I was always told, that my first home was a two bedroom trailer set on a dirt pad out behind my grandparents house in East Dover. It may have been small, but it housed both my parents, my older brother and I. In that little trailer is where my brother and I took out first steps, said our first words, and each took a turn falling down the outside steps, and splitting our top lip open.
I dont remember much of living in the trailer, other than Friday night "Treat Nights". My Dad worked at Dexter Shoe in dexter, and every friday morning before he left for work he'd ask my brother, Daren, and I what we wanted for a treat.
"Reese's peanut butter cups!" Daren always replied.
But I took my time. I'd take into consideration what I had last week and then what I felt like having that day.
"Starburst! No.. No wait..." I said hesitantly, careful not to make my Dad irritated.
"Ummm..... Twizzlers!" I then quickly told him as he picked up his lunch box and headed for the door.
The day dragged on. Daren and I made sure to be on our best behavior for mom, so she wouldnt revoke our "Treat Night". That day was different though, my mom had spent the morning hugging the toilet bowl, throwing up. Daren and I werent sure what do to do, so we did for mom what she always did for us. We made our way back down the hallway to the kitchen, Daren poured the gingerale since I wasnt allowed to pour drinks yet. I headed straight for the lazy susan, pulling out the last package of saltine crackers. Together, we then made our way back to the bathroom, with proud smiles one, and told mom we were going to take care of her, and to follow us to her bedroom. She laid back down in bed, Daren handed her the glass of gingerale, then I gave her the package of crackers. Mom slept most of the day, which to us meant for an easy behavior day for "Treat Night".
Dad got home and found mom in bed, he called out to us from the living room and told us to come here. In order to get our treats that night Dad made us guess the surprise they had for us.
"A new remote control car!" Daren shot off.
"A new barbie?!" I asked.
Then my mom, with the last bit of energy she had left from the day after spending it throwing up, said, "A baby brother."
Daren and I looked at eachother. Decided it was ok to have a baby brother, then asked Dad for our treat!
Our family was quickly growing, and the trailer quickly shrinking. The days of mom tell me of where I first lived were coming to an end, and the days of us four telling Andrew where he grew up on the Shaw Road on the Dover/Dexter town line were soon to begin.
Haven't I read some of the treat night material before?
ReplyDeleteI don't see how this hits the assignment--this is what I'd say is a childhood memoir, and a good one too, but week 6 is definitely different than a memoir. You need to take an element of your life and unpack it; you touch on a lot of topics here having to do with family, siblings, brother, housing, but never set out to give us a slice of sibling history or a slice of housing history or something like that. The material may be there, but it's not set up as autobiography.
Take another look at the samples, ask questions, try a rewrite.
I'm not sure if I've written about treats before or not, I didnt think I did, if I did write about it with a class of yours before, I apologize.
ReplyDeleteSo an adult topic? Such as buying a house? After reading your poopy diaper example I saw a few things from your childhood with your alergies, so I thought got the idea to start with something from my childhood and how it grew into my brothers childhood. I do see a childhood memoir here on my work, though.
So should I pick a more 'adult' topic such as buying a house, and then unfolding with starting with what home WAS to me in the little trailer to what home IS to me now? Is that a start to what the assignment calls for?
I don't think an apology is needed about treat night--that I would remember it after such a long time is a compliment to the original piece; it must have made an impression.
ReplyDeleteWhat I tried to do in my autobiographical slice was take one aspect of my life--allergies--and trace it back to the beginning and then forward to the present. I just don't see any kind of autobiographical material in your work here.
I like the idea of tracing your life through the homes you've had, from the little trailer to home today.