The Play
I remember clearly sitting in the living room of my house as a 6th grader after school every day of my 6th grade year. My friend Krista walked home with me every day after school until her mom could pick her up on her way home. Krista and I were best friends and, as typical middle school girls, we shared every interest there could be, including reading and a flare for the dramatic. On one day in particular, we had finished watching a rerun of 7th Heaven. I don't remember exact details but it was probably an episode dealing with young relationship dramas of some sort. That conversation that followed looked something like this...
I found the spiral-bound notebook years later when I was home from college and packing boxes to be moved to the new house.I couldn't help but laugh at the crazy things we had written. As an adult, I would be mortified if I ever acted, or saw anyone act for that matter, the way our characters acted.The plot was scattered and unfocused, the spelling was terrible, but that play taught me a lot of things.
It taught me the power of the written word has to connect people. Krista and I were so attached to our books and the dramas we saw on TV we were moved to take on this monumental task as 6th graders. I also learned that writing can transport you to another place and time. Reading that play took me back to those 8 years before. Eight years does not seem like a lot, but there is a lot of growing up between 12 and 20. Somehow, I was able to be that sweet, naive 12 year old again, able to reconnect with a little piece of my former self.
It taught me the power of the written word has to connect people. Krista and I were so attached to our books and the dramas we saw on TV we were moved to take on this monumental task as 6th graders. I also learned that writing can transport you to another place and time. Reading that play took me back to those 8 years before. Eight years does not seem like a lot, but there is a lot of growing up between 12 and 20. Somehow, I was able to be that sweet, naive 12 year old again, able to reconnect with a little piece of my former self.
Below is a poem I wrote my senior year of high school. I was a bit lost and unsure of my future at the time as so much had changed. This poem allowed me to think through the changes I was experiencing in my life and to reflect. It helped me come to an understanding of the changes and to start accepting them.
I am so fortunate to have the ability to express myself in words and be able to use these words to navigate through troubles in my life. I owe a lot of gratitude to my English teachers for helping me learn how to harness those thoughts and feelings and putting them into words.
I am so fortunate to have the ability to express myself in words and be able to use these words to navigate through troubles in my life. I owe a lot of gratitude to my English teachers for helping me learn how to harness those thoughts and feelings and putting them into words.