When writing my Hiraeth, I did it on my own with the memories I have of my aunt Carol. Even though I was at a young age, I still have the best memories of her. I think the hardest part of the writing process was having to bring back all the memories of her and wanting to relive that time over again. While sitting In my bedroom looking through old photos and reminiscing the good times, I felt it was the best time to write my Hiraeth. I wrote it when it was quiet and night time and I could hear the late night crickets out of my window. I chose to write about my aunt carol because I always enjoyed her company and always loved to see that smile on her face. When writing about her, it makes me cry with tears of joy/ sadness because we all loved her and miss her dearly. Writing about her makes me feel like I will never forget. When writing I like to follow the six step plan of who, what, when, where, why. how. It keeps my writing organized and it feels a lot more planned out.
My mommom's house, my aunt Carol standing at the counter with my mommom making tomato jelly. The smell of sweet jersey tomatoes and the laughter of two woman with the weight lifted off their shoulders, even if it's just a few minutes. My uncle Rob is sitting in the living room watching television and mesmerizing my little brother with simple YouTube tricks. She had the biggest grin on her face, "you could see it from a mile away." When the tomato jelly was done we would get to taste it, on a great piece of sarcone roll. We even got to take home a jar of our own. She was the absolute sweetest person you would ever meet, she loved you even if she didn't know you. She had the best hugs and funniest stories and she made my mommom so happy and filled with joy. Just seeing my mommom that happy was the best feeling in the world. She never wanted to leave my mommom's house because she never wanted to stop having fun. In the summer, late afternoon she would come over our house and take a dip in the pool. She loved that the best. She was a women you could share anything with and she will always support you no matter what. I loved her, we all did.
Hiraeth; longing for one's homeland. Going back to a place you, maybe once knew, or something you wish you once had. For some, it could be a memory that you wish, didn't end, or a window, where your looking at something you never had. Everything eventually ends, and what you once had, will never come back. It's unfortunate, and it hurts but it's the truth and the truth hurts. Everyone wants what they don't have, no matter what it is. It could be money, love, attention, popularity, fame. People (usually) are never happy with what they have, we always need more. I think the problem with people today is that they focus on what they need more than what they have, until what they have Is gone. When what we had is gone, we then wish we had it back and we dwell on that, when all along we had it right in our face. I wish for my aunt Carol to be here again, collecting all her antiques and crocheting sweaters for her cats and her dolls. I want her back making my mommom laugh again.
There are so many distractions when you are trying to get anything done. When I am assigned a homework assignment that I don't want to do, I can be distracted so easily. I could be sitting at my desk telling myself, "you need to write this paper... Oh look a paper clip!" I have two little brothers and pets that can be a handful. When I'm trying to write, I like to write in quiet, but with a household of five people it's hard to get quiet time. Many people face similar distractions like a single mom in college or parents trying to get something done for work when kids are hungry and the dog wants to go out. Even kids in college who, will admit they are just lazy, and their distraction is the television or food. Sometimes, they are just too busy, with sports or jobs, or maybe even other homework assignments. I know one of my distractions is music. Whenever I am listening to music and a really good song comes on, I don't want to be doing anything else but jamming out. Another big distraction for me is social media. If I am writing a paper or I have to read a book and my phone is next to me, all I want to do is look at Facebook or Instagram or of course Twitter, and see if there is anything more exciting then this paper I have to write or book I have to read. I believe that in order to become a better writer, I have to get in a writer mindset and really concentrate on what's important. Six distractions I find most common are kids, phones, pets, electronics, work, and other college assignments. Things I could do to avoid these distractions, I to keep my bedroom door closed when writing and to keep my phone away from me for awhile. Maybe I can try to balance my work schedule with my school schedule and see when and where I can get the most use out of my time.
"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect." -Anais Nin. Writing is a form of expression, things people might not be able to speak but perhaps explain it through words, on paper. I think of writing as a way to get my thoughts out, and maybe tell myself things I do or don't want to hear. I write in a journal, about my day, my feelings, my mood, what went wrong, what went right. Maybe I even write to talk to myself, perhaps I'm having a bad day, I write to tell myself that it's going to get better. I write down things that I don't say aloud. Writing for some people can be an escape from reality, or "your own private world" - George Orwell
(http://www.sabatinomangini.com/course-page1.html) Of course, we eventually will come back, but sometimes that break just for you and your thoughts could be relieving or satisfying. I like to write, because if you are making a fiction novel or writing anything that comes to your mind, it gives you a chance to be someone else for a while. Whether it's a character that you made up or someone you might want to become later on in life, maybe even have a character you wish you were sometimes. Again, writing is a form of expression. You express your feelings. Writing could be to inform someone else about your opinion, or simply to tell someone about "why you write." For people who don't talk much, writing gives them a way to inform, express, and experience connections with others. I write simply to speak my mind. Never to forget certain memories, or to look back on who I used to be and how I used to feel. I don't always choose to write. Sometimes I am assigned to write, for homework or work, or because I just have to. |