How was I at 8 years old?

My life at 8 years old... there's not a whole lot to it. I lived in Nebraska. At that point it was my second year in Lincoln, and life was pretty easy. I was largely ignorant of most of the world around me, though my memories are filled with nothing but the open playground, the smell of the fresh air, the humid summer breeze that carried the scent of alfalfa...

I was able to find joy in a lot of little things, especially when it came to pretend on the playground. Those are probably my fondest memories. Those with my friends, acting out our favorite cartoons, video games, and even just making something up. My mind was arguably out of this world. To this day, my focus remains scattered. Nothing kept my attention long, and I often fell asleep in class, eyes wide open, caught in a day dream of some far off place.

I tried to be considerate, yet I found myself saying stupid things when I didn't think them through, or not being able to come up with anything at all. I would stand face to face with my teachers, right in front of their desks as they interrogated me. As they continued to drill me about this or that, I made my subtle replies in my head, though I didn't dare speak what was going through my head. Even well thought out, that was a recipe for disaster. So, there I would stand. Silent. Staring. Unmoving. Finally they would give way and let me go, though another lecture was soon to follow in the coming weeks. Social awkwardness was prevalent in all areas during this time in my life. Not just with teachers, but with everyone.

I didn't care for school... still don't... that's where really most of my memories derive from, though, whether it be the playground, the classroom, or what have you. During that time in my life, that was all that was going on, and the next day to see my friends is what I lived for... and going to see what else we would have to do in class was the exact opposite.

So summed up, I was calm, quiet, very much to my own thoughts and imagination, and very much a people person, even though I didn't like directly interacting since I didn't really know how. Warm summer nights and the wide open sky fill my senses whenever I look back, and the street lights and night life from the car window were always a delight to observe. I wasn't perfect, but I wouldn't change me for anything.

A writer's perspective

So... here I am, writing from a writer's perspective... I really don't know what that means, to be honest. At least not right now. I guess it's something I'll have to learn over the next few months. I've always enjoyed writing, drawing, or doing really anything that could allow me to make something out of nothing. The power to create is by no means underrated in this world, though in certain areas I suppose it is.

In any case, I've been looking at my life from a third person point of view ever since I was about four years old, always narrating different segments of my life, as if my own experiences were being read back to me from a page. My emotions, circumstances, and even possible conclusions to situations would all be played back in my mind.

This has had it's downfalls, making me very secluded and introverted, but that's something I'm getting over fast, and I also have been able to really take a look at my life and the lives of others from different points of view. I've been working on not fantasizing about conversations that haven't happened, arguments that have no base, and making up things that would bother me. Great for books, not so much for real life. I've had to control my narrative tendencies, but at the same time, it's given me a great amount of ability when it comes to expressing myself on a page; in writing. That's where I can take all my thoughts, deliberated and edited, and pour them out as articulately as I can, and much better than what I would be able to do verbally on the spot, as I'm sure it would be for most people. That, too, I'm trying to get past, though.

In any case, my life is about to get very busy, and I consider myself very blessed for that. If it's one thing I can't stand, it's being idle and having nothing to do. I love having fun, but let's face it, here in Yuma there's not a whole lot to do without a group of creative people or a family of your own to tend to. Still, I'm excited for this next chapter in my life, and I'm excited about sharing it. Hopefully I can catch onto this whole "writer's perspective" thing if I haven't already. All in good time!