For the second action project in the humanities class in Who am I? the class was assigned to create some sort of "Time machine". We had to recall a memory that we treasure, or that has shaped us into the person we are now. We have to recall this moment with our senses and with very much detail, so our audience can go back in time and try to experience that memory. The hardest part for me during this project was trying to include all the feelings that I had into my script. It is difficult to talk about a memory, that has brought so many different feelings towards me. Although I had a hard time with that, I am proud of how I was able to present it. I am also proud of myself for being brave enough to recall such a difficult time in my life.
Created by RD 2014*
Families are gathered around Christmas trees, singing, sipping hot chocolate, and the smell of pies fill the rooms of homes around Chicago on December 24,2008. But my family and I were trapped in one hospital room. We were trapped in a room crowded with crying people,nurses, doctors, and the overwhelming scent of sanitizer. Christmas eve 2008, that day my aunt was diagnosed with Leukemia.
I was too young to understand fully what was going on, so I was very lost most of the time in that hospital room.The confusion led me to feel anxious because I wanted to know what was going on. For a year, I experienced feelings of sadness and nervousness every time I visited my aunt in the hospital. I had to go through what I usually was used to seeing my fun, loving and outgoing aunt, laying in a hospital bed, almost dying. Me being only 9 years old,when her beautiful locks of hair were falling out, I really realized how much she was changing. Looking in the mirror myself, I realized how much I have changed. I had puffy eyes, and a red nose, from all my crying. I was even too sad to eat. The only thing that really comforted me were my tissues. They were the only things that were able to wipe away my tears, because everyone else was too busy wiping away their own.
My house was chaotic most of the time. Everyone running around the house. Rushing to get to the hospital sometimes. I can still smell and hear the crying pot of soup cooking in my kitchen, waiting to be taken to my aunt. My normal day consisted of coming back from school, doing my homework, and heading out to the hospital. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car while driving to the hospital almost everyday in the winter of 2009, watching the beautiful, twinkling lights of downtown and watching people happily stroll down Michigan Avenue. Getting to the hospital I remember seeing the usual security guard already having all the badges waiting for us, because he knew how much of a huge family we are. Traveling to the 16th floor, I had to go through hearing, what I now find haunting the beeping of the elevator.
Northwestern Memorial Pretence Hospital is a hospital for mothers and babies, so it was cute seeing the tiny babies strapped in their car seats waiting to go home, but at the same time depressing for me because I had to travel all the way to the cancer center of the hospital to visit my dying aunt. I was already familiar with the cancer floor of the hospital, so my mom would let me take my younger brother and sister to the waiting room, where their were only 2 computers, and their were 3 of us, so we would usually fight for them, but me being the older sister I would let my younger brother use it, because he was more confused about what was going on,and I wanted to get his mind off the situation. Since I was in the waiting room with nothing to do, I would usually look out the window, and watch the ferris wheel move from Navy pier. I would also look at how frozen Lake Michigan was, wishing I was able to ice skate on it. Sitting there I would also hear the squeaky shoes of the nurses,and the busy pagers of the doctors walking around. I would also look at the many cancer patients walking around the floor. My aunt being only 19, she was the youngest patient on the floor, so seeing older patients, made me think of how they felt, especially since most of the times I saw them, they were alone, which made me feel very bad, to the point where I wish I could go up to them and hug them all.
Although it was very unfortunate that my aunt got sick with cancer, the whole thing really taught me what is was like to be a family. We were all there for each other. In fact I feel like that brought us closer even more. During the whole thing, my family and I were together everyday, supporting not only my aunt, but each other also. I had to step up and take on responsibilities that a 10 year old usually would not have to do, like helping my younger siblings with homework, getting ready for school, and even comforting them throughout the hard times. I was brave enough to try to explain to them what was going on, even though I was still having a hard time understanding myself. This whole experience shaped me into a very caring and understanding person.
Citations:
Orange Ribbon. 2007.Wikimedia.commons.Web. 30 January. 2014
Created by RD 2014*
Families are gathered around Christmas trees, singing, sipping hot chocolate, and the smell of pies fill the rooms of homes around Chicago on December 24,2008. But my family and I were trapped in one hospital room. We were trapped in a room crowded with crying people,nurses, doctors, and the overwhelming scent of sanitizer. Christmas eve 2008, that day my aunt was diagnosed with Leukemia.
I was too young to understand fully what was going on, so I was very lost most of the time in that hospital room.The confusion led me to feel anxious because I wanted to know what was going on. For a year, I experienced feelings of sadness and nervousness every time I visited my aunt in the hospital. I had to go through what I usually was used to seeing my fun, loving and outgoing aunt, laying in a hospital bed, almost dying. Me being only 9 years old,when her beautiful locks of hair were falling out, I really realized how much she was changing. Looking in the mirror myself, I realized how much I have changed. I had puffy eyes, and a red nose, from all my crying. I was even too sad to eat. The only thing that really comforted me were my tissues. They were the only things that were able to wipe away my tears, because everyone else was too busy wiping away their own.
My house was chaotic most of the time. Everyone running around the house. Rushing to get to the hospital sometimes. I can still smell and hear the crying pot of soup cooking in my kitchen, waiting to be taken to my aunt. My normal day consisted of coming back from school, doing my homework, and heading out to the hospital. I remember sitting in the back seat of the car while driving to the hospital almost everyday in the winter of 2009, watching the beautiful, twinkling lights of downtown and watching people happily stroll down Michigan Avenue. Getting to the hospital I remember seeing the usual security guard already having all the badges waiting for us, because he knew how much of a huge family we are. Traveling to the 16th floor, I had to go through hearing, what I now find haunting the beeping of the elevator.
Northwestern Memorial Pretence Hospital is a hospital for mothers and babies, so it was cute seeing the tiny babies strapped in their car seats waiting to go home, but at the same time depressing for me because I had to travel all the way to the cancer center of the hospital to visit my dying aunt. I was already familiar with the cancer floor of the hospital, so my mom would let me take my younger brother and sister to the waiting room, where their were only 2 computers, and their were 3 of us, so we would usually fight for them, but me being the older sister I would let my younger brother use it, because he was more confused about what was going on,and I wanted to get his mind off the situation. Since I was in the waiting room with nothing to do, I would usually look out the window, and watch the ferris wheel move from Navy pier. I would also look at how frozen Lake Michigan was, wishing I was able to ice skate on it. Sitting there I would also hear the squeaky shoes of the nurses,and the busy pagers of the doctors walking around. I would also look at the many cancer patients walking around the floor. My aunt being only 19, she was the youngest patient on the floor, so seeing older patients, made me think of how they felt, especially since most of the times I saw them, they were alone, which made me feel very bad, to the point where I wish I could go up to them and hug them all.
Although it was very unfortunate that my aunt got sick with cancer, the whole thing really taught me what is was like to be a family. We were all there for each other. In fact I feel like that brought us closer even more. During the whole thing, my family and I were together everyday, supporting not only my aunt, but each other also. I had to step up and take on responsibilities that a 10 year old usually would not have to do, like helping my younger siblings with homework, getting ready for school, and even comforting them throughout the hard times. I was brave enough to try to explain to them what was going on, even though I was still having a hard time understanding myself. This whole experience shaped me into a very caring and understanding person.
Citations:
Orange Ribbon. 2007.Wikimedia.commons.Web. 30 January. 2014
