Desperado

Wanting the Things You Can’t Have

An Essay by: Harry Staley

Pine Point School

October 11, 2011

Do you find that nothing is ever good enough? When you want something that you think is better than what you have, you start to lose appreciation for what you do have. It is one of the worst feelings I can think of. Desperado, written by Don Henley and Glen Frey, is never satisfied with what he actually has. When you feel like this, you should think to yourself, “How would I be feeling if I didn’t have anything at all.”

M                     any of us have occasionally acted like Desperado? (We may have received a gift and acted very surprised, very ungrateful, even very selfish, but were disappointed because we expected something better.) (Anaphora) As time passes, maybe we lose the gift, or the person who gave it to us, and then realize how great it actually was. (It is not just gifts that we sometimes take for granted; it could be an opportunity, a chance, a problem or maybe a decision.) (Poly) It is hard to face these decisions and even harder to choose something that may not be the “coolest” thing, but might be the better choice. I have seen examples of this in sports. Often people try to make (spectacular) (F.A.S.T.) plays and fail instead of making a smart but less flashy play which may have worked. I have seen it happen when someone doesn’t make the smart play and they end up losing the game for their team or an opportunity for themselves. Similarly, if you are given chances to be happy and pass on them because there might be better chances down the line, you should ask yourself, “what if I don’t get another chance?” This is Desperado’s problem. There are many, “fine things laid upon your (his) table, but you only want the things you can’t have.”

In a book I once read, there was a boy named Brian, who took everything for granted until he was in a plane crash and was limited to only a few supplies and tools. (While he was stranded out in the middle of the Canadian woods, he had a lot of time to think about all of the wonderful things he had been given over the years, like games, and electronics, and opportunities, and family, and friends.)( poly) He also had time to think about how much those items mean to him. After a few weeks of being stranded in the woods, he started to want more than what he had. He started to take his tools for granted and wanting more than what was given to him. The more he took things for granted, the more he realized that he was all alone and there was nothing he could do about it. Once everything he had was gone, he panicked. He didn’t know what he would do without his tools, because he needed them to live. (At night he couldn’t see; in the day he couldn’t eat; and when he was thirsty he couldn’t drink.) (Anaphora) That was the last time Brian took any of these things for granted. The next time you take something for granted, or want something more (extravagant) (F.A.S.T.) than what you have, think about how you would feel with nothing at all. Desperado has failed to think about these things.

            I had heard the Eagles sing Desperado many times in the past, but I never really thought about what the song meant. After hearing it many times and relating it to people, I understand the song pretty well. I now think about what I have and about the things I don’t have. I have come to realize that I actually have quite a bit, and I don’t need much to satisfy me.

Self-assessment:

1. One writing issue I am continuing to work on is making sure I am staying on topic.

2. On strong point I see in this writing is how the whole essay seems clear.

3. One week point I see in my writing is that i always need to keep an eye on my punctuation.

4. Self-grade- B