Megan Tutundjian
Instructor Ringo
UWP
24 September 2022
Process Memo:
Overall, the majoity of the feedback I received claimed that my narrative was a little hard to follow. It seemed as though I could not really pick one topic, thus, trying to hard to make two topics work when in reality they would have been more clear standing alone. Since the first draft, I decided to narrow down my topic to just one. I realized that the story of my experience with the “Little Jack Horner” poem and my growth as a writer and food blogger tied better together than the introduction I had in the first paragraph. As a result, I decided to introduce the narrative starting with my experience with this poem and remove the introduction I had prior. I felt like in the first draft I was trying too hard to make two topics work.I think my strengths of this draft include the new flow. After removing the confusing introduction, I realize it was even easier for me as a writer to see a clear beginning, middle, and end. To continue, some feedback I received was to include more imagery in the end. As a result I added more pictures and detailed descriptions about my food allergy blog.
My early memories with the English language begin in a tiny box of endless curiosity I used to call my childhood bedroom. Ask me what my favorite time of day was at the age of five and I would confidently respond storytime in bed. Snuggled up in my Minnie Mouse Pajamas with the fresh scent of laundry detergent on my sheets I felt like the happiest girl in the world. My own father whose first language was not English made it his priority to make sure that his lack of expertise in the language would not hither my ability to converse. He ensured we read my favorite poem book every single night, eventhough I had all of them memorized. My favorite poem was “Little Jack Horner” by Mother Goose. This poem had a grip on my mind so tight I felt like I was in a candy store when I came to the page. In the poem, a young boy sticks his hand into a pie and pulls out a juicy purple plum. I remember my desire to always find this plum pie at any grocery store I stepped foot in. To my disappointment, plum pie is quite a rare type of pie. Maybe it was because I could not really read the labels on pies yet, but I do remember the burning tears rolling down my eyes after every failed attempt to find this particular pie. I so badly wanted to experience similar joys that the boy in the poem felt when he discovered the miraculous dessert. However, this six lined poem allowed me to find joy in the miniscule things in my life and lead me to doors where curiosity was encouraged.
I later grew to realize this exact poem would stem my passion for food and writing. Diagnosed with food allergies at six months old, I was frustrated that no one understood the detrimental effects that food allergies had on my mental health. I was frustrated that there were no children books depicting children like me who could not eat an ordinary slice of cake or that amazing plum pie I dreamed about. I wanted to express myself and make others aware of the struggle millions of people go through on a daily basis. So I began my journey as a blogger. I created my own website and social media, “Ingredients of Courage” and began writing articles about my experiences with food allergies, tips for those struggling, and new and innovative recipes for everyone to try.
One of my first recipes was for a delicious plum pie. The feedback I received was tremendous it became one of my most popular recipes. Everyone I knew would mention this beautiful pie I had posted that kickstarted my blogging hobby. Little did I know, my followers shared the same love for plum as I did, so a lot of my newer recipes include the delectable fruit.
As I grew older, I realized reading and writing filtered into so many aspects of my life outside of storytime in my bed.
My blog became part of my identity. It created this motivation and purpose in my life to help others. As more and more followers poured into my food allergy blog I began to receive feedback and requests for more recipes.
Meeting many wonderful people who also struggled with food allergies and were able to release their anxieties with a small movement of a pen was rewarding. Despite the times changing, writing and sharing my anecdotes with food allergies was not only my escape, but a significant aid to new families struggling with this topic. Many mother’s would contact me sharing their gratitude. They felt comfort knowing that they could look into the lens of what a positive future might entail for their children with allergies. I looked forward to my freetime where I could just sit and write. Any experience with food usually turned into a writing piece by the end of the day.
Overall, writing is not a task for me but a way of escaping the realities of life. It is a way of moving people and spreading awareness to current issues. I accept that my writing process needs more strengthening, however, I admire my growth with writing and how my perspective has changed about the beauty of reading and writing. I hope to someday write a childrens book helping children with food allergies know they are not outcasts. My goal is to inspire a child just as Little Jack Horner did.
As children we are told to “do what we love” when we grow up. Thankfully, I have found a passion for two of my hobbies that intertwine just as good as plum and pie. While this children’s book has a long way to go, I can only imagine the mountains it will shake for young children. My hope is that it resonates with children who are like the version of myself that never gave up, even for one pie.