"Tarzan Toddler" by Bruce Steppes

My first memory I can recall happened when my mom took me and my three sisters to Kings Dominion for a family day trip. While sitting in my car seat sucking on a pacifier, I was excitedly watching my six and nine year old sisters wrestle each other for their new "Bop It" toy. My oldest sister, who was eighteen at the time, was sitting in the passenger seat blasting her headphones. As a legal adult, I'm sure she had zero patience for her kid sisters. I frowned upon being confined in a car seat, but I never let a simple seat belt keep me from having fun.

I'll admit, I was a girl version of Tarzan, and the car was my jungle. I remember my mom assigning a job to one of my sisters to make sure I stayed put. I'm sure at three I tried negotiating something with whoever was in charge. Since I was the youngest of four girls, I wanted to do all the fun things my older sisters got to do. I still tried, and I was guilty of most of my escapes because I was the ultimate busy body.

I did not believe in being still, and the fact that I knew we were on our way to the theme park made my case even more severe. My mom was forced to constantly look through her rear view mirror to make sure I was in my car seat, instead of in the trunk somewhere.

After about three hours of a painful car ride, my mom pulled into the Kings Dominion parking lot. After we got situated, we headed towards the park to start the fun. Cotton candy, funnel cake, and candy apples swirled in the air, making me more excited. We had a blast riding on the amusement rides and taking pictures with kid cartoons.

Towards the end of the day, we headed to the lazy river. We got changed in our bathing suits and we each grabbed a water tube. My mom of course stoppped me in my tracks and exchanged my tube for a turtle floatie that was uncomfortably larger than I was. I wiggled my way into the river and sat there like a duck while my sisters were freely splashing around.

Even though I did not always get my way, I had a blast with my family. Overall, it was a really great day.

"The Greatest Invention" by Tom Bombadil

I was once asked, “What do you think is the greatest invention ever created?”  My first thoughts were iPods, computers, and cell phones.  Those are all amazing life-changing inventions, but then I was told to stop, take a step back, and truly think.  I could live without my computer; there is paper.  I could survive without my iPod.  I could easily communicate without a cell phone; there are house phones and a postal system. 

            My friend who asked me this question told me to go home and think.  Just think until I thought of something I could not live without.  As I lay in bed that night, one thought swirled around my brain, preventing me from drifting off into oblivion.  What is one thing that is so amazing I could not survive or would be devastating to be without?  What is that greatest invention?

            Finally, I drifted off to sleep while having the weirdest dream. 

            “All of the items have arrived, Ms. -----,” a tiny robotic voice squeaked.  -----glanced down at the little white cubic robot, and patted its head.

            “Thank you, Sandrine.  I will be there momentarily to start the show.” This was the biggest show to date.  -----stood up from her vanity, straightened her little black dress and confidently walked toward the stage for another show of “What is the Greatest Invention?”  She stepped onstage to thunderous applause and blinding white lights.  “Welcome!  Welcome to another amazing episode of “What is the Greatest Invention?”  I am your host, -----.  Now, let’s see these inventions!”  Suddenly, fifteen items were rolled onto the stage.  “We are going to start with the first item.”  With a flourish, Sarah pulled off the black cloth that covered the large, oddly shaped invention.  “A car!  Is this the greatest invention?  Are there any naysayers?”

            “Ay.  What about a horse?  A horse can easily replace a car.  They are more fuel-efficient, though slower,” a voice rang out.  ----- nodded thoughtfully and moved onto the next item.  That was how the show worked.  The host would remove the cover from each item and if there was an alternative for the item, then the invention was not the winner.           

            “The next item is…a supermarket.”  ----- lifted up the mini model of a supermarket, complete with robotic people and mini cars. 

            “People used to scavenge.  Shopping is not a necessity.  Food can be found elsewhere.” 

            “The next item is a tissue,” ------ called out while lifting up a tissue from a podium, as the man who contradicted the supermarket as the greatest invention sat down, much to the audience’s dismay.  They clearly thought supermarkets were irreplaceable.  However, without fail a woman mentioned handkerchiefs and the tissue was placed back on its podium.  ----- asked the crowd, “What about email?” 

            “Back in the day, we wrote real letters with stationary.  None of this silly instant messaging thing.”  The audience turned its collective head and glared at the old woman until she sat down

            “Next, I have up here a bicycle!” 

            “Bah.  We can just walk!” 

            “What about an oven?”

            “I use a fire-pit.  It saves electricity and power.”

            “A pen?”

            “Pencil”

            “A plane?  This is one important invention that revolutionized war and trade!”

            “Ships are just as usable.”

            All the items were rejected one after another.  Sometimes ----- could only hold up the item, or a model, before the item was rejected.  This was one of the most ruthless shows.  ----- was nervous because there were only two items left on stage.  “There are two items left on stage.  If one of these is not the greatest invention, then the show will be back next week.  However, if one of these is the greatest, then the show will shift topics to the greatest type of shoe.  Now, let us see these two items.”  With that said, ----- whipped off the covers with a flourish.  As the covers fell, the crowd gasped.  There was a refrigerator which was quickly booed because people could easily use cold boxes.  The other item was—

            I awoke with a gasp.  I knew what the greatest invention ever invented was.  The invention was so obvious I was surprised I never thought of this item like that.  It is so common and always there that I take this item for granted.  What would I do without it?  The whole world could potentially collapse.  Well, maybe. 

            I called my friend, not caring my clock was flashing 3:10am.  I knew the answer.  “The greatest item is a chair!”  I almost shouted my answer due to my elation, but barely held back.  The answer was so easy.  Without chairs, where would I sit comfortably or write stories and read books.  How would I travel in cars or learn in schools?  This simple invention revolutionized the world but is never remembered.  Chairs exist all over from full luxurious thrones to hard painful rocks. 

            I will always remember the chair as the greatest invention, not because it is flashy or unique, but because without a chair, my feet would hurt from standing all day.     

"I Remember" by Forrest Gump

I remember jumping off of the boxes in our living room while dressed as a red power ranger and activating my cool power rangers wristband. I remember my Dad and I using a cardboard box as our breakfast table for our last meal ever before we left Florida. My Dad had made pancakes and we both managed to share the box and finish them up. I remember gathering up all of our things and putting them on the U-Haul and then going to the airport to board the plane. I remember waving goodbye as I said all of my friend's names just as the plane took off to fly over to Davis, West Virginia.

I remember learning how to golf and ski in West Virginia. I remember my first snow. I remember my first blizzard, the snow was taller than me. I remember gathering sticks and knocking down branches to gather wood for the fire place. I remember my friend had ruined all of my Play-Doh because he left the drawer open. I remember having to wash my hands and take off my shoes after immediately entering my grandmother's house every single time.  I remember driving my little red Jeep around the house so many times that I started making tracks in an oval shape around the house. I remember the three huge turkeys that landed on our driveway on the day of Thanksgiving. I remember going to New York, New Mexico, and Connecticut to visit my family.

I remember getting into my first car accident, and hopefully my last. I remember feeling helpless and despair. I remember not knowing what to do at first because I was stunned. I remember the feeling of my heart beat rapidly and all of my senses kick in and intensify. I remember the extreme sense of anger when I thought that things were just not right and just not fair at all. I remember the sense of confusion and the urge to say that you made a huge mistake, what are you doing. I remember the horrible realization that I had to come to thinking I am going to her car and I need to do something about this. I remember feeling helpless when the insurance company claimed my car was totaled and beyond repair. I remember... 

"My First Memory" by Lola Lane

"What is your first memory?"

I hate this question. Does anyone really, truly know their first memory? Probably not. I have a lot of memories, but I couldn’t tell you my first. However, I have an answer to the “my first memory” question, so I don’t look lame at parties. I was around four, which I know doesn’t fit scientifically because apparently I was supposed to have my first memory by two, but, alas, my first remembered memory was at four. It was a dreary, rainy day. It must have been a Saturday, because my dad wasn’t working and my mom was. As my dad had to handle two crazy kids on a rainy day, he decided to take us to a movie. I remember we went to “Mom’s Apple Pies” first, and I got a smiley face cookie. This wasn’t just any cookie. This was the kind of cookie you bow down to. You see, when I was a child, my father wouldn’t buy as anything that was considered excessive. The answer to any cool toy, concession, or cookie was a solid “no”. So, you can see my excitement at being able to procure such a magnificent cookie.

I thought my life could not get any better, but then it did. My dad took us to the movies, the movies! It was the “Wizard of Oz”. I like to think that this is where my first memory kicked in. The colors in the movie were so vivid and pretty, I was fascinated. Specifically, I remember watching Dorothy just strutting her stuff, and then I remember an urge to eat my cookie. Once I started thinking about the cookie, I couldn’t stop. I had to find a way to eat it, without getting reprimanded. This wouldn’t have been THAT big of a deal if my father hadn’t told me to hide the cookie when going into the theater, as so it would not be confiscated from my gluttonous clutches. This was crucial; I hid that cookie well.

But now, I really wanted to eat the cookie, so very badly. I didn’t want to get caught, at all. I was a good kid, I knew the difference between right and wrong. I knew what happened on “Lizzie McGuire” when she gets in trouble; she gets a detention. This was much bigger than detention, though. This could mean jail, or worse. But the cookie was smiling at me. It looked so good and sunshine-y yellow. I still had the taste of vanilla with a hint of lemon in my mouth from the piece I had eaten before the movie started. I had to have it. 

So, I thought the only way I could get away with this horrible act, was to make sure not a soul saw me. I found my chance, and took it. I slowly lowered myself to the gross, grimy, floor that belonged to the theater. I couldn’t care less; I was in a safe haven to eat my cookie with a calm mind. When my dad saw me, I remember passing it off like I was hiding my eyes from the terrifying flying monkeys. I felt like such an outlaw, but that was outweighed by the delicious taste of victory, with just the slightest hint of lemon. I wish I could say that this experience helped me lead a life of being a cool kid who breaks all the rules, but it didn’t. Life moved on, I became a good kid, and this memory has always been identified as my first.  

"Hampton" by Calvin Wintertown

         My Dad and I pull into the driveway. My joints ache, I can't feel my feet. I wish I could say the same about my rear, sore from a near-4 hour drive south from home. I'm in Hampton, Virginia, where the July afternoons are hot and muggy, the roads are pale and cracked concrete, and life is slow. Nobody rushes down here. Its life in the Northern part of the state that makes one forget what the south is; that Virginia is the south. The hustle and bustle of metropolitan and suburban life makes a person stiff, grey, edgy and anxious; yet tired. Tired of the grind and zero time for family a feeling I know all too well after seeing my parents coming home day after day, and so I’ve prayed that life will not be my fate. It's a destiny accepted by too many kids raised in the tumult of big business- and frankly- small excitement. That being said, a city kid like me might be shocked at what some miles away from home can do to create a whole new world. They say the south has its troubles; you've got your good areas and the bad, as with anywhere else in this country, but there’s a pleasant simplicity about it. Especially here, the people are surprisingly happy considering they aren't so well off, in comparison to even the lower middle class of their northern citizen counterparts. You wouldn't expect that all of these people, who you see flocking small family eateries, laughing and conversing and exuding pure joy in life, were struggling in the recession that affects us all. In a town that visually looks like it’s been hit the hardest, it's family-oriented spirit and deep-rooted southern hospitality has never been stronger. If you live here, you know everyone, and everyone knows you- a sense of community could not be more clearly defined. Despite the occasional tragedy that plagues the nightly news, the sun always seems to shine with extra radiance in this low lying beach town of Hampton, Virginia.

         And so with a little background knowledge of my surroundings, it is time to return to my situation as I try to pry my creaky joints out of this metal trap of pure discomfort and make my way up to the front porch to ring the doorbell of this place which is to be my lodging for the next two nights.

         Stepping out of the vehicle, I make my way up to the front porch of the house. Before I even get the chance to knock on the front door, it’s already opened - and behind it stands an old man, pot bellied and generally unkempt. It’s evident that he’s spent his Sunday on the couch watching TV, and by the smell of it, smoking a pipe. Despite his age, he stands with the posture of one thirty years younger, characteristic of a military man. He lacks that tired and stale look in his eyes as you would expect from the elderly. Through the lens of his glasses you can see a glassy array of green and gold. The light dances in sparks with a brightness that is made even more apparent when paired with his current expression. The man in the door smiles wide as he lets out a chuckle that can only be identified to him; a chuckle that I know all too well every time I make a visit.

         As I return his smile, he says to me in a cheery, southern drawl,

 “Well hey there sugar! How ya been? It's been too long since I last seen ya, grown like a weed as usual!”

         My grandpa grabs me into a big bear hug, the same ones I've been given since I was barely four feet tall. The hug smells like tobacco and cologne, something I'm all too familiar with and will never forget about him. As my dad makes his way up to where we are, my grandpa's focus shifts to him and we move into the living room where I spend the evening listening to stories about the day's round of golf and the old days of the Navy.

"Moments" by El Suenador

Trees. The morning begins with this one sound of the slow rustle of trees circling the hill. The leaves barely brush each other, but the sound echoes across the cement deck and through the umbrellas and the chipped lane lines, making them to sway side to side on their weak cables. Nothing moves except the trees. As light fills the sky, the sun can catch a glimpse of little dots swarming around the water and diving in one by one. Suddenly, the scene can be likened to Grand Central Station as the water splashes the sky, gossip blooms and travels in corners and screams are directed at the little dots in the water.  The scarcity of neighbors is no mystery. At this early in the morning, normal people are dreaming away with the sun creeping in through cracks and crevices. But for us little dots, we are blinded and drowned in the sun and water and the sound of people.

Then, just as they entered, the dots slowly retreat from the water and disappear back through the gate. The water slowly drips back from the sky and splatters the deck. The stubborn lane lines fight with the water and each other, but most of all us, as they are rolled back into place. Car doors slam and tires crunch away to the bright green, yellow and red lights down the road. The crystal water becomes so still, it seems like a painting waiting for the jump. Patches of short grass seem to be reaching towards the sky, threatening for you to come and prick your feet. Chlorine hangs in the air and to our suits, overcoming even the smell of sizzling pizza for lunch in the life guard shack.

These are the moments that belong to few people in the world. It is the opportunity to take the remote control and pause your life, rub your eyes from staring at the screen for too long, step back and look around. Where one can sit back and watch the earth and sky move.

For me, all the hubbub of even summer days disappeared like the dots and my only worry in the world was if I was cherishing the moment enough. These moments belonged to me for a short time. A few others and I had the privilege to lounge in the shade and have our wrinkled skin be seared by the hot plastic, and watch the sky and the earth move together. These slow ticks between Grand Central Station mode and patience practice with little children and floaties; they belonged to us too.

A few ticks later, the moment would be gone just as fast as it came and flip flops would scrape the cement once more. Noodles and melting kickboards would be dragged toward the edge of the waiting water. But for that short time, the pool was ours. The water, the grass, the trees- all ours to share and treasure. Day after day, month after month while the noodles drooped lower and the kickboards became as soft as playdoh. These days lingered and escaped every night until the gates were clicked and closed, the water concealed and the dots walk sluggishly down the road home. The moment stays until the deck becomes a graveyard for tent skeletons and the trees lose their rustling leaves to the autumn wind.