Pooh Bear

Wendy VonBargen
Dr. M
Introduction Essay


I was raised on a 100 acre farm with my friend Pooh Bear who lived with me there. I loved growing up on the farm and searching the woods with Pooh and my dogs. I had many adventures in the woods not to mention all the chores on the farm that needed to be done. I eventually out grew Pooh but never the 100 acre woods nor the small town that I went to school at.
I made many friends during school time and learned many things. The one thing that came easy to me was singing. I sang all the time; I think that the cows even got tired of hearing me sing. School was never a strong point for me but I managed to muddle through having my strong points and weak ones.
English has never been my strong point in school or life experiences I have always tried to do well, but seem to fall short. This last quarter was very interesting for me. I learned a lot about myself when it came to English and time management. I can say that I have learned to write better along with being able to put my thoughts down on paper. I am sure that there is so much more to me in English than I realize and can't wait to get started with this quarter.
In high school I never enjoyed reading much which was always something that we would have to do and then make a book report. Have you ever read ‘Moby Dick’? What a long book it is. I so wanted to read ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ like the rest of the class did, but my mother wouldn’t let me so I got the great joy of being punished with ‘Moby Dick’. I do believe that was huge stepping stone in why I never enjoyed reading back then. (Just in case you wanted to know, it was my mother who got to choose the book for me.)
We had a wonderful English teacher that always told us that the more we read the better we would write. I do believe that is where I was lost in English in those days. I have since found the joy in reading a variety of books which I have pasted onto my son. He and I now fight over who is going to read what book and when. When we order new books and they come in the mail it is a race to see who can get to the mailbox first. Having found that I really do enjoy reading I have also found that I do write better.
I am finding that my family helps me with my English as well. Having one child in eighth grade and one in first gives me a variety of different situations for using English. With my son, in eighth grade, I get to go over things like reports and the comprehension of a story along with sprucing up on my spelling. My first grader helps me out with the basics of English, which is always a good thing.
Many times I find myself singing the ‘Conjunction conjunction what’s your function’ to my children. Do you remember that Saturday morning cartoon, when you learned about English and other important information? I remember learning about ‘The Bill’ and many other things on those mornings and singing all those newly learned songs till my family was sick of them. I really wish they were back on TV.
I sometimes miss the old farm. I miss the times that I would go into the woods with my dogs and just listen to the sounds. The methodical noise of the river was so soothing that I fell asleep more than once sitting next to it. To sneak up on a deer or an elk was one of the best parts of being in the woods that I remember. It was a great time in my life that I wish I could share with my children.
To share my 100 acre wood with my children is impossible now since my parents sold the land when dad retired. They found a lovely 10 acres in Idaho and now live in an even smaller 3 acre area in Humptulips. Needless to say my old woods with the large maples and smaller vine maples aren’t available to walk through anymore. Or are they? Maybe, just maybe, I will be able to use my writing skills that I have learned to write stories to them so that they can have adventures besides me in my woods. Yes, I think those woods are available now.