Narrative Moment

Nick Bolyard
Mrs. Fitz
A.P. English Period 3
12 October 2009
Narrative Moment: Experiences
Throughout the course of my life, there have been several crucial moments that have made me a better person. Some of these experiences have been here in Columbus, at what I consider Mammaw and Pappaw’s house. While others have been in my dad’s hometown of Grafton, West Virginia, what I consider Mammy and Poppy’s house. My life has revolved around these two settings. The idea of a close knit family has been a vital part of my growth to what I have become.
One of the major experiences I have had is Memorial Day in Grafton, West Virginia. An annual event for my family has been to wake up early to the smell of French toast, bacon, and pancakes. After waking up in the morning, we could smell the food from the other side of the house. The smell of the French toast on the toaster, fresh homemade pancakes, and the bacon gave us something to look forward to. The dining room table would be full of food, and beverages such as orange juice, chocolate and white milk, and coffee. The breakfast was always homemade, and was always made by the love and care of my grandmother’s hands. Memorial Day would have never been the same without the healthy and delicious meal.
After going downtown for the annual Grafton Memorial Day parade, we would venture back to Mammy and Poppy’s house for a family cookout. . Typically, the cookout would last from eleven in the morning, to four or five in the evening. During the cookout, there would always be good food, a lot of family members, and of course, our annual family football game. During the cookout, brats, hot dogs, and hamburgers would be cooked on the grill, while the potato and macaroni salads would be made inside, along with the dessert. The smell in the kitchen and the sight of all of the great food could have the ability to sweep someone off their feet because of how good it was. This cookout was just beginning, and had a lot in store.
While the dinners would be cooked, about twenty or thirty of the family members there, including myself, would go to the clear space in the backyard and play our annual football game. This is an important part of the cookout because this brought the family closer together. Playing football not only made us work together, but we were on teams with people that live in other states that would only been seen at this event. The football game was a lot of fun. There would be an occasional injury, occasional mud game, but that would not stop the game. This game would typically be played before dinner, the first half, and after dinner, or the second half. This game made me better not only as an athlete, but as a citizen in the United States, and as a man. The improvement I received was due to the amount of teamwork playing football would take, and the leadership of helping the “little one’s.”
Finally, the day would conclude with an overall gathering. The sounds of laughing, the sight of an occasional tear in the remembrance of one lost in the previous year, the smell of the left over food, and the taste in your mouth from the food and the game were key memories for us. During the gathering, there would be a war story, a “when I was your age” story, and of course the “my high school years were…” I learned from all this that one man or woman does not make a family or team, but all men and women make the family, and we are all of equal importance. This is something I will always remember.