Who Do You Think You Are? Part Four

Exercise 5 - Selecting 8 Key Achievements

1. Junior Reading Cup
2. Climbing Trees
3. Befriending Collie
4. AutoCAD and the lightbulb puzzle
5. Beading
6. Rescuing Big Dog
7. Making animations
8. Making a papier mache mask

Exercise 6 - My Eight Achievements

1. Junior Reading Cup

What was the achievement?
I won a prize for the best reading of a selected passage of text.

How did I get involved?
this was an annual competition held by my school, divided into several age groups. All you had to do was put your name on a piece of paper and then turn up at the time you were given. I always had a real have a go sort of an attitude, if someone gave me an opportunity, i would do it for the heck of it.

What did I do?
I turned up. I think while we were waiting outside we were given the book with a marked passage to look at and practice. I would read it through to myself a few times. Make sure I knew how to say any difficult words. Look at all the clues in the passage about how to say it, like punctuation and the emotion of the piece. Then I went in there and I read it with all my heart.

What did I find satisfying about it?
I love reading stories out loud. I always did from the times my Mum and I would read to each other. I loved reading to classes at school and I could hold them in the palm of my hand. I would do all the voices and really feel the story. We did a workshop as part of teacher training on reading out loud and using puppets and things. We had to read the opening page of a book and I chose Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo. Not only had I chosen a fantastic opening piece but was one of the best at reading it too. I love the stories and I love bringing them alive.


2. Climbing Trees

What was the achievement?
I was the best tree climber in my year at school.

How did I get involved?
We had extensive grounds at my school. It was old manor house and a lawn stretched away on one side leading to woods with paths between and a lovely big pond. Climbing trees was something we all did. There were no adults watching us and telling us to be careful, we were on our own.

What did I do?
I was able to look at a tree and plan a route up it. From this branch to that. I could just see how to get up. I was big and strong and tall and I liked using my body to go up.

What did I find satisfying about it?
I loved the feel of using my body. I loved being able to escape where nowhere else was able to reach me. I loved the view and the peacefulness. I loved the trees themselves to. The textures of the different barks, the way different types had different arrangements of branches. I felt part of the landscape by interacting with it.


3. Befriending Collie

What was the achievement?
As a child we had a collie. We had been given him when a relative moved from a farm and no longer had room for such a big active outdoor dog. He lived in our garden. If it was cold and we bought him in, he would get to hot and ask to go out again. He was a clever and independent sort of a dog. A man's dog.

How did I get involved?
The collie didn't like me much and I can't say as I blamed him. When I was little I used to do all sorts of nasty things, like pull his hair and push him around. One time I hit him over the head with my space hopper, I remember a set of teeth zooming towards my forehead. He didn't leave a mark, he just wanted to scare me. He was always a dog who felt the punishment should match the crime. As I got older I regretted that he didn't trust me and endeavoured to do something about it.

What did I do?
I did everything I could to take care of him. The nasty things obviously came to an end. I made sure I was the one to feed him. I gave him lots of fuss, when he would accept it. I would brush him.

What did I find satisfying about it?
He did begin to trust and like me. He never forgot, I could see it in his eyes. he never forgot the child he was but he accepted the person I wanted to become. He used to get matted fur, being outside and being a long haired dog. If you pulled his hair while brushing him he would turn round and pull on of your arm hairs. He would only let my Dad brush his back legs but eventually he would let me do it to. Being worthy in the eyes of an animal is a good thing.


4. AutoCAD and the Lightbulb Puzzle

What was the achievement?
I gained my City and Guilds in AutoCAD and had to complete some tricky geometrical puzzles in order to do it.

How did I get involved?
I did A level Design and Technology and as part of that we had to do a little CAD. I enjoyed it. The college decided to offer a City and Guilds and we were able to sign up to do it. I did, that old have a go mentality.

What did I do?
In our spare time we would go and work through exercises and finally some test pieces. I really enjoyed them, the trickier the better. We were not always given all the dimensions of the piece we were trying to replicate so we would build up a series of construction lines and use geometry to work out how to correctly draw each object. I remember a light bulb in particular in which we were not given the dimensions of many of the curved sections and had to work them out.

What did I find satisfying about it?
I loved it. I loved breaking the drawing down into layers, deciding where to put construction lines in order to know where to draw. I enjoyed planning the drawing and breaking it down so I could build it up on the screen. I enjoyed the puzzle.


5. Beading

What was the achievement?
Learning how to make beaded jewellery. I learnt a variety of stitches, such as peyote, herringbone and brick. I learnt how to begin and end pieces. I learnt to make freeform pieces. I learnt to make complicated pieces involving different sizes of beads and stitches. I learnt to use wire. I learnt to braid and use a loom. I unleashed my creativity which had not had an outlet in over a decade.

How did I get involved?
I worked for a group of glamorous ladies who always wore nice clothes and had lovely jewellery. I couldn't afford to buy all the things they did but it occurred to me tht I could learn to make them myself. Jewellery didn't seem to threatening so i signed up for a course. I learnt enough of the basics to carry on, using books and such. One of my local beading shops has a weekly class with a new design each week. If you don't go to the class you can still go in and look at the patterns and buy ones you like. I eventually went to the class as well. I learnt through making.

What did I do? I consider myself able to follow any pattern. I am even able, given time to work out the stitches, able to come up with complicated designs of my own.

What did I find satisfying about it?
I had not done anything creative in years. There wasn't time when i was studying and everything creative had slowly anished from my life after I left school. I enjoyed the creativity. The following of complex patterns. The colours and shapes. Having something nice at the end of it was a bonus.


6. Rescuing Big Dog

What was the achievement?
Big Dog was a mess when I got him. His wounds and health had been seen to before he was placed up for homing. He was still covered in scare and had a bare patch on his side where an M had been burnt with cigarettes. His jaw, tail and ribs had all been broken at some time in the past. Although his ills had been seen to, he was still a broken dog. If you uncrossed your legs, he thought you were going to kick him. If you raised your voice, he wet himself in fear. He was terrified of people. I had him for 7 1/2 years and when he died he had had a long and happy life. His early beginnings were long behind him. He was always a little odd but he learnt not to be terrified of everything.

How did I get involved?
My lodgers wanted me to get a dog. They promised to share in walking and feeding and costs. I knew they wouldn't. I knew they would forget as soon as I got a dog. I knew it would be my responsibility. I loved dogs but I wasn't sure I was ready. I was more than a little broken myself. I knew if I got a dog, it would be my responsibility and no one elses.

I was going home for a few days and during this time there was to be a greyhound fundraiser. I didn't tell my folks what I was thinking of. There were a few dogs there for rehoming and I nearly chickened out. Towards the end of the day there was an announcement that there was one dog left. I went to see it. It was already with the couple who were to take it home as a foster dog.

This black shiny dog and I stood and looked at each other. i have no idea who was more nervous. My only words were 'he'll do'. The foster folks had an interesting expression at my words but the charity rep knew my family pretty well, my Dad still works for the charity. So I had no need of a home check or any such. And just like that Big Dog was mine.

What did I do?
I walked him twice a day - quite a thing for a girl of my age to be walking a big dog who was looked like they had been thoroughly abused. Particularly as he was so obnoxious with other dogs when on the lead. i don't think anyone ever thought for more than a couple of seconds that I might have been the one though.

I fed him and gave him a roof. He could always retreat to my room if he was scared and he often did. People could come in the house when i wasn't in and never know there was a dog because he was hidden away. I gave him lots of love. I didn't abuse him. and I was very, very patient. I accepted him as he was and loved him and in time he grew into an almost normal dog. there is something about dogs who have abusive pasts. They are somehow more grateful and loving because they know they are lucky. They have more personality and quirks. The relationship is somehow more rewarding and deeper.

What did I find satisfying about it?
What isn't satisfying about helping a broken soul mend itself? What wouldn't be satisfying about loving and being loved? I didn't try and make him other than what he was and he loved me as i was. He stopped me from being lonely and alone.


7. Making Animations

What was the achievement?
Learning to make simple animations using a web cam and software. I made two - some playdough worms running around and a group one of Moses parting the dead sea.

How did I get involved?
A requirement of my teacher training course.

What did I do?
We made models and for the Moses one we made a simple paper set as well. Plasticine and playdough. Then when you shoot the it, you have to take a picture and then move things very slowly before taking another picture. Making a short animation takes a fair bit of work and a systematic and careful approach.

What did I find satisfying about it?
I like working on things slowly and thoroughly that give me a nice rewarding concrete thing at the end. I like being precise and thorough.


8. Making a Papier Mache Mask

What was the achievement?
I made a papier mache mask from scratch in one morning.

How did I get involved?
A requirement of my course.

What did I do?
I had an idea in my head. I didn't want to work in a pair so I didn't, even though I am not sure my lecturer was too impressed. I got there early so that I could start straight away. I carefully cut out my card base with eye and mouth holes. I carefully made the features of the face with card and wire and masking tape. Then I covered it all in newsprint and cellulose paste. Once this was done I added small pieces of different colour tissue papers. I then sprinkled bluey greeny glitter over the top and left it to dry.

What did I find satisfying about it?
I liked realising a creative vision. I liked what I made. I like having my mask on my wall.


If you have made it this far then I am really impressed. This really wasn't written for an audience. I just find writing things on my blog helps them to get written. They somehow have more purpose and meaning behind them. I also find it easier to complete things if I blog about them.