Journal # 9

"It all started one Monday in June," said Abby, "I realized something that changed my life forever." Emily leaned in, eager to hear why Abby had all the sudden quit school and become a dog boarder.
"Well," started Abby, "I was in my econ class and Watson, you remember her, the really old woman with the nose like a beak and fingers like claws, always mad and hated students? She was going on and on about the Great Depression and I was taking notes like mad." Mrs. Watson was impressed by Abby's attitude toward school. She took notice of Abby's constant lack of being stoned, asleep, or absent, the only one with a passing grade in the class. She paid attention, and showed interest and talent in economics. She might become more than a worker at a local fast food joint. As for the rest of these, there was no hope for any of them to get anywhere in life. After class on that Monday in June, Watson called Abby to her desk.
"Abigail, I noticed your interest and enthusiasm in economics and I want to encourage you to do more with your life. Are you planning on attending college?" Abby shrugged her shoulders, looking at the floor instead of Mrs. Watson. Of course she was going to college. She just didn't want Mrs. Watson poking her pointy nose in Abby's business.
"Well," Declared Mrs. Watson, "That is unacceptable! As my only student worth my spit, you will go to college, and you will become a business woman! I refuse to see any intelligence or talent thrown away. While you are a little lacking in both cases, you have more than anybody else at this God forsaken school!"
Abby stood silently.
"You may go now" Mrs. Watson dissmissed her with a flip of her hand.
Abby, stunned, walked quickly out of the class and never looked back. She kept on walking right out of the school, and right past her house, right out of town. When it got dark she stopped to think. She couldn't go to college now. Mrs. Watson's ghost would follow her for the rest of her life, judging her actions and choosing her life for her. What was she supposed to do now? A man walked past her with his German Shepard, and it bounded up to her and licked her on the arm. Then it stood there wagging its tail until the owner dragged it away, still wagging.
"All of the sudden, it hit me! I was going to work with dogs. I slept in a hotel that night and went around the next day and applied for jobs in pet stores, dog training camps, dog daycare centers, and dog grooming shops. The daycare center was low on staff and hired me the next day, and I've worked there ever since. As the years went on I moved up. Assistant, manager, then one day the owner decided to move to Honolulu, and she gave the place to me."
Emily was baffled. "You didn't go to college because Watson told you to? You quit high school because of that?"
"It wasn't my decision anymore. It was already my parents and my counselor and everybody else's decision. They were the ones that wanted me to go to college. I just never realized that I didn't want to go until Mrs. Watson enlightened me. So, I decided to do what I wanted instead of what the world wanted for me," explained Abby.
Emily nodded. It made sense now.

I used a confidant to tell the whole story to, just as Pheoby is used for Janie to tell her story to. I used a bird as the symbol of oppression, like Hurston uses bird imagery for all bad things. I used third person omniscient to show everyone's feelings. My theme was that it is human nature that what someone does is less important than them choosing it for themselves.