Strikes, Balls, and Bunts – Trial and Errors December 10, 2009

 

The first half of this blog greatly affected how I approached the second part of the assignment. For instance, my Family stories and my Entertainment had so much in common: the water, birthdays, mermaids, an underlying struggle between good and evil. I was so sure that finding my Image of Wide Scope would be so easy…Error #1.

 

When I was done with my Community post, I realized that David Yulee and the Civil War didn’t mesh as easily with my Family stories and Entertainment as my Family and Entertainment meshed with each other.Sure, the Homosassa River was present in my Community Post. The plantation needed the river because sugar cane grows along the riverbank, so it was the river that brought the family here in the first place. Also, when the four scouts went back to the Yulee’s home after the Union showed up, they had to escape from enemy soldiers by paddling down a narrow creek. However, despite the presence of water, I didn’t feel as if water was that powerful in the Community post.

 

Trial: Were do I go from here? Since all my original ideas were contingent on water being the “thing,” I had to go back and see what sticks out as an image and as a symbol. The Yulee Sugar Mill, for example, definitely stands out as an image. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really have any significance inside the story or symbolic meaning.  Then I thought about Yulee’s involvement with the development of the Florida railroad system. Could I connect the meaning of trains to a Family story and Entertainment?  

As I thought about what trains mean–travel, mobility, power, speed, strength–it seemed to me that trains fit my stories about water, mermaids, and birthdays much better than any water symbolism could fit the story of David Yulee.  Suddenly, I went from merely drifting down a river to charging at this assignment with all the power and force of a stream engine locomotive.

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.

Searching for the Right Memories October 14, 2009

There are two qualities I possess which made this project very easy in a hard way: I have a terrific memories and I had a wonderful, full childhood. While I never had to stretch to find a memory to talk about, I also didn’t know which memories to choose.

I thought about the people who mattered to me when I was a little girl: I was very close to my family, I admired my big brother more than anyone else in the world, and I had one best friend all throughout elementary school. 

 I also thought about the stories I was told most often about myself from when I was younger, but that turn out to be a slippery-slop. I wanted these to be my memories. By thinking about stories others have told me about myself from when I was younger, I might damage the integrity of my story by using their memories instead of my own. I didn’t want to compromise my voice.

I made a short list of ten or so memories that could work for this assignment. I still didn’t know how to trim that list down to three. I decided to think about my entertainment for a bit, which helped a lot.

Felt – Water October 14, 2009

Water was the common thread throughout all my family stories and entertainment. While the little mermaid wanted to get away from the sea even though that is the only life she had ever known and it is where her families lives, I cannot spend enough time on the water because it is familiar to me. I grew-up near the water. When I think of my family, I think of fishing trip, clam bakes, trips to the beach, and being together near or on the water. While the little mermaid wanted to escape from the waters which represented comfort and familiarity, I love the water because it is comfortable and familiar.

Even when that water seemed to be a terrible force in my life, such as the flood, it led to my family being all together. So it still have positive associations.