Reflective Essay

Here's what I have so far...enjoy!

“Out of Thyme”

It’s five o’clock in the evening, and my stomach voices its hunger. I won’t be able to go home until 6. I already know what meal I want to cook. I try to make a mental checklist of the ingredients I need but would have to refer to the recipe. Writing is much the same.

In a creative nonfiction class, I composed a personal essay on my experiences at my family’s lake house in the Finger Lakes region of central New York. I settled on this topic quickly. But what method would be best to convey it? I spent at least some time up there each year. I have so many experiences tucked away neatly in my memory. Yet, for this assignment I had to choose the most relevant to my focus.

But what was my focus? I still had no shopping list for my essay. I chose the meal but had many recipes from which to choose.

I arrive at my girlfriend’s apartment and consult the magazine that has a recipe for butternut squash pizza. The ingredients listed are refrigerated pizza dough, one medium butternut squash, ricotta cheese, half of a medium onion, and thyme. I purchased almost all of the ingredients, except for thyme. I jot down some other items for future use and leave to go to the grocery store.

As I drafted my essay, I decided to create a travel essay. My journey started in New Jersey and finished at my family’s cottage in New York. I knew what I wanted to describe, the rolling hills surrounding the Finger Lakes and the sanctuary they created. Everything seemed to line up, but something was missing. The writing seemed flat and disjointed. There was no spice.

I handed my first draft in and received comments from my professor. She said the themes were good but developing coherence and focus would be paramount for making this piece stand out.

I enter the supermarket and head straight for the baking/spice aisle. I search the racks for thyme. Oregano, basil, and parsley crowd the shelves. Thyme is very stealthy. I come across cilantro and bay leaves, then rosemary and sage. I must be heading in the right direction. I finally come across a bottle with its label turned so that only the manufacturer’s address is shown. I grab the bottle and exhale deeply as the word thyme appears on the opposite side.

After receiving her comments, I set up some time to visit her during office hours. I was able to flesh out ideas on how to tighten the piece. I used her comments as a starting point, and I articulated my concerns with the piece. The meeting proved productive as my focus slowly began to form.

I arrive back at the apartment with all the ingredients inside. The butternut squash and onion roasts in the oven. I prepare to knead the dough into a rectangular form. The dough is ready as the squash and onions exit the oven. I sprinkle them onto the pizza dough and dab ricotta cheese in vacant spaces. I throw the pizza into the oven and wait to sprinkle thyme.

With most of my writing, I need to take a break. Usually, this comes right after a draft or a long editing session. This is my baking period. There’s not much I do with a piece, in the physical sense, during this time. Plenty of ideas cause many neurons to fire. I can see a final outcome of my work, yet I have to read its words. I only conceptualize the final piece.