Pedro Zacharias
English 1311
Final EssayTrying To Change a Bad Habit
It is very important and safer to have a full tank of gas in your car at all times; it can avoid you a lot of headaches, such as being stranded in the middle of the road and not making it on time for that interview you had scheduled in advance. Having a full tank of gasoline will also protect your car from getting the engine dirty, and sometimes damaged, by the residues that accumulate at the bottom of the tank.
There are a lot of people who will wait until the gas tank is almost empty, or the car has completely stopped because it ran out of gasoline, to fill it up again. One of those persons is my sister; we share a car, but every time it is my turn to use it, the tank is completely empty. This problem has become very frustrating, especially when I forget her terrible habit and do not allow myself enough time or money for getting the tank filled up again.
Mr. Lino Martinez, my English teacher, gave to my class the assignment of writing an essay to persuade somebody about something; in this case I am persuading, or trying to persuade, my sister about a really bad habit of hers. I am taking the opportunity to show and state this problem in the written form so my audience can learn from it.
I decided to write this essay to let my sister know that her annoying habit, of not telling me with anticipation that the tank needs to be filled up again, is causing me a lot of problems and affecting me at school and at work. I have had to miss several classes when some homework or assignment was due and be late to work, a thing that can cost me my job if this problem persists.
I had asked her many times to please let me know whenever she will not have the time or the money to put some more gas. I also told her that a little note would help in case she does not see me, but I have not got any good results yet.
The purpose of this essay is to make her, and all the people who have this same horrible habit, more considerate and for one minute think about how they would like this to be done to them. I also want them to realize how this problem impacts the every day life of people who have to live under a schedule; people like me who have to be on time at particular places, such as school, and who do not like to miss a class because he had to stop to get some more gas.
One of the worst experiences I have ever had, dealing with this problem, happened last year. I planned to go to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque New Mexico. I was supposed to leave early in the morning; I had everything ready, but the car because my sister had to do several things and go to a lot of places the day before. I was so excited about going to Albuquerque that I left home without noticing the tank was almost empty. I drove for one and a half hours just goofing around and did not even glance at the control panel of the car to see how much gasoline the car had and if I needed to stop and put some more. Suddenly the car started dyeing, and I realized that it ran out of gasoline because, one more time, my sister did not have the courtesy of letting me know that the car needed to be filled up.
That spoiled my whole trip because I had to spend money, designated for my trip, on the towing company that assisted me on the road. I did not only miss part of the Balloon Fiesta, but I also had to find another hotel because my reservations were canceled.
Since that incident happened, I have been telling my sister over and over to stop doing that, but nothing has changed. That is why I beg her to put herself in my shoes and try to understand my position, and at the same time, work on that horrible habit of hers.
Now I have to wait and see if she changes, but until that happens, I need to be aware for the next time that I find myself surprised with an empty tank; that is why I learned to have my own supply of gasoline hidden at home just in case it occurs again. I hope this essay helps to solve this problem.
At the same time, I want people to realize that having a full tank of gasoline is good for their own security. You have to think that when you are not expecting it, you can get stranded in the middle of a dangerous neighborhood or maybe in the middle of nowhere, like I did when going to Albuquerque. Especially when you share a car, you are not only keeping yourself secure, but also the person you share the car with; so try to be more considerate.
