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In storytelling, we are always interpreting. We attach personal meaning to some details and ignore others. We have to do this; we couldn’t possibly take in everything that happens around us and we couldn’t make sense of our lives if we tried to remember all the details. For one thing, storytelling requires a reduction from the original event; for another, we typically relate our experience from our own first-person perspective.
For this exercise, choose one of your two memory narratives and reformulate it from the perspective of a third-person observer. Think about how a screenwriter might compose a script to guide a cinematographer in shooting this account of your experience as a scene in a movie. Include as much objective, sensory detail as you can in 500 words or less.
Submit your response before midnight Wednesday. August 28. Before class, post a brief, substantive response to the person who posts immediately after you.
5 years ago, Emilie was playing in a softball tournament in Union City, Pennsylvania. Emilie mentioned the pain in her shoulder, but it was clear to see the pain in her pitching. Her pitching speed had been going downhill tremendously since she started complaining about the pain. After every pitch she threw her face got this awful look on it. It looked as though she was pushing too hard to pitch. Sometimes it even got to the point where you could see her go into the dugout after an inning and shed a couple of tears. Emilie has been traveling and playing softball since she was young. Throughout this time, you would never hear her complain about anything other than the occasional soreness. At this tournament in Union City, her coach walked up to her and Emilie’s mouth fell wide open. Not knowing what her coach was saying, Emile’s expression made it seem as though she was shocked by what the coach had just said, except no one knew if it was good or bad. She hadn’t been pitching the last couple of tournaments due to her complaining about her shoulder. When the first inning started, she walked up to mound and started warming up. By the final inning, you could see that the Dirt Devils were up and won which was odd due to the normal pitcher, Alana, not being the one pitching. Alana was the one who usually won the tournaments with pitching. During the awards after the game, the coaches were calling all their players up one by one to put medals on them. They skipped Emilie though and no one knew what was going on. After they went through the rest of the team, both coaches went up to the microphone and they, and the players, all started crying. Why was everyone so upset? The head coach gave a speech about how this was Emilie’s last tournament before getting shoulder surgery. Emilie was bawling but was it sad tears that she’d never play again? Or was it happy tears that she was able to contribute to the win of the last tournament she will ever play in?
I’ll be talking again about my road-trip adventures which I posted previously about in the Personal memory narrative #2 assignment, choosing this narrative because it’s much more recent and therefore more vivid.
Sitting in the co-pilot seat of a white minivan approximately 5 hours deep into a road-trip, a teenaged boy talks among his relatives in the vehicle. Some are tired and asleep while others are occupied by the phones or conversation. As discussion begins to fade, however, new stimulation is audibly requested so that the driver might stay attentive. The boy connects his phone to the car’s speakers and the occupants of the vehicle begin conversing through music. Rain – Dragon. I Only Watch It For the Weather – The Delegates. Never Ending Song – Conan Gray. idwtgtbt – the booyah! kids. Zombie – The Cranberries. Paper Rings – Taylor Swift. Burnin’ For You – Blue Oyster Cult. Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac.
Songs play and the people are attentive. The corners of the boy’s mouth are now turned up, quickly scrolling on his phone for the current song, saving it for later. His head, bobbing in time with the tapping of his shoe. He turns to the back of the car, asking for the next title.
I like how you started it off with no one being attentive, and then turning it to how everyone was interested with the music. Me and my family are the same way. We always enjoy listening to music when on road trips together. Although, our families do not listen to the same music. My family listens to Hypnotize- The Notorious B.I.G., Hocus Pocus- Insane Clown Posse, Stan- Eminem, and Santa Monica- Everclear. We all enjoy pretty much the same taste of music, and it is happy to see the whole family singing along to the same song.
It was a gloomy afternoon as dark clouds opened the sky to beating rain. Marissa and Zachary announced they were going to go outside to play. Despite the weather being so dull, they seemed to make the best of the situation with a make-believe game of survivor. As they padded into the garage with bare feet and soaking wet clothes, I watched as they gathered stools, buckets, and other various materials to take beneath the big tree in the backyard. When they had returned with all of the items, Marissa began to set up camp, placing their items in a well-arranged order, almost as if she were furnishing a home. Meticulously she arranged the old Folgers containers and small stool tables to create their “home” during the storm. Zachary meanwhile decided to stomp in puddles, splashing mud up from the ground. After the two had been outside for some time, I noticed them make their way back towards the garage, only to come out a short time later with a can of some sort. Upon further reasoning, I had realized it was one of the cans of sardines I had stacked on the shelf. Much to my entertainment I watched as my two grandchildren sat underneath a tree in the pouring rain eating a can of sardines and mustard. Not long after, they trekked back up the hill to the door and inside the house. Giving them towels and warm clothes, I was happy to see them back inside the house after freezing in the rain.
This sounds like a really fun but odd adventure that you would read out of a novel of some kind, from the imaginative and fun play in dreary conditions to the unusual food choice of sardines and mustard. From the outside perspective of what I assume would have to be your grandmother, it’s clear as to why this is a notable and happy memory, and the emotions that I infer from your 3rd person perspective would have to be explorative and carefree.
Around six years ago, Riley, her grandmother, and her little brother ventured off on a trip to rural Oregon to meet their estranged uncle. As the airplane lifted off the tarmac, Riley wondered what it would be like to see a different part of the world for the first time. Confined to the suburbs of Northeast Ohio, she had never experienced the vast beauty of Oregon. After meeting her uncle and his immediate family, she was ready to explore with them. After seeing the outstanding view at Multnomah Falls, Riley found herself wanting to explore more of the Pacific Northwest. The next morning, Riley and her newfound extended family took an RV trip to Clear Lake. As Riley exited the vehicle, she was astounded. The water at Clear Lake was unlike anything she had ever seen. True to its name, it sparkled as the sun shone all the way through to the bottom. The crystal clear freshwater flowed directly from the mountain that laid atop the lake, Sand Mountain. The view of the mountain overlooking the water was majestic. It looked like it came straight from a painting. But here she was, seeing it with her own eyes. After spending two days paddling through the clear water, hiking through the vast forest, and spending the nights peering at the millions of stars in the night sky, it was time to return back home. Even though this experience was short, it lived rent-free in Riley’s mind. She wondered how a view like that could become a normal experience for her. It seemed impossible, especially with her place of residence. She still dreams of the clear, dazzling water and powerful mountain, and hopes that one day she will again travel to a new and exciting land.
Riley,
Through reading this from a third person perspective, I can tell that you really enjoyed this experience. The describing words and phrases of the locations you visited create an optimistic attitude and sense of wonder. It also creates the idea of exploration and a desire to live free. It makes me think about rural homes surrounded by nothing but nature for miles. I hope that you get to experience these places again in the future as expressed in the writing!
The sun was hot and beaming down on the softball field of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was the perfect day for a game. However, back in the hotel before game time, Gina was frantically rushing around the find all of the parts of her uniform. Once she managed to put on her blue and white uniform and buckled her belt, she looked at herself in the mirror with teary eyes, unsure of how to feel. When Gina arrived at the field and began to warm up, her posture said it all. Hunched over and dragging her feet, she looked like she was sick. Her teammates kept approaching her, asking her if something was wrong and every time she went to answer them, the words seemed to disappear and be replaced with teary eyes. Then, as she warmed up her pitches, balls were flying left and right, really anywhere besides the catcher’s glove. Gina would take a deep breathe each time the pitch went wild, trying to regain some control. When the head coach went to talk with Gina, telling her she was pitching the game, her head fell. It was like there was an invisible rain cloud over her head and she was getting poured on. When the coach told the team that they were the home team, Gina took a deep breath and said a little prayer before walking to the mound. If you thought her warmup was bad, you should’ve seen her in the game. Pitch after pitch, batter after batter, Gina’s pitching seemed to grow worse and worse. Not to mention, her body language giving it away about the kind of mentality she brought to the game that day. After what felt like an eternal game, Gina’s team lost a whopping 8-2. Every girl was teary-eyed, with shoulders shaking as they walked through the good game line. For Gina, it was especially difficult to hug her teammates goodbye knowing she would not play with the girls she grew to love again. As she took one last look at a field all so familiar, Gina walked away as if there was a weight, or in this case, a cloud lifted off of her shoulders.
Gina, I love all the descriptions you used to make me feel like I was there with you! As someone who’s had rough days in sports, I completely understand that feeling and you described it very effectively. Even though we all have bad days, I hope you didn’t let one game hurt your perception of yourself. Leaving our teammates and friends is one of the hardest things we have to do while growing up, so your sadness throughout the day was completely reasonable.
In 2019, Sydney joined her high school marching band for the first time in her life. It was the night of her school’s first band night, which would be her first performance ever. When Sydney marched out to the stadium with the rest of the band you could see the excitement that she had just in the way she walked. She was strategically placing every step she took while looking at the people on either side of her to make sure that she blended in as much as she could. Leading up to her performance, she continuously had a grin on her face that stretched from both of her ears. This smile would soon be wiped away in seconds when she had to line up on the field. All her strutting confidence vanished, and her eyebrows squished together trying to hold back tears from her eyes. It was easy to see her instrument shaking and assume that she was about to break down. Her face turned paper white and then rushed to red, right as the director’s whistle blew. Her face then went blank, showing no signs of emotion, but her body kept shaking. She remained this way throughout the entire performance, until the final song. Sydney was continuing the routine, until there was a fatal error from the entire section that led to one section colliding with another. There was a jumbled mess of performers on the field with Sydney in the middle, her blank expression was lost immediately. Her mouth was open as wide as her eyes were, as she looked around, presumably to figure out what had happened. Her section ran to their final spots and Sydney followed with tears in her eyes. Her face stayed red with tears for the rest of the performance. When the performance ended, Sydney and her section hugged tightly. The band director spoke to them and Sydney’s face turned back to a normal color and dried up. She was left with half of a smile that partially hid the previous emotional breakdown.
Sydney…Wow! Although this was a scare, your storytelling is incredible. I truly felt like I was right there with you during the performance. I cannot imagine the amount of bravery you had to go out and perform in front of that many people. I can relate to the excitement you felt that turned into worry as I share a similar experience during my cheer competition. Even though the performance did not go as planned, I am glad you ended up with a partial smile. I hope your other band nights were a success leaving you filled with happiness.
In sophomore year of high school, Briana quit playing volleyball. This was a turning point in her life, because up until then, it was all she knew. Volleyball was her life. If she wasn’t at school or at home, she was on the court. Even though she loved this sport dearly, she realized it wasn’t a good fit for her anymore. What made her realize this wasn’t another sport, but it was joining the drama club. When she stepped onstage in costume as a fork in her high school’s production of Beauty and the Beast, she knew that it was time to hang up her kneepads. Briana found herself not missing volleyball. In fact, she found herself preferring to be at rehearsal instead. Sharing the stage with her castmates and friends made her realize that this is where she belonged. She felt that she fit in far more than she ever did playing volleyball. Something just never felt completely “right.” Sure, she loved playing and had friends, but she never felt close to any of them. There was always a disconnect. When she danced and sang on stage with her castmates, that disconnect was never there. It was almost seamless, how well she fit in with the others, despite her lack of dance experience. Looking back on this experience, she will always be grateful that she put herself out there, because the memories she made on stage are some that she’ll remember forever.
Hi Briana! Your descriptions in this story really help me feel the way that you were feeling in this time. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to give up something that you loved to try something new. I am sure you were probably scared that nothing would fill the void that volleyball once did. I enjoyed the wording that you used to describe how easily you fit in with the other people in the drama club. This reminds me of a time in my life, where I was cut off from some of my old friends, eventually this ended up with me finding ones that I am even closer to. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices to find things that better suit us than before. I am glad that you found happiness in drama club, I hope that you find something that makes you just as happy in your college journey.
This is a take on my story from narrative two, as I could include the part of me quitting dance, knowing I would now be going to basketball.
As I have seen Ashley before, she did not seem as happy as usual. Whenever she would walk into practice I remember it clear as day, she would always start stretching early with a smile on her face while chatting to her friends in the class. Today was different in the sense that she almost looked like she may have been sick with a ghastly look in her face. Specifically today, she seemed to give an uneasy look to her teacher as she dragged her feet whilst walking over. Her eyes glanced at the ground until the time she reached her teacher. At this time she slightly paused before speaking the words she never thought she would have said, “Mrs.Andrea, I will not be continuing dance after this year.” Ashley glanced around fast to see if any one of her classmates heard her, and most gave a shocked look back. Her teacher on the other hand pulled her aside and had a deep chat with her for about fifteen minutes of class. Once Ashley came back in the room, her expression had changed in the sense that she had a calm walk and steady breathing, no more glances at the floor or ghastly looks. Her teacher announced to the class she would not be attending classes anymore after the last recital. Her classmates walked over to her slowly and started the sequence of hug giving and well wishes. Ashley walked away knowing the decision was now made and there was no looking back, only going forward towards her new goals.
Hi Ashley! Your story is very similar to mine, as we both wrote about quitting a sport to move on to something else. I love how you described the reactions of your classmates when you said that you were quitting dance. You were very descriptive, and I felt like I could visualize the situation. The tension when you first said it, and then the relief when you were met with hugs and well wishes. I especially like your last sentence, because I relate to it a lot. You describe having made peace with your decision, which is important in order to move on and make new memories in your new adventure.
Chaeli was so excited for her second to last middle school concert, that as she prepared her family got tired of hearing her practice her part repeatedly. She was so excited that she got the only solo of the Christmas concert that year so she knew that she had to come prepared because it is the biggest concert of the year and knew that many would get to hear her sing during this special time of the year. However, she was unaware that this charismas concert would be her last concert of the year due to a global pandemic that would be known as COVID 19, would hit just a few months later cutting her school year short. During the concert when the choir was singing “Carol of the Bells” Chaeli got ready to sing her solo, she had the last few lines of the song, and even through the intense nerves that she had she still went and sang her part. After she did her part, she went back to her spot to get ready to sing, however as she got back to her spot Chaeli was in such a moment of bliss after hearing the applause that she went through the rest of the concert on a sort of autopilot if you will. Once the concert had come to an end Chaeli went to meet her friends and family that came to support her, and the moment that she found them she knew that this special moment would a moment she would never forget.
Hi Chaeli! I really enjoyed reading this as it made my heart feel for yours with such a blissful moment. I understand the feeling of going on some kind of autopilot after doing something well, it makes the whole experience so much more reviving and you can finally relax after the big solo. You also did a great job with the emotions of yourself and describing it to the readers, or me who can relate to the piece overall! I am really happy this became one of those core memories you can never forget and a good experience to look back on!
Madison was so excited to run down the stairs Christmas morning. She woke up bright and early in the morning and sprung out of bed to wake her brother. She and her brother had to wait on the stairs until their parents called them downstairs. This had been a Christmas tradition for years. They impatiently waited to hear their names called. They were unable to sit still until they were finally told they could come downstairs. The first thing Madison saw when she turned the conner at the bottom of the stairs was a big pink Barbie Dream House. Her eyes were wide with excitement. She ran immediately to the toy house and started to play, unbothered to open other gifts. Before breakfast, Madisons grandparents arrived at her house for Christmas brunch. Madison ran up to her grandpa and greeted him with a huge hug. She pulled him into the family room to show off her gift. She handed him a Barbie to play with and her grandpa laid on the floor next to her to play Barbies. She had a humongous smile the rest of the day.
Hi Madison, I think you did a great job of describing your story and how many other children feel on Christmas Day. me and my family have a similar tradition of not being able to come into the room with the presents until my patrons said so, it was cool to hear others have that same tradition. You did a great job of describing your emotions in a third person point of view and I really enjoyed reading this!
When Carmela was going into her sophomore year of high school, her older sister, Sophia, was starting her first year of college at Case Western Reserve University. In the few years leading up to her leaving, the two sisters had grown closer than ever. They would go out for ice cream together, watch movies in their basement, and be there for one another every day. Sometimes Carmela would come home from school and go straight to her room, only leaving her bed to grab her backpack to start on her schoolwork. She looks up when she hears the door open, bags under her eyes and a half smile on her face, when she sees Sophia coming in to check on her. She never overwhelmed her with hugs and “It’s gonna be okay”s, she came in to have a comforting and encouraging conversation. Whether it was busy schoolwork, dance team drama, or one of their parents yelling at them, they were there for each other. She always had the right words to say. But there were always more good days than bad, when Carmela and Sophia would go out with their parents for a fun day downtown Pittsburgh or to visit extended family. Through all of this, Carmela had gotten so used to having Sophia by her side through it all that when she finally left for school, loneliness set in. No longer did she have a built-in best friend to hang out with at all times or a shoulder to cry on. Carmela would try to facetime her at least once a week to catch up, but most times they were fruitless conversations. Chit chat. “How are classes going?”, “What plans do you have this week?”. Although Carmela’s face lit up when she got to see her sisters face and hear about the fun things she had been doing, when the call ended, her smile faded and she was back to reality. She was in her room, alone. Of course her parents checked in and asked how she was and if they could do anything, but it simply wasn’t the same.
Hi Carmela!! Thank you for sharing your story! It was really interesting to learn how close you and your sister are! I can totally relate to your story. My brother is three years older than me, so when he left for college, it was a huge adjustment to be the only one left in the house with my parents. I get your feelings about how it was not the same after they leave. I hope you and your sister were able to stay close and that you enjoy the time with her when she is home!!
In 2019, Zoe and her sister, Amber had gotten out their wisdom teeth together just a few weeks before Thanksgiving. When Zoe started to wake up from the procedure, she looked out of it and confused. She was looking around the room and feeling her face. She tried to get up from the chair almost passing out and falling immediately. Her parents had to help her get into the car. She went home and put some ice on her face and went back to sleep. The next day, some of Ambers friends came to check up on her. They also came in and said hi to Zoe. As they were talking, making jokes about how swollen Zoe and Ambers faces were, every time they would laugh and Zoe and Amber would too, they would grab their face. They seemed to be in pain by the look on their faces and tears coming out of their eyes. After the weekend was over, they had to go back to school. Although Ambers face looked like it was healing, Zoe’s was continuing to swell and bruise. Zoe went to school and was constantly asked by teachers and friends if she was okay because of how bad her face looked. She then left school to go back to the doctors, where he had to pry open Zoe’s mouth, making her cry in the pain to get rid of the infection she had gained. After a few more days, Zoe’s face had started to return to normal and hurt less and less as the days went on, until she was normal again.
Hi Zoe! Your story telling is so great that I can feel my mouth hurting right now. I also got my wisdom teeth removed, and although it was pretty painful, I can’t even imagine how bad it hurt when it was infected. I’m glad you had lots of friends visit you to lift your spirits and also have your sister right there in it with you!
It was not until Quinn’s 10th grade year that he came face to face with an actual football game in their high school. Due to the pandemic, the home stands have only been comprising of a player’s immediate family members of the football team and the marching band. However when the kickoff of that first game against Hilliard Davidson happened during his sophomore year, Quinn was slashed with awe. The game was so much special and symbolic, to say that Covid-19 was (to some extent) beatable. When they entered the field, Quinn for the first time saw the stands packed for high school football game ever. Considering that there was not much expected from them in the previous year, the sight of everybody on the home side, and a full student section, cheering them on thrilled him almost as much as the actual success of the team. While talking to trumpet mates during pregame, Quinn figures out that they are up against a team from Columbus. During halftime, one of his good family friends who was the tuba captain for the other band had a conversation with him. It was quite touching to see that many friends and faculty members coming to support the game. In fact, the encounter felt monumental even though it was just a high school football game. The Covid slump had masked all this sense of community and enjoyment of high-school education, both in and out of the classroom. Quinn could only pray that nothing like that would occur again in the future.
Hi Quinn! I really enjoyed reading your post and related to it as I played volleyball in high school and when people were allowed back the excitement it brought to see the stands full was something special. I really like how you described his feelings with the word awe and the feelings of others as well. This seems like a very important memory for you, and I can understand why.
A young girl wonders around outside desperately trying to find a cure to her boredom. As she wonders a peculiar tree catches her eye and a thought pops into her head. She decided to build a blanket fort in the tree. She rushes inside, grabbing all the blankets and pillows she could find. As she returns to the tree she is filled with excitement over her seemingly genius idea. She starts wrapping the blankets around the branches tying them together. As she is building her smile fades as the feelings of defeat and sadness sweep over her. Her build had collapsed. She fights through the defeat and tries again and again until the build was perfect. Finally having her fort ready she climbs into her spot but something didn’t feel right, she decides that it’s because she needed snacks. She hops down and runs inside packing up a bag of snacks and returns back to her fort. The girl climbs back up into her spot and enjoys her snacks, but something still doesn’t feel right. Deciding that it was because she needed her tablet to watch some shows, so she hops down and runs back inside. Returning to her fort she hops back up, but the off feeling hasn’t gone away, so she runs back inside grabbing everything she could think of possibly needing. She once again returns finally getting comfortable in her spot. As the time passes, she starts to notice little black ants crawling all around her. Her eyes widen and she is overcome with fear. She hops down and the feelings of sadness return as she tears apart all of her hard work. Defeated she goes inside and the boredom creeps back over her.
Hello Abby! I really enjoyed reading your post because I myself use to love making blanket forts in my treehouse during quarantine. It was my way of connecting with my best friends who I was neighbors with. It was so fun whenever I would spend the night in the treehouse, listen to “Lil Baby”, and talk about the normal life that was still to come at that time. Thank you for the heartwarming nostalgia!
About five years ago, Kalea was sitting at her graffitied desk in her wildly decorated intermediate school classroom in her small hometown outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her classroom was rather complex, being that her classroom and another were the components of one bigger room, which was shown when the wall divider was removed. On this particular sunny day, her teacher and the teacher on the other side decided to take down the wall allowing all of the students, which came together to form their academic “team,” to have recess together. Recess in Kalea’s grade mainly consisted of all of the different cliques playing with slime, trading pokemon cards, or talking about class crushes. But, beyond all of the roar in the classroom, Kalea couldn’t help but notice a new face who was not participating in the common cliquiness of recess. This sight gave Kalea the idea that the seemingly lost girl was new in her town and didn’t know anybody. But little did Kalea know the upcoming interaction was the passageway to the wholest friendship she would ever know. The new girl in question was super pretty, wore all the clothes Kalea wished she had, and had even already been talking to some of the people Kalea talked to on a daily basis. So lacking any negative thoughts, Kalea felt the urge to introduce herself. She took a deep breath, as she was an anxious girl, and began to approach the new, beautiful student she had noticed. While again, Kalea was not the first person to introduce herself to the new girl, but she was the only person who meant forever with the words, “Wanna be my friend?” Ever since this day of new beginnings, Kalea and Victoria have been beyond inseparable. They have grown so close together that others confuse them for sisters, and now they even go on each other’s family vacations. Kalea’s mom would take her on shopping sprees in order to allow the trendiest upkeep of Victoria’s fashion, and Victoria’s mom would take Kalea to her favorite lunch spots. In the present day, they have gotten their first jobs together, and always fill each other in on all the new, exciting things going on in their lives. If Kalea hadn’t grown the courage to talk to the new pretty girl across the room, she would not have grown to be exactly where she wanted to be today. Despite the fact that Kalea and Victoria are now at different universities in different states, like they once were before it all, they both believe that they will never see life on the other side again. To this day, this is one of Kalea’s fondest older memories, as well as one of the most important ones when it comes to differentiating Kalea from anyone else.
Hi Kalea! I really enjoyed the style that you wrote your post in. Your description of Victoria really painted a picture of how she looked in that moment for you. It’s also really nice that you can remember meeting your friend so fondly. I have had many conversations with my friends trying to figure out when we actually meet each other and when we became friends. All I know is that they just showed up one day and we were friends somehow.
Grandma sat upon a blanket in front of the grand Cinderella Castle waiting for the rest of the family to return. The five of them approach happily because they know the long day of walking has come to a break. Mother pushes toddler in stroller while father holds the refreshment in a comically large cup. The older of the two boys, Luke, has bags under his eyes and uncaringly slumps down in front of grandma. He gets restless after eventful and especially humid days like this. As the sun falls, the castle bursts into bright depictions of animals from the Lion King as Tinkerbell orchestrates the scene. As the show goes on, Luke casts impatient glances toward his brother who wields the soda. Sat with his knees up to his chest, he holds on to the last of his sanity. The fireworks ablaze, chatter of bodies all around, the night is coming to an end. Luke finally snatches the cup and unknowingly takes a sip of the remnants of what used to be a full cup. His lips the color of Sully, he succumbs to the dehydration which sapped the last of his energy. The family heads back to the tram transportation. Father with arm around the older son leads him into the compartment. With all feeling lost and only worse sensations to succeed, the boy pukes onto the floor of the public transportation, and the bed could have been a rock as the boy slept.
Hi Luke!
With the way you wrote this, I can clearly imagine how utterly exhausted you were during your long day at Disney. Especially as young as you were. I can also imagine the defeat you felt as you desperately needed a drink, and it being mostly gone. It’s extremely unfortunate that you threw up on the public transportation, but I can only imagine how careless you were in the event that all you wanted was to go to bed. The amount of exhaustion you encountered seems rough, but I am sure this is a very memorable thing for you regardless of the outcome, as you spent this time with the people you loved most.
It was around 5 years ago when Connor was playing soccer for his high school team, the Black Tigers. The game that his team was currently playing, was one for the books. Both teams were making a major effort to win, going neck and neck; nobody was sure who was going to come out on top. Connor was in goal, and seemed stressed while he was not being pressured on the field, pacing his steps back and forth across the 18 yard line, as if he was contemplating something. It would make sense to be stressed in a situation like this, seeing as a goalkeeper, it is their duty to keep the other team from scoring; the last line of defense. In the final minutes of the game however, one of the defenders on the Black Tigers, fouled a player on the other team, just outside of the 18 yard box. With the game being tied, and very little time left; it was crucial that they stop this attempt to score to stay in the game. The kick seemed to be at a bit of an angle to the goal, and Connor seemed to be setting up his wall to cover the back post. At the same time however, it could be noted that the Black Tigers coach was screaming in the direction of Connor, nobody could be sure of wether the coach was yelling at him or somebody else, seeing as he was much too far away. However, Connors expression quickly turned sour, so it could be assumed the screaming was directed at him. Connor then seemed to reposition himself on the opposite side of the goal than where he was initially positioned. The other team lined up for the kick, shot it, and scored, into the bottom right of the goal; in the same spot Connor was originally positioned. Connor looked furious, throwing his hands in the air in the direction of his coach and yelling things nobody could make out. A few teammates ran over into his direction, and hugged him and seemed to be reassuring him, attempting to calm him down. Though all of that was happening with Connor, not many seemed to notice since many of the people on the other team were busy celebrating their assured victory now. Very shortly after the referee blew the whistle, and the game was over.
Connor I could vividly picture your narrative. If I were in that situation I would have been felt so empty afterwards. Don’t blame the player blame the coach. Being goalkeeper is the hardest position emotionally. The ball hopefully never comes close, but one has to constantly be ready for it. When that time does come it is either a small victory or a detrimental loss. I used to play soccer growing up and was a defender for the most part. Having the ball go by was unfortunate but the goalie ultimately received the negative affects of the situation. I am glad you expressed this story showing the real time thoughts in this crucial moment.
It happened around ten years ago when Luke sprayed himself in the eyes with Windex. Luke’s dad had just turned on Revenge of the Sith. Luke being only 8 years old was prohibited from watching all the parts of the movie. He turned to his father, trying to plead his case. He explained that he was mature enough to be able to watch the entirety of the movie. His dad on the other hand felt that Luke was far too young to be able to watch the entire thing. This did not make Luke happy. In fact, it made him angry. He looked around, wanting to cause destruction. As he looked around, he noticed there were two other people in the room with him and his dad. Those people were his mother, and his grandfather. Luke looked at the TV, then underneath it on the shelf. That was where he saw it. A fresh bottle of Windex. This is what he would use as his weapon of mass destruction. He grabs the bottle with anger and spite in his movements, he clearly has intention to use the bottle for evil. once he gets his hands on the bottle he decides what he must do. He thinks he must spray everybody in the room. He aims it at the person closest him, his father, and pulls the trigger. A mist of chemicals sprays out of bottle onto his father. Not satisfied, Luke turns to the next person, his grandfather. He repeats his previous action. Though he has already sprayed two people, he isn’t done yet. He turns the bottle on himself, looking at the red tip from where the chemicals will come. He knows what he must do. He pulls the trigger and the mist sprays into his eyes. He drops to the ground in agony, regretting everything. Eventually the pain subsides, and Luke has learned his lesson.
Luke, I personally think that Revenge of the Sith would have been a great movie to watch at 8 years old. I have also never heard of Windex being used as a weapon on other people, much less oneself hahaha. I’m glad that nothing horrible happened to your eyes after spraying chemicals in them because that would be a horrible thing to happen at such a young age, and it is fortunate that all you took from that situation was a learning lesson.
Aziz had always lived in a small town, so when he moved to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, about six years ago, it was a huge change for him. The city, with its tall buildings, busy streets, and countless people, was unlike anything he had ever known. At first, everything seemed amazing. The excitement of being in a big city filled him with a sense of adventure. But when his father took him to his new school and soccer team, that excitement quickly turned into nervousness. Aziz had always been a shy boy, and suddenly being surrounded by so many new faces was overwhelming. In the beginning, he felt lost. The school was much bigger than the one he had attended back home, and the soccer team was full of players who seemed more confident and skilled than he was. The unfamiliar environment made it hard for Aziz to feel comfortable, and he found himself missing the simplicity of his old life. Despite his love for soccer, even practice sessions felt daunting. The noise of the city, the fast pace of life, and the pressure to fit in weighed heavily on his young shoulders. Days turned into weeks, and Aziz’s anxiety didn’t seem to fade. He kept to himself at school and on the soccer field, struggling to connect with the people around him. But slowly, things began to change. One day after soccer practice, a teammate invited him to hang out after school. Hesitant but hopeful, Aziz accepted the invitation. That afternoon, he realized that these new people weren’t as intimidating as he had thought. They were friendly, eager to include him, and, like him, they had their own struggles adjusting to life in the big city. Over time, Aziz started making friends. He learned that many of his classmates and teammates had come from different cities across Uzbekistan, and like him, they were adapting to this new environment. They shared their experiences, laughed at their mistakes, and supported each other through the challenges. Tashkent, which once felt so foreign, gradually became his comfort zone. Aziz began to enjoy his time at school and on the soccer field. He even made his first professional contact through soccer, a coach who saw potential in him and encouraged him to dream big. Everything seemed to be going well until the day Aziz got injured during a soccer match. It was a serious leg injury, and when the doctors told him that he could never play soccer again, his world came crashing down. Soccer had been more than just a game for Aziz; it was his passion, his escape, and his future. The news left him devastated. With soccer no longer an option, Aziz had to rethink his plans. He decided to focus on his education and, specifically, on learning English. He knew that mastering the language would open doors for him to study abroad. But learning English was harder than he expected. It took months of hard work, late-night study sessions, and a lot of determination. Yet, he persisted, and eventually, he earned his language certificate. With his English skills in hand, Aziz applied to several universities abroad. To his surprise and delight, acceptance letters began to pour in. Almost every university he applied to wanted him as a student. The only hurdle left was obtaining a visa, a notoriously difficult task in Uzbekistan. Aziz prepared meticulously for his visa interview. He practiced maintaining eye contact, using the right posture, and controlling his gestures. When the day of the interview finally arrived, he felt nervous but confident. His hard work paid off; he was granted his visa on the first attempt, a rare accomplishment in his country.
With his visa in hand, Aziz was ready to embark on a new chapter in his life. The boy who once struggled to adapt to life in a big city was now on his way to a new adventure abroad, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
Evelyn was in the 4th grade when she started to figure out who she was. Then 4 years later other people found out too. Eighth grade, it was the last year Evelyn could stand to hide who she was. She was excitedly planning to be fully and only herself in high school if she could only finish middle school. Evelyns friends were fine but she knew they weren’t really her people and if she was truly herself she feared losing them. Then, about half way through the year, covid hit. With covid came a lot of social media activism and Evelyn, who was on her phone quite a lot those days, was shown tons and tons of “be who you are” and “every body is a good body” and posts of that sort everyday. This gave her confidence; Evelyn figured if these messages were all over her social media, everyone else must be seeing them too. With that, she decided it was her time and found a post she could relate to. The second Evelyn reposted it, however, she felt instant regret. The post was about being a prideful lesbian and unfortunately at that time she was not. Within 10 minutes after about 20 people saw her story she deleted it. She was so scared of someones response and convinced herself she could just wait until high school like she planned. Luckily by the time June came around Evelyn had been in quarantine long enough to forget her middle school friends even existed and had already begun to come out, as a lesbian, to her close friends. This is when she decided to repost a post about pride. She had felt more comfortable with a less specific post more purely about pride month in general and she kept it up the full 24 hours. This was the beginning of a very gay social media for Evelyn for quite some time until she realized that didn’t have to be her entire account. To this day Evelyn still thinks back to how she felt reposting that message and how much it opened the door for her to be herself not only online but in person as well.