Author: Tymeirah Hayes

Edna and Bobby Jefferson

A simple 70’s love affair that lasted 10 years

Q. How did you and Bobby Jefferson meet?

1. We met while I was out with  a friend and then Bobby came and he was just so handsome, I had to acknowledge him, and he acknowledged me. 

Q. Tell me about your first date?

1. Bobby asked me he said “You wanna go eat? I like chicken wings with hot sauce.” I said “Well I like chicken wings with ketchup” and we went to a place and had wings with fries… 

Q. How was your Honeymoon phase with Bobby, your first 6 months together?

A.” It was fun, we went to a couple movies and I had an apartment, and we looked at a lot of movies at my apartment. We both could co0ok. He could cook go0d because he had a lot of sisters, and they taught him. We would cook together and watch together, we had fun…”

Q. How was your 5th year with Bobby?

1. “It was good because by that time I had knew all of bis family. He had six sisters and three brothers. I knew them all. They used to have a lot of family functions, so I was always included, so it was very very nice.”

Q. So How were the disagreements between you two?

1. “They were average, but we never really had too many of them. We didn’t have too many disagreements we were all about having fun” 

Q. How was your final year with him?

1. “ I think that I had begin to kind of outgrow him a little bit. I was about working a whole lot during that time , and he still was into having fun. Which made it a little lopsided, but it was still good. Even though at one point we did go our separate ways, we always remained friends .

Q. Do you think he was your Soulmate?

1. “ I believe he was very close to it because we never had too many disagreements at all. Like I said we talked. Some of the conversations were serious and we were able to come to terms with different things. Like what was good for the both of us. We tried to really meet each other physically, emotionally and mentally.”

Q. Did Bobby make you happy?

1. “Yes very much so”

Tymeirah Hayes

Being Open Minded 

In the story “Tell Me A Riddle”I was grabbed immediately by the very beginning passage. Specifically, the second sentence in the first passage for me was not only relatable but refreshing . The text states “ I wish you would manage the time to come in and talk with me about your daughter. I’m sure you can help me understand her. She’s a youngster who needs help and whom I’m deeply interested in helping” (Olsen 1913-2007). The reason why I found myself drawn to this quote was because I appreciated the tone and intent of the character that was asking for help in helping someone else. In life sometimes it seems people find it hard to reach out for help when trying to help someone else, and I thought it was a good thing to see a character taking a leap of faith, and asking for help in better understanding someone that they care about. Also, I appreciated the honesty in defeat in such a small statement. The statement was very loaded although very short. In this quote it is very clear that someone is eager to utilize all their options in trying to fix an obstacle in they face. That obstacle being understanding this teenager who they care for and feel that they are not able to understand without the help of the person they’re asking for help from, being that teenager’s mother. 

The mother responds saying “…Even if I came what good would it do? You think because I am her mother I have a key, or that in some way you could use me as a key? She has lived for 19 years there is all that life that has happened outside of me beyond me.”,Which to me is a very respectful response. I thought it was interesting for the girl’s mother to keep in mind the fact that in all of her 19 years she has lived a life of her own, and that just being her mother doesn’t  mean that she can fully understand her. In my opinion this is very relative to life outside of the story because many times parents assume that because their parents they automatically have an understanding of their children, which is not always the case, so it was nice to see a parent admit and acknowledge that being a parent isn’t always enough and understanding your child. Lastly, I respected the Mother character for immediately acknowledging the life that her child has lived outside of her and keeping in mind that-that is just as important in understanding her child as simply being her parent. 

Tymeirah Hayes

March 17, 2020

The story Sweeping Past starts off at a very fast pace because the author jumps right into the meat of the story. My attention was immediately caught in the beginning of the story by the introduction. The quote from the story that I noticed the most was the very first line. It states “ They had become sworn sisters in Ailin’s backyard 50 years ago…”  This quote stood out to me because it instantly got me excited to read the story. Now at this particular point of the story I am already trying to form ideas of what this quote could possibly mean. For example, I thought to myself why is the author using the word sworn so early or at all. One of my first thoughts that I had in response to this quote was that  sworn sisters were a way to explain a connection to a cult. My mind began to think so many things when I read this quote all for me to come to the realization that the relationship was as simple as friendship.

As well as that, I also thought about the time given of how long these sworn sisters had been sworn sisters. It was interesting that they had been sworn sisters for 50 years.  50 years is a very long time to have such a relationship with someone. I thought it was interesting that the author mentioned the 50 years, and wasted no time to mention how long this sisterhood had lasted. A theme that this quote brings up for me  after reading it is the power of a bond particularly between women. I started to think about the close friends that I have had since I was in 9th grade and how our friendships over the years have only strengthened. Infarct, I now look at them as my sisters. The story has a very interesting way of divulging deeper into The sisterhood / friendship. However, it was at that point that I was actually drawn into the story because I was trying to figure out what all of the different loaded terms meant. Like the word sworn or how important 50 years actually was to the story. My initial response to the quote was to be prepared for a story about a bond that had lasted for 50 years, which made me excited because I was intrigued to see how that might look in an instance and in this case for the women involved. I was very excited to read on and by the end I was very happy with what I read and how things ended.

Tymeirah Hayes

March 15, 2020

The part of the story that immediately caught my attention was the beginning of the story. In the story, The Hearing Trumpet, the main protagonist, Leonora Carrington, is introduced. A line in the story that describes Leonora’s place caught my attention. The line reads “ People who visited Carrington at the time were compelled to see the magic in the surroundings she created for herself.” This line stood out to me because it said a lot about Leonora as a character. Leonora who is 92 years old still makes sure that her surroundings are nice and up to par. I think this is important because it speaks to the core of Leonora as an older woman. Many people have a misperception of older women that once they reach a certain age there are no longer capable of impressing others. This quote contradicts that. Leonora in her old age is very much so still capable of impressing those around her and her character speaks through her surroundings.

Additionally, another reason why this quote stood out to me was because of how much it speaks to having self love. For example, in the quote it is made clear that Leonora had created magic for herself. In other stories about women, especially of older age, they’re always in need of someone to save them. In the sense where a man can give them purpose or meaning in life. However, this story starts off by highlighting that Leonora is able to make that magic and good in her life for herself and by herself. I think that the theme that this quote sheds light on is a woman practicing self care. It can be inferred from this quote that Leonora takes pride in her surroundings being magical and beautiful. People that visit her also receive it as such. I assume that it brings Leonora much satisfaction that people notice the efforts that she makes to make her surroundings so nice. Leonora from this quote represents the women that in simple ways practice self love everyday. Whether it be by grooming or nurturing themselves or the space around them. Making it clear that a man does not have to be involved for those things to be achieved.   

Tymeirah Hayes

March 1, 2020

In the book “the dark flood rises” I began to think about how complex aging really can be. Given that the main character is in her 70’s and is still trying to figure things out. This idea makes me think about my grandmother. She just turned 70 today actually. Yet, she still hasn’t figured it all out. I think that it is safe to say that no one will ever fully figure everything out. I feel that it is foolish for us to think that-that would even be a possibility. No one is immortal, and no one has ever lived forever. We are just as oblivious to the meaning of life as someone who is asked the question what life looks like after death. To be honest, that’s the beauty of it all. Not all things need solid answers. In the story there is no solid answer. 

In my interpretation the woman realizes that it’s more so about the journey than the take away from the life lived. This to me is very important to think about. Reason being because people are never given or allowed the space to just enjoy the journey. This story is very distinctive. A woman in her 70’s is taking a trip to England. If someone was to go by that alone the first question might be why. The woman would probably answer, after everything that she’s experienced, that it’s not about the why at all. Instead that it’s about the journey. The journey full of fun, sadness and genuine experience. People fail to realize that with age doesn’t come wisdom. With age comes experience, which then turns into wisdom. That wisdom isn’t always based on the simple fact that a person has the right answers. It is particularly about the experience they’ve lived through and their specific takeaways from that experience. This reading made me think a lot about my grandmother. She is very conscious of her age. Specifically, how much it gets in her way most of the time. The best thing about this story is that there is no solid plot and that the story tells different experiences. My takeaway from the story is that Fran’s age did not define her. That she was able to in the end feel proud and comfortable of the person she had become and was still looking forward to becoming. 

Tymeirah Hayes

February 21, 2020

The reading that I would like to focus on is Elizabeth Strout’s “Olive Kitteridge.”

We all know that sometimes it’s the simple things that can mean the most to us. In the beginning of the story, the character, Henry Kitteridge reminds us of that. In the first paragraph we are introduced to Henry Kitteridge, and given insight of the pleasantries in his world. For example, in the text it states, “Retired  now, he still wakes early and remembers how mornings used to be his favorite… the world were his secret, tires rumbling softly beneath him and the light emerging through the early fog, the brief sight of the bay off to his right, then the pines, tall and slender, and almost always he rode with the window partly open because he loved the smell of the pines and the heavy salt air, and in the winter he loved the smell of the cold,” which highlights that Henry Kitteridge found joy and loved the simple things in his life. Those simple things were sacred to him and fulfilled him in a way. I say that to say this piece of the text was the first to grab my attention. The reason being because I see a lot of myself in Henry Kitteridge at this point in the story. Reason being because Henry Kitteridge has mastered something that I look to master, and am sure others seek to master as well. The elements pointed out in this story are the power of simplicity and the power to find happiness in random places. For instance, in Henry Kitteridge case, he finds his joy in his short journey to work in the morning, and all the little details he notices during that time like the trees, his tires, the fog, the cold etc.

I say this to say, often times many people find themselves taking things such as those for granted. Infact, for most it can become boring and meaningless to them. However, Henry Kitteridge has found solace in his small journey to work, and has decided to not only take in, but to appreciate those small things. Allowing them to make him happy, and giving himself that space to let that be what these things mean for him. Many people fail to find the beauty in the simple things that life has to offer. So much so, that they let those small things make them more angry, or irritable rather than happy. Moreover, this small trip  Henry Kitteridge is taking full of all these simple, common things, allows him a small chance to be stuck in time. The meager trip to work gives him not only great pleasure, but also the opportunity to enjoy time with himself. Most people struggle with this. To allow appreciation to turn into pleasure, or even happiness. Instead of people reading this being excited because Henry Kitteridge has nice cars or a fancy life, they are instead forced to take notice with how happy he is in such a small, simple moment.

Tymeirah Hayes

February 10

 I related with many of the characters, I found myself resonating with Molly the most for a split second in the first passage of chapter 2. I connected with Molly’s character because of her relationship with her dad and how she viewed him. The line in chapter 2 that caught me read “Molly had been a daddy’s girl when she was very young… and … was her pride and joy… he would carry her… against his chest… and she would snuggle her face against his… extraordinary beard.” When I read that I immediately began to think of my own father and how close I was to him. My father and I had always been inseparable. He was special to me in every way. I looked at him like my own personal superman. 

The first passage of chapter 2, to me, brings many different elements to the story. For example, the reader is given more insight into the relationship shared between Molly, Daniel, and their father. There was a pleasant, and happy tone as their relationship was being brought to the light. You find out that Aaron was a unique father among all the others around in their community. The theme that I found in the passage was  “The Hero Dad.” You see from the beginning how loved and admired Aaron by both his children, but especially Molly. That to me was very relatable because I considered myself a daddy’s girl. It is common for a young girl’s dad to become her hero. With the reading later becoming more and more like a roller coaster ride, this passage allows a kind of pause in time. The reader for a split second is able to imagine themselves walking in a calm, and nice moment with the characters Molly, Daniel, and Aaron. Just two children, a brother, and a sister enjoying time with their superhero dad. For me, I was taken back to one of my memories that I shared with my little brother with our father before he died. The message that I took from the first passage was that Aaron started out as an amazingly unique dad, super even. Only to later and because of his health not be so super anymore and pass away. I feel that a theme like this is one we commonly and rarely come across “The Hero Dad”, but is one that still rangs so true.

My experience visiting the Senior Center was very pleasant. I not only enjoyed the companies of the woman, but I also, enjoyed the interesting conversations we had. All of those sitting in my group brought vastly different perspectives that all ironically tied together. I was very surprised by the ladies in my group because they were far from what I expected them to be. They were all talkative, outspoken, and full of innocent questions.There were characters that they loved and hated. The characters they liked I didn’t really like. The story and article translated differently for each of the woman. Nonetheless, they argued, and bickered until they realize they agreed with each other. In my group specific quotes were highlighted and read from both the article and the story. Those quotes were discussed and challenged. My discussion was very exciting and not for a second dull. I learned so much in such little time from those ladies. I had a very nice time. I am appreciative of the experience. The best part was that all of our minds when trying to understand the texts for a split second were the same age!