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Showing posts from May, 2019

Writing the Self 4: Spider-Man

I run into the kitchen with excitement. A big smile crosses my face as I see my mom finishing up my birthday cake. Its got red and blue icing and looks big enough to feed all my friends and family twice! I take a closer look and notice what something sitting on top of the cake. It is a small red and blue vehicle with my favourite super-hero sitting on top of it. Spider-Man! The smile grows even bigger on my face. I love Spider-Man so much. The toy on the cake matches my Spider-Man shirt and Spider-Man shorts. I cant wait to blow out the candles. "Can we eat it soon so I can play with the Spider-Man toy?" I ask my mom. "Soon. How about we do presents first?" she replies. I nod enthusiastically and go to living room where my family sits. I look at all the beautifully wrapped presents. Some are in bags with Super-Heroes covering the front with blue and red tissue sticking out. Some of them are in boxes with more Spider-Man wrapping or birthday paper that I cant wait ...

Writing the Self 3: Breakfast

“Girls come eat, breakfast is ready!” my mom shouts from the kitchen. I hurry to put on my new jeans and t-shirt. A special back-to-school outfit that my mom bought for me. I finish getting dressed, brush my hair, and then proceed to the kitchen. The rich smell of waffles and syrup fill my nose. My little sister is already seated at the kitchen table eating her breakfast. She is wearing her new school outfit too. I look down at the two toaster-waffles on my plate next to some bananas and strawberries. I drench the waffles in maple syrup before scarfing them down. My stomach is growling from being too full after I am done eating. Waffles are one of my favourite breakfast foods. I wish my mom would have remembered to buy wipe cream to go with them. Oh well, next time. My sister and I put our shoes on just as the bus arrives to take us to school. On the bus ride, my stomach won’t stop moaning. I shouldn’t have eaten that extra waffle, but it tasted so good. I ignore the growling o...

Writing the Self 2: Pink Hair

I jump off the yellow school bus for the first time. I rode the bus all by myself, not as scary as I thought it would be. One step at a time, I follow the other kid towards the playground. There so many things to do and obstacles to play on. Monkey bars, slides, swings, teeter-totters, ladders, and I don’t know what that thing is but looks fun. All the bars and slides are bright colours of red, green, yellow and blue. All colours that contrast the pale tone of my skin. I look at the girl beside me and see my favourite colour, pink. She has on a pink shirt, pink shorts and pink… hair? She is far more colourful than anyone else on the playground. The girl climbs on the monkey bars across from me, pulls herself up and hangs from her knees. Her hair is done in long, thick, pink braids. I am jealous. I want pink hair. Why can’t I have hair like that? As she swings back and forth, her braids come up and hit her back, then come back around and brush against the dark skin on her face. ...

Writing the Self 1: Land of the Living Skies

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"Beautiful sunset tonight, isn't it?" my dad asks me. I take in my surroundings. Lines of fire mark the sky from the setting sun. The bold streaks of orange, pink, red and blue fading into one another to create the sky that Saskatchewan is famous for. The sun, glowing and big, continues to submerge itself into the water on the horizon. Bathing itself in the low waves of the lake. The wind wisps across the water causing small ripples in the lake, then brushes against my skin. I shiver, at the cool air. The wind causes my hair to whisk across my face, just like it moves the clouds to create an ever changing fleet of colours in the sky. I look across the water, following the spotlight of the setting sun back to the shoreline. Calm waves lazily fall against the sand and touch my toes. The water feels warm and comforting. I walk further into the lake and feel the meek waves reach my ankles. I reach down into the clear water to look for the best skipping stone. This rock ...