Alex Vega Multimedia Writing & Rhetoric Process Reflection 9 September 2011 My narrative essay is based on a question that

many of my friends ask me. They always point out my optimism in many situations. I always found it interesting that my optimism was an odd characteristic to some. Many times I agree with my friends and wonder why my optimism is strong even during very bleak circumstances. This question along with a few others would dominate my mind whenever I was alone. I actually never found the answer to that question until I started working on the narrative essay. As with all habits, they usually occur due to past experiences and develop over time. Knowing this clue, I tried to look at my past and find the source of my optimism. I found that part is due to my faith but the other goes back to simpler times. I had very fond memories of when I was little and the times I spent playing with my parents. At this time, my parents were making a decent living with little economic troubles. I had little worries being an elementary student and I had no idea of the future responsibilities I would be given. I had not experience heartbreak, stress, or peer pressure. I was just an innocent child who enjoyed the games he played with his father. These glory days lasted until I was nearing high school. My fathers business slowed down and more pressures began to pile up. Things appeared to be heading towards rock bottom while I was in high school. Classes seemed to be too overwhelming, college was mention in every other sentence, and being socially acceptable were the common topics of those days. I had many setbacks in sports, classes and friendships. It felt like the world was trying to bring me

down. Every time something bad would happen, however, I would look at the brighter side of things. I would remember the good times and that they do manage to find their way back. Thankfully things have turn for the better lately and my optimism still remains. I did have difficulty trying to figure out a good story for the narrative essay. I tried looking at different events in my life and the one thing that stuck out was the optimism question. One person in particular stuck out when I thought about that question and it was my friend Marshall. Marshall consistently bothered me about my optimism, so I thought it would be fitting to have him be the one to trigger this journey of self-discovery. The flow of the story came naturally as I reminisced about my home and high school. I think the timing and theme of this essay is perfect for such an uncertain transition. Through the process of thinking up this essay, I managed to find the answer to a persistent question and find a source of motivation.