It was hard for me to decide who to share my essay with. I don't want to burden people with it because it's kind of heavy and I also don't want it to seem like I'm seeking their praise by sharing it with them. But after realizing the point of this assignment and the essay itself isn't about me, rather it's about bringing people to the Book of Mormon through the light in our writing, it became clear who I should share it with.
1. My Mom: I kind of hint at this in the free writes and drafts we've done for this class, but my relationship with my mother struggled when I was with the guy. She couldn't stand how unhappy I was, and it got to the point where she wouldn't talk to me because it made her too sad. That was really hard because my mom is my best friend and my confidant. I already felt so alone because of everything that was going on and when she wasn't someone I could go to for comfort things were really dark. I'm going to email her the final video and a link to the essay and then talk with her about it on the phone. I want to hear what she thinks and to see if she's better able to understand what I was going through, especially why it was so hard for me to end it even once I realized it was bad.
2. My friend Macie: Macie was with me for all of it through the year and a half. She was vocal with comfort and also gave advice that I trusted. She's commented on how much I've changed since I got him out of my life, and I hope by reading my essay she'll be able to see the full extent of the progress. I want to give her the essay and then meet up with her in person and talk about it, and also share my gratitude with her for all of the support and love she's shown me.
3. My roommate Rachael: I read the first (and second) drafts of the essay to Rachael for an earlier blog post assignment, so she's asked about where the final draft is going. I will give her a physical copy and see how she responds by talking about it in person.
4. My cousin Kristen: She was in a very abusive relationship for a couple of years and only recently got out of it. I've been connecting with her a lot more recently via Snapchat and Facebook (and at a family reunion this summer), and I would be interested to hear her perspective on my essay.
5. (Maybe) The guy I'm seeing now: I recently got into a happy, healthy relationship. This man and I have talked a little bit about our exes, including the one I wrote about in the essay. I didn't go into much detail about all of it, but some of the insecurities and fears I developed from that unhealthy relationship have resurfaced as I've started to be with this man. He's helping me work through them and willing to talk about things, which is such a blessing. Maybe showing him this will help him see why I struggle with some things and help us grow closer together.
6. Facebook friends: I really love Romney's essay so I'm going to post a link for his essay on my Facebook. I think it's something people who I'm friends with (especially the English majors) will enjoy a lot because of the vivid descriptions and the emotions it evokes.
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I think sharing your personal essay with your mother is a great idea, it might help you to become closer and to heal old wounds!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of sharing it with the boy you're with now. I think it would also help develop your relationship. Exes make us who we are and he needs to understand that part of your life. I like that you're sharing it with your cousin who has gone through something like what you went though. It'll bring you guys closer and she might know other friends of hers who are in an unhealthy relationship.
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