Journal+1

For your first journal, summarize what loss of innocence is. Then, consider someone you know who has endured a tragic or life-changing event that led to his or her loss of innocence. Who is this person, what did he or she experience, and how did it change that person? You may make this a personal experience, relating an event of your own. If you think the person would not like his or her name to be known at this time, you may leave out the name of the individual. Write as much about this person and his or her experience as possible.
 * Journal #1: Honors English I**

__Part 1 (writing territories)__: Create a list of topics, or writing territories, on which you could easily write. These can be topics that interest you, you know a lot about, or that generate a good story. You can add to this list at any time. You should have at least 20 to start. __Part 2 (sneeze)__: Choose any one of these topics and freewrite for twenty minutes without stopping. Don't worry about proofreading and editing until the end, just get your thoughts on paper to start. If you have time, review your work before posting. See my example below my list of topics.
 * Journal #1: English I**

__WRITING TERRITORIES__ Waiting Tables High School stories High School friends My husband Music Concerts Family Accidents/Illnesses My favorite TV shows Car crash Reading Writing My 1st year of teaching Teaching stories Arachnophobia Prague Berlin Getting stranded in Berlin Field trips Funny Childhood stories Ocean City, MD family vacations Public speaking College Stories Favorite teachers/professors Memorable students Learning to drive 9/11 My grandparents My parents My aunt My pet peeves My cats-Dill, Daphne, and Pearl My former dogs-Cooper and Sam Softball Cheerleading Getting stitches

__MY SNEEZE__

Topic: Waiting Tables

“Miss? May I have some beef gravy, please?” “ Sure.” I wonder, //what's he going to do with __that__?// He only ordered German chocolate cake. Strange. Hmmm… I return with the beef gravy, and, you got it, he poured it all over his CAKE! This is one of a plethora of waitressing stories. One of the struggles with waiting tables is accepting that some people are just different. Despite the crabby customers, inconvenient hours, and meager salary, waitressing was a blast! I don’t miss mopping floors, cleaning up customers’ left over food, or dealing with miserable people, but I do miss the minimal stress level and plain old fun that came with waiting tables. Join me as I reminisce about those who have left imprints on my life. Although I recollect very few names, I can remember at least twenty customers I used to see on a daily basis. There were the couple whose daily order consisted of two-piece broasted chicken and hot fudge sundae to share, the man who tipped in gold dollars and double-mint gum, and the table for four that sat at least seven each day at lunch. I grew to love many of my customers like they were my grandparents. Grandparents? Yes. Because I worked at a family restaurant, most of the clientele was sixty-five and older. Unfortunately, many of the bonds fostered over a hamburger steak or a CMP sundae ended sadly. Several of my favorite regular customers passed away during the nine years I worked at Mack's in Spry. I went to more funerals than I care to mention, and I visited a few customers once they could no longer make it out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. One of the most memorable customers was Jack. Jack was ninety-plus years old when he was still coming in for lunch on a daily basis. He was a jovial man with plenty of fishing stories to keep your attention. Jack was a reminder of how much one who is lost is missed. Developing bonds with regular customers was one of many perks to waiting tables. Another was working with friends. When I was in high school, many of my friends worked with me. It became a summer gathering of friends once we were all in college and would return to work there for the summer. I still keep in touch with many of the people I developed friendships with while working at the restaurant. Although I have left my pseudo-family at Mack's, I will always remember how waitressing taught me about life, about relationships, and about the lasting effects people have on one another. I hope that everyone has a high school/college job that can teach him/her the life lessons mine did.