What I Care About Most by Rachael B.

Who can say what is valuable and what

is not?  What do I think is most valuable?  I think

that anything that can’t be replaced is priceless. 

You remember that special moment years from now, or

will always have that certain sentimental item. 

Special moments are memories that you can’t put a

price on.  You can always buy new clothes, but an item

of clothing that someone made for you can’t be

replaced.  That someone who cares about you made that

item of clothing out of love, and you can’t put a

price on something made out of love. 

                There are countless moments and items

that are priceless to me. There is one in particular,

a quilt that my grandma made for me one Christmas.

When I was four years old, my grandma stopped by my

house with a gift. I had no idea what I was about to

see. When I tore the Christmas paper I saw the most

beautiful quilt. It had green and purple butterflies

and white swirls. The background was full of different

shades of purple patches. It was so creative, that I

could tell that it took a lot of time and effort to

finish. On the inside corner of the quilt she wrote my

name, the date, and how much she loves me.  Every

night I sleep with that quilt, and I plan to keep it

forever. Maybe someday I could give it to my child,

and hope that they will love it as much as I do.  

                I do value financial items too, such

as my CDs. Music is very important to me in many ways.

When I listen to music, it takes me to a different

place in my head. I use it to forget about any

problems that I’m having, and it makes me calm. I like

to listen to rock music, such as Led Zeppelin, Foo

Fighters, Nirvana, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Smashing

Pumpkins, Queen, and many more. When I listen to any

of the artists, I find that the lyrics really speak to

me. I enjoy listening to these certain bands because

the lyrics come from the heart. They are meaningful,

and I can sometimes relate to them. An example would

be Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. His music to me it is very

deep and real. He was honest, and he expressed his

true feelings through his words and music. Music is an

important part of my life. 

              In a way my quilt and my CDs are

similar, and are opposite from each other at the same

time. Both of them bring me pleasure and help me to

relax. I sometimes use them at the same time. They do

have their differences though. If one of my CDs broke

I could always buy a new one and be satisfied. This

quilt was given to me when I was young, and those are

memories that I treasure. My grandma could always make

me another one, but it would not be the same. I have

had this quilt for so long that nothing can replace

it. I wouldn’t only use it as a blanket; I would wrap

myself up in it when I was upset, nervous, or scared.

When I do wrap myself in my blanket, it reminds me of

better times, and how much I’m loved. Not only does it

keep me warm physically, but also it keeps me warm

emotionally.

               Both of these items are important to

me, but which one means the most?

I would choose my quilt over my CDs. Why do you ask?

This quilt was made for me because she really cares

about me. Someone who takes the time and effort to

make me something means more to me than something

bought. It comforted me when I was small, and it still

does now. I like curling up in that quilt on rainy

days, when I’m sick, and when I start to get tired. My

CDs are important to me, but I can always buy new

ones. I can’t just replace a quilt that my grandma

made special for me. It means the world to me. I could

buy a replacement quilt, but wouldn’t be the same

because whoever made it didn’t think of me during the

process, like my grandma did. I plan to keep it

forever. Overall, financial items are nice to have,

but priceless items and moments mean even more to me.

I can live without materialistic items because they

are not meaningful in a sentimental way.

Value Essay by Martha H.

Value is to have relative worth, merit, or importance. Value is monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade. Throughout our society, people value many different things. For example, a favorite movie may be valuable to you or a memorable time you watched a movie. Or maybe a person values a musical artist or a picture of a memorable experience. People have many different likes or dislikes that all differ from one other. But how does someone determine what has value? What does value really mean?

Sitting quietly, looking forward, everything else is drowned out. Thirty minutes till game time. No one seems to be talking; no one seems to be moving. Music surrounds me on every side. Twenty minutes, we’re at the field. Rhythms and beats are the only things heard. The sounds pump me up and prepare me for the game. Ten minutes, my mood is being lifted from each second that the sound is played. Never having to hear a song I don’t like. Game time and I’m ready to play.

Two hours left. The family sits in the car while nothing but trees seem to glide by for miles and miles. Chattering, soft music, and laughter fill the air. But after a while, the car begins to settle down. Whether I listen to it while reading or skimming a magazine, my music replaces the silence. The boredom of the radio is gone. The sound of my favorite music fills my ears. Listening to the radio is irritating. Half the time it plays commercials, and even when there’s a song playing there’s a good chance that you won’t like to listen to it. But why have to deal with this when you could listen to every one of your favorite songs? Why bother using the radio when mom makes you listen to a station that she likes and having to die of boredom? Listening to my Ipod changes everything, the long car ride now seems to fly by. The boring mood is quickly replaced and new vibes fill my head.

It’s been a bad day. Angry, sad, irritated, depressed, my Ipod fixes everything. Whether I had a bad game or just want to relax, I can listen to my music and get away from anything that’s happening. Instead of having just one type of music like a station on the radio, I have a variety of music. From rap to hip hop, country to rock, my Ipod has it all. After listening to my music I feel energetic and happy. My Ipod is something that’s always there for me to have. I can listen to it whenever I want, wherever I want.

Book in hand, Ipod blaring, we wait for the boat to depart. The car ride is over and we are about to depart on our way to Long Island. The big, shaking vessel was beginning to turn its engines and prepare for departure. When the fog is absent, the Long Island lighthouse is in clear view and the low strip of land, lying on top of the island is visible. While sitting on the top deck, my sisters at my side, the shaking of the boat increases. We talk about our plans for the weekend when a huge, long horn is released from the boat.

We finally depart from Connecticut. Long Island here we come. After two shorter boat rides to cut through Shelter Island, we finally reach Bridge Hampton. The old house creaks as we enter and we rediscover the familiar smell of the house. The house contains pictures and books dated back to the early 1990’s. The old antiques are funny looking when blended with the new modern day equipment. After unpacking quickly and getting into comfortable clothes, the family meets downstairs. On cold nights such as this, a large fire is stirring and the whole room is filled with its light. From Hearts to Rummy, the family eats and talks while everyone plays cards. After a few hands, Dad and Mom retreat to bed, and my sisters and I stay up. From Mean Girls to Scooby Doo, we watch our favorite movies. After a few movies, our eyes begin to droop and we retire to our rooms. While softly listening to my Ipod, I slowly drift off to sleep. The near by ocean waves crash against the solid land and acts as a lullaby, while we slip into a solid sleep. I can only imagine what exciting adventures we will experience throughout the next few days.

My trips to Long Island can be relaxing, commodious, and compelling all in one day. Without these trips, I believe a part of my childhood would be missing. My family’s best memories are while taking these short trips and I don’t think we’d be the same without them. With a salty ocean breeze and a cozy fire, I can’t think of something I would enjoy better. My Ipod provides serenity and comfort. It’s an item I value for the fun of listening to music. To have my favorite tunes with me wherever I go will always provide a positive effect on my experience. My Ipod always provides every type of music I enjoy.

My Ipod and my trips to Long Island may be two completely different things, but I value them for the same reason. My Ipod is my favorite electronic possession to use. It raises my spirits and pumps me up for a game and makes me all around happy. It makes even the most boring situations lively. On my trips to Long Island, I know I will never have a dull moment. With my family around me and being at my favorite place, puts me in a happy mood. Having both of these items makes me relax and unwind. Long Island and my Ipod make me happy and that is the most important reason on why these things are so valuable to me.

Value Essay by Madeline D.

What does value mean today? Value means more than what something really is. People today don’t really care how much money they spend on things, if they want it then they will buy it at whatever price it is. I think that almost everyone is high maintenance and get what they want, when they want.

The other team has the ball just a few yards away from the goal. Number 17 has the ball I read where her pass is going. I jump with my stick in the air and intercept the pass. I’m now sprinting down the field while dodging players left and right. I pass to an open player just ahead of me to my left. Give and go. She passes back to me and I take a few steps and shoot hard to the top left corner. Goal! That is just one example how one of my lacrosse games go. My lacrosse stick is very valuable to me. Yes it did cost 120.00 dollars, but I use it almost everyday. I got it for Christmas about 2 years ago. It’s black with some white and the netting is yellow and white. It’s made by the company harrow and is a solo which means that the head and shaft are connected as one. I think that spending money on something you really love and spend a lot of time on, then it’s worth the buy.

January 10^th, it was a cold, winter day. It was snowing here and there. I get the chills and decided to make myself some hot chocolate. I opened the cabinet to get my favorite mug and the got the package of coco. I put on the sink, and let it run until the water was steaming hot. I added the water and coco into my mug, and then put it in the microwave for 30 seconds, so it would stay hotter for a longer period of time. Once I heard the buzz of the microwave I grabbed the mug and added 18 mini marshmallows. Then I carefully walked into the living room trying not to spill any over the edge. I turned on the fire and sat down on the couch. I snatched a cozy blanket just beside me and rapped chilled body around it. I turned on the TV and watched my favorite movie Mean Girls. My favorite movie is Mean Girls because it’s about girls roughly my age going through their high school career. It is about three bitchy girls who are very pretty and popular. Almost every girl wants to be like them. Then, there is this new girl named Cady, who moves from Africa and has never been to a real school before. She becomes friends with this girl named Janis and this gay boy named Damien. They absolutely hate the plastics, which are what the three mean girls are called. They come up with this plan to have Cady pretend to be friends with the girls, but really spy on them. It turns out that Cady really likes them and they she becomes really mean and popular, and in the end almost everyone hates her, but Janis and Damien become friends with her again.

I really can’t compare these two things. They are completely two different things, but both represent something great. They both give me a different feeling, but it is the best feeling in the world. They adrenalin you get from playing lacrosse is like a natural high. You can’t get any better than that. When I am relaxing by a fire and drinking hot chocolate while watching my favorite movie can’t really compare to anything else. Those two things are so valuable to and I wouldn’t trade moments for the world.

So, still wondering what value means? It means what you want it to mean. Anything could be valuable to you. Maybe it is a lacrosse stick or drinking hot chocolate, maybe even just spending time with your family. Value can be worth so much more than it is, but sometimes in a very good way. Value doesn’t always mean good, but when it does it is a wonderful feeling. People take things for granted, and make value so much more than it really is.

My Values by Zack T.

In our world today everyone wants the best of the best. It is hard to learn that something valuable to you is not always expensive, and sometimes the item is priceless. Yes you could buy a multi-million dollar house, or you could have something priceless, such as friends or family that are always there for you. For me, there are things that I value that are expensive, and things I value that are free. Both mean a lot to me but my friends and family I could not replace, whereas I could replace my ipod or bike.

My bike is the most valuable thing I have that costs money. I value it for a few different reasons. First of all, it gets me everywhere I need to be, without bothering someone for a ride. Also, instead of wasting gas and polluting the world, I ride my bike for free. When a car takes about 5 minutes to drive 3 miles, I can ride my bike 5 miles in 10-15 minutes. As I am doing so, I am getting lots of exercise and enjoying the day.

I love bikes. I ride my bike everyday of every week. It is very fun and I love to do it. There have been a couple of times when I have ridden my bike very far without even realizing it, and then having to turn around. The only thought on my mind was that I had to ride my bike back the distance I had already rode it. My bike is silver with some red on it and a little black, and is called an SE. My bike is a very unpopular bike because only a few of them were ever made. It costs $500.00 when it is not on sale. Thankfully I went to go buy it when it was on sale and it only cost me $350.00. My bike is great, and I love to go on long exhausting bike rides with it.

There are also things that do not cost money, but are still very valuable to me. These include my friends, family, spending time with grandparents, or anything else of that sort. Even though they are priceless, my friends are the most valuable thing I have. They are always there for me and will support me no matter what I do. I also know that I can always trust them.

Every day after school when I was younger, me and all my neighborhood friends would meet up. I had 3 friends that lived in the neighborhood, all of them were 2 years older than me, but that didn’t matter. We would get together and skateboard, or play video games, and a lot of other things. Unfortunately though, one of them moved to the other end of South Hadley, and one of them I just don’t hang out with anymore.

I also have made friends away from my neighborhood, up at the campground I go to. I go camping every weekend and hang out with friends up there in the Berkshires. They mean a lot to me and I know that I can do anything and they will support me. They own the campground, so we will do work there and keep the place clean while having a good time. Friends are great to have because anything you need help with they will know what to do. When you have a friend for a long time, you start acting similar and knowing a lot about the other person. I can trust my friends to get me my homework if I miss a day of school, or I can trust them to watch my dog when I go on vacation. Friends are great to have, and you can never have enough.

So as you can see, something that is valuable to you could cost $500.00 or it could be priceless. My bike does mean a lot to me, but I have no clue what I would do without my friends. Friends are always there for you, but whenever you ride a bike, you know it will be a great time. Value to me is enjoying something and how much something means to you, it has nothing to do with money. All in all, I value things that cost money, and things that are priceless.

My Values by Zak G.

As the saying goes, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. In life, people take many things for granted. Sometimes we are blind to see what matters most to us. I have many values in my life and I appreciate them. I have had many values in my life that I really appreciate and these values can help people to live good lives.

My lacrosse stick is one of the most valuable things to me. It costs two hundred twenty five dollars. The shaft on my lacrosse stick is a silver Debeer Titanium Enhanced. My lacrosse head is called a Brine Answer and it is purple. I have had my lacrosse stick for about a year now. I got it last year at one of my Western Mass All Star lacrosse tournaments at the University of Massachusetts. My lacrosse stick has been basically everywhere that I have been since I have had it.

I take my lacrosse stick with me everywhere I go because sometimes I might be bored and I will just do tricks with it and having your lacrosse stick with you will only make you have better stick skills and be a better player. Also, whenever I am near a school or something with a solid wall I will play wall ball with my lacrosse stick. That is one of the best things that you can do to make yourself better at stick skills. My first lacrosse stick that I ever had was only about thirty dollars. I actually got it on vacation when I went to New Hampshire. It was an all blue stick. After that year I started to play lacrosse.

Sunday mornings are probably the best day of the week. I can sleep as late as I want and I know that I don’t need to rush in order to get to school on time. I usually sleep until around 11 o’clock. I roll out of my bed and by doing this I wake up my dog also because he sleeps right next to my bed. I go out to the kitchen and I can smell the pancakes and the bacon. My mom always cooks pancakes, bacon, and eggs on Sunday mornings for breakfast. My two sisters and I play sports so my family doesn’t get to eat together a lot because of sports. On Sundays we usually are all here for breakfast though. After I eat I always watch Sports Center for about an hour if I wake up early enough but if I don’t I watch the pre-game show for the NFL football games. On Sundays I always stay home until at least around 5 because I always bet on the games so I want to see the games that I bet on. My favorite team is the New York Giants so I always watch the whole game no matter what. Sunday mornings and that overall day is amazing because I usually don’t have to do anything the whole day I just lie around.

On some other Sundays my family will go out to eat. Most of the time that we go out to eat we would go to Ihop. I would always get the same thing. I would get pancakes, bacon, and eggs with chocolate milk. That’s all I have ever got from there. After that my dad would drop off my mom and my two sisters at my house and we would go somewhere to watch the football games that day. If my family went out to eat me and my dad would always go out somewhere to watch the football games, but if we stayed at home to eat my dad and I would stay home to watch them. I always like to out to eat because we usually go to my Uncles house and he has a 60 inch flat screen television.

I have many things that I value such as my lacrosse stick, but I can’t compare that to my Sunday mornings. Some things that you can put a price tag on can be very valuable to you but not as valuable as something that you can’t put a price tag on. If I could choose one of the two to always have forever I would easily pick Sunday mornings because I can replace my lacrosse stick. I don’t think I could replace the fun time that I have on Sunday mornings. You can replace the things that may be valuable but some other things you can’t.

As you can see, sometimes you can’t just buy the things that you want. You could be really rich, but at the same time you might not have a good life. You need to appreciate the things that life gives you. In my life I have many values that I can put a price tag on but at the same time I have many other “priceless” moments.

Values Essay by Wes C.

The most expensive cars and the most expensive houses are all that matter to people today. It really doesn’t make any sense why people feel this way. Value does mean how much something costs, but true value is something that really matters to you. It’s something that you can’t live without, that you enjoy and respect, and is something that you would never sell and you can not put a money value on.

Something that has a high money value to me is my snowboard. It’s one of the most expensive brands, and is a good quality snowboard. It’s made by a large company called Burton. The bottom is white and says in grey lettering “BURTON”. The top of my snowboard is grey with a design in a different shade of grey. When I stand it up straight next to me, it reaches to a little bit above my chin, which is the perfect height. Connected to my snowboard are the bindings. These are made by the same brand as the board, but the ones I bought were used, yet are still in good condition. They are an army green with a shiny orange polish on them. The positions of the bindings on the snow board are different for everyone. I have mine set where my front foot is turned a little forward, and my back foot is perpendicular to the board. Some other positions could be set where both the bindings are put perpendicular to each other, or one could be pointing a little forward and the other one a little backward. There are two clips that hold your feet in. The one that is closer to my toes actually goes around my toes, so it covers the top and front of my feet. The back one goes at the lower part of my shin. My boots are also made by Burton. Burton is by far the biggest brand in snowboarding, as you can probably see by now. They are an army green with tan, and a yellow inside. They are the perfect size for my snowboard and bindings. My boots are very thick and keep my feet very warm while on top of the mountain, or on the ski lift.

One thing that I value most that cannot have a price put on it is the moment before and during jump ball, at the beginning of a basketball game. Walking on to the court, just before the game starts, give you a rush of adrenaline. Seeing all the fans cheering for your team and the other team is amazing. Getting in position, everyone is looking at the referee, waiting for him to throw the ball up. This is the moment where I check out the other players, seeing how tall, strong, and big they look. This moment is the worst because it seems like it takes 2 hours before the referee blows his whistle to start the jump ball. The anticipation of this moment is so overwhelming that I usually go to the bathroom before the game, just in case I had an accident at this moment. As soon as the referee blows his whistle, everything changes. All that rushes through your head is what to do, and not to mess up. When the referee first throws up the ball, there’s nothing you can do, unless you’re jumping. All you can do is cheer on your team mate, and wait and be ready. There are so many possibilities of what could happen and what to do when it happens, it’s mind-boggling. Depending on what position you play, you’ll either be rushing ahead for a break away, or rushing back, to stop the other team from getting a break away. The rush of when the referee finally throws up the jump ball is so exhilarating, that a million words cannot describe it. The closest thing to this moment is if you were pitching in the MLB, it was the bottom of the ninth, full count, 2 outs, and your team is up by one, in the World Series. Then, you throw all you’ve got and strike out the batter. The jump ball is my favorite part of the game because it’s the most exhilarating part, but you aren’t tired out at all so you’ve got all your energy.

My snowboard and the moment of jump ball are similar in ways, yet they are different in other ways. They are similar because both of them involve adrenaline pumping through my body. Just looking at my snowboard reminds me of being at the mountain and snowboarding. Both these things are valuable to me because they are a big part of my life. During the jump ball, I can release all my energy and anger and play hard, and with my snowboard, I can use it as an excuse to get away from everything and have fun. The main reason why these two things are different is because playing basketball is the most fun thing to me that I enjoy a lot and does not cost money, while my snowboard means a lot to me because it is so expensive. When I think about it, I wonder to myself why I value this so much. Values in your life should not depend on how much something costs, that’s pointless. Values should be more like the moments before jump ball, or waking up and looking outside, seeing a foot of snow, knowing you will have a snow day.

When I think about what really is valuable, I realize it is spending time with my friends and family and having a good time playing basketball. Valuable is not something that has a high money value. Writing this essay has changed my mind about what is valuable and what we think is valuable. I now realize that money doesn’t matter in your life, it’s how you live your life and what is important or valuable in your life.

Value Essay by Tessa H.

Today some people are spending an outrageous amount of money on things that to most people would not be necessary; but how do we decide when something is necessary, or if something has value? Most people, would likely value a home or food to feed their family. Others, may value cell phones, convertibles, mansions, and expensive jewelry. There is a difference between a pricy and priceless item, but how do we determine which has more value?

***

It was the summer of 2000 when I attended a clinic at Holyoke Community College . My parents wanted me to join some type of team, but didn’t know how to get me involved. They decided to let me pick some type of sport and I chose lacrosse. I thought it was cool that my brothers played, so I thought I would give it a shot. The Christmas of 2001, I got my first lacrosse stick. It was an orange DeBeer head, with a silver shaft. Of course it was a beginner’s stick, because my parents didn’t think I would stick with the sport. It is now the fall of 2007 and I still play lacrosse. I have however upgraded my lacrosse stick since then.

Since I have began playing I have collected about five lacrosse sticks. My favorite stick is a white Impulse head with black and orange strings. This head came with a silver shaft, but I had an orange black and white Harrow shaft that my dad put on for me. I also have 4 other Impulse lacrosse heads and on each they have either a blue or red Harrow shaft. Another lacrosse stick I have in my collection is a bright pink and lime green Solo. It’s a horrible stick to play lacrosse with because you can not scoop up the ball with it, but it’s really colorful and pretty.

The cost of lacrosse sticks has gone up since my first one. Heads did cost in the price range of $40-100 and now they most likely range anywhere from $60-150. The more expensive the head is the more likely it was be a good company that makes it. You also need to pay for a new shaft when you buy a head, unless you want the metal one that comes with it. In my opinion Harrow shafts are the best to buy because they have many different kinds, for both guys and girls. However the cost of one of these shafts can get pricy as well. Most of my harrow shafts range from $100-140 but you can pay less or more, depending on what type you get.

***

“I think togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life.” (Pat Riley)

My family finds little time to spend with each other. My sister recently just got married and moved out, and my brothers are usually out, working or school. When we are together we make the most of it. Being with them and having my family around would have to be my favorite “priceless” value ever.

My family has some sort of a daily routine. We go of to either work or school everyday, but at the end of the day when everyone has finished work, school and sports we gather around the kitchen table for dinner. It almost had a festive feeling because there are so many people all wanting to share their day. After dinner we migrate towards the living room where our T.V. is located and either my brother or my dad will flip to channel 51 to watch the Red Sox game.

Everyone in my family is a huge Sox fan and we watch the game every night they are on. Together we cheer and sometimes we yell at the T.V. if JD Drew is up to bat. Some times on weekends my mom will invite my aunt and uncle, Joanne and Joe over with their kids Caralyn, Mara, Alex, and Dan over to watch the game with us. They are huge red sox fans as well. My mom will make a ton of snacks, and we will pig out while watching the game. It’s nice that we can all share the love of baseball and especially the Red Sox.

As you can see I value my lacrosse sticks, and being with my family to watch the Red Sox games. I value them in different and similar ways. My lacrosse sticks allow me to play the game I love. However while having my lacrosse sticks; they always break, or can get ruined. This is why I would have to say even though I value both; I do value my family more. When my lacrosse sticks break, my family doesn’t and I will always have them and they will be there more me; Even if it’s by watching the game together.

Value Essay by Phil M.

Have you ever loved the sound of something and then you started getting nervous, this is what happened to me before I went knee boarding. We only go 15-20 miles an hour, but it feels much faster. This also happened to me with a computer. I love computers but sometimes they can be a pain. Other times you don’t know how you could live without one. Here are some of my memories about the lake, and why I live my computer.

One of my favorite moments in my life is when I go to my friend Ryan Loughery’s lake house. We have so much fun. Knee boarding, and tubing behind the Starcraft, that is the most powerful boat they have, and boat rides on the Whaler. The Starcraft waves are so big they send you flying up in the air. One time when I first learned to kneeboard it took me five tries to get up. It now only takes me 1. My forearms always kill after from trying to pull myself up. Tubing is so much fun, when you go over the waves the adrenaline rushes through you. It’s so much fun to be cannoned off the wave and go spinning into the water. One time when I was about to go off the wave I got to close to Ryan, I didn’t fall but if I did I would have nailed Ryan. As much as I like tubing I like knee boarding better. Falling off of a kneeboard doesn’t hurt at all but I was still a little hesitant. It did take me 5 tries but I eventually got up and went halfway around the lake. My forearms were absolutely dead by the time I got back because I didn’t lean back far enough. I’ll tell you a little story.

One afternoon after we had our annual water fight, we wanted to go out on the Starcraft and kneeboard. I had never gone knee boarding so I was a little bit nervous. We got into the cold 60-degree water. My brother and Ryan’s dad and brother took the boat out about 20 feet; Ryan and I got set to go. Ryan yelled go and we were off. The adrenaline rushed through me as I squirmed to get on the board. I got halfway and fell off. On the second, third, and fourth I fell, but then on the fifth one I got up and went about halfway around the lake. Some small waves were coming, I heard Ryan yell lean back but I didn’t get back fast enough. I went straight down into the water.

My favorite thing of financial worth is my computer. It lets me access the Internet and talk to people on AIM. My favorite website on the Internet is miniclip. Most of the games are action games. I love to play the racing games because the other cars are actually really good. In one racing game there are shortcuts so you can beat the other cars easily. AIM is good because I get to talk to people and it’s free. Texting on my phone costs money. And they might not be there. Some disadvantages to AIM are most people aren’t there.

As you can see they are both important to me. But which do I like more? I think being at the lake house is better than any computer money can buy. The lake house is fun with the tubing and the knee boarding and letting the wave go under the board, bouncing up and down, the tubing flying through the air. As you can see I really enjoy being at the lake house. My computer is still very important to me though. AIM lets me talk to my friends and the Internet lets me play games. Something I like to do in my free time. Now I can tell that moments at Ryan’s lake house are way more important to me than some stupid computer. If I ever have to choose between moments at the lake or a computer there is no comparison, I would go to the lake.

This wasn’t a very hard choice either have fun outside or be inside doing absolutely nothing. A computer is fun for a little while but I could go to the lake for a whole summer and not get bored. I would love to learn to water ski but I’m afraid my skis would move apart and make me do the splits.

What is Valuable? By Meg M.

In today's society we have forgotten the value of objects. People are so obsessed with buying the most expensive handbags or importing water from different countries for excessive amounts of money. What is valuable and what is not? Do any of us really know?

It is a blistering hot summer day. The intense softball game has just begun and everyone is pumped. My position for the day is shortstop. The batter steps up consciously awaiting her pitch. She slams the bat down on the plate and prepares to hit the ball. Our pitcher quickly winds up and fires the ball toward the plate.

Pow, the ball hits the bat and the ball races toward me. My hand tightens up inside my glove and the sweat starts to collect in my palm. Within seconds I find the ball miraculously placed in the pocket of my glove. I fish the round ball out of my glove and simultaneously throw the sphere toward the girl at first base. The umpire calls, "OUT" and the inning is over.

My softball glove is the most important piece of equipment that I own. Without my glove I would not be able to play softball. The firmness of the glove provides protection against the ball, while the softness makes for good control. Even though my glove may smell horrendous, it is still a very important piece of equipment to me.

*****

It is Mother's Day weekend, also known as dance recital for me. As usual, my routine is up first and opens the entire show. The show begins in five minutes, so i wait patiently behind the curtain to go on stage. Suddenly, the opening announcements finish, and I am about to start. Butterflies swarm my stomach and my heart quickly races uncontrollably.

As I proceed onto the stage all eyes are on me. My butterflies start to subside, but my heart is still racing. Then, I face forward and I can see everyone in the audience. There are massive lights shining right onto my face, and I can feel the heat generating from them. The song keeps playing and I can feel the excitement running through my body. People in the audience are hollering and cheering people's names. The within an instant the song is over. The audience claps and screams while we take a bow.

Dancing on stage gives me the greatest feeling of accomplishment in the world. Getting up in front of people, to me, is very hard, but dancing in front of people is so much easier. It also gives me confidence to try new things. When I am on stage dancing that moment is priceless and nothing, not even my softball glove, can compare to that.

*****

I value both my softball glove and dancing on stage for different reasons. Although, some of the reasons may be somewhat the same. My softball glove provides for protection and control against an incoming ball. It also serves as a much needed piece of equipment when playing in a softball game. I do not know exactly how much my glove is worth but I would estimate at around forty dollars. It is a little torn from all of the work that is has been through but that is what gives the glove some character. I also get to let out anger by throwing the ball harder and going after it more.

Without my glove I would not be able to play softball. I would not be able to field the ball or catch it. That would not be good because it is my favorite sport and not being able to play would greatly upset me. So my glove is quite valuable in my playing the game.

Dancing on stage excites and builds confidence for me. It also relaxes me because I can let out my emotions. Also, it makes me feel as if I have accomplished something important. I would diffidently say that for me, it is priceless because you can not put a price tag on feelings that you get when you do something that you love.

My softball glove and dancing on stage allow me to let out some emotions that I can not explain. They also make me feel proud of myself and accomplished. The things that I most value are ones that I can express myself in many different ways.

Ipods and the Beach: How they are Valuable to Me By Maddie M.

Today in our world, living in 2007, it’s hard to tell the difference from what’s truly valuable, and what’s not. We see all of the famous people and celebrities dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars on silly little things like diamond encrusted cell phones. Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Nicole Richie all pay somebody to glue diamonds onto their cell phones. I understand that diamonds are a girls’ best friend, but why somebody would do that is beyond me. They’re all going to fall off one day.

I think that sometimes people get too caught up in who has the most expensive items, and they think that it’s a competition, but it’s not. What’s valuable to me might not be valuable to others. Something like my ipod and the beach are valuable to me because they are special to me, but things like lacrosse sticks and basketballs are not because I don’t play those sports. So after you read this, I hope you will think about what’s truly valuable to you, and what’s not.

My ipod is one of the most valuable things to me. I got it for Christmas last year. It was a gift from my mom, and two little sisters. It’s a pink ipod nano that I had been asking for more than a year. I love it because it allows me to listen to whatever kind of music I like, and the best part is that there are no commercials. My ipod also helps me relax. If I’ve had a stressful day, I just take it out, plug in the headphones, and press play. Sometimes I put my ipod on its dock, and the music blares through the speakers.

Not only does my ipod relax me, but it also helps me get pumped up for a big meet. The loud music and fast energy helps me focus on what I really want to do, win. I remember one time last season, we had the biggest meet of the season, and I sat in the locker room for thirty solid minutes, just listening to music, trying to get pumped and focused at the same time. I think it worked because we ended up winning.

The beach is somewhere I go every year with my family. It’s a tradition that I look forward to all year long. The beaches there are so beautiful; it’s my favorite place in the world. The beach makes me feel so happy, and carefree. Part of the reason why I love the beach so much is because I am a swimmer. I’ve been swimming competitively for almost ten years now, so when I go to the beach, I feel like I’m at a meet getting ready to swim a race.

It’s amazing to see much people change over the course of one year. My littlest sister, Sydney is five now and I can still remember her first summer at the beach. She hated the sand so much; she wouldn’t even stick her toe in it. If the smallest grain of sand were on her, we would hear about it. She didn’t really like the water either. Now today, she swims on the swim team with me, and she loves the sand too.

My favorite moment at the beach is when I lay down in my chaise, with my feet in the sand and listen to my ipod. I get to do my two favorite things, plus I get a nice tan. Something about the sound of the waves crashing makes me feel so calm and relaxed. I also love the feeling of the sand beneath my toes and the sound of seagulls fighting over the last crumb of bread. Listening to my ipod combined with lying out on the beach is one of my favorite memories, and the best part is that I get to do it every summer of every year.

Things like my ipod are worth a lot of value to me because they are expensive, and it is also meaningful because it was a gift from my family. Things like the beach are valuable to me because the beach makes me happy, and you can’t put a price tag on happiness.

What is value? By Lindsay B.

“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” That is what Warren Buffet quoted and he has an excellent point. Different things have different values to different people. Some things have a great value in that they are worth a large sum of money and others can’t be found online or on the shelves of Macy’s. For me, the priceless moments that I get to experience everyday have the most value and I would take them over a pair of $1,300 shoes that I won’t wear again.

One of my most memorable times took place in July of 2006.

The sun was shining. The humidity was so unbearable; we didn’t know how much more we could take. I stepped out onto the freshly cut field to set up in the net. I tap the post with my shaft and get into my ready position. My coach is now riffling lacrosse balls at me until the referees call for the game to begin momentarily. I’m at the Ft. Devan’s lacrosse tournament with my summer lacrosse team. Any minuet now, we’ll be starting the most important 50 minutes of the day. A game that could qualify us for finals was about to take place. Long Island is our match and they aren’t going to just hand us a W for our record.

Everyone steps out onto the field after exchanging high fives and good lucks. My heart is pounding in my throat and I’m positive that my teammates are going through the same feeling. I was not about to let a whole summer spent practicing in the extreme heat let me down now.

The ball is placed between the two sticks at the midfield. Knees bent. Eyes up. Sticks ready. And then, the whistle is sounded. This is our cue to forget about everything else and focus on lacrosse for an hour.

A game of ping-pong is played with the ball going from us to them and then back again. Goals are scored by each team.

It’s a game of rapid fire for the goalies and I did my best to shut them out and for the most part, I do. Blocks are made left and right with the occasional ball slipping through to make the dreadful swoosh sound behind me. This is by far the most intense and well played game I’ve seen my team have all summer.

At the end of the first half, the Yellow Jackets are up by 4. Our coaches are encouraging and believe that we can do this. I’m very happy with my play as well as the rest of my team.

Gradually, our team came back so we were only down by 1 goal. A forward goes in to shoot and then, GOAL. Everyone is screaming and jumping for joy. It finally looks like w can pull this off. Now, the other coach is complaining to the ref saying that the goal didn’t count because we were off sides when we clearly were not. The ref listened to the other team and the goal didn’t count. Then because of the complaints from our team, Long Island got the ball at half field and they came down to score.

Unfortunately the game ended there and we did not qualify for playoffs. After the game, everyone was congratulating everyone on how well we played and I was happy to receive as many compliments as I did from my team, the other team, and spectators. Even though we lost, we played our hearts out and it was by far the best game of my life.

In addition to priceless moments, there are some objects that I own that I value. One of the best examples is my iPod.

As I trot down the sidewalk, ponytail bobbing and the constant tapping of my never stopping feet, I can hear the beat of my running playlist moving through my head. After the tedious amount of miles, I’m finally satisfied and I can now rest. I switch my playlist to “mellow” to calm me down a little bit. I use my iPod for instances such as this and so many more. When I’m in a good mood, I listen to my iPod to keep me staying up beat. When I’m in a tired mood, I listen to my iPod to relax me. When I’m angry, I listen to my iPod to distract me. I could go on with examples.

Music can impact your mood so much, it’s unbelievable and having an iPod just makes it easier to access. I love being in control of what I’m listening to and people can’t tell me to change the song or turn it down because I’m the only one who can hear it. I can take it with me anywhere because it is so small, it’s not a hassle.

My iPod happens to be lime green since that’s my favorite color. I have somewhere around 600 songs. The middle button sticks sometimes because I use it so much. I’ve gone through about three sets of headphones and I’m sure there will be more to add to the collection.

As you can see, these two things are very different but that’s part of the reason why I value them both so much. That lacrosse game gave me complete self-satisfaction while remaining un-cocky because we lost. It felt good to be noticed for my play. On the other hand, my iPod always puts me in a great mood and distracts me from boredom.

Value all depends on who you are. For me, I find the moments I spend with the people I love doing what I enjoy most are the most valuable thing in the world. I think sometimes society gets caught up in who has the latest designer hand bag instead of concentrating on the important things in life because soon they’ll be gone. I know what’s valuable to me but what do you value?

Value Essay by Lida H.

If you ask people at random what value is, you are bound to get many different answers. What is value though? How do we define value in a world like ours today? When you turn on the TV, radio, or go outside you see advertisements everywhere. Advertisements suggesting for you to get one thing or another and how it is a must have. I believe that value is much more than the latest technology, newest fashions, or this seasons top selling items. What do you think is valuable, and what isn’t?

I rush into the locker room with the time on my mind. “I have 20 minutes to change and get ready for the game” I say to myself. As we were waiting for our coach Tara to get to the school, I hear overhear girls saying how their day went and the latest gossip that’s going around school. We hear the rumbling of the bus as it gets closer to us. We all start to file in a line and prepare to get onto the bus and head out to our first field hockey game.

We arrive on the field and scope out Minnechuag, as they are warming up. With only a couple more minutes left before game we finish our warm up and get prepared for a hard but good game. The ref asks if each goal keeper is ready and then he blows his whistle, for the game to begin! The first half was tough but after the first 12 minutes I finally put the ball in the net. After that I felt an adrenaline rush and our team picked up the pace.

Half time finally came and passed quickly, we all filed back on the field ready to end this game with a win. Minnechuag scored a goal against us quickly in the second half. It was a disappointment to us but we kept our heads up. Finally with the last 10 or so minutes Sam McKenzie slapped one right past the opposing goalie. We jumped up and down for joy and excitement. Then next 10 minutes we all knew we had to play our best and tightest defense on them. Keeping the ball down at our offense was a must. The final whistle blew and we were all in such shock! We just beat one of the toughest team and they weren’t in our league. We all were so proud of each other and the great teamwork we had. It was games like this that made me love field hockey and my teammates.

I go through all the songs on my Ipod, running and tired but need something to motivate me and keep me going at a steady pace. Then I hear a fast pace song in my head phones and pushes me to go faster. My 4 GB silver Ipod Nano is much more than just another electronic. It holds all of my favorite music in which I can listen to whenever I please. It helps get me excited and pumped up for games. My Ipod also helps me relax before going to bed or whenever I just need to calm down. As you can tell my Ipod is of great value to me and I use it as much as possible.

I use my ipod when I run, for sports to pump me up, doing homework, and even just hanging around. It’s exciting when I just downloaded new songs onto my Ipod and can listen to it whenever without having to wait on the radio for it to come on. Which brings me to another reason I love it, I like how I can listen to whatever song whenever. I might be in the mood for an older song so that means I can just play it instead of having to hope that a radio station will play it.

My Ipod and game against Minnechaug provide me with the same feeling. When I think about them it makes me happy and glad that I have my Ipod and the memory of the game. My Ipod is of value to me because it gives me energy when I need it and it is always there to provide me entertainment. The memory of my game is a priceless value because no one can take away from me what I was feeling at the end of that game. I felt shocked and overwhelmed with joy and amazement. Together they are of great value to me and alone they are still valuable but each in a different way.

The memory of my field hockey game against Minnechaug is hard to compare with my 4GB silver Ipod. Both are very valuable to me but in different ways. Today the word value means different things to different people. In a world like ours where, advertisements are constantly competing against one another, how can we determine what is value? What do you consider to be valuable and what isn’t?

Value Essay by Kyle L.

In modern day society, value is discerned a lot differently than it was a long time ago. Today people take a lot of things for granted and don’t value the real important things in life. We may say that we really value our ipods, computer, or something else of numerical value. Nowadays, value is determined mainly by how much it costs. But if you really think about, way back when these kinds of things didn’t exist and people didn’t have much money, they valued things such as times spent with their family or watching the sun set. They didn’t have a whole lot of money to go out and buy something that would entertain them. Back, probably a few decades ago, value was determined not by the cost of something, but by the sentimental value it brought them.

I am no different than anyone else today about valuing most, something that had cost me a lot of money. To me, that thing right now is my computer. Before my family got an up-to-date computer, it was hard for me to get research projects done and I was also pretty bored when there was nothing on TV. Now, I use it almost every single day for homework that I don’t understand or to play games on. It is a Dell Home Edition with Windows XP. The model is Dimension 4600 and it is black. We have a normal size flat screen with adjustable bass speakers. It runs very smoothly, not too much lag and fits nicely on my desktop. The most fun I have ever had on my computer was when I first got it and was setting it up. Nobody else knew what to do so I tinkered with it and set up everything and it was a blast. My computer really helps make my life easier.

Although I do value items of numerical value, there are other things that are important to me. Something I value a lot that is priceless, are my friends. One in particular is Brandon Tetrault. I’ve been friends with him since third grade, when I really didn’t have any friends. I always enjoy hanging out with him after school and on the weekends. To one another, our houses are like a second home to the other. Some great times we’ve had together were when we would pull pranks on his mom and the time he caught this huge bass in the Mt. Holyoke College pond. It must have been over two feet long. By far, the coolest thing we ever did together was throwing a party at his house on his birthday. It was crazy, lots of people and all the adults in another room. Whenever we hang out, it’s a sure plan for fun.

My computer and my friends are both things that I value. If I had to choose one thing between the two of them, I don’t know what I would pick. Of course friends don’t have a cost and bring a lot of fun, and a computer allows you to surf the web, and you can chat with your friends online without having to leave your house. I guess I would choose my friends because compared to a computer, you can still chat with them, but in person, but you can also hang out and see a movie or whatever you and your friends do. Online on a computer, you can’t really do those kinds of things. The mind-blowing moments I have with my friends, like when I complete a mission on Halo 3 and unlock a new achievement, give me a great feeling that I can’t get rid of, are way more valuable to me than anything I could accomplish on the computer. I also don’t have to pay when I want to go to my friend’s house like I would for a computer game.

The way people consider and discern value today is a lot different than how it used to be. Using what I’ve been thinking about value, I’ve considered that value shouldn’t be recognized by how much something costs. It should be about what the object or feeling means to you. I value my friends over my computer not just because it seems like it should be the right thing to do, but because my friends are a lot more fun to hang out with than a computer.

I Want What is Priceless by Krista S.

When you look back at your life, many thoughts come to mind. Like, am I living an enjoyable life? Am I living my dreams? Are the possessions that I always wanted in my reach now? And some people the question arises, do I have enough “things” to satisfy me? But for myself the golden question is, what did I value most all my life? I may question what things are worth value and what things are priceless. And sometimes its hard to know value when everyone around you puts earthly items before what is of true value? Still who can truly defy what is “priceless”, ultimate value in a world of greed?

There are many objects that I hold dear, that have an exact dollar amount. One of my favorite items is my Baby Phat purse. I adore Kimmora Lee Simmons line of perfumes, clothes, and especially handbags. One of the purses that I have out of her collection is a big black leather tote. It is a pink flora color inside, it is adorned with jewels and gold. And as always has the signature Baby Phat cat on the front and as a charm on the zipper. It is most likely worth over $100 dollars, now that it has been used. I walk around in the mall with it proud and happy. Maybe even a little bit content with myself. Compliments start to fly, and that’s okay with me. My Baby Phat purse I value as a money item. Something I can put a price on.

Moments pass by every now and then that stick with us. Maybe a funny joke, a scary second, or proudest moment. Sometimes there are moments that happen every day that we can appreciate. Everyday there’s a moment that I come to that brings me joy. I love to write in my journal. I have many journals that I have written in over the years. I started writing poetry and songs when I was a young child, it was my favorite thing to do. I write mostly poetry and song lyrics. These times when I can sit down and write down any problem or worry I feel ecstatic! It’s my personal thoughts put down on paper that are overflowing out of my heart. There is no such feeling as this very one. This is most certainly a “priceless” moment, I would rather sit down and write in my journals than do most anything. I think it is a good way to speak my mind. I’m constantly buying new journals to write in. I’m always happy to finish a journal. This is something I value that you can’t put a price on.

Weighing the value and priceless, it’s a hard task to do. Many people think valuables are more important than the valueless. Meaning valueless as and item or moment that you hold dear, basically something that you can’t put a price on. Comparing my Baby Phat purse and my writing journal together I don’t think is very possible. My purse, I love. My journal, I love. Yes, my purse is an object, an accessory and my journal is an object still, but there is something different about the values of both. My purse is an ordinary purse, I guess, and if it were in a building that was being burnt down, I could replace it. My journal is my thoughts, my inspiration to write more, and maybe someday an income for me. I can’t ever replace that.

Now after comparing the two items, weighing the values is not that much of a challenge anymore. In honesty, I value my journal way more that my designer purse. My “Book of Me” as I have titled all of my journals. I hope that my poetry and songs can reach someone or help someone. Maybe give inspiration to others who want to write. I can look back at my writing and grow from it. My purse only offers an accessory to match outfits with. My journal offers so much more than that.

So the question comes back, what is valuable? How is value truly determined? In conclusion, value is anything you can’t put a price on. When your life’s over you can’t have your possessions and they don’t matter any more. You won’t need them, but the item or moment that is memorable and personal is valuable. This is how I determine value, my way of thinking. Value is determined by how much you love, “value “ that item or moment. What I value is every second I’m alive, every day I get to experience, even if it will be a bad day. I value my family, my pets, I value my values, morals, and my faith. I value past time spent with my deceased Grandmother and Great-Grandmother. And in this case I value my journal, and the wonderful time I get to write in it. What is of value, you may ask? Only you can define that in your own life.

Value Essay by Katie P.

In life many people have things that are valuable to them. They are the things that cost the most and what things would have a money value. No one really realizes that things don’t have to be worth something to be valuable. Things that you don’t have to pay for are sometimes worth more. The things that really matter though are the things that you have all the time and are always there. You should want those things right? Then why do we always have to have the best of what there is.

I am riding in the car down the same highway that I always do on the last week of July. I am so excited planning on having the time of my life. Lying on the beach and hanging out with my two best friends in Rhode Island. We turn the corner and I see the cottage. I know that cottage by the back of my hand. I have been going there since I was born. I love it there. Right on the beach and everything is just perfect. I am so excited for it to be finally be summer. I walk in the cottage and it is the same way it always is. I run up the spiral staircase and upstairs to see the cots in the same position that they had been in last year. I put my bathing suit on and wait for everyone else to get ready to go to Scarborough beach. The waves are just right and sometimes they are towering over you. The sun feels like it hits my body just right, as I lie on my towel hoping for the perfect tan. Every thing just feels right when I am there the sound of the waves, the smell of the beach. It is all just so relaxing I would want to stay there for ever if I could, but it is only for a week. I know that when it’s Friday I only have two days left and I want to just stay longer. I know that is why I probably value my time in Rhode Island.

My camera, I feel like I should have it all the time. I need it there to capture all the moments I have with my friends or with my family. The pictures that take up the 1GB memory card on my Kodak camera are the memories that I want to hold onto for ever. I can take videos and pictures with my camera. So when I am just hanging out with my friends and having fun I can just snap pictures of us just fooling around and being silly. The times on my camera are the ones that I know that I will want to look back on and do all over again. I value my camera so much because of this. I know that I might not be able to remember all the things that have happened when I am older. But when I look back on the pictures that are still on my camera or the ones that I have printed out I will know that some of the best times that I had were spent with my friends and family having fun, and having those times saved on my camera means so much to me. I am so glad that I can look back on those times and smile.

I value both of these things very much in my life. I look forward to going to the beach for that one week in the summer were I can just lay there on the beach. At the same time I value my camera too. I love to look back on the memories. It is also more convenient to look at than looking through photo albums. I don’t know which though that I value more. I know that when I go down to the beach I always have fun. I think though that I value my camera more. I think value it so much because it is always going to be there. The beach in Rhode Island though I am only there for a week in the whole summer. It means so much to me but when I think of all the times that I have spent with my camera. They add up to a lot more. These two things that I value are very important to me and even though I value my camera more, the two things are really different so it is hard to I had a hard time comparing and deciding which I value more. Thinking about the value of these two things though has really made me think of the things that I really value in life.