Juliet Black
Mrs. Eaton-Merkle
College Prep English 4A
September 17, 2013
12 Years of Education
1st Grade: Let the 12 Years of Torture Begin I remember waking up to the smell of eggs and toast. I raced downstairs in my fairy pajamas ready to fill my tummy with my mom’s glorious food. Before I gorged myself, I made sure to give my mom and dad giant bear hugs. I loved the smell of my parents during our embraces. My mom had a faint scent of lilac on her from her perfume, and my dad reminded me of the pine trees in McCall. But there was a downside to this day. In about half an hour I was going to have to trade lilacs and pines for Elmers glue and a musty classroom. And instead of holding my dad’s hand, I would be holding a pencil. My mom’s warm kisses would be replaced by snot on my face from sneezing 5 year olds. Needless to say, I was not ready to give up these pleasures for this so called school for the next 12 years of my life.
2nd Grade: Til Death do us Part Picture a white dress, rings, flowers, and a giant cake. This is the basic formula for a wedding. Only, most people probably picture an extravagant white flowing dress, million dollar rings that shine like the stars, and mouth-watering cake decorated too fancy to eat. Well, when you’re 7 years old, you can only afford so much. Yes, that’s right, in 2nd grade, I had a wedding. My “fiancé” was a boy named Nicki. I even remember the note he had scribbled his proposal on. Written I blue Crayola crayon were the words, “Julyet wil u mary me?” And in my red sparkle crayon I replied, “Yes.” Our wedding was held during afternoon recess under the monkey bars. The reception was on the swing set. It was a simple wedding. He was wearing a Power Rangers T-shirt, and I was in my ladybug dress. There were no vows, only, “Juliet, you are my wife.” And I responded with, “Nicki, you are my husband.” It was such a touching ceremony. I even gave him a little peck on the cheek, in which the 2nd graders then screamed, “Ewwww! Cooties!” The final act of our unrequited, very deep and passionate love was to exchange ring pops. Nicki gave me strawberry and I gave him blueberry. The rest is history.
3rd Grade: Family Road Trip It was 5 in the morning, but I had already been up for hours. I couldn’t sleep because in a matter of hours I was going to have a sister! I had even been practicing with my baby dolls to better prepare myself for my new baby sister. I was more excited than a child who had just been told they were going to Disneyland. It felt like my grandparents were stuck in slow motion that morning. I desperately wanted to push the fast-forward button so we could get to the airport faster. I hadn’t seen my parents in a month because they had departed to China to adopt my new sibling. That car ride was so much more than just a trip to the airport. It was a ride into the beginning of a new life and a new family. And I was ready for this road trip that would forever change my life in ways I didn’t think were possible.
4th Grade: Battle Scars They say death closes one door, but opens another. That the grief and pain goes away with time. Well when you’re 8 years old none of that sounds true. The world around you feels like a terrible nightmare that you just can’t wake up from, no matter how much you try. Your heart and spirit are shredded to miniscule pieces then burnt to ashes. On Mother’s Day in 2005, Lora Black lost her 22 yearlong battle against breast cancer. And I lost my mom along with a piece of myself.
5th Grade: Book Worm A book does wonders for a child. It can take you to a whole new world, and make all your problems go away. Reading was the best escape for me when I was in elementary. I was too young to actually drive away, so reading was the closest thing I had. In my school, Wilson Elementary, they rewarded you for getting buried in a book. Every year they threw on the Battle of the Books. Teams of 3 students would compete against each other for a giant