A Nocturnal Hero

My brother is the one who always listened; the one who muted the volume of his own self-interest and offered his time freely. He is a savior to the dejected and a friend to all. When he speaks, he grabs you with his impassioned speech and gestures madly with his hands, but when he listens, his solemn eyes never leave your face until you’re finished, considering each word as carefully as biblical text. He taught me many things and I may not have survived without him.

When I was a child living in Raleigh, my father’s job required him to travel around the country extensively, meeting with business clients and discussing whatever financial advisers and their associates chat about. Every Sunday evening my mother, my sister and I dropped him off at the airport, and at the end of each week we’d retrieve him and, if we were lucky, attain a new Ninja Turtles action figure upon his arrival. Because of this, my father seemed more as a regular visitor than a stable part of my life.

My sister Jennifer and I were in elementary school, while my oldest sister Michelle went to UNC Chapel Hill, and my brother Eric was a proverbial idler. Nowadays, Eric is wildly successful, having lived in Honolulu and now Los Angeles and working for Sony on many movies as a graphic artist, but back then he had about as much motivation to leave our parents’ house as I did to eat our mother’s zucchini casserole. Fourteen years older than I and the product of my mother’s first marriage, Eric had graduated high school only to realize that college was not for him and returned home to continue living in our finished attic.

To my young mind, he was a mystic figure, a rollicking mockery of social convention. His style was a cross between Jesus and Jim Morrison. Rarely did I see him with a shirt on, and as I was preparing for school, he would just be getting to bed. And when I sat down in the afternoon after school to watch Power Rangers he’d usually say good morning and join me on the couch. Not only was he full of eccentricities, but also talent. Most often, I’d find him nestled in the back corner of his room near his window, plucking his guitar with the precision of a surgeon. Or if not than hunched over a canvas with charcoal, pen, pencil, or brush in hand. Creating art, for him, was effortless. He would play music for me for hours, always asking which notes I thought sounded best.

I watched him live through pain as well, but he always shared comedic wisdom from his experiences. When he broke his collarbone preventing a clumsy girl at a party from falling down a flight of stairs, thus tumbling down them himself, he said the next day with a grin, “I’ve always fallen hard for pretty girls.”

Eric never denied me the truth. He taught me how to care for people and how to respect the fragility of life. When he lost his fiancé in a tragic accident, he kept on living. He didn’t conceal his sadness, but it was outweighed by his understanding that his life hadn’t ended yet. That first and only time I saw him cry he held me as though I were the older sibling, there for his security, opening emotional doors and inviting me into a new religion of the spirit. When his wrecked voice stammered “without love for each other we are nothing,” I believed him with more gravity than I’ve yet felt. He made me feel like his equal, like someone with a voice to be heard. Without my father constantly around, I needed another male figure to guide me. He provided my childhood with entertainment, insight and understanding.

Eric moved to Hawaii when the rest of us moved to Charlotte, the summer prior to sixth grade. Losing him from my every day routine had the emotional impact of a car crash, though I quickly came to see that he had prepared me well for life without him. And as years pass and the memories of childhood fade, his face remains in reflective moments of youth and freedom, forever my guardian, my brother.

The "Mouth"

In my twenty-five years I have seen my fair share of negative people. From bullies to mean girls, I’ve met some interesting characters. But none can compare to the one monster I have always had to deal with, my own mouth.

When first given this assignment, I was going to write about some sort of horrid terror I used to know, but then I realized that I had something much better to write about than that. For the most part I’m usually a fair conversationalist, and a considerate critic, but then there are those times when I open my mouth and just sit back for the ride it takes me on.

This past Thursday I was participating in a class workshop, in which I was offering my thoughts on a paper that was well written, but I just wasn’t connecting with. As I kept talking, I realized I was starting to talk too much. As the class continued to roll along, I noticed that my comments were becoming more frequent, less considerate of the writer, and borderline mean.

As the class continued, I started thinking about a comment I had made earlier in the day, in the same class no less, about how Jackie Chan butchered the English language in every movie he does that isn’t subtitled. Now while this statement may be true, I then realized that a classmate was from China, and that she herself had mentioned how difficult learning the English language, let alone speaking it, was more difficult than thought.

I was two for two on making myself appear to be an insensitive, uncaring, and small-minded fool. I was doing a lot of damage for someone who isn’t normally so critical of others. That is when I realized that I was starting to let the “Mouth” take over. It was as if I had ceased to be, and in my place was a swirling black hole that spewed forth unnecessary and uncalled for comments and criticisms of his fellow classmates. Not to mention the inappropriate dig at Mr. Jackie Chan.

It was at that moment when I started remembering all the other times the “Mouth” had taken over and left a devastation I had to try and clean up later on. For the rest of the afternoon little flashes of bad moments, in which I should have just not said anything, kept popping up in my head. Even in my dreams that night I was tormented by those moments in which I had an opportunity to walk away, but the “Mouth” wouldn’t stop.

While the “Mouth” has also allowed for some great moments in my life,such as well timed jokes, telling girls I liked they were cute, and other moments too numerous to mention, it is only the horrible moments that seem to happen on a consistent basis. This will forever make my own lips and tongue my greatest nemesis in life.

A bit of a drama queen

"Mom, I don't know how you do it." This is usually the opening line in the two different conversations I have with my mother. The first conversation is an exasperated tone that indicates my mother has managed to complicate life and turn situations into a chaotic mess, one more time. The second conversation indicates my mother has done something I can be proud of and shows remarkable character and integrity.

My mother is 5.5' and 1/2 feet of determination and character, who blames her ditsy moments on her bleached blond hair and is convinced if you walk through rainbows you'll wind up multicolored.

She is a free spirit that loves life and tends to ignore details. Time is optional as far as she's concerned and I often tell her programs start a 1/2 hour early to make sure she's there. Her freely expressed opinions, good and bad, highlight the love/hate relationship existing between herself and family members. She is quick to anger and even quicker to forgive; she will laugh with you one minute, cry the next, fight with you tomorrow and help you with projects today.

This description might make her sound a bit bipolar. She's not, but she is a passionate woman easily swayed by emotions. I know many people, but none follow their hearts as easily and as often as my mother does. This flexibility on her part has resulted in 3 college degrees, four husbands, countless moves, a love of life, and resilience that allows her to cope with whatever situation arises. Currently she is a bus driver and a substitute teacher, who is planning to go back to school to obtain her LPN.

For someone like myself who weighs options, in an effort to make educated choices mother's snap decisions both annoy and astound me.

Her eccentricities aside, my mom is a creative individual who can design anything she puts her mind to. For years, she was the chief designer for Vacation Bible School at church and I cannot count the number of newspaper mountains and cardboard corrals she has created. My 3-D snowman Sam is one of her creations, though the idea was mine, she was the one that made it happen.

The term "never grew up" has been used in reference to my mother on occasion. I disagree with this statement. For all of her childish and funky ways my mother realizes perfectly well, how serious life can be, she just chooses to ignore it.

All things aside I have come to realize that she will always be easily swayed by her emotions and will follow those feelings in any direction they lead. My role is to simply accept the decision for the day and try to help sort out the complications when she needs me.

My mother has become one of my best friends and when I add up her good qualities, I can make the educated choice to forgive her for being a bit of a drama queen. After all, my mother's favorite part of life is laughter and her mistakes are easily forgotten when she laughingly explains that "life would have be boring without [her] around."

Girls always fight about boys

Eric was in a relationship when I met him. Actually he was sort of in several relationships when I met him, but I’ll get to that in a minute. His girlfriend, Sarah, was long distance in high school and even more by the time they were both in college, long distance by thirteen or fourteen hours and so they decided it would be an open relationship. This meant that they would both be hooking up with other people. I met him because he was messing around with two girls I knew and they weren't the only two. Regardless of them though, he was in love with her and didn't plan on ever leaving her -- no matter how crazy, jealous, or cruel she was to him.

When they broke up after two and a half years, Eric and I ended up together.

This isn’t a great way to start. He was broken hearted and even though she had dumped over something on Myspace with him she hadn’t been ready to let him go. She hadn’t expected Aaron to start dating someone as quickly as he did; she hadn’t really expected him to start dating anyone else at all. They had planned on getting married and living happily ever after – she didn’t think breaking up with him was anything more than teaching him a lesson about his internet postings.

I hated her. She hated me. Sarah didn’t exactly fight clean, but then who would? Here she had lost some one she had cared about for a very long time, probably one of the first people to be constant and steady in her life.

She was raised mostly by her bi polar mother and her father tried to buy her love when he was around. I know all this because eventually we made peace with each other. Eventually we got to be okay friends. Over Christmas break she was visiting her father's side of the family in South Carolina. I live in Charlotte, only an hour or so away and she came to visit me and my family for a few hours on her way home to Atlanta.

We still talk occasionally -- mostly we avoid talking about Eric. School and her current boys etc. remain the biggest topics. She's majoring in neuroscience, polar oppisite of my English/Creative Writing double. She and Eric are friends and we figured out that neither one of us is the devil.

Treasure hunts and hardware

He smells of old spice, pipe smoke and hardware. Some of you may not know exactly what hardware smells like--it’s an old musty stale smell, but it still makes me smile. He smells like this because he owns his own hardware store and spends fifty to sixty hours a week there, so I’m sure the smell seeped into his skin over time. He actually missed my high-school graduation to work, but no matter what, he is one of the greatest men alive and my “Pop-Pop.”

My Pop-Pop has a round belly and always wears suspenders; he has a wide variety: Santa Clause suspenders, American flag suspenders, even some that look like a tape measure. He has a smile that will melt your heart and that comes with a jolly chuckle when he thinks something is funny. Pop-Pop says “I love you” about once a year, so when you hear it you keep it forever. No matter what, he makes sure you know he loves you, even if he doesn’t say it.

I remember when I was a little girl he was always like a dad to me since mine was never around; this is the main reason I think he is so amazing. So many of my childhood memories have him in it. One Sunday afternoon, after our routine of watching “This Old House” and going to Church, he came in from his shop and told me he had a treasurer map. He said that it was of his backyard and that a long time ago someone had buried some treasurer there and he had just found the map. The excitement inside me was insane; all I could think about was show and tell on Friday and how awesome this would be if I found the “buried treasurer.” Pop-Pop grabbed some shovels and we were off on the voyage (their backyard is only about ½ acre before it gets to some fence). When we finally got to it he let me dig it out and I found a bag full of pennies! To a six-year-old this is like a million dollars.

This is one of my best memories with my Pop-Pop. He is an honest man who deeply cares about his family and he shows it. I remember in high school when he had a heart attack and we had to go to the hospital I was so afraid for him. I don’t know how it would have been to lose him because the older I get the more I admire him. When I go home from college I still sit on his lap and take in that familiar smell that only he has. Since I’ve come to college he says “I love you” more to me, maybe because he can’t show it as much through things like treasure hunts.

I Know a Real Live Hero

I know I’m not the only one, but I could not survive without my mother. In some ways she is like a typical mother, nurturing, sweet and smart. In other ways she is like a sister to me. I tell her more than I tell my best friend. Her role in our family was to be a mother and a father. My dad worked all the time, probably to escape all the problems at home which left my mother to play all of her roles at home with the three of us.

As if three young children weren’t enough for one person, one of my brothers was mentally retarded. He could not eat, drink, go to the bathroom by himself. I am four years younger than my older twin brothers. I never went to school with either of them. One of my brothers went to a private high school and the other one had to go to a special school a half hour away. My mom waited at the bus stop with me, and then my brother, and would drive my other brother to his school in hear van because the bus that stopped by our house for his school wasn’t wheelchair accessible. Doesn’t make too much sense, right? She cooked for us, she cleaned for us and she helped us with homework. She gave us all baths, helped us all brush our teeth and tucked us all in bed. She was like a super hero.

My brother died when I was in fifth grade. The doctors always said that because of his disabilities, he wasn’t going to live very long but fourteen was very young. My mother and father were obviously distraught. My dad’s way of dealing with it was continuing to work all the time. My mother’s way of dealing with it was to drink. It was very hard for my brother and I to get what we needed when my mother was always locked in her room with a post it outside her door that said “watching cartoons”. This was our family’s way of telling each other that you wanted to be left alone.

My mother came home from the doctors one day and told me and my brother that she had been drinking a lot and wasn’t doing very well. She has told me only in the last couple of years that her doctor told her if she didn’t stop drinking she was going to kill herself, fast. After that day everything changed. My mother started going to counseling, taking medication for depressing, without drinking of course, and going to AA meetings. After about a year she had figured out a lot about herself and realized what she needed to do to be happy. She and my father got separated.

I’m so glad that my mother had the strength to do what she did, even if it broke up out family. After loosing her own son, whom she knew the most out of all of us and having to hold up to such standards, she still had the courage to pick up the pieces and get the best out of her life. If it wasn’t for her strength, I might not be here today. I might of not had a mother to guide my through my life thus far and be there for me no matter what. Like I said, I don’t know what I would do without my mom and I’m glad I won’t have to find out.

Take Me Back

My mother is an inspirational figure to me. She has the values, patience and wisdom that I could only dream of. Sometimes, when I overreact or become easily frustrated, it is hard to believe that I am related to the woman that is calming me down. She is not tall or overbearing but her presence is always felt, and her copper penny colored hair has always been a reassuring sight for me. Her soft-spoken patience for everyone is always being put to test but I have never heard her say one harsh word about anyone who has tested it. I joke around with her and say that, "When I grow up, I want to be just like you." What she doesn't know is that I am not kidding in the least.

When I was born my mother worked at a bank. Once she became pregnant with me she stopped working so she could rest and have me as healthy as possible. Soon after I was born, she decided that instead of dropping me off at some daycare, she would stay at home for the first six years of my life to give me a head start.

My parents were both thirty-eight when I was born and I had no siblings and never have. So to just stop her professional life temporarily for me was a great undertaking. I am just now beginning to realize the self-sacrificing act of what my mother did for me then. To say that my mother just simply took these years off is not an accurate description. The first six years of my life before school were filled with life lessons that I still carry with me today. Not only did she teach me to read and encourage my imagination, but she also taught me to appreciate life and all forms of it. My mother is one of the most compassionate people I have ever known. She has passed some of this on to me, and for that I am grateful. She taught me to view everyone with equality, and to stand up for what I believe in.

When I had reached the age to begin school, my mother was in search of another job. She found one as a secretary at the elementary school that I would be attending. The only catch was that she had to start at the beginning of the summer and I would not start until the following fall. I cried and told her that I would miss her and I would miss one of my favorite cartoons. So my mother told the principal that she could not start until the fall. I remember her looking at me in the eyes as she dried me off from a bath and saying, "I'll be there to watch it with you." That promise of support has resonated with me through my entire life. She stayed at home for me. She took the risk of losing the job to spend just two more months with me at home.

As fate would have it, the job was still available in the fall and she was able to start school when I did. Having my mom working at the elementary school I attended was a double edge sword. While I never had to be educated on the facts of life by the kids at the back of the school bus, I also had to watch my behavior constantly. One time I was sent to the principal's office for throwing rocks at swing on the playground. The first person to see my face waiting to go in the principal's office was my mother. She came over and said, "Whatever you did, I'm sure there is an explanation, because I know you wouldn't do something without reason." I had been having a hard time adjusting to the school day without my mom around. I had simply gotten frustrated at recess and decided to pass the time by throwing rocks at an empty swing. I just didn't happen to know that it was against school policy. While the school scolded me for breaking the rules my mother said that I was just, "merely bending them." It later became clear to me that I had been raised to question authority and to not obey strictly on orders alone.

I have big parenting shoes to fill if I ever have children because of my mom and dad. The first six years of my life were also the best of my life. They instilled ideals within me that will remain for my entire life. My parents made me want to have children of my own, so that one day I can read them books and give them things. It's all about the sacrifice.

Oh Captain My Captain

When I first saw him I did not know what to think. I am entering into the unknown and this is my captain, the one I will turn to for advice and guidance. He was a skinny man of six feet with shaggy brown hair. This twenty- two year old captain of mine ultimately, and through no knowledge of his own, changed my life. He was a recent college graduate and now captain of a 50’ boat for Sail Caribbean. I thought this was the best job any one could ask for. Throughout my life I have always been fortunate enough to have met amazing people who have had tremendous influences on me- this is a brief portrait of Simon Day.

His mannerisms were peaceful and serene. He was generally calm yet radiated energy; the kind of person you could to talk to forever. He was in his element at sea having spent four years of his adolescence sailing the world with his family, and there was not a situation that rattled him. I remember, as the seventeen day program progressed, when a situation occurred which has always stayed with me as characteristic of his patience and character.

Simon was at a staff meeting and we were left alone, which occurred daily, to make dinner and see that other chores were done. Since this event took place during the second half of the program, my crew mates and I were feeling quite confident with the boat. We charging the fridges, by running the engine, and decided that it would be a good idea to temporarily cut off power to the engine to save energy. When we restored the electrical flow and went to turn off the engine, nothing happened. It was still running. Instinctively, we tried everything we knew of but could not get the engine off. When Simon returned we told him what happened, and to our surprise he was totally calm and collected about the situation. I remember him, and the mate- of- the- day, struggling in the cramped engine compartment to find a solution. In the end, it wasn’t that big of a deal to Simon, but to us it was. We knew we were young and inexperienced, but Simon never made us feel inferior. At the end of a long, hot day it would have been easy for Simon to have been tired and lost his patience, but he never did. I have always remember that situation and tried to emulate it.

Simon was not always the perfect captain and was often careless. We ran aground, one night he did not the dinghy up correctly and if drifted away, and he was horrible at paper work. Thus, from the director’s aspect, he was great with us but not so up to par with the other parts of his job. Yet none of that has mattered. He imparted on me his passion for the sea and sailing, which continues to motivate me. When I came home from Sail Caribbean I came home a changed person. I have always been an ocean enthusiast, but only in the recent years have I propelled myself into the world of sailing. If I had not had the fantastic experience that I did and did not have the perfect captain that I did, my life would be very different- both professionally and psychologically.

Did you ever know that you're my hero...?

What if your greatest villain was supposed to be your biggest hero? I mean heroes are supposed to be guiding lights in the rough patch called life whereas villains are there to throw you off course. How can this supposed hero so quickly turn to a villain? It’s easy; they leave. My dad is that closest thing I know to a villain, a person who never saved the day.

In 1991 my dad was found out. He had been living one of those lives to supplement his inadequacies that he suffered when he was a kid from his own parents. There was a girlfriend on the side with a three year old, not his, and one on the way, his. She was everything that my mom wasn’t: a drinker, a smoker, a liar, and all around irresponsible. And even worse, they worked together.

We used to think he was a great father. Every once in a while he’d take my brother and me to the local motorcycle races. We’d be sitting right on the track watching motorcycles rip around turns and fly over jumps. We were so focused on the races that we failed to notice that he’d disappear for thirty-five minutes at a time. He’d leave a five-year-old to watch the four-year-old while he found a place just secluded enough to break the sixth commandment. I was his cover. He was posing as good guy while doing all the things that bad guys do.

There were always weird trips that we would take at the spur of the moment. One day we’d go to the movies and the next to the putt-putt course. We’d find our way into a game room where we were given five dollars apiece and told not to spend it all in one place. All my memories of my best times with my father aren’t actually with my father at all. The first time I actually won a stuffed animal from one of those claw-grab machines, I was greeted with a congratulatory cheer from my brother and a pat on the back from some old man. My first strike in bowling was only appreciated by the dancing pins on the screen above where we sat. He was always there, just never in sight.

Then it happened, a few weeks before Thanksgiving in 1991. We were watching some PG movie in a blacked out theater. We were sitting by ourselves, something that we had grown used to. Then there was a tug on our shirt. My mom was pulling us away from our seats with tentative tears resting on her cheeks. She didn’t want to make a scene. We began walking up the stairs to the exit, and standing there was the six-foot-four-inch image of what I thought was a man. As she slammed the side door of our stained Dodge Mini-Van there were pleas of, “Please, just let me explain,” and, “It’s not what it looks like, I promise.”

Finally the last image of a father I’ve never known. Him standing outside our broken home like Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything with a radio blaring a static-filled “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler. Screaming that all he needed was a second chance, that he could change, that it was a momentary slip up. My brother and I lay in the bed wondering what was actually happening. Six-year-olds don’t really understand divorce.

I don’t know what’s harder, being six and hearing your dad scream from outside to be forgiven, or being twenty-one and knowing that the only memory you have of your farther is that grown man pleading for a second chance. He disappeared that night, and only shows back up as random phone calls on odd dates, and checks deposited at the same time every month, the remnants of his guilt. The last time I saw him was on that date in 1991. If you were to put him in a lineup next ten other men, I'm not sure I could tell you who he was. He has become a mere association. The dancing pins and lone stuffed animal are all symbols of him. Perhaps that's better, only knowing him with good times; it lets me not focus on the villain that he truly is.

The Little Villain on My Shoulder

The train groaned one last time released another cloud of smoke and finally stopped at the Hangzhou station. I followed my mother off the train.

I was going to stay with my aunt in Hangzhou for two semesters until my parents packed everything up and moved to Suzhou, so we could be closer to my grandparents. Without understanding the difficulty of moving across a province with three kids and two full-time jobs in China during the early 80s, I, at the age of seven, did not like the idea that I had to be away from my family for almost a year. However, I did not protest because parents made decisions for the whole family. As my mother often told us, “We all have to do things, from time to time, that we might not like.”

On the way to the bus station, my mother held my hand. I was joyful because she usually did not have time to hold our hands. Her hands were always busy—holding my younger brother when he was crying, cleaning the house, sewing clothes for me and my sister, or writing notes for the classes she had to teach five days a week. I started to like this trip for the first time because I had my mother all to myself—she asked me what I wanted to have for lunch and told me many things about Suzhou—the city she had grown up in, and where we would soon be residing. I finally became excited about the moving as my hand curled in my mother’s soft and warm palm.

“Xiaolian,” my mother said, “I am glad that your aunt asked to let you stay with her. Eight months will not be very long and Daddy will come to get you after you finish school next spring. Will you be a good girl and study hard in this new school?”

“Yes, Mum. I will,” I answered.

“Show them you are the best little girl, so Mum and Dad can be proud of you,” my mother said to me with a beautiful and proud smile on her face.

“Yes, Mum.” I made my promise. A promise I tried to carry out all my life.

It was my first day in the new school. Everything was big in my new classroom—several oversized windows on the right and a huge Chinese map hung on the opposite wall. Ms. Dong introduced me to the class with some 30 students in that first-grade classroom.

“Smile, where is your beautiful smile?” A voice came from my shoulder and sounded like my mother. “This is your first day of class, so give your new friends a smile.”

I lifted the corners of my mouth and put on a “big” smile as my mother told me every time we met someone she knew on the street. Ms. Dong took me to one of the desks on the second row where a pretty little girl sat. I learned, after a few weeks in the class, that I was honored to sit with the smartest girl—Wang Aiping—in the class. The two semesters I was in Dong Fang Elementary School, I was always in competition with my best friend, Wang Aiping.

“Wang Aiping answered more questions in class today. Do you think you can spend more time tonight to prepare for tomorrow’s class?” The little voice on my shoulder told me when I was on the way back to my aunt’s house from school. I stayed late until ten o’clock that night doing my homework and reading for next day’s class.

“You did well in the mid-term, but the final is only two months away. You need to do as well on the final exam, so Mum and Dad can be proud of you.” That was what I heard from the little voice on my shoulder when I received two perfect scores on both my reading and math exams.

After finished my first grade in Hangzhou, I was happy to move back to Suzhou with my family; however, I was not able to get rid that little voice stood on my shoulder and criticized me constantly.

As appearances became more important in the 1980s’ China, I started my middle school. Teenage girls, including me, tried to imitate the cute looks from the fashion magazines. My little voice now became a little villain on my shoulder who added new materials in her criticism.

“You need to lose some weight. Chao Ping looks so pretty in her blue dress. If you don’t lose that weight, you will never fit into a dress like that.” My little villain was on my right shoulder.

“Why didn’t Li Weng talk to you? Instead, he was so into Lu Xiaohong. Lu Xiaohong looks cute and everyone likes her. I think you need to be more like her, Xiaolian.” My little villain was on my left shoulder this time.

Throughout the teenage years, my little villain was the one who criticized me the hardest. She wanted me to be number one in all the classes I took. She wanted me to be the best among all of my siblings, cousins, and other relatives, so my parents could be proud of me at the family reunions. She wanted me to be liked by everyone in school, even the ones I only saw in the hallway–“Why didn’t they smile at you? They must not like you.”

I tried to get rid of her, but never realized how hard that was. I even got on the bus that had the longest route in Suzhou and rode to the end of that route, just so I could leave that little villain there. But she was always on my shoulder every time when I turned around.

As I grew up, I learned that I was the one who created that little villain. I learned that I cannot be the best at everything – no one can. The best thing I can do is simply my best. The little villain on my shoulder still criticizes what I do and tries to tell me what I should do, but she cannot influence me that much anymore.

He's My Brother, Among Other Things

I look up from my spot on the sofa when my younger brother walks in the front door. As usual, he lets the door slam open into the vintage wine cabinet we have in the foyer. I roll my eyes and go back to my book.

“Be quiet, mom’s sleeping,” I tell him.

He’s grinning at me. We haven’t been getting along well enough lately for him to be grinning at me. Immediately I run through a couple of familiar scenarios. He could be high—he does like to smoke pot. He could be drunk, which in my opinion is slightly more legal, even if he is underage.

“What?” I finally ask him, since he obviously needs the acknowledgement, not to mention the fact that his stupid grin is freaking me out.

“Look,” he half-laughs.

He lifts his t-shirt and my book hits the floor with a loud smack. I can’t believe it. He pierced his nipples. Both of them. I’m appalled but I can’t stop staring until he starts laughing.

“Looks good doesn’t it,” he says as he puts his shirt down.

I shake my head, “Dad’s going to kill you.”

“Hush. Mom’s sleeping,” he says sarcastically as he heads toward his bedroom.

Before he gets to the door he turns around and starts laughing. He pulls his shirt up and does what I can only assume is an impersonation of that crazy character off of “Waterboy.” You know, the one that can’t speak English and walks around in a pair of over-alls with his nipple piercings hanging out?

I close my eyes and wait for his bedroom door to shut before I crack a smile. Funny or not, I’m not about to encourage him. It’s things like this that lead to fights. It doesn’t seem like a big deal. I mean, they’re his nipples, right? But the problem is he probably spent a hundred dollars doing that ridiculous stuff when he could have paid back some of the money he owes my parents for dropping out of community college. Or maybe he could have paid me back some of what he’s borrowed since he doesn’t have a job.

It’s these kind of things that make me resent him. He has no regard for other people. He won’t take out the garbage even though everyone else stayed home all day cleaning the house while he was out playing pool. He won’t help clean the yard even though it’s his cigarette butts all over the yard.

My brother is the most inconsiderate and selfish person I know. He’s lazy and he always gets what he wants because he’s manipulative. He also makes me laugh so hard sometimes that I get stomach cramps. I hate that. In fact, that’s one of the things I hate most about him. I don’t want him to make me laugh when I’m mad at him. I don’t want to like him when he gets to use up all the mistakes—putting more pressure on me to be perfect. Not that it takes all that much, comparatively.

He opens his door and comes out with my dad’s electric-muscle-contractor thing in his hands. The sticky pads are over his newly pierced nipples.

“Watch this,” he tells me.

Spawn of Satan

I knew going into my new job there was no guarantee I going to get along with all of my coworkers. I quickly learned that folks with a common ground, a passion for people, could still be complete opposites. If being in the food service industry has taught me only one thing, it’s how to be friendly and mannerly. This seemed to be the norm among my newly formed group of coworkers.

Then…there are the people we call “cancer.” The ones that like to suck the fun right out of everything. Every time they open their mouths you cringe and grip your fists in small fits of anger and disgust. If you weren’t using all your strength to bite your tongue, you’d probably hit them. Nothing, and no one, is ever good enough, everyone gets on their nerves, they always have to be right, and the moment they find the chance to rat you out to your superiors, they’re taking it.

It didn’t take long before I realized there was cancer among our harmonized group. Hate is a strong word and I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but I soon decided that Melanie would be better represented if everyone just called her Satan. If everything we were taught about the angel-turned-devil is right, then we know Satan is deceiving and is an expert in making “bad” look so “good.”

Melanie is an attractive young mother. She has a slim, petite figure, highlighted shoulder-length hair, and a nose ring that says she just isn’t ready to cross over into adulthood yet. At first glance you might mistake her for a nice person, someone you could really be BFF’s with, but it isn’t until she starts talking that you realize you’ve been played for a fool.

One day after work, I decided to have a drink at the bar with another coworker and a regular, Rob. I’ll be quick to admit that Rob is a rather handsome guy. After some idle chit chat, I found out he and I had a thing or two in common, including our zodiac signs (that’s always a real biggie). It only took a day or two for Melanie to find out I had a crush on Rob.

“He’s stayed over at my house, you know,” she said with a smug grin. All I could do was tilt my head while grinding my teeth. Had I known he was a friend of hers, I would have gracefully left him alone and spared myself some drama.

“No, I didn’t know.” I managed to force a smile and act like it didn’t bother me that she had gotten to him first. “Rob’s a great guy, real nice,” I trailed with a nod, hoping not to get into details.

But I did, and a lot of them, too. Not only did I get details, but I listened to her brag, and I watched her smirk. She was completely thrilled with making me miserable. Every word that came out of her mouth was a carefully sharpened knife that wedged itself into various parts of my body (she’d have to be a friend first to actually be able to stab me in the back). I did appreciate her efforts; after all, it appeared like she was just letting me know that I was about to overstep my boundaries on her territory, which any lust-stricken female would have done, but without tact.

Now, imagine this situation with 29 other employees. She doesn’t know how to politely tell someone there is a problem; instead she does it in an intentionally vindictive manner. I try not to hate anyone and I’m not a mean person, but Melanie makes it hard for me to resist doing very violent things to her whenever she’s nearby.

There is always one Satan in every group and the best way to deal with them is to remember: they were placed in your life as a test of your character; take a few deep breaths, smile, and don’t let them come out on top

Under the Spotlight

Graduation didn't affect me the way it affects a lot of people. For most seniors in high school, I suppose graduation would have been the highlight of the year. The end of the road. The beginning of the rest of their lives. As far as graduations are concerned, I guess mine was a typical one. We had to hold it in the gym because it had rained the day before and the ground was soaked. The choir, of which I was a member, sang the alma mater and one other song that made my mother cry. I went the wrong way as I exited the stage, and had to cover by hugging the assistant band director—who I never actually liked. But for me, high school had come to an end about five months prior to that day.

It was at the end of my last season in marching band, at our annual Band Banquet. The actual banquet is about as exciting as it sounds. There’s a pot luck supper in the school cafeteria and a cake with all the senior members’ names written in black icing (which bleeds terribly, so the names aren’t legible.) The special part of the evening is the “senior spotlights," which take place after about two hours worth of mind-dulling achievement awards.

Senior spotlights are almost self-explanatory. Every senior that wants to participate in senior spotlights pre-records a speech. Then, on the night of the banquet, each person takes turns sitting on a stool in the middle of the pitch black gym while a spotlight shines down on them. Usually seniors record a few jokes about things they did while they were in band and then thank their friends for all the good times. People cry a lot—I'm sure you understand why it was so enjoyable.

I started working on my speech in the ninth grade. What can I say? I like to document things. When it was finally time to record my spotlight I had either lost what I’d been working on or it no longer applied. So I procrastinated writing the speech for a week and then finally wrote something that didn’t offer the slightest hint of what I was actually feeling. I recorded it, and I went home that night and was so upset I couldn't sleep.
Marching band had been a huge part of my life for four years, next in line only to family. The way I felt about it coming to an end wasn’t something I could express in a couple of punch lines. I stayed up all night writing a new speech, and first thing in the morning I recorded over my old one.

The night of the banquet arrived and I was a complete mess—which people expected of me because they’d known me for four years. I had an industrial-size box of Kleenex and hadn’t even bothered with mascara. Mine was the last senior spotlight of the class of 2003. And even though I was close to sobbing by the end of it, I knew what I'd said had made a difference to the people that heard it.

It was the easiest and the hardest thing I'd ever done. Funny enough, while I thanked the head band director (who I did like) and a few of the band chaperones I was closest to, it wasn't them that I concentrated on in my speech, it was my family. My brother and sister had stuck by me through four years of horrific practice sessions and a hundred sink-fulls of cosmetic glitter. I had given my parents credit for making me who I was, and in the same breath I had let them go.

I played alto saxophone in the marching band. I wasn't a Valedictorian or a Class President. The day I graduated I didn't have the opportunity to thank the people dearest to me for pushing me and supporting me through my high school experience. What I did have was a cold night in December, four minutes in the spotlight, and a lot of Kleenex.

The Burgundy Buick

I was driving home through Wooster Street in an October afternoon -- warm and sunny. While stopping at the second intersection of Wooster, I noticed a brand new Saturn Sky Roadster, with its shinny Bluestone color and the dark tinted windows, stopped beside my green Durango. When the light turned green and my Sky Roadster flew by, I told myself that my first “big fat” paycheck would belong to General Motor when I graduate in 2007.

As the “Sky” disappearing from my sight, I turned my head to the left and saw an older burgundy Buick with peeling-off paint on its roof and hood. Inside the Buick, three young men looked to their right and seemed to be talking, or yelling at someone or something (I was not sure since I had my windows up). One guy had his hand in the air making some gestures I did not understand and another one was pointing in my direction. “Are they talking to me?” I wondered; however, I followed the advice from my friends and relatives–“ignore them and keep your distance.” As we drove through the green light at the third intersection, the Buick over-took and pulled in front of me. Why didn’t they just turn on their turning signal? I thought. That way I would know they wanted to get in front of me.

As I drove half way between the third and the fourth intersection on Wooster, the stop light in front of us, the one at Wooster and Third Street, turned red. A red pickup truck and a white Honda Accord stopped at the light. The Buick was approaching the Accord -- the last vehicle inline. Suddenly, the Buick stopped in the middle of the road and left a long distance between the front of the Buick and the back of the Accord – almost enough space for two vehicles. The Buick’s driver raised his arm and pointed his fingers straight out of the window, and then aimed back, which was the direction where I was approaching. I was watching these puzzling actions with interest as I was driving closer.

All of a sudden, the Buick’s back door opened and a young man got out and walked toward the back of the car. I tried to slow down and leave plenty of space between us. Maybe he needed something from the trunk, I thought, amused by the way people do things sometimes. He was wearing a denim jacket and baggy jeans with his hands in his pockets. He kept walking and passed the back of the Buick. Is he coming towards me? I was alarmed.

I checked my doors and made sure they were locked. Remembering many stories I have heard on the news and from friends or relatives, I started to feel scared. I remembered the insurance fraud cases that ABC broadcasted on 20/20. Diane Sawyer explained how criminals positioned one car in front of the intended victim and another behind it. The second car would hit the back of the victim’s vehicle at some “ideal” moment and push it into the car in front; the second car would then speed away and leave the victim to deal with the accident and pay for the damage, which included, in many cases, huge “alleged” medical bills. I realized that I was in the perfect position for that kind of scam. There I was, in the middle of three lanes of stopping vehicles, waiting for a traffic light to change; I would have nowhere to go if someone hit my vehicle from the rear.

My mind was racing--I thought of another incident that happened in Myrtle Beach a few years ago. A local woman drove her SUV in heavy traffic on highway 17 and stop for a traffic light. A man got out of a car that was stopped in front of her and approached her vehicle. He grabbed the driver side door handle and told her to move over, that he was going to carjack her. She pulled out a 9mm pistol and shot him. While investigating the shooting, the police learned that the woman was returning home from her weekly gunfire practice at the nearby shooting range. At the same time, the police also discovered the man’s identity and his criminal records, which included multiple kidnapping and rape charges.

Kidnapping and rape, I was terrified by these stories rushed out from my memory. I fumbled through my purse and the glove box -- the only weapon I found was a nail-clipper. I regretted that I had disregarded the comment from one of my relatives whom told me to sign up for shooting practice lessons and purchase a handgun for self-protection. I was amused at the time--I came from a country where the police force did not provide guns for every police officer. I probably would hurt myself first if I carried a gun, I had thought to myself.

Now I wished I had taken her advice in this dangerous traffic-waiting moment. I checked all four doors again and hoped the man would not be able to enter; however, he could shoot me if he had a gun and if I refused to open the door. I needed bulletproof windows or, indeed, a handgun, I thought. He was getting closer and closer and I could see his eyes and his devilish smirk. As he approached my vehicle, I grabbed my purse and held onto it. I would slam my purse on his gun if he tried to use it on me – the best defense plan I came up at the moment. I promised myself that I would spend that first “big fat” paycheck on a handgun if I survived this time.

He stopped in front of my Durango about ten feet away, turned left, walked between two cars in the left lane, crossed the street, and walked into the parking lot of the Burger King on the left side of Wooster Street. He waved to his friends before entering the restaurant with that “smirk” on the corner of his eyes.

The light turned green and the burgundy Buick sped away. I should never get a gun, I thought, because I could kill an innocent man for some self-created fear. A Sky Roaster would serve me much better than a handgun, I reminded myself as I drove on.

Death is Inevitable

Death is inevitable. This is the lingering thought I've been dealing with for a couple of weeks now. It was about five weeks ago that one of my favorite mentors passed. He was a seventy-eight year old deacon at our church, and he was a good friend. His name was James, but I called him Deacon.

I think about his death alot, more than I really should for someone I'm not related to. See his death has brought forth a difficult realization for me. That realization being that I don't handle death very well; simply because I avoid it. His death, rather his funeral was another in a long line of passing that culminated with my absence from the funeral. Granted his funeral was held on the first day of the new semester, but nobody would probably let me use that truth for an acceptable excuse.

I guess the main reason I think of his death, and not just because it was so recent, but his funeral is another one I've not atteneded. See, as I already said, I'm realizing that I don't deal with death well. For the most part I can handle helping families while the sick are still alive, but once they pass on, I'm no better than a wooden nickle or a penny in a soda machine.

But to get back to my original point, I don't go to funerals. See to this date I've missed my Great-Great Grandmother's funeral. She was my father's grandmother, and she absolutely adored me; and I loved being around her too. So you'd think that Iwould be there for her final goodbye, but you'd be wrong. I also did not attend the funeral of my Grandfather. Now to be fair, he scared me to no end, but I wasn't happy to know he died. Plus no six year old wants to see his mother cry for days and days. Oh and I also didn't attend my great Aunt's funeral three years ago.

I guess this says that I'm not that much of a soft-hearted person. It might even suggest that I've got ice-water running through my veins. In any case, if anyone from class dies before the semester is over, please don't take it personal if you look down from heaven, or up from hell, and don't see my face among the mourners at your funeral.

Bobbing for Lottery Tickets [final]

The dog days of summer were in full effect as the blazing 90-degree heat wave that had swept the eastern seaboard over the weekend radiated off of the white pavement surrounding the YMCA pool. It was just after two o’clock in the afternoon on Memorial Day in the summer before my senior year of high school. As a second-season lifeguard, most of my shifts were spent watching swimmers in a 10-lane lap pool, twirling my whistle, and staying alert for those predictable late day thunderstorms. We had weekly staff meetings to keep our CPR and first aid training up to date, but it didn't matter because nothing could have prepared me for the events that unfolded that afternoon.

Abby, a rookie lifeguard and college freshman, took her seat across the pool from me on the smaller of the two stands. She became a lifeguard when a classmate and friend who already worked at the YMCA assured her that it was a "cush" job and she would have a perfect tan all summer long. She rubbed the coconut-scented tanning lotion all over her skinny arms and adjusted her designer sunglasses just before blowing the whistle to signify that the break that occurs at the top of every hour was finally over.

Children of all ages, who have been sitting impatiently for the past ten minutes, leaped into the refreshing water screaming with joy. There was a line wrapped behind the first row of seating for swimmers waiting to strut their stuff on the 6-foot diving board. Because it was Memorial Day and the first weekend the pool was open to its members, people poured in like they were expecting to dive into a pool of winning lottery tickets. It was undoubtedly the most crowded and warmest day of the summer resulting in the most miserable and dangerous work conditions.

I scanned the water by counting each individual in my section repetitively, insuring that I saw each swimmer with his or her head above water at least once every thirty seconds. The diving board was situated in the 9-foot area of the pool, just to my left.

Jim Payne, an overweight father of two and second-season member of the YMCA pool, was next in line to take the plunge off of the flimsy diving board. His young children were in my swimming lesson at the end of last summer so I had gotten to know the family well.

As Mr. Payne leapt into the air and sprung above the board eyeing another bounce before flipping backwards into a gainer, he somehow miscalculated and in an instant, the board made contact with the back of his head as he fell limp into the deep end.

I immediately blew the whistle three times signifying an emergency as my supervisor and two off-duty lifeguards ran to my assistance after calling 9-1-1. I had already carefully entered the water, and made my way towards the victim who seemed responsive but in a great amount of pain. Abby had made her way over to the far side of the deep end with a backboard and neck stability strap in hand which was protocol for any type of spinal injury.

I placed the rescue buoy under Mr. Payne’s lower back and tried to stabilize his neck with my forearms. At this moment, I didn't know the extent of his injuries but I knew that I needed to get him out of the water. His legs were moving and he was telling us that he was going to be okay, but there was certainly a lot of pain hiding behind his every word. The pool was cleared but a majority of the swimmers had formed a big circle around the rescue operation, including his wife and two children.

Once again, Mr. Payne ensured everyone that he was going to be okay as he laid on the emergency backboard on the pool deck. EMT personnel had just arrived on the scene as we gathered some information for the accident report. He was then taken to Western Wake Hospital for precautionary measures and released later that night according to the report.

The pool reopened just a short time after the incident but Abby and I were relieved for the rest of the afternoon because our nerves were still in shock. We were educated and trained to expect the worst-case scenario and know how to deal with it, but no textbook in the world can explain the feeling of adrenaline that rushes through your veins when faced with an emergency like the one that occurred on that Memorial Day in 2003.

Symphony For The Senses

My full intentions to study abroad rested in my growing desire to travel, see the world, experience and learn as much as I could about other cultures and customs. With my acceptance into my first choice of schools in England, I knew things were going to fall into place. The month scheduled for the students at Keele University was the month of April for Easter Break. I was aware of how much time I would have for travels, so my interest to see the wondrous cities and countries throughout Europe would, fingers crossed, become a mighty reality as places I would see with my own eyes, apart from the photos, dreams, and questions I had prior to departure from the United States.

I can vividly remember the overwhelming excitement and amazement I felt the day I arrived in Manchester, England! The coach ride from the airport to Staffordshire, Keele's location, revealed to me that I wasn't intended for a casual wonder to England, Scotland, Ireland, and other European countries. My mind knew where my heart was leading me, to many childlike revelations filled with butterfly moments from the sights I would see. The only question yet to be resolved, as I looked out of the coach window to the hilly English (surprisingly lushly green, livestock-filled) countryside was whether I'd have the courage to grasp all the opportunities present to me. Partially, that was one reason my heart was racing so fast!

You could say my European sabbatical was to fulfill my travel desires. Deep down, its reason was to part from my dependency on others, obligations of school and work, and mostly to try one last time, to hold on to and prove my independent lifestyle. I was capable to live on my own and make my own decisions. I no longer had a car or cellphone. Soon, I adjusted to the reliance of public transportation for a pound and thirty pence one-way, to and from town. I learned the differences in food options at the grocery. Milk is offered in cartons and is shelf safe until opened. (Then it's refridgerated). Gross.

The trip was, in a way, my attempt to postpone the quickly approaching "real world" that I soon would have to face after graduation, becoming an adult.

When did the change inside me begin? The first trip that required overnight stay was to Edinburgh, Scotland. The speechless moments were tallying up from the second I stepped out of the train station. In clear, direct view was Princess Street and the Edinburgh Castle, two of the most distinguishing characteristics of the city. That was merely the beginning.

Traveling the month of April throughout Europe, I was forced to adapt an understanding that my heart would continue beating at a fast rate or either skip beats regularly because of the continually changing surroundings and wondrous, dream-like sights. I left dreary London and arrived in Venice, Italy first. The moment I stepped foot on Italian soil, something in me cracked open and in poured the unexplainable sense of passion. I was in Italy, the most romantic place on Earth. San Marcos square was filled with undeniable romance, kisses, passionate saludos, Italian tunes, and the flutter of hundreds of pigeons (who were fed by tourists). What a symphony for the senses. Literally, everything was different from the language, climate, culture, and food. The sun warmed my face. The food was fresh. I enjoyed made-from-scratch pasta and sauces, pastries, and bread. Having a glass of wine was as common as drinking water here in the US.

Maybe the excitement of traveling long distance and carrying my life in a backpack added to my open-mouth expressions. No matter what appeared to be taking place physically, inside I was quickly changing. The initial avoidance of quickly becoming an adult was not being postponed but more or less, was well within me and rapidly approaching and transforming my life and my opinions of the world.

Everything seemed to mount at greater levels inside me in the days that followed. All the collected romance, wonder, and hopefulness of a new country consecrated to an ideal. I visited Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Geneva, Switzerland, Viena, Prague, Berlin, Munich, Bavaria, and Amsterdam. With a place, same as with a person, you sometimes find the one you have been looking for all your life. It's possible to find reasons for it--that the object of your affection has become continuous travel which results to the findings of sights and moments which are uncontrollably exuberating--the fascination is well beyond the reach of reason. Those moments, that internal awareness, made me realize how wondrous life is!

When a trip goes right, things take on an inevitability, a momentum they never have in real life. Every time I run through in mind the route I explored, my senses flood with an overwhelming sense of gratitude combined with accomplishment. More things happened to me in my time abroad that were transparent as they happened, being graced by people of countries I visited. But the more I reflect on my time, the changes become more solid within me. I've realized the times when I stood still and allowed my surroundings to engulf me, viewing the city of Florence from the top of Giardino di Boboli, where the very points when nothing happened physically. Yet something was placed in me-a thought, a dream, a question, a speechless moment that I would never manage to uproot.

For five months my mind was in a state of bliss, particularly April. I woke up every day with new anticipations for what the day might have brought into my life and every night, my reflections made me think I'd fallen through heaven's hedge and straight into a postcard of paradise. That postcard is now stamped with my life's most changed experience, most memorable time thus far in 22 years.

Is my mom what?!

When you live in a town where everyone knows each other, it’s likely that you’re going to find yourself the hot topic of discussion at least once. I quickly learned that often my business made it home to my parents before I did—especially when someone sees a seventeen-year-old riding through town with a cigarette.

It didn’t occur to me until I was older exactly how things “work” in a small town. Actually, I didn’t realize it until I was 10 years old and in the fifth grade. After going to another school for the early part of my elementary career, this was my first year in a new school. Like I said earlier, people knew my parents and this didn’t exclude my new teacher.

On this day, nothing was different. At lunch, I managed to sit next to the teacher. This honor meant you were a good student and worthy of her conversation while so thoughtfully consuming a pre-proportioned meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I’m sure it was hard to hold a decent conversation with a fifth grader, so after a moment of silence between us she looked to me with a puzzled expression. “Is your mom pregnant?” she asked. If I could have seen my reaction to that question, I’m sure I’d say that it resembled the deer in the headlight look.

“What? No. Why would you think that?” There really wasn’t any reason for me to assume any truth in this. For ten years I was the only child. I didn’t mind it until I finally realized that mom and dad didn’t get as excited over a seven hour marathon of Super Mario Brothers quite like I did. Occasionally, I’d bring up wanting a sibling but the only answer my mom ever gave me was, “Of course you can have a sister-- if you can order it from the Sears catalog.” I actually remember browsing the pages of the catalog for a possible sibling, but realized that was her nice way of saying it was highly unlikely.

My teacher was obviously shocked that I didn’t know what she was talking about. With a mouthful of food (and a little worried that she’d possibly said too much) she said, “I heard Randy mention it at the store this morning.” Randy is my dad’s brother and the store she was referring to was the one locally-owned gas station in town where everyone met in the mornings. At the store, they would usually catch up on what happened in church Sunday or swap other bits of juicy gossip. Just so happened, it was my parents’ turn to be the topic of conversation that morning.

I could barely sit still the rest of the day. Finally there would be a chance for me to have nieces and nephews, someone to share secrets with and someone that could cover up for me if I was ever late for curfew. This was great! Trying not to get my hopes up, all I could really focus on was getting home and finding out for myself.

Mentally, I was prepared for this conversation. Being 10 and asking your forty-year-old mother if she was pregnant isn’t exactly something you think about often. With my homework out on my lap, I waited patiently at home to hear her car in the driveway. Suddenly my stomach knotted and everything I’d planned out to say was gone. Then I just did it. I blurted out the same question I’d heard only hours prior, the one question that will forever be implanted in my mind. I didn’t know if my mom was pregnant, but I was about to find out.

She was shocked that word got out and took a few minutes to gather herself before she responded with a slow, “Yes, I am. How did you know?” I recounted the lunchroom scene and followed up with one more very important question, “Why didn’t you tell me?” Not that I felt betrayed, but this was something every soon to be sister should know. From there she explained, as best she could, about some tests she’d have because of her age and about how they wanted to wait until she knew everything was going to be okay.

A lot of people have siblings, but not many people have one that is eleven years younger. Luckily for me I remember every cry, every scrape, every joke and every life lesson she’s learned and thinking back, it’s all of those moments that made being an only child for so long worth it.

The rumor mill surrounding a small town isn’t always a bad thing. My life changed that day at lunch, and it hasn’t been the same since.

why?

After a busy day of fun in Myrtle Beach I crawled under the thin sheets and crispy comforter of the hotel bed. I never knew when I feel asleep peacefully that I would wake up to chaos.

My sleepy eyes opened and saw a stretcher in front of my bed going into my parent’s bedroom. I woke up as quickly as I could my heart beating so fast I automatically shot up and ran to my Mom. She was kneeling on the bed holding her chest. It’s a picture that as a seven year old you never want to remember, but unfortunately you never forget. While they put her on the stretcher and wheeled her out of the room the tears burned my eyes and a million questions ran through my head.

What’s wrong? Will she live? Am I going to get to see my Mom again?

I remember riding to the hospital with my step dad behind the ambulance. He did everything to try to make it okay, but it didn’t work. As we raced by the pavilion and the restaurant we had eaten dinner at; I couldn’t help but think of all the memories with my Mom. The closer we got to the hospital the more nervous I got. Why God? Why? I asked myself.

I walked into the hospital ignoring my fear of needles or the stale smell thinking only about where my Mom was so I could run and give her a hug. When I finally got to see there I was too scared to touch or even get near her. She laid there with IV’s in her arms and a tube in her nose. I wanted to pinch myself and wake up from this horrible nightmare. I was so afraid; I had no idea what to say to her. I think she saw the fear in my eyes because she reached for my hand. Hesitantly, I grabbed it. I didn’t want to break anything or pull anything out; I didn’t want to make her hurt anymore.

“Hey honey…”

“Hey Mom.”

“I’m going to be okay.” I let her think I believed her, but looking around it was hard to.

My Mom found out she had a small heart condition that caused her heart to beat really fast and they had to control it with medicine. She had to quit eating or drinking anything that would make her heart race any faster than it should. It was a lifestyle change for her that we still have to help her with sometimes.

The beach is something I always looked forward to because it meant ice cream, sand and lots of fun things with my family. This year was different though. It made me realize that trips were not about the fun rides, the shopping or playing in the ocean. They are about being with my family and not taking one second for granted.

A Note On Why Running Can Be Bad for Your Knees.

I am a klutz. There is little other way to describe my falls, bumps, scrapes and the multiple random nicks, bruises and an assortment of minor injuries that follow, usually with me going “Where’d that bruise come from?” or “When did I get that?” Normally I’m the one who gets bruised, but there are times like when I put a hole in Kyle Richard-Garrison’s finger with an electric drill. I did not realize the true extent of my clumsiness until I got to high school. But it was also high school that taught me that my ridiculous disasters are not always to my disadvantage.

First day of class my sophomore year and Sarah and I, who I’d known for three years, had discussed hanging out at her house that afternoon. As classes ended, I thought it would be better if I went home that evening, and when the bell rang for class I dashed to the office to let her know that I would be taking the bus home. I got to the office, told her and I turned to run out of the office, down the hall, out the doors and across the parking lot to my bus.

It is at this point that I would like to explain that until I’d been in college a year I would find a special outfit to wear for the first day back; often I would shop for new clothes to wear. On this particular first day of school, I was wearing one of my favorite pairs of dark blue denim bell bottoms and a pair of four-and-a-half-inch platform mules (open heeled shoe).

In my mad dash to the bus, I missed a step and went crashing down. Thankfully, I managed to save my head from going into a corner of a row of baby blue lockers. I got up, brushed myself off, and ran down the hall, out the doors, down the stairs and suddenly found myself almost kissing asphalt. There I was again with the running thing. I made it to the bus and sat next to Jessie Fowler who I’d been flirting with since the sixth grade.

I had a large hole in the left knee of my jeans and my hands were stinging. I would not have called this a good day, but then Jessie was nice, told me to call him if I needed cheering up, which I decided I did – my jeans were ruined (I tried the “hole-y look” but it was no good). He walked to my house later and even though it was August we decided to go for a walk. It was my mother who inspired that choice – he was jumpy under her eyes and nose. Of course because it was August hot and the honeysuckle smelled good, we stopped in the shade, and then – even though it was hot – he was close and he gave me my first kiss.

It wasn’t a happily ever after, but I felt proud to be among the first of my friends to get their first kiss. Later I nearly slit my future boyfriend’s (though he is now my ex) wrist with a box cutter. My relationship with him was my first significant relationship. But Jon Roberts is an essay all on his own.

Chase Lizards, Bark at Donkeys

One day someone saved my life. It occurred like one of those weird, out-of-body experiences that once they start happening you feel like you've stepped into a dream. The day started like any day should start for someone thirteen years old and out of school for the summer; it ended dramatically different and with a gunshot in the night.

Coyotes are rampant where I call home. I live in the country and far away from any town or any neighbor. As a precaution, we lock our dogs up every night for fear of them getting injured by any hungry animals. We put them up around dusk and feed them. Our dogs have always been Jack Russell Terriers. These little dogs are German Shepards in a little dog's body. They are what I aspire to be. They have the most courage and tenacity of any breed of dog that exsists. Just don't tell them they're small. Our Jack, named Rascal, was the most energetic bundle of compacted muscle I had ever seen. Rascal stayed my friend through the worst of weather. He solidified himself as a best friend of mine from the very beginning without leaving my side. But above all he was a hunter.

On a regular summer night my mom began the nightly routine with a scream. She screams at lizards so I didn't take notice. Rascal, however, did not scream so often, and when he did he had two distinct barks. One of them meant it was nothing but a lizard, and meant danger. I didn't have to hear it twice to know that something had gone terribly wrong. I ran to the back of the house and saw a coiled rattlesnake hissing at Rascal, who was not backing down. I hate snakes, I'm scared to death of them, Rascal wasn't. I saw it strike at him and land a bite twice before my dad got to a gun to kill it. Rascal had been bitten twice in the neck by a poisonous rattlesnake the size of the large end of a baseball bat, six feet long, twice and in the neck. He still managed to drag it off and shake it before the poison started to wear on him like a drug.

I don't remember much about the ride to vet. It had happened on a Sunday night and they were closed. I do, however, remember watching my dog Rascal, my best friend, draw his last painful breaths in the back of our truck in my crying mom's arms. Two small red holes dotted his heaving throat. It seemed like a lifetime before the vet showed up. The next day we got the call and went to pick his body up and bring him home.

One of the most heroic images that I have had in my insignificant life has been that of my crying mother through our kitchen window, burying the dog that had saved all our lives from a poisonous snake. Sometimes, I walk to the back of our yard where his rock epitaph has faded over eight years of weather. Rascal didn't back down so I shouldn't either. I just don't know if I can be that brave.