1/27/2013
Literacy Memory Assignment
It was a muggy spring day, and I was on my way to meet Mr. Worden, a defense attorney in Lewiston, Me. I strolled into his office looking like Bill Gate’s Intern, I was suited out from head to toe. This was the moment I had sought after for so long. Either two things could happen I could make a fool of myself and get some closure on why I shouldn’t be a lawyer or I could completely shock the attorney and become his summer intern. I waited in a hot waiting room with 4 other qualified students for what seemed to be forever, my muscle tense as my brain. When I got to the point of almost leaving the room mainly due to the heat and intimidation, the secretary poked her head out of her window and called my name. I immediately rejoiced and walked over. The attorney himself was nothing like I had imagined he would be, he was polite and welcoming. “Why are you here” were the first words he muttered, I replied with “as a child, I vividly remember wanting to be lawyer. I would lie (innocently) a lot as a child. I couldn’t even tell you why I chose to do it. I recall my mother ranting about how I would make a great lawyer when I grew up. Now, I’m hoping it becomes a reality.
This reality takes me back to my high school days, As I marched over to my sister with little patience and demanded she tie my tie, she graciously began folding and knotting and before I could throw out another command she was patting me on the chest sympathetically and muttered “relax it’s all going to be ok, you’re going to do fine.” I smiled and thanked her, I continued to the kitchen and threw my lunch in my backpack, grabbed my breakfast and jumped in my car. I rushed into my first period class, Advanced Debate. My teacher, as well as 3 defense attorneys, a federal judge, and my debate team were calmly waiting for my group to begin, I had the opening so all eyes were on me. I slowly began muttering my words when my teacher interrupted me and spoke with me privately. She began with “I know you’re nervous but you can do this, get in there and show me why you belong in this class.” I walked back into the room with more confidence than I had ever had, and I lectured, informed the class, by the end of the speech I was including my hands in my speech as well as using a louder tone of voice with emphasize where it needed to be. I felt like an actor reciting facts of a case. I felt like Tom Cruise in “A Few Good Man’. By the end of the speech the class, the high ranking visitors, as well as the visiting school we were facing roared in applause. At this very moment I recalled a very special day in fifth grade where my literacy journey began. This very journey about reading and writing were very pleasant. In a way I guess, you could even state that some of those experience shaped me as a person and student to this very day. It was the first time in my life where the whole class was no longer joking, eating, or just plain goofing off and