Rounding Third…Creating Logo December 10, 2009

After deciding the Train would be  my “thing,” I had to think long and hard about how trains related to each of my family narratives and entertainment. Back when I thought water would be the image in the center box, I was planning on using my snoopy fishing pole story as an allegory about good and bad always being present. “The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together,” was going to be my metaphysics.  I also had my morality all ready. “Live Honorably” is the message I took away from The Little Mermaid. Even though good and bad are always present, one can choose to be good or evil. Living a good life, I believe, can be achieved by being an honorable person. However, by switching to trains, suddenly Snoopy didn’t seem like the best story to use. I was sorry to see Snoopy go.

My No Name Storm story was my most compelling alternative.  I thought about the power of this storm and how the magnitude of this storm is a lot like the power of a train. If a car gets stuck on the train tracks when a train is coming, the car is going to be totaled–without question. Similarly, floods can destroy whole towns: homes, cars, businesses, everything.

So I had my three stories set: The Little Mermaid, The No Name Storm, and David Yulee.  Now, how are they supposed to correlate to one another within my Logo…

When I think about my fifth birthday during the storm of the century, I think about my mom. She handled everything so beautifully. My father was at work, so it was just my mom managing everything: the terrifying weather conditions (although water never got into our house like it had my grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s home, there was no way for her to have known that at the time), calling out-of-town birthday guest to inform them of the extreme weather conditions, getting her family from one side of the road to another, bringing what would have been birthday  food to the church for those in need, plus having two small children to entertain and comfort. Just look at that list. My mother is amazing. She never seemed flustered. I can’t say it was effortless, because a list like this demands effort (even from a super-human-puts-Wonder Woman-Bat Girl- and-Super Girl-to-shame kind of woman like my mom). My mom was able to roll with the punches and come out on top. 

The way my mom acted reminded me of a little saying she is always telling me, “Do the best you can with where you are at and with what you have got.” Just like that, my motto was solidified.

I went back to thinking about trains. I have always associated trains with persistence, diligence, and steadfastness. Probably because of my fondness of the Little Engine that Could (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…).  Trains are one of those few man-made objects that could just barrel though anything.

The Little Engine tha t Could reminded me of the Little Mermaid, in an odd way. The Little Mermaid pursued her goal of being with the Prince and gaining a soul without hesitation.  She suffered and sacrificed without complain, because she knew that is what it took to be on land near the Prince. However, the mermaid revealed  her strength of character, on the night of the Prince’s wedding to someone else, the mermaid’s sister told her the only way to  save herself and return to the sea was to take the life of the Prince who had forsaken her. Yet the mermaid could not harm the Prince, even though it meant the end of her life. It was this act of goodness, coupled with all her efforts and sacrificed to be on land, which caused the sisters of the air to take notice of the mermaid. The mermaid joined the sisters of the air, giving her the chance to earn a soul by completing good works—like she has been doing all along.  From here I pulled my Metaphysics, “Hard work and goodness is rewarded”.  However, this mentality is also shown in the No Name Storm story.

Yulee had a little bit of my Mom and the Little Mermaid’s fight in him as well. He was a self-made-man, working his way up in Florida politics, earning the title of Florida’s first US Senate, only to have that title taken away the following election. Did Yulee give up? No, he ran the year after and won. Then the Civil War happened, and Yulee left his position is the US Senate to dedicate himself to the state. His home was destroyed during the civil war, yet he never lost heart. When the war was over, he rebuilt like my mom, the little mermaid, and the Little Engine that Could, Yulee never gave up in when faced with an obstacle: he had perseverance.  

Looking back on everything, I was a remarkable good kid. I didn’t pout about not having my big birthday party. I understood that there were a few things out of my mother’s control, such as the weather. I wasn’t scared either. I just think that at five years old, I was oblivious to the severity of the situation. If I felt anything, I felt confused. However, once everything settled down, I saw that the storm happening on my birthday was an unexpected blessing. We were able to help so many people by donating food. Also, it was a Saturday. Had this happened on a weekday, would any one be around to make sure Granny got to higher ground safely? So my attitude or mood was confusion, and later understanding.

The image I chose to use to express my “thing”, was an actually picture of the railroad that once ran though Homosassa. It was called the Mullet Train, which is more than fitting for my little fishing village.  It was really important to me to find a picture that showcased the real Homosassa, because Homosassa is important to me. I altered the coloring though Photoshop to give the image a more antique look, but other than that it is an authentic depiction of my town, back in the day.

Mood: Confusion to Understanding December 10, 2009

On the day of my fifth birthday, which happened to coincided with the Storm of the Century, I remember feeling very confused. I knew what a flood was, but up until that day, I had never experienced one.  I couldn’t really understand what was happening or why. I didn’t know what to do, so I just watched as my mother took care of things.

I saw my mother insure that all of our family was together under one roof, I saw her send my brother to fetch fire wood, and I saw her send all of our excess hamburgers and hot dogs (what would have been served at my birthday party) to a local church, so that people who were most in need would have something to eat. I watched my mother work diligently to see that everyone and everything was taken care of, and her efforts were rewarded, though I couldn’t see that at the time.

I now understand that the storm happening on my birthday was a blessing. We were able to feed so many people because the party was rescheduled and we had so much extra food.

One my logo, I have my motto as, “Do the best you can with where you are and with what you have got.” Sometimes, you can’t always see the end of the road. No one truly knows what the end result is going to be until we reach the end.  In life, the only things you have control over are the decisions you make. You cannot control the choices of others. You cannot control the weather. All I can do is work hard and do my best, and trust that my goodness and efforts will ensure that everything will fall into place as it should.

Revisiting Memories October 14, 2009

Once I knew that my Entertainment would be “The Little Mermaid” it was time to refine what memories I wanted to write about. The most obvious mermaid memories was my fourth birthday at Weeki Wachee Springs. I had countless memories from living in Florida, so close to the beach and rivers. One of my favorite stories to tell was going fishing for the first time and catching a shark with my Snoopy pole. One of my most vivid memories is from my fifth birthday, the day of the No-Name Storm. Just like that (*snap*) I had material for my micro-narratives.

Then it became the process of connection the memories to the entertainment, in order to craft a My Story. The mermaid connection was obvious. However, it wasn’t until I reread “The Little Mermaid” that I realized that birthdays were such a big part of the story. In “The Little Mermaid” birthdays were a right of passage. At fifteen, the mermaids were able to go above the sea, which was a huge deal. In my family, my mom always made our birthdays special. It was MY DAY.

Once I got on this mindset of connecting my three stories to “The Little Mermaid,” it changed everything. The assignment seemed so easy after that…which worried me a little bit.

Felt – Birthdays October 14, 2009

For me, birthdays carry special meaning. They symbolize new beginnings, new opportunities, and responsibilities being presented in someone’s life. For the little mermaid, the day of her fifteenth birthday was the day she was finally able to go above the sea. It was then that she saw the prince for the first time, who was also celebrating his sixteenth birthday. I thought my fifth birthday was going to present me with the chance to ride a pony in my backyard, but instead I had the opportunity to learn to roll with the punches and watch my mother handle a crisis with grace and skill.  

 

The Storm of the Century – Part 3 October 7, 2009

Water never got inside of my house, which was a true blessing. With my family all gathered together under one roof, we had cake and I opened some of my present. I remember my Uncle Robert sent me legos, so my brother and I were able to play with my new toy inside.

My dad was at work when the tide started rolling in, and when he came home, he brought pizza with him. We lit a fire because it was so cold.  Everyone was gathered in the living room. My brother played with his Lincoln Logs.

The water gradually evaporated, so my cousins, brother, and I had swampy yards to play in for a couple of days.

Eventually everything returned back to normal, and I had a make-up birthday party at McDonald’s. Still, I will never forget the day of my fifth birthday–ever.

The Storm of the Century – Part 1 October 7, 2009

“In the early morning hours of Saturday, March 13, 1993, the ‘Storm of the Century’ hit Florida’s West Coast with awesome fury. Hurricane-strength winds and a tidal surge as high as 12 feet in some places swamped houses, smashed cars, scooped up furniture, appliances and boats.” - The St. Petersburg Times

The article refers to the No-Name Storm, and the date of March 13th, 1993 was the day of my 5th Birthday.

I woke up early that morning and put on my party dress. It was a teal cowgirl dress with lots of fringe. I wanted to wear a cowgirl dress because there was going to be a pony at my birthday, and I wanted to look the part.

My mom had me step out on the front porch with her. I saw that our front yard was completely flooded. Water came all the way up to the bottom step of our house (my house is build-up high on a hill, so for water to be on the bottom set meant that the water was a few feet deep on the road). My mom told me that the pony could not come to our house today, and that we would have my party on another day. Happy Birthday to me…

Real Mermaids – Part 3 October 7, 2009

When we exited the theatre, there was a mermaid sitting on a rock. You could ask to take pictures with her.  I liked her pink tail best of all.

At the park, we went on a boat ride, looked at all kinds of exotic animals, and then we had lunch followed by cake and presents. All throughout the park there where signs that read “Happy Birthday Caitlin,” which was very exciting. I distinctly remember my birthday crown, which had a spot to place a sticker of your age.

One of my favorite gifts that I recieved that year were my “Beauty and the Beast” Barbie dolls. The Beast was actually a prince doll with a Beast costume you could make him wear, and Belle came with both her blue dress and gold ball gown. I loved those dolls like Andy loved Woody and Buzz.

All and all, it was a very memorable day. Years later, during the Christmas before my eighteenth birthday, in my stocking, Santa stuck a job application to be a Weeki Wachee mermaid. I guess he must have remembered when I wanted to be a mermaid professionally.

Real Mermaids – Part 2 October 7, 2009

At the park, the first thing I wanted to do was watch the Mermaid Show.  It was magical…or at least it was to a four-year-old girl.  We sat in a theatre, and where there should have been a stage, there was a viewing glass instead. On the opposite side of the glass were giant rocks, fishes, plants, and anything else you would expect to see in a natural Florida spring. The show began, and mermaids appeared. The women danced under the water so gracefully. They had long wands that they would breathe though.

The storyline followed the plot of “The Little Mermaid” pretty closely. A little mermaid longed to live above lands, saves a human prince, and asks a sea witch to give her legs. The prince and the little mermaid did some acting outside of the water, inside of the theatre. It is  in front of the glass, where they have to battle the sea witch. Everyone lived happily ever after.

I knew, when I grew-up, I was going to be a mermaid…a real mermaid.

Real Mermaids – Part 1 October 7, 2009

When I was a little girl, people would asked me what I wanted to be when I grew-up, and I said, “A Mermaid.” Here is why…

At Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, there is a live underwater mermaid show that has delighted visitors since 1947. Even Elvis wanted to witness the mermaid magic at Weeki Wachee when he went to see the mermaids perform while he was in Florida filming a movie.  I had my fourth birthday party at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.

It was a cold March day, and I wanted to where my Disney “The Little Mermaid” outfit. My mom said it was too cold to wear a cotton skirt, but I refused to wear anything else, so she had me put on tights to kept my legs warm. My family loaded into our red SUV and we were off to the park. As we pulled up, I saw my name on the big marquee out front. “Happy Birthday Caitlin.” I knew it was going to be a great birthday.