Exploration Two

     The profiled person I admire the most so far is "Steam Train" Maury Graham. I admire Maury Graham the most because I love his story. He is so proud to be a hobo and his story kept me wanting to read more. Just from reading a short story about Maury Graham and his life, I could tell that he was satisfied with the small things in life. He was not about material goods but he cherished memories he has. I really like that about Maury because today we live in a world where many people revolve their lives around material goods instead of cherishing moments and memories with family, friends, and loved ones. Even though Maury Graham does not ride the trains anymore, he sits in his chair and is pleased because he has memories to hold onto. "Steam Train" Maury Graham demonstrates the theme of creativity because he can not let go of his memories of being a hobo. He shared with us what it was like and how hard working hoboes really are. But he shows us creativity through his memories and love of being a hobo.
     What surprised me most about Scott Russell Sanders story is that as a kid, he seemed to take the blame for his fathers disease of being an alcoholic. "I tell myself he drinks to ease the ache that gnaws at his belly, an ache I must have caused by disappointing him somehow, a murderous ache I should be able to relieve by doing all my chores, earning A's in school, winning baseball games, fixing the broken washer and the burst pipes, bringing in the money to fill his empty wallet." I think this is very surprising because as a child, he did no wrong but seeing his father the way he was, made him think it was his fault. Not only did he feel like this at the age of ten, but his son feels grief when he is sad, "He tells me that when I am gripped by sadness, he feels there must be something he can do to spring me from depression, to fix my life and that crushing sense of responsibility is exactly what I felt at the age of ten in the face of my father's drinking." I think this shows that Scott and his son both share a deep love for their father's and that they love them so much that they want to take the blame to make their father's feel better. Even though Scott is not an alcoholic like his father, Scott's son loves him so much that he wants to take away his father's bad emotions when he sees him upset. I think this story shows how powerful love is.
     What ever happened to Roberto Blackgoat's land that her and her family were living on? Does her family members still live there without problems from the government?