- Organize your memoir in a way that makes sense to the reader
- Vary the first words in your sentences and use different structures
- Deliberately choose 15 or more lively, interesting, engaging words
- Write with a personal style that "paints a picture with words" and lets your personality come through
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
The First Time... A Memoir
Write a memoir that describes the first time you did something or went to a place that you will never forget. Use the following criteria:
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Wow I was so exited when I got my motorcycle at the shop. It was a Honda XR 70 and I could not wait to ride it. This would be my first time riding a motorcycle. On the way home I was doing was bugging about my bike. It felt like time was going so much slower.
Finally when I stopped flipping out we were home. Then I started freaking out again because I was so close to riding it. When we got the shiny red motorcycle on the green ground I smelled gas. Then when I started it, it sounded like a semi truck.
Once I got on the loud motorcycle I could feel the engine vibrating through the handle bars. Next I gave it way to much gas and I felt the front of the motorcycle raise up, the my hand slipped and I I accidentally gave it even more gas. The bike did a wheely and fell on my leg.
When we got it off my leg I dove it to the garage and parked it. Since I wrecked I got discouraged didn't ride it for a while bu the I realized how cool it is It felt like time was going so much slower.
Finally when I stopped flipping out we were home. Then I started freaking out again because I was so close to riding it. When we got the shiny red motorcycle on the green ground I smelled gas. Then when I started it, it sounded like a semi truck.
Once I got on the loud motorcycle I could feel the engine vibrating through the handle bars. Next I gave it way to much gas and I felt the front of the motorcycle raise up, the my hand slipped and I I accidentally gave it even more gas. The bike did a wheely and fell on my leg.
When we got it off my leg I drove it to the garage and parked it. Since I wrecked I got discouraged didn't ride it for a while bu the I realized how cool it is.
My First Time Going to Puget Sound By: Amelia Volluz
“First times” are the most memorable moments of my life. One of my most memorable “first times” is when I went to Karkeek Park on Puget Sound in Seattle. The times that I think of going to Karkeek Park are when I think of Seattle, or even when I just feel a light, gentle breeze. One of the many memorable things of going to Karkeek Park was the drive. Looking at people's beautiful, huge, green hedges. Their gardens overflowing with pink, white, yellow, and purple flowers. Some almost covered their whole yards! Also, the lush, green forest we went through on our way there was something never to forget. I wished I could jump right out of the car and run around the forest. Good thing I didn't because first of all, I could have gotten hurt very badly, and second of all, I would have gotten in trouble since it was part of the park.
Memorable places mean memorable experiences. Holding crabs was one of mine. On this beach there were big, sharp rocks EVERYWHERE! If you looked under these rocks you could find teeny-tiny baby crabs. As I held these crabs they were tickling feet on my hand, “They're so cute!” The crabs seemed so calm. Crawling away didn't even seem like one of their choices. There were tiny, little crabs that we saw and there was the enormous, dead adult crab we found. Personally, I'm glad it wasn't alive.
Settings are sometimes the most memorable parts of your memories. To me the sound was humongous! It stretched so far that I could hardly see where the other side was. As big as the world it seemed. Smells of seaweed filling the air. Sound as blue as any sky I have ever seen. Breeze a soft wisp of air blowing on my face. Salty water definitely the coldest I've felt any water. Cold as ice! Wow. Sounds of the water roaring up on shore and back into the sound. Relaxing.
At the end of our trip to Puget Sound we decided to go out to eat. We went to get hamburgers and fries. My favorite hamburger restaurant in all of Seattle is where we went. The food as salty as the sound we had just gotten back from. What a wonderful, fantastic day.
The first time I ever went swimming
The first time I went swimming was one of the best times of my life. We had gone to the Canadian swimming hole. The first time I went in I was so enthusiastic.
I tried to go all the way to the deep end. As I went in I was only walking but I still sank. I was like the titanic as it went to the bottom of the sea, but once my head was submerged I pulled a 360 and got out of there.
Now I was 'only four at the time so I wasn't a very good swimmer but I persevered. I kept on trying and trying, I went back to the shallows and started to do the doggy paddle. After about 1 hr. I was able to swim slowly but I was getting good.
After that I went into the hot tub for a while to warm up. When I was done I went back to the pool and jumped in with out realizing what I had done.
I knew the water would be cold if I had got out to use the hot tub to get warm but that didn't stop me I went right back in. I sank to the bottom and the sock of the cold water pierced my body like a bullet through butter. It felt so cold it was like I was in the middle of the arctic without an warm cloths to protect my freezing body. I was on the bottom of the floor for what seamed like an eternity but in retrospect it was only about 10 sec then I pushed off the floor like a rocket and soared to the top of the water. Then I held my breath so I could stay afloat and slowly but surly swam back to the shallow end.
When I was done I told my mom to sign me up for swimming lessons. And she did. I learned how to swim so it all worked out. And once they brought a canoe into the pool; but thats a whole other story.
I thought she had very good wordchoice!!! The way she that she uses her details is great and she stays on her personal truth.
The first time I met my best friend Amanda was on a warm summer day. My mom was somewhat friends with Amanda's sister Megen and they are better friends now. But that is besides the point.
I had seen Amanda at the beach a couple of times but had never talked to her. She had seemed really shy until we finely talked,and I changed my mined.
Megan came over to see my mom and brought Amanda with her. We were sitting in the grass in my back yard and we just started talking .The sun was warm and the grass was poking my legs. We started talking and we still talk a lot.
After that day we hung out all summer long and we are best friends to this day. Amanda is one of the best people I have ever known and is a great person to hang out with. One of my favorite things that she says is, “Is it just because I'm black?“ But she always says it in a joking way. She has a really joking personality .And tuns of fun to hang out with.
My first experience driving was in North Dakota in Jamestown. The sent of fresh cut alfalfa, diesel fuel and dust off the road.
Bruce was cutting alfalfa for his cattle, Bruce is my mothers friend who farms our property in Jamestown. He cuts every two months and has 400 head of Black Angus. Mostly it is peaceful except for the occasional farm equipment roaring down the old dusty road. The field that Bruce was cutting was right next to my great great grandfathers homestead.
The diesel burning in the 6.7 liter diesel engine on our way to to the next town to see my Uncle Max and Aunt Rosemary. Seventy five more miles to travel to Fargo and then Wisconsin after that the dreaded Chicago IL. I also memorized the gear shift pattern in my head and I don't have to look at the shifter.
The dust was getting every where because it is a limestone gravel roadway. I thought for a minute that if this is a loose gravel road that I could spin out or do donuts with the huge truck. On corners I would drift instead of just turning slow so I down shift and floor it and accelerate very fast so I keep up my RPM so I don't have to down shift anymore.
That was one day that changed my life in June 16th 2007.
THE END
Good job, Dani. I really liked your details about the sun and the grass.
GREAT JOB....
i loved it and really loved the part about the baby crabs..
Great detail description, Ben. I laughed when you said that you sank to the bottom like the Titanic. Good job!
When I see water it makes me think of the first time I went the ocean. We got out of the car and it was the best time of my 10 year old life. I knew better than to touch a crab but I did...SNAP I could remember how much it HURT .We got it off after twenty minuets of fighting it .We decided to go swimming and all I did was dive for shells and rocks. When I resurfaced I went to shore and made a little spear and dove again and got a little fish.
My parents yelled ,” GET OUT OF THE WATER NOW! They were screaming SHARK!!! My mom and dad had a persistent face and I swam to shore 'then they started laughing. They said you should have seen the look on your face''. We finally got back in the water in the water and I saw a little wight tiny white wave well I thought . After thirty seconds I saw the wall get insensibly bigger and bigger then BAM I was hit . My parents must have waited for twenty seconds until I popped back up . I was in piercing deep waters fifty feet from shore. Finally I got back to shore and we left.
I could not breathe so I have been afraid of waves ever since.
The first time I went snowboarding started a long ago last summer.One hot day in summerI was mowing the lawn and mydad came out.”you can stop mowing the lawn.”I was realivedwene he said,”we are gowing to a yard sale and hurry it up.”As soon as we pulled in the place with a nice green lawn and a nice house we saw piles and piles of junk in boxes.There were old radios and books and silverware,baby toys,ect.I was ready to walk over to my dad and ask if we could go home intil I saw it. A ROSSIGNAL snowboard brand new with boots. Running over to my dad ,I showed it to him. He was shoked at the prise it was only 15 dallars.Sow we bought it and we asked why he had sold it. His response was they are moving to Alaska. That made no sence to me whyhe sold the snowboard but by all means it was ok with me.
It was a long summer and fall until winter came around.I was so exited to use my new snowboard.
Finally when I got to the bunny hillat the ski area I was confident I could snowboard like every one else could. I thought Icould do it.I went up the rope toe and then the snowboard on.I put on my mask on and started down.
I was starting to go so fast that I started to get scared.The all of a suden I CRASED . Oh I said that hurt.I did that about 393 more times that day. Then I started to get the hang of it and I whent on the ski lift from that day on I did't crash 393 times a day I only crashed about 50 more times.
Every time I whent snowboarding I got better and better every timeI went.And that is my advencher of snowboarding.
THE END
The first time I stayed home alone!
Do you like staying home alone? Because I do and if you do then you should read this story. The first time I stayed home alone was when my mom dad went to Spokane and I did not want to go, so thats why I stayed home. Before my mom and dad left they told me that I needed to do my chores and that they would call every half hour.
About an hour after they left I got hungry so I made a Cup A Noodle and four grilled cheese sandwiches then I dropped one and our GIANT FAT wiener dog ate it and it made me mad. When I was done eating I sat in our UGLY goldish yellow chair and watched MTV Cribs and Suckerfree Sunday.
After I watched Suckerfree Sunday with 50 cent I heared a noise so I whent and hid but then I whent out side. I watched lots of movies and played video games. After that I fell asleep when my parents got home I woke up because of the dogs barking and it scared me.
So if you have not stayed home alone and you are now don't let noises scare you.
By: kym hawn
First time jumping off a bridge
I can remember it dead on! Last summer I was at my friend Wyatts grandparents house because he came up from Wyoming. Wyatt and I were staying in his camper, along with Anton, Kolten, two of my other friends.
The next morning we went to the Job Corps Bridge. All of our family was there. Our dads were jumping off so we figured it was time for us to. So we all went up on the bridge and looked down, the look on everyones faces was hilarious, they were blank and pale.
Someone screamed “come on guys do it”. With me being so short it was hard for me to step up on the railing without slipping and doing a belly flop. But after a few minutes I found a way that suites my shortness.
When I was up there I was getting dizzy and my stomach was turning inside out . When Wyatt, Kolten, and Anton got up they looked like they were going to faint . We all took a step off. The last thing I remembered was”oh my god im going to die”, then I plunged into the water. When I got out I said “LETS DO IT AGAIN”!!!!!!!!!!!
First time jumping off a bridge
I can remember it dead on! Last summer I was at my friend Wyatts grandparents house because he came up from Wyoming. Wyatt and I were staying in his camper, along with Anton, Kolten, two of my other friends.
The next morning we went to the Job Corps Bridge. All of our family was there. Our dads were jumping off so we figured it was time for us to. So we all went up on the bridge and looked down, the look on everyones faces was hilarious, they were blank and pale.
Someone screamed “come on guys do it”. With me being so short it was hard for me to step up on the railing without slipping and doing a belly flop. But after a few minutes I found a way that suites my shortness.
When I was up there I was getting dizzy and my stomach was turning inside out . When Wyatt, Kolten, and Anton got up they looked like they were going to faint . We all took a step off. The last thing I remembered was”oh my god im going to die”, then I plunged into the water. When I got out I said “LETS DO IT AGAIN”!!!!!!!!!!!
bryan I realy liked it but I never been to the ocean
First Time Staying Home Alone
By Sydney Swanson
First time I stayed home alone with my big sister, I will never forget. Shay my big sister and I were home alone because Skyley my younger sister. We were sitting in the living room watching T.V. when Skyley called mom and asled to be picked up. Mom took Quin my little brother with her because he was to young to stay home. Mom left at 7:05, and Shay and I sat and watched T.V. At 7:10 I complaned “whens mom coming home.” “In a little bit.” Shay said. After awhile I went to get a drink a 7:15.
As I was in the kitchen getting a drink, I looked out the window into the pich biack darkness. There was nothing I saw but black out that window. Then all of a sudden I started to hear weid nosies. Running into the living room I floped on the couch. “Shay did you hear that?” I wisperded. Shay responded “hear what?” “I heard nosies.” I said. “Maybe it was the T.V.”Shay said. I sat back on the couch and watched T.V.
When I was on the couch I rememberd how thirsty I was. At 7:17 I got up again. As I was drinking the water, I heard the same nosies again, but this time Shay was beside me, and she heard it to. We ran into the living room, when Shay turned around she could nt find me, so she said “Sydney, where are you?” I wispered “over here.” Shay got on her hands and knees and looked under the couch and there I was hiding, squished aganst the hard floor. Shay got me out from under the couch and we went back into the kitchen.
When we were in the kitchen we heard the nosie again, I just about ran out of the kitchen when Shay said :Syd, we have to find what thay nosie is.” “ok.” I said. We went by the frige and we found nothing, but the nosie was louder. We went around the table, the nosies grew louder. At the end of our table was the cause of the nosie, it was.... my dog Konare. Konare was chewing on a bone that made the weird sounds. All three of us Shay, Konare, and me went in to the living room and watched T.V.
As we watched T.V. Konare chewed on his bone, it was 7:20. After a couple of minutes we heard a nock on the door, it was.... Mom. Mom was back, I gave her a big hug and told her we had fun. When I stayed home with my big sister it was an intresting night, and I will never forget it.
THE
END
Tristen we should jump of the bridge with me this summer
I really liked how you chose your words nice job.
NICE WORD CHOICE!!!!!!!
THANKS I REALY LIKED YOURS TO
I like your story it was funny,you did a GREAT JOD. the first time i stayed home I heard nosies to.
THE FIRST TIME FLYING IN A AIRPLANE: BY DALTON DRENNAN
The first time I went on a plane it was just last year. I can hear the people saying “Welcome now please take your seats we will take off soon”. We took our seats and took off. When we started to take off my little brother started freaking out. My Dad was sitting next to me my Mom was next to my little brother and the rest were in different places. We all were drinking pop and eating chips. Then I looked out the window.
We started to fly back down to a different airport. When we were going down my Mom and brother started to freakout. We got out of the plane and walked throw another airport got our tickets and then we got on another plane. Then we landed that plane. My Grandpa was wating for us in a rented really nice car.
We all went to a hotel. When we got there we all got our rooms. Then we got our stuff and put the bags in the rooms. It was not the best hotel ever but it was nice. In the back there was a swimming pool. We got our trunks on and jumped in.
The next day we went to Disney World. My Mom was freaking out she was so excited. When we got back she said that it was fantastic.
SID I REALY LIKED YOUR DETIALS LIKE THE TIME
Lakotas was alright and had good discriptive details
good job on word choice and I liked the titanic part.
DALTON THE FIRST TIME I FLEW IN AN AIRPLANE WAS AROUND AN ISLAND IN ALASKA
that must have hurt when it fell on your leg. it is exsiting when you get some thing new. you did a really good job,
I thought it good it had good details
I thought you had some good detial It sounds fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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