Monday, March 20, 2017
Fixation--Jordan
One, two, three, four, five. I have five chapsticks. But I had six. I checked my backpack
already, I’ll have to check again. It's not there. I know I had six. Maybe I left it in the cupholder of
my car. I’ll go check. Darn… I found one there, but not the one I was looking for. I know I should
just let it go. I have six chapsticks now, that's more than enough.
It’s a Saturday. I should be resting. I crawl back into bed and unlock my phone. It’s raining
outside. The smell of cinnamon fills my house from all the candles my mom loves to light in the
fall.
Where did I put my carmex chapstick? I know I had it at school yesterday. I used it in third
period and put it back in my bag. But it's not in my bag, I checked twice. I should check again.
It’s not in there. I used it in third period and put it back in my bag. It could have rolled under the
seat of my car. I’ll go check. It’s not there, but it’s okay.
I go back inside and back to bed.
Actually, it's not okay, but I know it should be but I don't care. I used it in third period and put it
back in my bag. Did I zip up the outer pocket after I put it back? I don’t think I did. Okay, so it fell
out of my bag. That's okay. I know where it is and that's what matters, right?
I know where the chapstick is. It's in one of my classes. Maybe I should email my teachers
and ask. How would I word that? “Hi Miss Landy, I’m sorry to bother you on your weekend but I
was wondering if you happened to notice a chapstick on the floor yesterday? I think I dropped
it.” No, that's not something normal people do. I’ll just wait until Monday. I can wait until Monday.
Which chapstick do i use until then? The carmex one was almost gone, and I wanted to use all
of that up before I started a new one. Maybe I have one here that I’ve already used. I do. I apply
that one to my lips and lie back down.
I sit back up to count again. One, two, three, four, five, six. But I had seven. I can’t believe I
forgot to zip up my bag, I never forget. Maybe I didn’t forget, and a friend borrowed it. I wonder
how many friends have borrowed my chapstick. I hate when they do that. I love them, but how
do I explain to them than even after I scrape off the top I can’t stop thinking about their lips and
their germs all over my chapstick… but that doesn’t matter, I need to find my chapstick.
The sun goes down, and I’ve wasted yet another day.
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This story actually stressed me out! It's so funny because I've lost my chapsticks countless times and every time I go through the exact same thing the main character goes through. Great Job!
ReplyDelete- Aliyah Dumas
Wow you literally described a "fixation" so perfectly. The way you described it through the speaker's thoughts was brilliant. And these thoughts flowed together perfectly. Very good read!! --Megan T
ReplyDeleteThis story had me stressed for some reason, very powerful diction and imagery to make the situation seem bigger than it actually was for the speaker. Great work!
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you lost your chap stick but this is absolutely funny, especially when you contemplated emailing Mrs. Landy about your missing chap stick and the part about your friends' lip germs on your chap stick. Amazing job!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was very well written. You made me stress out over a chap stick but it was really funny. Good job.
ReplyDeleteI have a chapstick problem too. There are many in my room, new and nearly empty and I always have one and freak out if I lose it. I understand your pain in this story. Great job!
ReplyDeleteLOL jordan! this was very funny you used a lot of imagery and i loved it ! great job, -Lyndsey Ortega
ReplyDeleteI found this to be so funny but yet at the same time so stressful. I know that feeling of losing something, and despite it being so little and of little importance, you still feel the need to find it. The whole time i was reading this i just kept on saying "me too." I loved reading this! Great job!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel because I go through this at least once a day. I don't even know how much money I waste on camrex chapsticks and continue to misplace and lose them. I liked that you explained how you consistently second guessed yourself and the stress you felt all due to one tiny chapstick. You emphasized the entire story through a grea use of diction, good job!
ReplyDeleteThis story had a very important feel about a very insignificant issue. It shows how issues only become as serious to us as we believe them to be, as an insignificant issue can be magnified into a day long problem. Great writing!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Anthony ! You got exactly what I was trying to portray and I appreciate how much you relate to this because that's exactly what I was trying to pull out of the audience.
DeleteThanks brant! This is a problem I'm sure a lot of people struggle with and it's very serious because OCD can take over someone's life and cause them massive stress and fixations on things that are deemed not as important and I'm glad you got what I was addressing! Appreciate it!
DeleteFrom the surface, this story is thrilling because many of us feel the same way. I always get paranoid if I locked my car or if set my alarm for the next morning so I go and check multiple times. But I feel that this story can also show the struggle of what one with obsessive-compulsive disorder feels on a daily basis. A lot of people claim they have this, but those who truly have it suffer everyday and don't get the support they need. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI really like how such a small thing that some people think is insignificant or unimportant is something that means the world to someone else. It honestly had me feeling stressed because of the diction and the way it sounded just like someone's actual thoughts and feelings. Great job!!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh this was so funny! THIS IS LITERALLY ME! I hate that part about myself but I can't help it just like you expressed that aspect about yourself in your piece. Great job at writing such a relatable piece. It got me smiling the entire time
ReplyDeleteWOWOWOW Jordan, I am so so so intrigued and surprised by your blog, because I literally witnessed myself acting this way while reading your blog and paying attention to the details. Being paranoid about such simple things and issues really built up the stress within my life over the years and it's so hard to get rid of it after being so obsessed with details. When I was younger I remember I used to go crazy if someone used something that was mine, or took it and did not put it back in the same place. Sometimes I used to wake up in the middle of the night because I remember that I had put something in a certain place and forgot that I had put it there. I had the same issue with passwords and grades, I would keep listing what I need to do and ask myself if my teacher would change my grade or if I wouldn't pass the class etc. It is honestly a trait that is very bad and it leads a person to suffer many issues that cannot be later fixed. Thank you for writing this blog because you truly opened my eyes to the reality that I endure on a daily basis, hopefully anyone who suffers this obsession gets rid of it starting with myself since I personally suffer from it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Safa! Yes, I used a very simplistic object and situation but people who really struggle with this issue can cause themselves unwanted and unnessesary stress! I'm glad you got the big picture and I'm glad I could open your eyes to something important, thank you so much.
DeleteI love how you described the way many of us feel when we loose things, it really is a fixation you have. I now exactly how you feel about the germs on the chap-stick I feel like that to with sharing anything that goes on someones mouth, the feeling really gets to me. Good Job!
ReplyDeleteThis story was extremely relatable. Although its not the same situation and object, I can't tell you how many times I lost my backpack inside a classroom and felt unease about its whereabouts until everybody clears out so I can look for it. I liked it!
ReplyDeleteThis story does a good job of telling through your eyes what its like to have something that you are obsessed with and what it feels like when you lose it and how much you are protective it. Good Job!!
ReplyDeleteI liked how I was able to follow your thoughts as you began thinking about your forgotten chapstick. I began to feel the frustration you had as you began to think about where it could have possibly gone. This piece was really well written and thought out
ReplyDeleteI love this story. It's seemingly simple but you've elevated the speaker's thoughts and feelingsto such a relatable stream of thoughts that the whole thing feels so familiar. It's hard to describe how such little things can have such an impact. I love that you've really shown all the little questions and worries certain people go through.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ivan that's exactly what I was trying to portray and yes, it is hard to depict this issue in words but I'm glad you found it enjoyable and relatable!
DeleteI love the narration the speaker talks in. It perfectly mimics our own inside voices that nag us on and on about tedious objects. However, I do see that the speaker's thoughts display a tinge of anxiety of "Where is it? I know I have it". I've felt this feeling several times when it comes to homework, and I absolutely hate that feeling
ReplyDeleteThis kind of problem can literally happen in any situation. Losing something of lesser value despite what it may be, can really have us in such a fuss. This really was funny, losing something like a chapstick is just hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThis piece perfectly describes fixation and its impact on us all. It shows us the great lengths we will go to to put our minds at ease. I love how you wrote about something so small, but how powerful it is and how we can all relate to it one way or another! Overall, great piece!!
ReplyDelete-Gabbie B.
I very much appreciate this depiction of OCD, often it is confused with a person being overly meticulous about their cleanliness. But this representation gives a different lens into the mind of a person with OCD.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you take us through the mind of someone who has OCD. I like how you made the topic clear and I felt the panic in his voice when he couldn't find the chapstick. This was a great piece!
ReplyDeleteI love how you wrote this piece and utilized religion so much to deliver such a unique message. I like how in real life, many people have a fixation with their phones, and your piece could easily be applied to that. Great Job!
ReplyDeleteThis really captures a kind of anxiety I'm sure all of us have known at one point. Your diction genuinely conveys the thoughts behind these feelings, while also being entertaining. And about something as mundane as chap-stick, no less. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you set up this story in a fast paced stream of consciousness because it captured the mindset of obsessing over something in an engaging and realistic way. Good job!
ReplyDeleteWhoa, I can totally relate to this piece of losing something that may seem to have no importance. I liked how you named the piece fixation instead of obsession because it has such a stronger impact.
ReplyDeleteLOL I loved how you portray what us teens are actually fixated on these days. I loved how you kept repeating, "I used it in third period and put it back in my bag." But what we are actually fixated on have deeper meanings within it because we just can't get our mind off of it.
ReplyDeleteVivian Chiang
This is a great piece, it gives a great view on how some people can be, making sure they have everything that they know they should have, and the minds thought on when we loose something we know we should have.
ReplyDeleteReading this truly stressed me out, I love how simple but complex this piece is. A story about chap-stick but means so much more, great piece!!
ReplyDelete- Somijah Reed
In AP Psych we've been learning about OCD and immediately after starting to read this I was intrigued. I have been wondering what it felt like to think those thoughts and be in the head of someone with OCD. You did a great job of simply, but with sophistication, relaying such emotions. Great perspective. -Vanessa Lai
ReplyDeleteThe use of imagery with all the places you could have misplaced your chapstick reminds me of the time that my boyfriend gave me a paper flower and i left it in third period and worried the whole weekend that it will still be there.
ReplyDeleteI like how your story shows how over-thinking and over-complicating things can be detrimental to one's own self. I remembered when I used to overthink things in my sophomore year and how it gave me so much stress and anxiety. Great job Jordan! -Ethan
ReplyDeleteI find this hilarious because I freak out about not having my chapstick with me or knowing where it is, and I always go through the same thought process of where it could be. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThis piece really shows how stressful losing something is. I think that the organization and style/diction really contributed to the impact the piece had on me. Great job! - Jade B.
ReplyDeleteI felt like this piece was extremely relatable. it demonstrates how easily we tend to overthink about the tiniest things and i enjoyed reading it :)
ReplyDeleteThis piece almost gave me anxiety. It's funny how we expend so much energy stressing over the little things. Sometimes in life we just need to know how to not sweat the small stuff.
ReplyDeleteThis story gave me so much anxiety just thinking about all the things I've misplaced or lost and going back in my head to retrace my steps and what could have possibly happened this piece gives a really good insight to that.
ReplyDeleteI really like this piece. This problem/disease is something that alot of people have to go through every day and not many people can relate to them because or feel sympathy for them because we dont actually know what is going on, so by you writing a piece about an overlooked disease is really nice. I was entertained all thoughout and want to read more. Great Job!
ReplyDelete-Cameron Smith
This story is relatable in so many ways. You expressed perfectly how difficult it is for some who have psychological disorders, whether it's OCD, anxiety, or even ADHD. It was extremely well written and I love how you repeat "I used it in third period and put it back in my bag" to emphasize the obsession of the one chapstick. I also enjoyed how you write all this from the perspective of the person talking to themselves and overthinking about finding the one chapstick. Great piece!
ReplyDeletethis actually gave me major anxiety haha but i really like this because i feel that people fixate too often on the small things in life, like the character in this peice, and unfortunately end up losing their entire day to the very thing they fixated on. Great job! - Kiara Samples
ReplyDeleteThe way you structured your piece with the sentences hitting back at each other going back and forth describes well your fixation with chapstick. The whole day though? Looking for chapstick?!? We can all learn a lesson here. Don't fight those thoughts in our heads sometimes, especially over trivial items like chapstick considering there was seven of them. It was entertaining and funny however, good job.
ReplyDelete-Ruben Becerra
I adore the way you expressed your feelings and showed how anxiety can affect someone. Great job!
ReplyDeleteI love that this shows how obsessive we can be about little things and waste so much time on it. Even if it may not seem big to others, we can't move on with our lives unless we figure it out. I love the repetition as it really highlights the "fixation". Great Job!!
ReplyDelete-Ishrat Khan
This perfectly captures overthinking! I was getting stressed out not knowing where the chapstick was and I was hoping to read that it was found. This is something I would do because I always lose my chapstick and lipsticks so I can definitely relate to this! You did a great job of making the reader curious and everything was well-written.
ReplyDeleteMore like obsession lol but this was still a good story. I would never waste an ENTIRE DAY looking for some chapstick when I get some more for $1 at Food Less unless Im feeling boujie and want to pay $3 or $4 for a EOS lip balm at Target
ReplyDeleteJordan, this piece is literally me on a day to day basis. I'm constantly losing something whether it's my keys or my chapsticks. . .usually my chapsticks. I really like how you used the voice that goes through all of our heads. Good job! -J'Noie Parker
ReplyDeleteI really like how you made a seemingly small problem into such a huge one, and it's important to recognize the true cause of such thoughts. I appreciate you bringing up the topics of mental instabilities like anxiety/OCD because they are so common yet often unrecognizable. Nice Job.
ReplyDeleteI can't express how relatable this piece is! I can't count how many times that I have found myself worrying about meaningless things instead of actually being productive. Great Work!
ReplyDelete-Jordan Lee
I love the use of stream of consciousness to realistically portray OCD. Usually OCD is shown to be a "neat freak" disorder but it's so much more that; I'm glad that you wrote this accurate piece of your own experience.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was such a funny story I really enjoyed reading this but overall I loved how everyone could come to their own comfort on how you worded and sequenced everything great job
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh how this perfectly depicts how i feel when things like this happen.(anxious) I always question myself on the smallest things and it just leads to more anxiety and frustration. Really well done!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a relateable piece Jay! Well done at the depiction of OCD and the germs of the chap-stick! Great job
ReplyDeleteIf this isn't the most relatable piece i've read, then I don't know what is. The diction, the worry over such a small possession, it's like reading about yourself through a mirror.
ReplyDelete- Francis Talla
This pieces is stressing me out!! I really hope you ended up finding your chapstick. This is a great representation of how many mental disorders are not visibly obvious to others. Many of them like ocd is a personal internal issue that others may not know one has. Very well written!
ReplyDeleteWow I love how you talked about feelings and mental illnesses (I'm assuming this is about OCD). These topics are practically taboo and you flawlessly described what many people secretly think and worry about. Amazing
ReplyDelete-Andre Burgos