Looking in that photo album, I see--
Looking through old photo albums is something I do often. I enjoy scrap booking, so looking at pictures is something I do frequently. As I gaze through this particular photo album, I see many memories from childhood, to recently. I see my first trip to Disney World and I can see the joy overflowing both my brother and my faces. Those two weeks spent in Florida, doing something I had only dreamed of, was something I will never forget. I remember the intensity of the heat, the smells of the ice cream and popcorn, and all the other delicious smells that flowed through the theme park, the thousands of people crowding the lines, and the fictional characters running around to make some young child's dreams come true. I see photos from the bright lights in the Mickey Mouse night light parade, and it made me remember the way the lights shined off my moms face, and you could see the joy she had inside her, being able to experience this with my brother and I.
Then as I flip through more pages I see photos from my 16th birthday party. It was pouring rain that summer day in July, but that didn't stop me and my friends from having an amazing time! I saw pictures of me and my best friend, Alyssa covered head to toe with ice cream cake, from the cake war we had. Then I saw the photos of my first car that my parents so graciously gave to me for that special 16th birthday. It was a maroon Ford Contour, and I love it! It was so clean, and smelled so good!
Next, I cam across photos of soccer, and basketball season. Pictures of my teammates and I in huddles before games, and the action shots of me kicking and shooting as sports were such a big part of me in high school. Also, I came across the photos from our van rides to and from sporting events. Those were the most fun us girls as a team had. Whether we won or lost, we all bonded together as a team acting silly and being loud on van rides.
As I skimmed through more pages, I came across my high school graduation. Wow! What a great day that was. I saw the photos of me and my friends celebrating our great accomplishment. I saw the joy on each on of our faces to be done with that chapter of our lives, although we felt sadness as well. Sadness that after four years we all had to leave each other and go on our separate paths. After graduation, this came to the end of this particular photo album, so as I am looking through a photo album, these are the things I saw.
The stuff I've collected over the years in my little box/bureau drawer/keepsake chest marks every step of my way.
Throughout junior high and high school, I would keep things that had a significant meaning to me. Notes from friends, flowers petals, pictures, and letters. A long boot box is what I saved my keepsakes in and it is so jammed pack, it is starting to bust at the seams. The notes in the box mark my past crushes, the made up names with best friends so no one knew exactly who we were talking about, and secrets only best friends knew. Notes from my first "love" in high school were there. He was so kind and so sweet to me, but at my high school, it was so small everyone knew everything and that made it hard for us to become more to each other and what I thought was love was more infatuation than love. It was OK though, it gave me something worth going to school for, even it was for a shirt time.
I soon came along a book from high school that I saved and as I skimmed through the pages I came across a yellow rose petal. I remembered the day I received that bouquet of flowers immediately as it was the day after a very hard earned win over a basketball team that should have blown us out. My dad was my coach at the time and he sent me the bouquet to say thank you to me and to his girls on the team thanking us for all of the hard work we had put forth during the season. I skimmed further through the pages of the book and came across a red rose with a note and a picture that came from my high school crush. I remembered meeting him in the empty class room where he gave me a beautiful bouquet of red roses and an adorable tiger for Valentine's Day. I remember the utter joy that filtered through my body and we captured the moment with a picture that has been kept for almost 5 years.
Continuing to rummage through the old boot box, I came across numerous pictures, each capturing a different memory. One picture stuck out the most to me. It was me and three of my closets friends at my old house in Dexter where we were all sticking our heads in the different glass squares on my garage doors and we are all making different faces. This made me remember that one night particularly. It was the first night I had ever sneaked out of my house. It was a night of adventure, but a night of severe punishment as well, since we obviously got caught. It really is true that parents know everything. There were a lot of other pictures each showing a different time in my life and the different memories that will never be forgotten.
Next were the letters I came across. When I was 16 years old, I found out that I had a half brother that I didn't know about. I soon met him and he was in a lot of trouble and spent a year or so at a facility where he was only allowed visitors once in a while. So to get to know each other, we exchanged many letters and I kept them to read and try to figure out if there was anything I could do to help him. This met a lot to him especially because he felt that me and my family wouldn't want to know him or let him into our lives. We proved him differently. There were also letters from a guy that I met at camp on summer. He became a significant part of my life as we dated for a year. He lived in Rhode Island, and I in Maine so we wrote to each other everyday, a long with talking continuously on the phone until we got to see each other again. In my old boot box that I have saved for so long, these are the memories I pull out of it.
It was the first, but not the best--or was it?
First love...Everyone remembers their first loves and what that person met to them. When I was 17, a senior in high school, I met this guy in my home town that was very well known in Dexter, but not in a good way. Maybe it was his bad boy image I liked so much about him, well that and the fact that he was so cute, but we played hours of basketball together and got to know each other as much as possible. My parents didn't approve of his and my relationship so it made it very difficult to see him. A lot of the time we hung out behind my parents back, until they finally gave in and let me see him. I remember the first time he told me he loved me. It was a summer night, stars were shinning, and we sat there looking at each other and those three amazing words came out his mouth. He looked at me and said, "Michala, I love you." Just then my heart melted and I knew that what he had just said and the sincerity of his voice, he was genuine. At that moment, I knew things would change for me and my life. I wanted my parents to approve of him, and get to know the guy that I got to know. Who maybe seemed like a bad boy, but deep down was kind. He showed me his kindness every single day.
While using much of wasted breath, my parents never gave him a chance, and and made it very hard on me to be with him. After only 6 months being together, I felt to make my parents happy I needed to end things with the man I had, for the first time, fallen in love with. It was one of the hardest things I had to do, and I knew it would break his heart. I drove to his house, and with tears running down my face, I ended things with my first real love. He stood there in his driveway stunned, and as I drove away I couldn't believe what I had just done. It wasn't what I wanted, but I had to live with the decision I had just made. The first few weeks were the hardest. I truly loved this guy. We started to hang out again, but with life we moved on, but kept in touch every once in a while. He is now engaged with a baby on the way, and even though what he had was true, real love, I am so very happy for him and the great things ahead in his life.
He was my first love, and he was the best I had so far.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Week 1 prompts
Alone in a quiet room. Listen. What do you hear?
As I sit here, just me and the laptop, I can hear the faint sound of my dad snoring while watching ESPN. I can hear my dog, Darby, scratching herself and the clanking noise of her collar.I can hear my brothers fan running in the next room, but most of all I hear the my thoughts in my head. My mind never seems to shut down, even while I am sitting here alone in my quiet room. I assess my day and wonder if I lived the day to its fullest or wonder if there was something I forgot to do. It is never completely quiet around here. Whether it be the sound of snoring or the sound of a TV running all throughout the night. I can hear the freezing rain drip outside my window. This is what I hear, alone in a quiet room.
Alone in a quiet room. What do you see?
As I sit here, in my room, I realized that it is not usually quiet in here at all. I usually have a friend over, or music playing, or something on the TV. But as I sit here, in my favorite chair, I realize for the first time in a long time its quiet. The only noise I hear is the clanking of the keys on the laptop. I look around at my room and appreciate the things that I have. The objects in my room that are mine. I look around at the Celtics memorabilia hanging on the walls, and the pictures of friends and family hanging all around. I see the pile of clothes in the corner and I am so grateful for the clothes I have when there are do many people who can't afford them. I see the many warm blankets I have, I am a little obsessed with blankets :), I see my dresser that holds my textbooks, and many Celtics cups that I collect at each game I go to. I also see the trash that I forgot to take out once again. As I continue scanning my room, I came across the doily that a very dear friend made for me. It illuminates with the memories of her as a person, and as a great influence on me and on my life. Her name is Valerie, but unfortunately last year she passed away from cancer. I hated that she was being taken away from me, that she was sick and I couldn't help. I loved her dearly. The doily is a reminder that she is still here, looking out for me. Thank goodness she is my angel, protecting me. While I am here, alone in my quiet room, these are the things I see.
Alone in a quiet room. But what's really happening?
Well as I sit here in my quiet room, I realize what is really happening. I realize that it is not as quiet as I think it is. I realize that with the constant thoughts running through my mind 24/7 non-stop, it is never really quiet. I realize that my mind never shuts off, and I have lost many nights sleep due to this. My mind is always working, always thinking, and never giving myself time to breath. I constantly worry about my life, and the other peoples lives I am close. I realize in this quiet room, that I am alone in my thoughts and worries. Then I realize why worry? Whats the point? Sometimes I just have to go with the flow and not worry about what may happen. So here, in my quiet room, this is what is really happening.
As I sit here, just me and the laptop, I can hear the faint sound of my dad snoring while watching ESPN. I can hear my dog, Darby, scratching herself and the clanking noise of her collar.I can hear my brothers fan running in the next room, but most of all I hear the my thoughts in my head. My mind never seems to shut down, even while I am sitting here alone in my quiet room. I assess my day and wonder if I lived the day to its fullest or wonder if there was something I forgot to do. It is never completely quiet around here. Whether it be the sound of snoring or the sound of a TV running all throughout the night. I can hear the freezing rain drip outside my window. This is what I hear, alone in a quiet room.
Alone in a quiet room. What do you see?
As I sit here, in my room, I realized that it is not usually quiet in here at all. I usually have a friend over, or music playing, or something on the TV. But as I sit here, in my favorite chair, I realize for the first time in a long time its quiet. The only noise I hear is the clanking of the keys on the laptop. I look around at my room and appreciate the things that I have. The objects in my room that are mine. I look around at the Celtics memorabilia hanging on the walls, and the pictures of friends and family hanging all around. I see the pile of clothes in the corner and I am so grateful for the clothes I have when there are do many people who can't afford them. I see the many warm blankets I have, I am a little obsessed with blankets :), I see my dresser that holds my textbooks, and many Celtics cups that I collect at each game I go to. I also see the trash that I forgot to take out once again. As I continue scanning my room, I came across the doily that a very dear friend made for me. It illuminates with the memories of her as a person, and as a great influence on me and on my life. Her name is Valerie, but unfortunately last year she passed away from cancer. I hated that she was being taken away from me, that she was sick and I couldn't help. I loved her dearly. The doily is a reminder that she is still here, looking out for me. Thank goodness she is my angel, protecting me. While I am here, alone in my quiet room, these are the things I see.
Alone in a quiet room. But what's really happening?
Well as I sit here in my quiet room, I realize what is really happening. I realize that it is not as quiet as I think it is. I realize that with the constant thoughts running through my mind 24/7 non-stop, it is never really quiet. I realize that my mind never shuts off, and I have lost many nights sleep due to this. My mind is always working, always thinking, and never giving myself time to breath. I constantly worry about my life, and the other peoples lives I am close. I realize in this quiet room, that I am alone in my thoughts and worries. Then I realize why worry? Whats the point? Sometimes I just have to go with the flow and not worry about what may happen. So here, in my quiet room, this is what is really happening.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Week 1 journal
1/17/2012
These past few weeks have been weird, but great at the same time. Have had a lot of time to myself, and have noticed some things about me. Starting school again added some normalcy back into my life, and some stress. Already have a test for next week in one of my hardest classes, Medical Terminology, but all it is is memorization, which I am good at. While thinking about classes and all the school work, there are a thousand other things I have to do, like get a good paying job, save up to fix my hood since I hit a deer, and many more. My family and i just had to put our dog, Kobi, down. He was in our lives for 13 years and the house seems weird without him there. Our other dog, Darby, is very depressed without her buddy and mopes around the house a lot. It makes me sad to see her sad. Today, however, she did show a burst of energy and horsed around outside in the snow. She is so cute when she plays in the snow. We also found out that Darby is way over weight! She weighs 93 pounds! She is so chubby! Well, I am getting distracted by my xbox! Gotta go play some Modern Warfare 3!
1/18/2012
Didn't do much today. Woke up and played some more Modern Warfare 2 with a friend then got ready to go a birthday party. Had way to much cake and ice cream! Got to play with the cutest girls in the world! They are 3 and twins and I love them! They are so much fun to play with! They love playing memory and puzzles on my Kindle! They are really smart already! Oh! I also took back my bottles today and got 13 bucks! A really sad thing happened today as well. I saw a green truck driving and a pug in the middle of the road, and the truck hit it! It was so sad to see the dog laying there and obviously dead. On my way back through I saw the little boy with his parents and the boy was crying. It was so sad! Putting my dog down was hard enough, I can only imagine what they are going through! That's about it for today!
1/19/2012
Today I woke up tired because I had stayed up way to late playing Xbox! Struggling to keep my eyes open, I straggled to the bathroom to shower and get ready for my History class that is at 11. Once I got to school, I was sitting in class and it felt good to be there and to be learning about something new. I was happy to have that feeling and not hate being in class. After class I went home and did a lot of note cards for my Medical Terminology class since I have a huge test already on Tuesday. Once I finished up, I played some Xbox, I know I play way to much, then watched The Hangover 2 with a friend and ate lots of ice cream! I also made dinner for everyone...Some chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas! Yum! I also learned a new game called Battlefield 3. It is weird and not what I am used to, but its fun to try new things. Well, that about sums up my day, until tomorrow....
1/20/2012
Today, I slept in. It felt nice sleeping in. I also remembered that today I had to babysit later on, so I did some more note cards for class and relaxed. Watching a new episode of One Tree Hill and later on watching The Blind Side. I love that movie! Later on after making a delicious supper of steak, delicious terriyaki noodles, and carrots, I babysat for a few hours. It is such easy babysitting because she pretty much does whatever she wants, loves to watch movies, and is calm and quiet. Which is a nice change from prior babysitting jobs where I watched four boys ranging from 6 to 14. They are the hyper bunch. Today was an easy day, didn't do much and I enjoyed it.
1/21/2012
This morning I woke up to the noise of vacuuming out in the hall way. Normally I sleep right through this, but not today. Irritated I stumbled out to find my mom, with a big smile, doing her normal weekend cleaning. I asked her why she was so happy, and she blurted out that we were going to be getting a puppy! A friend for Darby! She wasn't supposed to tell me because it was going to be a surprise, but she blew it! :) That made me getting up super early much better. Excited to go and look at the puppies, I also remembered that later on my dad had a basketball game that he really wanted us all to go to. So, I got ready and faced the day. Before going out or doing anything I hung out with my friend that has spent a lot of time with me and my family lately. I think he is going through a hard time right now and wants to be surrounded for people who care about him. We played Xbox, then headed out. My dad coaches for Valley High School. He coaches the varsity girls team. He has a great bunch of girls. They play their hardest. My dad loves coaching. He coached me when I was in high school, and I loved having him as my coach. Anyways, he lost his game. :( But they played hard. After the defeat we headed home, to find Darby excited as ever to see us. She hates when we leave her alone. Soon after we got home I headed to bed.
1/22/2012
So, today I continued to make note cards. I have made almost 200! This is going to be a crazy test! Hopefully all the studying I have done will pay off. I knew today did not have much in store. I like having lazy days sometimes, but today I didn't particularly like it! I got super bored and decided to fill my time with homework. Seems like I already have so much to do! After doing some homework, my friend Matt came over and we watched the Patriots win! What a crazy game that was. Even though I don't really understand football, I knew this game was a big deal! I see football as a bunch of guys running, getting tackled and then doing it all again! :) I don't understand all the rules etc. Basketball is my sport, and my favorite team is the Boston Celtics. They won today which was awesome! I heard so awful rumors though! They are thinking of an open trade, which means Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce could possibly be leaving the Celtics! That would be so weird! I would not like that at all. Garnett is my favorite player. I love the passion he brings forth to the game. Well, right now I am finishing up some homework while listening to music. Until tomorrow....
1/23/2012
Today, I spent most of the day doing homework. I did a Biology quiz, a Sociology quiz, and studied my Medical Terminology note cards because I have my fist test tomorrow. I am surprised how well and quickly I memorized the 200 note cards! I like memorizing though, it is something I believe I am good at. Earlier today, I also picked up my room. I made supper for everyone also along with babysitting. I made chicken, chicken and broccoli pasta, and mixed vegetables! Yum! I enjoy making supper, especially when people like the taste of the food I make. I babysat for a few hours, which was once again a pretty easy task. I also realized that I accidentally left my car lights on for the day, and realized that my battery was dead, awesome! Not! I hit a deer like a month or so ago, so my grampie strapped my hood down so it wouldn't fly up in my face. In turn, I realized I wasn't going to be able to get it open on my own. I had to call up grampie to get my hood open. He came, then we had to boost the battery. Well it was really dead! It took a while to charge it up, but luckily we got it going again! Phew! Now, I sit here contemplating studying more for my test tomorrow, or play xbox....hmmmmm! Well I decided playing xbox would be way more enjoyable! So off I go, to my game zone!
These past few weeks have been weird, but great at the same time. Have had a lot of time to myself, and have noticed some things about me. Starting school again added some normalcy back into my life, and some stress. Already have a test for next week in one of my hardest classes, Medical Terminology, but all it is is memorization, which I am good at. While thinking about classes and all the school work, there are a thousand other things I have to do, like get a good paying job, save up to fix my hood since I hit a deer, and many more. My family and i just had to put our dog, Kobi, down. He was in our lives for 13 years and the house seems weird without him there. Our other dog, Darby, is very depressed without her buddy and mopes around the house a lot. It makes me sad to see her sad. Today, however, she did show a burst of energy and horsed around outside in the snow. She is so cute when she plays in the snow. We also found out that Darby is way over weight! She weighs 93 pounds! She is so chubby! Well, I am getting distracted by my xbox! Gotta go play some Modern Warfare 3!
1/18/2012
Didn't do much today. Woke up and played some more Modern Warfare 2 with a friend then got ready to go a birthday party. Had way to much cake and ice cream! Got to play with the cutest girls in the world! They are 3 and twins and I love them! They are so much fun to play with! They love playing memory and puzzles on my Kindle! They are really smart already! Oh! I also took back my bottles today and got 13 bucks! A really sad thing happened today as well. I saw a green truck driving and a pug in the middle of the road, and the truck hit it! It was so sad to see the dog laying there and obviously dead. On my way back through I saw the little boy with his parents and the boy was crying. It was so sad! Putting my dog down was hard enough, I can only imagine what they are going through! That's about it for today!
1/19/2012
Today I woke up tired because I had stayed up way to late playing Xbox! Struggling to keep my eyes open, I straggled to the bathroom to shower and get ready for my History class that is at 11. Once I got to school, I was sitting in class and it felt good to be there and to be learning about something new. I was happy to have that feeling and not hate being in class. After class I went home and did a lot of note cards for my Medical Terminology class since I have a huge test already on Tuesday. Once I finished up, I played some Xbox, I know I play way to much, then watched The Hangover 2 with a friend and ate lots of ice cream! I also made dinner for everyone...Some chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas! Yum! I also learned a new game called Battlefield 3. It is weird and not what I am used to, but its fun to try new things. Well, that about sums up my day, until tomorrow....
1/20/2012
Today, I slept in. It felt nice sleeping in. I also remembered that today I had to babysit later on, so I did some more note cards for class and relaxed. Watching a new episode of One Tree Hill and later on watching The Blind Side. I love that movie! Later on after making a delicious supper of steak, delicious terriyaki noodles, and carrots, I babysat for a few hours. It is such easy babysitting because she pretty much does whatever she wants, loves to watch movies, and is calm and quiet. Which is a nice change from prior babysitting jobs where I watched four boys ranging from 6 to 14. They are the hyper bunch. Today was an easy day, didn't do much and I enjoyed it.
1/21/2012
This morning I woke up to the noise of vacuuming out in the hall way. Normally I sleep right through this, but not today. Irritated I stumbled out to find my mom, with a big smile, doing her normal weekend cleaning. I asked her why she was so happy, and she blurted out that we were going to be getting a puppy! A friend for Darby! She wasn't supposed to tell me because it was going to be a surprise, but she blew it! :) That made me getting up super early much better. Excited to go and look at the puppies, I also remembered that later on my dad had a basketball game that he really wanted us all to go to. So, I got ready and faced the day. Before going out or doing anything I hung out with my friend that has spent a lot of time with me and my family lately. I think he is going through a hard time right now and wants to be surrounded for people who care about him. We played Xbox, then headed out. My dad coaches for Valley High School. He coaches the varsity girls team. He has a great bunch of girls. They play their hardest. My dad loves coaching. He coached me when I was in high school, and I loved having him as my coach. Anyways, he lost his game. :( But they played hard. After the defeat we headed home, to find Darby excited as ever to see us. She hates when we leave her alone. Soon after we got home I headed to bed.
1/22/2012
So, today I continued to make note cards. I have made almost 200! This is going to be a crazy test! Hopefully all the studying I have done will pay off. I knew today did not have much in store. I like having lazy days sometimes, but today I didn't particularly like it! I got super bored and decided to fill my time with homework. Seems like I already have so much to do! After doing some homework, my friend Matt came over and we watched the Patriots win! What a crazy game that was. Even though I don't really understand football, I knew this game was a big deal! I see football as a bunch of guys running, getting tackled and then doing it all again! :) I don't understand all the rules etc. Basketball is my sport, and my favorite team is the Boston Celtics. They won today which was awesome! I heard so awful rumors though! They are thinking of an open trade, which means Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce could possibly be leaving the Celtics! That would be so weird! I would not like that at all. Garnett is my favorite player. I love the passion he brings forth to the game. Well, right now I am finishing up some homework while listening to music. Until tomorrow....
1/23/2012
Today, I spent most of the day doing homework. I did a Biology quiz, a Sociology quiz, and studied my Medical Terminology note cards because I have my fist test tomorrow. I am surprised how well and quickly I memorized the 200 note cards! I like memorizing though, it is something I believe I am good at. Earlier today, I also picked up my room. I made supper for everyone also along with babysitting. I made chicken, chicken and broccoli pasta, and mixed vegetables! Yum! I enjoy making supper, especially when people like the taste of the food I make. I babysat for a few hours, which was once again a pretty easy task. I also realized that I accidentally left my car lights on for the day, and realized that my battery was dead, awesome! Not! I hit a deer like a month or so ago, so my grampie strapped my hood down so it wouldn't fly up in my face. In turn, I realized I wasn't going to be able to get it open on my own. I had to call up grampie to get my hood open. He came, then we had to boost the battery. Well it was really dead! It took a while to charge it up, but luckily we got it going again! Phew! Now, I sit here contemplating studying more for my test tomorrow, or play xbox....hmmmmm! Well I decided playing xbox would be way more enjoyable! So off I go, to my game zone!
Me as a writer, 2nd, and 3rd person
Writer
Me as a writer I think about all the papers I have written for classes and then I think about the other types of writing I have done. I like to write about my life, other people's lives, and poetry. Although I have not done much poetry as of late, I remember the times when I was an avid poetry writer. Now it is more school based writing especially with all the classes I have taken. I do, however, enjoy to write. I would rather write then take a test or do a math problem.
2nd person
You are good at writing papers. You have learned your punctuation and grammar well, and you are even a good speller. You especially shine in your writings when you really enjoy what the subject is about. Writing on a blog and writing for everyone to see is something you have not done often, but you will get used to. Writing about life a and the things happening in your life will be hard to write and let others read.
3rd person
Michala is a good writer. Michala will get better at writing the more personal things in her life.
Me as a writer I think about all the papers I have written for classes and then I think about the other types of writing I have done. I like to write about my life, other people's lives, and poetry. Although I have not done much poetry as of late, I remember the times when I was an avid poetry writer. Now it is more school based writing especially with all the classes I have taken. I do, however, enjoy to write. I would rather write then take a test or do a math problem.
2nd person
You are good at writing papers. You have learned your punctuation and grammar well, and you are even a good speller. You especially shine in your writings when you really enjoy what the subject is about. Writing on a blog and writing for everyone to see is something you have not done often, but you will get used to. Writing about life a and the things happening in your life will be hard to write and let others read.
3rd person
Michala is a good writer. Michala will get better at writing the more personal things in her life.
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