Moving Paper
At the end of first grade my parents confronted me and told me that we were moving from our Connecticut home to the Midwest. After reading
about Jim moving to Nebraska, in the book My Antonia, I immediately felt some empathy toward him, although I could never have known
what it would have been like without my family. "…An interminable journey across the great midland plain of North America. I was ten years old
then; I had lost both my father and mother within a year, and my Virginia relatives were sending me out to my grandparents, who lived in Nebraska." (Cather, 1)
I knew instantly after my parents told me that I would no longer sleep in the same room or spend everyday with my best friend Trisha. I was devastated
and it took me days to tell her about the move. When I did she too could not believe it and told me that we would spend everyday left together, having fun.
My father moved to Ohio 6 months before we did because he needed to start his job. So we often took the train to Ohio to visit him. Jim, in the book, also rode a
train, and even though I went back to my house on it I can see how it would feel to get off and never get back on. The months before my move were filled
with laughter and fun. We had picnics, swam in her pool, and had some sleepovers; I was a little young for these so I did not have many. The dreaded day came quickly
and soon had arrived. I woke up and ran over to her house and had one last swim with her, and then, all too fast, I was packed into the car with my family.
I turned around and saw her get on her bike and follow us as far as she could go, to the end of the street. I cried for hours until I finally made myself go to
sleep. When I awoke I found myself in another state, New York, and I was filled with a longing for my house. As the years passed by our family visited Connecticut less
and less, and the memory of my leaving was filled away. When I started to read the book, especially the passage about moving, it made the memory
come alive and I remembered the feeling of being torn away from your home, friends and any places you loved. Last year we went back to Connecticut
and I was amazed at how much of it has changed and how much I didn't remember. Trisha had moved away and I had lost contact. I was also startled
at how small our house was. I remember exploring and playing tag in what I thought was a mansion. I like Jim could not believe that our old homes had
changed so much. The people we knew were no longer there, and the places we loved weren't the same. Now when I think back on the move I think of it as more
of a new page in my life then as an ending. The schools there were poor and the education wasn't that good, unlike Hilliard schools, the crime rate was up
and our house was too small. When I went into Middle School I discovered that a lot of people had moved when they were young. We became close friends because
we had lived in more then one place. Also we accepted people who were new with a lot more ease then some other people had, for we had gone through the same things.
Plus I think of meeting people as an awesome way to learn about them and how they act. I am glad that I moved to Ohio, and didn't stay in Connecticut. It has held many
more opportunities then Connecticut could ever, it has also had its share of problems and obstacles, but in return it has showed me the value of making friends. I will always miss my
old home and friends but Ohio is a fine place to live
