Katana Smith
ENG 100 Assignment #1: Hiraeth Narrative The Innocence of Childhood I wake up to the comforting sound of my mother’s voice saying “Tana, time to wake up”. The birds are chirping outside my window and the sun is shining into my already yellow painted room. I can smell the lovely aroma of eggs, bacon, grits, and potatoes. I hop out of bed and run down the stairs past the baskets of laundry waiting to be washed or folded. My grandparents, whom I call Granny and Poppa, have already started their day. Poppa is sitting in his rocking chair, reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. There is soft jazz music playing on the radio. Granny is setting the table for breakfast. She asks me to help bring the different jellies and jams over to the table for our toast. I’m almost 6 years old and my mother and I are living with my grandparents. I feel happy, safe, comfortable, and content here. My mom comes downstairs after she gets her shower. We sit down and enjoy breakfast together, talking about our plans for the day. After we finish eating, Poppa lets me read the funnies; my favorite part of the newspaper. The clock on the wall chimes. Now it’s time to get dressed, brush my teeth, and get ready for the rest of the day. I love the toothpaste my Granny uses, it’s gentle and has a slight orangey flavor. I throw on my favorite Minnie Mouse t-shirt and shorts set and leave my pajamas on my unmade bed. Granny is folding laundry in her bedroom. I ask Poppa to help me brush my hair, he’s the best at getting the tangles out. He tells me it’s easier to brush when you start at the ends of your hair and work your way up. I go into the bathroom to put my brush away and my mom is there, putting on her makeup. I sit down and we talk. I watch her as she puts on her mascara and eyeliner. Before we leave the bathroom she uses her hairspray and it gets all over the door. The door feels sticky as there are layers of hairspray from other days of this happening. I wonder what it would be like to wear makeup and use hairspray. I put my arms around my mom and tell her that I love her so much. She is my favorite person in the world. I hope one day I can be like her. The clock chimes. I decide I’m going to play outside today. I walk out the front door and look at the bright blue sky. It’s a beautiful, warm, and sunny summer day with just the right amount of wind. The chipmunk that lives under the steps is scurrying around in the flowerbed. The squirrels are climbing around in the trees. I see the mailman drive by. I wave to our neighbor, whom I call Miss Betty. I love to play at her house when her grandchildren are visiting. My best friend Ashton lives across the street. She comes over and we ride our bikes together. Then we play on my swing set in the backyard. We swing so high we feel like we are flying. It’s getting hot out so we decide to go for a swim. The pool is set up on the deck. We splash around for a while. Granny comes out with a picnic lunch for us. She must know we’re starving by now. I help her set up the blanket on the grass. I can feel the warm summer breeze on my skin. We are sitting under a tree so there is plenty of shade to block the sun. Ashton and I enjoy our sandwiches and carrot sticks. We wash it down with my favorite juice. Poppa is in the driveway washing the van so I bring him some juice. Now it’s time to color. I have tons of sidewalk chalk. I begin to draw on the sidewalk, a picture of my comfort zone. In this moment, I am completely carefree, not a worry in the world. It’s mid afternoon now and I’m getting a little tired. I say goodbye to Ashton and head inside. I walk up the two steps into my grandparents house. It smells like a mix between herbs and flowers. Poppa is outside watering his garden. Mom has gone out to run some errands. It’s just Granny and I. We decide to watch some TV in the basement. The basement is dark and a little damp. The Big Comfy Couch is on; we love that show. Granny brings down some celery with peanut butter and raisins on top and a glass of milk. The clock chimes. We relax and watch the show. Granny is knitting while we watch, she wants to get a blanket finished before church on Sunday. When the show is over I run out the back door to see what Poppa is up to in the garden. Poppa is working hard to tend to the garden, watering the plants and pruning when necessary. The row of raspberries catches my eye. Poppa hands me a basket and tells me I can pick some raspberries. I start picking them one by one, occasionally sneaking one into my mouth, to make sure they are good. Poppa says we are going to put them on our vanilla ice cream later. The clock on the wall chimes again. I walk into Poppa’s office and over to his desk. I reach over the stack of bills to grab some paper and a pencil. I want to write a story about a girl and her family. I sit in the comfy brown recliner and let my thoughts pour onto the paper. I always had a big imagination. I must have dozed off because by the time I woke up my mom was already home from her errands and I could smell dinner cooking. The aroma of steak, roasted potatoes and vegetables made me hungry. I run past the shopping bags full of the things my mom picked up while she was out and into the kitchen. Dinner is about ready and I am starving. Once again, I help set the table and we all sit down to eat. My grandparents are talking about the things they have to get done this week. I interrupt to ask if we can watch a movie after dinner. It’s getting dark out now. From the window, I can see the streetlights are on and the moon and stars are shining bright in the enormous night sky. I wonder what’s out there. Mom runs me a bath and I get in. The water is warm and smells like flowers from the bubble bath she used. I get out of the tub and dry off with my big fluffy blue towel. I go into my room to put my comfiest pajamas on and then downstairs to pick the movie. I decide to watch Beauty and the Beast, it’s one of my favorites. The clock chimes. We watch our movie together while eating vanilla bean ice cream with the raspberries we picked earlier in the day. I love the sweetness of the ice cream mixed with the tartness of the raspberries. The feeling I have is so amazing it’s almost indescribable. I am alive. I’m with the people who make me feel loved, in the house that makes me feel safe. After the movie, mom tucks me in bed and granny comes to read me a bedtime story. She reads me my favorite story about a boy who only eats cheese, peas, and chocolate pudding. As I lay in bed, my thoughts start to drift away into dreams. I can feel my granny kiss me on my forehead as I slowly fall asleep. I remember this day like it was yesterday. Oh, how I long to go back to this place. Life was so much simpler. There was no stress, anxiety or worry. I was always happy. I still had my innocence. This innocence is something I can never get back. I wasn’t aware of any of the negative things going on in the world. I just knew I loved my family and that my life was great. I’m older now and my life is a lot different. There are bills, responsibilities and obligations. There is a lot of stress. I have a lot less free time. I love my life now, but I miss the feeling of being carefree. My grandparents have retired and they now live in Alabama. We visit them once a year. When we visit them, memories from the past flood my mind. It reminds me of the times when life was simpler. Sometimes, I get feelings that remind me of those innocent times. However, nothing will ever compare to the way things were back then.
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Who did I work with to compose my hiraeth project? Was this a good approach?
I worked alone while writing my hiraeth project. I think this was a good approach. It allowed me to have time to think quietly and process everything. Since I am writing about something from so long ago, it took a while to really remember everything I needed. I looked through old photo albums and found that it helped me a lot. I really enjoyed working on this alone. It was definitely a sentimental thing for me. What was the most difficult part of my writing process? Why? What did I do to overcome the obstacles? The most difficult part of my writing process would be figuring out exactly what to write about and actually sitting down and starting to write. Starting to write is always one of the hardest things for me. I don’t know why. I guess I feel like my work is going to be terrible so I procrastinate a little beforehand. To overcome this, I followed my 6 step writing process plan. It worked! The only thing I would do differently is set more time to write. When did I write this project? Good approach? I wrote this project on two separate days. They were days when I had off from both school and work. I wrote in the morning/afternoon when the rest of my family was at work or school. For me, this is a great approach. I need to write at times when I have less weighing on my mind. Where did I write this project? Good approach? I wrote this project in my bedroom at my parents house. It was a great approach because it is very peaceful. I had my candles lit which created a nice ambiance. Writing this project at my parents house was great because I have access to old photos which jog my memory. Also, the homey feeling is nice. Why did I choose to write about my chosen hiraeth? I chose to write about my first childhood home, my grandparents house, because it is what I long for the most. It is the perfect example of a home that I once had, but cannot ever return to. Some of my best memories come from that house. How will I adapt/revise my writing process for future revision of the hiraeth assignment? My original 6 step writing process plan included setting quiet times to write, setting the mood, starting early, getting feedback from others, having something to drink, and tracking my progress. I believe I did all of these things for this project. As I said above, I think I should schedule more times to write. Even if it’s just a half an hour here and there. I think that will help me process things better and help me to be able to write a better paper. I’m planning on making a lot of revisions to my hiraeth assignment. I want to find a way to better communicate the story I’m trying to tell/the point I’m trying to make. Katana Smith
ENG 100 Assignment #1: Hiraeth Narrative I wake up to the comforting sound of my mother’s voice saying “Tana, time to wake up”. The birds are chirping outside my window and the sun is shining into my already yellow painted room. I can smell the lovely aroma of eggs, bacon, grits, and potatoes. I hop out of bed and run down the stairs. My grandparents, whom I call Granny and Poppa, have already started their day. Poppa is sitting in his rocking chair, reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. There is soft jazz music playing on the radio. Granny is setting the table for breakfast. She asks me to help bring the different jellies and jams over to the table for our toast. I’m almost 6 years old and my mother and I are living with my grandparents. I feel happy, safe, comfortable, and content here. My mom comes downstairs after she gets her shower. We sit down and enjoy breakfast together, talking about our plans for the day. After we finish eating, Poppa lets me read the funnies; my favorite part of the newspaper. Now it’s time to get dressed, brush my teeth, and get ready for the rest of the day. I love the toothpaste my Granny uses, it’s gentle and has a slight orangey flavor. I make my bed just like my mother taught me. I decide I’m going to play outside today. I walk out the front door and look at the bright blue sky. It’s a beautiful, warm, and sunny summer day with just the right amount of wind. The chipmunk that lives under the steps is scurrying around in the flowerbed. The squirrels are climbing around in the trees. I wave to our neighbor, whom I call Miss Betty. I love to play at her house when her grandchildren are visiting. My best friend Ashton lives across the street. She comes over and we ride our bikes together. Then we play on my swing set in the backyard. We swing so high we feel like we are flying. It’s getting hot out so we decide to go for a swim. The pool is set up on the deck. We splash around for a while. Granny comes out with a picnic lunch for us. She must know we’re starving by now. I help her set up the blanket on the grass. Ashton and I enjoy our sandwiches and carrot sticks. We wash it down with my favorite juice. Now it’s time to color. I have tons of sidewalk chalk. I begin to draw on the sidewalk, a picture of my comfort zone. In this moment, I am completely carefree, not a worry in the world. It’s mid afternoon now and I’m getting a little tired. I say goodbye to Ashton and head inside. I walk up the two steps into my grandmothers house. It smells like a mix between herbs and flowers. Poppa is outside watering his garden. Mom has gone out to run some errands. It’s just Granny and I. We decide to watch some TV in the basement. The Big Comfy Couch is on; we love that show. Granny brings down some celery with peanut butter and raisins on top and a glass of milk. We relax and watch the show. When the show is over I run out the back door to see what Poppa is up to in the garden. The row of raspberries catches my eye. Poppa hands me a basket and tells me I can pick some raspberries. I start picking them one by one, occasionally sneaking one into my mouth, to make sure they are good. Poppa says we are going to put them on our vanilla ice cream later. I remember this day like it was yesterday. Oh, how I long to go back to this place. Life was so much simpler. There was no stress, anxiety or worry. I was always happy. I still had my innocence. I wasn’t aware of any of the negative things going on in the world. I just knew I loved my family and that my life was great. I’m older now and my life is a lot different. There are bills, responsibilities and obligations. My grandparents have retired and they now live in Alabama. We visit them once a year. When we visit them, memories from the past flood my mind. Their new house has a similar homey feeling to it. However, nothing will ever compare to the way things were back then. For my hiraeth example I chose Meanwhile Back at Mama’s by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. This song means a lot to me. I have family in Alabama and this song reminds me of visiting them. Tim McGraw sings about missing his mother’s house. He sings about the past and how much it meant to him. He sings about how inviting his mother’s house was. The porch light was always on, inviting people in. Dinner was always ready and the fridge was always stocked with beer. He recalls the sunset in his hometown and how beautiful it was to him. His dad was always watching the game, drinking whiskey and smoking his cigarettes. He misses the small town he lived in where everyone knew everyone. He sings, “Funny the things you thought you’d never miss, in a world gone crazy as this”. As normal as these things might sound, they are what he misses the most. His mother’s house is up for sale now. He can never go back. In the song, he explains how he is trying to recreate these times with his own wife and children. He sings, “Well I found a girl and we don’t fit in here, talk about how hard it is to breathe here, even with the windows down can’t catch a southern breeze here, one of these days gonna pack it up and leave here” He’s explaining how his new home will never be the same as his original home. He’s starting a new journey in life and he’s scared. He sings, “What I wouldn’t give for a slow down, don’t you know?”. He misses when the days were slow and would give anything to slow down now. He’s not quite used to the faster lifestyle he has now. He misses his southern home. He sings “Oh I miss, yeah, a little dirt on the road, I miss corn growing in a row, I miss being somebody everybody knows, there everybody knows everybody, I miss those small town roots, walking around in muddy boots, the sound of rain on an old tin roof, it’s time we head on back”. Here he describes exactly what he is longing for. He’s older now and his life has changed. He misses the simple things. This is an example of a hiraeth for many reasons. He talks about a home that he once had, but can never go back to. He ends the song with “‘cause meanwhile back at mama’s, the for sale signs going up and I’m gonna, dump this truck and the little I’ve got, on a loan to own and a 3 acre lot, put supper on the stove and beer in the fridge, going for broke, yeah we’re gonna be rich, watch the sun settin’ on the ridge, baby tell me what you think about this”. He’s creating a new home, which will one day turn into someone else's hiraeth.
I wake up to the comforting sound of my mother’s voice saying “Tana, time to wake up”. The birds are chirping outside my window and the sun is shining into my already yellow painted room. I can smell the lovely aroma of eggs, bacon, grits, and potatoes. I hop out of bed and run down the stairs. My grandparents, whom I call Granny and Poppa, have already started their day. Poppa is sitting in his rocking chair, reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee. Granny is setting the table for breakfast. She asks me to help bring the different jellies and jams over to the table for our toast. I’m almost 6 years old and my mother and I are living with my grandparents. I feel happy, safe, comfortable, and content here. My mom comes downstairs after she gets her shower. We sit down and enjoy breakfast together, talking about our plans for the day.
After breakfast, it’s time to get dressed, brush my teeth, and get ready for the rest of the day. I love the toothpaste my Granny uses, it’s gentle and has a slight orangey flavor. I make my bed just like my mother taught me. I decide I’m going to play outside today. I walk out the front door and look at the bright blue sky. It’s a beautiful, warm, and sunny summer day with just the right amount of wind. The chipmunk that lives under the steps is scurrying around in the flowerbed. The squirrels are climbing around in the trees. I wave to our neighbor, whom I call Miss Betty. I love to play at her house when her grandchildren are visiting. My best friend Ashton lives across the street. She comes over and we ride our bikes together. Then we play on my swing set in the backyard. We swing so high we feel like we are flying. Granny comes out with a picnic lunch for us. She must know we’re starving by now. I help her set up the blanket on the grass. Ashton and I enjoy our sandwiches and carrot sticks. We wash it down with my favorite juice. Now it’s time to color. I have tons of sidewalk chalk. I begin to draw on the sidewalk, a picture of my comfort zone. In this moment, I am completely carefree, not a worry in the world. When I first heard the word Hiraeth in my English class, I didn’t quite know what it meant. We were told we would be writing a paper about our own personal Hiraeth. I was almost dreading the assignment because it sounded like it was going to be extremely difficult. However, after doing a little research on the word, I am very excited to start this process. Hiraeth is defined as a homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was. To me, this is a pretty vague topic. Tons of ideas started running through my head. All of my ideas were directly related to my family and my childhood. The first solid thought that came to mind was our annual family vacation to Alabama. I decided that wouldn’t work because we still go there every year. Although, it will never be the same as it used to be. I had to think deeper; I needed something that I would have endless things to write about. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to write about my grandparents old house, my childhood home. I am planning on writing a creative nonfiction narrative on this topic. I have so many heartwarming memories from that house. Homecooked meals, birthday parties, game nights and bedtime stories are just a few things that stand out in my mind. It was my original home, the one where I felt the safest. I spent some of the best years of my life there. My grandparents are now retired and living in Alabama. Another family lives in their old house and I’m hoping they are creating great memories just like we did. When I think about that house, I get a bittersweet feeling in my heart. I remember all the beautiful memories, but I know I can never go back. That, to me, is my hiraeth.
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AuthorKatana Archives
April 2017
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