#I think the twins have had different haircuts throughout their lives to keep things simple for their parents

[yuviur]

And then, Henry is holding them really tight, more for his security than theirs, and he walks out of the dungeon (ep 42)

I cannot be the only one who cried when the twins climbed Henry and sat on his shoulders like two loving pauldrons 🥺

[writingcommons-blog1]

“Sleepy Hollow Dreams” by Jo J.

Sleepy Hollow is a very calm and peaceful grove, inhabited by retired citizens, seeking to live out their days in bliss.  There are long, winding roads that seem to turn into corn fields, just as there are brooks that fall ever so easily over moss-stained rocks.  The sound of a baseball being launched two-hundred feet in the air is the only break to the monotonous sound of dragon flies and mosquitos in the sweet air.  The grass is always magically cut and maintained, and fresh wood-chips are laid every year in the jungle-gym.  The preserve is never occupied save from our family, and is certainly reserved by my Grandmother one year in advance.  

Once a year my family holds a reunion at Sleepy Hollow.  It is a time to catch up on events in our lives, to learn what new and exciting paths we are all taking.  My family lives scattered throughout Illinois, equal parts from the bustling sky-scrapers of Chicago and the quiet avenues of the suburbs, so there is not much contact between us besides the occasional Facebook message.  Growing up, my siblings and I would attend the reunion every year, and we would be terribly excited to make the hour drive, to play volleyball and baseball with our cousins, and to bet our loose change in a game of “31.”

We were not aware at the time, but our family reunions gave my sister and I a glimpse into what life was like outside of the big city.  Of course, we knew people who lived outside of Chicago, but only at a surface relationship, we never inquired about their day-to-day lives.  When you have family that you keep in contact with  living in a starkly contrasted setting, it is almost a fun experiment to see how differently the two families grow up.

The last family picnic that my sister and I attended was in 2011, when I was only thirteen years old.  Times were simple back then, and I gave no thought to my cousins’ state of affairs, success, and plans for the future.  I was there only for the hotdogs and loud music.  Now, as a nineteen year old at the University of Iowa, I was excited to see what had become of my cousins, and how they were faring in their own right.  I drove up Bellows Lane, and saw the familiar Sleepy Hollows sign that marked the entrance to my family.  I started thinking back to the last time that I saw any of my family, and the situation that each of them were in.    

The first of my cousins is Jeff, who is the same age as myself, and who was a star tennis player at his high school.  He had blonde hair and wore glasses, and was slightly taller than myself.  We always held athletic competitions between the two of us because we wanted to prove which sport was better, tennis or baseball.  I could beat him in a race, but never in a long jump.  He always seemed so excited when he talked about school, and I know that he held a very high G.P.A.

My second cousin is William, and I remember him with long black hair that always tucked neatly behind his ears.  Some years, he even wore his hair in a bun, so that it would not get in his eyes when he ran.  I remember him arriving with his girlfriend, Stacy, who I always thought was very pretty.  He ran track and cross-country in high-school, which made sense because of how lanky he was.  He avoided confrontation at all cost, and would always try to mediate when there was a struggle within the family.  

My last cousin Daniel, is William’s twin brother. He always kept his hair cut short, and was much more of a brawler than his brother.  He played football, and always wore sleeveless shirts to our reunions.  The adults in our family always made jokes that he was a trouble maker, and that he would go to jail if he wasn’t careful.  I considered Daniel, just as I did each of my cousins, as having a very bright future ahead of themselves.  I looked up to them, respected them, and learned many things from them.  

As I stepped out of my car, I smelled the same familiar scent of my childhood.  The freshly-cut grass, the burgers and salmon cooking on the grill, flowers growing along the side of the road.  I sneezed, and was instantly reminded how many dandelions liked to grow in the field, surviving somehow next to all the freshly-cut grass. The sky was bright blue and scarcely covered in clouds, nicer weather could not be found.

Daniel was the first person to greet me, and I did not recognize him at first.  His arms and neck were covered in tattoos, ranging in every color from red to blue to green.  He had pierced his ears, and they were decorated with a diamond stud.  His all-business haircut was gone, replaced by long uncombed hair.  However his smile was as vibrant as ever,  and I could tell he was the same kid I had known years prior.  We talked about what was going on in our lives, I explained to him how much I enjoyed the University of Iowa, what plans I had for the rest of my time here, and then I asked him about his schooling. “I’m not going to college, I work now at the DairyQueen and I’m at my dad’s house on Jefferson street.” was his very brisk response.

I was stunned.      

I asked why he didn’t attend college, and he said very plainly that school was not for him, and that he feels much more comfortable in a work environment.  He continued to say that he might consider community college in the future, but that he was not too worried about going back to school, or about spending the money for college.  He then said that his dad supports his decision, but would however like him to find his own place to live by his 20th birthday.

Daniel and I were playing bags, and speaking in between every point or three that we scored.  I was not hitting the board on half my throws, and that’s because my mind was not at the game.  I was listening to Daniel, and trying to make sense of what he was telling me, how he had gotten to the point where he is at in life.  

“That’s 21 baby! Man, you used to be much better at this Joe”  

Just then Daniel’s twin, William, joined our conversation.  I quickly learned that not one of my cousins was attending college, and that they likely would not be attending anytime soon.  They believed in working, and saving their money rather than spending it.  Their parents were willing to pay for college, but they each felt uncomfortable in their own right asking for that money.  I could not believe that my family members who I have grown up with could change so drastically within five years.  

They each excelled in high-school, held high G.P.A.’s and were dedicated to their education.  Each of them had spoken of college as a goal when they were younger, and each were looking forward to saying “I attend a University.”  Somewhere along the way, that dedication has wavered, and they have lost sight of the importance of schooling.  They still have very many positives in their lives, but for how long can one succeed in this world with a high-school education.  They each work a minimum-wage, unskilled job, and are barely making enough money to pay their portion of the rent from their parents.     I am a believer in personal education because it is a commitment to yourself, to further strengthen your mind and the knowledge you hold as an individual.  It is true that college has a price tag, but one should not look at it as a cost, but rather as an investment into oneself.  School is not easy, it is extremely intense, and it will test you as a person every step of the way.  School would be pointless, however, if it did not hold obstacles.  It would not push you to strive for greater things and greater success.

The rest of my time at my family reunion played out like all the other years.  We still played volleyball, we still played baseball, and we still played card games.  The grill was still fired up, and delicious food was being served by my father and uncle, who were self-proclaimed grill masters.  We sat and talked and laughed until the sun started to set, and then we decided it was all time to head our separate ways again.  My sister and I loaded back into my car with our plates of left-over food, and we took one last look at our family, who had not changed much in appearance, but wholly in mind-set.  

I had admired each of my cousins for who they were as people, and I looked up to them.  However during the most recent family reunion, I could not help but feel as if they were not heading in the right direction at this point in their life.  This family reunion had opened my eyes to the realities of this world.  No matter how much of a support group one has, it is ultimately up to them and their own ambitions that determine their success.  I had thought of the Sleepy Hollow grove, a place where dreams are born, but also squandered and forgotten.