Shae Fitzpatrick Journal 5

Growing up I have always been closest with my cousin Thomas Fitzpatrick. We are a month apart and are very much alike. He lives in Houston Texas now and is a senior in high school but he has always been my favorite person in the world.

When we were little, he was my best friend. We would get along and play so well with each other. He would always convince me to do things that I probably shouldn't have been doing but I did them anyway because he was my best friend. He has always been one to fool around with me and I always have had so much fun with him. We were always called the two trouble makers by my Uncle Tim.

Even though he lives very far away now and I only see him once a year when we travel to Texas, still am close with him and talk to him everyday about everything. When we were little we would see each other about three times a year because of how close our dads were. This summer I went to Texas and visited my family and Thomas and I did everything together. Our bond will never be broken and he will always be my best friend. We share a lot of favorite things with each other and we are both very picky about everything which makes us get along very well. I miss him all the time but he is the one person I think about when I think about how I was influenced as a kid and how I am influenced now and forever. Thomas is like a brother to me.

Thomas and I this summer In Texas (updated picture)

Kellen, Shae, Thomas 2005 at my house. 

The Chicago Fitzpatricks and the Texas Fitzpatricks

were in town visiting us for the memorial tournament.

The first chapter in The House on Mango Street was my favorite chapter in the whole book. It gave me a vision of what Mango Street was like and it left the imprint of what the setting was like for the rest of the book. She talked about what her and her family's past living experiences were like which gave me some backstory for the rest of the book also. Esperanza told us about her family and how her parents had said that The House On Mango Street would be THE house for them and it turned out not to be. Cisneros wrote, “Its small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath. Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in.” This personification really stood out to me and was different from all of the metaphors used in the rest of the book.