Day 233: Special Memory

Tomorrow I have to share with my students an example of a narrative.  We are selecting a special memory.  We not only have to describe the memory, but also an object that represents this memory.  The students then have to guess the object.  I know mine is probably a bit above their level, but I'm curious to see if they can understand.  I think I'll make a lot of pauses to share examples of how they can relate.  I think it is something we can all relate too; wishing time would stop or that we could return to a moment in time.  So here it is in rough draft form.

Spending three weeks with the same people can be viewed in many different lights.  You would think all of this time together would create boredom, a need for freedom, or perhaps frustration.  Normally this is what happens when you can’t get away from the same people.  I’ve felt this way before when quality time was a bit more than anyone could take. 

Something was different with these people.  I found myself wanting to be around them all of the time.  I was always excited to make plans to go to all of these fantastic places in Europe not alone, but with people that shared the same thoughts that I did.   It first started in Venice when we all went on a gondola ride down the canals.  I wasn’t going to go because I had done it before, but I saw that everyone else was going, so I had to tag along.  There was a moment when all of our gondolas were grouped together.  There was a man belting out his Italian tunes while the accordion player filled the grand canal.  The moonlight lit the water so that a reflection shimmered upon the faces of my new friends.  I actually understood what it meant for the moon to hit my eye like a pizza pie.  I felt a sense of invincibility; like nothing bad could reach me.  Unfortunately, the gondola ride ended and time moved forward like it always does. 

This was the first memory that forced me to realize the strong bond with the people that I met.  For once, I was comfortable and I wanted to live in the moment.  This continued throughout the three weeks I was able to spend with my friends. 

Our time together came to an end in Paris.  This was not our reality and our normal lives waited for us to return.  I was so devastated to go back home.  I wanted to repack my suitcase and prepare for our next destination together.  I wanted to conquer the world together.  Things like time and money seem to always put a damper on possibility. 

On our last night in Paris, we all sat together to share our special memories of the trip.  I shared mine, and I found that as everyone else shared theirs, I wanted to change mine.  The truth was there were so many special memories that an entire book could be written on them.  Perhaps that is my next adventure.

My night ended in the rain at one of my favorite Paris sights.  It was cold and wet, but I found myself feeling so happy that nothing could dampen my spirits.  I spent my last moments in front of the symbol of Paris.  The one that is most recognizable as you enter the city, and the one that forces people to gather.  I carry this symbol with me.