#1: Read Fettling's essay, "Uncomfortable Silences: A Walk in Myanmar" for next week's class. If you don't have the book yet, here's the essay (with pictures!): https://longreads.com/author/davidfettling/. We'll discuss this essay in class next week as well.
#2: Watch the video below which talks about starting 'in the middle' when you write papers, which takes its cue from Fettling's essay. Then, answer the question that follows as a COMMENT on the blog (so we can have a virtual discussion among the classes--you can read other people's responses and learn from them, and they can learn from yours).
Tuesday classes should post a comment no later than Friday.
Thursday classes should post a comment no later than Tuesday.
Now that you've watched the video, respond to this prompt as a COMMENT below: Introduce us to one of your most prized possessions--some inanimate object that allows us to see or understand something essential about who you are or how you see yourself. Describe this object and your relationship to it (maybe even when you bought it, or who gave it to you) so we can understand why it's important to you, or why it is such an important part of your identity. I answered this with my own comment to help you along,but just take a stab at it. This is a fun way to start writing 'in the middle' rather than simply introducing yourself by saying "My name is so and so, I'm majoring in English, I'm 18 years old, etc."
In the winter of 1991, my father woke me up to take a drive, a little father-son time. "Whatever," I shrugged--I was 16. He drove me to the rougher part of town and we parked next to a shifty-looking pawn shop. Inside, he led me through dimly-lit rows of guns, knives, and jewelry to a series of guitars. Laying against the wall was an almost brand-new looking maroon and white bass guitar, complete with leather strap and a hand-written sign saying "only $299." This was to be my birthday present, if I wanted it. "Sure, I'll take it," I said, since I had wanted a bass for years (but why now, I wondered?). Unfortunately, after looking it over, he didn't feel it was worth $299, and spent about thirty minutes haggling with the owner, who wasn't inclined to reduce what he felt was already a bargain--the guitar belonged to a "little old lady who never even played it." When they finally settled on a price (I think it was $250), I laid it gently in its case (an extra $25) and hugged it in my lap all the way home, breathing in its smoky, bitter-metallic perfume. That afternoon, I learned to play a few notes, making terrible buzzing sounds and chafing my fingertips until they formed blisters. "You'll have to practice," my dad warned me, "or you'll never get any damn good." That guitar is still in my room, right next to my computer as I type this. I've been playing the same guitar for 30 years, ever single day since I've owned it. I guess it was worth $299 after all.
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ReplyDeleteMy family was getting ready and packing for vacation in the summer of 2011. My birthday had been a few days before and I was bugging my parents to take me shopping for a birthday present before we left, they finally gave in the day before we were to leave for the two and a half day drive to Virginia. We drove to Target and I immediately gravitated towards the video game section where Pokemon Black version was sitting and I immediately picked it. My parents asked me if I really wanted the game and before they got a response I was in line to check out. I brought the game home and immediately started playing with my little brother, he did not know much about the game and I didn't either. My little brother did not know how to read yet and so I would read out all the text that appeared. It took us six months to complete a game that would have taken me a week to play today. I still own the copy that my parents bought me nine years ago and I still play it frequently with my little brother so yes mom and dad I do want the game.
ReplyDeleteHa, love the ending--and a very clever response. It's funny how something that would be so easy today was an epic struggle at the time. And yet, that's why the game stands out for you; it was your first step into this larger video-gaming world. Very cool!
DeleteIt was the summer before Sophomore year, my family and I went on our first family vacation together we were all so excited. We were going to the California where we would visit the beaches, go bike riding, go to Disney land and so many other things that I have never done before. We decided to make this trip a road trip, we drove 22 hours and on the way we stopped at some little store somewhere in Arizona I think, maybe New mexico I cant remember much about the details but it was the cutest little shop, I didn't want to get anything but my mother insisted so I browsed around until I found a interesting stone that was in small plastic box it was labeled a "Lucky stone" I don't know if it was real or if anyone believes in that stuff but it stuck out to me so I bought two, one for me and one for a close friend of mine I still keep sitting on my shelf and it brings me comfort to know i'll always have it.
ReplyDeleteThat's fascinating...what may have been a gift store's gimmick actually became your lodestone, your good luck charm. I think often the most ordinary things that are thrown away by other people (or are simply cheap) are the things that become our most precious objects. Paying thousands of dollars for something doesn't often make something special. But finding a strange stone where you least expect it has an aura of magic--it seems to mean something. And now hit has a history and a tradition. :)
DeleteIt was my 2nd birthday, my family took me to Rainforest Cafe in Dallas, TX to celebrate. I don't remember very much about this day, the only thing I really do remember is the gift I was given and who gave it to me. My grandfather gave me a stuffed, white Tiger, which I named Tiger (because I'm so original) and I've had it ever since that day. It's not much, just a small tiger that probably had a price tag on it that read $8.99. I believe part of the reason I hold onto it is because of how much its been through and yet it's still here. For example, my dog taking it into the backyard and tearing it to pieces. Scattering the stuffing across the ground, looking as if it had snowed. Then my dad telling me "Tiger ran away, but he'll come back" because he knew any kid with an imagination would believe it and he knew I'd be heartbroken if I knew the truth. He finally found the time to sew Tiger back together and make it look brand new, even though it still had a bunch of little holes. As I was packing for college I knew I just had to take Tiger with me. Now it sits on my shelf in my dorm. Every time I look at it I'm reminded of all the good birthdays I had at Rainforest Cafe, and how much I am loved by my family.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great story, and I love how you introduced your Tiger's origins to us through this vivid childhood memory. It's so cool that you can look at this beaten-up (but well loved) animal and see not only your childhood in it, but your dad's love for you as well. It's a great story, and the perfect introduction to who you are today.
DeleteOn my 9th birthday my mom bought me my first "gaming system" which was my Nintendo DS Lite. It was pink but Nintendo called it Rose Red. I can't remember exact details because my memory is horrible. I had always been interested in gaming but I never had my own system. I would just watch other people play or play the systems offered at the daycare I went to. My cousin let me play on her Wii where I was introduced to my prized possession Animal Crossing. A few years later when I was 12 or 13 my mom bought me a Nintendo 3DS since I gave away my Nintendo DS Lite to a family friend. With my new system I could still play Animal Crossing: Wild World and the new game for the 3DS, Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Animal Crossing has been the thing from my childhood that I still enjoy. I'm currently trying to save up so I can by the Nintendo Switch and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I fell in love with new features it has because it has options I've always wanted on the previous games. I picked Animal Crossing as my prized possession because it has always been a safe place for me and I still play it to this day.
ReplyDeleteGreat response--this is a game that when you're older (maybe my age) you'll play it simply to remember who you were as a 12 or 13 year-old. Games have tremendous power to connect to our childhoods, and you make it very clear how connected you were to this game. When you say "a safe place," it makes me wonder what the game helped you avoid, and why it served as a cocoon throughout your adolescence. It might be interesting to know more about that!
DeleteIt was the beginning of August 2020, my dad and I were taking a trip to San Antonio for graduation. The first 3 days went by perfectly and we had a lot of fun visiting different places and doing different activities. On the next to last day of our trip we decided to go get tattoos (this would be my second). When we got to the tattoo shop it took a while to get everything settled and get all the paperwork done but we were both beyond excited. That day I left the shop with a beautiful tattoo to honor the memory of my Pawpaw and everyday I look at this work of art and remember how much he loved me and how proud he would be if only he could see me now.
ReplyDeleteGreat response! A tattoo is definitely something you'll carry along with you for your entire life, and it's a living metaphor, since it always symbolizes this moment in your life and your relationship with him. This would be a great introduction in a paper about your life.
DeleteWhen I was younger I always wanted to be exactly like my Nana. Everything she did I wanted to be right alongside of her doing it too. She loved to bake, so we spent most of our time baking. She always wore the same apron, a denim skirt with a light pink top and light pink ties. I would always beg her to make me one exactly like hers. As I grew up, we weren't able to spend as much time together as before, however, that didn't make us any less close. One evening I went to visit her and she handed me a box. "Well what's this?" I asked. "Go ahead, open it and see!" she laughed. I opened the box to see a denim and pink apron identical to the one she had. "About time, I've only been asking for years."I joked to her. She laughed and said “You are so important to me and I finally found the time and materials to make it perfect for you! I wanted to make you it when you were a little older so it would fit longer.” A couple months later she passed away. Although I don't bake anymore I still hold the apron close to my heart because it reminds me of how much she loved me.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that's a great story, and a wonderful introduction to this important possession in your life. You set it up beautifully so we can really appreciate what she made for you, and why it's such a part of your life, even if you don't bake anymore. Great story and very well-told!
DeleteIt was a cool day on November 24th in the year 2016. This particular date was my birthday, so, for celebratory purposes we went to Ada to celebrate it by eating at restaurants you wouldn’t usually find in Ardmore and visit the various shops of items that I was more interested in. I’m not one to really celebrate my birthday because I tend to get extremely embarrassed by the attention that I receive so going to another city with my mother and father sounded perfect. We had finally arrived in Ada and our first stop was this store called, “Ada Music.” Little did I know that when I would enter and leave this music store that it would change the very being of who I was. When me and my family entered, I was met with a huge surprise. I remember walking through the building and being struck with awe as I viewed all the saxophones that were hanging onto the wall. I believed I had said something along the lines of, “I wish I could have an instrument like that one day!” It wasn’t until my father came beside me to tell me, “You’ve become quite the musician since you’ve entered high school and your mother and I wanted to do something special for you.” I was a bit dumbfounded when I heard him say this. I thought surely there was no way I was hearing him correctly. While I was in the midst of my confusion he followed up saying, “You’ve shown us what your able to do on an instrument that you’ve borrowed, but I think it’s time that you show the world what you can do on an instrument that you can call your own.” I was beyond ecstatic of what I was hearing that it filled me with emotions I couldn’t explain. I had finally picked the one that spoke to me and it was charcoal-gray colored tenor saxophone with the name Raven engraved on the front of the bell. The feeling of disbelief I had when holding this instrument, now in my possession, was unwaning. My father then spoke and made me rethink how I thought of everything. He told me, “In this world, there is no such thing as failing, there is only learning and succeeding,” he told me to take this instrument and to show the world what I could do. Telling me that the sky was the limit.
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing story, so full of details and emotions! I love how you slowly lead up to the instrument itself, so that we really understand what this meant to you, and how you never expected to walk out of the store with it. It's also great that you connect it with your father's wisdom that "there's no failing, only learning and succeeding." I love, too, how they personalized it for you. I'm a big fan of Ada Music, too--my sons both got their first instruments there (a trombone and a trumpet). Great work!
DeleteI am pretty sure it was a Friday night when the fighting started. My family member was planning on drinking their depression away when I was never even aware alcohol was in my house. It was my fault to be one-hundred percent honest. I could've not started conflict when I was irritated. I should've walked away when I saw the pain in their eyes, but I yelled anyways and slammed the door on them. Their emotions consumed them and they barged into my room to finish the screaming match going on in their mind. By the time I figured out spirits were involved, items I kept since childhood were already broken, lives were threatened and relationships, damaged. Soon I did everything in my power to get them to sleep. When I did it was already a new dawn. After cleaning the house I sat in silence in my room until the sun came up. My mind was blank for hours. But something inside of me told me that, there was a reason for these events. To understand their pain and my own and know it was all out of hurt from past to future. That is when I realized that those photos ripped and the teddy bear I kept since I was a child that my now deceased mother had gave me, didn't matter. My mind in that state, refused to stay upset and depressed about them because, no matter what, my loved ones prospering and healing from their pain was more important to me than any item I could ever gain in my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing twist on the prompt: not what your dearest possessions are, but how the ones you lost gave you something even more important. This is powerfully written, too, and sets up the ending beautifully. I love the sentence, "items I kept since childhood were already broken, lives were threatened and relationships, damaged." It shows how in a single instant, your whole world can change and things you thought were permanent are gone forever. Well done!
DeleteIt was a cool and crisp morning on October 5, 2011. I have been waiting for this day for a while because it only happens once a year and I loved it. This day was my birthday. A day when I can act a fool and not suffer as severe consequences. I woke up around 8ish and I already knew what I wanted. My Parents gave me an option to either pick a present for the day and have a party or get a random present and go to the lake for a weekend. I obviously choose to pick my own present and have a party(what they didn't know was that I already had everything planned out for the day).We would go pick my present and then have my party at the lake. So we went to Wal-Mart and was looking at all the different sets of toys and games I would of wanted. We was looking for a good while and I finally decided on a shakespeare ugly-stick. My dad took me fishing once before and enjoyed every second of it. My dad has always said to me "Do what makes you happy. If someone else is trying to change you to who they want you to be then don't give them a second glance. it's not worth the time. Be true to yourself". I have always stood by those words. The fishing pole was blue and black with gray specks though out the pole length. I ended up getting a tackle box too with all sorts of spinners and bait. Little did I know, that would be the last present he would give to me before he pasted 2 months later. I still have the pole in a sleeve to protect it from dust. It was a special memory that I would never give up. The days would be filled with laughter and joy from sunrise to sunset every weekend. I hope I would be able to give my children memories just like that. The ones you would cherish and never forget.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's an amazing story; I love how it starts out full of the joy you felt as a kid, and the excitement of getting a present, and then smashes into reality at the end. It's very well-written and really moving. Great work...this would be a great opening to an essay about yourself, since it says so much about who you are and what you learned from your father.
DeleteSenior Night for the Ralston Valley volleyball team, October 17th, 2019; Four seniors lined up on the volleyball endline awaiting the tradition, where a junior gives their chosen senior a build-a-bear representing them. The three other seniors open up their boxes to see a cute little plush bear along with small clothes representing them. I open up my box to see a red and brown dinosaur with bright yellow eyes, a camo sweatshirt and converse shoes. As the rest of the girls, went they opened up cute and girly dressed bears or bunnies. I saw as everyone looked at mine with slight judgement and disgust. Why would anyone ever want such an ugly looking dinosaur for their last gift of high school? The other team confused why I looked so happy and joyful to receive such a funny and ugly looking plush toy. That night I realized that this dinosaur is probably the most special thing that I can receive because it represents me and how I like to be different from the rest of the crowd. I still have that dinosaur to remind me to stay true to myself even when others judge you.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's such a cool tradition, and it's a testament to how well they knew you that they risked giving you an 'ugly' one (ugly to others, that is). It's a great message and a nice 'thesis' about your own personality and beliefs. This would make a great Introduction to a paper about your life!
DeleteIt was over a year ago. But if you ask me the specific day, I probably couldn’t guess what month it was in. I didn’t expect it specifically. Sure we were exchanging very cheesy gifts, but I didn’t expect him to get me this. Actually-- I lied. I expected half of it: the chocolates.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first started dating, we celebrated our anniversary every month. I still expect us to today, but with only words. Skyler Daniel is a very unique boy by the fact that he always does something generally unexpected. I mean, for Valentines he spent the whole day surprising me with little things. As corny as it may be, he hid a sign in his bag to throw out when I told him, “I love you”. The sign reads, “Love you more”. Now it is on my wall and I see it every morning when I wake up.
This gift was just a bit unusual by the fact it was just so strange, yet ordinary. Every man has bought a stuffed animal for his love, but it just seems so strange to me that Skyler would choose a pink sloth. Sid, the stuffed sloth, has been my obsession ever since I got him. Honestly, I don’t even know why. Maybe it’s the perfect size or the right amount of fuzziness, but I hardly leave the house without that stuffed mammal in my arms.
I do remember one thing about the gift exchange that gave me Sid. We had a five dollar limit, and I later learned that Sid was a total of $30. To this day, I tell Skyler that I’m still angry, but I really am grateful to have my fuzzy Sid.
Great response--and I love the story behind it. Hopefully Sid is something that will always be in your life, and maybe, even your kids' lives (if you go down that road). But this story is a great introduction to who you are and the relationship that (so far) shapes your life.
DeleteThank you, sir! I loved reading about your bass. Music is a big part in my life and it always interests me to hear how others come to love music too!
DeleteI received my first Bible after my Kindergarten graduation. It was just a small, leather Bible, but it ended up meaning a lot more to me than I knew at the time. I am a Christian, and as Christians, we see the Bible as more than just a book of rules. It's more than just a million words to us. It's God's Word spoken to us. Someone that is very special to me gave me my Bible: my Meme. She gave this to me because she knew that I was going to grow into a good Christian man.
ReplyDeleteThis is Corbin Crowder. It published my comment as unknown.
DeleteGreat response, and it's amazing that you've had this book for so long, and can keep it with you your entire life--and possibly, pass it down to your own children. A great connection between the generations. (thanks for letting me know who wrote this, too!)
DeleteWhen I think about everything I own. A few things come to mind, well my phone of course, I own a few nice computers, and a car. Even thought I have all these nice things, nothing stands out as much as this. The silken glide of the strings under my fingers, and the tightness of the fretwork letting my fingers gloss between notes like a knife through butter. The shine of it's all-white, glossy coated, paint shines even in the darkest of songs. I'm talking about my guitar, over the past few years I've been playing more and more seriously. I spend hours a week on this instrument It's there when I'm sad and when I'm happy. She play's the blues as well as she can handle heavy metal. No matter where I go, she's always there when I get home. Music is a very important part of me, it allows me to write and to sing, to play, and to even perform. It gives me freedom where I had none to express my ideas. Music is always there, no matter where you are, and that's why my guitar is so important to me.
ReplyDeleteGreat response--I can definitely relate to this! You did a great job of not only describing it, but making it feel like an old friend. It's a great introduction to what makes you tick, and how we should understand you as a person.
DeleteIt's small, like something you could fit in your purse or the console of your car. It is pink, a soft, soothing pink, like the kind you would find in a babies nursery. I won it at my church when I was younger. My granny was so proud I picked that instead of a toy you would use in a bath or outside in the dirt. My very first, handheld bible. I took it everywhere with me. When I held it I could feel all the best emotions, my granny's happiness, and my God's love. Though I couldn't read it well due to all the big and long words, it made me feel as if I was a "big kid", sitting on top of the world looking down, trying to pronounce the word Deuteronomy to the best of my 6 year old abilities. It was my pride and joy. I grew up in Moore Oklahoma, also know as tornado alley. When my mom thought the weather was going to get bad, we would all pack, what we called, our tornado bag. It had the essentials, flashlight, batteries, phone, etc. But not mine, right along side my fully charged DSI, would be my little pink bible. I always had it. It gave me peace, I had Gods word and love in my hand. And a piece of my granny, the one that didn't yell at me for tracking dirt into her house. Which she still does to this day by the way. I will carry my little pink bible with me everywhere. It is my peace, pride, and joy.
ReplyDeleteexcellent response--these are the gifts that really do follow you throughout your life, and that you'll pass onto your own children (if you have them). I love the image of the little girl trying to pronounce "Deuteronomy," and the idea of a "tornado bag," which would seem strange to anyone outside of Oklahoma! This is very well-written and evocative, and a great introduciton to the core of 'you.'
DeleteOn August 8, 2019, I started the first day of my senior year. Throughout the day, my classmates were over joyed about finishing this year to start the next chapters of their lives. I, on the other hand, was trying to stay in that period of time where all my memories have been made. When I arrived home, I went straight to the hallway closet. I made my way through all the board games, winter jackets, and random objects that have been stashed away. At the back of the cluttered closet, on the top shelf, laid my most prized possessions- the photo albums. I grabbed my early childhood to my high school albums and took them to my room. While reminiscing over my past, I begun to feel a sense of comfort. I have trouble remembering and my fear is that I will lose every memory that has made me who I am. With every photo I am able to be transferred to that period of time. My prized possession is not something I can play with but its ability to help me remember my past means so much to me.
ReplyDeleteGreat response: I agree, there's nothing like pictures to pull us back into the past and remind us that it really happened, that we were really there. I also like how you explain that the pictures are not really a possession, but an idea, something that can help you travel in time at the turn of a page. Great work!
DeleteMy cousin Kimberly has been in my life for as long as I can remember, she's like a second mother to me just because she treats my sister and I like her own daughters. She lives in Ardmore and since school has started I can't see her as much as i used to. Since I graduated this year for a graduation gift she gave me this necklace. It's a small triangle that has a light blue opal, when it reflects to light it changes from a green or purple. Blue,green, and purple are my favorite colors. I think once you get to know me I am a happy and bright person. I wear it all day, everyday. It reminds me of who I am as a person and makes me think of Kimberly when I look at it.
ReplyDeleteOh--be sure to put your name somewhere in the comment! Otherwise I'm not sure who this is (but I can usually figure it out by process of elimination). But a great response--you remind us that it's not the possession itself that's important, but the people behind it, and the relationships it symbolizes. So we learn about them through your discussion of the necklace, and in turn, learn even more about you.
DeleteWhen I was a little girl, on my first communion day at church, I received a gift from my Godmother. She was like a second mother to me at the time. She gave me a gold bracelet with my name on it. I had always grown up with people saying my name wrong or just saying a different name entirely, so this gift made a real impact on me. I had always hated my name when I was younger. I was super shy and I hated always pronouncing my name in front of others. I had wished it was something simpler but ever since that day I learned to love my name for not being common and for being unique. It reminded me that it is okay to be different and I thank my Godmother for showing me that. The one small gift showed me that I don't have to be like everyone else and I can be my own person.
ReplyDeleteWow, this is great--how a gift from a loved one can help you overcome misgivings about who you are, and teach you about yourself. Such a profound idea! I was the same way with my last name; for some reason, no one would pronounce "Grasso" where I grew up, and would say "Grosso" or "Gross" or "Crasco." I tried to hide it, too, though maybe if I had a thoughtful Godmother like yours I might have learned to embrace it earlier!
DeleteMy Air Force 1's box. Not the actual shoes themselves, as odd as that might seem. I kept my first Air Force 1 show box and if you ever look inside of it, it is just completely filled with little things, big things, notes, items, broken bracelets, just a bunch of items. To most people, it looks like a bunch of trash. But for me, I could talk in great detail about each item inside of it. It is definitely my most prized possession. Whenever I have rough days, I always like to take it out and look at it because it has items with bad memories, and items with good memories, and I kept those so I can remind myself of how far I've come.
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating--how one possession can really open up to reveal so many memories and experiences. I like how the shoes don't really matter anymore, since it's merely the box that holds the memories. Probably not what you intended when you first bought the shoes! A great metaphor to remind us that sometimes, what we think is important isn't really as important as something we don't even imagine or expect!
DeleteBoth of my parents grew up in religious households, my dad being Nazarene and my mom being a baptist. Just like my mother did, my five siblings and I attended the First Baptist Church in Seminole since we were born. Adopting the beliefs of the church, they both frowned upon us kids getting tattoos. So it came as a surprise to me in 2016 when three of the five siblings came home with matching pineapple tattoos, much to my parent’s chagrin. I had never thought of myself getting a tattoo until then and I couldn’t wait until I turned eighteen to get our newly created sibling tattoo. So this February, two months after turning eighteen, I went to get a tattoo and got a pineapple on my ribs. All six of us siblings are close-knit and three out of the five have moved away from here. Seeing this matching tattoo reminds me of our bond and makes me feel closer to them even though they are miles away. I know it is something I will cherish throughout my life because it keeps me connected to the people who matter most.
ReplyDeleteWow, this is fascinating, since I know among many families (religious or not), tattoos remain a big taboo. And yet, this is how you sought to symbolize your bond with your siblings. It's a symbol of what you mean to each other, and a small act of rebellion--or at least, of adult independence. Very cool!
DeleteIt started in the third week of sixth grade, my classmates and I were going to spend a week at Camp Goddard in Sulphur, OK. You could feel the excitement on the bus ride there and we couldn't wait to figure out who our counselors would be. The reason we were so excited was that we would get to spend the week learning in a fun environment, and our counselors were high-school students. Once I finally reached high school, I could not wait to be a counselor because my four older siblings had already gotten to experience it. One of the best things about being a counselor is that in your second year you receive a handmade walking stick. The man who made these was named Mr. Richardson who was a former teacher who had gone to Camp Goddard for many years and taught all my siblings. Every stick he made was unique to each counselor who received it and he went out and found the sticks himself. My brother, Mason, received the first stick he ever made, and I received the last. The stick I got was blue with a golf ball on the top that read “Puddle 2” (his nickname for me). My memories from camp, both as a camper and counselor, are ones I will always cherish forever, and every time I see it I am reminded of them. Recently, Mr. Richardson passed away so this stick now holds a special place in my heart as a symbol of his kindness.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing story, and what a clever idea on his part. To make something special for someone is an act of real compassion and understanding, and that really symbolizes his friendship with you. I can imagine you'll keep this for the rest of your life! And now the stick not only symbolizes your memories of camp but of the man himself. Great work!
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ReplyDeleteOn my seventeenth birthday, I drove over to my friends' house to get my birthday present. I get very uncomfortable when I am shown any type of attention, specially anytime the subject is sentimental. My friends and I don't usually show any type of love toward each other so this makes our gift exchanges very awkward. We walked into my friend Grace's room and on her dresser she has a cube of pictures. Each picture was taken of a different time in our five year friendship. When I walked over and opened the box they had put a bundle of pictures tied together with rainbow yarn. As I pulled the string opposite directions in both hands, I saw each picture with little notes on the back. I read each letter the last quote being sweeter than the last with copious amounts of inside jokes. The gift was one of the most sincere presents I have ever gotten in my life. I know that most people wouldn't be elated by a bundle of pictures for their birthday, but I think the gift summed up our friendship. I forget every memory we have and I always ask for pictures of us, so the gift helped remind me of all our best memories and what we were thinking at the time. The string of pictures perfectly encompasses who I am by just glancing at each one and reading the back.
ReplyDeleteThis is Sarah Osborn.
DeleteThis is an amazing response, because for many people, emotions don't come easily. It's hard to express what you feel, and embarrassing to let your guard down like this. That's why objects can become so important: it's a way of symbolizing emotions and relationships without words, but in a way that evokes so many experiences and sentiments. I can understand why this would be important to you, and how it reminds you of who you are and where you've come from. Very interesting!
DeleteI personally, do not have any objects that I just could not live without or have shaped my life in any way. I do have a few people that I hold very close to my heart and have shaped the way I am though. One of those people would hands down have to be my mom. My mom is my girl, my best friend, and my mom all in one. She has taught me so much in my life. With my dad being in the military, my mom had to stay strong and take care of four kids all on her own while not being able to have much contact with my dad and to me that shows so much strength in her. My mother truly amazes me and I will forever appreciate everything she has done for me. Another person I hold close to my heart is my best friend Tara. I met Tara when I moved to Allen in 2017 and we have been inseparable ever since. She is never afraid to tell me when I am in the wrong and she will always be there to help me when I make a mistake.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting...I forget that for some people, objects are just that--objects. Other people, like you, avoid the object to connect to what really matters, other people in your life. Most objects really just point to other people, or other relationships, so in the end, we are connecting to the people who have shaped us most. Good points!
DeleteMy most important possession is my car. I really wouldn't able to have all the opportunities i have without it. I'm very grateful because my mom gave it to me. It was her car up until i turned 17 and we used it to go on all kinds of travailing adventures. Now i feel like it is an important tool to help me travel and see great things in the future. I got my car when we moved across state and i believe it really gave me freedom. Freedom to meet all of the friends i have in my life now and to have experiences i never thought i would.
ReplyDeleteMake sure to let me know who you are in the response so I can give you credit for this!
DeleteYes, a car is an amazing first adult possession, since it literally changes your relationship with the world. You can suddenly go anywhere with enough gas in your tank and a decent GPS! But what kind of car is it? Help us see it a little more, because they say the car matches the person. So it would be helpful to see what it looks like and maybe the most memorable place you went in it.
We had been living in a travel trailer for about five years and it was usually just me and my mom. The thing that I remember the most is playing video games on the GameCube and eating T.V. dinners with her. I remember this one time when I was playing Lego Star Wars while eating a chicken nugget T.V. dinner for lunch. I would have to say that these are the two things that I cherish. The video games because of my mom always trying to keep me happy and the T.V. dinners because they were cheap and we were saving money to see my dad in the summers, because he worked away from home. I still eat T.V. dinners and play games with my mom even though they don't mean as much now as they did before.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great response, since the little things you do just to get by often become the most powerful memories you'll ever have. They might have been 'cheap' dinners, but you will always be able to taste and smell them even when you're an old man. They symbolize the closeness you had with your mother, and how safe and loved she made you feel. It also shows us a childhood is less important for what you have, than what you remember. And clearly you have a lot of good memories!
DeleteIt was September of 2017, I was begging my mother to let me use a credit card to buy myself a computer and I would pay cash for the transaction. After four months prior of constant nagging she finally conceded and off I went grabbing the card and running to my room. I ordered exactly what I wanted off my phone and the countdown to delivery started. The anticipation was real. I would go to school sometimes mid-lecture I would daze off dreaming off all the games I could play on my new pc. When it got there my emotions ran high as I tore open the box like it was Christmas and I was getting one of Santa's best workers. I have used the same desktop computer, giving it upgrades here and there. This was my biggest purchase at the time and I had worked and gotten the money to pay for it after two years of working.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, since it shows how hard work, sacrifice, and several days/weeks of anticipation was necessary for a big payoff. As a kid, the first thing you have to use your own money to buy always remains in the memory. It's huge, because you had to find a way to buy it, and it helps define who you become as an adult. It's a testament that you kept upgrading it and kept it a part of your life. Great writing!
DeleteAs I was being driven into Ada, I was fully aware of what I was going there for. We entered the shop a greeted the expectant owner. Slowly he went over to the counter and grabbed one of the things we were there for. It was sleek, black, and practically brand new. I knew it was perfect at first sight. The owner took the guitar I was soon to own and gave me a demonstration. It sounded exactly as I had imagined it to. I soon left the proud owner of my first guitar and amplifier. To this day my guitar emanates harsh, dissonant riffs. Every note is coated in putrid distortion with not so much as a single clean note. Even as I write this, my trusty guitar sits no more than a few feet away.
ReplyDeleteI think we both lived the same life! :) I can relate to this, because the same thing happened to me, though you probably went to a better store and got a better guitar! And the fact that it's right next to you even now shows how much a part of your life this guitar is. I imagine that as you get older, you'll get a better guitar, and you'll become an even better player, but that guitar will always be within arm's reach. Many of the best players still have their first guitar for this very reason.
DeleteIt was my eighth birthday. I had been playing guitar for just under a year. I mostly learned how to play classic rock songs on an acoustic guitar that couldn't even stay in tune. I wasn't great, but I was about as good as any normal eight year old would have been. My dad thought that it was time for an upgrade, so he consulted my guitar teacher and they both decided what would be best for my little third grader hands. I got this fairly cheap Ibanez guitar and fell in love with it immediately. It was the guitar that I played for my first "gig" that I thought wouldn't go as smoothly as it did. Now, that guitar is hanging on my wall in an easy to reach place so I can grab it. Its finish is about as scratchy as Tom Waits voice and has more chips than a Lay's bag, but when I look at it I can't help but to feel a little proud for sticking with something for so long.
ReplyDeleteHa, I love that line: "the finish is about as scratchy as Tom Waits' voice and has more chips than a Lay's bag!" Wonderful! And yet, it's not how beat-up or junky the guitar is, but what it taught you, and how you perfected your craft on it. Many professional players use cheap guitars because it forces you to have a good technique, and not rely on the technology. Some even play unamplified for practice because it forces them to project all by themselves. So I bet you learned some of the same lessons through your guitar. I can definitely relate!
DeleteMy most prized possession isn't an object. It's my friends that I have had for as long as I can remember. They have made me who I am today, they got me out of my comfort zone, I became interested in things I never knew existed, and now those hobbies/things are basically my life. If it wasn't for my friends, I wouldn't be the obsessed fan girl or open-minded person I am today. I believe that my friends were put in my life to help me grow into the person I am today, and I am so thankful for that.
ReplyDeleteMake sure to include your name in the comments so I can know who you are and give you credit!
DeleteBut yes, your friends shape who you are and they share your dearest experiences with you. Often, a special possession is special merely because a friend gave it to you, or you associate it with that friend. Maybe you could write about a specific friend, the one who shaped or taught you the most?
This is Maggie Sawyers.
DeleteMany people that post in this comment thread will be writing about one item. One thing that stands out above all others as a substantial influence on who they are. I can't do that. There are too many items I have come across that have substantially shaped who I am today, so instead I am going to tell you about multiple things that center around a singular idea. For most of my life I have been a quiet person. I would spend hours by myself and would choose to sit alone with my thoughts rather than engage in whatever unconstructive conversation my peers were having. This means I spent quite a lot of time reading and playing video games. Now, many people when hearing those two words tend to think either that they are a waste of time or boring. I, on the other hand, can think of no better use of your time than to absorb yourself in one of these forms of media. To give yourself the gift of a story. One that can enrich your view on the world as you learn of or experience the trials of another. The best video games or books can take you places you've never dreamed of. They provide a round trip ticket to a place where the troubles of daily life have no hold on you. Where you can live and learn, without the rigid structure and harsh repercussions of our world. Where good and evil clash, empires rise and fall, people come and go, and by the end your standing on the whole situation might change. Some of my most prized possessions sit on a shelf, in a dark room covered in dust; and even though some of them might never be opened again, I would never think of getting rid of them. Their value is found not in the who and how to which I obtained them, but in the adventures and hardships they have put me through. My most valuable objects hold stories that have shaped who I am today, and there have been so many I couldn’t possibly choose one to write about.
ReplyDelete-Gracie Tollett
Yes, this is a beautiful idea--that it's not really what you have, but what you experienced them, or what you went through to get them. So one single object can't really represent your entire journey, but collectively, we get the full sense of 'you.' So maybe it's your room, in this case, which can hold all of these memories and experiences in one 'frame'? But I love the idea that you can travel through a book or a game, and become so many different people and have so many different experiences. Travel doesn't need to actually occur to travel--you just have to move your mind. Or, to quote the ancient poem the Daodejing, "a man can see the whole world by looking out the window."
DeleteA little outside of Stonewall there sits a ranch called RALINDU, a ranch my Pappy and Nana used to own. I spent years growing up playing, working animals and spending the weekend at RALINDU. On a hot summer day when I was seven I was sitting in the living room with my pappy, who also happened to be my best friend, hanging out when I couldn't understand why my name was not in the ranch name. The ranch was named after my two cousins and my older brother. My oldest cousin Race is where the RA comes from, my middle cousin Lindsay brings the LIN and my older brother Tyler Duke gives you the final letter DU. I couldn't figure out why I was included and I was very upset about it. Fast forward a few months on my birthday, October 30, 2010, I was opening gift when I ripped black and white chevron wrapping paper off a long rectangular looking thing, well this thing was a street sign my Pappy had bought to hang up at the corner of the road by the RALINDU Ranch sign. The sign read Carson Lane, my name and middle name. "See Cars you know I would never leave my baby out", my pappy said, as my smile went from ear to ear. For 6 years that sign hung on a pole on the corner by the ranch. Every time I drove by I could hear my pappy say that and I remembered how loved I was by him. Then one day he passed away a year before and it was time for my nana to move off the ranch and into town, so my mom could be there faster if anything were to happen. It was time to take down my sign and my nana told me to bring it home. It brought a flood of memories back of a man who always encouraged me and made me who I am. To this day my street sign hangs in my room and every time I see it I hear "See Cars you know I would never leave my baby out."
ReplyDeleteWow, this is a powerful story--beautifully told, and with a real sense of emotion and drama. I love how you build up to the climax of the story, the sign, and how you were surprised by this act of love. And then the moment you had to take it home again...wow, I teared up a bit myself! This would make an amazing essay in itself, and if you started with the moment when you went to take the sign back, you could then go backwards to tell where it came from and what it meant to you. Great work!
DeleteI think it was some time in September. My dad had finally come home around 9pm that night. His hands were peeling, and his work boots nearly in shreds. He'd pulled a 60 hour work week, again. At the time, he worked in a correctional facility as a guard. Actually, this day was his last day as a guard before his promotion went into effect. He would be a case manager, reviewing prisoners files and deciding whether or not they deserved a reduced sentence or parole. I was not supposed to be up and it was well past my bed time but we were both night owls and he would frequently talk to me after he got home from work, as I was generally the only one in the house left awake. It was times like this that my dad was removed from my ideals as just a 'parental figure' and really seemed like more of a person with their own thoughts, feelings and moral struggles. He told me the story of a prisoner who had been incarcerated since his early twenties for drug abuse. He had spent nearly thirty years of his life locked up for a non-violent drug offense. He passed the time by chatting with guards, reading, and carving soap, which was...., not exactly allowed but he was known for being good at it. Eric, that's my father's name, pulled a little piece of soap out of his pocket. It was unfinished but clearly reminiscent of a skull. It was unfinished because my dad had to regrettably confiscate it, but he assured him that someone who would cherish it would receive it and that seemed to be enough for the man. He gifted it to me saying it was reminiscent of the types of things I find fascinating. I loved it. This little piece of soap has stuck with me for years as a reminder that everyone experiences their own problems, hardships, passions and routes in life. It made me feel rather sonder, if you're a proponent of the dictionary of obscure sorrows. Over all, this object says to me: Be kind to people above all, regardless of your perception of them or their situation. Be grateful when life hands you clean lessons in the form of gifts.
ReplyDeleteWow, this is profound: how someone who couldn't connect with anyone managed to connect with you through his "message in a bottle" gift. And what a beautiful evocation of your father becoming "just a friend" in your eyes, able to tell you a mature and sad story about his very difficult job. I really felt like I was there in the room with both of you, and got a real sense of the profound importance of this gift, both for itself and for how it represents your relationship with your father. Well done!
DeleteIt was mid-summer, of a year I cannot quite remember, when I first layed eyes on it, a beautifil row of dreamcatchers all strung together by a centimeter wide strip of leather. It was hung on the wall of a roadside store that was connected to a gas station that my family had stopped at to get gas. Originally, I walked straight past the item, too preoccupied with the Spongebob ice cream that I had just begged my dad for to notice, but on our second go around the store, I began to eye it. Unbeknownst to me, my dad noticed my interest in the object, but made no effort to show he did. As we were about to leave the store, my dad said that he had forgotten something, leaving us in the vehicle to wonder what he had left. When he got back, he had a bag with something carefully wrapped in paper and handed it to me, telling me it was mine. I was confused at first, but as I hastily tore off the paper, it turned out to be that same gorgeous dreamcatcher. I felt so overwhelmingly happy that I could only grin and bounce about in my seat as he smiled back and began driving again. This dreamcatcher of mine had four individual dreamcatchers, decending in size, with feathers cascading beautifully. I say it "had" four because I felt the need to cut one of the four off to give to my little sister, in order to give her the same sense of safety that I got from it, since at the time she was afraid of the dark. Now, as many might know, dreamcatchers are said to trap the negative thoughts and dreams of the people who are around them. As a young nine year-old girl, who had recently experienced recurring nightmares, this gift made me feel so much safer. Bacause of this fact, the dreamcatcher has developed a very important emotion attached to it. This being that whether I realize it or not, my dad is always looking out for me, just like how I had not known he knew I wanted it in the first place, and how he is there to protect me. I doubt my dad realizes how much the dreamcatcher actually means to me, but I have always wordlessly thanked him for it, beacuse without it, I have no idea how I would have made it through the nights after watching scary movies, during loud storms, or the nights I fell asleep sad. It has always been a source of comfort for me and always will be, because it has endured countless nights along with me.
ReplyDeleteThis is Tori Prince, it posted as unknown.
DeleteWonderful response! I love how evocatively you described the memories around this dreamcatcher, and how it makes you feel today, even though no one else can truly 'see' this. You do a great job of making us see your relationships through the possession, and how it continues to symbolize the love of your family and a sense of safety and support. Very well done!
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