Note For the Reader!
The purpose of my Twitterive is demonstrate the fact that once you have outgrown your childhood years, even if you wanted to, and had the opportunity to, it would be impossible to replicate the feelings and viewpoint you had during your initial experiences. I will be walking you through a series of vignettes that will show the connection, or lack there of, between the viewpoints of a child living in the moment, and an adult viewpoint, from a sort of on the outside looking in perspectives. The character has the thought processes of a grown up, but is living in the body of a child, and is experiencing childhood activities. The children in the photos physically see the grown up character as a child, whereas he feels like an outsider looking in on their experiences.
The inspiration for this assignment came from some of my tweets, in which I expressed how sometimes I wish I could go back to a simpler life, where you have no responsibilities, a life as a child, for just one day. This led me to think about what it would actually be like if this happened to an adult. This led me to write some microfiction pieces that have since turned into several vignettes, I then chose to write those vignettes from the perspective of the seven stages of grief ,which the character has to go through as he "loses" his adulthood and must re-embrace his childhood self. I have kept some micro-fiction pieces to provide some back story for my character I will be using each of the seven steps of grief as my repetend.
My place and theme for this assignment will be the day in the life of a child but with the thought processess of an adult. My "place" is more of an abstract representation of the word, for my purposes the place of this assignment is the mind and thought processes of an adult in a child's body. The reationship between the two, as well as the four stages of grief, which will represent a coping mechanism for my main character.
The inspiration for this assignment came from some of my tweets, in which I expressed how sometimes I wish I could go back to a simpler life, where you have no responsibilities, a life as a child, for just one day. This led me to think about what it would actually be like if this happened to an adult. This led me to write some microfiction pieces that have since turned into several vignettes, I then chose to write those vignettes from the perspective of the seven stages of grief ,which the character has to go through as he "loses" his adulthood and must re-embrace his childhood self. I have kept some micro-fiction pieces to provide some back story for my character I will be using each of the seven steps of grief as my repetend.
My place and theme for this assignment will be the day in the life of a child but with the thought processess of an adult. My "place" is more of an abstract representation of the word, for my purposes the place of this assignment is the mind and thought processes of an adult in a child's body. The reationship between the two, as well as the four stages of grief, which will represent a coping mechanism for my main character.
4 stages of Grief
1. Shock and Denial
2. Pain and Guilt
3. Anger, Frustration and Bitterness
4. Acceptance and Resolution
2. Pain and Guilt
3. Anger, Frustration and Bitterness
4. Acceptance and Resolution
A typical thursday night...wasn't it? - Prologue
“Two classes down, one to go then it's officially the weekend...Well as far as school goes” Steve thought to himself as he sat in his last class of the week, a Thursday evening class that made him feel as though his eyes were oozing out of his skull. “Whatever happened to the good old days when you were a kid?” he added to his collection of gloomy thoughts. Steve was an average guy who hated school with a passion. He often said he would pay double the tuition if he could just fast forward to the point of his college career where you walk across the stage and shake the President of the universities hand and are free of organized education for the rest of your life. He looked forward to the weekend more than anything because it meant he was free from the blandness of vanilla walls for two short days. He even didn’t mind Friday’s where he had to work a double at the local hardware store, because even that meant he didn’t have to listen to monotone professors that reminded him of the teacher from Charlie Brown. But as he thought about the approaching weekend, the anxiety of 4 more months of school hung over his head. As his mind drifted off and he slowly fell asleep this thought rang through his head over and over like a melody, “I wish I could go back to being a little kid for just one day... No responsibilities and you just play all day”.
Seeing Yourself in the Mirror - Shock and Denial
"This can't be happening to me" Steve said alone in the bathroom to the young child looking back at him in the mirror. As he splashed ice cold water on his face over and over again to try and snap himself out of it he couldn't seem to wake up from this nightmare.
"You have got to be kidding me", Steve said, "I never thought this would actually happen. I never wanted to really be a kid again, that's just some shit people say all the time...Why me???"
"I never meant for this to happen, it's just a stupid saying, how could this be physically possible?, I went to sleep a fully grown man and now I'm a little ass kid...This isn't real!!!!!!"
"Steven, are you up and moving??" Steve's brief inner-monologue was interupted by his mother's shouting from the kitchen.
"Yea I'm up ma" Steve shouted trying to disguise his now adolescent voice so his mom would not know what happened during the course of the night.
Steve still could not wrap his head around the idea that he now was in the body of a child but there was no denying the face looking back at him in the tiny bathroom mirror above the pedestal sink that he could no longer reach without the step stool he antagonized his baby brother for having to use. Just then he realized that he wasn't alone in the top floor of his house. As he heard the door handle creek and the bathroom door began to slowly open Steve had to think fast, he did the only thing he could think of and jumped in the shower fully clothed and flung on the water.
"Sowwy Stevey" he heard his brother Matthew say, he must have believed that Steve actually was in the shower.
"It's okay Matt," he said trying to make his voice as deep as he could "just go downstairs and have mom get your breakfast ready before she leaves and I'll be down soon alright."
As the shock was starting to settle in he knew he was going to have to reveal to his brother what had happened to him if he was going to find a way to blend in until he could figure out a way to get himself back to usual. As he turned off the water and stepped soaking wet onto the bathroom floor he knew what he had to do.
"You have got to be kidding me", Steve said, "I never thought this would actually happen. I never wanted to really be a kid again, that's just some shit people say all the time...Why me???"
"I never meant for this to happen, it's just a stupid saying, how could this be physically possible?, I went to sleep a fully grown man and now I'm a little ass kid...This isn't real!!!!!!"
"Steven, are you up and moving??" Steve's brief inner-monologue was interupted by his mother's shouting from the kitchen.
"Yea I'm up ma" Steve shouted trying to disguise his now adolescent voice so his mom would not know what happened during the course of the night.
Steve still could not wrap his head around the idea that he now was in the body of a child but there was no denying the face looking back at him in the tiny bathroom mirror above the pedestal sink that he could no longer reach without the step stool he antagonized his baby brother for having to use. Just then he realized that he wasn't alone in the top floor of his house. As he heard the door handle creek and the bathroom door began to slowly open Steve had to think fast, he did the only thing he could think of and jumped in the shower fully clothed and flung on the water.
"Sowwy Stevey" he heard his brother Matthew say, he must have believed that Steve actually was in the shower.
"It's okay Matt," he said trying to make his voice as deep as he could "just go downstairs and have mom get your breakfast ready before she leaves and I'll be down soon alright."
As the shock was starting to settle in he knew he was going to have to reveal to his brother what had happened to him if he was going to find a way to blend in until he could figure out a way to get himself back to usual. As he turned off the water and stepped soaking wet onto the bathroom floor he knew what he had to do.
The Big Reveal - Pain and Guilt
As Steve started to climb down what felt like a million stairs he stopped halfway down to make sure his mother had left for work before he revealed himself to his brother, who was now knee deep in his bowl of fruit loops. Before he entered the kitchen Steve took in a deep gasp of air and used his now adolescent voice to speak to his brother.
"Matthew don't be afraid it's just me Stevey" Steve said, not even recognizing his own voice.
"I'm not afraid Stevey I knew that was you, don't worry I didn't tell mommy, I just want to play with you all day", Matthew said as if nothing was wrong.
"So you knew this happened to me and you didn't freak out or tell mom???? Why not???" Steve asked puzzled.
"I didn't tell mom because I knew se would freak out and then we coudnt play all day. When iI went to bed last night I prayed that this would happen and now it did, I'm so happy Stevey!!" Matthew said trying to hold in his smile.
"So that's why this happened to me, I haven't been a very good brother to you and I'm sorry Matty " said Steven.
"I've gotta make this up to you Matty what do you wanna do today??" Steve sked his kid brother who was now jumping up and down with excitement.
"I want you to go to school with me and play with all my friends" Said Matthew.
"If thats what I have to do to get back to normal and prove to you that I am a good brother than thats what I'll do." Steve said as he made a call to churn up a way to get both him and Matthew to his daycare.
"Matthew don't be afraid it's just me Stevey" Steve said, not even recognizing his own voice.
"I'm not afraid Stevey I knew that was you, don't worry I didn't tell mommy, I just want to play with you all day", Matthew said as if nothing was wrong.
"So you knew this happened to me and you didn't freak out or tell mom???? Why not???" Steve asked puzzled.
"I didn't tell mom because I knew se would freak out and then we coudnt play all day. When iI went to bed last night I prayed that this would happen and now it did, I'm so happy Stevey!!" Matthew said trying to hold in his smile.
"So that's why this happened to me, I haven't been a very good brother to you and I'm sorry Matty " said Steven.
"I've gotta make this up to you Matty what do you wanna do today??" Steve sked his kid brother who was now jumping up and down with excitement.
"I want you to go to school with me and play with all my friends" Said Matthew.
"If thats what I have to do to get back to normal and prove to you that I am a good brother than thats what I'll do." Steve said as he made a call to churn up a way to get both him and Matthew to his daycare.
Circle Time - Anger, Frustration, and Bitterness
Steve sat next to a group of his peers, or what now were his peers, he wasn't quite sure what was going on. But he knew what was about to happen. He was going to have to sit through circle time with these kids he was now one of.
"Everyone stand up and hold hands" his new preschool teacher said in her sing-songy voice.
As the child next to him flung a snotty hand in his direction he felt a shiver go down his spine, as a gag formed in his throat he wrapped his hand in the sleeve of his shirt and bit the bullet, as he grabbed the child's hand he felt the squish of the child's boogers start to seep through his poly cotton blend sweater. This was going to be the longest 15 minutes of his life.
"Now everyone sing our welcome song" Miss Stephanie sang out with her rhythmic tone.
The students all began to sing "I'm glad I came to school, I'm glad I came to school,
with all the other boys and girls I'm glad I came to school......... Tyler will be there ...........
Tyler will be there with all the other boys and girls ....... Tyler will be there!"
Steve stood holding the slimy, boogery hand of the boy now known as Tyler, he didn't even know these kids names let alone the song they were singing that reminded him of something the lolipop guild from the Wizard of Oz. As he looked around and saw all of the smiling faces of his classmates all bobbing back and forth singing and naming students in the class.
I'm glad hum hum school today, school today, I'm glad I came to school today..........HumHum will be there!" Steve hummed along with the group and tried to move his mouth to make it seem like he was fluently singing along with the other students. As he lip synced the rest of the students names, he realized one thing that scared him more than anything else he had experienced today. The revolving song was only one kid away from singing about him.
Miss Stephanie said in the loudest, most obnoxious voice ever, "Now everyone say hello to Steven." The class all said in unison, like a group of army robots "HELLO STEVEN!"
They then all began to shout out "I'm glad I came to school, I'm glad I came to school,
with all the other boys and girls I'm glad I came to school......... Steven will be there........... Steven will be there with all the other boys and girls ....... Steven will be there!"
As steve saw all the snotty nosed, sticky handed children running his way he cowered to the floor "Get them off me!! get them off!!" Steve cried "What are they doing to me!!"
Miss Stephanie quickly grabbed Steve as he jumped up with both fists clenched as if he were going to have a street brawl with the four year olds standing around him. "Who wants some!" He yelled out.
"They were just trying to hug you sweetheart." soothed Miss Stephanie, gently pressing his fists back down to his sides.
"Oh my bad, I'm cool" replied Steve trying to play it off, he walked away knowing that at any moment he could use the skills he developed as an adult to defend himself against the kids he knew were the reason he was stuck here.
"Everyone stand up and hold hands" his new preschool teacher said in her sing-songy voice.
As the child next to him flung a snotty hand in his direction he felt a shiver go down his spine, as a gag formed in his throat he wrapped his hand in the sleeve of his shirt and bit the bullet, as he grabbed the child's hand he felt the squish of the child's boogers start to seep through his poly cotton blend sweater. This was going to be the longest 15 minutes of his life.
"Now everyone sing our welcome song" Miss Stephanie sang out with her rhythmic tone.
The students all began to sing "I'm glad I came to school, I'm glad I came to school,
with all the other boys and girls I'm glad I came to school......... Tyler will be there ...........
Tyler will be there with all the other boys and girls ....... Tyler will be there!"
Steve stood holding the slimy, boogery hand of the boy now known as Tyler, he didn't even know these kids names let alone the song they were singing that reminded him of something the lolipop guild from the Wizard of Oz. As he looked around and saw all of the smiling faces of his classmates all bobbing back and forth singing and naming students in the class.
I'm glad hum hum school today, school today, I'm glad I came to school today..........HumHum will be there!" Steve hummed along with the group and tried to move his mouth to make it seem like he was fluently singing along with the other students. As he lip synced the rest of the students names, he realized one thing that scared him more than anything else he had experienced today. The revolving song was only one kid away from singing about him.
Miss Stephanie said in the loudest, most obnoxious voice ever, "Now everyone say hello to Steven." The class all said in unison, like a group of army robots "HELLO STEVEN!"
They then all began to shout out "I'm glad I came to school, I'm glad I came to school,
with all the other boys and girls I'm glad I came to school......... Steven will be there........... Steven will be there with all the other boys and girls ....... Steven will be there!"
As steve saw all the snotty nosed, sticky handed children running his way he cowered to the floor "Get them off me!! get them off!!" Steve cried "What are they doing to me!!"
Miss Stephanie quickly grabbed Steve as he jumped up with both fists clenched as if he were going to have a street brawl with the four year olds standing around him. "Who wants some!" He yelled out.
"They were just trying to hug you sweetheart." soothed Miss Stephanie, gently pressing his fists back down to his sides.
"Oh my bad, I'm cool" replied Steve trying to play it off, he walked away knowing that at any moment he could use the skills he developed as an adult to defend himself against the kids he knew were the reason he was stuck here.
Preschool for Dummies - Acceptance and Resolution
Steve's PerspectiveBreakfast - 7:00 - 8:00 - stale food, plus a kid was talking and spit food all over my face.
Craft - 9:40 -10::00 - Kid next to me glued a piece of a carboard box to his forehead. Another kid ate glue and the teacher made him throw it up. Nap Time - 12:30 - 2:00 - While I was trying to sleep a kid kept kicking my cot and another kid peed his pants and the sat on my cot. 3:15-6:00 -Center Free Play - While I was playing with Lego's one kid stuck a Lego in his mouth and then puched me in the ear. |
What Really HappenedBreakfast - 7:00 - 8:00 - A plain bagel with cream cheese, a small
banana, and chocolate milk. A Kid wiped Craft - 9:40 -10::00 - Make a robot from cardbaord boxes and papertowel rolls. Decorate with aluminum foil, glitter, and googly eyes. Nap Time - 12:30 - 2:00 - sleep on a cot with blankets and stuffed animal from home. 3:15 - 6:00 - Center Free Play - Child's choice of center play, centers rotate every 15 minutes. |