The Maturation of Age

Compassion can be described as having empathy for a person or animal. A person that shows compassion is seen as caring or nurturing. Sometimes it can be seen as a weakness, which can be exploited for another person’s benefit. My personal view is somewhat in between, where compassion is temporary and fades alongside that of the memory of the incident.

For those of you who are wondering about me, allow me to introduce myself. I am Jessika Marie Sterling. A seventeen-year veteran of this world, who has had to grow with an accelerated maturity. I was raised by my tendered-hearted, alcoholic dad, since the age of four when my mom was said to have drowned in a nearby river. Her body was never found. The local sheriff promised to keep looking; it has been thirteen years.

I don’t remember much about my mother. I don’t even have a picture of her since the fire when I was six. There are two, distinct memories that I have from her. One, is how she always told me that “uniqueness is a gift that only one receives. Cherish it, embrace it, and remember that I love you.” The second thing was her annoying Cuckoo Clock. It was the only thing I saved from the fire. It goes off every hour, even in the middle of the night. I hate that clock, but I will never part with it. It is all I have.

That last statement isn’t exactly true. I have my mother’s eidetic memory. I can recall incidents in my life with precision detail. It has helped me throughout my life when I am involved in a confrontation. I usually win. The debate team has been recruiting me for years. Ironically, I didn’t start developing my eidetic memory until after my mother “drowned.” That epitomizes my life to a tee, always close, yet so far.

From my dad, I inherited his dry, sense of humor. Some people don’t understand it; I usually don’t associate with those people. Hopefully, I never inherit his love of the bottle. As I have said, he is a sweet man, but his drinking is out of control. I mean, I get it, he drinks because it helps control his crippling anxiety. I got this from dad as well. Drinking makes him feel less awkward and helps him let down his guard. Since I don’t have the option to drink, I use my own form of self-treatment, I let everyone think I hate them.

Maturation of Age

Young Adult

12-18

Word count varies

Gary Komery

My project will elicit real passion in my readers who can identify with the main character/s

Hook: When you think you know the main character, different layers develop

Synopsis: Jessika Sterling has not had an easy life. In turn, she hasn't made life easy for others. In the Maturation of Age, we explore the life of young Jessika, and the impact of how others' decisions affect us all.

Young to middle age readers

A new writer with a passion for the written word

Bachelor's in Management