1
NARRATION
2
ASSIGNMENT
o To tell the story of a significant moment in
your life-history thus far.
o To have a clear purpose in telling this
narrative; that is, to elucidate the valuable
lessons you have taken from this experience.
o To select carefully narrative details to
support these morals or lessons.
o To arrange these details in an appropriate
narrative order.
3
CHARACTERISTICS
* CHRONOLGY
o time sequence
o story with a beginning, middle, and end
o make a *TIMELINE*
* MORAL, POINT, LESSONS LEARNED
o stated in the thesis & conclusion
o Not: “I am going to tell a story about…”
o Rather: “This experience taught me a valuable
lesson about friendship.”
4
CHARACTERISTICS
* RELEVANCE (EXCITEMENT)
o stress relevant (exciting) parts
o shorten irrelevant (dull) parts
* FOCUS on a specific event
o day #3 of vacation
o day of funeral
* INTRODUCTION and CONCLUSION
o this IS an essay
o this is NOT necessarily a 5-paragraph essay
5
PREWRITING
6
PREWRITING
o MAKE 2 LISTS:
(1) a list of the 5 best times in your life
(2) a list of the 5 worst times in your life
o MAKE a TIMELINE
o for the EVENTS of the MOST SIGNIFICANT
EXPERIENCE of YOUR LIFE:
o chronology
o have a clear beginning, middle, and end
7
INTRODUCTION
8
INTRODUCTION
*As if you were on The Late Show promoting a
movie:
o quick set up (“Set this clip up for us.”)
o then “roll tape”
o show a clip from “the movie of your life”
9
INTRODUCTION
PICTURE FRAME
*PURPOSE:
o Why are you telling this story?
SO WHAT?!
o To satisfy this demand, use the Introduction
and Conclusion to create a “frame” that will
encompass your story.
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INTRODUCTION
PICTURE FRAME
o The Introduction & Conclusion are the frame
around your picture. In them, you will only
discuss the background and lesson learned.
They are not to make up the majority of your
essay.
o The Body of the essay will be the picture. It
will tell a story, and it will make up the
majority of your paper.
o Further, the narrative elements you choose
for the story will clearly illustrate the
lesson/s you learned.
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INTRODUCTION
PICTURE FRAME
INTRO.
STORY
CONCLN.
12
INTRODUCTION
GENERALIZE:
o Regarding the type of lessons you learned
o Regarding the type of experience you had
o “Death is a painfully inevitable part of life, so
most of us have undoubtedly had to face
death at some point in our young lives.”
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INTRODUCTION
NARROW TOWARDS YOU:
o Some
o Others
o “For some, it may have been the death of a
close friend or classmate.”
o “For others, it may have concerned the
passing of a teacher or an adult
acquaintance.”
14
INTRODUCTION
TO YOU:
o Transition to you
o Use transitional expressions
o Perhaps brief background information
o “However, my encounter with death involved
the demise of a close family relative when I
was 16. In November of 2006, my 22-year-old
cousin, Jefferson Miles, whom I had idolized
all my life, died of esophageal cancer.”
15
INTRODUCTION
THESIS:
Previous sentence: Brief background
o When, where did this event take place?
o Year, age, season
o “During the spring semester of 2004 after I
turned 18….”
Thesis: ANSWER 2 QUESTIONS:
1) What kind of story?
2) What kind of lessons learned?
16
INTRODUCTION
THESIS:
o “This tragic experience from that miserable
fall taught me valuable lessons concerning
my life and family in particular, as well as life
and death in general.”
o “This frightening experience has taught me
important lessons regarding me, my family,
family in general, and life.”
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BODY
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BODY: DETAILS
o DESCRIPTION is necessary: vivid detail for
character development or setting the scene
o concrete & specific details
o careful selection of details
(STORY=LESSON)
o CHRONOLOGICAL organization of details
o no flashbacking, no omniscience
o no Quentin Tarantino
o past tense only
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BODY: DETAILS
o TIME
o Year, age, season
o NAMES
o people, places, occupation titles, stadiums,
hospitals, funeral parlors, high schools
o BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS
o
o
o
o
Not a descriptive essay
Use description to set the scene
Or highlight your lessons learned
“the blonde male nurse in purple scrubs took my blood
pressure at St. Mark’s Hospital….”
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BODY: STORY
o Extremely FOCUSED
o Just a clip from your life-movie
o Flows LINEARLY
o All verbs should be in the PAST TENSE
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BODY: STORY
o
PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE:
 the story should not be all one paragraph
 break the narrative into stages
 (each stage = a paragraph)
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BODY: BACKGROUND
o In the story through dialogue or thoughts at
the time *
o In the Conclusion when you are explaining a
particular lesson *
o In the Introduction, briefly, as you set up the
story **
*GET TO THE STORY
o The 1st Body paragraph = start of the story
o Do not make the reader wait until the 3rd
Body paragraph for your story to begin.
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CONCLUSION
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CONCLUSION: MORAL
o Fully explain the morals/lessons you learned
from this experience
o While you only hinted at the morals in your
Introduction, explain them in detail here in
your Conclusion
o Lessons concerning yourself, family,
friendship, love, life -o Induction: lessons emanate out from the
event
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CONCLUSION: MORAL
o Induction: lessons emanate out from the
event
 Those involved in the story
 To generalizations
o Lessons concerning
 yourself, your family
 family in general, friendship, love,
 Life, Death, God
X
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CONCLUSION: POV
o No “you”
o In the Introduction and Conclusion, do not
switch to 3rd person POV (“you”)
o This is YOUR storyo These are lessons that YOU learnedo So speak from the “I” (1st person POV)
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Descriptive Essay
VS
Narrative Essay
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Descriptive Essay VS. Narrative Essay
o
SENSE DETAILS
o
NARRATIVE DETAILS
o
Dominant Impression
o
Morals/Lessons
BODY STRUCTURE:
o 3 Body paragraphs
o 3 parts of the room/car
o Each supported by:
o sense details ONLY
o metaphors to support DI
o Spatial Arrangement
BODY STRUCTURE:
o 3 Body paragraphs
o start, middle, end
o OR grouped by stages
o Each supported by:
o narrative elements
o descriptive details to set
scenes, support lessons
o Chronological Order
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TOPICS
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TOPICS
*FOCUSED:
o FROZEN MOMENT IN TIME
o NOT LIFE STORY
o NOT MULTIPLE DAYS
o 3-4 PAGES IN LENGTH
 (with sufficient detail)
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TOPICS
*FOCUSED:
o PART of a CHAPTER in YOUR
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
o neither a FULL CHAPTER
o nor an ENTIRE BOOK
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ACHIEVEMENT
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MISTAKE
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SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in an ADULT LIFE: Family
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SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in an ADULT LIFE: Firsts
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SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in an ADULT LIFE: Realizations
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More SIGNIFICANT EVENTS in an ADULT LIFE
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TOPICS
1) TELL THE STORY OF A MAJOR CHANGE IN
YOUR LIFE, AN EVENT THAT CHANGED
YOUR LIFE OR YOUR WAY OF THINKING
ABOUT A PERSON, PLACE, OBJECT:
o went to college, inspirational story, went out
o
o
o
o
for a sport/club/play
quit bad habit, split with boy/girlfriend, left
bad friends
met someone new
death in the family
divorce day
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TOPICS
*CONTINUED:
o 9/11 or anthrax scare
o good/bad vacation
o dumb action I did
o suspended from school
o found God, faith was tested, found
Alcoholics Anonymous
o *met a challenge that neither you nor anyone
thought you could do
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TOPICS
2) TELL THE STORY OF A SPECIAL OBJECT (trophy,
medal, picture, stuffed animal) THAT MEANS SO
MUCH TO YOU:
*this is NOT a descriptive essay on the object;
o BODY:
o rather, tell the story behind the object:
o how/when/why did you get it
o CONCLUSION:
o lessons learned from the experience
o why it means so much to you,
o how it gives insight into who you are,
o and how you would use it to introduce yourself to
someone new whom you wanted to see the “real”
you
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TOPICS
3) OTHER TOPICS:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
uncle’s viewing
family member’s (son’s) death—the day of
the day you found Alcoholics Anonymous
bad vacation (focused)
day found out about...diabetes, cancer,
pregnancy
*family tradition
sweet 16, hunting trip, accident, robbery
school play or musical (auditions, opening
night), nationals or states
responsibility
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An EXAMPLE
of a
NARRATIVE ESSAY
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EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE SKELETON OF A NARRATIVE ESSAY
*INTRODUCTION:
o You’ve got to learn to laugh at yourself.
o The best advice my grandfather ever gave
me was “Boy, you’ve got to learn to laugh at
yourself.”
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EXAMPLE
(cont’d)
o Sane people have learned to laugh at
themselves. (generalizing w/o “you”) The best
way for people not to take life too seriously is to
tell stories about unpleasant events that
happened to them. As a teacher, I have had
certain encounters that, had I not laughed at
them, would have driven me crazy and forced
me to leave the profession. For example, during
the spring semester of 2004, I took over a
section of Microcomp for an ailing colleague and
had one of the most embarrassing experiences
of my professional career. That day, this teacher
was taught a few lessons about himself and his
co-workers.
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EXAMPLE
(cont’d)
*SYNONYMS for “EXPERIENCES”:
 occurrences, incidents, encounters, events,
episodes
46
EXAMPLE
(cont’d)
*BODY:
After a long day of teaching my usual load of
courses, I ….
o skip irrelevant parts
o continue with the rest of the story, with
concrete/descriptive details and with specific
narrative details that prove your lesson
learned
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EXAMPLE
(cont’d)
*CONCLUSION:
This embarrassing, yet funny experience
taught me some valuable lessons about
myself and my colleagues. First, I realized
that…
o continue with specific, clear lessons learned
o go into specifics regarding these lessons
o more than one lesson learned from the “most
significant experience” in your life
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NARRATION
in
SONGS
“THE GAMBLER” KENNY ROGERS
On a warm summer’s evenin’ on a
train bound for nowhere,
I met up with the gambler; we were
both too tired to sleep.
So we took turns a starin’ out the
window at the darkness
‘til boredom overtook us, and he
began to speak.
He said, son, I’ve made a life out of
reading’ peoples faces,
And knowin’ what their cards were by
the way they held their eyes.
So if you don’t mind my sayin’, I can
see you’re out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey Ill give
you some advice.
So I handed him my bottle and he
drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette and
asked me for a light.
And the night got deathly quiet, and
his face lost all expression.
Said, if you’re gonna play the game,
boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
You got to know when to hold ’em,
know when to fold ’em,
Know when to walk away and know
when to run.
You never count you r money when
you’re sittin’ at the table.
There’ll be time enough for countin’
when the dealing’s done
Now ev’ry gambler knows that the
secret to survivin’
Is knowin’ what to throw away and
knowing what to keep.
cause ev’ry hands a winner and ev’ry
hands a loser,
And the best that you can hope for is to
die in your sleep.
So when he’d finished speakin’, he
turned back towards the window,
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off
to sleep.
And somewhere in the darkness the
gambler, he broke even.
But in his final words I found an ace
that I could keep.
(repeat chorus X3)
“CHRISTIE LEE” BILLY JOEL
Let me tell you a story
About a woman and a man
Maybe you will find familiar
Maybe you won't understand
The man's name I don't remember
He was always Joe to me
But I can't forget the woman
She was always Christie Lee
He was working in a night club
That's where he played the saxophone
He used to fake to stock arrangements
He left the customers alone
But one night before the last song
About a quarter after three
He saw her standing at the coat check
And made his move on Christie Lee (X4)
She was a nice piece of music
She had a rhythm all her own
He blew a solo like a blind man
She really dug his saxophone
She wanted more than just an encore
And he could play in every key
He left the stage and packed his alto
And he took it home with Christie Lee
Oh I heard the man knew "the Bird" like
the bible
You know the man could blow an
educated axe
He couldn't see that Christie Lee was a
woman
Who didn't need another lover
All she wanted was the sax
It took a while for him to notice
It took a while for him to see
He was never in control here
It was always Christie Lee
Christie Lee, Christie Lee (X2)
Oh the man took a calculated gamble
Yes the man had the power to perform
But Christie Lee was more than he knew
how to handle
She didn't need him as a man
All she wanted was the horn
They say that Joe became a wino
They say he always drinks alone
They say he stumbles like a blind man
They say he sold his saxophone
Even the band must face the music
That's what the moral is to me
The only time you hit the high note
Is when you play for Christie Lee
“THE BREAK-UP SONG (They Don’t Write ’Em)” GREG KIHN
We had broken up for good just
an hour before
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh
Now I'm staring at the bodies as
there's dancin' 'cross the floor
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh
And then the band slowed the
tempo and the music gets me
down
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh It was
the same old song with the
melancholy sound
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh
They don't write 'em like that
anymore
They just don't write 'em like that
anymore
We'd been living together for a
million years
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh But now
it feel so strange (out in the
atmospheres?)
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh And
then the jukebox plays a song I
used to know
o
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh
Now I'm staring at the bodies as
they dancin' so slow
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh
They don't write 'em like that
anymore
They just don't write 'em like that
anymore
Now I wind up staring at an empty
glass
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh
Cause its so easy to say that
you'll forget your past
Uh uh uh, uh uh uh uh uh
They don't write 'em like that
anymore, no!
They just don't write 'em like that
anymore
They don't write 'em like that
anymore
They just don't write 'em like that
anymore
“Paradise By the Dashboard Light” Meat Loaf (1)
o
I. PARADISE
Boy:
I remember every little thing
As if it happened only yesterday
Parking by the lake
And there was not another car in sight
And I never had a girl
Looking any better than you did
And all the kids at school
They were wishing they were me that
night
And now our bodies are oh so close
and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so
right
And were glowing like the metal on
the edge of a
Knife
Glowing like the metal on the edge of
a knife
C’mon! hold on tight!
C’mon! hold on tight!
Though its cold and lonely in the deep
dark night
I can see paradise by the dashboard
light
Girl:
Ain't no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely dressed
Ain't no doubt about it
Baby got to go and shout it
Ain't no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
“Paradise By the Dashboard Light” Meat Loaf (2)
Boy:
Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely dressed
Baby doncha hear my heart
You got it drowning out the radio
I’ve been waiting' so long
For you to come along and have some
fun
And I gotta let ya know
No you’re never gonna regret it
So open up your eyes I got a big
surprise
It’ll feel all right
Well I wanna make your motor run
And now our bodies are oh so close
and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so
right
And were glowing like the metal on
the edge of a knife
Glowing like the metal on the edge of
a knife
C’mon! hold on tight!
C’mon! hold on tight!
Though its cold and lonely in the deep
dark night
I can see paradise by the dashboard
light
Oh its cold and lonely in the deep dark
night
Paradise by the dashboard light
You got to do what you can
And let mother nature do the rest
Ain't no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely -Were gonna go all the way tonight
Were gonna go all the way tonight's
the night
(repeat X3)
“Paradise By the Dashboard Light” Meat Loaf (3)
RADIO BROADCAST:
Ok, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker going. Here, two
down, nobody on, no score, bottom of the ninth, there’s the windup, And there it is, a line shot up the middle, look at him go. this
boy can really Fly! he’s rounding first and really turning it on now,
he’s not letting up at all, he’s gonna try for second; the ball is
bobbled out in center, and here Comes the throw, and what a
throw! he’s gonna slide in head first, here he Comes, he’s out! no,
wait, safe - safe at second base, this kid really makes Things
happen out there. batter steps up to the plate here’s the pitch he’s Going, and what a jump he’s got, he’s trying for third, here’s
the throw, it’s In the dirt - safe at third! holy cow, stolen base!
he’s taking a pretty big Lead out there, almost daring him to try
and pick him off. the pitcher glances Over, winds up, and it
bunted, bunted down the third base line, the suicide Squeeze is
on! here he comes, squeeze play, it’s gonna be close, here’s the
Throw, here’s th' play at the plate, holy cow, I think he’s gonna
make it!
“Paradise By the Dashboard Light” Meat Loaf (4)
o
II. LET ME SLEEP ON IT
Girl:
Stop right there!
I gotta know right now!
Before we go any further --!
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest
of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make
me your
Wife?
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest
of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make
me your
Wife?
I gotta know right now
Before we go any further
Do you love me !!!?
Will you love me forever !!!?
o
Boy:
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
Ill give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
Ill give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
Ill give you an answer in the morning
Girl:
I gotta know right now!
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest
of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make
me your Wife?
“Paradise By the Dashboard Light” Meat Loaf (5)
I gotta know right now!
Before we go any further
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
What’s it gonna be boy?
Come on
I can wait all night
What’s it gonna be boy yes or no?
What’s it gonna be boy yes or no?
Boy:
Girl:
Will you love me forever?
Boy:
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Girl:
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
And I’ll give you an answer in the
morning
Boy:
Girl:
Will you make me so happy for the rest
of my life?
I gotta know right now!!!
Do you love me?
Boy:
Boy:
Let me sleep on it!!
Let me sleep on it
Girl:
Let me sleep on it Ill give you an answer
in the morning!! morning!!!!
Ill tell you in the morning!!!!!
“Paradise By the Dashboard Light” Meat Loaf (6)
Girl: Will you love me forever?
So now I’m praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
Cause if I gotta spend another minute with
you
I don’t think that I can really survive
Ill never break my promise or forget my
vow
But God only knows what I can do right
now
I’m praying for the end of time
Its all that I can do
Praying for the end of time, so I can end my
time
With you!!!
Boy: Let me sleep on it
Boy:
Girl: Will you love me forever?
It was long ago and it was far away
And it was so much better than it is today
Girl:
Will you take me away, will you make me
your wife?
Girl:
I gotta know right now
Before we go any further
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Boy: Let me sleep on it
o
III. PRAYING for the END of TIME
Girl:
Boy:
I couldn’t take it any longer
Lord I was crazed
And when the feeling came upon me
Like a tidal wave
I started swearing to my God and on my
mother’s grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore that I would love you to the end of
time!
It never felt so good
It never felt so right
And we were glowing like
A metal on the edge of a knife
“HIGH” TRACE ADKINS
Ain't no whiskey in this glass
Try not to smoke too many cigarettes
I stay away from Mary Jane
These are my choices
Ain't gonna judge you if you do
So don't you judge me if I don't
I got my reasons, my demons and my
past
But hey the truth is
Yeah the truth is
I get high
Drivin' down the freeway
Just knowin' that it's Saturday
And I got no place to be
I get high
Standin' in the spotlight
No words for what it feels like
When you sing these songs back to me
If you ask me now
I'll tell you this is how
I get high
Sometimes this world can be too much
Somedays I feel like bein' out of touch
And I see a sunset that takes my breath
away
And I find hope again
Set there and drink it in
I get high
Drivin' down the freeway
Just knowin' that it's Saturday
And I got no place to be
I get high
Standin' in the spotlight
No words for what it feels like
When you sing these songs back to me
And if you ask me now
I'll tell you this is how
I get high
I get high
Standin' in the spotlight
No words for what it feels like
When you sing my songs back to me
And if you ask me now
I'll tell you this is how
I get high
Yeah this is how I get high
“MY FRIENDS, MY FRIENDS” EDDIE MONEY
o Talkin’ ‘bout my t-shirts
and how they used to fit me
when I’m laughing with the
boys
Their spirits seemed to lift me
we were talking about ‘68 & ‘69
and all the things we did
it’s not that now we’re all that
old, but then
we were just the kids
my friends, my friends
never got together again but
I love my friends, my friends
o My memories are happy and
my memories are sad
But I love to take my pictures
out
and take the things I had
o My songs are not like my life
now
and it’s always true
me and my friends were
dreamers
dreaming all we do
o my friends, my friends
never got together again boy
I love my friends, my friends
o Oh, my friends, my friends
we never got together again
but
I love my friends, my friends
my friends, my friends
we never got together again
but
I really do miss my friends, my
friends
“IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU” EDDIE MONEY
On an afternoon
Near the end of June
We first met and fell in love
Being both too shy
Neither questioned why
It was all we could think of
So awkward at first
It was like a curse
You think you’ll never lose
But then you do
And it could happen to you
In a borrowed ride
White with power glide
We felt passion’s burning heat
With the static glow
Of the radio
Virgins struggled on the seat
(uh-huh)
Bathed in salty sweat
We were soaking wet
As the night turned purple blue
She took my heart
And it could happen to you
I was never more alive than within her
arms
Life was as complete as it could be
But being so much younger than you
think you are
Love can be so cruel in its struggle to be
free
On a vacation down
From a college town
I heard whispers in the street
She was seen about
Always hanging out
With some dude
She called real sweet
When I asked her why
She began to cry
It was all that she could do
She broke my heart
And it could happen to you
61
CAVEAT
62
PERSONAL MATTERS
WHILE I ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO WRITE ABOUT
EXPERIENCES THAT HAD SIGNIFICANTLY
AFFECTED THEIR LIVES
(which makes for better, more passionate writing)
PLEASE BEAR THE FOLLOWING IN MIND:
63
PERSONAL MATTERS
1) IF NECESSARY, I WILL BE THE ONLY PERSON
TO READ THE ESSAY; IN ESSENCE, I WILL BE
YOUR PEER EDITOR
2) YOU WILL NOT BE GRADED ON THE SUBJECT
MATTER—ONLY THE GRAMMATICAL AND
MECHANICAL ASPECTS OF THE ESSAY—SO
DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND THE GRADE AS A
VALUE JUDGMENT ON YOU