Narrative Paper Reflection
The Big No, No
Starting my narrative paper may have been one of the
most challenging papers that I have written while in College Composition. As I
started to explore topics of what to write on, I couldn't help but remember
back to elementary school. In elementary school so many different things took
place that was both funny, and adventurist. These two qualities are what grabs
the reader’s attention and really entertains them.
Before I started writing, we read a couple examples
in class that really helped me get curious of different topics I could go into.
I learned from reading these pieces that a narrative could come across as
funny, serious, or both. This versatile kind of writing is really where I
thrive because I can approach the paper from so many different ways. For The Big No, No, I chose to include both
humor and seriousness.
Deciding upon my topic was very easy once I had read
some other examples. I decided to write about one time, before I was in
elementary school, when my friend pulled the fire alarm and made the whole
school evacuate. One of the easiest parts when it came to writing about this
topic was being able to recognize and point out to the reader the differences
in time. Today if you pulled a drill, administrators can simply look at the
cameras and find out who did it, but back then they had nothing like that.
As I wrote this paper, I learned a lot about my own
writing style and technique. One of the biggest things I struggle with is the
inability to completely get my point across without going off topic.
One of the peer reviews said that I need to work on
the, explode a moment. I would agree with this because I find it hard sometimes
to really expand so much upon just one idea. This sometimes can be the biggest
part of a paper and can really add in some of the extra details that keeps the
reader, reading.
Here is my revised copy:
The Big No, No
Like all kids transitioning through Elementary school, we
all wondered exactly what that red button/switch was that was labeled
‘Emergency’. Like a stop light, it assumes that the observer will take note and
know to stop, but the installation of fire switches at schools is placed
without considering exactly whose occupying the building. In this case, a red
button to elementary school students means curiosity.
Kids imaginations are built of the idea of what they
observe, and in some cases, Curious George did our society no good. Little kids
walking around a school are like little monkeys walking around a forest looking
for trouble. Despite being protected by that shiny plastic cover, and being
labeled more times than a box labeled Fragile, it seems reasonable to believe
that no one would approach such an object.
Having not been old enough yet to attend Indian Landing
Elementary School, I only could imagine what went on after you stepped onto
that yellow bus.
My mom had become a teachers helper for my eldest
brothers class, which meant I had my in. Before school once a week, I had the
pleasure of walking into the brick building that stood there gloriously. As I
entered for the first time, I was surprised by the number of poster hung around
every corner, as if they were putting student’s thoughts on the wall. I
continued to walk down the hall with my mom, standing close behind and was
speechless.
From that day on, my dream became to become a
kindergartner. As stupid as it sounds, elementary school seemed as a zoo in
which kids congregated in and enjoyed freedom. Now as a senior, I get the same
feeling about college.
One Friday, I entered the building accompanied by my
friend who came over for the day, and like most kids, he was in awe of the red
box. Without thinking, or asking, he opened up the fingerprint free cover, and
pulled the button. Still unable to read, he ignored the foreign language signs
and stickers.
I froze where I was standing and was speechless.
Unfamiliar with a school in itself, I had no idea what to do when my friend not
only pulled this red switch labeled fire, and sirens began to sound.
The siren began to sound and the classrooms began to
empty, as if there wasn't a fire at all; students were accustomed to the drills
that took place ten times a year. My mother, unaware of what my friend had
done, followed the crowds outside, as classes lined up outside and were counted
of by teachers.
I wanted to tell my mom about what I witnessed but still
remained speechless.
As most fire ‘drills’ go, the school clears out the
building, goes through there procedures. Kids form up in their classes and
march out the building as if ants. Everyone avoids talking, at least at the
elementary school level in the fear of an actual fire. Despite the unreal
procedures that everyone is put through, teachers continue to enforce the rules
that are stowed upon by the school.
The
deafening sound that is screamed out from the drills continues to ring until
the school has been secured.
I
still continue to be in awe. For something that I had never experienced or been
made aware of, everything was happening so fast. Everyone acted as if it was
just another trip outside.
All
at the same time, my friend acts as though he had done nothing wrong. As we
wait outside, the school confirms that it was a false alarm, but more
importantly, pulled by someone. Lacking cameras at this time, the school had no
idea knowing that it was him.
Today
it is nearly impossible to get away with even skipping class due to the new
technology. It is crazy to think that a near funny stunt by my friend could go
by unseen, while today a bomb threat will trigger a school wide evacuation in
the matter of minutes.
The
school day continued on as if nothing had happened. Kids mindlessly reentered
the school and took in every minute of freedom outside as they could, before
they could once again, go outside for recess.
It
is still hard to recollect exactly what was going through my friends head when
he pulled the fire alarm. Even as a senior in High School, I still find it
unreasonable to pull a fire alarm, not to mention the dozen of bomb threats
that we had throughout elementary school. Despite the wrongdoings in today’s
world, the first thing that the average teenage thinks about when they hear
about a fire drill is it happening during their least favorite class.
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