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My mother knows that date as the night she missed Jeopardy. Others, as the day pumpkin patches were open, leaves were falling, and Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milošević resigned. It was a time before the pumpkin spice latte, and the iPhone™. Most importantly however, this was the day a freakin' legend was born by the name of Me. A baby with endless potential and life skills few to none. Wouldn't you know it, 17 years later, that baby would end up writing this summation of October 6th, 2000.
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The family member pictured above is named Abby. She’s a mixed breed of dog called a Jackabee and she is ten years old. Even though I was already seven when my family got her from the pound, it’s hard to remember life without her. I believe every kid should grow up with a dog because these cute companions tie the family together and help give kids more responsibilities, and in a fun way. So many of my childhood memories have been based around my dog, I can’t even remember life without her.
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Until I had my own MP3 Player, I would just listen to whatever was on the radio. Sometimes I can’t believe I used to listen to a lot of those songs. However, after I got my Ipod, I could listen to whatever I found and liked. Whether it was to pass the time, create a fun atmosphere, or motivate me to finish a project I've started, music has been influential. I've added some new songs and ditched a couple old ones, but it's always been my choice; and these choices reflect my personality.
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Ever since I can remember, I've had the opposite of a green thumb. One time, I decided to take up a little bit of gardening. So I started with a potted mint plant because all they need is a little sun and water. The first week I had it, I overwatered it and it began to droop. Now I thought of a great way to fix this problem: I wouldn't water it for a while. This seems like a good idea in theory, but not when you don't water it for a year and find it dead. I learned that I do not like gardening.
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I was raised in a family that went to church on Sunday, and yet, up until February 2014, I didn't know what it meant to be a Christian. Snow Camp changed that. While I was there, I played paintball in the snow, took a sled down a massive mountain and one kid even got a tooth knocked out. Over one weekend I reformed my own beliefs and learned what it being a Christian entailed. This was a significant moment to me because it's changed the way I have chosen to live my life so far.
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It was the Sunday before my birthday and I went biking with friends. Going fast was not a problem. I was racing down an expanse of winding pavement. I had always wondered what the little lip on the front of bicycle helmets was for. It doesn't even block the sun. I learned. My front wheel bucked slightly when I rolled over a dip and suddenly, the handlebars snapped to the left. That stupid lip of the helmet saved my face. It clipped the ground and I stopped 6 feet later with a broken left wrist.
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I joined stage crew in my sophomore year and I have to say that my only regret was not joining earlier. Being a part of the crew gives you a place to go after school, something constructive to do, and friends for life. I learned a lot of practical skills in construction and painting and I discovered possibly what I want to study in college. The friends you make there are basically a family. People I met there, I never would have talked to normally and overall it's a very positive environment.
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Track and Field was the first sport I did in highschool. I was a freshman and very out of shape. It was very intimidating at first, coaches were threatening to cut slackers, varsity runners were lapping everyone and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to participate. After "Hell Week", things calmed down. I still worked hard, (I had to) but the coaches weren't pushing kids to the point of breaking down. Finally, I got to train with other kids doing the same events and I broke several PR's.
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On the first day of school in junior year, I met a new kid who was in most of my classes. We started the typical, "Hi what's your name?" dialogue except he was different, kind of weird. Unusually nice, not a word of profanity, and always smiling at everything. It was a refreshing change. He became someone I could confide in and I recently went on a week-long camping trip with him. His attitude changed the way I tried to behave and it made me realize that people don't always have to be negative.
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Last summer, I was able to visit my Grandma for her 100th birthday After one week, I started looking for activities around the city. Online, I saw a kid in the area selling his skateboard for 10$. I bought it and found myself trying to balance in the alleyways. Lots of falling ensued. After 3 days, I could balance and try gaining speed. Another couple of days go by and I start trying tricks. Within 2 weeks, I went from never standing on the board to spinning it 180 degrees and landing on it.
