Term Paper Subject

I had been pretty much set on writing about The Slave sometime during my reading of the first fifty pages of the book. After I finished it, there was really no question. I almost wanted to read it again last weekend, but the quiz for this class and a calculus exam loomed over Tuesday and, needless to say, studying for those tests took precedence over my reading for pleasure.

What I think I'm actually going to write about, or at least what I want to write about, is the aspect of "slavery" in my own life. I know this could potentially be a popular subject in the class, since that's the main theme of the book. However, as I was reading this book, I realized just how tied down I used to be. Now that I'm over two years removed from high school, I can take a step back and look at all the things that consumed my time. Along with just school and homework, there was: football, basketball, FFA, BPA (Business Professionals of America), 4-H, Band, Student Council, Drama, along with friends, a girlfriend, and a near full-time job (my family owns and operates a cattle ranch, and I refer to my dad as a slave-driver more often than not).

Along with that, I was part of the Lutheran Church congregation in town. As a requirement of being part of the church, you have to go through the Lutheran Confirmation. Generally, it takes most people about six months of studying on Sundays to get it done. Since our pastor only made it to our town two weeks each month, this meant it would take me a little over a year to complete my confirmation. However, we changed pastors twice during my junior high and high school years. This translated to three different confirmation teachers, each one having so little faith in the one before that I had to start the process all over again. With all the lulls in-between the changing of the guard, I ended up going to confirmation classes for about six years.

I should know the Bible pretty well by now, but I really don't. Confirmation wasn't about the stories or the actual face-value matter of the Bible, but what was beneath the surface and how that translated into how Lutherans are supposed to live their lives. I can remember lying awake at night, all night, contemplating whether or not I was going to hell. Most nights I was, others I convinced myself otherwise. Sometimes the thoughts of hell would consume my daily activities, and I was aloof in my classes and other activities.

I tried to live differently. I swore less, helped out more at the ranch like Dad told me to (obey thy father and thy mother), and paid the most attention in church. Well, I tried to pay attention anyway. Most of the time when I was in church I was wondering if God though it was abominable that I was in His house and if he was going to cast me into the burning pit anytime soon. Needless to say, I was a slave to my own thoughts of sin and sinfulness on top of all that was on my plate during my teenage years.

So, this is probably a good basis for my paper. I hope it's an acceptable topic.