Brainstorming my Digital Story

I actually have a REALLY good idea how my story is going to play out and I'm excited to bring it to life.

1. Describe a positive scene from childhood in detail. What led up to this event? When and where did it happen? Who was involved? What were you thinking and feeling? Why is it an important event? What impact did it have on you?

A positive event from my childhood was when my family built our new house. What lead up to this event was that my father got a job transfer from Northern Virginia to Fairmont, West Virginia. This happened in October 1993. I was 5 years old, and had just started 1st grade. My sister was three months shy of 2 years old. We rented a house for some time, then they decided to build their own. So in the fall of 1998, the new house was stated. I was feeling over the moon! I was so happy to "help" and watch this house be build and I couldn't wait to have my own room! and just a BRAND. NEW. HOUSE. It's an important event because it ultimately shaped who I became as I grew up.

2. Describe a negative scene from childhood in detail. What led up to this event? When and where did it happen? Who was involved? What were you thinking and feeling? Why is it an important event? What impact did it have on you?

A negative scene from my childhood was Christmas Eve, 1996. I was in fourth grade and my dad and I were heading to the store to get some last minute items for a Christmas party. (Before I continue, a bit of a backstory... I am my dad's oldest kid, and since he didn't have a son, we did EVERYTHING together for a long time. I was definitely daddy's little girl. We lived out in the middle of nowhere and so while it seems extreme that a 9 year old was allowed and able to drive a 4 wheeler and lawnmower, that was the case for me. Remember, it was the 90s.) Anyway, as we were heading out, he tossed me the keys and told me to start the truck, something that I had done many times before. While I was doing that, he went into the garage to get the checkbook out of the parked car inside. So I start the truck, it was a standard and unfortunately when I started it up, it lurched forward, directly into the garage door, pushing the parked car forward, trapping him between the parked car and the workbench, breaking his leg. Now, was it stupid for a grown man to give a 9 year old car keys?? YES. But it is what it is and it was a freak accident. I had to call 911. The ambulance came, and he had to be life-lighted to Ruby Memorial. This is something that I will NEVER forget. It terrified me and for a long time after, I felt incredibly guilty. 

3. Describe a particular event from your teen-aged years that stands out in your memory today. This can be positive or negative. What led up to the event? What happened? Where and when? Who was involved? What were you thinking and feeling? Why is it an important event? What impact did the event have on you.

Honestly, I can't think of anything that really stands out from my teenage years. The only major event that happened was that I graduated high school, and so many other things have happened to me since then, that I don't even count that as anything. I mainly just went to school and did homework as a teenager. Since I already know that my video will not pull from my teenage years, I'm just going to leave it as this.




4. Describe a vivid or important memory from any time in your adult years. Again, this can be positive or negative. It can be about anything – family, work, whatever. The scene stands out in your mind today as being especially vivid or important. Please describe what led up to the event. Then describe the scene in detail. What happened? Where and when? Who was involved? What were you thinking and feeling? Why is it an important event? What impact has the event had on you?

So far in my adult like, the event that sticks out to me most was when my parents separated in the spring of 2010. To make a very long story short, my dad has a drinking problem and was guilty of an affair; my sister and I found out in a terrible way, in the middle of the night after another fight between mom and dad. He left that night, and was MIA for a few days, then came back to get some of his stuff. I was feeling that my family  was being torn apart. I was mad at him for tearing it apart. Then I didn't know the whole story, so I just couldn't understand WHY this was happening. Yes, I was an adult, and very mature for my age. But this single event threw me for a loop. It demanded that I grow up even more even faster. I was the oldest, it was my job to hold my mother and sister together. Honestly, I can't even begin to tell you all the ways this has impacted me. My parents were married for almost 25 years, I never thought this would happen. Even today, over 5 years later, my family still struggles to deal with this, and my dad scarcely makes an appearance in mine and my sister's lives. 

5. In looking back on your life, you may be able to identify particular “turning points” – episodes through which you experienced an important change in your life. Please choose one key turning point scene and describe it in detail. If you feel your life story contains no clear turning points, then describe a particular episode in your life that comes closer than any other to qualifying for a turning point – a scene where you changed in some way. Again, please describe what led up to the event, what happened in the event, where and when it happened, who was involved, what you were thinking and feeling, and so on. Also, please tell me how you think you changed as a result of this event and why you consider this event to be an important scene in your life story today.

Graduating college was a turning point for me. But the scenario that I described above has been the biggest turning point in my entire life. It threw my entire world off kilter. It has taught me patience, understanding beyond belief, and empathy. I'm slow to anger, and I never want to make anyone feel as small and helpless as I have felt numerous times in the past 5 years. I know now that I will never be in a relationship with someone who chooses money or alcohol over their family or me. It's not worth it, and in my opinion, it just asking for heartache. I went through it and I watched my mother go through it, and I refuse to let myself do that again or to put this in a child.