[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 23, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S453-S454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING FRANK HEMINGWAY

 Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, recently Frank Hemingway came to 
Washington, D.C. to be a part of the 2001 Inaugural activities. A 
student from Onate High School in Las Cruces, New Mexico, he was the 
winner of the Character Counts Task Force Contest for area high school 
students. To win this contest, Mr. Hemingway was required to write an 
essay dealing with his experience with one of the Pillars of Character 
Counts.
  Character Counts is a grassroots effort in New Mexico and on the 
national front. The Character Counts initiative strives to promote, in 
all aspects of American life, six basic pillars of good character: 
Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and 
Citizenship. I have actively worked to support New Mexico schools and 
communities that have embraced this initiative.
  Mr. Hemingway chose to write his on the Responsibility Pillar, and 
how being responsible has changed his life. I commend Frank for his 
smart choices and hard word.
  Mr. President, I ask that his essay be printed in the Record 
following my remarks.
  The material was ordered to be printed in the Record.

                   How Responsibility Changed My Life

                          (By Frank Hemingway)

       ``Hey bud! want to go to the movies tonight? I've got some 
     girls from across town going--I know I can get you a date.''
       ``No, maybe later,'' I answered to a typical offer from one 
     of my closest friends, ``It's a school night and I've got a 
     report that I need

[[Page S454]]

     to do before the big meet this weekend,'' I replied.
       Being responsible isn't always easy, but anything that's 
     worth while rarely is. However, I know from experience that 
     responsibility pays off.
       Responsibility is an active character trait--it is 
     something that must be demonstrated rather than just an 
     attribute that a person possesses. Being responsible means 
     putting impulsive actions on hold and making good decisions 
     based on sound judgment while keeping one's long term goals 
     in mind and acting accordingly. Following this approach to 
     responsibility has helped me maintain outstanding grades and 
     become an emerging leader to my team and classmates. Everyone 
     can and should be responsible to a certain degree and 
     accountable for their actions. A responsible person is 
     dependable, reliable, and trustworthy. Living with these 
     traits has opened up numerous possibilities for me and helped 
     me to further mature and become even more responsible.
       As a captain of my cross country team, I am responsible for 
     my teammates to a certain extent although they are still 
     responsible for themselves and we are all held accountable by 
     our coach. For example, I am responsible for locking up the 
     locker room and making sure that everyone knows about all 
     practice times. I must be dependable and reliable to fulfill 
     these duties and trustworthy so as not to abuse my authority. 
     These actions, in turn, allow me to set a good example and be 
     looked up to by my teammates as a positive role model. I have 
     become confident in myself as a result of being responsible 
     and have become able to handle additional responsibilities.
       I have increased my responsibility in my community 
     resulting from my experiences in a team setting. I am often 
     asked by my neighbors to take care of their houses and pets 
     while they are on vacation. I have done this for time periods 
     of up to five weeks! Doing this task takes discipline and 
     self control in making sure that the necessary duties are 
     completed without fail and whether or not I am in the mood 
     for the job.
       Successful instances of responsibility within my community 
     have led me to seek responsibility to my country. Having 
     recently turned eighteen years old, I upheld my national 
     responsibility to register with the Selective Service System 
     and was eager in becoming a registered voter. I have learned 
     that the significance of responsibility is that it grows 
     proportionally in that small responsibilities soon lead to 
     larger responsibilities, which is an essential part of 
     growing up. The circumstances in life are always changing, by 
     responsibility is always a good choice and responsibility has 
     continually changed my life for the better.

                          ____________________