While finishing
the reading “Orbiting Izzy”, one can become really disappointed at the
protagonist. Why is that? Well, the story is based on the autobiography of
Nancy Whiteley, which basically explains a certain period in her adulthood,
where she was influenced in a positive and negative way by two different men. Izzy
(her boss) taught her responsibilities, while Aldo (her husband) taught her how
to be a criminal by committing multiple credit card frauds. At the end of the
story, she goes to jail (for the second time) for committing credit card fraud.
In the story, the reader can see how hard it was and for how long she tried, to
avoid the negative influence that Aldo had already created within her.
Whiteley’s story,
is one that definitely many people can relate to. Maybe with different aspects
of their lives, but it’s relatable. For example, a person wants to start a diet
and spends ten days eating healthy, but since everyone else around the person
is eating junk food, the person on the eleventh day gives up and eats junk
food.
Or, when an alcoholic has been sober for a year and breaks his sobriety. All
of these derailments can be avoided, in my humble opinion, with three key
things. The first one being, having a good support group that encourages you to
follow your goal. Secondly, avoiding the persons who don’t support that goal.
Thirdly, have a very strong willpower. In other words, if you know what you are
capable of, and you have your goals and priorities straight, there is no person
that will ever derail you from the correct path.For my class, I had to do a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast two aspects of Nancy's short story, Orbiting Izzy. The two aspects I chose were Nancy's life when she was with Aldo, and her life when Izzy was her boss. With this Venn Diagram, you will have a better understanding of how both men influenced her life, in a positive or negative way.
In my opinion, in
Nancy Whiteley’s case, even though she had her sister as a good supporter, she
had no willpower. Her urge for a luxurious life was bigger than her urge to be free,
or maybe she simply didn’t think of the consequences. Also, in her defense,
maybe her love for Aldo blinded her from making the correct choices. I also
think that she didn’t acknowledge the good person she was, and the successful person
that she could have become, while working with Izzy or any other boss. With
this story, I learned that willpower is a thing that many people lack, and that
to lack willpower can sometimes get you in bigger problems than you should’ve
had.
