Memoir: Parker 

Our favorite part of the day, the park. Like dogs on a leash we were carefully watched by our nanny’s. Longing to explore and discover new things. Bugs, leaves, flowers and artificial sand made for hours of fun together. Jumping off swing sets and sliding down slides, but it all stopped so suddenly. We got older and the park was not our favorite part of the day. Freedom was ours but not for us to share. 

#2

I won’t lie, my family compared to others are quite well off and my life has been great. I haven’t been through any life changing events in my life. But for me I believe that those events are important, but not experiencing them at all does not mean I haven’t grown myself and evolved through my own experiences. I love living life, having the privilege to live it like no other man in the world makes me wake up everyday with a smile on my face. Motivation and determination are very important to me because I have been raised with two very hard working parents who have always supported me in everything I have pursued. For example in 7th grade I made the volleyball team. I had a very good feeling playing the sport and I knew I loved the game. So I looked into joining a local club. Everybody was very welcoming and kind to me at the tryouts for this club. The coach seemed to like me and everything was going great. Up until they told us the price for entering. My mom sadly told me that we could not afford playing at a club anytime soon and I accepted that reality very quickly. I told myself I would not let that stop me from playing my sport. After that day I went to the park across the street to play volleyball by myself as much as I possibly could. Up until 6 months after this I got a call from the club asking me to come join because of my performance at the tryout. We explained our situation and they were very understanding and offered a very generous scholarship to play for them. My parents decided it was for my best interest and entered me into the club. I made my best friends through this club and would never take my experience and good fortune for granted. I thank God every day for the blessings he has given me. Long story short our team was very successful that year and placed 3rd nationally among 200+ teams around the world. 

#3

My parents like to go on family trips. Everybody enjoys these trips because they always bring us together. This year we went to Corona del mar. Our friend has a house there so we get to stay there once in a while. The drive up is always pleasant with views of the beach and the blue or cloudy sky. Once we get there we always unload our stuff and go straight to our favorite restaurant, where I get my favorite clam chowder and bread bowl. After dinner we go back to the house and get in our bathing suits to go hang out at the pool. It’s always warm and fun to play with my sisters and my parents. We go from the hottub to the big pool to the water slide over and over again. Then we go and take a alk around the park after we get bored of the pool. Finally we come back home when it’s dark and watch a movie together. And the days to come are always just as exciting as the fist. 

#4

Its been a long journey of playing volleyball and it has finally paid off because I made varsity with my favorite best friend Byron Nguyen (Student FVHS). When I tried out I was very nervous and I thought I was going to do really bad. But when I started playing I was on a roll. I was passing well and hitting well I was just playing really good volleyball. I was placed on the court with the better players and was very excited. My topspin serve was also making it over a lot. Having the confidence of TJ Defalco I went on to play a scrimmage with a lot of the best players. The last ball that was played was a perfect ball right at the net and the setter set me a perfect ball that I slammed on the blockers head. All in all I did very well letting me make varsity. 

#5

One time I was with my friend and we were so bored that we decided to explore the sewers. There were rocks that we could climb onto and get across and make our way across and into a tunnel. The tunnel was dark and made echo sounds. We decided to go through the tunnel as deep as we felt like and were super scared. I had claustrophobia at the time so I was freaking out and not having fun at all. There were cockroaches everywhere and my friend seemed so calm and collected I was glad to be with him to calm me down. But when we reached the end I realized how deep we were in the tunnel and I ran back as fast as I could until I finally saw the beginning of the tunnel. I was so happy to see the end of this horrible journey until I heard a racoon getting louder and louder behind me. I ran so fast and did not even care about the water beneath me. When I finally got home I ran upstairs and took a shower. 

#6 Bonus Story

My favorite place to go camping is El Capitan. I love camping there because of how many things there are to do there and the beauty of the campground. There were tents on the dirt and then about  50 feet from the dirt was a beautiful beach with sand and driftwood and water. I always thought of it as a private little cove because there was a spot that nobody knew about. You had to go through a small cave that led to a huge opening at the end. This opening was almost like a picture frame. It showed the trees and the vast body of water that was the beach. I loved waking up super early to watch the sunrise there by myself. It was so surreal and calming. I haven’t gone there in years but I hope to go there again soon.