Warmup
1. Holidays and other regular events your family observed.
a. universal observances. b. observances. c minority observances
example: a: Christmas is more or less universally observed in most given American neighborhoods. There are important exceptions, of course. In some neighborhoods and in some cultures, Christmas would not be a universal holiday; it would be a minority observance.
example: b: A unique observance could be something only observed by your family. Grandpa's birthday. The annual get-together in the forest preserve. The traditional fight over the income tax refund.
example: c: A minority observance might be something common to one culture taking place in a alien setting.
Therefore, try one of each, and you choose which is which for you.
For example, I might choose as follows:
Universal; Easter (as celebrated by Catholics)
Unique: The semi-annual visits to my Grandparents house.
Minority. The existence of a White Sox fan on the north side.
How to do it. Warm up by writing a short paragraph on each of the three prompts. Then choose one for the longer effort.
Begin with a strong declarative sentence.
Example: Every family does not celebrate Christmas.
Be specific. Choose concrete images. Sounds. Smells. Objects. Specific persons. Try to let us see and here your subject.
Alternative: Try the prompts in the next column.
Better yet. try both.
What is this man doing? Where did I get him? What can we say about this image?
Custom
Dancing
..
What does this symbol stand for: How does it affect you? What can we say about this image?
Custom
Symbols
Is this a man or a woman. Or neither? What can we say about such a person?
Custom
costumes and disguises
What is this creature up to? Why is it green? What would you do if it crawled beneath your collar?
????