Note:  this version of the assignment suggested past, present and future, but did not require all three; moreover, we did not have as many prewriting journal techniques  This paper does a good job, nonetheless, of connecting past to future.  You can do this too, even if your own family history is less well known

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Autobiography

Danny Hayatghaib

  The most interesting part of my autobiography takes place before I was even born. Some of my ancestors led very interesting lives and achieved a lot, which is why I have decided to spend much of this paper talking about them and their relevance to me, my life up until this point, and my future.

  All of my ancestors lived in Iran for most of their lives. My mother was born in America and then raised in Iran . My father was born and raised in Iran . His father, Baba Nooshi, was a very athletic man. In his prime, he was Iran 's national champion at weightlifting. Now well into his 80's he still goes on vigorous daily walks and functions fully on his own. His current health is no doubt due to his years of exercise in his youth. Baba Nooshi's first son, Hamid (my dad's older brother), was on Iran 's national ping-pong team. He met his wife, who was also on the team, during his years on the team. My dad was born 10 years after Hamid. My mother and father were neighbors and have been dating since my mom was in seventh grade and my dad was in eighth.

  My mother's side of the family also had many prominent figures. My great grandmother (Lili Joon) was one of the first women in Iran to drive a car. She was a teacher, and was very well educated compared to the standards of her time. Lili Joon's grandmother was the niece of the King of Iran. He was part of the Ghajar dynasty, who ruled Iran from 1794-1925. After the Ghajar dynasty came Reza Shah Pahlavi, followed by his son, who was followed by Ayatollah Khomeni. Lili Joon's grandmother also started the first school for women in Iran .

  Another one of my mom's ancestors was a high ranking soldier in the Iranian army. During World War II, the Russian army was going to invade Iran . My ancestor was in a northern border city at the time, which was where the Russian's were coming from. When news reached him of the approaching army, he was asked to leave because it was perilous and his life was in danger. However, he didn't leave because he didn't want to abandon his people. Instead, he and a soldier rode out on horses to meet the approaching army. He carried a white flag to symbolize their surrender, but instead of honoring the peace symbol, the Russian soldiers shot him 18 times. His body was then thrown into a ditch. However, he was not dead. He managed to get back into the town where a baker secretly kept him in his basement and nursed him back to health.

  I believe that my history does affect who I am today. For one thing, the greatness that some of my ancestors achieved inspires me to also strive for greatness and success. When I look back and see where I have come from, I feel as though I have to make something of myself to live up to that history. My grandmother, my mother, and father have all raised me to have high morals and values. In this way, my history also affects who I am today.

  Ever since I was a young child, I was always taught the importance of having strong morals and values and being able to show kindness. That is why today, I believe, my strongest quality is compassion. I can easily place myself in other people's situations and realize that life is not always just black and white. I feel that with the privileges of being born to a good, loving family that provided me with everything I could ever need or want, there comes a responsibility to help those less fortunate. That is why my goal in life is to be able to help as many people as possible and to make a difference in the world for the better.

  I want to become a psychiatrist when I grown up. I feel that by doing this, I will be able to help many people each and every day of my life. People with mental illnesses suffer more than any sane person could ever imagine. My compassion for the mentally ill comes from my mother, who is a social worker for Santa Clara County . She has dedicated her life to helping mentally ill people who live below the poverty line and who can not afford to get normal professional help.

Another one of my goals is to be able to provide a comfortable living for my wife and children, if I ever were to have any. I can also accomplish this goal by becoming a psychiatrist because they earn a considerable amount of money. However, I am in no need of a lavish lifestyle. I can honestly say that if I make more money than I need to live a comfortable lifestyle and provide for my loved ones, I would donate much of the excess money to charities and worthy causes. I may even start my own charity someday, one that truly helps those that are in the most need of help. There is so much suffering in this world, and I feel that as a young person who is aware of this, it is my responsibility to do everything I can to ease the pain of others.

  I have come from an advantaged and privileged background. I grew up in a very loving home with two great parents and a great little sister. I have had all the support I could ever ask for from countless acts by loved ones. Now it is my turn to make something of myself and live up to my ancestors' stories and reputation. I will do everything I can to help others and make this world a better place to live in.