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.

The Train’s the Thing December 9, 2009

Although trains are only physically present in one of my stories, it is a strong image that is applicable to all three.

 Expanding the Florida Railroad system was David Yulee’s life work both during and after the Civil War. The railroad provided mobility to all of Florida. It single-handedly enable new cities to be developed, allowing the state of Florida to grow more prosperous. 

In great storms, tornadoes are said to sound like a great train. Trains are so powerful and so forceful, like a flood. Trains are capable of causing severe damage, just like severe weather is capable of causing severe damage.

Trains are also about mobility-the ability to go somewhere you have never gone before. The Little Mermaid longs for mobility between her world of the sea and her beloved prince’s world on land. While trains can cross bridges, traveling across swamps, forest, rivers, and countries to connect people, the little mermaid is without any vehicle that could help connect her to both her home and where she wants to go.  Because she cannot have both, she is forced to choose.

Also, the train that ran though Homosassa, was called the Mullet Train–which I think is pretty fantastic. In some ways, the Mullet Train helps to bridge the gap between my Community Story (which is largely based on land) to my Entertainment Story (which takes place primarily in the sea), with my Family Story (on land but surrounded by the sea).

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 2 October 7, 2009

The tide continued to rise. My mom went into crisis management mode. She had my old brother swim into our back yard to salvage some fire wood (the electricity had gone out, and it was expected to be a cold evening). All of the hot dogs and hamburgers, which were intended for my party guests, were sent to the Baptist church down the road. We sent a boat (yes a boat) across the street to pick-up family members who lived in my neighborhood. The first trip brought my grandmother, my aunt (who was a teenager at the time), and my aunt’s friend who had spent the night. I watched as they steered the boat through my front yard, hitting a great oak tree in the process. The boat driver dropped everyone off at my front porch, and then went to get my great-grandmother.

I love my great-grandmother, but she was a stubborn woman. Even though there was water in her house, she was admittedly opposed to getting into the boat which would take her to higher ground (my house). Although she lived her whole life in Florida, she never learned how to swim and was deathly afraid of the water. He was eventually able to get her into the boat, Lord knows how. So she was able to join the rest of the family at my house.

My grandfather has many, many hunting dogs that he keeps fenced in down the road. One of the dogs had given birth to a litter of puppies not long before the storm. By the time he got to the Dog Pin (what we call the fenced in area), all but one of the puppies had died. My grandfather brought the lone survivor to my house. We named him Stormy, and he grew-up to be the best hunting dog 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…