Week 1 - Writing Exercises

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One person that I vividly remember from my childhood that I was not very fond of was the father of my best friend. He always appeared to look ill-tempered, usually had the same frowning facial expression, and had a tendency to spoil the fun my friend and I usually had outdoors and indoors. He always talked in a loud, monotone, and grunt-like manner which gave me the impression that he wasn't a very emotional person. His hair seemed to always be styled the exact same way (combed back) and I never once saw him without the same mustache. Now that I think about it, I don't think I ever noticed if he got a haircut or shaved any particularly different way.

Anyhow, the less I crossed paths with him when trying to have fun with my friend, the better things usually were. When I'd be over at my friends, he'd either be at work, or a lot of times, the dad would hang out in the garage with a buddy of his that was a little younger than he. My friend's dad was really big on motorcycles and often would be drinking and smoking in the garage while we would play outside. If he ever talked to us about what we were doing, or if we had to get his permission for something, he often times was very strict. I never really said anything to my friend about him, or asked him why he acted the way he did, but I accepted it. I always had the feeling that his Dad cared little about his children and paid little attention to them, as they didn't do a whole lot together. Today, I happen to be correct, because he has since unfortunately divorced with his wife for reasons such as the one I explained prior. If I see him now, I'll of course wave to him, but it saddens me to think of how my friend has been negatively effected by how his father acted and more importantly, the divorce of his parents. The father now lives in an apartment elsewhere and when he does spend time with my friend and his son, they participate in numerous activities together that now carries a stronger bind of importance than once was.

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My friend's dad had a "biker" personality, although not your stereotypical motorcycle enthusiast. In his fridge you would most likely find (this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise) cans of beer, and maybe leftover food like last night's box of pizza, organized in a hasty and sloppy manner. In his trunk you would find car parts, motorcycle parts, maybe some tools, and mechanical items necessary for his occupation. In his closet you would find work outfits for a mechanic, jeans, etc. He now lives alone but is sometimes visited by his two sons.

Now, for the second person, I'll talk about my friend's mom, who is much different than his father. Her occupation is a nurse and she is what one might call a "health nut". In her fridge you would find all sorts of healthy foods. I particularly remember when going to my friends house how often she had skim milk, fruits and vegetables, and especially salads. She liked to read and had a wide assortment of magazines, such as People magazine. In her closet she would probably have things like scrubs for her work. Often, she goes for walks. She is very soft spoken, but nice and thoughtful. However, she's not the person you would want to cross paths and make enemies with, because she had very strong beliefs.

A third person would be my friend's older brother, who I think has had even more an effect on my friend than his dad. He would often shun his brother and bully him, yet they both carried the same interests in things like video games, TV shows, and physical activities. He was always a bit of a slob, unlike his parents, and usually would be scolded for this reason. His closet would probably be messy and full of clothes, even old ones that no longer fit him.

AFTERTHOUGHT -
After writing about each character in both exercises, I've come to realize how much of an effect one has on their family members. They say attitudes effect others, and I think that the attitudes I've seen come from each of my friend's siblings and parents have indirectly or directly effected the person he is now, ten years later. Now that I've seen my friend's dad both before and after his divorce, I've come to understand that he's realized his faults and is doing his best to be a better father to his sons despite the split. Hopefully someday all the family members won't share negative feelings towards each other and reunite and learn to respect each other for who they are.