Reference no: EM133511287

Case Study: My days are slow, and this is what I wish for everybody. I go out and get groceries but am often reminded of how estranged I feel in this society. The drive to the store is only about 5 minutes, but the stop and go traffic often makes it feel longer. Still, I am grounded, I am present. I sing my sons favorite song, Old McDonald has a farm, with confidence that he'll join in. I hit the first stop light and hear "e i e i o" coming from the seat behind me, being added to my already sung chorus. I stop singing and smile for a moment before continuing on. We sing about all the animals his sweet little voice is capable of copying; the sounds of horses, ducks, dogs, and sheep, and of course his personal favorite, cows. I straighten my posture to gain enough inches to see him in the rear-view mirror. His face is lit up as it always is when we sing; big brown eyes creased at the corners and eyebrows raised above them. I could stare at him in the mirror for a lifetime, but I have to concentrate on the road.

We reach the next stop light and I admire the trees to the right of us. A row of pines, swaying back and forth, dancing to the words of the wind. He's still in the back singing the infamous song, repeating the cow verse over and over until I chime in to suggest a different animal. I'm interrupted by a loud perturbing noise, a car laying on their horn behind me. I look up and the light is green, the car in front of me barely 10 feet ahead. It must've just changed. After we reach the store and unbuckle, we look for one of the green carts; the ones shaped like cars that my toddler pretends to steer as we race down empty aisles. "CAR CART" he says, with an exclamation of excitement, as we see one in the short distance parked to the side of the store. He hops inside. We pick out produce; red juicy strawberries and crisp jumbo blueberries, spring mix for salads and sweet baby carrots for snacks. I smile at strangers as they glance in my direction, but often get a glare in return. We finish grabbing everything on the list but don't leave before stopping at the train. Wegmans, the grocery store we often frequent, has a huge automatic toy train hanging from the ceiling that never fails to bring my two-year old joy. We stand and watch it for a solid 5 minutes, all the train carts connected to one another as they go around the track. His favorite cart is the one with cows. We point to it with every lap.

We find a line to check-out. There's one customer ahead of us, which seemed about the same as the other lines. While waiting, I hear a lady complaining to an employee about how there aren't enough aisles open, noting that it is ridiculous for those that are in a hurry. Before I could hear any more, it was already our turn.

We leave the store and decide to stop at one of our favorite hikes around the corner. I mean, I guess I can't speak for my two-year-old, but it's one of my favorite hikes. Trees up to the sky creating a tunnel for us to walk through. Bends and curves and hills with new greenery with each step. The river passing by with water bouncing from rock to rock creating the most serene noise as our backdrop. And of course the birds. Their songs I'll never grow tired of. The thing about nature is it never seems to be on a schedule, not like the people at the grocery store anyways. When I'm in this forest, I feel like there's a place for me for the first time in my life. I know that what's surrounding me is exactly where it wants to be, just as I do.

Life, I think, is often taken too seriously, but me, I don't think it's serious at all. I think that's often why I find myself feeling out of place in this world. The hustle and bustle of everyday life is something I have never found myself unenthused by but instead have found myself getting lost in the meaningless of it all. The lack of connection we have with one another; the inability to smile at strangers and put our children before our agendas and reach out to our friends and get to know our loved ones beyond the surface. I wonder how anything in the world is more important than any of this.

Question 1:

• Describe the literal story line (without summarizing) by considering order/organization of details - the piece's overall structure.
• Does the structure make sense given the topic?
• Identify and explain the use of literary elements and techniques. Are there themes, words, images that stand out to you?
• Appraise the draft holistically. What impact did the essay have on you?
• Please add any other questions or observations.

Question 2: More specifically for narrative journalism and personal essays:

• Is the reader drawn into the story? If so, what device/s does the writer use to draw the reader in?
• Does the essay intend to emphasize an idea, evoke a feeling, or offer insight into a larger truth about the human experience? If so, what is that idea, feeling, or truth? Are there additional details that would help emphasize this focus?
• How might the piece be even more thought-provoking, raising questions or issues about its subject?
• Is information from sources clearly indicated?