Right now, i'm in my second hour class and we're writing college entrance essay about a story of a lesson we learned. It took me a long time to think of one, but i decided to write about the lessons i learn from fishing. For some reason, fishing always seems to solve my problems and makes everything work out. I was thinking and thinking about the first time i can remember going fishing. It was soooo long ago. Then it hit me, i haven't lived in Chesterfield all my life. I lived in Pontiac and Lake Orion. I lived there for a little over 11years. I went fishing in that town before i did at the usual New Baltimore Pier The hardest part i think, about writing anything about my past, is that i have tried so hard for a while now to block my childhood as a whole. Looking back at it, not only disgusts me, but makes me bitter and angry.
I lived there for so long that most of my first memories are there. I can see Oxford in my head right now, literally. There was this road, one that was very similar to Gratiot here because it took you to everything you needed. On this road, when you would first pull out of my neighborhood, you would drive a few miles and on the left there was this little flower shop.
The flower shop. A lot of memories here. There was a time when my dad wanted to get a plant for someone and we went in there and i was amazed at how pretty it was inside. As a kid i always was fascinated with those cool little water fountains that weren't big but people put in their house for relaxation and i remember that the flower shop had those. It's really weird because i'm closing my eyes and getting this birds eye view of it all over again. There was also this other time when it was just my mom, my friend Dean and i. We were driving down the road i mentioned earlier, i don't remember where we were headed but we were driving and out of no where the tire blew, my mom wasn't wearing a seat belt and hit her head. She got us somehow to the side of the road but she was not feeling okay. I do remember her thinking she was going to pass out and asking us to get help. I was maybe 8 around the time and wasn't sure what to do. Somehow the flower shop must have stood out to me because that's where i went. It sucks because i can't remember everything but i know Dean and I crossed the street to the flower shop, and told the lady what happened and she called the cops and when we looked back outside, there was a white van pulling up behind my moms car. The lady inside of the flower shop went out with us to find out who it was and it turned out to be people that worked for some kind of car business and as they claimed they wanted to do a "good deed" for the day and without charging her fixed the tire. They went to work as the ambulance pulled up. Cellphones weren't really a big thing then, so while this was going on no one was aware. We went to the hospital and my mom was put in a room and about an hour later my dad came in. He wanted to talk with my mom alone or something so somehow Dean and i ended up playing around on the elevators and we were on a floor. I can't remember much other than feeling like i was going to "catch" cancer from being there.
Now, I'm seeing myself back on that road. There's this $5 car wash that was my dads favorite car wash around. I always enjoyed seeing the sign because it was so bright and had the coolest lights. We're driving through downtown Oxford now, passing my old doctor. Dr. Bob- strange that i remember that. My mom had the biggest crush on him, and he was really short. Now, we're passing my pre-school. It was a Baptist Church. I remember my teacher "Mrs. Tow" (pronounced toe). I also remember the inside play ground they had we always used to play this fishing game. It's really cool because for my preschool picture, i have a picture of my whole class on it. I remember Angela, not much but i know she was my best friend.
On the left is the little ice cream parlor my dad took me and my sisters too when my grandpa died. Right across from that is the movie theater. Then right past there, on the left hand side was this little old cony island my dad and i would go and get biscuits and gravy at every once in a while. And next door, was an animal shop that had a talking parrot. Then, if you keep going down that street, and turn right, you'll almost be there. To the place that I've seem to forgotten about. You'll be at the beach.
It's not that big, but it's not small. One the opposite side of the lake, people live in houses, and on the far left there is a playground. On the far right, most people wouldn't go that way because it's all shrub. The waters deep and there are snacks, and other strange creatures. On the right, there was also a path, one that i was very familiar with. It was the path my dad took every time because that led to his fishing spot.
This park, has so many tiny details and i can't fully wrap my head around it. I remember there is this white building. The material it was made out of was strange. It was really rough and something like you would see in a warm state. I remember they had these stairs and to get to the bathroom you had to go up them. They were the type of stairs that had holes in between each one. Then there was this tree, that we would always put our stuff at so we could either go fishing or go in the water.
This beach, i can remember actually holds good memories of my mom and i. And it's really nice to have those. But at the same time part of me wants to call my mom and talk to her about them.
When my mom was born, she had a lot of physical handicaps. She was born with only 4 toes on each foot, and she was cross eyed. As she got older, more handicaps came out. She had to wear braces on her legs and arms to keep them straight. So she didn't learn to walk until she was a little older than the usual child. Her gross motor skills development was always behind, so she never actually learned how to swim and one time when she was in her early teens, my grandma, grandpa, mom and two uncles were in Florida and my mom got caught in a ripe tide ( i think that's what she called it) and my grandpa got her out of it fortunately. Ever since then, she has been terrified of swimming and going on boats.
Saying that, whenever we went to the beach, my mom never came in. Until one day. I don't remember much of the story, but i remember she learned how to swim. It was one of the happiest moments i can remember with her, and that- makes me really happy.
My mind is blown. It really is. I am so excited to face the next few days. I'm planning on spending them going through some of my old pictures and try to find some more memories.
Along with every good memory, I've come to notice i am starting to remember a few bad ones. But that's okay. It really is. Those bad one's have helped me become the person i am today.
This summer, I'm going back to where i came from. Back to all the places i' mentioned above, and to others that i don't have enough time to think about. It's giving me this feeling of happiness. Like this emptiness I've had for such a long time- is full once again.
This all happened with really good timing (: I'm really glad i was able to experience this.
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