Memories. We all have them, and they can prove to be good or bad. We can choose to block out the awful ones that drove us to tears or rage, or relive and cherish the ones that kept us smiling for days. Most people don't pay attention to how they feel or what's going on during those stale, in-between, boring times of their lives. You know, the daily routines that include going to school, work, lessons, etc...
However, being the observant individual that I have always been, I continuously try to remember how I felt during a certain situation or how something went down moment-by-moment. One might say I hoard memories. I don't find that to be a bad thing. I love to remember things, and that interest has often turned out to be a very practical skill for my daily life. I remember the good things, but make it a point to remember the bad experiences as well. This is useful because it strengthens me as a person. I reflect on various times in my life, remembering the smells, sights, sounds and emotions that I experienced during those precious times.
Tonight I've been thinking particularly about times in my life in which certain people were present, and I figured I'd share a few memories with you. Maybe you'll remember some of your own.
Earlier Memories:
1) One time in 2nd grade, I had a sleepover and one of the girls brought fake nails (with glue) for us all. We all put them on, thinking we were the stuff.
Lesson learned: Fake nails are never a good idea at a 2nd grader's birthday sleepover. Within a few hours of putting them on, about 6 of us 8 girls woke up crying and begging my mama to remove them for us. Oh, what a night!
2) When I was in about 3rd or 4th grade, my family went tent camping by the creek in a campground other than our usual place. While we were in the office, I saw that there was a fridge full of drinks and I just knew I had to have a V8 juice. You know when you were little, how you had to have something from most places you visited? Yeah... this is one of those times. Anyway, I remembered drinking one before and knew they were delicious, so I had to have one. However, as we returned to the car, I opened the drink and once I took the first sip I spit it on the ground. It was disgusting. Now, if you don't know what had happened by this point, here it is: I had mistaken the terrible V8 juice (tomato juice) for a delicious V8 Splash (fruity drink). I swore I was drinking cold tomato soup. Since I had begged for the drink, my mama made me drink all of it to teach me a lesson. Needless to say, I never begged for another V8 juice, and learned to double check what kind of juice I was buying.
3) Middle school- I don't know how many times I forgot how to open my locker, wore the tackiest clothes (I literally owned a pair of hot pink tie-dye capris in 6th grade), and witnessed fights in hallways. One of my best friends and I went to so many different fights as spectators, that I lost count. I'll never forget going to FFA club meetings to get a free biscuit for breakfast, racing a friend down the halls to chorus class from homeroom, and going on a field trip to the Atlanta Zoo and coming back during a tornado. I remember all of the students bowing heads and praying for our lives on that school bus. I loved going out to the outdoor classroom in 7th grade, and I hated changing out in P.E. What awkward middle school girl doesn't? I remember winning the spelling bee in 6th grade after battling it out with an 8th grader for an hour, and going back to math and no one believing me until afternoon announcements came on. I'll never forget the embarrassment of falling down the stairs of the bus on a rainy morning and my best friend walking me to the nurse. Despite the bad things, I had fun in what's supposed to be the most miserable, awkward time in a teenager's life. So much happened in middle school- good and bad, but I can't name it all here. I made the most of my time in middle school, and I guess that's why I'm driven towards teaching that age group today.
4) High school- Let's see, there was an upgrade in school food, my first boyfriend in 9th grade, and my first attempts to experiment with identity. In high school, I participated on flag line for 3 years, tried to be an active member of various clubs, enjoyed Dr. Beasley's quirky stories in advisement, and experienced those dreaded endings and grateful beginnings of friendships. It's sad to say I wish I could've stayed closer to more of my friends, but choosing to fulfill my interests in art in high school really did a number on a lot of my friendships. However, I did meet several influential people on the way, and I made bonds that still have lasted even after leaving school. I met my current boyfriend during senior year, and we've been together for over 5 years now. I found that I can be creative in more ways than just art, and I found that I have a love for writing and language. High school gave me that confidence boost I needed for trying new things, and I'm grateful for that. Even though I couldn't wait to get to college, I sometimes wish I could have the chance to be back in high school. I wouldn't change anything, though.
5) College: I went to college about 2 hours away from home with my best friend from high school, where we lived in a small 10 foot X 12 foot cement brick room. I'll always remember rearranging our room more than anyone on our hall, and walking the hills on campus. I don't think I'll ever forget the old "chow" hall, where I ate turkey wraps every day. Thanks to 2 other people, I'll always remember I ate this everyday because they thought it was silly I had a routine. I also experienced real snow fall in Georgia (more than just an inch), and walking a mile to Walmart in the snow for a pack of oreos with my roommate. Waking up to cadet cadences every Monday, Wednesday and Friday is something I was annoyed by then and cherish now. I'll remember living with someone from another country and trying delicious foods, as well as watching the sun rise over campus from my apartment window. Other memories include going to Walmart at 11 PM to buy ink, 3 AM to try to return the printer ink because I bought the wrong kind, and them telling me they couldn't return it until 7 AM. This is what my friend and I get for procrastinating until the night before our entire resource notebook was due. I also want to include staying in a darkroom alone for 10 hours in one setting to finish developing photography. I even packed lunch and snacks so I could camp out there to finish my projects. I also got to spend 3 of my college years with some of the best girls I know in Gamma Sig. Through all of this, I learned so much in college and looking back on a lot of it, I would not change a thing. I enjoyed it for what it was- 4 years I wish could've lasted even longer.
My memories have made me the person I am today, and I'm glad I got to experience a lot of them. This is probably just a teeny tiny percentage of all my fun times and bad times, but this thing is already way too long. Hope you found it interesting. Thanks for reading.
Love, WA
