An Old Man, Some Meercats, and a British Accent

            I owe my love for reading and writing to an old man, my first grade teacher, and my sister. I was first exposed to literature when I was three, I went to Story Time. Basically, an old man would read to 9 or 10 kids while our moms went grocery shopping. He was a wonderful man who made us name tags that we would decorate with stickers whenever we read another book. Then when I went to school I had the most incredible first grade teacher by the name of Mrs. Fowler (like the teacher in the Nickelodeon series Jimmy Neutron) who loved stories. She would match her earrings to the books we read or the holidays, and she even had long dangly glow-in-the-dark skeleton earrings for Halloween. Mrs. Fowler had the best imitations of character voices and sometimes she handed out treats while we listened to the books. But although I read a lot I owe my love for reading and writing to my sister. We would sit in our room and write short stories, poems, and humorous cards to relatives. My sister would read stories to me every night, never missed one. She still shoves books into my hands predicting that I will love them before I even read the synopsis. She reads and gives me tips on some of my papers, and she works in the Writing Center as one of the few undergrads there. I am indebted to my sister, my teacher and an old man for teaching me to love books and the written word.

            I have written a lifetime of words, but only a handful stick out. I have written so many essays I have lost count. My favorite form of writing is poetry I love rhyming and I feel that more people pay attention when it has rhythm because it is far more catchy and appealing to listen to than an essay. My writing experience thus far has been enjoyable, and I feel like some of the assignments I have done in the past have certainly helped me in the long run. Once, I had to pick a topic out of a hat and write 10 pages about it. My lucky draw was meercats. I am happy to say I received an A on that paper, but it was agonizing. I learned that ten pages is not only a lot of paper for a stapler to staple, but also meercats although fascinating creatures are not my favorite animals. I always try to research my topic even if I do the bare minimum because I do not want to offend anyone or have incorrect facts. Without researching your topic your paper only has your observations. I have learned from writing a lot of words that unless your inner voice impresses upon someone’s train of thought and evokes emotion and interest, the words are hollow, and will not stick out to you later on in your life.

            My steps to writing a paper include formation, noise level, temperature, and my glasses. First, I enter a “snug state.” This is when I form an area of blankets and pillows around myself and turn the air conditioning on like I am hibernating. Next, I write some main points and facts that I would like to incorporate in my paper. I enjoy writing my topic sentences, but the thesis I usually have trouble setting up. The worst part is the conclusion, because by this time my brain is tired and I feel as if I am rewriting the first paragraph. Furthermore, my brain enjoys quiet peaceful environments. I have tried studying to music. I just cannot stand not being able to think to myself. Noise is annoying and distracting. Lastly, I only wear my glasses when I read aloud to myself as I repeat the paper until it flows naturally. Sometimes, this step is preformed in a British accent if it is late at night and I feel my concentration is dwindling.My steps are very specific, but I find this environment to be the most productive.