For my hiraeth assignment, I turned to the help of my younger sister. My sister and I talk about almost anything and everything that crosses our minds. I personally feel that this was a good approach for the fact that she is always completely honest with me and does not hold back her opinions. I explained to her what a hiraeth is and we sat there reminiscing on stories of our past and how certain smells and songs remind us of the things we experienced as children. I think the most difficult part of my writing process was trying to remember the past as if it was a recent event. My past was not the best due to the many illnesses that ran throughout my family. I honestly struggled to find a topic to write about that was worthy enough to want to return to it. To overcome this obstacle, I took a look back at pictures from my past to try and conjure up some emotions and remember a good time from my past in which I would not mind to return to at least one more time. I wrote this project in my room late at night, hours before it was due. This however was a horrible approach because I was tired and it stressed me out which caused me to have a horrible night’s sleep. Also, choosing to right this in my room made me even more tired because I wrote my hiraeth while sitting on my bed. I wrote this project because I had some sort of emotionally connection to the story. It was that type of past where I find joy in writing, or even talking about it. I will revise my writing process by doing my assignments in a timelier manner so that I can actually review and revise my work instead of posting shitty drafts. I feel if I actually stick to my methods that I posted about becoming a better writer, I could actually do well on this assignment. However, the first step is actually getting the motivation to do it.
I chose this song as a perfect representation of what a hiraeth truly is. In this song Miranda Lambert sings about how she longs for the chance to go home one last time to remember the past. She goes on to sing about all these good memories she has from living at this house and how her life has changed since then. She seems to have this strong emotional attachment to the house that built her and hopes to use it as a healing method.
For the past 4 years of high school I woke up at 4am every morning to practice for the big races and to better myself to be recruited as a D1 athlete. I spent more hours at the boathouse then I did at my own house. I created such a strong relationship with my teammates that they felt like my actual sisters. The thrill of the races and the closeness that I shared with my teammates is something I wish I could return to. My teammates and I practiced day and night in preparation for the National Championship. As we make our way up the start line at the SRAA National Championship,the nerves intensify. With every squared blade buried deep into the water, the rower’s bodies are aligned with their oars, anxiously awaiting the start.The light goes off and I feel the boat move with such power as each stroke is taken. There is a rush of water beneath the crisp white shell I remind the rowers to sit up, and breathe. Each and every individual athlete sitting before me looks with deep concentration and dedication. I gently reminded them, "This is your last race as a high school athlete, what are you going to do about it?" The rowers are exhausted, and are feeling beat not knowing where they are in comparison to their competition. I find my rhythm and control as I correct and remind the athletes to do the same. While the rowers push onward, I keep my voice controlled and remind them that pain is only temporary. As I make the calls to shift into a power state and slightly increasing the rate of the slide, the boat starts to move ahead. I tell the rowers, "You're in control now girls, pushing ahead!" The audience roars as the rowers breathe heavily. I turn my head to see that the boat I am sitting in is pushing from second to first place. All of the dedication and hard work put into practices is paying off. Reminding the athletes of the amount of time left and where their competition is what gets the rowers motivated. The athletes use every bit of energy and power left in them and push forward. I make the call telling them, "You're in first, give me everything you have left and take the gold". Nothing can describe the way I feel when the boat crosses the finish line after winning gold. The athletes are crying from the pain and the accomplishment. I can see the sweat glistening on their tired bodies. Reaching back, I grab my bow seats hand saying, "I've never been so proud of you Tor, you deserve the title of being first in the Nation!". I feel like a proud mother knowing that the rowers in the boat have used everything they had to push through to win first. This race plays through my mind all the time because now that I have graduated I can no longer go back to it. I wish I could return to the excitement and the dedication that was poured into this. My personal understanding of the term Hiraeth is a form of searching and seeking. It is the longing of something that we either once had or something that we wish we could have.
I sit there day and night longing to find happiness within my own home. I have to face the reality that I am home however, I find myself longing for a place away from reality that does not exist. |
Alina WesolowskiI am a current freshman student at DCCC who is looking to further my education and advance my writing abilities. Archives
December 2016
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