MyChildhoodMemory
WhenIthinkofthemostimportantmemorythatIhavefrommychildhood,mymindgoesdirectly tomychildhoodhousetoonespecificday,thedayIgotmypuppy!Iwasinmykitchenonacalm dayMysisterpulledupintotheverycrackedblacktopthatwasinourdrivewayIheardthecar doorslamclose,thenthesoundofthesqueakykitchendoorbeingopened.Eventually,Iheardmy namebeingyelledoutbynotonlyoneperson,butalsomynieceandnephew.AsIrandownthe creakyandveryloudstairsIcouldfeelthatsomethingspecialwasgoingtohappen.AsIturnedthe cornermyeyeswentdirectlytoonesmallfluffthatwasonthetable.Mysisterhadpreviously mentionedthatshewantedapuppyandIevenwenttoarun–downpetshopinaverysketchytown withher.Butthedogthatwewereonahuntforwasnotatallliketheonethatwasonmykitchen tableatthatmoment.Ibeganapproachingthecounter,buttryingtocalmmyselfdown.PreviouslyI hadownedagiantspottedpitbullnamedYeyoandsoIwasn'tthatfamiliarwithtinydogsIwas beginningtopicturetheamazingdaysIcouldhavewiththisdogbeforeevenlayingafingeronher softfluffyhair.Mysistermust'vesurelyseentheamazementinmyeyesbecausebeforeevensaying anythingtoher,shebegantalking.HerwordswereablurtomebecauseIwassofocusedonthe hugedeepbrowneyesthatweresittingontheslipperywhiteworndowncounterinfrontofme.The dogwasnotmeanttobemine
...Getmorecontent...
MymostfondchildhoodmemorieswerenotcreatedinfrontofaTVortabletscreen;butrather climbingtreesandridingfourwheelersbehindmyhouse.Ididnotgrowupinalargesubdivisionor neighborhood,Igrewupinacountrycommunityontheoutskirtsofasmalltown.Wewerethirty minutesawayfromthegrocerystoreandfifteenminutestothenearestgasstation.Thefreenessof thewoodsandwildernesshastrulyhelpedshapemeintothepersonIamtodayMyimagination blossomedandallowedmetocreatememoriesinthewoodswithoutthehelpofappslikePokémon GoandSnapchat.Mymotherwasayoungteenparent.Shehadmybrotherwhileshewassixteen andmyselfwhenshewaseighteenForobviousfinancialreasons,welivedatmygrandparents' houseinthatsmallcountrycommunity.Mymomworkedlongdaysataminimumwagefastfood jobwhilemygrandmatookcareofmybrotherandI.Shemissedoutonvariousschooleventsand littleleaguesoftballgamestoprovideandkeepfoodonthetable.Shetaughtustovaluethethings wehadinlifeandwithhardworkanddeterminationyoucouldaccomplishanythingyousetyour mindtoMygrandparentsplayedalargeroleinraisingmybrotherandITheyhelpedprovideusan environmentfilledwithlove,Jesus,laughter,andalittlesoutherntouch."Oldschool"valueswere instilledinus–weweretaughtrespectanddiscipline,somethingchildrenarelackingtoday.WhileI lookeduptomyolderbrother,Iwantedto
...Getmorecontent...
ChildhoodMemoriesDadsaid,"We'regoingforarideonthebus.""Ridetowhere,"Ithought excitedly.Irememberwaitinginthebusstation;peoplegoingabouttheirbusiness.Thebuswegot onwashuge,withroomforatleastahundredpeople,withplentyofroom.Itwasacold,windy evening.IsatatthefrontsoIcouldseeoutofthewindow.Brightlightswereheadingtowardsus.It seemedasthoughwehadbeentravellingforhoursThebusstoppedafewtimestopickpeopleup, ontheway.Amangotonandsatdownneartous."Hello,young'un,"hesaid.Iwastoofrightened toanswer;hewastallandworeaflatcapandanovercoat.Dadsaid,"Don'tworryson,thisisyour uncleshowmorecontent
"Comeon,I'llshowyoutoyourroom,"shesaid.Iwassoexcited.Dadpickedupthesuitcaseand followedNana.Ifollowedcloselybehind,marchingupthenever–endingstairsthatseemedtogoon forever."Youcansleepinhere,"saidNana.Theroomwashuge.Ithadthreesinglebeds."I'veput theelectricblanketsonforyou,yourbedswillbeniceandwarmwhenyougetinthemtonight." "Electricblanket,"Ithoughttomyself"We'veonlygothotwaterbottlesathome"Wewentintothe kitchenwhereNanahadmadeussomesupper.Thekitchenwashuge.Myeyes,wanderedaround.I noticedthatthereweresometinsonthetopshelf.Buttheyweresotall."Whyarethetinssobig?"I askedmyDad,Hereplied."Theyarefullofpowder,youmixitwithwatertomakesoup.""Yuk powderedsoup,howdisgusting."AsthenightworeonmyNanasaid,"I'mofftobed,I'llseeyouin themorning"WesaidgoodnighttomyNanaandoffshewentSheopenedthelivingroomdoorto gouptobed.Butinsteadofgoingupstairssheopenedthedoorbeneaththestairsandwentin,she musthavegoneunderthestairstolookforsomethingbeforeshewenttobed,butdidn'tcomeout. That'sstrange,whatcouldbesofascinatingintherethatshedidn'tcomebackoutDadsaid,"Come onsonwe'll ...Getmorecontent...
Childhoodisthemostinnocentphaseofman'slife.Withthepassageoftime,itfadesinto adolescenceandadulthood.Yetthesweetmemoriesofchildhoodlingeron.Mychildhood recollectionsarethoseofashelteredandcarefreelife,nurturedwithloveandconcern.AsIwasthe firstchildinthefamily,everybodydotedonme.
Myfunnylisping,myinnocentmischiefandmyinanetalk–everythingwasasourceofimmense pleasuretothem.Therewasneverawordofreproachorcensureagainstme.Onceadistantuncle pickedmeupfrommyschooland,withoutinformingmyparents,tookmetoafairWhenIreturned home,itwasquitelate.Ifoundeverybodyworried,anxiousandapprehensiveaboutmysafety.A franticsearchformehadshowmorecontent
Asonegrowsup,onefeelsmoreandmoreattachedwithhischildhood,thebestperiodofaman's life.Achildhasnoworries,anxietiesorworries.Heisfreefromthedirtyandfilthynoiseofworldly tensionsSameisthecasewithmeWhenIrecollectthedaysofmychildhood,Ifeelverymuch delighted;itwasapleasantperiodthatIspentinhighspirits.
CHILDHOODMEMORIES
mychildhood,IwascarefreeandhadnoworriesatallIusedtowanderlikeadeerintheopen fields,enjoyingthenaturalbeautyinthepastures.Therearecertainincidentsthatarestillfreshinmy memory.Onceajugglerwithtwomonkeyscametoourstreet.Heshowedmonkey'strickswhich engagedourattentionThemonkeyfellinlovewiththeshe–monkeyShe–monkeyrefusedtomarry thehe–monkey.He–monkeywenttohisfatherinlaw'shouseafterwearingcolorfuldress.These werethepranksthatattractedme.Ifullyappreciatedthetricksshownbythejuggler.Another incident,whichIstillremember,istheswimmingexperience.ItwasaSundaywhenI,alongwith myfriends,wentforapicnictoOkhla.Someboyswereexpertswimmersbutunluckily,Ididnot knowhowtoswimMyfriendsdivedintotheriverandcompelledmetodothesameSoon,Iwas caughtbythecurrentofwaterandwascarriedawayswiftly.Therewaseverypossibilityofmy losinglifebutduetothevalourofoneofmyfriends,Iwasrescuedfromthe
...Getmorecontent...
MostlythethingsIrememberaboutbeingsixhadtodowithsimplesuburbanlife:thedriveway,the frontyard,thefielddownthesideyard,thewoodsbehindthehouse.MybrothersandIwerealways told"gooutsideandplay,"andwedid.Webiked,trikedandscootedupanddownthedriveway. Thentherewasabasketballtobounce.Lotsandlotsofrunningaroundandaversionoftaginthe backyardwecalled"monster"MyworldwasprettyclearandcontainedBrotherstokeepupwith, yellowdandelionsalongattheendofthedriveway,thefieldfullofprickerbushes,milkweedpods, uglysumactreeshere,agroveofpinetreesinthewoodsnearthecreek.AllIrememberwasplay, exceptforchurchonSundaysExceptfortimesIremembershowmorecontent Insteadofanorgan,wehadarockbandwithadrumset.Ourhymnalwascalled"HymnsHotand CarolsCool."Potluckdinneralwaysincludedlumpycasserolesmadewithtexturedvegetable protein.Eventuallymenstartedshowinguptochurchwithgo–teesandponytails.Ourswasahippy church.
AndIguesstheEasterIgotarrestedwassomekindofhippy–churchfield–tripItwasEaster weekend1965,Ithink.TocelebrateGoodFriday,thedayChristiansrememberJesus'scrucifixion, mydadhadcollaboratedwithsomeoftheblackchurchesinthe"innercity"todrivearoundMonroe countyandpray.There'sanoldCatholictraditionofpraying"thestationsofthecross"to commemorateJesus'scondemnation,hiswalkofshametothehillofGolgothaandhisgettingnailed tothecross,andhislastwordsCatholicsprayinchurchWehippyprotestants,itturnedoutwould gathertogether,black/white,old/young,city–folkandsuburb–folkandwanderaroundthecounty pickingplacesofinequality,poverty,andinjusticetoprayupon.
DRAFTEssay#6familystory
Hughes2
ItallstartedearlyFridaymorning.WewhitePresbyterianstookouryellowbusdowntowntomeeta churchfullofblackBaptistsandthereyellowbus,wemixedeverybodyupandthenwestartedthe prayer–a–thon.Asmyfathertellsit,weprayedforfairwagesataplasticsfactory,forcleanairand wateratawastedump,forbetterschoolsatacrummylookinghighschoolontheeastside
...Getmorecontent...