Day of Deadline: Amy was right under my nose the whole time.
I was getting picked up from CWC and on my way home when I saw a woman walking out of the track field, putting on old headphones and tucking them under a sky blue ski hat. She turned her head to cross the road and walked behind our passing car.
I thought:
Heh. That woman looks just like my Aunt Virgina. hm.
I shrugged it off for a split second, till suddenly, I slammed on the mental breaks of my train of thought and came to a screeching halt.
My mind slams to the back of my head, as if the car had suddenly accelerated, I whip around as if she held some magnet that pulled me backwards as the van passed her. Everything froze and the world almost stopped, just like when Peter Parker's spidey senses kick in and he watches everything move in exagerrated detail and long sound waves, and I think:
Amy looks like Aunt Virgina.
I cut my moms speech about PathMark off and whirl back. "IS THAT AMY?" but it was too late. the car was already a block away. Like they say in Big Fish, After time slows down it speeds up to make up for itself.
Well, except the part where im going to marry Amy. Besides, this isnt the first time I've seen her. Its only the second.
"Amazing isnt it? How someone you've known for that little amount of time can change your life so much" my mom said, distracting me from my dissapointed gaze out the window. I was so close.
Mom says I affect people that way too. She reminded, "Dont get a big head about it. Knowing it might make you lose your humbility... uhh... humbleness...? ...you know"
But with all of that before she studdered, she was right. I havent looked at the world the same again since I met Go Ask Alice at age 51. and I never will.
I constantly wonder if, as she passed my school, she remembered me. She thought of that 16 year old from BSHS who she talked to. I wonder if she regrets talking so much. She did say a lot that she constantly went back "BUT your only 16 so im not gonna get into that". I hope she doesn't. Tho it was her demeanor that made me notice her, It was her story that really inspired me.
I wonder what she'll say when she sees my hair. I remember how she told me to get my bangs out of my face and immediatly corrected herself "Sorry dude i probably sound like your mother" I laughed. Cuz she really didnt.
I wonder what she'll say when i tell her i placed 4th in the ehtnic pen contest with an essay all about her. She'll probably roll her eyes and mumble "what did i do" because shes humble like that.
It esspecially sucks that I find her today. I just set my EMT story up for good, my interview is schduled and im getting a huge break since not just the STORY but the PAGE that its on is all due today. Fish understood my problem, he knew ive been making phone calls for 3 weeks, so he let me off with a "You know you have to have it all in Tuesday" which, he didnt even have to say, because I know more then anyone how much you are verbally torn apart and nagged when you miss deadlines.
Imagine trying to finish a cartoon as every 3 seconds you are asked by someone different if youre done yet. Then imagine the 20 questions you get when you tell an award winning journalist like them: "Nope not yet".
This all continues for 4 hours and 5 cartoons later. And you want to cut yourself till you bleed to death, which, death kinda sucks, but more importantly, your ears dont work. And thats the brightside making it worth considering.
Hopefully, the EMT story will come out fine and I can search for Amy endlessly at the track. Day or Night. Morning or Afternoon. Storm or shine. Weekdays, weekends, maybe just fridays. I dont know what day, when, or how, or even why she goes... i only know the Who and Where.
Hey, its a better lead then:
"Well shes somewhere in the Town of Islip, i know...think...assume"
I will find her. I wont let this hero go unknown.
Not like this. Not with the oppertunitys we have to affect others.
Im not trying to exploit her tho. It isnt dirty laundry, I wouldnt write it anything like that. Id even keep it anon. [Id have to. I only know her first name anyway] I just cant let this inspirational story sit on a live journal, for no one [but tara] to read.
Besides, Itd be selfish not to, anyway. Why me? Why just me?
Why am I the only teenager whos straight edge who was affected?
When there are so many others just like me who might end up just like her?
How can I just take the lesson and leave the other child behind?
What, am I supposed to just leave this untold story untold? Am I supposed to throw this all away? Like a small fish? When, in actuality, this IS a Big Fish Story, but its a true one! How often do you find those?
But, the first out of the 5 question words Fishon told us to always find out before one gets the story, I must know:
Where in the world...
is Amy?
I thought:
Heh. That woman looks just like my Aunt Virgina. hm.
I shrugged it off for a split second, till suddenly, I slammed on the mental breaks of my train of thought and came to a screeching halt.
My mind slams to the back of my head, as if the car had suddenly accelerated, I whip around as if she held some magnet that pulled me backwards as the van passed her. Everything froze and the world almost stopped, just like when Peter Parker's spidey senses kick in and he watches everything move in exagerrated detail and long sound waves, and I think:
Amy looks like Aunt Virgina.
I cut my moms speech about PathMark off and whirl back. "IS THAT AMY?" but it was too late. the car was already a block away. Like they say in Big Fish, After time slows down it speeds up to make up for itself.
Well, except the part where im going to marry Amy. Besides, this isnt the first time I've seen her. Its only the second.
"Amazing isnt it? How someone you've known for that little amount of time can change your life so much" my mom said, distracting me from my dissapointed gaze out the window. I was so close.
Mom says I affect people that way too. She reminded, "Dont get a big head about it. Knowing it might make you lose your humbility... uhh... humbleness...? ...you know"
But with all of that before she studdered, she was right. I havent looked at the world the same again since I met Go Ask Alice at age 51. and I never will.
I constantly wonder if, as she passed my school, she remembered me. She thought of that 16 year old from BSHS who she talked to. I wonder if she regrets talking so much. She did say a lot that she constantly went back "BUT your only 16 so im not gonna get into that". I hope she doesn't. Tho it was her demeanor that made me notice her, It was her story that really inspired me.
I wonder what she'll say when she sees my hair. I remember how she told me to get my bangs out of my face and immediatly corrected herself "Sorry dude i probably sound like your mother" I laughed. Cuz she really didnt.
I wonder what she'll say when i tell her i placed 4th in the ehtnic pen contest with an essay all about her. She'll probably roll her eyes and mumble "what did i do" because shes humble like that.
It esspecially sucks that I find her today. I just set my EMT story up for good, my interview is schduled and im getting a huge break since not just the STORY but the PAGE that its on is all due today. Fish understood my problem, he knew ive been making phone calls for 3 weeks, so he let me off with a "You know you have to have it all in Tuesday" which, he didnt even have to say, because I know more then anyone how much you are verbally torn apart and nagged when you miss deadlines.
Imagine trying to finish a cartoon as every 3 seconds you are asked by someone different if youre done yet. Then imagine the 20 questions you get when you tell an award winning journalist like them: "Nope not yet".
This all continues for 4 hours and 5 cartoons later. And you want to cut yourself till you bleed to death, which, death kinda sucks, but more importantly, your ears dont work. And thats the brightside making it worth considering.
Hopefully, the EMT story will come out fine and I can search for Amy endlessly at the track. Day or Night. Morning or Afternoon. Storm or shine. Weekdays, weekends, maybe just fridays. I dont know what day, when, or how, or even why she goes... i only know the Who and Where.
Hey, its a better lead then:
"Well shes somewhere in the Town of Islip, i know...think...assume"
I will find her. I wont let this hero go unknown.
Not like this. Not with the oppertunitys we have to affect others.
Im not trying to exploit her tho. It isnt dirty laundry, I wouldnt write it anything like that. Id even keep it anon. [Id have to. I only know her first name anyway] I just cant let this inspirational story sit on a live journal, for no one [but tara] to read.
Besides, Itd be selfish not to, anyway. Why me? Why just me?
Why am I the only teenager whos straight edge who was affected?
When there are so many others just like me who might end up just like her?
How can I just take the lesson and leave the other child behind?
What, am I supposed to just leave this untold story untold? Am I supposed to throw this all away? Like a small fish? When, in actuality, this IS a Big Fish Story, but its a true one! How often do you find those?
But, the first out of the 5 question words Fishon told us to always find out before one gets the story, I must know:
Where in the world...
is Amy?