| 
  • If you are citizen of an European Union member nation, you may not use this service unless you are at least 16 years old.

  • You already know Dokkio is an AI-powered assistant to organize & manage your digital files & messages. Very soon, Dokkio will support Outlook as well as One Drive. Check it out today!

View
 

K2BoarderNarrative

Page history last edited by PBworks 18 years, 5 months ago

 

Self Narrative

 

What would life be without family? Who would you be and what would you become? Would life be the same at all? All of these questions pose the thought of growing up alone. Without family, there is no self to write a narrative about. My family has always been the support group in my life and has always helped me in times of need. I would have never been able to make it into Penn State if not for the guidance of my parents. Their constant desire for me to excel has made me realize that without them I'd be lost. My parents have always been incredibly understanding of whatever I do and have always been there, day or night, to talk to me when I have a problem. My family has always been there for me and I appreciate it.

 

I have quite a large family. My mom and dad both have six brothers and sisters, giving me a total of twenty aunts and uncles, and too many cousins to count. I have always had a certain pride in my family and I enjoy spending time with them. Every occasion the family gets together; it is always a good time full of laughs. Any time I that I have gotten to spend with my family is memorable, but there are certain events that make me realize just how fun and amazing my family really is.

 

A favorite childhood memory of mine is our family trip to Six Flags New Jersey, and a side trip to New York. I was about six or seven years old. My mom's whole side of the family piled into our cars and drove to New Jersey for a weekend of fun. I can remember the cereal Golden Grahams had an offer that for every adult ticket you bought for Six Flags, with the coupon, you could get a free children's ticket. My house had around ten boxes of Golden Grahams waiting to be eaten because we needed the deal on the tickets. Before driving into the park, they had a safari ride. You could drive your car through the middle of the "Serengeti." The giraffes there would come up to the window and eat food right out of your hand. It was a truly amazing experience. After Six Flags, my family packed back into their cars and drove to New York City for a day trip. I can remember walking into FAO Schwarz, a huge toy store, and wanting everything in the store. We also visited St. Patrick's cathedral, and what I thought was funny about it was that it had a gift shop, "the gift shop of God!" The worst part of the trip for me was when we climbed to the top of the Statue of Liberty. When we got up to the statue's crown, I came to the quick realization that I was afraid of heights. That wasn't a very good place to figure that out. Spending that time with my family was so much fun, and we always seem to laugh until our sides hurt. All in all, I am grateful to have such good memories with my family on that trip.

 

Thinking back about the great times I've had with my family, another memory came to mind which was my dad's family reunion. It was a very large reunion, but it was a lot of fun. I can remember sitting around playing Five Card Draw Poker with my dad, my grandfather, and my uncles. Of course we only made bets using pennies. There was also a scavenger hunt, where each family had to find many random things such as a wheat penny, a comb, and many other things. The biggest thing I remember from the reunion was that my cousin and I stayed up until three in the morning playing ping pong. Then we decided to see what would happen if we placed the ping pong ball in the microwave. Needless to say, there was one less ping pong ball left there that night. I remember that all of my family was so close, and I learned a lot from the time we spent together that weekend; like never to forget your heritage, never forget your values and where you came from, and also that ping pong balls can give you hours of fun.

 

Finally, a time in which my family creates many memories is when the Folkfest comes to town. The Folkfest is a cultural festival offering numerous booths which sell food from every ethnicity, and it comes to town every Labor Day Weekend. Walking down the street, you pass booths with different foods simmering and sizzling on the stainless steel grills. The smells of gyros, chicken on a stick, and any other food you can think of fill the air. It is a great time for my family because all of my relatives come in for the weekend. We all talk outside of my uncle's house which is on the same street as the Folkfest. It is an excellent time to catch up with the family. It gives me a true realization of my roots when I see all of my family sitting around and talking about their lives. I enjoy hearing about when my parents were kids and how they lived then. That weekend, I also get to sample foods from an array of ethnicities. I get a real sense of my Lebanese background when I eat the Arabic food that is sold there. It seems as if time slows down when we are all together and life is easy. The worst part of the weekend is saying goodbye to all of my family as they all return to their homes in different parts of the country. I am grateful for the time I have had with my family, and I am looking forward for the times and memories we will share in the future.

 

I have learned many things through the memorable times that I have shared with my family. My whole outlook on life has been shaped by the conversations and lessons they have taught me. They have showed me that I can't be afraid of what lies ahead. Life is a journey that can't be looked at as if it can be planned out; some things must be spontaneous. They've showed me, through experience, that laughing is the best cure for a bad day, and to also enjoy the moment. Through the times that we have shared, my family has taught me that you must fight for what you believe in. Morals are important, but they are nothing if you don't defend them. I know its cliché, but the biggest thing my family has taught me is that, "You can do whatever you set your mind to." It is a relief to know that I am able to talk to my family about anything and it is a terrific feeling knowing that they always support me throughout my life. My family guides me through the rough times and is with me to celebrate the good ones, and I know that without then I would not be the hardworking, persevering person that I am today.

 

Links to other Self Narratives with emphasis on family

 

JeN14Narrative

CaseY7Narrative

 

Samples

 

LynnM1227Narrative - Showed that I must emphasize more of how my topic has changed me

KevinShowNarrative - Used qauestions in the introduction and made it more powerful.

Comments (0)

You don't have permission to comment on this page.