Non-Academic Writing: A Personal Narrative

 

I volunteer weekly through Child Life Services at Mott Children's Hospital, and as part of this position I keep children company while there guardians are unavailable. Every week I observe something new and I always call my mom (a nurse) afterward to tell her what about my experience.

 

The other day I had so much on my mind regarding volunteering that I had to write it down. It was the first time in a long time that I had felt so compelled to write that I was willing to drop everything else and do so. The end result was narrative in the window below.

 

My goal for this piece was to simply write about my observations while volunteering. Too often I've read pieces about sick kids that involve the author feeling sorry for the child, which doesn't help anyone. I wanted to paint a more realistic picture of what it's like to be in a hospital. Mainly, it's a different reality from what most people are used to. Unfortunate things happen, but they are simply part of the daily life of a chronically ill child.

 

In addition, there is a lot of unused time for patients, volunteers, and visitors at a hospital, and this allows for a reflective atmosphere. Through my piece I connected this reflecting setting with seeing things from a different perspective, thus tying this piece to the overall theme of my ePortfolio.