The Idea of an Essay, Volume 4

Narrative & Memoir 23 “Daddy!” I exclaim. “Hey there, Son. I have something that I think you will enjoy reading,” he says. He hands me an old, brittle book entitled Tom Sawyer by Samuel Clemens. In my nine-year-old eyes, it looks to be at least 200 years old. I take the book from him, “thanks Dad, maybe I’ll get around to it sometime.” After surviving my homework and chores, I finally have my chance to go outside. As I exit the back door, I am quickly re-acquainted with the joys of nature. Immediately, I dash over to the neighbor’s house to get my friend, Braxton. Braxton and I do everything together; from playing “spies”, to catching bugs, to climbing trees. After getting his mom’s permission, Braxton’s small, slim figure runs out of the house, ready for adventure. With barely two acres of property between the two houses, we certainly know how to keep ourselves occupied. Today, Braxton (as usual) wants to catch bugs; however, this is going to require some negotiation, because I am dying to climb our favorite tree. “Okay, how about we catch bugs for thirty minutes, but then let’s go climb the tree,” I say. “Sounds good to me! Can we look for ants first?” he says. “Yeah, let’s do it,” I reply. And so continues our adventure: the demise of countless insects, and a trip above the ground in the safety of sturdy limbs and leafy branches. This is the place where I do not have a care in the world. I don’t have to think about my daily homework or tasks; instead, I just sit and focus on the nature around me. The time comes when we must both go our separate ways, and I reluctantly return to the confines of the indoors, where my entire family seems to happily co-exist in the world of knowledge and education. After dinner, my three sisters and I do the dishes and then play a board game with our parents; however, as soon as the game ends, my sisters and parents return to their various books of adventure, mystery, and theology. Now I am left to my own devices. Unlike most of my friends, I do not own video games, and my family does not have television. Not owning video games gives my family more time to spend together; often times, my mom or dad read to all four of us before bed. I enjoy these times, but tonight we won’t be reading as a family. What should I do? To kill time, I go find the family dog, Ginger. Ginger is a medium-sized, short-haired dog, and her fur is golden-yellow and white. Naturally, she’s sleeping…she’s