Class Blogging...again

Farrington's “Kissing”

The structure of this piece could have been chosen to allow for endless expansion at the hands of the reader. The number of external excerpts suit the piece in that they allow for a variety of creative inputs to expand on what the writer may have wanted to say or what was unable to fit within the piece. Many of the excerpts convey a shallower, more distanced insight into kissing, while Farrington's personal revelations offer a more emotional, layered perspective. The way he separates and scrambles time and incidences of kissing keeps the reader interested, as do the italicized excerpts.

Crafting the Personal Essay – Memoir Prompt

Body image is one of the most weighted things that, for so many people I know, is tainted with a negativity that controls their lives. When I was a child, I was “too skinny”. I think a lot of parents were jealous because my body remained lanky until I was 13, while their children became plump once they turned 8 or 9. Then, until sophomore year of high school, it was all about boobs. Whose were bigger? Who didn't have any? Who was hottest in the boys' eyes? People always complimented my legs. But I never liked my chest in high school. I also hated that my stomach was never flat or smooth. It was just naturally lumpy. Every bad thing that entered my body went there, like it was a reserve. To this day I struggle to keep my stomach small and tight to my ribs. I'm so meticulous about this that I work out no less than four days a week. [I also love endorphins, but the underlying motivation is my need to stay as small as possible...which, right now, isn't even that small.]

So My Class Requires Me To Blog...

...And I refuse to create another. So, temporarily, I'll pick up with activities and shit for Creative Non-Fiction. LOL.


9/9 CPE Ch. 3,4

"Memoir is not about "look at me, look at me," at least not when done well. Instead it is about trying to understand vexing mysteries of human existence."

I found this quote appealing for what are likely self-centered reasons. I went through a period during which I only read memoirs and autobiographical writings, and I enjoyed them so much because found them to reveal so many truths about life.

"...metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space..."

Aha, this has summarized even the basic importance of a metaphor. This is so true, and emphasizes that metaphors should not be under-estimated. I have always appreciated a good metaphor, and some people get them right every time.

p. 18 exercise -> gesture

I always knew when he was upset, always before he knew how obvious it was. The creases in his 28-year-old skin instantly sunk deeper into his pale, reddening face as his nerves began to race. He never looked at me, but instead, always at something between my feet. Occasionally his eyes would flicker and try to look at mine, but they never stayed fixed there for more than a second. Between blades of blonde hair, his forehead rolled together as he parted his lips, perhaps half an inch, as if the two parts were connected.  And god was he fidgety. He'd cross his legs and bounce his right foot, causing the whole of his long, skinny body to undulate rapidly with it.

It's been a long, long year.

Life really is as simple as simple can be. 

Regardless of people, places, time, emotions, age, change, life and death, at the end of the day you don't how the next day will dawn any more than your neighbor does.

You can have expectations and preconceived notions, but your roll of the dice is as good as mine. The odds are infinite within their respective limitations. 

And these realizations are what brought me to this moment- from the color of my hair to the food digesting within my intestines to the people I think of most to the exact location from which I am typing this [which, honestly, marks the first time I have written anything in months]. 

The last time I posted in this blog, I was sitting comfortably on an internship, a nearly completed college career, a seemingly solid romantic relationship, and an image I hoped might become The Rest Of My Life.

Well, I've never been very certain about anything, but as mentioned, I was comfortable, and comfort is a very deceiving anchor.

Since last summer I have added an academic minor, signed two different housing leases [one of which I have handed over to someone else], failed a college class [first ever, due not to my lack of intelligence but rather distance], lost two friends to fatal accidents, lost a cat due to a failed relationship, lost a best friend and boyfriend, moved 1600 miles west, became a seasonal employee and alcoholic, supported myself financially and stopped predicting any aspect of my life.

Not that I've handed over responsibility or the reigns. 

I've just realized that anchors can and will move and there should be no limitations on youth, let alone any human existence.

So, here I am, in the "small ranching town of Medora, North Dakota" where Theodore Roosevelt spent much of his time prior to his presidency.

How did I land myself a home in the middle of the Badlands?

Rachel, my longtime friend and college housemate, met a girl named Kayla who lives in the next town east of Medora. They were both studying in France over a year ago and bonded over music and their love of the French culture. Last summer, Rachel drove by herself to visit Kayla and fell in love with North Dakota and the midwest. Prior to our college graduation in May, Rachel decided she would return to the area to work for the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation, a non-profit organization that was founded to preserve the history and beauty of the town of Medora. The foundation hires seasonal employees to help maintain the tourism industry of Medora during the summer. There is a wide variety of jobs available- housekeeping, hospitality, food preparation and serving, groundskeeping, horse stables, gift shops, etc. 

I had intended to spend my summer working at home in Lebanon, where I had a well-paying summer job waiting for me. Two weeks into the summer, I felt restless and decided to uproot and try something new. I applied for a position with the foundation later than most people, but three days later I had a job waiting for me. And here I am.

I bought a Greyhound ticket and boarded in Maryland without looking back.

I am two days away from being here for two months. I work six days a week at the Family Fun Center, where families can come to ride the world's largest inflatable water slide, a bungee trampoline and a rock wall.

My time spent in Medora has been the most fun I've had my entire life. 

Perhaps I'll detail this more later.