I sat down by the edge dock and tried to zip up my ‘little mermaid’ life jacket. “ Daddy, I need help!” I pouted my little fingers barley holding on to the pink zipper. “ Here Pumpkin,” Said my dad kneeling down next to me. He zipped it up and held my hand. “ Carry me Daddy!” I said and he lifted me up high above his head. He spun around and I laughed. “ Come on lets go.” He set me down and led me to the edge of the dock. There was a big (almost like a ship) boat coming into shore and I was so excited.

Dad and I got onto the boat and a woman with long brown hair walked up to us. “ Mommy!!!” I said as she hugged me. “ Hi honey, are you ready?” I nodded and dad picked me up. “ We’ve been waiting a long time for this trip.” Said my dad. “ We sure have…” my mother trailed off. I lad my tiny head on his shoulder and drifted of to sleep.

When I woke up I heard yelling and there was water everywhere. I was in such a daze but managed to get out of bed. Mom was sleeping soundly but dad was nowhere to be found. We were in the ‘captains quarters’ or so my dad called it. I heard a yell from outside and went out on to the deck of the boat. “ Daddy?” I gazed all around the boat but didn’t see him. “ Daddy!” I said and rushed to him. He was hanging on with one hand to the back of the boat railing.

“ Honey, go get help fast! Go Pumpkin! Please! Hurry!” he was trying not to show his terror. I ran as fast as I could but it was hard with the boat moving so much; the sky was dark and cloudy. “Mommy!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Where are you? I hear from the cabin. “ Mommy!” I said again and saw her running to me.

I turned around to point and show her what was so clear to my blue eyes but didn’t seem to be clear to her at all. I saw him slipping. “ No!” My mother screamed as a huge wave raised above us. I started for the railing and tripped. My head hit hard and my world was fading fast. “Daddy…” I said. “I love you!” he said right before he let go. Just as my mom reached me I blacked out.

Copy Right Leah Backstrom 2009

“ Come on Dotty, we need to leave now! Pepi, that is not a chew toy! Ginger stop tugging we’re going to get home soon!”

I’m a dog walker; funny thing about it is I hate dogs! I can’t stand their smelly breath, greasy coats, and always having to take them out side to do their ‘business’. I am defiantly a cat person. Cats take care of them selves; you don’t even need to give them baths. I want to quit, trust me I do. I know what your wondering if you hate dogs so much, why are you a dog walker? Well let me fill you in…

I was just finishing up work one night at Bob’s Burger Shop. I was really tired and wanted to go home. I had one more table to serve and I was done for the night. I was carrying the tray over to the table and wasn’t watching where I was going. I didn’t see the wet floor sign next to the table and slipped landing face flat on the floor. Not only was I in pain but I also looked up to realize I had shoved our best costumers meal right in his face. to sum it up: I lost my job, and I needed another job.

So that’s how I ended up here, walking three extremely restless dogs around in the park. I guess it isn’t so bad; it could have been much worse and I actually get paid pretty well. If fact, I’m getting the hang of this. I guess I won’t quit. “ Not again Pepi, these are my good shoes!” maybe not.

(I wrote this when i was at IMC. i added and fixed a few things since then but it’s still really awesome!!)

When I say I’m different, what do you really think of? Do you think it’s because I’m shy, or because I am younger? Is it because I come from a different family or I have different friends? Is it the way I dress or the way I wear my hair? What could be so different about me? Then again, what’s the same?

I know that everybody’s different in his or her own way. We all come in different ethnicities, have different mannerisms and even have different physical characteristics. But it’s more than that. We all have our own little details of our lives and ourselves that make us different.

Growing up I got bullied, teased, and picked on because I was what they called ‘different’. I saw them do it to others too. I never said anything because I was afraid, afraid of what they would say. I should have said something then. I do now. I stick up for all my friends because they stuck up for me. They saw my differences and liked it. Finally a person likes me for me. I am different and I’m proud of it. It’s what makes me, me. No one else can change that. Sure, I may be a little different but its what’s different about me that made me unique.

Copy-write Leah Backstrom 2009

If you have a ‘short short’ you want to add, go right ahead!

The White House

Looking at the White House I wonder: If they painted it another color, would they still call it the White House?

I think I love you

If you could read my mind, I would think that I love you.

The invisible Man

No one can see the invisible man, so how do we know he’s there?