My Own Little Adventures

            As a young kid with quite a big imagination, I could say that there were many times I wanted to escape and be a part of something else. Or rather, maybe even be someone else. Whether it was because I had my clip moved previously in class that day or that my friend suddenly wasn’t my friend anymore, I just had to find somehow to zone out for a little while.

            In Stitches: A Memoir, young David liked to draw and pretend to be Alice from the film, Alice in Wonderland, after he had a rough time at home. As for myself, I had two particular activities in which I would take place in, in order to “run away” from any problems.

            One way I used to channel out was by being in a pool. Either in my own pool or my best friend’s across the street, I would spend all day in that pool of water. My imagination kicked in once I took a single step into the water; I quickly transformed into a mermaid. A transformation from a human to a fish with a long shining tail. It was another world for me; a new life. While my mother was inside cooking spaghetti and meatballs fighting with the older siblings, I was swimming under the sea alongside Sebastian and Flounder just like Ariel in The Little Mermaid.

                I also liked to “let go” by singing. Yes, singing. My dream as a little girl was to ultimately become a famous singer/music entertainer. I had a special guitar that my parents bought for me and I received lessons from my best friend’s father who was an expert. It was my first guitar, bought at Walmart and called a Carly. It stood out with its color pink all over and the sound hole outlined in silver small crystals which mom had stored up in her craft room. 

Along with playing this guitar, I actually could sing fairly well, but never in front of an audience. (Unless the audience consisted of teddy bears and pillows). My frequent talks with my parents always included me saying, “I am going to be the next Hannah Montana one day.” I mean, who wouldn’t want to be Hannah Montana? (I beg to differ now), but she was my idol and I wanted to be exactly like her when I grew up. Therefore, I would lock myself in my room, place my old black chunky headphones on my tiny ears, and grab a nice hairbrush which would of course be the microphone. Here is a picture of the same guitar during my sophomore year of high school.

               Once I pressed the play button on my old Nano iPod, no one could stop me. I was now at a rock concert performing at Madison Square Garden in New York with thousands of people watching. Doing this made me feel bigger, older, and like I was someone else for some time; A rock star. I was acting as if my dreams came true and I felt unstoppable. This allowed me to feel important and special for the time being. Still to this day, I like to pretend when I sing, it’s at a concert, but instead, this takes place in my car or a private concert in the shower.

               I think these two activities enabled me to be more positive and content with life while problems occurred and the ugly part of life showed. Acting as Ariel, a mermaid in the sea, and pretending to be a superstar, made me happy. Coming home from a long day of school, all I wanted to do was leave the world and let my imagination take over. These events led to shaping my life by reminding me not only that you can be whoever you want to be, but that being yourself and unique is one of the most important aspects to learn to love in this crazy world.

               These activities still continue to shape my life every day by constantly forcing me to realize the value of life and creating the person I am today.

A Bond Made of Flowers

     I can almost remember the exact smell of the beautiful flowers my mother and I gently carried to the backyard. This memory still sits in the back of my mind; a memory of love and compassion. When I was a little girl, around 7 or 8, one of my favorite activities to do was to help my mom with her gardening. Every morning, you could see her outside trimming, planting, or digging up dirt out in the yard. It was her hobby and her passion.
    
    I loved standing at the window and glaring through the glass at each movement she would make with the individual flowers. The colors in particular really stood out to me. The pink, blue, purple, and bright yellow petals sitting in the sunlight.

     With difficulties at home and busy schedules, nothing made me more satisfied than being outside with my mom accompanying her with these lovely plants.  Especially at a young age and being the youngest of three girls, I had to share my quality time with her. My two older sisters were in high school and always had something going on. Now I am certainly a daddy’s girl, but I love my mom more than anything and the time spent with her gardening sure was special. I believe this was a bond we shared together and what started a sort of friendship that has long lasted ever since.
    
     I have a sweet picture of my mom handing me a pot to place one of my flowers in and I am staring up at her with big green eyes and a giant smile spread across my face. This is what made me feel like everything was going to be okay in life. Something as simple as gardening gave me happiness and the feeling of love and gratefulness. Gratefulness to have a mother and to be able to spend time with her like this.

Wanda Carter, Aka best mom

     Here I have a photo of my precious mother. I love her so much and she inspires me more and more each day. I will never forget those hot days outside planting in my little yellow sundress with my curly hair falling down my back. I loved sharing time with this amazing woman and these memories will forever be with me. Spending time with her and those flowers meant the world to me and it reminded me of the beauty of nature and the beauty of a love between a mother and a daughter.

Purple Petunia

     This memory has stuck with me through all of the years because it was a time where I was truly and fully happy. I always say “Take me back to when I was little” because things were much simpler and life seemed to be full of imagination and curiosity. Today, my mother and I still remain close and share some of the same hobbies. She still loves to garden and I am certain that she should be considered a professional at it. I’m not much of a plant person anymore, but I catch myself watching my mother plant flowers and dig up dirt, reminding me of back when I was little.