The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

When Life gives you Lemons make Lemonade

            Arnold is able to stay afloat of his life by taking from his grandmothers’ legacy of tolerance. “She wanted us to forgive Gerald, the dumb-ass Spokane Indian alcoholic who ran her over and killed her.” (Alexie 157) Arnold a.k.a Junior knows where he comes from is not where he wants to be. So he decides not to be a product of his community but rather the new found one. You should never let someone else’s fate determine yours.

In every step in life there is something to be learned, whether it be big or small. There is always a lesson to take away. Arnold could be a very pessimistic child some days. “It is an ugly circle and there’s nothing you can do about it.”(Alexie 13 ) As a child if you had a disability or something was different about you from the rest, you were bound to get made fun of. Now whether you let that make or break you as a person is up to you. In my opinion I do not think you should beat yourself up about it. Although it is hard, in the end you still have to live with it, so why not turn it into something positive. Embrace yourself. As Junior grew up he started to understand. Although it took time and is in some way a never ending challenge. I say this because Junior was smart/ unique even, but he would let the way the people on the reservation saw him affect his view of himself. Making fun of me before someone else did would maybe lighten the pain/reality. “Yep, I belong to the Black-Eye-of- the- Month- club.”(Alexie 4) Could that be the only thing I could think of that would make him do it. Once Junior was able to step outside the box he was able to realize that I’m no different than any other kid.  Mr. P wanted the best. “You’re the smartest kid in the school. And I do not want you to fall. I do not want you to fade away. You deserve better.” (Alexie 40) Through that Junior was able to gain some will power. Once he saw that someone else believed in him, it was easier for him to believe in himself. Junior had grew up and grew out. The reservation was his only set back and he knew if he was mature and trust in himself the sky was the limit. However the part of factoring in hurdles wasn’t in the game plan.

In life you are given many obstacles. How you deal with them is your choice, FIGHT OR FLIGHT.  Leaving the reservation was in a sense flight and flight. Arnold was able to go and be all he could be but it was at the risk of being disowned by his community. “ you cannot just betray your tribe and then change your mind ten minutes later.”(Alexie 55) Not that he was typical accepted in the first place. Junior quickly began to realize that after a flash of the present, being on top is not all its cut out to be. Its sugar cookies and icing, until you realize in conquering something you wanted destroyed something you loved. “I was suddenly ashamed of my anger , my rage, and pain. I jumped off my white teammates’ shoulders and dashed into the locker room.”(Alexie 196) In that instants Junior failed to realize how his or other people’s action had a high impact on others.

Arnold is a product of a long line of alcohol abuse. Not just through bloodline, but also through culture. A typical way of death in the Native American culture is derived from alcohol. “In fact last week, she was walking back home from a mini powwow……when she was struck and killed by a drunk driver.” (Alexie 157) The causality that came behind that statement was shocking. When most encounter a death they are typically weaken. Junior was inspired and forced all in one too abstain from drinking as his grandmother did. “Drinking would shut down my seeing and my hearing and my feelings.”(Alexie 157) Following the two other deaths. Many would find it hard to believe that a ton of deaths are due to alcohol they would stop or cut back on the drinking. Nope, that is not the case. It got worse during the holidays and even more so during other funeral. “Each funeral was a funeral for all of us. We lived and died together.”(Alexie 167) This was a never ending cycle. 

In happiness or pain we turned to alcohol. “He took what little money we did have and ran away to get drunk.”(Alexie 150)That was encouragement in itself to not drink. It was something that became a tradition. “He left Christmas Eve and came back on January 2. With an epic hangover, he just lay on his bed for hours.” (Alexie 150) Is it better to forgive or forget? When in doubt you can always make someone else’s day seem a little brighter than what it should, or may seem to be. “Hey, kid,” he said. “I’m sorry about Christmas.” “It’s okay, “I said.”(Alexie 150) In that someone somewhere will or should be doing the same for you. What you give is what you receive. The ability to bring joy into someone’s life is endless, but could be very well taking the life of yours. Grandma Spirit would probably tell you it is not always what you get out of something. “Now, in the kind of eccentricity.” (Alexie 155) Eccentricity is the quality of being eccentric/ different.

Junior was an eccentric kid. Even though he was the odd ball of the town, picked on because he was smart and goofy looking. His best friend he was just the same. In the total opposite, Rowdy was the town bully. “yeah,” I said. Whenever he came to school with a black eye , Rowdy made sure to give black eyes to two kids picked at random.” (Alexie 41) .The friendship between the two were like ying and yang.  “Rowdy is the toughest kid in the reservation.” (Alexie 15) The best was brought out when together. They were each other’s driving force.  “That wasn’t how our friendship went.” (Alexie 225) Arnold knew that chickening out was not an option. These trees were a reflection of his past that every branch he climb up it was a step forward to success as it was for him go to Reardon. The courage he had, he only hoped that if the reservation had dreams like him. They too would come to understand that there is better out there and they can achieve it. “Indians don’t deserve shit.”(Alexie 56) No matter what your skin color is. Life can be better for you if you just have the will to see everything from a different perspective. The ability have that optimistic outlook on life made him believe an achieve everything he had in his path.

All in all, never give up on a dream you have, just because the steps that you need are difficult. In taking five steps backwards you are only preparing yourself to ten steps forward. Fight to the very end because the best is yet to come. Being humble is better than all. Move on from where you started but never forget what made you.