Some stories are told with words, like this word cloud I've filled with things that are important to me, things that make me happy, things I do in my spare time, and people I admire.
Some stories are told more with pictures, like this map of the place where I grew up.
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But I love the stories that simply make up the lives of regular people. These are the stories we hear from our friends, and the stories we create as we live our lives. Sure, I like the stories I read, the stories I play in video games, and the stories I see in movies, but they're not necessarily my favorite stories.
I like to think of the stories I've made in my lifetime and "perfect" days. Like one day this past summer during my time studying Japanese in Tokyo. I had the chance to meet up with a friend who lives in Tokyo, and she showed me the kind of day one expects to have when you study abroad. We ate Japanese food, played games in arcades, walked down crowded streets lined with stores, and even happened upon a festival we had no idea was happening until the celebration was right on top of us. Even though we got on wrong trains, the weather was unbearably hot and humid, and by the end of it I was so tired I could barely see straight, it was my perfect kind of day.
Even more than that, though, are the average stories. The days where I just wake up, go to class, eat food, meet up with friends, and do homework are still part of the story.
And that's the sort of thing I like to surround myself with.
Heather I would first like to say I love your blog design it is very nice and education friendly! I enjoyed reading about your experience in Tokyo, it sounded like a fun experience even with the few unpredictable events. Since you went to Tokyo do you speak Japanese? And if so do you plan on using it in your future classroom?
ReplyDeleteMorgan Johnson
I do speak some Japanese (although, it's no where near as good as it was when I was living in Japan!) and I would really like to use it in my future classroom. I'd really like to go to Japan and teach English to middle schoolers for a while, and then come back and hopefully integrate learning languages and learning about other cultures in my classroom.
DeleteThat's so awesome that you got to study in Japan!! I hope you do get to bring back a bit of that culture to share with American kids -- it would provide them with a great point of balance :) You would get along splendidly with my roommate; she and I are also fans of John Green, & she likes Neil Gaiman. Do you watch John's Brotherhood 2.0 videos, or just read his books?
ReplyDeleteI'm a HUGE fan of Brotherhood 2.0 (DFTBA!) :D I watched the videos before I read his books, but now I'm a huge fan of both.
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