Personal Narrative: The Grid

This past year, I have been apart of Naperville Central’s brand new Special Spaces club. When my friend approached me and asked me to join, I agreed even though I had no clue what I was involving myself in. In retrospective, I can honestly say that becoming a part of Special Spaces has been one of the most meaningful, fun, and fulfilling experiences I have had in high school.

Over my years of school, one big influence on me has always been sports. Ever since a young age, I have always enjoyed playing and watching sports. In my four years in high school, I have fell in love with the sport of lacrosse.

In this hyper­-connected world, it can be exhilarating to purposefully carve out time just for you. I usually tell my family and friends I am “going off the grid” to unplug from social media, phones, e­mail, and any apparatus that buzzes, beeps, rings, or needs charging. Absorb the moment by taking in new sights, smells, bells and whistles, textures, and tastes of another environment. It can be another city, country, or neighborhood. Become “fully present” to the new details around you to expand your consciousness to different ways of living. Ask yourself, What can I learn from this experience? Your loved ones will be ready to welcome you back when you re­emerge with a new lease on life!

I woke up and took one bite out of my pop tart but that one bite was all I could eat. My legs were shaking, and my heart was pounding. My dad told me, “It is a true honor to even make it this far so go out there and have some fun.” Once I heard this statement, I knew I was ready to go. I arrived at school and boarded the bus. The car ride was an hour and fifteen minutes of hearing the squeaking of the wheel on the bus. My teammates were getting their heads ready for the big game.

Four, maybe five German soldiers surrounded me. They were moving in faster than a pack of starving wolves, and I was their downed prey. There were flying bullets, dark smoke, and explosions everywhere. I was oppressed and knew that this was finally it. All my hard work was about to disappear into a plume of smoke. I commenced raising my rifle, and then in the midst of this chaotic scene there was this ever so subtle giggle over the headset. I look upwards dumbfounded to see a firestorm of bombs hailing all around me, and enveloping my entire section of the battlefield obliterating everything. It was my brother Chase piloting this monstrous desert-sand colored beast of a bomber, which just unleashed utter devastation on the opposing

“Hey you want to drive”, my step-dad yelled over the loud engine of blue grizzly 4x4 quad I yelled “yes!!”, so as I got one the quad I put on my helmet and fased the strap on the same color helmet.

Just so you know, this is the Big Apple and I rule this town. New York City is filled with tall buildings, great culture, and historical sites. No other city has so much beauty that it takes your breath away; yet, there is a real danger that lurks on the streets. I should know because I am Detective Michael Morgan a United States Super Spy in charge of capturing dastardly villains who are set on destroying our world. Armed with mind-altering powers, Alex Higgins is on the top of the FBI’s list of the ten most wanted men in America. This thug is one of the greatest danger to our world and must be captured and jailed in the vault of death. There is no place safe for him to hide from the law and rumor has it, he is in my town. You break the law here in New York City, you pay the ultimate price: freedom.

It is a somewhat unspoken agreement that people all have, and breaking this agreement is frowned upon. The bathroom is a very unsocial place. You go do your business and then leave, it is very simple. The social norm that I broke was talking to someone in the stall next to me, and continuing to have a conversation even when it was clear they did not want to have one.

I chose to break the norm of either smiling at strangers or giving them a neutral look when you make eye contact. I decided to give every stranger I passed a confused look like they had just spoken to me in another language. I must admit, this made me feel a bit goofy. I was on the fence as to whether or not to do this in the first place but I decided I just had to. The responses I received were quite comical. A few people asked if I was alright, and one person even asked if I had a problem with them.

Take a deep breath, I told myself looking in the visor mirror, just breathe. I looked to my right and droplets of water covered the passenger side window of my fathers Jeep. Two of the droplets had streamed down the window and I admired the beauty of their disarrayed paths. I compared the droplets to the bittersweet chaos that has consumed my life. Their paths had no direct course and jerked left to right slowly and then in a rush as if there were a magnet below them.

There exists a timeless space between realities, a realm where the rules of our universe are ignored. The feeble understandings of men are nothing but a footnote in the vast emptiness and imperceptible truths that haunt this place. Imagine a being that can only comprehend two dimensions – forward, backwards, left and right. How would you explain such concepts as up and down to them? How can someone who can only perceive three dimensions hope to comprehend four or five dimensions? Or six? Or ten?

Growing up with a father in the military, you move around a lot more than you would like to. I was born just east of St. Louis in a city called Shiloh in Illinois. When I was two years old my dad got the assignment to move to Hawaii. We spent seven great years in Hawaii, we had one of the greatest churches I have ever been to name New Hope. New Hope was a lot like Olivet's atmosphere, the people were always friendly and there always something to keep someone busy. I used to dance at church, I did hip-hop and interpretive dance, but you could never tell that from the way I look now.

Computer open. Corners straight. Three pencils. Two blue, one red. Noise canceling headphones at ten o’ clock, within reach, charged. Computer volume twenty-seven—down—twenty-six. Wristwatch too tight. Still, no. Just take it off. Place it vertically alongside the headphones.

I had never done anything against Aidan. I tried my best to be the most awesome big sister I could be. (Yes, I occasionally hit him, but I have good reason to when I do it.) Imagine my surprise when Aidan storms into my room carrying a portable DVD player and dragging Mom behind him. He began to shout, “She did it, Mom. Danielle did it!”

I walked into the towering cities skyscraper. When my mom and I stepped into the lobby it was a rush of loud and unique sounds. I could hear everyone's phone going off from their bosses telling them to hurry. I heard the click-clack of the women's shoes stepping onto the shiny sparkling floor.I could even hear people, young and old, talking about the newest work gossip. I walked through the crowded hall to find the nearest elevator that would take us up to the top floor to talk with the insurance guy. When I stepped into the crowded elevator I thought to myself all the different types of people I will see when i reach the top floor. I could see women telling the men to get some papers copied. I could see men asking the women if they have seen documents with the papers from the past week. All of this is created in my head and then I heard the ding of the elevator door. Everyone rushed out to get to their job. I stood there like a statue, not believing what I am seeing.