Ice cream party victory: The tradition continues
Congratulations to friend and colleague Monica, who received her party-in-a-box last month, on the heels of her essay winning Edy's neighborhood competition and preceding the great freezer-conquering arrival of the ice cream itself. I'm glad the win and party last year could be the start of excellence. Here's Monica's 300-words-or-less essay:
A set of earplugs and a mask block out the lawn crew and the sun. A caffeine jolt sheds my sleepiness while most climb into bed. The smell of dinner wafts into my apartment as I sit with a bowl of cereal.
I work the overnight shift. My life has been lived upside down for the past six months, sleeping while others work, working while others sleep. I know my neighbors only through their sounds, having moved into my apartment the same week I started this shift. Across the hall, a crescendo of sneezes, usually delivered in triplets. To my right, the shrill phone that often rings until the caller gives up. Above me, a vacuum's hum as I leave for work at 9 p.m. These are my neighbors: a comforting symphony, reminding me I am still a part of the waking world, though I spend my 'days' in near solitude and silence.
Why am I hoping for an Edy's ice cream party (apart from the obvious goodness)? I envision after the event that noises will now be known as neighbors, routines will now have faces, and the seed of community will have been planted. My work shift may not change, but my sense of community would be turned upside down.
Who can win in '09? If you have interest, let me know. I want a cut.
