As a child my parents made me go to every family reunion and I hated it. But this has got to be one of the worst family reunion vacations I’ve ever went on. So I was about nine or ten and my fathers side of the family was having there reunion in South Carolina. My mother, father, cousins, siblings and I drove down there which takes about ten hours. After a long stressful ride we finally get to our hotel. My family reunion is about a week long. Everyday of the week we have different activities for us to do as a group which used to be really fun. As our trip was coming to an end we spend our last day at my great grandparents house. I was amazed on how big my family is. While all of the adults where inside the house the kids played outside around the house. People who live down south knows that when It gets dark outside it is pitch black. Us kids decided to play tag in the backyard. My cousin Celeste was “it”. As she was chasing everyone around the house, not paying attention and because it was pitch black I didn’t see the ditch. Five seconds after I was able to climb out of the mud. It was disgusting, I had mud everywhere, bugs everywhere on me and I ended up lossing a shoe. I remember I began to just cry hard to the point I had a headache. I didn’t want to be around anyone but my mother. One of my cousin ended up going to get her and she was crying drastically as any mother would when their child is hurt. This was one memory I could never forget.

This story is about when I was playing football in high school. I was debating on if I should join my high school football team at the time I really loved playing; even though I still do just not as much as before okay so first day of practice I started late everyone else been there for a week before I decided to join so everyone just looking at me like who this little kid cause at this point of time I was really short no one on the team really liked me. I didn’t really care as time went on I could still tell that no one liked me on the team; I thought of quitting the team because I didn’t get along with me teammates. I decided to stay on the team and not care who like me or not until me and one of the players got into a fight because I was going to take his starting position on the team. He really didn’t like me after that because he was like what this kid is new to the team how come he taking my spot. After the little altercation we both got suspended for two games and I didn’t want to sit out so I decided to stop playing for the team cause I didn’t feel like any of it was my fault.

Elementary school, the last time school was really fun. It was a hot summer day, we were out in the yard for recess. We played everything, tag, asses up, kick the can, man hunt, and red light green light; also I can’t forget we played all sports, ALL. This one day we decided to play tag. Our favorite place to play, was in the ally way. For some reason the teachers didn’t monitor us there as much. The fence and the step was the base, and if you went out the yard you would be “it.” I remember holding on to the fence as the “it” chased after someone. I made a mad dash to free someone, when a foot came out of nowhere. Head down on my hand and knees, I remember wanting to find out who tripped me. As I raised me head all I heard was oooo, ahhhhs, and omg. I remember wiping my face thinking it was sweat, but my hand was the brightest red I had ever seen. One kid said your blood splashed me when you picked your head up. The whole time I’m thinking I cant be hurt I’m not in pain nor was I crying. As the teachers arrived, one  grabbed a shirt and held it to my face, and rushed me to the nurses office. As the nurse removed the shirt of my face in the bathroom that is when the pain kicked in. I started crying instantly. The nurse then handed me a phone, when I answered it was my dad; which, made me cry even more. When my dad arrived he took me to the hospital. Seventeen stiches later and a scare for life I went back in search to find the foot. Not one person seen who the foot belonged to. But I did get the t-shirt with my blood on it from when I picked up my head and sprayed everyone around.

When I travel to Mexico there is at least something weird or something scary that has to happen. But this last time I went, I want to say God was with us (my mother and I), saving us from things that could of occurred from being dangerous. As I was traveling with my mom, and moms boyfriend and my cousin to Puebla, a state in south-central Mexico, a beautiful place. My moms boyfriend told us to “be careful don’t let your guard down” that wasn’t scary to me; since I’m already use to someone telling me the exact words when coming to Mexico. As we walked to a block to reach a motel a group of men walk by us, making my mother and I terrified. “hey you kid, what are you staring at!”.. oh no please no not today!… my cousin was making eye contact with them from the moment they passed! My cousin is stubborn and doesn’t like people telling him what to do especially if it means to stay quiet; he’s not a fighter but he just loves to be right all the time. But when it went down to this my cousin kept a straight face we pulled him so we can walk away, we apologized as well; but my cousin was still staring and they kept coming closer, “hey kid, see if you wipe that expression of your face…oh so you want to keep it that way..” gosh!?.. no that man took out a knife..my heart raced, I looked at my mom; I didn’t want to lose anyone like this. The mans crew told him, ” don’t waste your time with them let’s go”.. The man would say, ” no, no, no, I want to show this punk to not mess with me, you see that he’s mocking me…nobody..nobody!! mocks me!!”. My mom in the background you can hear her begging for the man to not harm “us”. Thankfully one of the guys convinced the man to not harm “us” so we rushed to a motel and calmed my mother. That night, my mother and I slept on the same bed; we prayed together for our safety and for those that we care about. Two weeks later, we went to a village called Acatlán de Osorio, we spent almost three weeks there at my grandmas house without any trouble. But one day my mother and I, as well as my cousin were invited for a late dinner over at the center of the village. As we were having a blast it was already 1 AM, and we were suppose to be home an hour ago. My grandma lives on a hill, so it takes a few minutes to go up there. As we walked you can hear crickets and the fresh breeze that blows in your ears, its not pitch black because we have street lights but you are still able to see the stars; as we peacefully walk almost half the hill, from a far distance we hear glass shatter, our block was clear and clean of glass. A car turns around from the next block and drives up the hill crashing into lamppost and a electric post.We realized the man driving was drunk, as he came to our direction both my mom and I, and cousin realized this was time to run, run as far as you can!! my mom ran across the street and I still ran in the same direction that the car was chasing me with my cousin, my mom kept yelling, “KATHLEEN!! MICHAEL!! COME THIS WAY!! COME THIS WAY!!”. For some reason I couldn’t do what was asked I was in a ” fight or flight” moment , I wasn’t thinking straight either and I’m assuming my cousin as well.  While we were still running the driver almost caught up to us, but he crashed into my grandmothers electric post and the sparks flew everywhere and over my grandmas house, nearly touching my cousin and I, but her extended rooftop blocked it from happening.. It looked like a hard crash because the drunk driver couldn’t remove its car from the post, when it did it stepped on gas and ran down the hill to the next block disappearing (hit and run). My mom, my cousin and I  were gasping for air..but I was so scared I ended up crying, so did my cousin. It was the first time something like a life or death situation ever happened.

It was a lovely Sunday evening in Brooklyn. Birds chirping sun shining as I’m singing, dancing and cooking. That day I decided to cook myself some tilapia fish. What I did was make the mistake of  allowing it to sit out before I ate it. I didn’t feel the effects right then when I ate it. I felt the effects the next morning when I awoke. I was throwing up everywhere  it was coming from every hole imaginable. I don’t know how many of you guys have ever had food poisoning, but that was the worst experience and feeling in my life. I would not wish that on my worst enemy. It was so bad that I could not make it to the hospital one block away from my house. I had to call an EMT. Once I got to the emergency room I still was throwing up had, to drink some milky white liquid to help settle my stomach. That day I believe I threw up for exactly 12 hours straight. After the 12th hour once I finally stopped throwing up and was able to leave the emergency room. I was just so weak and just could not believe the day that I just had, all because of some fish. The moral of this story is I have never cooked Seafood again.

It was a stormy day, i woke up alone in my room. I looked around the room to see if anyone else was there with me.  5 minutes passed and and that’s when I noticed I was all alone. At this time i was only about 11 years old; so i eas terrified to br alone. I soon turned on the TV so the room wouldn’t be at complete silence. I waited about 20 minutes for someone to come home ; it felt lile hours passed by. After another 10 minutes I finally heard the door nob being open. The door soon slowly widens, I then see kt was just my mom coming in. I was just so releaved. She then tells me to go into tbe kitchen, i then wondered why? I didnt really question her, so I did as she told me. As i go out side I see my dad standing there with my older couisn; they were holding a huge tank. They told me too look inside, so I did. I couldn’t beleive my eyes! It was my very first pet sitting inside of it; it was an adorable turtle! Right away I named it cookie since its shell reminded me of one.

The night before graduation I laid out my cap and gown across my bed and reality finally hit me that I was finally graduating high school. Due to the fact that both of my sisters were teen moms and, only one of my two sisters went onto finishing high school and went on to college. Many in my family expected the same from me, that I would become a teen mom and never finish high school on time. But there I was the day of graduation in my white cap and gown, I had imagined the day of graduation over a hundred times throughout my senior year, but I couldn’t believe it was finally happening. Before the ceremony began my classmates and I got ready in our economic classroom, everyone was in such high spirits. We all showed each other our caps and how we ended up decorating them. All I could hear from my classmates is “we did it !” ” This is it ! the moment is finally here !” and “I just want my diploma and I’m out !”. We were all very excited and anxious to graduate, for senior was a lot of stress. Between the college application process, class assignments and my crazy economics teacher Ms.Bienavides we were more then ready to graduate.  As the ceremony began only a hand full of us, including myself, received academic awards and certificate of honors . As my classmates who didn’t receive any kind of award sat in their seats I couldn’t help but feel some what bad. But then I thought everyone is going to be acknowledge once they call our names for when we get our diplomas individually and walk the stage. Just like we had rehearsed over and over again the day before. But to my surprise no ones name was called,as we stood in the rows I saw my classmates simply walking the stage and being handed rolls of paper tied with a ribbon on it without anyone’s name being called. I looked around in disbelief of what was happening. When it came to my turn to walk the stage I waited to be called by my guidance counselor. But all she did was give this rather fake smile and clapped . Eventually my classmates called out ” Dina walk ! you’re holding us up”. As I walked the stage I looked out the audience to my mother, my sister and my cousin clapping and cheering my name. Seeing their reaction and the excitement on their faces made me happy for a brief moment . As I sat down for the rest of the ceremony I couldn’t help but to feel angry, how could they not call our names when we walked up to get our diplomas ? . I found it unfair to my classmates who didn’t receive an award because they weren’t acknowledged at all, it’s like they didn’t even graduate . As the ceremony ended and we were announced the graduating class of 2017. All my classmates and I screamed ” we made it, finally !”. The seats emptied and everyone rushed to find their family and friends for pictures. Though It was a very happy moment, in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but to think what my school did to us wasn’t right . Though I wasn’t surprised due to the fact, that the four years I attended school there my school administrators were always up to sneaky things. Such as changing test grades so that they could get students to graduate, extending due dates on assignments for some students only and allow students to make a whole marking period worth of work by doing one assignment.

Later on that weekend, while at dinner at Sugar Factory that my friends mom treated us too to celebrate . While dogging down my pasta alfredo, my cousin got a text message from a mutual friend from school of ours. My cousin’s jaw quickly dropped in disbelief ” ohhh my god” she said with her mouth full of her bacon cheese burger. I was too busy eating to care until my cousin handed me her phone . On the phone I saw a picture of my graduation ceremony of my principal handing one of my classmates a rolled up piece of paper and shaking their hand. The article said “Principal gives teen who cut class an easy pass”. I soon discovered that the article was meant to expose the wrong doings of my school and them grade fixing grades on students transcripts . In the article it explained how grade fixing has been an issue around most high schools in NYC to help boost a high schools graduation rates. In the article it also explained how my principal allowed for a student to make up work for a class he cut regularly in one sitting in front of computer in a few periods days before graduation. The article went on to talk about our graduation ceremony and the students at my school. And the time my classmates got caught with a group chat sharing other students work. Once I finished reading the article I turned to my cousin and said ” Did we really make it ?”. After reading that article, I lost my appetite I wasn’t hungry anymore. I couldn’t help but feel like my graduation ceremony was all an act because of the way the article drew my school out. The article made it seem like all the students at my school cheated their way to graduate and that wasn’t the case at all, a lot of us worked really hard all senior year to graduate.

For this activity, simply tell us a story about something that happened to you in the past. It could have happened recently, or a long time ago. It can be funny, sad, scary… even boring. Just as long as it’s about you (use “I”) and it happened before today, you’re good to go! Be sure to check the Tell me a story… category box before hitting Publish.