Lia Althouse: Eighth Grade Field Trip

 

Choosing a story to tell was kind of hard, both because I am not very good at coming up with ideas for stories (when I was first given the prompt, I couldn't come up with anything on the spot) and because I wasn't sure what type of story to go with. I didn't know if I wanted to pick a story that was low-stakes or one that was more personal and serious. I chose to go with a pretty lighthearted and simple story, which was a ropes course field trip in 8th grade with a focus on teambuilding and group exercises. 

I practiced public speaking when I was talking to classmates, which although I don't think I'm awful at, is something that I'm generally uncomfortable with and tends to make me pretty nervous. I did enjoy the storytelling project, though, once I actually started telling the story. It's pretty fun to just talk about stuff that's happened to you from memory, even if it's not perfect because it's unscripted and because you don't really remember everything that happened. 

I learned about my classmates' stories and about some pretty interesting and unique stuff that's happened to them in their lives, and it's fun to hear how different people tell their stories and which stories they choose to tell. Some people choose high-stakes, serious stories while others choose fun, lighthearted ones. I don't think I really learned anything about myself, though.