Maya Angelou Father

When you encounter someone, how do you remember them by? Perhaps you remember them by some catchy phrase they've said? Or perhaps it's something they did that made you keep them in your mind for so long. As for fellow American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou , she has stated that “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. As for me I believe Maya Angelou is correct on the idealism of feelings keeping memories alive. To begin, Growing up without a fatherly figure is a miserable reality for many young Americans, I myself being one of those children that had no one to call “Dad” was a difficult reality. As years went by and I was just entering the beginning of my teenage years I was fortunate to have an older sister marry a guy named Edgar, a stranger who entered the lives of my family, and became almost as an older
brother to me. Edgar taught me many things such as, what to say to the cute girl at school, how to play numerous video games, and teaching me how to drive a car. Overall Edgar was a big influence in my life and in a way filled the empty void my father had left in my heart. Facing many differences between my sister and Edgar both decided to end their relationship and go on separate ways. Now as an adult and not having Edgar in my life, as continuous as I did, I always remember him not just for being a positive role model for me, but for making me feel confident in myself and jubilant at the same time, a task fit for an older brother or Father. To continue, being in a relationship can be full of wonderful experiences. You meet someone who you didn't know before, a complete stranger in which later becomes a best friend and perhaps a lover at the same time. As for me, I met a girl named Itsel and she was absolutely wonderful in every single positive way. She was the reason why I would go to sleep at midnight with my phone over my head, she was my Audrey hepburn and I her James Dean. Itsel was smart as she was pretty, juggling between work and college while still having enough time to meet up with me. A hard task but she always managed to get things done. It was until one night Itsel was too overwhelmed with work,college, and dating, she had decided to temporarily end things with me so she could pursue her education more, without having to hold both of us down or having to cancel dates on me. After a few months of trying to get adjusted to the single life, I encounter my once girlfriend Itsel and with an enormous smile and heart warming hug she explains, that she couldn't stop thinking about me, that no one could give her butterflies in her stomach at first sight, while making her feel secure and loved all at once. Not a single person could make her feel like I did when we were together. The mutual feelings helped restart our relationship and create a new beginning. On and on, being a 90’s kid (born between 1990-1999) there was nothing better than grabbing a cold bowl of cereal on a saturday morning and watching cartoons.
Having to go to school 5 days a week from early in the mornings to late in the afternoon was very exhausting, looking towards the weekend to watch ‘Pokémon’. A japanese anime where the main character Ash goes on a long journey to be the best trainer in the series ,accompanied with 2 friends and a furry yellow mouse looking creature with red cheeks named Pikachu. Sure enough now as an adult I don't watch shows like these anymore simply because they’ve become too silly and childish for my taste, but I can always remember most of Ash’s journey with his friends. Not because of my good memory skills, but because of the way it made me feel while watching the show. After every long week of life draining school work, I always felt relaxed and upbeat watching Ash and his friends on wacky, ludacris adventures. This show was my big break from wimpy student to jolly
kid. Everyday we encounter numerous amounts of people, if we like them we keep them around if we don't, then they just become a blur in our memory. But in rare occasions we come upon a group of individuals that just make their way through our hearts and up our banks of memory. These individuals can be anywhere and anyone, from a cheesy cartoon series to a role model you look up to, It could even be the person you just started a relationship with. Perhaps you've haven't encountered that individual yet or perhaps you've already done so but just don't realize it, although the first thing you won't remember about that person will be what they've said to you, it won't be what they've done to you, it'll be how they've made you feel, it could range from being upbeat and jolly to sad,gloomy, and depressed. furthermore remembering is easier when your mood matches the mood you were in when experiencing such event, after all our feelings are what makes us unique individuals and most importantly it's the very essence that keeps us alive in the memories of others.