210. Own a polaroid Camera

 

       So as almost everyone knows yesterday was Christmas, and in America, Parents (or Santa depending how old you are) gives their children gifts. Now oddly this year for different for me, I didn't feel the normal Christmas joy kids normally felt around this time of year, in fact I wouldn't even have noticed if it hadn't been for the sixteen day break we get from a wonderfully thing called school, which felt like more of a prison than anything else. But now instead of listening to teachers talk about projects I had already finished, I now got to lay in bed trying to think of something to do with myself, and more importantly my (so far boring) life. And than like magic an idea came into my head.  I could make a bucket list, and work to complete it, while setting goals for myself even though I am jobless, and broke.

 

       At first I tried to keep the list a secret, (1. Because some of the things I had wanted to do were embarrassing. And 2, secrets at my house were rare, considering my house was always full of people, and the walls are paper thin so you can pretty much hear everything, if you know where to go) But that goal was soon let loose as my loving, curious, Mom saw me working on it at two in the morning one night. and so she saw the list and read each, and every challenge, smiling and laughing every so often. And one challenge catched her eye secretly, her mind always thinking and planning ahead. Number two hundred and ten.  I had explained to her my idea of starting a blog and capturing everything with a polaroid camera, that I had seen on something like an Old Disney TV movie or something. I always liked the look they camera gave, and the way the pictures were formatted. Even though the film was pricey (around $1.50 for every picture which came in a pack of ten) I still wanted one, thinking that it would teach me to notice things more, and realize what moments are really important, not like today's teenaged girls who take a picture of anything they can (such as selfies, and the like,) on their Apple IPhones at every possible moment.

 

      I sat and watched as the normal puzzle of figuring out who's present was who's, (A game where my parents would not label the presents, and mix everything up, because they homeschooled their kids, we would figure out what they had gotten us before they even woke up, so the game was invented and we have been playing ever since) Once My oldest brother Joe, and oldest sister Faith, figured out the puzzle and had finished giving people orders of "you which with Justice" and "no, you're right, so switch to make sure." And my dad saying finally saying, "you have ten right." (Yes that's how big my family is and is growing bigger though marriages) I looked down at the present handed to me, trying to think what could possibly fit inside. I looked away to look at my order sister Hope (My roommate and my best friend) opening up her present of a furry pillow and rug. I watched and waited as one by one people opened their presents.

 

      At least my Dad said cheerfully, "Already Charity, it's your turn."  I looked back at me three presents, "Make sure to open number one." I heard my Mom say, Her voice seeming far away. I thought how funny it was that she always said that, like if I opened number two instead of number one, it would totally give away everything. But I just smiled and opened the box, a blue Star Trek t-shirt and scarf stared back at me, I lift both up to get a closer look at both, and so the rest of the family could see. In box number two, their was a "How to Draw Anime" book with two black gel pens. The third I thought had to be shoes, I felt the box earlier and figured out that much, I thought it was going to be red converse, because I wanted a pair because the Tenth Doctor from Doctor who wore them, and being a geek, I would dive into and love, anything that had to deal with geeky things, or books. I breathed in deeply, and ripped open the box, but to my surprise, its wasn't converses, but a Polaroid camera! With film!

 

        My mind raced, flashing to the future of things I would be doing. some how I got a "Thank you Mom, and Dad!" Out of my mouth. I was the last one to open their presents, so I gathered up my things and rushed up stairs to my room, and got my camera out of the packaging, and put the batteries and the film installed. And rushed in Hope (she's the one who wants to major in photography college, and is the only person I'll let take pictures of me) with her presents, after she put the rug and pillow in place she turned to me and asked, "Pictures?" With one of her cutest smiles. "YYYYEESSSS!!!!" I cheered. "Come over to the window, the light is best there." we both moved to the window by her bed. I showed her how the camera worked. and she got behind me, and put her face on her shoulder. I held the camera up and took a picture, excited to see the camera worked. the film came out black. I was worried I did it wrong (I tend to mess things up a lot, kind of a unwanted hobby I had the luck of getting) but slowly, a picture began to show, a minute or so later the film had fully developed. it was the worst picture I've ever taken, but it's my favorite picture. I showed Hope the picture and she thought the same thing. I took one of my  new black gel pens and wrote "First picture taken, 12/15/2013" and later add "The day 11th doctor died." And that was the day I completed my first thing on my bucket list, with four hundred and ninety-nine challenges to go...