Hitz.L.Mod#2.personalnarrative-essay1

Leonard Hitz

M. Schroeder

English Comp.

Oct. 13, 2015

The Perfect Swan Dive

            To fully understand the scene that took place in this photograph we must first get to know every part of the character that it has captured. And to ease any question in your minds as to whether I am the appropriate person to acquaint you with him, I will have you know that he is my father. He has been called a great many things by an even greater number of people, as if every part that he plays has its own persona. But I will introduce by the name he was given by his mother, Leonard James Hitz the 2^nd, named after my grandfather. But it is not quite that simple because he is also Leonard J. Hitz the 3^rd after my great grandfather who was Leonard Julius Hitz. Even the man’s name has a story behind it. And yes so everyone remains on the same page I am also Leonard James Hitz the… well I think that you all get the point. Now where was I before I was distracted by all of this business with names? Oh yes, my father.

            The first thing that most people notice about him, and you have probably already noticed yourself when you first looked at the picture was the size of the man. He dominates any space that he occupies, and it is not just his size alone he has a personality of gigantic proportions as well. I once had to ride in the back seat of a car full of people with him seated right next to me. My older sister was driving as it was her car we had all piled into. My niece Kathleen was in the middle of the front seat between my sister and my dad’s elderly aunt barb. So there I was in the back seat with my father and my own son.  My dad took his seat next to the window, and we put my son next to the other window because his car seat was too large for the middle.  Now don’t get me wrong I love the man and enjoy being close to him but a long road trip strapped in between him and my son’s car seat; well it was not very comfortable to say the least. He was sitting to the left of me and the car seat to the right. I had to sit with my shoulders slightly turned just so I could fit between the two, my legs tightly together and my hands squarely in my lap because there was no room to put them lese where, the hard plastic of the seat jammed into my ribs the whole time. I was such an uncomfortable situation that even though the air conditioning was going I begun to sweat. I am starting to get claustrophobic just remembering. And there was my father as calm and comfortable as could be. As he sat there taking up every bit of his own space there in the back seat and part of mine as well; he took it upon himself to tell a story so that everyone would be entertained.

            This is the story that he told on that on that particularly uncomfortable car ride. “You’ll never believe what happen to me the other night when I got home from work. There were these two little tree frogs hanging out on the wall by the front door just under the porch light, one to the left the other just to the right. It was a hot, humid night and the light was attracting a multitude of bugs that were crawling and buzzing around. And as I approached, I said to myself out loud I wonder what these little guys are up to?

            “Then you wouldn’t believe it but the little on the left chirped up as I got closer and said,

‘Don’t mind us we’re just hanging out here eating some of these tasty little bugs for dinner.’ Well that caught me by surprise so I just stood there for a minute and then I said to myself again, I must have gone out of my mind. I could swear that I just heard that little frog there talk. Just then the little on the right speaks out and says,

‘No sir you heard Jim there right as day. And I guess that you wouldn’t have heard anything but you scared us when you walked up on us the way you did, so he thought that he had better say something or else you might take a swat at us.’

‘Well if this isn’t just the grandest thing I have ever seen’ I said, ‘and I assure that I would never harm such an amazing pair of talking frogs.’ Then I asked, ‘If that’s Jim, what is your name?’ And he said,

‘Well my name is Bob. And what is yours?’ And I told him,

‘My name is Leonard’ then we just sat there for a while looking at each other because I don’t really know what else to say to a couple of frogs. So after a minute or two I said, ‘Well it has been a pleasure talking with the two of you; and time sure flies when you’re having fun,  and it’s getting late so I should probably be getting inside.’ And Jim said

‘Well I’m not too sure what you mean by that, but I can tell you time sure is fun when you having flies.’ And we all laughed. Then I went inside before the fire flies started singing.”

            Now that you know my father. I guess I had better let you know now that as far as what was taking place when the picture was taken, I’m not too sure. I wasn’t actually there that day. He claims that is was a perfect swan dive, but as far as I know I was an awesome belly flop. The picture is of my dad and that is what makes it important to me.