Seat assignment: Assignment: In 22 minutes (process), in class today (context), you will complete a "This I Believe" piece of writing, inspired by Dierdre Sullivan's work The Funeral (content) and post your creative work on your blog (material).
I believe in the importance and power of laughter. My parents taught me that.
My parents met in the fall of 1993 when my mom auditioned for, and got into, the Garrens Comedy Troupe at BYU. My dad was already a member of the group and was smitten as soon as he saw the light in my mom's countenance. They became close friends, and eventually dated and got married, with this background of creativity and humor. Laughter brought them together and has been a foundational element of our family since then.
I will flat out tell you that my parents are hilarious. The only "dad jokes" my dad tells are as a character in a sketch or improv scene. At my house, there are always incredibly expressive faces, flawless movie quotes, spot-on or exaggerated impressions, and a plethora of accents and strange voices being thrown around. Watching my little siblings grow up and witnessing the moment they realize they can make you laugh is a thrilling every time. When I was young, my parents began writing down funny things their kids would say in a journal. I have continued the tradition, keeping a record of quotes that brought the house down. We call these our "funnies" and go back and read them aloud often, reliving the light-hearted memories.
Laughter can create instant connections. It eases tension and makes friends out of strangers. It becomes a shared memory, binding the individuals together. When I'm in a new class and don't know anyone, or I feel the awkwardness in the room as people are unsure of a process, I'll make a comment under my breath to the person next to me, and we now have a shared experience and will stick with each other for the rest of the event.
The amount of inside jokes and shared funny experiences and joyful memories that my parents have are precious to them. I would bet money that there is not a day that goes by without them laughing together. It lifts tension, recenters, strengthens, relieves, and makes life bearable.
Seeing the laughter and light in my parents' marriage has heavily influenced the future I want for myself. One of the first things I look for in people I want to date, and eventually marry, is someone who makes me laugh. Because laughter is important and powerful. My parents taught me that.
I loved the topic you chose. It was seriously so beautiful how I was able to get a glimpse into your family and what you believe. You did the assignment perfectly!
ReplyDeleteI think I got a unique perspective to watch you go through the process of writing it too. I promise this was supposed to be therapeutic and that there really isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to have written this. For next time, what if you just wrote for pleasure and worried less about making something "correct"?
I got a similar impression on the right/wrong approach. This is more or less a comment for Brenna but what would happen if the assignment had a more site specific limitation like a work of art housed in the HFAC or something similar?
ReplyDeleteBrenna: Good selection of pretext. I wonder about the pros and cons of leaving it more open ended as you have vs adding more constraints. Could you have incorporated something in the instructions that would help Abbie break out of right vs wrong?
ReplyDeleteAbbie: Nice thoughtful mimicking of the format, and your topic was heartfelt and personal.