Personal Narrative: I Am A Jew

Living in 1950, after the bombings I was finally free, I thought I was done with the war. I thought it was all over. But I guess I didn't account for school. Even though there was no blood. This time instead of feeling it on the outside it was more on the inside. I was born a Jew, nothing I could change. But even though the war ended it still felt just the same. I went to school every day, at 8:30 just like everyone else. But what was different between me and my classmates, was the fact that I am a Jew. I would usually wake up brush my teeth, then get breakfast, then I would go to school and have history class in the morning and language arts in the afternoon. Although my schedule may seem normal, there was nothing normal about it. After school,

I looked forward to this day every year, it was my favorite day of all time. I enjoyed learning all the things that happened before me. It was my way of being there when I actually wasn't. I ran to school as soon as I picked up my brown paper bag that contains my lunch. I grabbed my books from the cubbies at school, I came in just as the teacher was scratching down the morning list on the chalkboard. I sat at the front because usually, the kids that sit at the back get the meter stick. I grabbed my books out, just like the teacher asked, and started reading chapters 4 and 5. That's when I heard snickering in the back, “Ha Ha Emma’s a loser, she must be scarred from the concentration camps, she’ll never grow up to be a normal person”. I just sat at my desk acting like nothing ever happened, like I do every day. I focus more on my reading, so I don’t think about the pain. I always push it to the back of my mind, not wanting to make a scene. Suddenly, Tommy stone walked in front of my desk. A white paper landed on my desk, I quietly picked it up trying not to make any sudden moves. I unfolded it under my desk, hiding it from my classmates. Tears started rolling down my pink checks, I wiped them off with my sleeve, trying to make a normal face, with what strength I had left in me. I shoved everything back in my body. With what

Would I still be the same person today as I was then? I still got bullied, nothing I can do about that. But what did change was my attitude, I never cared what they said to me anymore, it was meaningless to me. I still cried at the things that Tommy said to me. But going through that phase of my life has helped me realize how messed up this world is. Just because I'm of a certain race I get put down. I used to be so obsessed with what others think, but I don't really care what Tommy thinks, I care what anyone thinks anymore. After that day I just wanted it to go uphill from there, but like a road, it always has its bumps and turns. The war is still going on but it's fading away slowly, people are making peace treaties, soon there will be no war anymore. I still have my battle scars but they go away