1,000 Memories In a Flash

My uncle Edwin, was one of the sweetest and kindest people I have ever known in my life. Since the day I was born he always stuck around for me and would always come over to spend time with me and my brother. Whether it be because it was a holiday, birthday or just to check up on how we were doing. Which is why I still have this photo of him on my desk, to never forget who he was. 

My uncle had passed away when I was 10. At that age, I didn’t really even fully grasp the idea of death. This was my first experience with the idea that I’d never see someone again. I had just seen him not even ago, and to which he seemed completely healthy to me. A lot of what I was feeling at the time was just pure shock. I remember going days without crying, as I almost kept doubting the idea that he was gone. It was the day of his funeral when I got this small photo of him. When I looked at it, so many memories came back. Whether it be the days he took my brother and I out to Dave And Buster’s, which for a little kid was like the coolest thing ever. Or when he’d try to come play video games with us, but he didn’t really understand what he was doing, but he tried anyway. Edwin was the  youngest of uncles for me. My brother and I were also the first nephews he had. He wanted to be a good role model and even be the fun uncle for us. 

This photo has been with me through thick and thin, from elementary school, middle school, high school and now even college. It’s stayed in my wallet for so many years that the photograph itself has become slightly faded. It doesn’t look nearly as good as it used to. The colors used to be so vibrant, the greens of the photo just popped. They still do sort of, just not as well as before. 

Looking at the photo today, having lived almost 10 years without him, it still brings fond memories. The one that certainly comes to mind is the last day I spent with him. Where he came to me saying he saw that I would go far in life. Saying that he’d be my biggest supporter through everything. It almost felt as if he’d known something would happen to him in a few days. Sadly, he did pass away not even a week after. 

I’ve kept this photo through everything and it’s stuck with me through so much. I keep it with me as a reminder to make every day special. We’ve all only got one life and it’s up to us to live it to its fullest. My uncle was only 33 years old when he passed away. There was so much more that he hadn’t gotten to experience. I wish I got to know him more than I do, and every now and then I do learn more and more about him.

Reflection

Writing this paper, I did find myself struggling at which item to pick as my personal artifact. There were a few options that I had chosen at first, however I ended up with the picture of my uncle. It’s something I’ve had on me for so long so I thought it’d be interesting to finally write about. Going through something like that at a young age affected me in many ways, and it’s not something I get to talk about that often. 

After writing the first draft of the paper and getting a second opinion on my paper, it certainly helped to direct my paper in the right direction. The first draft didn’t go completely into depth about the actual artifact itself which is an important piece of the paper. Having that social interaction helped me rework my paper for the better. When writing, I sort of get into a groove and most often than not, I can easily get stuck on one factor of the paper. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does it, but I also tend to write in the way that I speak. Obviously it’d be important for me to address what the audience is expecting in my paper. 

As for the rhetorical situation, I’m finding it kind of hard to place this writing piece in a certain genre. Writing it, I didn’t find it important to inform anyone or persuade anyone, it was more just a personal piece. My goal for the paper was just to speak about what the picture had meant to me.