October Story Month #15
Title: My Most Significant Memory
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,683
Story Arc: Unusual Florida
Summary: Teachers tend to give the same assignments every year.
Note: Crossposted to Dreamwidth.
Written for Mrs. Kloskey's sixth grade English class, Millinocket Middle School, September 19th, 2003:
My Most Significant Memory
At the beginning of the year Mrs. Kloskey told all of us that we had to write about a significant memory in a month. She told us that we needed to start thinking about one, because it couldn't just be something that happened last week or whatever. It had to happen more than a year ago. Well, my memory isn't from more than a year ago. But it's very significant and please, Mrs. Kloskey, don't mark off for this because I got straight A's in my old school and I don't want to fail at this school.
Well, I'm not going to tell you about my most most significant memory because it's kind of private and it's sad. The one I'm going to tell you about it sad, too, but it's not as sad as the other one. The one I'm telling you about is when we moved. My whole family moved here because this is where my dad is from and our aunt and uncle still live here and they said that it would be best if we left our old town and came here so that they could help my dad keep an eye on us. I don't think I need anyone to keep an eye on me because I'm pretty responsible and don't get into trouble, but my little brother James is seven and he's mad all the time now. My little sister Cassie is only four and she still needs a babysitter. But my dad doesn't work so he's home all the time, but he's sad all the time, too. It has to do with the really sad memory that I'm not telling you about.
Anyway, we used to lived in Florida and it was really nice there. We were near the beach. The ocean was the Gulf of Mexico. We had a really big house on a hill. Every summer we went to stay in cabins at a place my dad's friend owned and it was a lot of fun. Last summer, though, my dad told us that we weren't going to stay at the cabins this year, because we had to get ready to move. I was really mad that he was making us move, because I had to leave all my friends and we still talk on AIM but it's not the same and my dad says I'm not old enough for a cell phone even though my friends all have one. I don't really have any friends here yet.
I was really, really mad the day we left Florida to move here. I thought about running away but I didn't know where I would go. The only relatives I know are my aunt and uncle, and they live here anyway. I thought about hiding at my best friend Olive's house but her mom would probably find me and send me back. I don't think she would understand why I wanted to stay in Florida. But I cried a lot and my dad was very upset, so I stopped because I don't like it when he's so upset. He's been very upset lately because of the sad thing that happened.
We had to leave behind a lot of our things in storage because there isn't any room in my aunt and uncle's house. I have to share a room with Cassie, which is stupid because she's just a baby and goes to bed really early so I can't stay up reading like I did at my old house, not even with a flashlight. My aunt says that the living arrangements are only temporary because my dad is looking for a new house for us, but I don't believe her. I can tell when people are lying, and my aunt is lying. I don't think my dad does anything at all during the day, which I guess is why my aunt and uncle have to watch Cassie and make sure James gets to school in the mornings. I don't know why they couldn't move to Florida, because it's so much warmer and prettier there than here, but I guess they wouldn't want to leave their house and their friends behind, either. It's still not fair, though. My aunt said we had to move because it was a bad idea for my dad to stay in the place where all the sad stuff I'm not telling you about happened, so I guess that makes sense. I hoped that moving would mean he would be happier, but he hasn't been. So I don't know why we couldn't stay.
Anyway, moving to Millinocket is my most significant memory that I want to tell you about. We had to drive for hours to get here. Cassie cried most of the way because even though she's four she still acts like a big baby. James kept kicking me. The trip wasn't fun even though we drove up the coast part of the way and we could see the Atlantic Ocean. Now we're here and the weather says it's going to snow tomorrow which is so weird. I've seen snow before, but not very much and it was in the winter. It's only September here!
Amy Breaker
#
Written for Mrs. Kloskey's sixth grade English class, Millinocket Middle School, September 21st, 2007:
I'd just like to say right now that I think this is a stupid assignment. Who can choose their most significant memory? Probably all the losers at this school could do it, because their only significant memory is hunting a bear with their grandpa or something stupid like that. HUNTING IS WRONG, btw. But that's the only thing they could write about because there's nothing else to do in this stupid town.
Mrs. Kloskey, you probably thought I would write about when my mom and brother died, but why would I want to do that? It was sad, the end. I would rather write about what WILL be my most significant memory, which is the day I MOVE AWAY. That will be the best day of my life.
James Breaker
#
Written for Mrs. Kloskey's sixth grade English class, Millinocket Middle School, September 24th, 2010:
My most significant memory was when my dad told us we were moving back to Florida. I think it was more than a year ago. It was at the beginning of fifth grade, anyway. We haven't moved yet because our new house was still being built. We're not going to the same town that we used to live in. It'll be closer to where my dad works. He's been working there for over a year now, and it's in Florida, so we haven't seen him much lately.
I don't remember very much about when we lived in Florida before. I was only four. I think I remember looking out over the ocean from the bedroom window, and I liked it. But I might be confusing dreams with memory. I do that sometimes. Sometimes I have dreams that seem really real. I was going to write about looking at the ocean, because I was so happy and everything was so pretty, and probably everyone will write about big memories so I thought i would make it more entertaining for you, Mrs. Kloskey, and write about a small memory. Since you're always telling us to think outside the box. But since I don't know if it's a real memory or not I guess it would be cheating to write about it like it is.
The reason I want to write about when my dad told us we were moving back to Florida is because I didn't feel the same as everyone else about it. My brother and sister were happy, because they remember more about Florida than I do. Well, James was as happy as he ever is. I think he's just glad to be leaving Millinocket. My sister already spends most of the year in Florida because she's in college there, so I guess she was just glad that she won't have to travel so far when she comes home for breaks. My dad was happy, too. He just started working down there before he found someone to build our new house. My sister is happy that he's working again because he hasn't in a long time. I don't even remember when he last worked because I was too young. I guess he quit after my mom died. I'm glad he's happy again, but I kind of wish he was home more often. He can fly back and forth whenever he wants, but he's so busy at this job that he doesn't always have time.
I'm happy that my family is happy, Mrs, Kloskey, but I don't really want to move. I don't remember very much about Florida. What if I don't like it? All my friends are here in Millinocket, and Florida is so far away. We can keep in touch, but it won't be the same. I'm afraid people in Florida will make fun of me. I don't even have a tan and I've never even seen the ocean. My dad says now that he's working and we're moving we can travel more like I guess they used to. But that kind of scares me.
I like Millinocket. I know most of my family hates it here and can't wait to leave, but I'm going to miss it. I wanted to go to high school here, and the prom and all that, like Amy did. She says that the high school I go to in Florida will be better because there will be more kids and more diversity, but I don't really see what the big deal is. She talks about diversity a lot since she started college and it's kind of boring. I think going to a bigger school will be scary. I'm just glad that I have the rest of this year before I have to move. I'm going to miss everyone here.
Cassandra Breaker
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,683
Story Arc: Unusual Florida
Summary: Teachers tend to give the same assignments every year.
Note: Crossposted to Dreamwidth.
Written for Mrs. Kloskey's sixth grade English class, Millinocket Middle School, September 19th, 2003:
My Most Significant Memory
At the beginning of the year Mrs. Kloskey told all of us that we had to write about a significant memory in a month. She told us that we needed to start thinking about one, because it couldn't just be something that happened last week or whatever. It had to happen more than a year ago. Well, my memory isn't from more than a year ago. But it's very significant and please, Mrs. Kloskey, don't mark off for this because I got straight A's in my old school and I don't want to fail at this school.
Well, I'm not going to tell you about my most most significant memory because it's kind of private and it's sad. The one I'm going to tell you about it sad, too, but it's not as sad as the other one. The one I'm telling you about is when we moved. My whole family moved here because this is where my dad is from and our aunt and uncle still live here and they said that it would be best if we left our old town and came here so that they could help my dad keep an eye on us. I don't think I need anyone to keep an eye on me because I'm pretty responsible and don't get into trouble, but my little brother James is seven and he's mad all the time now. My little sister Cassie is only four and she still needs a babysitter. But my dad doesn't work so he's home all the time, but he's sad all the time, too. It has to do with the really sad memory that I'm not telling you about.
Anyway, we used to lived in Florida and it was really nice there. We were near the beach. The ocean was the Gulf of Mexico. We had a really big house on a hill. Every summer we went to stay in cabins at a place my dad's friend owned and it was a lot of fun. Last summer, though, my dad told us that we weren't going to stay at the cabins this year, because we had to get ready to move. I was really mad that he was making us move, because I had to leave all my friends and we still talk on AIM but it's not the same and my dad says I'm not old enough for a cell phone even though my friends all have one. I don't really have any friends here yet.
I was really, really mad the day we left Florida to move here. I thought about running away but I didn't know where I would go. The only relatives I know are my aunt and uncle, and they live here anyway. I thought about hiding at my best friend Olive's house but her mom would probably find me and send me back. I don't think she would understand why I wanted to stay in Florida. But I cried a lot and my dad was very upset, so I stopped because I don't like it when he's so upset. He's been very upset lately because of the sad thing that happened.
We had to leave behind a lot of our things in storage because there isn't any room in my aunt and uncle's house. I have to share a room with Cassie, which is stupid because she's just a baby and goes to bed really early so I can't stay up reading like I did at my old house, not even with a flashlight. My aunt says that the living arrangements are only temporary because my dad is looking for a new house for us, but I don't believe her. I can tell when people are lying, and my aunt is lying. I don't think my dad does anything at all during the day, which I guess is why my aunt and uncle have to watch Cassie and make sure James gets to school in the mornings. I don't know why they couldn't move to Florida, because it's so much warmer and prettier there than here, but I guess they wouldn't want to leave their house and their friends behind, either. It's still not fair, though. My aunt said we had to move because it was a bad idea for my dad to stay in the place where all the sad stuff I'm not telling you about happened, so I guess that makes sense. I hoped that moving would mean he would be happier, but he hasn't been. So I don't know why we couldn't stay.
Anyway, moving to Millinocket is my most significant memory that I want to tell you about. We had to drive for hours to get here. Cassie cried most of the way because even though she's four she still acts like a big baby. James kept kicking me. The trip wasn't fun even though we drove up the coast part of the way and we could see the Atlantic Ocean. Now we're here and the weather says it's going to snow tomorrow which is so weird. I've seen snow before, but not very much and it was in the winter. It's only September here!
Amy Breaker
#
Written for Mrs. Kloskey's sixth grade English class, Millinocket Middle School, September 21st, 2007:
I'd just like to say right now that I think this is a stupid assignment. Who can choose their most significant memory? Probably all the losers at this school could do it, because their only significant memory is hunting a bear with their grandpa or something stupid like that. HUNTING IS WRONG, btw. But that's the only thing they could write about because there's nothing else to do in this stupid town.
Mrs. Kloskey, you probably thought I would write about when my mom and brother died, but why would I want to do that? It was sad, the end. I would rather write about what WILL be my most significant memory, which is the day I MOVE AWAY. That will be the best day of my life.
James Breaker
#
Written for Mrs. Kloskey's sixth grade English class, Millinocket Middle School, September 24th, 2010:
My most significant memory was when my dad told us we were moving back to Florida. I think it was more than a year ago. It was at the beginning of fifth grade, anyway. We haven't moved yet because our new house was still being built. We're not going to the same town that we used to live in. It'll be closer to where my dad works. He's been working there for over a year now, and it's in Florida, so we haven't seen him much lately.
I don't remember very much about when we lived in Florida before. I was only four. I think I remember looking out over the ocean from the bedroom window, and I liked it. But I might be confusing dreams with memory. I do that sometimes. Sometimes I have dreams that seem really real. I was going to write about looking at the ocean, because I was so happy and everything was so pretty, and probably everyone will write about big memories so I thought i would make it more entertaining for you, Mrs. Kloskey, and write about a small memory. Since you're always telling us to think outside the box. But since I don't know if it's a real memory or not I guess it would be cheating to write about it like it is.
The reason I want to write about when my dad told us we were moving back to Florida is because I didn't feel the same as everyone else about it. My brother and sister were happy, because they remember more about Florida than I do. Well, James was as happy as he ever is. I think he's just glad to be leaving Millinocket. My sister already spends most of the year in Florida because she's in college there, so I guess she was just glad that she won't have to travel so far when she comes home for breaks. My dad was happy, too. He just started working down there before he found someone to build our new house. My sister is happy that he's working again because he hasn't in a long time. I don't even remember when he last worked because I was too young. I guess he quit after my mom died. I'm glad he's happy again, but I kind of wish he was home more often. He can fly back and forth whenever he wants, but he's so busy at this job that he doesn't always have time.
I'm happy that my family is happy, Mrs, Kloskey, but I don't really want to move. I don't remember very much about Florida. What if I don't like it? All my friends are here in Millinocket, and Florida is so far away. We can keep in touch, but it won't be the same. I'm afraid people in Florida will make fun of me. I don't even have a tan and I've never even seen the ocean. My dad says now that he's working and we're moving we can travel more like I guess they used to. But that kind of scares me.
I like Millinocket. I know most of my family hates it here and can't wait to leave, but I'm going to miss it. I wanted to go to high school here, and the prom and all that, like Amy did. She says that the high school I go to in Florida will be better because there will be more kids and more diversity, but I don't really see what the big deal is. She talks about diversity a lot since she started college and it's kind of boring. I think going to a bigger school will be scary. I'm just glad that I have the rest of this year before I have to move. I'm going to miss everyone here.
Cassandra Breaker