Moving Images

Started my new English class last week at SCC. Besides feeling a bit weird walking around my old stomping grounds, I'm trying to fit in. I'm surrounded by twenty-something guys in the Filmmaking or Screenwriting college, forced to take a writing class for their major. The other half is a collection of people around my speed, not quite the for actual credit types, but really fun. This week's assignment - write down some "moving images" from your childhood moving forward, not the same images that everyone else has, either. Here's a few of mine. Do it, too. It's fun.

Playing in the new car with my sister with the electronic window openers, thinking that they were the most incredible thing in the world

Falling out of a tree in our backyard and landing on my side on top of the edge of the sandbox, knocking the wind out of me. I couldn’t breathe or cry or scream for what seemed like forever

Almost drowning in the ocean, seeing the sand circle around me, not knowing where the sky was

Getting a Dorothy Hamill haircut a few hours after getting my ears pierced and the guy kept combing, combing, combing over my new earrings, tears running down my face and he kept apologizing

Running away from home with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, no shoes

Leaving summer day camp - AWOL - with my sister, walking home in heat, dropping pot holder loom thing in the middle of Camelback Road, Mom throwing us in the pool to cool us off

Watching One Day At A Time with my mom, my sister and me, just like on the show

Boo Boo’s brisket – onions, mushrooms

Falling off bike going downhill – over the handlebars - two stitches in chin, chipped front tooth, doctor scrubbing rocks out of skinned knee

Picking up dirt with a magnet in Tempe

Getting glasses around age 10 and reading “over one million served” on the McDonald’s sign, never knowing that was there before

My Mom giving away my cat, Boots, because he scratched my face

Bill Clinton in the parking lot at Park Central Mall

Barack Obama at ASU

Breaking left pinkie playing four square at Hopi School

Getting blisters from the monkey bars

Sunburned after a day tubing the Salt River

Mr. Yee, fourth grade teacher, arguing about a spelling test grade, I told him that if I left it blank, technically it wasn’t wrong. I lost that argument

Childbirth 6pm Friday. Pain for the day, absolutely no emotion until 3am Sunday 

Seeing disgusting stubby tooth before getting a crown

Getting first car – red Mustang, hidden around corner

Then - list of all the jobs you've had

Babysitter, waitress – can still smell the bleach on my hands sometimes, psych tech, parenting class instructor, cashier at Hallmark cards – can still pick the perfect card in under a minute, retail sales – still can’t pay retail for anything, social worker, therapist, student – undergrad, grad, wife, navy wife, mom, PTA member, snack mom, currently office manager (CEO, CFO, COO, co-owner, carpet cleaner, maid, biller, payroll adder, phone picker-upper, fire putter-outer, band-aid buyer)