Brainstorming My Digital Story

1. Describe a positive scene from childhood.

My dad was, and still is, a farrier (someone who trims and shoes a horse's feet). As a child, I would frequently go with my dad. I loved horses so much, so it was very exciting. Oddly enough, now as an adult, the memories I have are not so much being around the horses (even though most of his customers would let me ride the horses afterwards) but the car rides with my dad. My dad is an oldies fan, when it comes to music. We would listen to old songs on the radio. He would also sing songs to me. He would sing The Lion Sleeps Tonight and a song that started with "When I was an itty-bitty baby, my momma would sock me in the cradle..." I have asked my dad if my son, who is now four-years-old, would be able to go with him to shoe horses. I want him to have these same memories.

2. Describe a negative scene from childhood.

As hard as this is to talk about, there was a really negative scene from my childhood that instantly comes to mind. When I was about 10-years-old, I had a friend that was not exactly the greatest of influences, not that I am solely blaming her because I did make my own decisions. One day, we were at a local store when she talked me into stealing something. Of all things, it was a stupid, insignificant pair of socks. We ended up getting caught, the town police officer came and talked to both of us, and talked to our parents. I was in so much trouble, but even more than that, I was so embarrassed. I definitely learned my lesson, and have never taken anything since. As a matter of fact, I have gotten to my car at Walmart and realized I forgot to scan an item at self-checkout and have gone back to pay for it. As negative as an experience as it was, I am almost glad it happened. It made me sit down and evaluate the friends I had, and I ended up becoming a better person. If I had not been caught, it could’ve escalated, and I may not have the same life that I have, today.

3. Describe a particular event from teenage years.

I was fifteen years old when I met the boy that would eventually become my husband. We met during my sophomore year, his freshman year, in high school at band camp (yes, band camp). We were together all through high school. Funny enough, m particular event from my teenage years is more of an “adult-like” moment (heads out of the gutter, please :P). My senior year of high school, we went to dinner and a movie, like we did quite frequently. In the parking lot, though, he stopped me, and asked me if one day I would consider marrying him. Of course, I said yes, and he gave me my promise ring. I remember everything from that night. We were outside of the Dragon Buffet in Whitehall, and it was raining, pouring, actually. It was very movie-esque. It is quite funny to think back to that moment now because one year later he proposed for real on Christmas Eve and in just one year after that we were married. Now, we have been together for eleven years, married for seven, and we have two amazing children together.

4. Vivid or important memory from adult years.

I have two children. I was blessed with two beautiful, healthy little boys. While my first son’s birth was obviously memorable, my second son’s birth was a little more vivid. I won’t go into certain details, but it was a scary moment for sure. I was about to get my epidural, and the anesthesiologist told me that the baby’s heart rate could drop. I was not worried, though. They said the same thing with my first, and his didn’t, so I assumed it wouldn’t happen this time either. I got the epidural, and after a few minutes, I began to feel very sick. My husband grabbed me a bucket, I threw up and felt very dizzy. All of a sudden, the nurses ran in, laid me on my side, and put an oxygen mask on my mouth. No one would tell me what was happening. I could see my husband was scared. He grabbed my hand. My mother, who never gets scared of anything, looked terrified. I just remember that I kept asking someone to tell me what was happening. Eventually, everything slowed down, they took off the mask, and told me everything was fine. I was so scared.

5. A turning point in my life.

Obviously, my turning point was becoming a mother. I became a mother at twenty-two years old. I had always thought about myself before, even when I got married. I mean, I thought about my husband, too, but I still feel like I thought of myself more. That all changed when I held my first son, Landon, for the first time. I remember that I didn’t really feel different when I was pregnant, until I felt him kick for the first time. I just remember thinking, “Wow…I am responsible for this little person.” When I held him for the first time, my whole world changed. I started thinking about everything I said and did because I knew it would affect my son.