Thursday, August 1, 2013

A Look Back: The Life of Daniel F. Ford
The Lost Chapters

Last year, I did some investigating into my personal archives and unearthed an autobiography I was assigned to write in the 7th grade. Publishing each chapter and responding to my 14-year-old self allowed me to better understand the man I turned out to be. The last chapter ran in October.

Or so I thought.

Going through some of my grandmother’s belongings, my father discovered a printed copy that I had autographed for her. It featured a cover page, dedication page (my grandfather Stephen), and an acknowledgements page that read, “I truly want to give my sincere thanks to all my family and friend for helping me to get to where I am today.”

The typed manuscript also included three chapters that weren’t apart of the original written pages I had been blogging from. Here at the beginning of a new journey seems like the best time to share them and remember that dreaming big pays off in the end.

Enjoy.



Being My Age

Finally, on to me.

I’m about 4’11’’ and have brownish-blackish hair. I have blue eyes and have a strong academic future. I would describe myself to be an outgoing person who loves a challenge.

Best friends are very important people in my life. They tend to make the obstacles that life throws a little easier to handle. Probably the three friends that I consider best friends would be: Judy Sadowsky (who else?!), Justin Andrews, and Dan Galli. You know why Judy is my best friend, so I won’t bend your ear. Dan Galli and I became friends Jessica Adams on the Green Team dumped both of us (editorial note: I’m sure that won’t bring up any unpleasant memories…). I think these friendships will last because for so long, we’ve been through the good and the bad and somehow always come out on top.

One of my major hobbies is writing stories. You could give me the most boring topic and I could turn it into a world-class novel (editorial note: Try me. I dare you). I also like to read any type of book and I love to play baseball.

What makes me happy is when someone is trying to make a difference in the world. Also, hitting a homerun to clinch a spot in the playoffs. I am also happy when the New York Yankees crush the Boston Red Sox.

 I am like other people my age because I like sports and listen to popular music. I am different from everyone because sometimes my jeans are too tight, I don’t play on a sports team, and I listen to country music. I think this is okay because being different makes life exciting and interesting.

The next person I’m going to talk about is one of the biggest influences in my life. Like I said, it isn’t the first time she’s been mentioned. It is the one and only Judy Sadowsky. She has given me so much advice over the years. Whether it was about girls or anything else, she was there to help me out. If it weren’t for her, I would not want to be a writer. She’s taught me so much in the years I’ve known her. She taught me it doesn’t matter if you’re different, it’s how you’re different. She can turn a game into a better game just by changing one rule. She’s my inspiration to try to make a difference in this world. I truly give her my sincere thanks for helping me through the years, through the good and the bad. Sure, she’s not perfect, but she sure gives perfection a run for its money.

Typical Days From Ages 5–50
 
Age 5 

In the morning, my mom would wake me up. I scurried around getting ready for the up coming school day. I always used to eat Lucky Charms. My mom would have to pick out all the marshmallows before I ate (editorial note: I think it was a specific marshmallow shape, not all of them. I don’t remember which one). Sometimes, my mom and I would play Candy Land. Since I was in the afternoon kindergarten class, I got to play all morning. When the afternoon came, I got into my mom’s car and she drove me to Ivy Drive School. I rushed into the room, which was divided by a moving wall. My teacher, Mrs. Platt, was really nice. I usually played house, drew letters, and did many other things. After we had story time, we had naptime. I hardly ever went to sleep (editorial note: oh, to have those hours back. Damn you 5-year-old Daniel Ford, get some sleep!). I do remember bringing in Superman cupcakes on my 5th birthday. And that’s all I can remember about when I was 5.

3rd and 4th Grade

I had this girlfriend in third grade (editorial note: oh boy). She came to me one day and asked me to marry her. Thinking it was a joke, I said yes. I don’t remember who, but someone made fake invitations and gave them out to everyone. The next day, the art teacher has who her bridesmaid was. I whirled around and asked how she knew. My teacher walked in and said, “We all know.” Needless to say I was humiliated (editorial note: “You're seeing a whole team of psychiatrists, aren't you?”).

In the fourth grade, I transferred to Edgewood Elementary School. The first day of school, I cried my eyes out. I didn’t know anybody there. Once I got used to Edgewood, I was a normal Edgewooder. No matter who thinks Ivy Drive is better than Edgewood, or vice versa, I will always consider both home.

My Age 

At 6:30 a.m., my alarm goes off. I give myself four minutes to stretch and wake up. Then at 6:34 a.m., I get up, shut off my alarm, and get ready for school (editorial note: for this sequence to happen at the same time in present day, my iPhone would have to light my hair on fire). I get dressed and go downstairs to eat. I have a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, then head to the bathroom to wash up and brush my teeth. After that I walk my dog Sam. Finally, I leave at 7:30 a.m. to walk to school. After six or seven hours of school, I walk home. I once again have to walk Sam. I then do homework and watch some television. My younger brother gets home after me and eats everything he can get his hands on. When my parents get home, I set the table and we eat. Then I watch television until my 8:30 p.m. bedtime. I brush my teeth and go to sleep. I get up the next morning and do it all again.

The Year 2000 

My alarm will go off at 5:30 a.m., and I will push the button to make it stop. I will get up and go through my old routine. I’ll leave my house at 6:45 a.m. to arrive at Bristol Eastern High School before 7:05. After what seems like centuries of school, I’ll drive to Northeast Middle School and pick up my little brother Pat. He will be 12 by then. If I have money, I will treat him to lunch at McDonald’s (editorial note: I took the bus for four years had no money). We then go home and do our homework. We then watch some television or a movie. I set the table when my parents get home and we eat. I moved my bedtime to 10:30 p.m. and quite enjoy it (editorial note: smash cut to my mother shaking her head). I wake up the next morning and repeat the same pattern again.

Age 50

At 5:30 a.m. I will wake up and do my exercises. I then will eat breakfast, wash up, and head toward my office building in downtown Bristol (editorial note: #dreamhigh). I hope there I will be working on a world-class novel. At noon, I will walk a few feet away and eat at a little delicatessen for a good ham sandwich. I’ll go back to my office and work a few more hours, then go home to my loving wife, and have myself a good home cooked dinner that she made (editorial note: you sexist bastard!). I will do my exercises and then watch some more television until I feel like going to bed. I get up in the morning and repeat.

(Editorial note: For those of you who haven’t lost consciousness, the moral of these, ahem, dry rundowns is that I expected to have a life writing, eating, and watching television. Nailed it).

The Future 
 
This chapter is going to tell you a little about what my future is going to look like. I plan on a bright future with plenty of opportunities.

For starters, I would love to live in Maine. Probably not in a very populated city, but close to one. I love being near mountains and plains. Maine has both, plus more. I love the climate. It is just right in the summer and snowy in the winter. Snow in Maine is plentiful, and since I plan to own a snowmobile, it will be perfect.

As my occupation, I envision myself as either a writer or a pilot. I would love to soar above the clouds like a bird, but would also like to be working at home on my novel. My mind is set on being a writer, but would love to get my pilot’s license so I could do some flying in my spare time (editorial note: that sound you’re hearing is all my of family and friends cackling over the pilot thing. Give it a week, it’ll die down).

One leisure activity I would do, depending on my career choice, would be flying. I am definitely going to travel. I plan for my senior trip to visit every capital city in the United States (editorial note: WHY DIDN’T YOU DO THIS??). After that I will come home for a couple of years and then travel around the world. I don’t know which countries I will travel to, but I am definitely going to travel.

In the future, I think America will be a strong independent country that will concentrate on its own problems and let other countries solve their own. America will have a stronger legal and government system. America will have a policy that will have an effect on illegal immigrants entering the United States (editorial note: I have no words. At least I didn’t say “the gays.”).

I think I will be a very outgoing adult. I probably won’t have time to have a family until after I travel, but I hope to be a strong, loving father and spouse that my father was to me and my brothers. I will spoil my grandchildren rotten. I will be the kind of guy that would let my neighbor borrow my power tools or watch my kids.

I don’t see many problems in my future (editorial note: you poor, unsuspecting bastard). The only problem I see is getting married. If I choose the wrong person and then have kids, then they will be affected. I don’t want that to happen. So the only way I’ll be able to go about stopping this from happening is to choose the right person early on in life (editorial note: it took awhile, but I found her).

The brightest thing in my future looks to be my pursuit to be a writer. I hope that one day people all over the world will read my books and think they are good. I hope that this autobiography is the first step to accomplishing this dream.

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