6 Word Memiors

Identifying myself, growing up, achieving confidence

Blankey, car, cell phone, college, appartment

Boyfriend, breakup, heartbreak, new boyfriend, love

baby, only child, big girl

four-wheels, went north, found home

all nighters, good grades, graduate school

Automatic Writing

Small town kid- Eli Young

I dont really have a favorite song, but I happened to find this on the short playlist I do have.

This song immediatley brings to mind my high school days. Living in a town with not many things to do in our free time and wanting so bad to have an eventful night. Wanting to leave the town so bad and never look back. Knowing where i'm from and being proud of it. How alcohol was a release to many of my friends growing up and how I never took part into it until everyone else had. How boyfriends were everything and trucks were part of the everyday scene. Back roading and camping was all we did on the weekends. How traveling to Dallas is amazing to me and thrills me everytime I go. How I want to live there so bad but am frightened to at the fear i'll get lost constantly or that the traffic will freak me out having to wait or drive long distances to get anywhere. That people point out my accent everytime I leave Arkansas and I like my accent. No matter how far I do get from home that i'll be ok and that I will miss it even though its not where I want to be.

Essay 4

I have decided to do my paper on the quest narrative. I am a chronological person and my journey through life so far has helped me figure out who I am in a sense. I feel this will be the best way for me to format my paper.

September 11th

As September 11th, 2001 occurred, I was sitting in my third period class in 8th grade. Running down the hallway, you could hear the high heels of our principal stopping in on classrooms one by one asking to speak with the teacher. As Mrs. Bynum walked into my third period science class and asked for Mr. Carter, I became scared. What was going on? As our principal entered our room a few minutes later, our teacher did not. Not only was my third period science teacher a teacher, he had worked for the government for many years at the pentagon before retiring back to his hometown of Russellville and becoming a science teacher. Our entire class knew of his past and when he did not return, I was frightened and knew something wasn't right. As our principal told us there was a government emergency and Mr. Carter wouldn't be back that day, that was all we were informed. The entire hour, we were left alone with our teacher next door checking on us as our principal exited and returned her loud heels to running up and down the hallway and in and out of class rooms. It was not until fourth period did the television screens come on. As we were told we did not know what was going on by our teachers, we watched the television in horror of watching planes crash into the world trade center repetivly. After fourth period, the news was out everywhere. We were told we could call our parents and leave school, or stay for the remainder of the day. I called my parents scared and confused, they told me I was ok and to stay at school. As the day progressed none of our teachers taught class. All we did was move from classroom to classroom watching the television for updates of what was happening to our country. The hallways were silent, the classrooms were silent, no one knew how to react. I was terrified not only for our country but for my town. Russellville has a nuclear plant and our town was immediately on high alert. If the nuclear plant was bombed our entire town would be wiped out immediately from the nuclear gas. This was mine and my friends biggest fear on that day. What if that happened... I remember constantly having tears in my eyes and not being able to remove my eyes from the television screen. I wanted answers, and they weren't being answered. Why was this happening to us? America is a strong country and until that day the government had never been an interesting subject to me. Walking outside that day at 3:10 waiting on my father to pick me up was frightening. None of us wanted to leave the safe walls we had continued to walk all day knowing we were safe inside with one another. What would we do once 3:10 hit. I made my father take me to his office with him and sat there until he got off just because I was scared to be alone. September 11th still is a vivid moment in my memory because it is the first time I felt safe no where.

Spring Break

The most salient moment of my spring break happened when I was visiting my Aunt in Jacksonville, Florida. She took me to nice restaurant on the beach. As we sat outside before dinner, looking over the water, we looked up and saw the space shuttle that had taken off from southern Florida. I saw it disconnect and part of it was falling back down into the ocean while the shuttle was continuing on into outer space. It was very neat to see it in person and not just watch it on the television. It's a moment that I will be able to share with people for the rest my life!

Click

“Ben!” Michael exclaims as he runs through the pouring down rain, trying to catch his son’s attention. Once again Michael tries to yell but can’t because his life is fading away. Ben had the door to the taxi open but heard his father yell, “Wait Ben.” Ben turns around and see’s his father lying on the rain-soaked ground. Ben immediately turned and ran towards his dad with tears streaming down his face. Samantha runs out of the taxi towards her fallen dad with her mom running directly behind her. The whole family huddles around Michael’s dying body in the road. With Michael’s life fading he stutters to his son, “Family comes first,” and Ben repeats it showing that he understands his fathers last wishes. Michael also tells his daughter Samantha how much he loves her and that he is “sorry he didn’t live to be 200 years old.” Then Michael turns to his beloved ex-wife Donna and whispers “I’m sorry,” then hands her a note he wrote her the first date they ever went on. This note reads, “Will you still love me in the morning?” With tears Donna replies aloud “Forever and ever babe.” Michael trembles and shakes as he takes his last breath. The rest of the grief-stricken family watches as their father passes away.

Bright Lights, Thursday Nights
A vivid moment from my childhood was my first half time performance in 8th grade. I had been twirling since age 4 and competitively twirling for the past 5 years by this point but never had I twirled at a halftime performance in front of all of my family and friends and a packed stadium with the band playing behind me. I knew the routines and where I was suppose to stand but I was so nervous. I remember my hands sweating so badly and during the middle of the second quarter the majorettes got to go down to the side of the bleachers to warm up before halftime. I dropped my batons almost every time I touched them during that warm up. I thought I was going to throw up. This was all a weird feeling for me considering I had twirled in front of judges for the past 5 years and had confidence but all of a sudden it was gone. I guess it was because I was doing it in front of my family and friends. As I stepped out on the field it was the first time I saw the big bright lights over the bleachers just glaring down on to me, I didn’t think I would be able to see to catch my batons. The first song began and we were in the front of the entire band I smiled and just begin to do the routine. After the first song ended I was ok, I realized it was tons of fun and I didn’t drop the baton like during practice. After that first performance in Junior High I realized how much I loved twirling for the band and every time we had a chance to perform at half time I was always excited. I remembered every performance following how scared I was that first time and now I laugh about it because it wasn’t really scary, I just thought it was going to be. It was fun and I love twirling so I should never have been scared!