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Pictured above is a dish that I cooked that included Filet Mignon with mashed potatoes, a parmesan chip, and a port reduction. All the components of the dish are related to emotions encased within the memoir. The filet mignon can either be the star of the dish or the worst element, depending on how it is cooked. If executed properly it should be a perfect medium-rare, but if overcooked it can be a chewy disaster. Both Wes’s come from very similar backgrounds, like the cut of meat, but based on the decisions they made in their lives they ended up in two completely different places. One graduated from Oxford University while the other is serving life in prison. The mashed potatoes being soft and fluffy represent Wes’s mother, a sweet and caring soul who guided Wes on the path to success. As for the other Wes, he was missing this component that leads to poor decision making. The port sauce represents the blood and anger in the young men’s lives. The negative influences that overtook Wes’s life caused him to partake in illegal actions such as theft, gang involvement, drug-dealing, and worst of all, a shooting. The chip is hard and crunchy and represents the obstacles that both Wes’s faced throughout their lives. In the end, this dish is unique because two can never look exactly the same. As for the Wes’s they share a similar history but end up in two very different places.

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Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson is a suitable theme song for The Other Wes Moore, the memoir. After having a tough childhood, with exposure to the “street life”, Wes needed to change his attitude before things escalated further. Wes met a man at the military camp, Cadet Captain Hill, who played a significant role in changing his mindset and outlook on life: “In spite of myself, I was impressed. I had never seen anything like that before. I have never seen a man, a peer, demand that much respect from his people. I had seen Shea demand respect in the neighborhood, but this was different. This was real respect, the kind you can’t beat or scare out of people. This is when I started to understand that I was in a different environment (Moore 82).  Wes became so influenced by this black man in a position of power that he did not think ever existed, as he thought that all black people were “street people”, and for the first time, he felt like he was in a different place. It was at this point that Wes’s life really began to change for the better. The lyrics in the song Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson is an accurate reflection of the life of Wes Moore:

I'm starting with the man in the mirror

I'm asking him to change his ways

And no message could have been any clearer

If you want to make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself, and then make a change (Jackson 1988)

The message Michael Jackson was trying to convey is that to make a difference on the outside, you must start from within. After meeting Cadet Captain Hill, he realized that he too could achieve success in life, which made him want to “change his ways”. By looking at himself in the mirror, so to speak, he eventually realized that he needed to change his attitude to better himself and those around him. He did this by reflecting on why his family sent him to the academy, as an opportunity to reshape his identity and better his life. He also realized that in doing so he would end up making the world a better place. On the contrary, the other Wes Moore did no such thing. Although told by his family members that he needed to change to better himself and his lifestyle, he continued with his “selfish” ways.

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Violence and abstaining from violence is the common theme among two individuals, both named Wes Moore. Despite the fact that both Wes Moore’s grew up in similar areas in Baltimore, a highly populated city with gangs and drug dealers, only one found himself in their wrath. Wes Moore was often in trouble, skipping school, getting arrested for graffiti, but was never involved in violence. He eventually moved to New York, where he attended a prestigious school in the city, but it wasn’t until military school, that he changed his perception of his behavior.  As for the other Wes Moore, he was involved in the nonsensical act of selling drugs and participating in violence. He was convicted of attempted murder for partaking in the killing of Sgt. Bruce Prothero alongside his brother, Tony. In the quotation, “If you won’t listen that’s on you. You have the potential to do so much more, go so much further. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, right?” (Moore 72), Tony is yelling at Wes for involving himself in the crimes of the street. Tony himself, was involved in illegal street behavior which acted as an influence to Wes’s role as a drug dealer. Wes didn’t listen to Tony and therefore was caught in several more acts of violence. In the world today, violence is a serious issue. Many extreme acts of terror are occurring due to a very divided society. A prime example of said violence is the pro-Trump riot at Capitol Hill which consequently left 5 individuals dead. The riot was used to convey their disapproval of the ideologies of the competing Party. Leading up to the riot many supporters used chatrooms on various social media platforms as a way to organize the takeover of Capitol Hill. People were influenced to attend in support of the views and beliefs of their President, Trump. This was not an effective way of addressing their message, as it was an extreme act of violence. However, the rioters represented only a fraction of Trump’s supporters. He had millions of other supporters, that decided not to attend the riot as they did not believe in violence.

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The Other Wes Moore is a memoir with a shocking sequence of events. How could two young men raised in the same environment end up in two completely different places. It still comes as a shock to me how much we are impacted by others. Throughout the teenage years of both Wes Moore’s, “street life” impacted their behavior. With the guidance of his mother and grandparents, the one Wes was able to change his attitude that led to success in life.  He became a captain in the US army as well as a graduate of Oxford University. This memoir influences me as a young individual as it highlights the importance of the advice that parents can provide to their kids. Wes, growing up in poverty in the city of Baltimore, went on to achieve numerous accomplishments. This encourages me to be thankful for what I have been given and to always make the most of it. “...I found myself surrounded by people--starting with my mom, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, and leading to a string of wonderful role models and mentors--who kept pushing me to see more than what was directly in front of me, to see the boundless possibilities of the wider world and the unexplored possibilities within myself. People who taught me that no accident of birth--not being black or relatively poor, being from Baltimore or the Bronx or fatherless--would ever define or limit me” (Moore 179), a quotation said by Wes Moore himself that conveys the significance of trying to attain the best version of yourself. For Wes that took much advice from his family that guided him down the path to success. As for the other Wes who decided not to listen to the advice given to him by his family, he remained entangled in crime. What angered me was the decisions that he made in life. Although he grew up on the streets (gangs, drug dealing, etc.) he had many that cared for him. Both his brother and mother urged him to find other means of earning money. Wes deliberately chose not to listen and ended up making very poor decisions which ultimately lead to a lifetime in prison.

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Relationships play a huge role in one’s upbringing. How one is raised determines how one may act or view the rest of their life. In the memoir, The Other Wes Moore, relationships are the main factor in the revolting turnaround of Wes’s life who beforehand was impoverished and disobedient. Wes’s mother enrolled him in a military camp in consequence of his behavior. He attempted to run away several times and begged his mother to leave. His mother responded with: “Wes, you are not going anywhere until you give this place a try. I am so proud of you, and your father is proud of you, and we just want you to give this a shot. Too many people have sacrificed in order for you to be there” (Moore 81), as she wants a better future for Wes. Although he didn’t want to, he continued at the camp which had great success as he eventually became a paratrooper and Captain in the US Army. Similarly, to Wes, I made a poor decision which was also difficult to overcome. While in Hawaii, I took my father on a strenuous hike towards Waimano Falls. I was ignorant of all the potential dangers that revolved around my decision. We could have gotten lost, hurt, killed by animals, in trouble.  After a couple of hours of climbing, we were lost. My father was exhausted, on the verge of passing out. He could barely climb, but he preserved because he knew if he didn’t, we would be stuck in the forest without food or water in the dark. I prayed and asked God for forgiveness for all the distress I put my father through and asked Him to guide us out of the forest. Eventually, after 4 hours of tough trekking, my father and I made it out of the forest alive. Just as Wes was grateful for the sacrifices his family has made for him, I am thankful for God’s guidance out of the forest. This shows that even if we make bad decisions, Wes and I included, there are always people looking out for you.