Life's changes..

The first thing that came to mind after reading Tim O'Brien's passage was a photograph of myself, maybe four or five years old at my aunts wedding. Of course, I was the flower girl, and of course I'm wearing the most extravagant flower girl dress the bridal store had to offer. I'm crouched down in the bushes, red-faced and screaming, yelling at whoever was taking the picture. If I recall correctly my reasons for hostility were either a) I was repulsed by the fact that I would have to hold hands and walk down the aisle with the ring bearer or b) I was absolutely baffled, not to mention extremely jealous, that my aunt, the bride, had a larger bouquet than I did. 

I showed it to a friend not too long ago and their response--"Wow, you haven't changed much."

So, the point is, throughout our lives I believe our inner nature stays the same. Maturity plays a huge role in how we act in certain situations (because if I were in a wedding today, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't throw a tantrum) but there's this part of yourself you will never lose touch with. You can say you've changed on certain levels, maybe you have a new set of opinions on a matter or made some drastic lifestyle changes, but ultimately the qualities of your mind will remain the same. 

Tim O'Brien uses eyes as evidence of this-"I know my own eyes"(236). I think most people could look at a photo of themselves at an earlier point in their life and automatically recognize the fact that they still have the same gaze. Describing the essence of oneself can get to be a kind of strange concept, but seeing how ones eyes are unchanging from birth to death makes it more concrete.

"Why I Write" --Jeannette Walls

I write because I absolutely love to. I write to share-to get my story out. If everybody tells their own story, what we can learn from each other is infinite.  Everything from being a little girl demon hunting in the desert to walking the crowded streets of New York City has been an experience. Your experiences aren't like anybody elses -it'd be a shame not to tell them.

Telling the story of my childhood-whether you think it horrific or remarkable-is a way for me to share my hope. I do it for all of us-my sisters, my brother, my mother, and my father. To write with the intention of self-pity is so untrue-so fake. I want to illustrate with my words the importance of forgiveness and never giving up.  

I knew writing was my passion from the very first day I worked on my school's newspaper. It felt like nothing I'd ever experienced to have the freedom to choose any words I wanted to say anything I wanted. And to have people listen? It's just wonderful. To this day, I still feel that same triumph of sharing my words I felt back in Welch, West Virginia working on the The Maroon Wave. Everyone in my family made life an adventure, everyone had something to give-Mom and Lori with their art, Brian with his braveness, Dad with his boldness and peculiar charm, and me-with my writing.