Free Example of A Past for the Present Essay

I remember that day very well. It was the day my family and I were celebrating my 13^th birthday. We had invited our friends and neighbours to come grace the occasion with us. There were lots of presents given to me. I may not remember all the types of gifts I was given on that day, but there is one that will never forget. It was a dark-grey poncho from my neighbour, Mrs. Pelzel.

The gift repulsed me from the very first day, because it looked dull and ugly. Let me first describe what a poncho is. A poncho is a garment that is usually worn in place of a cardigan for keeping the body warm, especially during rainy days. It is mostly knitted from wool although other materials that are watertight can be used. Ponchos are particularly significant in keeping the body dry and warm. A poncho is one long piece of fabric with an opening for the head and an opening for the arms. Ponchos have grown to become items of fashion and are usually worn by fashion models in their outdoor activities.

Poncho originated in South and Central America where knitting was a highly revered art. It is a unisex garment that can be worn by both men and women but, honestly, I would never date a boy wearing a poncho. Historically, poncho was a symbol of class and elegance and was worn by priests and warriors. It is a favourite of many, including children, due to the simplicity with which it can be draped over the shoulders.

The problem with the poncho Mrs Pelzel gave me was that I was not really into ponchos. They are not my idea of a fashion statement. I prefer rocking with jeans and jackets. You can’t catch me wearing anything else, least of all a poncho. Wearing a poncho would get me all sorts of quizzical stares from the boy I currently have a crush on. I wore the poncho once, because it is rude to reject gifts. The day I wore the poncho, my girlfriends broke into stiches of laughter and commented that I looked like a grandmother. Thanks God, it was a weekend, and we were hanging out in the house so a lot of people did not manage to see me in the ugly poncho.

Maybe I could have worn the poncho if Mrs Pelzel had a great taste in colour. I have to confess that Mrs Pelzel’s taste in colour is pathetic. The poncho she bought me was dark-grey with black stripes and dark grey spots with fifty shades of miscellaneous colours. I am a girl who is into bright colours. I wear pink, screaming red and shouting orange. My friends say I overdo it when I wear bright yellow colours. How is a girl who is into bright colours supposed to fit in a dull ugly poncho? Hope you do understand why I can’t wear that poncho a second time.

Poncho is usually worn as an accessory to other fashion items. Sadly, the poncho Mrs Pelzel bought me cannot be accessorized with anything in my wardrobe. First of all, nothing in my wardrobe has a colour that is similar to the colour of that awful poncho. If I wore it with my green or purple jeans, people in the town would think I have gone nuts. If I wore it with my red mini-skirt, I would look like a fashion disaster. I am more of a fashion icon in my town, and there is no way I would be the embarrassment of town by walking around looking like I was wearing something that had just been collected in a dust-bin.

Mrs Pelzel is a woman with a great heart; in fact, she has the greatest heart in our neighbourhood. She ensures that she buys gifts for every child in the neighbourhood in order to brighten their special day. The problem is that she is old, and she cannot keep up with the modern trends in fashion. She buys people the same gifts she bought when she was in her teens in the 1950s. I love my ugly poncho very much, because it is a great gift from a great woman with a great heart. However, I will never wear it again, because it is less than desirable for a teenage girl. Maybe I will give it out as a gift to a children’s home so that it can benefit a destitute child.