English 201 essay

I would really appericate it if anyone could go through and check this paper for grammar, spelling, sentence structure, varied wording, consistent tense...and whatever else I didn't mention that is surely wrong with my paper.


The Sponson

The warship, the USS Carl Vinson was my home for over a year. The Vinson was more than just my home for truly it was my whole life, where I worked, slept, played, ate dinner, and every other imaginable thing. Stress runs high every day while on a floating island of steel, and finding a spot to call my own really helped me to work things out and keep my life in perspective. My spot on the Carl Vinson was the port sponson at 0600.

Most nights, late in the evening, I would sit out on the sponson, alone and in complete darkness, knowing that in just a moment the sky would be filled with the radiance of rising sun. I would watch in anticipation as the sun peeked over the horizon, and would stand in awe as the black night was consumed by the joie de vivre of dawn. The dark-departed depths of Davy Jones locker sparkled and shimmered like diamonds as they came to life with the start of the new day. If I was lucky, I would be joined by some playful sea life enjoying the first light with me, one of the few guests which I did not mind spending my mornings with.

As the night grew old, and first light of the day overtook the late evening, the sun would rise and warm my cold skin,. While on the sponson, I was at peace with the world. As the evening passed I would wait for her, and soon I began to feel as though she spoke to me.

After one particularly long and trying evening, I felt her try to tell me that everything would be ok. Without words, she told me to relax and take this moment and just look and listen. She showed me the abundance of life living the waters below. I just stood there blinking from the intensity of the light, leaning against the railing. Before I knew it the sky was orange and purple, and I saw her peeking over the horizon. I felt her warm touch and soothing light as it killed the cold night. I looked down in the water and I saw a school of fish swimming around looking for some food that had been dumped there earlier that night.

Lying in my rack that morning, waiting to drift into sleep, I thought about that morning’s sunrise and the fish scurrying about for some food. I thought about home and wondered what my friends and family might be doing at this very moment. I was able to sleep peacefully even though my life was hard and full of challenges.

Desolate and cold, the grey steel of the sponson may not seem like a good place for a retreat at six in the morning, but for me it was a place where I could escape the drudgery of ship life. That day, like most the days of that cruise, tested me, and pushed me to the limit.

As I reflect on my time spent at sea, I don’t so much think about all the bad times so much. Instead, I remember what the sea looked like as the sun broke through the night. I remembered the feeling of being all alone so early on the start of a new day. Of course, there was a lot more to remember, but somehow none of it seemed worth remembering. I would rather relive the moments I spent alone on the port sponson then any of the other crazy adventures that happened. For me, a sanctuary is the most important part of life. It keeps my life in perspective, and it gives me a place to myself, where I can reflect on what has happened during the day. Safe havens, like my sponson, can help me to move past emotional blocks, and deal with the problems in my life.