Personal Narrative-Silence Or Silence?

The high-pitched voice of a terrified college girl filled the hallway of Gallagher’s fourth floor this one night that I recall quite well. I was helping a friend of mine record a speech for her COM 101 class when we were interrupted by this screeching sound. I don’t live in Gallagher but I visit there often; so often that I know loud laughs of excitement were a part of the night routine or the piercing scream of a girl was only the result of a crazy prank. I can tell you about the many other things that make Gallagher different. It’s only at Gallagher that you can actually enjoy taking the stairs to the top floors, as the steps are low and the elevator door closes only after ten attempts of randomly pressing buttons. The blue carpets that …show more content…
“What do you think about Omaha, Nebraska?”, was the question I asked to break the silence. “I grew up in a neighborhood with nearby parks and I’m used to driving by them everyday on my way home...I don’t do that anymore here in Omaha, but that doesn’t make it too different from Stillwater.” I stared at her expecting to hear more, but after two seconds of quietness and staring, I figured that was all she had to say. The whole room quickly fell victim to the awkwardness as I desperately searched my notes for ideas. As I scrolled through the three sentences I had written down over the past five minutes and pretended to flip through the pages of my spiral notebook, I remember telling myself that this task was harder than expected. Eventually, I found myself voicing the most random and unrelated question I could think of. But it was this question that sparked the fuse to a normal conversation. “What is one thing you want to change today?”, I asked. For about two minutes there was silence and the exchange of curious stares. It was her answer to this question that I learned a lot about America and Colleen. “I respect the culture we live by here in America, but several things need work. I don’t stand for the National Anthem...it is my way of saying that this country needs change.” I did not pose another random question as she immediately dove into the …show more content…
I was not. Instead, I was staring at a college girl with red hair whose hands were being waved at almost every direction as she spoke. The eyes behind her round old-fashioned style glasses significantly widened and if I weren’t near-sighted I could tell you that her pupils dilated, not from the light rays in the room but her excitement for the subject. One particular matter that Colleen seemed very passionate about was based on the issue of discrimination. She talks about this patient she took care of when she volunteered at Regions Hospital. “She was native African-American” was the phrase Colleen used to describe her background. I can count how many times I’ve heard this description of a black person from people I’ve met. Colleen was the third person. This woman Colleen talks about is originally from Louisiana and recently moved to Minnesota. She had two sons and worked two jobs, a housekeeper and a janitor in a nursing home. Adding to her daily struggle, she battles the devastating diseases of diabetes and breast cancer. Although these two diseases have already taken away her left leg, this patient still depends on something bigger to keep her going. Colleen describes her as a dedicated Catholic who practically “lived without anything but faith.” Her encounter with this lady is perhaps what founded Colleen’s strong advocacy against