Week 2
1992, Afghanistans communist government was overthrown. The Free Trade agreement between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. is signed. The largest shopping mall in America opens it's doors. Hillary Nicole White-Craig is born.
I clutch the chains holding the swing as my Papa pushes me higher and higher. As I'm being launched into the air, so are astronauts in the shuttle Discovery. My hair whips my face but not in a painful way, the air is fresh as I breathe it in through my nose. Unaware of how lucky I am to being in such a safe place to live. Bombs exploded in North-Iraq, Assam India, Algiers and Israel when I was only three years old.
Turning five was a big turning point in my life, it was now time to go to school. My first day at kindergarden, I cried and cried to go home. The room seemed fifty times bigger than me and the kids were making me nervous, too afraid to make new friends. I simply sat in the corner waiting to be told it was time to board the bus and leave. Vaguely remembering, my first bus ride, the driver forgot to stop at my house. Peering out the window as my house swept by in a mere instant. Tears flowed from my face, afraid I would never make it home. Too shy to say anything to the driver, I sat and cried. What seems like a lifetime later, the bus driver got a message on his radio telling him he forgot to drop a little girl off, me. He soon turned the bus around, apologizing to my mother and me, letting me off at our little yellow house. I grabbed my little pony backpack and lunchbox from the seat and ran off the bus as quickly as I could.
Being only five years old at the time, things were going on that would affect me in the future. During 1997, a law was passed that only allowed people 18 years or older to by cigarettes, they were also proven to be addictive within the same year. Even in the television industry, things changed that would affect me in the future. The travel channel was bought for $20 million, as I slowly got over it would start to become one of my favorite channels.
Time went on, I proceeded through first, second and third grade. The summer after third grade my mom met a man named Roger, soon after falling in love with him. She informed me we would be moving to Brewer into a bigger house for all three of us. I was more than devastated and did not know how to react. I would have to make new friends, at a new school where I knew no one at all. Summer eventually ended and all our things were moved into the new house, my new school was about five houses away from mine. The first day of school my mom and Roger walked me there where it felt like kindergarden all over again. I knew no one, all the kids were already friends and playing tag or flag football. I was introduced to my new teacher Mrs. Geaghan, who still holds a place in my heart and always will. I soon met new friends, one Nicole, who has always been in my life since then. Not soon after the new year began, 9/11 took place. I remember coming in from recess and seeing Mrs. Geaghan behind her desk crying, none of us understood why or what was going on. Teachers were walking and running all over the hallways talking to each other. Some classes were allowed to go back out and play, soon ours was allowed as well. I however, along with three other students were told to stay inside. What us four students had in common was one, if not both of our parents were in the military. We were told what happened and that if we had any worries to voice them within the group. My mother never did have to go over seas to fight in the war, which I am thankful for everyday. Although my mom did not have to go, a father of a boy in my class was deployed. I remember holding my mothers hand one day while she walked me to school, so thankful I had her right there with me.
On April first same sex marriage was approved by the Netherlands, the first country ever to allow it. The dispute is never ending about whether same sex marriage should be allowed all over the world. Since then, within America there have been a few countries to allow it: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Washington D.C.
Homosexual was a word I had never heard until I was about thirteen years old. I lucidly remember the first boy I met who was gay when I became a big bad middle schooler, ready to take on the world. Middle school came and went without any issues. I made some of my best friends those three years and the memories are bittersweet. Every month, we would look forward to the dances. Getting dressed up, putting on make up and doing our hair was the highlight of the week, sometimes even the month. Walking into the girl bathroom finding girls crying because a boy would not dance with them or their boyfriend wanted to be with someone else. Such silly dating games seemed so real at the time, like the boy who you wanted to date was your prince who was going to be with you forever. No one who dated in middle school is still together now, goes to show how time changes everything. My eighth grade year I met a boy who probably changed my life forever. We were together until last summer, still the pain resides, I lost my best friend when we broke up. If I could go back in time, I would have never even said hello to him. My hands felt every single tear I wiped away because of him.
Every year I got older I also got a little more aware of the world around me. I started understanding the news and that my life was not the most important thing in the world. I would go home and get my daily update of what was going on from CNN and the local news.
During my senior year in high school I took a class named Current World Problems. I have to admit, it widened my eyes and perspective on the world around me. China is a major threat to America due to the dependent relationship we have that is almost only one sided. Sitting in class and being told other countries around us are rising up to a challenge to level out the superpower country, America. Also, kids in other countries are becoming far more educated than the ones here and testing in America has much lower scores.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Journal
I have to admit I was a little confused on the dates to start the journal. I thought this week was the week to begin, my apologies.
Today I stayed around the house and studied, also watched some of the football games. I do not quite understand football, therefore I was on and off Facebook the whole time. I actually just deleted my Facebook in hopes to do better in school this semester than last. My mom had a few of her friends over, including her boyfriend. We did the usual ritual of making snack foods and drinks to have during the game. I eventually got bored with it all, came upstairs and studied over my psychology. I have to say, my highlight of the day was seeing my dog with his new Snuggie on. Who would have thought, dog Snuggies? Crazy idea but I am sure they will become popular in no time. It is actually interesting, my mom bought me a nice new journal yesterday which I started to write in for myself. I hope I do not lose any credit for starting this one late, I now am on track with what is due each week and hope to get it right from here on out. Tomorrow I do not have class until ten thirty but I should get to bed soon if I know what is best for me. I hope there are no snow days this week, I personally love going to school and hate when I can't. I will be able to write more when I have energy tomorrow, right now I am very tired and am heading to bed.
1/24/11
At the moment I am at Borders Cafe in between my two classes I attend every Monday and Wednesday. I just got out of my art class, it was not anything like I thought it would be. We are studying different centuries of art, no drawing is included in the course which is very strange. It is freezing cold today, my hands are still warming up from the short walk from my car to inside the building. My mom always says when it is very cold out "it's not fit for man nor beast outside today." Funny how things people say stick with you wherever you go. We learned today about impressionism in art and how when Van Gogh was alive he only sold one painting. Now, his paintings are worth a fortune, funny how when people die their possessions become worth so much more. I did not get to sleep last night until around one or one thirty so I am kind of dragging today but not too badly.
I got out of my Sociology class around an hour and a half ago, I am now at home waiting for my mom to get here. We are eating dinner at my Nana's house tonight because she made chicken pot pie and apple bread pudding for after dessert, I cannot wait until dinner time. I am so hungry!
I have to admit I was a little confused on the dates to start the journal. I thought this week was the week to begin, my apologies.
Today I stayed around the house and studied, also watched some of the football games. I do not quite understand football, therefore I was on and off Facebook the whole time. I actually just deleted my Facebook in hopes to do better in school this semester than last. My mom had a few of her friends over, including her boyfriend. We did the usual ritual of making snack foods and drinks to have during the game. I eventually got bored with it all, came upstairs and studied over my psychology. I have to say, my highlight of the day was seeing my dog with his new Snuggie on. Who would have thought, dog Snuggies? Crazy idea but I am sure they will become popular in no time. It is actually interesting, my mom bought me a nice new journal yesterday which I started to write in for myself. I hope I do not lose any credit for starting this one late, I now am on track with what is due each week and hope to get it right from here on out. Tomorrow I do not have class until ten thirty but I should get to bed soon if I know what is best for me. I hope there are no snow days this week, I personally love going to school and hate when I can't. I will be able to write more when I have energy tomorrow, right now I am very tired and am heading to bed.
1/24/11
At the moment I am at Borders Cafe in between my two classes I attend every Monday and Wednesday. I just got out of my art class, it was not anything like I thought it would be. We are studying different centuries of art, no drawing is included in the course which is very strange. It is freezing cold today, my hands are still warming up from the short walk from my car to inside the building. My mom always says when it is very cold out "it's not fit for man nor beast outside today." Funny how things people say stick with you wherever you go. We learned today about impressionism in art and how when Van Gogh was alive he only sold one painting. Now, his paintings are worth a fortune, funny how when people die their possessions become worth so much more. I did not get to sleep last night until around one or one thirty so I am kind of dragging today but not too badly.
I got out of my Sociology class around an hour and a half ago, I am now at home waiting for my mom to get here. We are eating dinner at my Nana's house tonight because she made chicken pot pie and apple bread pudding for after dessert, I cannot wait until dinner time. I am so hungry!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Autobiography
It would be safe to say I love to write, more than any other subject. I was in AP English all four years of high school and I learned how to write in many different styles. I had one teacher who would expect high detail in every essay. Another teacher would only expect me to get the point across, even if there was lack of detail, "short and sweet" she would say. I can honestly say the essays with more detail were the ones I liked to write. The essays in which there was no detail were very bland and could easily put anyone to sleep. I like writing because I believe it is one of the best ways to express yourself. A big love of mine is expressing myself, sometimes through writing and sometimes through art. I keep all my best papers I write on my computer or in a folder. I find it interesting to read through them once and awhile, it is partially like entering a time machine. I also have always had a passion for quotes. I have the quotes I love written everywhere, on and in my notebooks, on my walls, on my computer, everywhere. I even write some of my own sometimes, but keep them to myself. One of my teachers in high school, who was one of my favorites, had us students write all over his walls our favorite quotes. His room was covered with words, letters and pictures. I found it inspiring enough to start doing the same thing on my walls at home. My mom loved them and she wanted her own on my wall, "surround yourself with positive things." Although this is a great quote, I will share with you my favorite one of all time. "The little things are the big things." It has stuck with my my whole life, it is a simple but meaningful quote from my best friend, my grandmother.
You are not afraid to write about yourself and your past. You find writing about your past very easy to do because you are passionate about it. Without your past, you would not be who you are today. Your best grades you have received on papers have been ones about past struggles and triumphs. You find it very difficult to write about topics that are not very interesting and you rarely get good grades on those kinds of papers. Your english teacher from last semester said she even noticed that about your writing. You never did as well on the papers you were not very interested in, but the ones that you could get into were the ones you would get higher than 95s on. You also love to be assigned essays in which you can write about anything. For instance, if you were told right now to write a paper about anything in the whole world you would write about the number seven. You love random but ironic information about the world around you, such as our society runs on the number seven. Reading deeply into the night, becoming lost in someone else's words and other peoples lives. It is your favorite escape from reality.
She loves to write but is not sure if she could ever do it for a living. She feels like writing can either open up a world of success or lead someone down a road of disappointment. Never having a good enough book to be published would be devastating. She has heard of some authors who just never got it right, never could seem to get a published book. Although writing would be difficult and challenging, in the end there is a possibility of it paying off. She often wonders where authors like Stephen King, JK Rowling, Scott Westerfeld, Sarah Dessen and other famous writers get their inspiration from. She even understands it would not just be all about publishing a book but rather having it become a popular one. A book could sit on the same shelf for years and never be noticed, while others become very popular and are sold out weekly. She is still exploring all her options for she is only a freshman in college and has the ability to seek her strengths and weaknesses without worrying about a time limit to do so.
It would be safe to say I love to write, more than any other subject. I was in AP English all four years of high school and I learned how to write in many different styles. I had one teacher who would expect high detail in every essay. Another teacher would only expect me to get the point across, even if there was lack of detail, "short and sweet" she would say. I can honestly say the essays with more detail were the ones I liked to write. The essays in which there was no detail were very bland and could easily put anyone to sleep. I like writing because I believe it is one of the best ways to express yourself. A big love of mine is expressing myself, sometimes through writing and sometimes through art. I keep all my best papers I write on my computer or in a folder. I find it interesting to read through them once and awhile, it is partially like entering a time machine. I also have always had a passion for quotes. I have the quotes I love written everywhere, on and in my notebooks, on my walls, on my computer, everywhere. I even write some of my own sometimes, but keep them to myself. One of my teachers in high school, who was one of my favorites, had us students write all over his walls our favorite quotes. His room was covered with words, letters and pictures. I found it inspiring enough to start doing the same thing on my walls at home. My mom loved them and she wanted her own on my wall, "surround yourself with positive things." Although this is a great quote, I will share with you my favorite one of all time. "The little things are the big things." It has stuck with my my whole life, it is a simple but meaningful quote from my best friend, my grandmother.
You are not afraid to write about yourself and your past. You find writing about your past very easy to do because you are passionate about it. Without your past, you would not be who you are today. Your best grades you have received on papers have been ones about past struggles and triumphs. You find it very difficult to write about topics that are not very interesting and you rarely get good grades on those kinds of papers. Your english teacher from last semester said she even noticed that about your writing. You never did as well on the papers you were not very interested in, but the ones that you could get into were the ones you would get higher than 95s on. You also love to be assigned essays in which you can write about anything. For instance, if you were told right now to write a paper about anything in the whole world you would write about the number seven. You love random but ironic information about the world around you, such as our society runs on the number seven. Reading deeply into the night, becoming lost in someone else's words and other peoples lives. It is your favorite escape from reality.
She loves to write but is not sure if she could ever do it for a living. She feels like writing can either open up a world of success or lead someone down a road of disappointment. Never having a good enough book to be published would be devastating. She has heard of some authors who just never got it right, never could seem to get a published book. Although writing would be difficult and challenging, in the end there is a possibility of it paying off. She often wonders where authors like Stephen King, JK Rowling, Scott Westerfeld, Sarah Dessen and other famous writers get their inspiration from. She even understands it would not just be all about publishing a book but rather having it become a popular one. A book could sit on the same shelf for years and never be noticed, while others become very popular and are sold out weekly. She is still exploring all her options for she is only a freshman in college and has the ability to seek her strengths and weaknesses without worrying about a time limit to do so.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)