Personal Narrative: My Extraordinary Michigan Hero

My Extraordinary Michigan Hero Essay

"Children close their ears to advice, but open their eyes to example." -Unknown The above quote is how I would describe my childhood. As children we look up to an adult, a role model, and who knew the adult I looked up to would become my Michigan Hero. When you think of a hero you probably think of a superhero like Batman, but my hero hasn't saved the world, at least not that I know of. In 1985 my Michigan Hero was born, my Uncle Pat. To describe my uncle I quote a passage written by Tom Kenny, "He's not a child but he's childlike, he's not a grown up, he's not a kid, maybe he sounds like an elf on helium, we'll play with it." My uncle has taught me to be the person I am today, and that is why

Sure I was only a couple hours old and don't remember anything, but I do know one thing he fell in love with me. My uncle Pat and I are not extremely far apart in age and I believe that is why we get along so well. Every time my uncle would walk in the room my face would light up, and you could always tell it was my uncle by his style. He is tall, constantly dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and always wearing a black Detroit Tigers baseball hat. My uncles hat is like his trade mark. He never goes out in public with out it on. Everyone has a special personality that is unique in its own way, and I have learned over the years that my uncles personally is different. One rainy day my grandmother was sitting in the office and her old house working. I walk into the room and I go to stand next to her. As she's working and me being six year old me I began to bug her. Poking her in the arm, whispering in her ear "What yeah doing, can I help, can we play now?" Just being flat out annoying. My grandmother had enough and started yelling at me, which made me cry. Right at the perfect time my uncle walked in and saved the day. He jumped right in front of me and saved me from a very angry grandmother. He took me out in the hall and asked me if I wanted to play a game. I of course said yes and followed him down to the basement. That night we created a game called 'Dodge ball mix of Hide'N'Seek.' It it wasn't for his fun personality and his

Camping has always been one of my favorite childhood memories, especially when we play the game flashlight tag. Flashlight tag has always been a fun game my family does when we camp. On a dark night my uncle Pat, aunt Ellen, uncle Mat, and I travel down to the Manistee woods with flashlights and walkie talkies. We split up into teams and one team hides while the other team counts. The team that is hiding can communicate by the walkie talkies. It was a clear night as my uncle and I are hiding in tall sand dunes. Crouched down counting to 60 we begin to laugh. There is one experience that will always be engraved in my mind. It was a dark night and my uncle Pat and I were sitting in a sand dune counting to 65. "63,64,65" we scream at the top of our lungs. We get up, brush sand off of our selves and head straight to the woods to find the other team, hoping to give them a good scare. We shine our lights in the bushes, behind sand dunes, and in the trees but still no sign of the other team. We look at each other and just shrug thinking we went back to the camp site. We turn around to head back when we hear a howl like sound. For an eight year old a howl in pitch black words is the scariest thing ever. My uncle being the loving and caring person he his walked in front of me saying it was probably my aunt and uncle on the other team trying to scare us. Sure enough a couple