcomes into recommendations which have been implemented successfully by governments, non-profit organizations, as well as donor agencies. â€Å"Children, particularly girls, continue to inherit family poverty. This cycle must be broken. † UNESCO, 2003 p. 5 INTRODUCTION Childhood poverty is a reality in every part of the world. Today, one billion children globally live with poverty (HDR, 2012). Of which 30 million children live in relative poverty in 35 of the world’s richest countries (UNICEF, 2012). Eradicating poverty and in particular girlhood poverty has been an elusive goal. In 1948, governments, decisions makers, donors and NGOs first committed to eradicating poverty by adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (OHCHR). A more concerted effort was made towards eliminating childhood poverty with the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. The CRC was designed to protect the child and ensure that s/he was able to access a higher quality of life. In September 2000, the largest gathering of world leaders in history approved the UN Millennium Declaration which included as one of its key goals, the eradication of poverty and hunger by 2015 (MDG website). With focused attention on poverty that began 64 years ago, some progress has been made, however much work remains as noted by the following statistics. One billion children or 1 in every 7 individuals continue to be deprived of one or more essential services for survival. 1. 1 million children do not attend primary school (UNICEF, 2010). 640 million children are living without adequate shelter; 400 million children do not have access to safe water, 270 million children do not have access to health services. 10. 6 million children died before they reached the age of 5 in 2003; about 29,000 children per day (Shah, 2010). An estimated 60 percent of the chronically hungry are women and girls and 20 percent are children under the age of five (WFP, 2009). Why Girlhood Poverty? A wide body of diverse research in the fields of anthropology, developmental psychology, medicine, sociology, and education (Shonkoff, 2009; UNICEF, 2008) all underscore the importance of development during the early years of childhood in relation to the formation of intelligence, personality, and social behaviour (Farah et al. , 2006; Brown Pollitt, 1996; Winick Rosso, 1969). The effects of neglect during the early years of life can be cumulative and lasting (UNICEF, 2008). There has also been a call since the late 1990s for research with girls and boys that engages their voices, particularly during their early adolescent years. Cannella (1998), for example, notes that â€Å"the most critical voices that are silent in our constructions of early childhood education are the children with whom we work. Our constructions of research have not fostered methods that facilitate hearing their voices† (Cannella, 1998, p. 10). I would add that the voices specifically of young adolescent girls are notably absent in relation to poverty, gender inequality and the affects of cultural and social norms in their lives. Considering that 70% of those classified as poor in the world are women (UN WOMEN), I presumed that girls living with poverty must face different challenges than those 3 xperienced by boys in transitioning out of a life of poverty. In reviewing data pertaining to childhood poverty used by leading organizations such as UNICEF, I noted that not all data pertaining to children in general had been disaggregated by sex or age. In the absence of sex and age disaggregated data, the statistics presented seem to give the impression that girls and boys of all ages experience poverty in similar ways. However, UNICEF indicates that there is still an incomplete understanding of how poverty specifically impacts girls. There is also limited research which analyzes the relationship between childhood poverty and girlhood (Delamonica et al. , 2006). Poverty research as seen through the eyes of girls would highlight a combination of elements including gender inequality, cultural influences, lack of property and land rights; lower status; lack of decision making ability; inconsistent access to basic rights including access to clean drinking water, sanitation, heath care and quality education, upward mobility employment; limited ability to protect oneself from physical and sexual violence (UN WOMEN). Why Use Participatory Methodologies? If we begin with the premise that the end goal is to develop effective policies that will address multiple real life issues faced by girls living with abject poverty, then a critical first step is to engage girls for whom the policies would have a direct impact and for whom poverty is an intimate reality. The second step is to develop space for them to critically reflect on their past, present and future lives. Space is needed to listen to their ideas for solutions that could transform individual and community challenges into strengths. Space is also important to learn directly from the girls the teps needed that would lead to effective and meaningful improvement in their quality of life. After all, creation of knowledge is the hallmark of empowerment. Numerous research studies have acknowledged the essential role of effective participation which leads to some form of empowerment. It also results in a more equal sharing of power between those who have access to power and those who ar e traditionally barred from having power (Nelson Wright 1995). Dominant narratives in many societies throughout the world hold the view that children are not able to participate in making important decisions that affect them. Girls, especially girls living with poverty are often not consulted or even asked to participate in civil society, nor in research about their lives. Challenging that perspective is the empowerment approach which encourages us to â€Å"question these dominant narratives and to seek out alternative stories that challenge assumptions about children’s capacities† (Rappaport, 2000, p. 5). Another growing area of research—the sociology of childhood— nudges us to listen to children’s perspectives and view children as experts in their own lives. Children’s expertise can be cultivated by teaching them specific skills. Participating in research, for example, can help them gain more control of the resources that affect their lives. Children, therefore, can become advocates for themselves and others (Langhout Thomas, 2010, p. 64). 4 Participatory research has great potential for marginalized girls, who are normally silenced, to develop a sense of self by offering their unique perspective on their lives, community, challenges and strengths. And in the process of participating in participatory research, they can have the potential to become leaders within their own communities (Mathews et al. , 2010). The Case of Mozambique Mozambique is a country that has been shaped by war, struggle and multiple ideologies which has resulted in its limited transition from being the poorest to the fifth poorest country in the world (UNDP 2010). Culture plays an influencing role on decisions made by governments and the policies they choose to support (Sen, 2004). Mozambique is a hegemonic patriarchal or male-dominated culture. The Portuguese colonizers for over 400 years also reinforced male supremacy in Mozambique (Stoler, 1995). The combination of culture, differing ideologies and long periods of war has had a direct impact on two critical sectors in Mozambique – health and education. For example, during 15 years of armed conflict between FRELIMO and RENAMO, public infrastructure was deliberately targeted, with schools and teachers in particular being singled out (UNICEF, 2006) along with doctors (Finnegan, 1992). In total, damage was estimated at $20 million (Hanlon, 2010), a staggering amount for an impoverished country. The combined human and financial losses left Mozambique with little choice but to turn to the international community for increasing financial assistance. Mozambique’s increasing financial dependence led to the neo-colonization of Mozambique, this time by South Africa and the West. The multiple forms of domination also led to increasing influence by foreigners on Mozambique’s policies, including health, education and the use of foreign funds (Paraskeva, 2006; Sousa Santos, 2002). Currently, Mozambique is considered to be the eighth most donor-dependent country in the world (de Renzio Hanlon, 2007). The support is limited to financial and does not adequately address gender, culture, poverty or capacity building issues, thus leaving Mozambique in a weakened dependent state (Porter, 2005). Health and education sectors considered to be key sectors towards alleviating poverty are heavily reliant upon donor aid. Issues regarding girls living with intergenerational poverty and the role of culture and gender inequality do not even appear on the agenda. Setting The fieldwork (see Sajan Virgi, 2011) was conducted in an all-girls’ school and community situated in a peri-urban area just outside the capital city of Maputo. The school is supported by an Italian church community and provides grade six to twelve education. During the first year of the three year program, girls commencing their education receive practical life skills training along with regular academic courses. The importance of sharing and working together is emphasized with the hope of enabling the girls to move out of the survival mode that has been their existence to date. The community members live a poor quality of life as 5 they confront the multiple challenges of poverty. i Many of the homes are headed by grandmothers. The girls move into the community to live with their grandmothers or other relatives, after having lost one or both parents, often to AIDS. Sometimes, they also move from other provinces in order to find better job prospects without having any family or relatives in the community. These girls often experience life challenging circumstances including death of their loved ones, loneliness and the bearing of responsibilities that are age-inappropriate. Participants Ten girls between ten and fourteen years of age were selected from Year 2 and Year 3 of the program by the Head and Class Teacher to participate in the study. The majority of the girls entering Year 1 of the program predominately speak Chagani and very little Portuguese. From a class of one hundred in Year 1, upwards of 10 different dialects were spoken. Since the girls from Year 1 were just in the process of learning the Portuguese language, the Head Teacher felt that their ability to be engaged and contribute in Portuguese would be limited. Design and Procedure The study was conducted over a six-month period. In all, the girls participated in sixteen sessions, some of which took place during school hours and others after school. I realized that if I wished to hear the voices of girls who had been silenced for generations, multiple data collection methods would be required to ensure that each girl found comfort and ease with at least one data collection method. Keeping this in mind, I used a variety of participatory tools including drawings, photovoice, focus groups, semi-structured qualitative interviews, informal conversations and reflection pieces to engage the girls and learn from them the complexity of barriers that are present in their lives as they attempt to access a higher quality of life. Photovoice is a term coined by Caroline Wang and Mary Ann Burris in 1992 which places a camera in the hands of the people and asks them to record their lives, experiences, strengths and challenges (Wang Burris, 1997). One of the most powerful outcomes of photovoice is the space it provides participants to create new knowledge and draw meaning from it. In total, the girls produced 30 drawings and 130 photographs on the issue of intergenerational poverty and their ideas regarding possible solutions. Analysis of Visual Data As Gillian Rose (2001) and others highlight, there are several different ways of working with visual data such as photographs, based on such questions as, ‘Who took the photograph? ’ and ‘What does the photographer say about the image? ’ and even ‘Where is the photograph stored or displayed? ’ In other works, two additional questions have been posed, ‘How can photos be used within a participant-analysis approach? ’(De Lange et al. , 2006) and, ‘How do we work with a single photograph? (Moletsane et al. , 2007). My main approach was to rely on what the girls themselves chose to photograph (in terms of categories), and their own passion and enthusiasm when choosing from the images and 6 photos on which to focus. They also provided the framework and context to the photos, thus enabling their readers to understand, following Freire (1970) the meaning they were making of their own lives. The photos permitted me to see the world through their eyes. Since photographs were used as an entry point for dialogue and debate, it was the follow-up discussions that provided even richer data with respect to the barriers the girls face in trying to acquire a higher quality of life. For example, I asked the girls to draw their perception of poverty, a higher quality of life as well as the elements needed to bridge the gap. The girls, while presenting their drawings, discussed the material aspects of poverty, as well as the emotional and social side of poverty. I also used photovoice to understand from the girls their perception of strengths, challenges and ideas for solutions in relation to poverty. The photographs produced by the girls visually depicted the life of a girl living with poverty. Discussions generated from the photographs taken by girls resulted in lively discussions and debates on topics ranging from gender inequality, inaccessibility to quality health, nutrition, education, and sanitation to gender violence and much more. During the focus group, I noticed that some girls remained silent. I introduced the idea of reflection pieces to enable these girls in particular to express their thoughts on issues raised. I also encouraged the girls in general to include in their reflection pieces unanswered questions pertaining to focus group discussions and/or to share their topic suggestions for the next focus group. The girls also conducted interviews with one older female relative. The interviews were organized around such issues as identifying female roles and responsibilities, discovering what older female relatives would have changed in their lives and why, as well as understanding from these female relatives what they thought could trigger the process of change in the quality of life of the younger generation of women in their community. Given that the families lived with abject generational poverty, I was interested in seeing how the girls themselves would discover similarities or differences between the lives of their grandmothers, mothers and aunts and their own lives and what steps they would take, if any, to address these issues. I also set aside time for unstructured qualitative interviews which evolved into dialogues. The girls directed the focus of the conversation according to the issues they raised. The use of multiple types of data resulted in richer information and diverse opportunities for the girls to express their thoughts and ideas. On a personal note, what I found remarkable was witnessing how photovoice (see Wang Burris, 1997; Sajan Virgi, 2011; Sajan Virgi Mitchell, 2011) enabled participants to switch from being participants in their lives to becoming observers of their lives. This change in perspective is the trigger needed, I believe, for critical reflection, analysis and for the development of appropriate solutions. As one girl said so eloquently, â€Å"I saw myself for the first time. † ii It was with this kind of realization that the girls, again following Freire (1970) saw themselves no longer as passive recipients of knowledge, but as active contributors to new and relevant knowledge, ideas and solutions. It was at this moment that they became visible to themselves and to each other. 7 HEARING AND SEEING THE PERSPECTIVES OF GIRLS In this section, through the girls’ stories and photos, they become visible, gain agency and voice. Their stories and photos enable us to understand the multiple challenges of poverty and the critical role gender inequality and cultural norms and values plays in erecting obstacles preventing them from leaving a life of poverty. Gender Inequality The term gender inequality can be problematic as it gives the impression that inequality experienced by girls and women will be the same. This is not the case. The inequality experienced by girls during their formative years, a unique period dedicated to intellectual and physical growth results in the under-development or limited development of girls’ physical and intellectual capacity. If girls do not achieve intellectual and physical growth during this critical period, the impact is permanent and difficult to alter at a later stage in life. This is because at the age of 10, a girl’s capacity for basic learning has been determined (Temin et al. , 2009). By the time she is 15, her body size, â€Å"reproductive potential and general health have been profoundly influenced by what has happened in their lives until then† (UNDP, 2004 p. 3). For the girls in the study, gender inequality, a fundamental barrier to accessing a higher uality of life appeared in many forms including lack of voice, agency, predetermined roles and responsibilities, disengagement from decision-making, power imbalance, vulnerability and inadequate quality of health as noted by their examples below. Girls Remain Invisible In The Home and Amongst Society Girls living with poverty face numerous forms of power which challenge their ability to contribute towards knowledge and meaning maki ng. The following are excerpts from the girls’ reflections pieces. Beatriceiiiexplains her invisibility: â€Å"In my class, I am the poorest girl. I know this because all the other girls can bring food to school, they have slippers that are not broken, and they have a school bag, notebooks, pens and pencils. I do not have these things. I usually wear the same clothes during my holidays. The girls at school all have different clothes to wear. I am often left out of the group. During recess, when everyone plays together, no one asks me to play with them. In class, the teacher pays more attention to girls that have a little bit of money. Often, my hand is raised because I know the answer, but the teacher rarely asks me to answer. Nine out of ten times, my answer would have been correct. But, no one will know that. No one will treat me differently. † Rita in her reflection piece notes the challenges of lack of agency: â€Å"At home, I am the last person that is heard, if at all. No one asks me for my ideas, even if it is regarding my school. My brothers and uncles always speak on my behalf. My mother I know she wants to know what I think, but she never asks me. I think it is because she does not want to make my brothers 8 and uncles unhappy because we are dependent on them for money. So many times I wish she would stand up for me and for herself. If we have less things or less food, that would be okay. But, to always be silent, that makes me unhappy. † In one of their collective reflection pieces written after girls had presented their drawings depicting poverty and their ideas for a better quality of life, the girls highlighted the necessity of Government support in their lives. They note: â€Å"without Government support, it will not be possible to change our lives, because we do not have money and need money from the Government. † During the first focus group session, the discussion turned to policies. The girls were asked to consider â€Å"what type of policies would you develop for women in your family and community? Fatima’s proposed policy addressed the long hours of work undertaken by their mothers and grandmothers for little pay: â€Å"I would ask the Government to pass a policy which ensured that our mothers did not begin work until 8:00am. Our mothers leave for work very early in the morning, sometimes before we even rise. They come home very late at night. They are too tired and often just go to sleep. We need our mothers at home with us. We miss them very much. We wish our mothers had different work opportunities like that of men in our community. The men work shorter hours and always seem to have money, unlike our mothers and grandmothers. † Beatrice made the observation that: â€Å"Isn’t the Government supposed to take care of poor people? Shouldn’t everyone have something to eat every day? My grandmother does her very best to take care of us, but, the only thing she can do is either work as a housemaid or work in the shamba (field). She is too old to do either. So often, we do not have any food to eat. † Power is the connecting thread in these excerpts. We learn that the power to engage, to participate in decision-making, to be heard as experienced by girls living with poverty is always in the hands of others: other girls living in poverty, but slightly better off; teachers; uncles; brothers; older women; aunties and mothers. Power in these girls’ lives is being shaped by culture, gender, tradition and policy. Role of Culture – No One Takes Us Seriously UNESCO during the World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, Bonn, Germany organized a special side event entitled The forgotten priority: Promoting gender equality in education for sustainable development on April 2, 2009. The girls at this special side event spoke at length about the role of culture or social values as a tool to legitimize gender discrimination. In working with and learning from girls engaged in this study, culture also emerged as a root cause for the girls’ lower status and the limited opportunities and choices available to them to exit from a life of poverty. Patricia often commented, â€Å"no one takes us seriously when we talk about becoming a teacher, nurse, journalist or doctor. † At the same time, Fatima elaborated: 9 â€Å"So many of my friends’ mothers are sick. We have all experienced death. There is always someone who is sad. I want to become a doctor so that I can take care of them. But no one expects me to do this. They only expect me to get married and have children. When I talk about becoming a doctor, they do not encourage me. I know my mom wishes I could be a doctor, but she cannot give me any money to help me. So she just remains quiet. My dad, I think he thinks I am just being a child. But he doesn’t treat my brother like that. He encourages and expects my brother to make money. I want more, but I do not think I will have what I dream of†. A strongly patriarchal society like that found in Mozambique elevates the status of a son above that of a daughter, with respect to status, roles and expectations. Pre-Determined Lower Status of Girls and Women â€Å"The low status of girls and women is a formidable obstacle to poverty reduction† (UNICEF, 2001 p. 21). This powerful statement succinctly underscores the impact of the lower status of girls and her inability to independently exit a life of abject poverty. Patricia during a Focus Group shares her inability to challenge her brother: â€Å"I cannot challenge what my brother says. My mother will not challenge what my brother says. I am not allowed to make any decisions. I wanted to go to another school, but my brother decided this school was better for me. He did not even visit the school. He didn’t even have to give a reason for his decision. It was like he said it, so it had to be correct. My mom accepted his decision. I had to follow it†. Beatrice in her reflection piece writes: â€Å"My sister did not want to marry this man. He was much older. No one listened to her. She cried for days. She even stopped eating food. But, no one listened to her. She has been married for two years. She looks so thin and unhappy. She does not attend school. I cannot see her. I am not allowed. Her husband does not want me to see her. She is scared to disobey him. Last year, I saw her by chance. We exchanged looks, but could not speak to each other. He was with her. I am afraid that I will have to marry soon too† Yolanda shares her inability and that of her mother to engage in decision-making in her home: â€Å"Even though my brother is younger than me, he is able to make decisions for me. My uncles who live far away from me make decisions for me. My mother who works hard to take care of us, she cannot make any decisions for me or my brothers†. Lack of voice and agency is amplified in child marriages. Notably, it is young girls who are married to much older men, rarely the reverse. Rosa had been married for 1 year. She did not share her marriage status even with her closest friends for 11 months: 10 â€Å"I am so embarrassed. He is an older man. I wish my life was free like my friends. By marrying him, I am helping my family, so it’s okay, but I still feel sad, very sad and alone. My life will be forever different from my friends. I did not have a choice. I just had to accept it†. Culture And Its Influence On Girls’ Pre-Determined Roles And Responsibilities The Chronic Poverty Research Center (2005) has confirmed that poor families are heavily dependent on the labour of girls in particular. The cost of this increasing dependence is that school is seen as a less likely option (CPRC, 2005). Pre-determined roles and responsibilities assigned to girls leaves them tied to their homes and fields. The gender division of roles typically attributes collection of water, obtaining food and wood, as well as caring for the sick and elderly to girls and women. Paula in her reflection piece highlights her love for learning, but she also underscores how her chores interfere with her learning: â€Å"I enjoy coming to school. I like learning. But, often I cannot come to school. Sometimes it is because I am so hungry I just do not have the energy to walk to school. I try to sleep so that the time will pass by quickly. Other times, I am busy with my chores. When I miss a lot of school, I get left behind. It is difficult for me to understand what is going on in class. I cannot stay behind to ask my teacher to help me because she will ask me for money. I also need to go home and complete my chores, so I cannot stay behind†. Fatima shares her thoughts regarding the difference of opportunity between her brother’s ability to attend school and her lack of opportunity to attend school in her reflection piece: â€Å"My family makes sure that my brother is able to attend school. But for me, they feel it’s okay if I do not go to school. They feel it’s much more important for me to learn how to keep the house clean, cook and take care of younger siblings as this will be my responsibility when I grow up. When I say that I like going to school, I like to learn, they tell me that is my brother’s job not mine† The amount of time and energy expended by these girls’ daily chores including fetching water hampers their ability to attend school regularly. As Paula shared during a Focus Group: â€Å"We need water every day. If I wake up late and start collecting water later, then I have to miss school. Often, when I am sitting inside the classroom, I find it hard to concentrate. I have a headache. I am tired from collecting water. I just want to sleep. Carla highlights how boys are treated better than girls: â€Å"Boys are treated differently than girls. At home, I am expected to do all the chores which takes my time away from homework. Boys can walk down the street confidently, while we walk cautiously and in groups. I wouldn’t want to be a boy, because boys steal and don’t look after their families. I prefer to 11 take care of my family. But, I still wish I had the freedom and choices that boys have which are not available to me. Why do girls have such difficult lives in comparison to boys? No one even asked me what I wanted to do with my life. The main reason identified in literature for this imbalance between sons and daughters is the ‘mother substitute’ role that girls often play. The unequal gendered distribution of labour within the household is evident when women take on paid employment outside the home, in the absence of alternative affordable child care optionsor in times of illness of a family member, the girls bear the additional labour burden, usually at the expense of their education (Jones et al. , 2010). Adequate Nutrition – Basic Human Right Adequate and appropriate nutrition is a fundamental requirement for development. Important to note is that â€Å"the quality of care and feeding offered to children †¦ is critically dependent on womens education, social status, and workload (UN Sub-Committee on Nutrition, 1997). Appropriate nutrition is mandatory for a strong and healthy immune system leading to a significant decrease in illness and overall poor health. Children who are healthy are able to focus on their education and learn better than those that are hungry (WHO, 2010). â€Å"Better nutrition is a prime entry point to ending poverty and a milestone to achieving better quality of life† (WHO, 2011b). Food always played a role in every conversation with the girls. Even if the topic being discussed was unrelated to food, somehow food always became an integral part of the conversation. Notably more than 60% of chronically hungry people in the world are women (WFP, 2009). The girls during their reflection pieces, semi-structured interviews and Focus Groupsshared the scarcity of food in their homes. Their comments were similar to Patricia: â€Å"Food is not always available. We often have black tea and bread for breakfast. Our next meal is usually at night. † The girls’ lives are physically demanding which includes walking for long hours under the hot sun in search of water and firewood. With poor nutritional intake, it further taxes their already weakened bodies. The girls’ bodies are also still growing and therefore adequate nutrition plays a fundamental role for current and future health, as well as capacity to learn and retain new knowledge. Hunger and malnutrition are the worst outcomes of abject poverty (ECOSOC, 1999). The girls demonstrated the impact of hunger clearly in the following statements they prepared together during a Focus Group session: â€Å"It is hard to concentrate at school when we are hungry. Sometimes we just stay home if we haven’t had enough to eat. We try to sleep so that the time passes by faster and hope that our mothers and grandmothers will find food so that the pain in our stomachs would disappear. † 12 Figure 1: Feeling Strong â€Å"I like this picture very much. I remember clearly that in this picture I had eaten food that day†. â€Å"We are strong because we are happy and we are happy because we have eaten. † Photo Credit: Rita  © Sajan Virgi, 2011 The words spoken by these girls in relation to the photograph they took in response to the Feeling Strong prompt (Mitchell et al. , 2006) speaks volumes and underscores the importance of food in the lives of girls living in abject poverty. And it highlights the importance and value of engaging participants first if we wish to gain a deeper and more holistic understanding of the challenges they face, and then developing relevant and dependable policies and strategies. Critical information like the role of food can be missed without direct engagement of the girls as they cope with the harsh realities of their daily existence. Access To Clean Water – Basic Human Right Lack of access to clean water and basic sanitation is a silent crisis affecting more than 33 percent of the global population (Bartram et al. 2005). Approximately 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related illness (Barry Hughes, 2008). Despite research endorsing â€Å"150 years of acceptance of the healthful effects of clean water, an estimated 1. 1 billion people still lack access to it, and 2. 6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation† (Barry et al. , 2008 p. 785). 13 In Mozambique, most women, particularly in rural areas spend on average 15-17 hours per week collecting water. Using these hours of water collection per week as a basis of calculation, it translates into ~40 billion hours a year – a staggering number equivalent to France’s entire working force (UNDP, 2006). The time used to collect water takes away from completing homework, attending school, alternate training opportunities for girls and young women, as well as time to secure upward mobility employment for women. The girls during a Focus Group spoke at length about time it takes to gather water. In their collective reflection piece, they stated: â€Å"We start collecting water between 4am and 5am every day, including weekends. It is difficult carrying water while dodging cars and trucks as we try to cross busy streets. The truck/car drivers don’t stop; they keep driving fast and make us run across the road with our water. We wonder why they don’t slow down and consider how difficult our job is carrying water under the hot sun. When we come back from collecting water, we are always very tired. † From this brief reflection, the girls have raised issues related to gender, power, status and pre-determined expected roles and responsibilities. The girls all agreed that the collection of water was mainly the responsibility of children, predominately girls. Rita shares how tired she becomes after collecting water: â€Å"Some of us have to make 20 trips to the well, others have to make 10. The water sources can be far away, some as far as 60 minutes. It is very tiring. The water feels very heavy on our heads and our arms hurt from holding 20 liters of water. Some of us weigh 25kg others weigh 35kg. Carrying 20 liters of water, several times a day is very hard – particularly when we haven’t eaten anything from the night before†. Collecting water consumes ~30% of the girl’s day light hours in the winter, and ~25% of their day light hours in the summer from the data. The majority of girls living in economic challenging circumstances do not have access to electricity; consequently day light hours are critical for studying. Furthermore, given the amount of energy required to collect 20 liters of water several times in a day under the hot sun and only being rewarded with a cup of black tea is certainly taxing on the girls’ overall health. Their noticeable low levels of energy and their inability to concentrate on new materials being taught at school can be attributed to several factors, including physical stress on their body from collecting water compounded by limited nutritional and water intake. The photograph below captures Paula’s expression effectively as it communicates the burden she bears having to carry water every day. 14 Figure 2: ‘Collecting Water’ Every morning, I wake up at 5am to fetch water. I carry at least 20 large containers of water as shown in the photo. When, I’m finished, I am very tired, very tired. Photo Credit: Paula  © Sajan Virgi, 2011 Access To Proper Sanitation – Basic Human Right Sanitation plays a significant role in developing capacity for girls and women. Poor sanitation facilities severely disadvantage girls and women by increasing their probability of contracting illnesses. Girls and women have the greatest physical contact with contaminated water and human waste. They are expected to dispose of the family’s wastewater and feces; as a result they are vulnerable to biological pathogens and chemical hazards. Unsecure and unavailable toiletsoften prevent girls and women from relieving themselves the entire day. Accessing toilets at night also poses increased safety risks for girls given the distance of toilets from their home. Girls miss out on school once they begin menstruating due to unavailability of adequate washroom facilities at school (UNDP, 2004). This further debilitates girls’ attendance at school. Their ability to catch up on concepts that increase in complexity with each passing grade is difficult if not impossible. The girls in this study discussed issues related to poor sanitation and the impact on their lives. Yolanda writes in her reflection piece the problems of rain mixing with sewage water: 15 â€Å"When it rains, the water causes a lot of problems. It attracts flies that can cause cholera. The smells are unbearable. The washrooms become muddy and dirty with the water leaking both inside and outside the washroom. As a result, the waste and dirty water leak out into the yard. Children often play close to the washrooms because of limited space for play. They also play with the contaminated mud building different things and soon after fall sick†. In the picture below, Carla talks about issues related to poor sanitation, lack of playground space leading to children becoming sick. Figure 3: ‘Contaminated Water’ This picture shows the washroom. The water leaks from the washroom. As a result, the area is very smelly. Children play in this area as there no places for children to play. It is not healthy for the children to play in areas that are not clean. Photo Credit: Carla  © Sajan Virgi, 2011 DISCUSSION In analyzing the girls’ photos and dialogue, the data underscores gender inequality and cultural norms and values as root causes giving rise to feminization of poverty. Three important conclusions become apparent which should be addressed simultaneously in order to afford girls the maximum opportunity to secure a higher quality of l ife. These are: unavailability of age and gender disaggregated data; critical role of engaging girls in policy decision making; and, the role of culture in relation to pre-determined roles and responsibilities. Importance of Age and Sex Disaggregated Data Data informs policies. Decision makers develop policies based on data available to them. But it is important to keep in mind that â€Å"crucial in all policy practice is framing, specifically who and what is actually included, and who and what is ignored and excluded† (Gaspar Apthorpe, 1996 p. 6 emphasis mine). Harold Lasswell emphasises further the inequality that exists in policy development by indicating, ‘who gets what, when and how’ directly impacts the types of policies developed, who benefits and whose needs are not considered 16 Lasswell, 1950). Therefore it is important to ensure that decision makers have access to a holistic set of age and sex disaggregated data in relation to girls and poverty. However, the Center for Global Development indicates that governments and international agencies for the most part first focus on girls between 0 to 5 and then again at 15 years of age. Girls between the ages of 6 and 14 are neglected (Temin Levine, 2009). With limited esearch focusing on girls and poverty between the ages of 6 to 14 years, notably critical years reserved for intellectual and physical development, policies are being developed for girls that are void of comprehensive data related to the same. Also, current data does not identify the root causes giving rise to the feminization of poverty in relation to girls and poverty. Policy makers instead have access to more general conclusions like in order â€Å"to break the cycle, children must be provided with the appropriate food security, shelter, healthcare, education, public services (i. e. ater and sanitation), and with a voice in the community† (UNDP, 2004 in UNICEF, 2005 p 6). Such a conclusion makes the assumption that boys and girls do not experience unique obstacles whilst living with poverty even though UNICEF and UN WOMEN acknowledges that poverty has a female face. Therefore, a holistic set of age and sex disaggregated data is required to uncover the root causes that prevent girls from exiting poverty over and above boys. Only when policy makers are armed with appropriate data can they in turn develop high-impact and meaningful policies specifically for girls living with poverty. Hearing and Including the Girls Voices in Decision-Making Is Essential For Success Developing relevant and effective policies can only be possible if beneficiaries are being consulted in identifying their strengths, challenges and ideas for solutions that essentially results in the creation of new knowledge. Amartya Sen highlights the importance of engaging individuals who live in the multi-faceted world of poverty daily. Speaking at the Network of Policymakers for Poverty Reduction, an Inter-American Development Bank initiative, Sen underscored that â€Å"human beings are thoroughly diverse. â€Å"You cannot draw a poverty line and then apply it across the board to everyone the same way, without taking into account personal characteristics and circumstances† (Sen, 2003). What Sen highlighted is that poverty is not a homogenous experience and therefore requires the engagement of girls and women in order to understand how poverty specifically and intimately impacts their lives . UNDP argues that in order â€Å"to break the cycle, children must be provided with †¦ a voice in the community (UNDP, 2004). And in order to understand the role and impact of social institutions, policies and culture, girls who have intimate knowledge regarding the role of such institutions, policies and culture in their lives must be heard, particularly when girls’ experiences with poverty are multi-dimensional and intersect with other forms of social exclusion including ethnicity, disability, sexuality or spatial disadvantage (Jones et al. , 2010). In order to highlight the multi-dimensional reality of poverty experienced by girls, quality of life indicators could be designed to highlight the obstacles that are present in girls’ 17 ives at specific junctures that prevent girls from furthering their goal of exiting a life of poverty. Quality of life indicators would be ideally drafted in conjunction with girls living with abject poverty. These indicators would continue to provide decision makers and researches increased insight towards the root causes of poverty for girls. The girls’ participation through the use of visual methodologies to raise issues and seek solutions in their own community cannot be overlooked. It should be encouraged. For empowerment to become a part of these girls lives, there are a number of conditions that should be part of their lives. The girls must have consistent voice and space to reflect on their lives, challenges, strengths and ideas for solutions. There must be opportunities for contributions made by girls coming out of their own authentic experiences and presented to decision makers in order to develop dependable and relevant policies. As such, girls should be engaged in the entire process from identifying issues to prioritizing them to proposing solutions. The girls should not have token representation or be solely seen as providers of information. Otherwise, we will risk losing valuable information that comes as a result of their intimate experience with complex and multiple challenges related to abject intergenerational poverty that is notably part of their daily reality and not ours. It cannot be overstated that girls’ voices need to be heard and included in decision making to ensure that policies being developed are relevant to their lives and lead to dependable development and a higher quality of life for the girls and their succeeding generations. Acknowledging The Role Of Culture In Girlhood Poverty As highlighted by the girls, cultural norms, values and expectations are also a root cause that ensures that girls will remain the face of inter-generational poverty. Without incorporating culture as a distinct and critical category in relation to addressing gender inequality and disempowerment that currently exists and has existed for females for centuries, it will be challenging if not impossible for countries to achieve the goal of gender equality, empowerment and poverty alleviation for girls. At the local level, it would be important to identify internal gatekeepers noted by girls and their role in preventing girls from exiting a life of poverty. It would also be of value to include civil society and community leaders when designing gender equality and empowerment strategies and policies particularly in relation to cultural norms and values. Girl Development Rank In order to capture the unique obstacles faced by girls living with poverty, a tool should be developed to capture the girls’ diverse needs, strengths and ideas for solution. I am proposing a tool I have termed Girl Development Rank for the purposes of dialogue. The Girl Development Rank (Sajan Virgi, 2011) would be tool designed to increase our understanding of barriers that are present for girls living with poverty during their unique development years as they attempt to negotiate a higher quality of life. The development years as noted earlier are years in which girls have the opportunity to achieve maximum 18 intellectual, physical, social and emotional development. Since there is an absence of age and sex disaggregated data that holistically captures the diverse obstacles related to feminization of poverty, the Girl Development Rank would be designed to capture obstacles giving rise to gender inequality and the affects of cultural norms and values. Since the Girl Development Rank would identify the barriers experienced by girls living with poverty, it would also be used to develop high-impact solutions related to alleviating girlhood poverty. The Girl Development Rank could have age categories as follows: 0 2; 3 – 6; 7 – 10 and 11 – 15. The rank would be designed to measure quality of life including access to basic necessities including sanitation, water, nutrition, health and education. The Girl Development Rank would be a live tool evolving to meet the needs being identified by girls living with poverty. With respect to education for example, using the stories shared by the girls, it would seek to capture access, retention and completion. In addition, literacy would be included both in the primary and secondary language used for education and business. Time in relation to responsibilities in the home and field would be measured. Creative ways of measuring status, voice, agency would also need to be explored. Measuring a change in cultural, societal norms and traditions may be challenging. However, indicators outlining how political and legal reforms are responding to issues related to identity cards, inheritance, violence and child marriages could be used as key success indicators. An educational curriculum that demonstrates gender equality would also be an important indicator for a change in societal and cultural norms. Laws that are enforced which prohibit child marriages and violence perpetuated against girls will be strong indicators to demonstrate a change in cultural and societal values. Finally, the employment opportunities afforded to young women would be a strong indicator of gender equality. To better understand how pervasive the problem is from an age perspective, it would be important to include age-disaggregated data for all relevant indicators. CONCLUSION What is needed from researchers, decisions makers, donors, NGOs and governments in order to achieve a higher quality of life for girls is a ‘shift in our paradigm’ (Greene et al. 2009) from working for girls to working with them in partnership. It starts by listening to girls, identifying root causes, gaining deeper insight into their unique life experiences, understanding their needs, dreams and then enabling them to realize their potential. By engaging girls, enabling them to become part of the solution process, they wil l learn skills that are essential for moving their lives from abject poverty to a higher quality of life. It will only be through engagement that their voices will become stronger and more confident. In turn policies inclusive of girls’ input will have a great chance for optimum success enabling abject poverty to eventually become a distant memory (Greene et al. , 2009). The challenge before researchers, decisions makers, donors, NGOs and governments alike is to achieve this ‘shift in paradigm’, by identifying and addressing the root causes of poverty and ultimately achieve the elusive goal of releasing girls from a life of abject generational poverty permanently. 19 Notes Although I was not able to gather specific data on the community, discussions with school personnel and the girls indicate high levels of unemployment, female-led households which tend to have lower incomes, and illness. The girls throughout the research spoke in Portuguese. The comments made by the girls were translated into English and verified by the participants. iii ii i The girls’ names have been changed in order to protect their identity. Racism free essay sample Racism has been around for a long time. Dating back to the 17th century and continuing on through the 1960’s, and even into today. It has been a major issue since the colonial and slave era has existed. There were many rules regarding whom could be citizens, who could vote, and who could do what and where. Slavery may have been one of racisms biggest forms but that does not stop it from continuing on today. Far too often people are stereotyped by their skin color, or how they dress and choose to act. Trayvon Martin is the epitome of these stereotypes at its best; the 17-year-old Florida boy was fatally shot in February because of his clothing†¦ a hooded sweatshirt. Stage One: Racism has been alive in America since it was founded. African-Americans have been the targets of it for most of America’s history. In the 1860’s the Jim Crow laws were passed that required separate facilities for blacks and white in all public institutions. We will write a custom essay sample on Racism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Both sides of the party observed this the blacks and the whites. African-Americans asserted the existence and offensiveness of the condition. Millions, even those who are not from our area of the world, have observed Travyon’s case. Everyone has taken offense to this specific case no matter what the skin color. Stage Two: In the past the government claimed that the laws were justified because the blacks were â€Å"separate but equal†. Today the law is involved in all sorts of hate crimes and victims of racism. When Travyon was shot many agencies responded, and it is still an on going matter. They are investigating and looking at both sides while trying to figure out what really went down. Stage Three: The African-American community asserted there claims and demands again, expressing their dissatisfaction with the public facilities the government provided which were always inferior to those provided to whites. Today the African Americans still rebuke the claims that are not fair. Victims of racism do not always get the outcome they are hoping for. Today, Travyon’s shooter remains free because no one â€Å"knows† what happened nd there is still no proof of anything. In the eyes of many, and all races, this is unjust and unfair because an innocent man was killed and no justice has been served. Stage Four: In response to the injustice of blacks, organizations known for anti-racist and civil rights activism emerge, such as the NAACP (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People). Travyon’s death will be another example in the fight against ra cism. It has sparked a new passion in the hearts of many which will lead to a bigger movement for justice and equality. It will only help to catalyze the movement of people who want to act against it and defeat it all together. The future is in are hands. Racism has come a long ways in the last few centuries and at times we thought we had conquered it. Racism is something that has been around for hundreds of years and sadly probably isn’t leaving any time soon unless we do something about it. It may take new faces and change its form but may never totally disappear. It is something that is wrong and unfair and we need to do our best to make it a better place to live.

100% Complete LinkedIn Profiles A Dilemma for Job Seekers

100% Complete LinkedIn Profiles A Dilemma for Job Seekers In my How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile webinar on June 22, 2012, delivered for ilostmyjob.com, an important question arose: If you are a job seeker, how should you complete the â€Å"current position† item in your profile? LinkedIn presents job seekers with a dilemma: The site requires an â€Å"up-to-date current position (with a description)† for a 100% complete profile (see Profile Completeness list on LinkedIn); and according to LinkedIn, 100% complete profiles are 40 times more likely to be viewed. But if you are a job seeker, you might not have a current position other than â€Å"job seeker.† Should you create a â€Å"filler† job description to be 100% complete? Or should you hope that 95%-or-so complete is enough? Adding to this dilemma is that recruiters, according to experts in the careers industry, do not like to see made-up job descriptions in the current position spot. They prefer for job seekers to call a spade a spade, i.e., leave the current position description blank if they are not employed. Resume and LinkedIn profile writers come down on multiple sides of this issue. There are upsides and downsides to all of these options; in the end, let the numbers (how many people find you, view your profile and contact you) guide your choice. Option #1 One camp says to put something in the current position field indicating you are a job seeker. You might give yourself a job title such as â€Å"Target position: VP Operations,† or â€Å"Seeking next opportunity as Graphic Designer.† You can then write a description of what you offer that adds to what you wrote in your Summary. In the company name field, you might enter â€Å"- â€Å"or â€Å"Seeking next opportunity.† Option #2 Some people recommend putting volunteer work as your current position, or your â€Å"job† as Manager of a LinkedIn group. I would not recommend either solution unless your volunteer or group manager work is close to full-time. There is a section you can add on LinkedIn called Volunteer Activities and Causes. That is the most appropriate spot in which to put your volunteer activities. Option #3 A third camp says to leave the current job description blank if you don’t have a job, and to complete as many parts of the profile as possible. If your profile is 95% complete, you should still do well in searches. The Essay Expert’s Recommendation You might want to try both Option #1 and Option #3. I wouldn’t recommend Option #2. The great thing about LinkedIn profiles is that you can always change them and do different things to see what works best for you. Try this: (1)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Write a current position that says, for example, â€Å"Target Position: General Manager, Automotive† or â€Å"Seeking Opportunities as Financial Analyst†   or â€Å"Program Manager   Candidate† and track how many people view your profile and how often you are appearing in search results (this information can be found on your home page in the right-hand column). (2)  Ã‚  Ã‚     If you are getting sufficient activity in your profile, great. Don’t change anything! If not, the first thing to consider is whether you have enough connections to appear toward the top of searches. I recommend having 500+ connections in order to reliably raise your ranking in search results and increase page views. (3)  Ã‚  Ã‚   If you have 500+ connections and your profile is still not getting enough attention, either change what you have in the â€Å"current position† section or make it blank for a month. Track your profile views and appearances in search results. (4)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Repeat Steps #2 and #3 until you get the results you want. There are more options than these of course. One place to get a sense of what might work is a QA on LinkedIn, begun by Executive Resume Writer Laura Smith-Proulx, which sheds some light on this question.   https://linkd.in/xDJhgq What strategies have been working for you? Please share your comments below. Or if you experiment with some of my suggestions, please report how it goes!

The First African-American Church in the U.S.

The First African-American Church in the U.S. The African Methodist Episcopal Church, also called AME Church, was established by the Reverend Richard Allen in 1816. Allen founded the denomination in Philadelphia to unite African-American Methodist churches in the North. These congregations wanted to be free from white Methodists who historically had not allowed African-Americans to worship in desegregated pews.   As founder of the AME Church, Allen was consecrated  as its first bishop. The AME Church is a unique denomination in the Wesleyan traditionit is the only religion in the western hemisphere to develop from the sociological needs of its members. It is also the first African-American denomination in the United States. God our Father, Christ our Redeemer, Man our Brother - David Alexander Payne Organizational Mission Since its establishment in 1816, the AME Church has worked to minister to the needsspiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual and environmentalof people. Using liberation theology, the AME seeks to help those in need by preaching the gospel of Christ, providing food for the hungry, providing homes, encouraging those who have fallen on hard times as well as economic advancement, and providing employment opportunities to those in need. The History of the AME Church In 1787, the AME Church was established out of the Free African Society, an organization developed by Allen and Absalom Jones, who led African-American parishioners of St. Georges Methodist Episcopal Church to leave the congregation because of the racism and discrimination they faced. Together, this group of African-Americans would transform a mutual aid society into a congregation for people of African descent. In 1792, Jones founded the African Church in Philadelphia, an African-American church free from white control. Desiring to become an Episcopal parish, the church opened in 1794 as the African Episcopal Church and became the first black church in Philadelphia. However, Allen wanted to remain Methodist and led a small group to form the Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1793. For the next several years, Allen fought for his congregation to worship free from white Methodist congregations. After winning these cases, other African-American Methodist churches  that were also encountering racism wanted independence. These congregations to Allen for leadership. As a result, these communities came together in 1816 to form a new Wesleyan denomination known as the AME Church. Before the abolition of slavery, most AME congregations could be found in Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Washington D.C. By the 1850s, the AME Church had reached San Francisco, Stockton, and Sacramento. Once slavery ended, the AME Churchs membership in the South increased tremendously, reaching 400,000 members by 1880 in states such as South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Texas. And by 1896, the AME Church could boast membership on two continentsNorth America and Africaas there were churches established in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. AME Church Philosophy The AME Church follows the doctrines of the Methodist Church. However, the denomination follows the Episcopal form of church government, having bishops as religious leaders. Also, since the denomination was founded and organized by African-Americans, its theology is based on the needs of people of African descent. Early Notable Bishops Since its inception, the AME Church has cultivated African-American men and women who could synthesize their religious teachings with a fight for social injustice. For example,  Benjamin Arnett addressed the 1893 Worlds Parliament of Religions, arguing that people of African descent have helped develop Christianity.  Additionally,  Benjamin Tucker Tanner wrote, An Apology for African Methodism in 1867 and The Color of Solomon in 1895. AME Colleges and Universities Education has always played an important role in the AME Church. Even before slavery was abolished in 1865, the AME Church began establishing schools to train young African-American men and women. Many of these schools are still active today and include senior colleges Allen University, Wilberforce University, Paul Quinn College, and Edward Waters College; junior college, Shorter College; theological seminaries, Jackson Theological Seminary, Payne Theological Seminary and Turner Theological Seminary. The AME Church Today The AME Church now has membership in thirty-nine countries on five continents. There are currently twenty-one bishops in active leadership and nine general officers who oversee various departments of the AME Church.

Death, Life and Emily Dickinson Annotated Bibliography

Death, Life and Emily Dickinson - Annotated Bibliography Example While it was something that is feared, Dickinson made it seem appealing. Baker makes it known that the carriage ride taken by the protagonist, the one from the living world to the protagonist’s final resting place, is a comfortable ride since it is done in a carriage rather than in a hearse. Emily Dickinson’s poems are kept together in this anthology. Originally a three-volume set, this book contains all of the poems ever written by Dickinson. Unlike Dickinson and Vendler’s book, which contains commentaries and insights on the poems that were made by Vendler, this book by Dickinson only contains the poems themselves, allowing the reader to comprehend each poem, find their own insights, and come to their own conclusions. This book was a vital source to the research paper as it offered easy access to the poems that were to be analyzed in my paper. â€Å"I Felt a Funeral in My Brain (97)† was the poem taken from this book; while it is one of Dickinson’s more famous poems, it was difficult to find in any other source besides the Internet. I was able to use the source to locate this poem and implement it into my essay about life and death themes in Dickinson’s works. Helen Vendler comments on selected poems of Emily Dickinson, the poems of whom are also included in this book. Vendler has made a career for herself by critically reading and analyzing the poems of many writers, including Dickinson, paying special attention to the style and imaginative elements of each poem. Vendler selected the poems that she did based on how they related to Dickinson’s life, focusing a great amount on what inspired the poet to write what she did. Unlike Dickinson’s anthology of poems, this book provides insight into the selected poems, pointing out facts and characteristics that readers should be aware of. Dickinson and Vendler’s book was useful in two ways for my research paper. The first was to provide me with a copy of

Palm INC case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Palm INC - Case Study Example the company, the market of the company, the industry structure of the company, the innovation of the company, the technology of the company, and the marketing strategies of the company so as to be able to further understand how the company was able to make innovations with very little cash flow. Palm, Inc. is headquartered in California, Sunnyvale. It was founded in January 1992 by Jeff Hawkins who was the former vice president of a company called Grid Systems Corporation. He was responsible for the famous pen computers that the company designed. The first product that was developed by Palm, Inc. was sponsored by Tandy Corporation and was called the Zoomer. The handheld device was marketed under the names of Tandy Z-PDA and Casio Z-7000. The products did not do so well commercially. An acquisition was made in 1995 by U.S Robotics Corp. By the year 1998, the founders of Palm, Inc. were not happy and left the company (Zheng and Lionel 229). Palm, Inc. is a company that is known mostly for the handheld devices that it produces and therefore the technology used must be up to par. The company uses computer technology that is referred to as Palm platform. The Palm platform has its own operating system that runs the application software of palm and also runs the application software of a developer who happens to be the third party. There is software that exists that enables the user to use their handwriting using what is called a pen-based interface to write. The software is referred to as the Palm’s handwriting recognition Graffiti ® (Powers 37). Synchronizing of information is something that has made everyone’s life today much easier. Software called HotSync ® has the ability to link hand computing devices with computers or databases and synchronizing the data that one wishes to synchronize. These devices also have memory storage capacity that comes in the form of Random Access Memory software which is computer based memory storage. Software exists that enables

WiFi RealTime Location Tracking Systems Essay Example for Free

WiFi RealTime Location Tracking Systems Essay Wrireless networks has affected large and small companies alike. While Radia Frequency Identification (RFID) tags based networks have gained popularity over the years, there are also other wireless networks available that are being tested in order to provide same functionality and more. Wi-Fi and blue tooth are two of the examples of such networks. This short paper discusses the use of Wifi. Wi-Fi Networks WiFi generally comes under the umberalla of RFID. WiFi ID is actually an active RFID system that uses the air communication standard 802. 11. There are also other active RFID systems that use standards other than 802. 11 and operate on different frequencies. One of the important aspect of this scenerio is to understand thje difference between the RFID tags and Wifi tags. RFID Tags vs. WiFi Tags In order to use passive RFID tags, you need to have reader after every few feets to read the tag. For active RFID tags a radio sensor needs to be deployed that uses different technologies to sense the tags in order to determine the location of the tag. Antennas are also required. This means that you need to built an infrastructure to deploy both types of systems. Like Best Buy is doing. When you are using a WiFi based system that are aslo called Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), you only need to set up the WifFi network in the company and can use any underlying technology in order to make it work. RFID tags can also be used here, but adavnatge is that you dont need to set up the RFID network infratsurcture that you needed to incorporate before. In RFID tags, for short range identfication, High frequency tag is used and for short range identification, active UHF tags are used that operate on 900 MHz or 433 MHz. Both these type, as discussed require a complete insfrastructure to be built. However, WiFi operates on 2. 4 GHz. These 2. 4 GHz can be used in the network. For a company like BestBuy, choosing WiFi has an extra advantage that it will already have 802. 11 network infrastructures in place and this will save money for the company. The only things they need to buy are the WiFi tags. Applications The WiFi network infrastructure can provide many application to the companies like BestBuy and some of them include location-based network access, intelligent information management and wireless asset tracking. The WiFi tags can exactly point out the location of the tag. This can also mean that customer walking into the store can have the contents on his PDA according to the position where he is standing. Statistical reports can be generated n the basis of information of how much time a customer spends at a particular location and what consequences this can have using data mining techniques. Once the tagging has helped a customer locate items and a shopping list has been completed, the system can store this list for future reference to the particular customer. The underlying software can prepare a probable list of items for that particular customer. Another important application of WiFi tags can be theft prevention. For example, if a certain item is to be protected, the system will attach a flag to it whenever it is taken from the shelf and added to a cart. The system can then track the item until it reaches the check out line. If the item does not reach the check out line and leaves the store, it will be an indication of a theft and action can be taken against the customer. Therefore, the WiFi network can be employed for security of valuable assets as well. Therefore, WiFi tags can be used beyond item tracking systems such as inventory control systems to easily manage large inventory. References ABI Research. (2006, October 23). Active RFID and Wi-Fi in the RTLS Market: Asset Management for Automotive, Defense, Healthcare, and Transportation Vertical Markets. Retrieved March 13, 2008 from http://www. abiresearch. com/products/ market_research/Active_RFID_and_Wi-Fi_in_the_RTLS_Market Garfinkel,S. Rosenberg, B. (2005) RFID: Applications, Security, and Privacy, Addison Wesley Professional. Kowalke,M. (2006, October 23). RFID vs. WiFi for Hospital Inventory Tracking Systems. Retrieved March 13, 2008 from http://blog. tmcnet. com/ wireless-mobility/rfid-vs-wifi-for-hospital-inventory-tracking-systems. asp RFID Radio. (2007, July 17). Episode 005 Making Business Sense of Real Time Location Systems (RTLS). Retrieved March 13, 2008 from http://www. rfidradio. com/? p=12 Sullivan, L. (2005, October 17). InformationWeek. BEST BUYS SPIN ON RFID. Retrieved March 13, 2008 from http://www. informationweek. com/ story/showArticle. jhtml? articleID=172300921

Holdens Lonliness Catcher In the Rye :: essays research papers

Many young people often find themselves struggling to find their own identity and place in society. This search for self worth often leaves these young people feeling lonely and isolated because they are unsure of themselves. Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's main character in the book The Catcher In the Rye, is young man on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. One contributor to this breakdown, is the loneliness that Holden experiences. His loneliness is apparent through many ways including: his lack of friends, his longing for his dead brother, and the way he attempts to gain acceptance from others. To Holden, everyone is either corny of phony. He uses these terms to describe what a person is if they do not act naturally and follow other people?s manners and grace. Holden dislikes phonies and thinks of them as people who try to be something they are not. He loathes people who showed off because it seems unnatural every time they do not act like themselves. Holden does not allow himself to have friendship because of his dull attitude. In the beginning of the book, the reader knows that Holden is lonely when he separates himself from the rest of the Pencey students by watching the football game from Thomsen Hill and not the grand stands. Holden is not a very sociable person partly because he finds himself better than many others. He dislikes his roommate because of his generic leather luggage. His next door roommate Ackley does not seem to want a friendship with him either. Holden finds Ackely?s zit crusted face ridiculous and doesn?t want him in his room at first. This shows the reader that Holden is a lonely person because he chooses to be lonely and does not want anything to do with people who do not fit into his perception of normal. Holden?s loneliness is apparent in more than just his lack of friends. His loneliness is made apparent by the way he misses his deceased brother, Allie. Holden makes several references to Allie and how the two used to get along and acted more like friends than brothers. Holden deeply misses his brother and even talks to him out loud to comfort himself because he still feels a void inside of him. Holden misses his brother more than others because Holden never had the final closure to his brother?s death, Holden never went to Allie?s funeral, and because Holden didn?

“Beguiling Lure “ by Isaac Talley Essay

In this essay I will attempt to analyze the artwork named â€Å"Beguiling Lure â€Å" by Isaac Talley , 2009. The medium of this artwork is acrylic and oil on canvas. The composition is simple with the main focus being a dangling object and a portrait of a single bird. The multi coloring of the background is bright and soft with dark and light hues. The artist was able to deliver the paint onto the canvas in different directions and angles which gives the appearance of overlapping colors,roughness and an uneven texture. There is a small horizontal space that has been left blank and untouched in the middle of the canvas that provides a dividing line separating the upper portion of the painting from the lower portion. Even though there is no similarities in the main two subjects in the painting the artist brings balance, proportion and unity to his work by using the same background colors and patterns from top to bottom. The eye is automatically drawn towards two specific areas on the canvas and directly to the middle upper portion of the painting where a circular white object is attached to a dark blue string of yarn that hangs from a peg at the top of the canvas. In the bottom right corner a is a painting of a black bird standing with its back to the viewer as it looks towards the hanging object. I think the painting is a form of expression in which the intention is to give the viewer an increased awareness of how we have become a materialistic society. Because of our increased desire for the better things in life it is easier to allow ourselves to become distracted and lose sight of what is truly important in life. As a society we want to strive to be better in everything we do. In the past our american culture has taught us right from wrong, to love God and country and to stand true to our families. The importance of those morals and values seem to have disappeared.The black bird or raven can be a positive symbol of mankind’s desire to be moral and spiritually correct and the white dangling object or the â€Å"lure† an example of the opposite, a representation of those material things of the world that distracts us and has the power if we allow it to strip away our true identity and personally values and change our perceptions on life.

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun Epilogue: Dream

The month after Bella's accident flew by. After Charlie had cooled down and quit blaming me for her ‘accident' ?C which he had every right to do since it was my fault ?C things had been comparatively free of danger†¦besides the obvious danger that I always presented. Regardless of our now quiet and semi-uneventful life, I was quite content. It had only become habit for me to stay in her room every night and each day absorb every word that came out of her mouth ?C sarcastic or not. Looking into the mirror I could see my dark eyes and deep blue circles under my eyes from where I hadn't hunted in a while. It was hard to take myself away from Bella for any period of time, so my hunting habits had become less gluttonous than usual. Before the prom, though I would hunt. In the corner of my eye I caught the black bag with a post-it note with my name written on it. Alice had purchased for me a new tuxedo. Unzipping the bag, I grabbed the coat to examine it. It was made by some famous and outrageously expensive designer. But clothes, no matter what kind of an occasion, were her specialty and you just learned to not argue with her. Putting the black coat back into the closet and making sure all my accessories were there, I decided to give Charlie a call. The phone rang a few times before I heard Charlie's gruff voice on the other end. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Good evening, Charlie. It's Edward,† I said politely, using my smooth voice. â€Å"Ah. Yes.† He coughed and cleared his throat before whispering into the phone. â€Å"She's upstairs right now.† He laughed lightly. â€Å"She has no clue.† I returned his laugh. She sure seemed a little slow about something so obvious. What could she possibly be thinking we were doing tonight? Surely she had noticed all the posters around school with today's date and the words PROM plastered all over every inch of the school building. â€Å"Thanks, Charlie. I will be there in a few minutes.† â€Å"I'll make sure she's downstairs and ready,† he chuckled under his breath, still whispering. When I arrived outside of her house I could hear her complaining to Charlie. â€Å"So, Bells, what do you have planned for the evening? Alice showed me the dress you are wearing tonight.† â€Å"I don't know, dad. Alice wouldn't tell me, and Edward wouldn't budge either. For all I know they could be taking me to the Grammy's,† her voice was clearly irritated at the lack of information we had given her. Honestly, I was probably enjoying this much more than I should be. Usually, she is the one unlocking my secrets and me giving her all the answers. But the past two weeks have been kind of fun, especially every time she gave me her pouty face, which was absolutely adorable and almost impossible to resist. I decided before hand that if she gave me that irresistible face, I would just kiss her pouty bottom lip. â€Å"I don't know about that. I told him to keep it in a fifteen mile radius.† â€Å"Ugh!† Bella groaned. â€Å"Did he tell you?† During their banter I had made it quickly up the sidewalk and was standing outside the door, thoroughly enjoying their conversation. â€Å"Nope. Not even a hint,† I heard him chuckle. â€Å"This is so annoying,† she huffed. I knocked lightly on the door, which was quickly yanked open to a smiling Charlie. Bella was sitting on the couch, her head placed on top of her hands – which were intertwined like she was praying – with a look of pure devastation on her face. I laughed. â€Å"Are you going to tell me now?† Her chin jutted out. I shook my head, chuckling. She folded her arms. â€Å"Fine.† Stepping around Charlie, I brought Bella into a deep embracing hug, like I hadn't seen her in months. Her tiny arms wrapped around me fiercely and she smiled reluctantly. â€Å"Alice is waiting for you,† I kissed her forehead and let her fragrance tingle my throat pleasantly. Alice had become the best friend to Bella that she always envisioned, minus the scarlet red eyes ?C which I continually refused to give her, regardless of Bella and Alice's pleas. Though it pained me to see Bella's delicate leg casted on a daily basis, I knew that my sister was taking care of her during hours I wasn't allowed into the Swan house. I shook my head to try and dispel thoughts of Alice, now, who is planning on entrapping Bella in her gym sized closet for hours today while I go out hunting with Jasper and Emmett. Her not-so-sneaky-way of telling Bella about the transformation process of how to become a vampire was her way of taking the strain of that kind of conversation off of myself by having Bella ask me. What she seemed to not be able to comprehend is that I didn't want to have that conversation, not just because I didn't want to bring it up, but because I never wanted to have that conversation in the first place. â€Å"You take care of my girl,† Charlie commanded. â€Å"Have fun at prom,† he whispered so low Bella couldn't hear. â€Å"Yes, sir.† Charlie shut the door behind us as I let Bella brace all of her weight on me and then helped her into the car. After I dropped a scowling Bella off at my house, Emmett, Jasper and I went hunting. The trip was short lived and desperately needed. It had been almost two weeks, and I was thirstier than I thought. The warm blood of the elk soothed the ache, though it would never fully rid me of it. â€Å"It's prom night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Emmett chuckled on the way back home. â€Å"You know what that means?† Oh, haha. Funny. Jasper laughed along with Emmett. I frowned at them. â€Å"Oh come on, Edward!† Emmett raised his hands in faux exasperation. â€Å"Did you get a hotel room or were you planning on doing it in the car?† Emmett guffawed stupidly for several minutes at his own joke. â€Å"I'm not going to†¦have sex with her, Emmett.† I said through clenched teeth. â€Å"Well what do you do with her all those nights in her room?† Jasper and Emmett were doubled over in laughter now. â€Å"That's it!† I snapped. My foot slammed on the break and Emmett's head hit the roll bar on the jeep, putting a deep dent in it. This time, I laughed. â€Å"Dammit, Edward!† He screamed at me while Jasper continued to laugh insanely loud. I looked in the rear view mirror. â€Å"You're next!† I warned Jasper. He put his lips together in an attempt to stop his laughter, but couldn't hold it in any longer and his breath came whooshing out along with more cackling. Instead of getting even, I couldn't help myself and I joined in on the laughter while Emmett glared at me. Rose is going to kick my ass for this. â€Å"Yup,† I replied and Emmett mock punched me in the arm. The rest of the drive continued like this†¦Emmett making a sex joke, Jasper nodding in agreement and grinning widely at me in the rear view mirror while I swerved once making Jasper's head break through the hard top on the Jeep. When we finally arrived back home, we found Rosalie scowling in the garage in her scarlet dress that fell flawlessly over her body. Emmett jumped out of the Jeep and whistled. He tried to give her a hug but she backed away. â€Å"Ew! Take a shower and get changed. Bella is already ready,† she sneered her name. I frowned at her but she just turned and got into her M3, her dress not covering an inch of her back. â€Å"I'll be waiting!† She shouted at Emmett who was already running up the stairs to their room. When I finally walked inside and up to Alice's closet, I saw Bella. She was leaning against the wall behind Alice, her hair in intricate curls, her silk blue dress clinging just right onto her extravagant body and her free foot in delicate high heels with lace wrapping around her lower ankle. I literally had to put my tongue back in my mouth. She was stunning, though her facial expression was clearly not in league with her appearance. She had a deep scowl on her face and there was a tiny pucker between her eyebrows. â€Å"Get dressed!† Alice demanded, though she was still wearing pants. Kissing Bella lightly on the forehead I shot upstairs to the third floor to quickly take a shower and put on my tuxedo. â€Å"By the way, you're late!† Alice yelled up the stairs. I'll take Bella downstairs. I'm going to get dressed and Jasper and I will meet you there. By the time I was done, Alice and Jasper were gone and Bella was sitting on the couch downstairs talking with Esme. Rushing towards her, I pulled her up into my arms and brushed my hands lightly through her intricate curls. â€Å"This is for you,† I showed her a white lily which Alice had left on my dresser. Blood rushed up her face, coloring it a delicious pink. The scent was spectacular. â€Å"Thanks,† she whispered. â€Å"Here,† I said while pinning it into her hair. â€Å"Now you're perfect.† Her blush turned an even darker shade of pink. â€Å"You're not so bad yourself,† her lips twitched up into a smile. Wrapping my arm around her waist we proceeded to the door. â€Å"Are you going to tell me where we are going now?† She looked sideways at me, anticipation obvious in her eyes. â€Å"Not a chance,† I grinned. Her lips turned down as I helped her into my car. Carefully, I made sure that she was secure, including her dress, before I shut the door. Alice would kill me if I got her dress dirty before we even arrived at the school. â€Å"At what point exactly are you going to tell me what's going on?† She asked tersely. Really? Had she seriously not figure it out yet? I threw her a derisive smile. â€Å"I'm shocked that you haven't figured it out yet.† She took in a deep breath and held it for several seconds before she spoke. â€Å"I did mention that you looked very nice, didn't I?† She double-checked. â€Å"Yes.† My smile deepened. Her musical heart began to pick up in pace. In anticipation or nervousness, I wasn't sure. She looked down at her attire and frowned. â€Å"I'm not coming over anymore if Alice is going to treat me like Guinea Pig Barbie when I do,† she complained. My phone vibrated lightly before it rang. If it's Alice, I'm not answering. I put my hand into my inside jacket pocket, pulled out my phone and looked at the number. It was Bella's number. It was easy to tell who was calling me since Bella was sitting next to me. Curious as to what he was calling for, I answered. â€Å"Hello, Charlie.† â€Å"Charlie?† Bella's frown became more prominent on her face. â€Å"Um. Yeah.† Charlie paused, obviously unsure of how to continue. â€Å"Tyler is here to pick Bella up for prom.† He said the words slowly, delicately. I could feel my eyes widen in disbelief. â€Å"He says that Bella told him ‘yes' when he asked her to go to prom.† A grin slowly crept up my face. It was about time that Tyler get the point that Bella is taken. That she is mine! I laughed. â€Å"You're kidding!† â€Å"No†¦definitely not,† I could hear Charlie's voice cracking. He was trying not to laugh. â€Å"What is it?† Bella demanded at the same time Tyler asked, â€Å"Who are you talking to?† This was like a dream come true. It was bad enough that I had to hear every guys fantasy at school. It was time for payback. â€Å"Why don't you let me talk to him?† I offered. â€Å"Um. Okay, if you think that's best.† Charlie handed the phone over to Tyler. â€Å"Who is it?† Tyler asked curiously. â€Å"Just answer the phone, Tyler,† Charlie demanded. â€Å"Er†¦Hello?† â€Å"Hello, Tyler, this is Edward Cullen.† I used my friendly voice, but it had an undercurrent of threat. â€Å"I'm sorry if there's been some kind of miscommunication, but Bella is unavailable tonight.† â€Å"But†¦prom,† he spluttered. The undercurrent in my voice became prominent as I continued. â€Å"To be perfectly honest, she'll be unavailable every night, as far as anyone besides myself is concerned. No offense. And I'm sorry about your evening.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began, but I snapped my phone shut while I smiled widely at the thought of him standing there, dumbfounded. When I took in a deep breath I caught a concentrated scent of Bella's blood and looked over at her immediately. Her face and neck were the same color as Rosalie's dress. Her eyes were beginning to water slightly in anger. Oops, I hope I didn't upset her, that was not my intention. Of course, she would have handled it with more finesse than me. â€Å"Was that last part a bit too much? I didn't mean to offend you.† She gritted her teeth before staring at me in absolute and utter belligerence. â€Å"You're taking me to the prom!† She shouted. She caught me completely off guard. So it wasn't because of my threatening voice towards Tyler, it was because of prom! Once I took in her angry expression I tried not to laugh at her vicious kitten-y face. My lips pressed together tightly and my eyes narrowed slightly in an effort not to show my humor. â€Å"Don't be difficult, Bella.† She jerked her head to look out of the window as it sunk in. â€Å"Why are you doing this to me?† Her voice acerbic. I raised an eyebrow at her and pointed towards my James Bond tuxedo. â€Å"Honestly, Bella, what did you think we were doing?† The color in her cheeks only turned a darker shade of red as water spilled over her eye lashes and down her cheeks. She quickly wiped under her eyes and looked at her tear stained hand. After watching her reaction I couldn't figure out how the prom – of all the things for tears to be spilt over ?C was bothering her so much. Prom, of course, wasn't on my list of tear worthy subjects. She didn't even have this reaction when she met up with James in Phoenix. Her reactions now were just completely absurd! â€Å"This is completely ridiculous. Why are you crying?† I demanded in frustration. â€Å"Because I'm mad!† She shouted. â€Å"Bella,† I sighed, turning my gaze on her. â€Å"What?† she muttered, folding her arms irritably. Okay, it was time to try the dazzling trick. â€Å"Humor me,† I requested while gazing deeply into her eyes. Her shoulders hunched forward in defeat after a few seconds. â€Å"Fine,† her lower lip jutted out while staring back at me, possibly trying to glare, but the tears were making it hard to read them. â€Å"I'll go quietly. But you'll see. I'm way overdue for more bad luck. I'll probably break my other leg. Look at this shoe! It's a death trap!† She lifted her dress and pointed at her leg in horror. â€Å"Hmmm.† Her soft delicate skin was porcelain white and looked soft, warm and silky. â€Å"Remind me to thank Alice for that tonight,† I teased. â€Å"Alice is going to be there?† Didn't Alice tell her? Didn't Bella see her? â€Å"With Jasper, and Emmett†¦ and Rosalie,† I added. Her eyebrows pulled together before she shook her head. I suppressed a sigh, longing to know what was going on in that head of hers. Then, her lips pursed. â€Å"Is Charlie in on this?† She asked suspiciously. â€Å"Of course.† I grinned, and then chuckled. â€Å"Apparently Tyler wasn't, though.† Her teeth came together with an audible snap. It pleased me that his appearance at her house had a negative effect on her. Finally, we pulled into the school parking lot, parking next to Rosalie's M3. The sun was starting to set and the sky was turning a coppery color as the thin layer of clouds casted shadows down on the ground in odd angles turning the white fluff into red and orange. To the east the sky was showing some stars while turning purplish due to the setting sun. The sunset was beautiful, but when I got out to offer my help to Bella, the sunset was suddenly insignificant in comparison. I held out of hand and she tightened her folded arms and humpfed stubbornly. Her chin was jutting out with a superior smugness in her expression. I would have just picked her up but there were too many people in the parking lot. I sighed. â€Å"When someone wants to kill you, you're brave as a lion — and then when someone mentions dancing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I muttered while shaking my head. Her expression changed to fear instantly and she gulped. â€Å"Bella, I won't let anything hurt you,† I paused, â€Å"– not even yourself. I won't let go of you once, I promise.† The fear washed away as quickly as it had placed itself on her glorious face. I was relieved at once. â€Å"There, now,† I said gently, â€Å"it won't be so bad.† Without effort I reached out pulled her to my chest, wrapping my arm around her waist and holding her hand in the other. Her warmth wrapped around my body as we walked towards the school. I held her firmly in my grasp, letting her place all her weight on me if necessary. Our progress was slow, but tonight there were no expectations and we were in no hurry. Fork's High School prom was in their gym and as we entered Bella fully took in the decorations of balloon arches, pastel crepe paper and twisted garlands that were covering every inch of the walls. Her whimsical giggle shocked me. After all her anger, fear and constant pouting and shouting she was†¦smiling. â€Å"This looks like a horror movie waiting to happen,† she snickered. Relief washed over me and I joined in with her humor. â€Å"Well,† I whispered as we approached the ticket table, â€Å"there are more than enough vampires present.† She looked over the ladies shoulder at the ticket area. On the dance floor, Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice were floating fluidly around the enclosed circle of admirers as they danced gracefully around in their evening gowns. That family makes me sick, look at how perfect they move. My date probably thinks I'm ugly compared to these women. Man I'd like to†¦ I shoved everyone's thoughts from my mind so I could focus on Bella. Looking down at her, she looked up at me with a look of conspiracy in her thoughts. â€Å"Do you want me to bolt the doors so you can massacre the unsuspecting townsfolk?† She whispered. My brow raised. â€Å"And where do you fit into that scheme?† â€Å"Oh, I'm with the vampires, of course,† she collaborated. Though I was happy she was in better spirits, I was afraid that this conversation would turn into a ‘let's turn Bella into a vampire' argument. Trying to read her face, I smiled reluctantly. â€Å"Anything to get out of dancing,† I assumed. â€Å"Anything.† She smiled. After purchasing the tickets I began pulling her to the dance floor. She literally dragged her feet. Pursing my lips, I stared down at her. â€Å"I've got all night,† I informed her, not in the least bit worried that she wouldn't fold. Finally, her stubbornness subsided and we moved onto the dance floor next to my family. This was my first time going to the prom, though my siblings went every chance they got. Alice loved to dress up and so did Rosalie, mainly because of the stares and compliments she received. Bella stiffened at my side and I looked down at her. â€Å"Edward.† She croaked. â€Å"I honestly can't dance!† Panic was obvious in her tone. I sighed in exasperation. â€Å"Don't worry, silly,† I whispered in her ear. â€Å"I can.† Gently, I pulled her close to my chest, her feet leaving the ground before I placed them over mine, and wrapped her arms around my neck. Without effort we twirled around the dance floor with my family and even though I tried to dispel all thoughts, the boys in the audience were also crooning over Bella. I felt smug with pride. â€Å"I feel like I'm five years old,† she giggled after several minutes of us waltzing. Her hair was blowing around lightly with the slight breeze we were making with our dancing and her cheeks were flushed the perfect pink. â€Å"You don't look five,† I breathed in her ear, hugging her closer to my body. I'm a genius! I mean, just look at that dress on her. Alice thought as she watched us twirl around. Bella caught her eye and smiled back at Alice's grin. I think she might actually be enjoying herself†¦ Before Alice finished her thought another thought burst into my head. He was arguing with himself. As I twirled around to see who it was, I realized it was Jacob Black. I can't believe I'm about to do this. Seriously ?C he's here with her, what does my dad expect me to do? Go up to her and tell her to leave him right here on the dance floor†¦ but my car, I really want my car up and running. Stupid master cylinder. â€Å"Okay, this isn't half bad,† Bella admitted to me, but I was too busy glaring towards the doors where Jacob was leaning. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. Jacob chanted over and over in his head. Why did she have to be here? Argh! He hesitated on the dance floor. Master cylinder, he reminded himself. †¦just remember driving around in your car, his lips twitched up. †¦maybe Bella in the passenger seat. The mental image was enough to make him move closer to our dancing forms. Bella and I continued to spin without effort on the dance floor, but my eyes never left Jacob for more than a fraction of a second. My possessive side started to creep up as I watched him walked towards us. Bella noticed my distraction. â€Å"What is it?† she looked at me curiously. I didn't answer. She looked over her shoulder and then continued to try and focus her eyes through our continuous gyrate. Jacob continued to move towards us. His face displayed his thoughts of distress and discomfort. Come on, Jacob. Pull yourself together! He frantically tried to calm himself. He's not actually a vampire. He was wrong about that. Just do it. Ask if you can cut in. I can just relay the message from dad. Jacob looked at Bella. Wow! She is positively the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. He blinked to clear his eyes, trying to get a better visual on her. Man, this is going to suck. I'm sorry, oh man I am so sorry, Bella. A snarl came burning up my throat, but I was able to stifle most of the noise. â€Å"Behave!† Bella hissed at me in reproach. Behave? I wanted to argue but he was only two feet away. Just cut in and get it over with. This is so embarrassing. Jacob's eyebrows pulled together in concentration. ‘Hey, Bella. Just break up with your boyfriend†¦please.' He shook his head. This isn't going to be good. Anger boiled under my cold skin. â€Å"He wants to chat with you.† The severity of my thoughts was obvious in my voice. You made it this far. Just ask. Jacob was now standing next to us. I stopped our dancing, trying to†¦behave. â€Å"Hey, Bella,† Jacob addressed her, completely ignoring me. â€Å"I was hoping you would be here.† Jacob lied as he smiled brightly at Bella. â€Å"Hi, Jacob.† Bella beamed back. â€Å"What's up?† Why did she have to return his smile? She never greeted other males so warmly. What was so special about this†¦Jacob Black? She was just being polite. That was all. â€Å"Can I cut in?† he asked hesitantly, swiveling towards me. I gritted my teeth. Behave†¦behave†¦behave, I chanted over and over in my head in Bella's delicate voice. This planned conversation was angering me and now he was asking me to break my promise to Bella. Refusing to let Jacob see my growing irritation, I kept my face absent of emotion. I knew if I were to open my mouth words not appropriate to say in front of a lady would spill out. So, instead, I just carefully placed her back on her feet and took a step backwards, my teeth still clenched tight enough to crush diamonds. â€Å"Thanks,† Jacob said pleasantly. That was easier than I imagined. Taking a steadying breath, I nodded once and turned to walk away. Moving through the crowd I positioned myself so I could see and hear their exchange. Venom filled my mouth when Jacob put his hands on her waist. Jealousy ripped at me when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Without thinking, I was pushing my way back through the crowd. I was irate. â€Å"Emmett,† Alice nodded towards me. â€Å"Stop him.† He's just a kid, Edward, she reminded me. Before I reached them, strong arms were binding me to the spot. Emmett chuckled. â€Å"Tisk tisk, bro. Here? In this crowd? Can't you pick another time to rip his arms off?† He let go when I froze. â€Å"I'd like to do that now,† I glanced quickly towards Alice's twirling form. You were about to do something really stupid. Trust me on that. Alice explained. A hard laugh came from my left. â€Å"Not a chance.† Emmett smirked. â€Å"Now calm down. What would Bella think?† He looked at me in mock horror. I looked away. It was so odd to feel this infuriated over something as small as a dance. His hands were gripping her on her waist. I wanted to grip him around his throat. I wanted him so far away from her that the wish was a strong flavor on my tongue. I was automatically sorting through the range of tortures I would bring upon him. â€Å"Jeez, Edward. Calm down,† Emmett muttered, his hand on my shoulder ?C restraining me. My face in his mind was showing nothing but a murderous glare. I settled on eavesdropping. Emmett leaned against the wall beside me. â€Å"Wow, Jake, how tall are you now?† Bella looked up at Jacobs towering frame. I growled and Emmett patted my shoulder in understanding. I deal with this kind of stuff all the time, he thought to himself. What's the big deal? â€Å"Six-two.† Jacob's thoughts were smug. In the past months he had grown several inches in height, something he was very proud of. I watched as they swayed on the spot, not really dancing due to Bella's casted foot. â€Å"So, how did you end up here tonight?† she questioned, but her tone was absent of curiosity, like she already knew. Just tell her, just get it over with. He swallowed hard. If I blame it on my dad, she can't really get mad at me, can she? He frowned.†Can you believe my dad paid me twenty bucks to come to your prom?† He confessed. That was easy enough, now the hard part. â€Å"Yes, I can,† Bella muttered. â€Å"Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself, at least. Seen anything you like?† she nodded to a group of girls lined up against the wall, waiting and willing for their knight and shining armor. Her hint to him sent me a little bit of relief. He was just a friend. Nothing more. â€Å"Yeah,† he sighed. You! â€Å"But she's taken.† He glanced down at Bella's face. Bella looked away, blush rising in her porcelain cheeks. Dammit! She knows I meant her. You idiot! â€Å"You look really pretty, by the way,† he added apprehensively. Oh crap! Did that just come out of my mouth? How embarrassing. He hung his head slightly. Pretty? She is much more than that! Angelic, maybe. Exquisite, yes. But pretty? Idiot. â€Å"Um, thanks.† Bella's forehead creased. â€Å"So why did Billy pay you to come here?† It didn't go without notice, her lack of compliments back to him. Jacob noticed, I noticed†¦ â€Å"Burn!† Emmett bellowed. Emmett noticed. I had almost forgotten he was standing beside me; I was so intent on listening into their conversation. Forget it. I can't do this. Jacob argued in his mind. Master cylinder†¦master cylinder, he chanted over and over. The look of discomfort on his face pleased me. Get it over with†¦ he grimaced. â€Å"He said it was a ‘safe' place to talk to you. I swear the old man is losing his mind.† His humorless chuckle was joined with a weak laugh from Bella. â€Å"Is he going to say what I think he's going to say?† Emmett guffawed loudly. I nodded. â€Å"No way!† he continued to chuckle. â€Å"Human's are so hilarious! You sure know how to pick the good ones,† Emmett chuckled in amusement. â€Å"Anyway,† Jacob continued. â€Å"He said that if I told you something, he would get me that master cylinder I need,† he confessed with a sheepish grin. Master cylinder†¦you can do this. Master cylinder. â€Å"Tell me, then. I want you to get your car finished.† Bella grinned back. There was a faint irritation close by. A young girl, only fifteen, screaming her fantasies at me through her thoughts, my name and face intertwined with them. Only if she knew what it would mean for my lips to be that close to her skin. It wouldn't be a kiss she would receive. I pushed her thoughts from me. I had no time to deal with it. Here goes nothing. Jacob exhaled heavily. Just set it up so you are in the clear. This isn't your fault†¦you were sent by your insane father. She'll understand. †¦right? â€Å"Don't get mad, okay?† Jacob stared down at Bella intently. â€Å"There's no way I'll be mad at you, Jacob,† she encouraged him. â€Å"I won't even be mad at Billy. Just say what you have to.† I didn't deserve to have someone like Bella. She was forgiving, sweet and kind. She had even forgiven me for nearly taking her life. Danger magnet. â€Å"Well — this is so stupid, I'm sorry, Bella –† just spit it out â€Å"– he wants you to break up with your boyfriend. He asked me to tell you ‘please.'† Jacob shook his head back and forth. I can't believe I just said that. A burst of laughter came from Emmett. â€Å"He said it. I can't believe he actually said it.† â€Å"Pay up!† Jasper held out his hand. †¦and I wasn't even here when the wolves were around. He grinned. I hadn't even noticed that he was there until right now, let alone hear them making bet's over the conversation. I tuned out Jasper and Emmett's exchange. â€Å"He's still superstitious, eh?† Bella pulled me back into the conversation. Her brush off was surely just pity. She was kind. That was all. That's it? She's not going to get mad†¦or hit me? What a relief! â€Å"Yeah. He was†¦ kind of over the top when you got hurt down in Phoenix. He didn't believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He believed you were attacked by Edward, he finished in thought. Finally, I saw the first signs of Bella's irritation as her eyes narrowed. â€Å"I fell,† she infused with a little bit of steel in her voice. She's mad. Oh crap. â€Å"I know that,† Jacob said quickly. â€Å"He thinks Edward had something to do with me getting hurt,† Bella said tersely, stating it as a fact, not a question. Bad idea†¦really, really bad idea. Master cylinder? What? They stopped swaying; Jacob's eyes looking away, Bella's eyes alight with fury. It was surprisingly strange to see her be protective over me. It was†¦nice, even though her anger was quite comical. â€Å"Look, Jacob,† Bella began. â€Å"I know Billy probably won't believe this, but just so you know† — Jacob looked up, his thoughts scattering wildly trying to find a way to patch up their little tiff — â€Å"Edward really did save my life. If it weren't for Edward and his father, I'd be dead.† She forgot to add that if it weren't for us, we wouldn't have had to save her in the first place. â€Å"I know,† Jacob claimed. I tried to tell him†¦I'm an idiot for letting him convince me to do this. â€Å"Hey, I'm sorry you had to come do this, Jacob,† Bella apologized. â€Å"At any rate, you get your parts, right?† Forgiveness was her virtue. There was no other meaning behind her words. I don't even think she knows how to hold a grudge. â€Å"Yeah,† he muttered. Maybe you could just leave off the last part, he thought. I mean, she got the gist of what he wanted her to know. †¦right? He frowned. â€Å"There's more?† Bella asked in disbelief, reading his face. Jacob's mouth twisted down further. Why did she have to be so perceptive? â€Å"Forget it,† he mumbled, â€Å"I'll get a job and save the money myself.† †¦bye, bye, master cylinder, his thoughts were chagrined. Bella's cheeks turned red again, but this time in pure anger and not embarrassment. â€Å"Just spit it out, Jacob,† she hissed. â€Å"It's so bad.† He grimaced. â€Å"I don't care. Tell me,† she insisted. I can't believe she is going to make me say this. â€Å"Okay†¦ but, geez, this sounds bad.† He shook his head. â€Å"He said to tell you, no, to warn you, that — and this is his plural, not mine† — he lifted one hand and made little quotations marks in the air — ‘†We'll be watching.'† Please don't scream. He cringed in anticipation. I growled at Billy's words. Bella's response took us both off guard. She stared at him for a second and then laughed loudly. â€Å"Sorry you had to do this, Jake.† she continued to snicker. â€Å"I don't mind that much.† Shew. He breathed a sigh of relief. Now that that is over with†¦ He grinned. †¦maybe I could enjoy a dance with her. His eyes roamed over her body appreciatively. I really like how her dress falls just right on her body. She has amazing curves. Emmett grabbed my arm when he saw Jacob's eyes undressing Bella. I leaned against the wall again, angry I had to stand through this torture. â€Å"So,† Jacob smiled. â€Å"Should I tell him you said to butt the hell out?† he asked hopefully. It would serve him right, mad old man! â€Å"No,† she exhaled. â€Å"Tell him I said thanks. I know he means well.† Gradually the song dissipated and morphed into another song. Bella instantly dropped her arms. It pleased me to see that she didn't want to continue their awkward dance. Jacob, on the other hand, was thoroughly displeased. I made my way through the crowd. But†¦I†¦ His hands hesitated on her waist and his gaze turned toward her casted leg. Well, I can't just leave her here like this, he told himself. â€Å"Do you want to dance again? Or can I help you get somewhere?† he asked uncertainly. â€Å"That's all right, Jacob. I'll take it from here.† I glared at him. Gah! Jacob jumped slightly, and stared wide-eyed at me in surprise. â€Å"Hey, I didn't see you there,† he mumbled. â€Å"I guess I'll see you around, Bella.† He stepped back, waving halfheartedly. †¦bad timing. Bella grinned at him. â€Å"Yeah, I'll see you later.† She was just being courteous. It was only in her nature. â€Å"Sorry,† he said again before he turned for the door. †¦what a freak. As the next song's melody began weaving its way through the crowd I pulled Bella back into my arms. She instantly warmed my body. The music was awful, so I played my own tune in my head, dancing to it instead. Bella's eyes roamed over my face happily before she leaned her head against my chest. I tightened my arms around her and she sighed, content. â€Å"Feeling better?† she teased. â€Å"Not really,† I said through my teeth. â€Å"Don't be mad at Billy,† she sighed, her hot breath seeping through my clothes, down to my skin. â€Å"He just worries about me for Charlie's sake. It's nothing personal.† She had it all wrong. â€Å"I'm not mad at Billy,† I revised in a curt voice. â€Å"But his son is irritating me.† Her head left my chest then. Our eyes met and the intensity of her gaze gave me the impression she was trying to read my mind. â€Å"Why?† Her eyes grew tight in suspicion. â€Å"First of all, he made me break my promise.† Her eyebrows crunched up in confusion. The look of perplexity made my lips twitch up. â€Å"I promised I wouldn't let go of you tonight.† I explained. â€Å"Oh. Well, I forgive you.† â€Å"Thanks. But there's something else.† I frowned. â€Å"He called you pretty,† my previous anger began bubbling to the surface. â€Å"That's practically an insult, the way you look right now. You're much more than beautiful.† She giggled. â€Å"You might be a little biased.† â€Å"I don't think that's it. Besides, I have excellent eyesight.† I lifted her up, bringing her close to my chest. We continued our dancing. Her hair moved slightly with our breeze. Waves of freesia floated in the air around us. â€Å"So are you going to explain the reason for all of this?† What did she mean by that? Her eyes lifted to the crepe paper and her lips pursed. I understood. I decided it was time to move our conversation to a less populated place. Twirling the opposite direction we spun gracefully through the crowd toward the back door. I wish Mike could dance like that†¦ Jessica waved at Bella as we flew by, her eyes green with jealousy. Where are they going? Bella smiled at her. Angela was in Ben Cheney's arms, enjoying my gift to her. She deserved happiness. Finally, we were away from all the stares and eavesdroppers. The sun was beginning to dissipate below the horizon, the sky a brilliant color of pink and orange. Her elegant features were glowing in the coppery color of the sun. Without effort I swept her off her feet. There was a bench under two madrone trees and I walked over and sat down, Bella's delicate arms wrapped around my neck. I held her closer, never wanting this moment to end. It doesn't have to end. We could have each other for eternity. I banished that thought immediately. The moon was already up, visible through the gauzy clouds. I looked up, wishing the sun wouldn't fade to night. â€Å"The point?† Bella prompted softly. â€Å"Twilight, again,† I whispered. â€Å"Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end.† â€Å"Some things don't have to end,† she muttered through her teeth. I sighed. I knew what she was thinking†¦what she wanted. But I couldn't give it to her. It was best to just ignore her train of thought. â€Å"I brought you to the prom,† I said slowly, â€Å"because I don't want you to miss anything. I don't want my presence to take anything away from you, if I can help it. I want you to be human. I want your life to continue as it would have if I'd died in nineteen-eighteen like I should have.† She trembled slightly before she shook her head angrily. â€Å"In what strange parallel dimension would I ever have gone to prom of my own free will? If you weren't a thousand times stronger than me, I would never have let you get away with this.† My lips curved into a half-smile at her kittenish anger. â€Å"It wasn't so bad, you said so yourself.† â€Å"That's because I was with you.† I gazed absently back up at the moon. Prom†¦it was the only formal occasion that I could think of this evening. Did she think we were leaving the city? I was curious now. â€Å"Will you tell me something?† I asked, glancing down at her in amusement. â€Å"Don't I always?† â€Å"Just promise you'll tell me,† I insisted, grinning. â€Å"Fine.† She was suspicious. â€Å"You seemed honestly surprised when you figured out that I was taking you here,† I began. â€Å"I was,† she interjected. â€Å"Exactly,† I agreed. â€Å"But you must have had some other theory†¦ I'm curious — what did you think I was dressing you up for?† Her lips pursed, a slight pucker forming between her brows. â€Å"I don't want to tell you.† â€Å"You promised,† I reminded her. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"What's the problem?† This should be good. Her cheeks were red, the blush filling the air with her silky aroma. â€Å"I think it will make you mad — or sad.† Her words held some meaning, yet I couldn't grasp it. My eyebrows pulled together as I speculated the subtlety of her words. It was moments like these I wished I could read her mind. â€Å"I still want to know. Please?† She sighed. I waited expectantly for her answer. â€Å"Well†¦ I assumed it was some kind of†¦ occasion. But I didn't think it would be some trite human thing†¦ prom!† she sneered. The meaning was slowly surfacing. â€Å"Human?† I asked flatly. Suddenly, her blush deepened to a scarlet red and she looked down, her fingers lightly tugging a piece of chiffon. I waited in silence. She would tell me, I just had to be patient. â€Å"Okay,† her shoulders slumped as her breath rushed out. â€Å"So I was hoping that you might have changed your mind†¦ that you were going to change me, after all.† The mingled fury and alarm was present on my face. We had this conversation already. I wasn't going to change her. I refused. First, I was furious. Absolutely irate that she would even think I would take her soul. What did she think me capable of? Second, her blood, beyond delicious, would never be a strong enough siren call to make me†¦change her. What if I tried and I wasn't able to stop? What if I did change her and she forever hated me? Isabella Swan, forever stalking the night for all time, never aging, never changing†¦ soulless. Many emotions filled my head and ran down my veins. Her words replayed in my mind. I assumed it would be some kind of†¦occasion. Was she joking? She had to be, she couldn't be serious. â€Å"You thought that would be a black tie occasion, did you?† I teased, touching the lapel of my James Bond tux in amusement. She frowned. â€Å"I don't know how these things work. To me, at least, it seems more rational than prom does.† Yes. I wanted to say. Because what you wear will really matter when you're burning. I continued to grin at her, despite the image in my head. â€Å"It's not funny,† her frown deepened. â€Å"No, you're right, it's not,† I agreed, my smile fading. â€Å"I'd rather treat it like a joke, though, than believe you're serious.† â€Å"But I am serious.† I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I let out a deep sigh. Could this really be what she wanted? â€Å"I know. And you're really that willing?† She bit her delicate lip and nodded. â€Å"So ready for this to be the end,† I muttered to myself, â€Å"for this to be the twilight of your life, though your life has barely started. You're ready to give up everything.† â€Å"It's not the end, it's the beginning,† she disagreed in a whisper of her warm breath. â€Å"I'm not worth it,† I said sadly. â€Å"Do you remember when you told me that I didn't see myself very clearly?† she asked, raising her eyebrows. â€Å"You obviously have the same blindness.† â€Å"I know what I am.† I stated. A monster. She sighed. A course of action had just occurred to me. â€Å"You're ready now, then?† I asked, my eyes probing hers. â€Å"Um.† she gulped. â€Å"Yes?† It was a question. I smiled at my plan before moving my lips over her soft skin. I breathed softly at the corner of her jaw, letting the flavor burn down my throat. â€Å"Right now?† I whispered, moving my lips down her neck. She trembled under my touch. I wanted to bring our lips together fiercely, but I resisted. â€Å"Yes,† she whispered. Her breathing began to pick up, her heart pounding out a jagged rhythm. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed her hands balled up into tight fists. She showed all the signs of distress, yet she didn't move. I chuckled darkly, and leaned away. I was disappointed by her actions. She didn't take any action for self preservation. I was her guardian vampire, though. My protection included keeping her human. â€Å"You can't really believe that I would give in so easily,† I said with a sour edge to my mocking tone. It was with great effort that I didn't yell at her for making it so easy. â€Å"A girl can dream.† What! I screamed in my head. My eyebrows rose. â€Å"Is that what you dream about? Being a monster?† â€Å"Not exactly,† her lips turned down. â€Å"Mostly I dream about being with you forever.† There was a sad ache in her voice. Instantly I understood. Our dreams, per say, were the same. All I wanted was to be with her forever, but for her to wish for this soulless existence to be with me was absurd. It shouldn't be allowed. In that moment I was decided. Leaving wasn't an option. I needed her, and she needed me, too. All previous thoughts of leaving her to her human life, her future, disappeared, like someone popped a balloon. â€Å"Bella.† My fingers lightly traced the shape of her lips. â€Å"I will stay with you — isn't that enough?† She smiled gently under my fingertips. â€Å"Enough for now.† I frowned. For now, I scoffed. She was determined, but I wasn't going to concede to her wishes. I exhaled a low thundery growl. She touched my face. â€Å"Look,† she breathed. â€Å"I love you more than everything else in the world combined. Isn't that enough?† Me, too. â€Å"Yes, it is enough,† I answered, smiling. â€Å"Enough for forever.† I leaned down to press my cold lips once more to her throat. The End.