False Memory Essay

Bring! Bring!

I sprang out of bed as soon as I heard my alarm go off. Sprinting out of my room, I practically collided with my older sister, Lauren. She immediately grabbed me in a crushing hug and screamed, “Happy birthday!”

Five minutes later I was dressed and downstairs eating breakfast. “Mom!” I shouted as I saw her walk through the door, “Mom! What are we doing today?”

“It’s a surprise.” She said with a wink.

“Tell me, tell me, tell me!” I said bouncing up and down in my seat with the newfound enthusiasm of a three year old.

“If I tell you then it won’t be a surprise. Eat you breakfast and then we can start.”

An hour later I was sitting in a circle on the grass outside my house. In the middle there was a clown who had creatively named himself Mr. Bobby. He was attempting to keep the attention of ten three year olds while explaining the rules to something he called the parachute game. It involved a large parachute, which all the kids would hold about a foot above the ground, while two of them would run around underneath it attempting to catch each other. Thinking back, I realize that this was probably not the safest game to be playing with small children. It was, however, extremely fun.

After that, things just kept coming. More and more people began to show up, and before I knew it, my backyard was awash with people. There was a fire truck in my driveway, along with a miniaturized train that ran the entire way around my house. There was even a bobcat, the construction vehicle not the animal, which I got to sit in and pretend to drive. It was too much for my brain to take in. The next thing I knew I was hiding behind a giant clay pot, trying to escape from all the noise and confusion of the party. I stayed there for an hour before I ventured back out. At the time it didn’t occur to me that my family might be scared to find me missing, so I was completely unprepared for the reception I got.

Before I even saw anyone, I heard a disembodied voice shout out, ‘I found him!” This set off a chain reaction in my head. Someone’s missing, I was just gone and no one saw me for an hour, maybe I’m missing. A sudden trepidation filled me. My first thought was that I should go back and hide behind my pot, and I may have done just that if not for the owner of the disembodied voice walking up in front of me.

“Oh thank god I found you.” she said, “Your parents are worried sick”

I let the strange woman lead me back into the tumultuous party and over to where my parents stood, their faces contorted by anxiety. The moment my mothers eyes fell upon me, she let out a tremendous sigh.

After I told her about become overwhelmed and my pot, she took me inside and sent most of the guests home. I was glad to be rid of all the confusion but at least I had an extremely interesting birthday.