For one of my teaching classes this semester I had to write an autobiography. At first I hated the assignment, and I didn't see how it was relevant. I was mad that my professor was digging into my past; its none of his/my classmates business what hardships I have, or haven't, had to deal with in my life. However, while all of that is still very true, I'm actually glad I wrote the paper now. Its interesting to just look back and see what sort of turns my life has taken over the years and how those things have affected me.
I'm not going to post my whole paper here because, like I said, its personal. But these are some of the things I talked about it in, and some of the things I may not have told my professor about but would definitely be included in my real autobiography.
I have the best little brother.
One of my main goals in life is to be a good example for my little brother. He has just started high school, and, even though we've grown up in the same small town with the same family-oriented/sheltered upbringing, he's going to have a completely different experience than I did. I am worried that he may fall into the wrong crowd, so I'm determined to be a positive influence in his life. My entire family is my strength and motivation.
Linda was so cool.
In October of 1998, I was in third grade. I don't remember anything about my third grade experience, except the day that my aunt died. Grandma picked me up from school early that day, and I got to go to her house to wait for my cousins to get off the bus. After a few hours of playing, grandma called me back into her room. We sat on her bed and she told me that my dad's older sister, Linda, had died earlier that afternoon. She said that they thought it was a heart attack. I don't remember anything my grandma said after that. I went back outside and told my cousins what had happened. I remember one of them asking me why I wasn't crying, and I didn't know what to say. Linda had been like a second mom to me. I didn't cry at all until the day of Linda's funeral. When the pallbearers carried her casket out, the reality of the situation finally hit me. I cried so hard that afternoon that my grandpa had to carry me to the car. I remember that one of my older cousins and a couple other aunts asked my mom if I was going to be okay. I don't know what she told them, but I remember thinking to myself "No, I'm not going to be okay. Linda's gone now." That's all I remember about that day.
My mom is my hero.
On February 15th, 2007, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. The doctors said that it was at Level 0, which is positive because it means they had caught it early and everything should turn out fine. Just like with Linda's death, I didn't cry at all until I realized this wasn't just going to disappear on its own; it was something my family would have to live with forever. Even though my mom had practically the best report possible with a cancer diagnosis, I couldn't help but think negatively. I had the same worries that any other 16 year old girl would have in my situation. But we all put on our "strong faces" and got through it without showing much emotion. My mom was so strong throughout all of her treatments. She had surgery twice and then had six weeks of radiation. My mom is my inspiration. She's a 3.5 year survivor.
I want to be a teacher just like her.
Sarah Raikes was my high school FCS teacher and FCCLA adviser. Not only was she my teacher/adviser, she became one of my best friends. We went on many state officer "road trips" and only almost died a "few" times. She was the teacher I would go to with any and all of my problems because I knew she genuinely cared about me. She understood my lack of creativity. She encouraged me and provided me with the opportunities that I needed to come out of my shell. Its because of her that I really want to be a teacher.
I'm not an expert at relationships yet.
I haven't been so good at these. I've fallen for two (great) guys and gotten hurt in the end both times. Even though the getting hurt part sucks, I wouldn't change anything about the relationships. Because of these 2 guys and my relationship with each of them, I learned so much about myself. So thanks guys.
Bad Decisions + Deception = FAIL.
Basically, my best friend and I made bad decisions. And a boy deceived us. My best friend and I went from spending almost every day of the summer together, to not talking at all for close to 4 months last fall. But all's good now and we're bffs again.
So in case you ever wondered, that's why I'm me. :)
