Quiet Strength

I have yet to finish reading this book, but the parts that I have read have been inspiring. What I admire most about Tony Dungy is his level of faith. Although he got layed off on his job, he continued to keep God first, looking to Him for guidance. I also loved the way he and his siblings took heed to their parents' words of wisdom. Mr. Dungy describes the way that he was raised set the stage for the way he continued to live his life after being on his own. It was wonderful how his mother used her strategies for teaching on her children before she took them to the classroom or church. The way that Mr. Dungy described her, his mother was the epitome of a great teacher. She went beyond the call of duty with her teaching. She didn't "just" teach her students, she cared about what grades they made. She always did what she could to make sure all of her students had the proper attention to earn an A in her class. I'm still eager to learn about the rest of Tony Dungy's story!!!!!

An Unforgettable Season

I just finished reading ch 18 "An Unforgettable Season" in Quiet Strength. This is the chapter in which Tony Dungy shares his experiences regarding the loss of his son Jamie. Jamie took his own life at the age of 18 for reasons that are unknown. The story brought tears to my eyes and made me realize that many people secretly struggle with feelings of hopelessness and depression. In fact, it is especially common during adolescence, and high school is a very challenging time for many people. I personally haven't had to experience the loss of a close family member, but I feel that the family handled it in a very inspirational and positive manner. The Dungy family chose to celebrate Jamie's life rather than morn his passing. For me this was the most moving and easiest chapter to read in the book.

Tony Dungy's Quiet Strength

I would like to share my thoughts Quiet Strength. Mr. Dungy's story is one that is very inspiring to me. It discusses his many struggles and setbacks in his life regarding a professional football career. I find it comforting that a man of such success and stature faced the same rejection that each and every one of us "normal" people faces in our lives as well. His story touches my life at the college level in applying for and interviewing for jobs, but it also applies at the high school level in applying for colleges. We don't always get our first choice, or second or third for that matter, but things always seem to work out the way their are intened to in the end. Mr. Dungy shows us that being persistant and having faith pays off, because eventually life reaps many successes to those who work hard. I hope that one day I have a story like his to tell others about my own life! There are many other lessons to be learned from this book as well, but this one rings true to my life at present.

My thoughts

Stealing Buddha's Dinner was confusing to me. The book was good, but I was left wondering was it was actually about. The ending confused me the most.

We're Booking It!: My Opinion

We're Booking It!: My Opinion

I really enjoyed reading Stealing Budda's Dinner although I do not share the same experiences as the auther did as a child. For example, I was born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana. I never knew what it was like to move and change schools, or to have a parent remarry. I felt frustrated for Bich when Rosa entered their lives and seemed to turn everything upside down. She seemed to have no understanding of the beliefs or customs that were in place prior to her moving in. In spite of all these changes Bich had to deal with I think she handled things rather well. I really loved all of the author's descriptions of food. As a child I shared her love of sweets! I was drawn to all of her descriptions of the candy store and how she seemed to remember every brand of candybar ever made. It made me smile when she said her father and uncles would let her and her sister choose whatever they wanted. Another thing that fascinated me was when Bich and Ahn would get a piece of fruit from their Grandmother. The fact that they wanted the fruit so badly but, would carefully hold it in their hands until their Grandmother took the fruit and cut it up into perfect pieces was amazing. With our busy lives we tend to take things like food, friends and family for granted. Looking forward to hearing other thoughts on this book...
Valerie

My Opinion

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I don't know exactly how the blogging is supposed to work. In my personal opinion, Stealing Buddha's Dinner was a great read. I understand the feeling of isolation that Bich went through as a young Vietnamiese girl. I admire her for the way she handled the move from Saigon to Michigan. Although she experienced hardships growing up, she decided to tough it out and stay as focused as she could before making it to college.