Short Stories

Louisiana

In this short story I was able to pull a lot of personal experience into the writing which made it a lot more impact for myself. I was able to write about one of my favorite places on earth which is Louisiana and how it makes me feel. I’ve always found comfort in the South. It holds a very special spot for me spiritually and emotionally, and I believe Southern hospitality is such an amazing value that the people have and, I was able to showcase this. Also, I was able to tell a bit of my mom’s story and how she battled with her identity because of her unknown birth father. My mom always told me that she felt like a part of her was missing that she could never put a finger on. She learned to fill the void of her fathers absence with other family and friends but always felt difference. It was not until later in her adult life (about five years ago) when she discovered her biological father and after the discovery a whole new part of her life was unveiled for better and for worse. In Louisiana the main character Maggie is presented with a similar situation.

Intelligent

This story is also very personal to me. The reader is presented with a girl in the classroom as she struggles to complete her assignment. She feels abnormal compared to the other kids because she is the last one in the room. Her teacher is not very understanding of Macey and believes that if she payed attention more that she would be more successful and not behind. Ever since this day, Macey has felt insecure about her intellectual abilities and believes that she is not smart and will never be capable of being smart. She is no longer motivated in school and become weary of it. However, through a positive teacher figure he challenges Macey in a positive way that activates a side of her brain that she never knew she had before. She learns that her brain isn’t dumb, it just works differently than most. Macey feels smart for the first time in her life and is able to feel like she has the right to learn. For me, one of my biggest insecurities has always been my Dyslexia. I’ve felt ashamed and discouraged about my learning challenges and it effected my younger years a lot. For a long time believed that I was dumb and incapable of learning. I often got underestimated on my knowledge. But, through the years I’ve learned to cope with it and not let it get in the way of my life. Through having positive teachers and parents I am able to feel smart and worthy which is amazing and I’m so grateful for that.