As someone who has an incredibly high standard for myself, I can often be too critical. I am constantly in fear of making a mistake. This year I have made more mistakes than I can count, and I have also learned from them. I know that all mistakes are learning experiences, however that fact does not stop me from fearing making mistakes. I am definitely someone who doesn't like to let other people down so that often means that I prioritize others over myself. In some cases it makes me feel good that I am helping others but at the same time there are instances where I feel burnt out and that I am just not putting in enough effort. I think that this insanely high standard of myself developed when I was younger because of the fact that I was an older sister. I never wanted to disappoint my parents and so I did everything they asked of me without any questions asked. This also meant that the more I did, the more they trusted me, but in this case that meant giving me even more work. At times I felt like just sinking but I didn’t want to tell them that I couldn’t do it because that meant admitting defeat. Since then I have learned that as much as you try to avoid failure, the more it is just going to build up and end up being something even worse. Fake it until you make it can be a helpful saying until you faking means you never learn. It’s better to fail and learn, than to be an impostor and pretend like you know everything when really at the end of the day you don’t know anything at all.
Word Count: 291 |
March 6- My Guilty pleasure
In 2000 a timeless and elegant book series was released. With a storyline that follows 8 siblings as they navigate their love lives in the regal era, Bridgerton is a classy way to make any evening better. The author of the novels is none other than Julia Quinn. Now at the ripe age of 54, Julia Quinn was born 1970 in New England. Quinn’s environment was the inspiration behind the Bridgerton stories. Bridgerton is an 8 book series in which each book focuses on the 8 different siblings. Starting with the eldest daughter and ending with the youngest son, Bridgerton really has it all. For all romancé addicts like myself, this series is the perfect balance of every trope possible. From the classic enemies to lovers, to the fake dating trope, there is so much variety when it comes to the plot of the Bridgerton series. When Bridgerton was first released as a show on Netflix, I really didn’t know what it was. In fact, it was the illustrious posters and covers that drew me in. What started with just simply scrolling through netflix on my phone, ended with a full day's worth of binge watching the entire first series. Many may say that Bridgerton is too long and too cheesy as the duration of each episode is about an hour long. However, Bridgerton has many intricate plot details that keep viewers engaged. With mysterious characters who have secrets to not be revealed, each episode keeps people hooked and wanting more. Watching Bridgerton is like sitting a a cozy home with a candle lit, drinking some hot chocolate. Watching the series makes me feel warm and comforted on the insides. As someone who will probably never experience a real life ball and dress up in fancy dresses every weekend, living vicariously through each of the characters is more than enough and because of that I give Bridgerton 5 stars.
Word Count: 319 |
February 21- Pave your own path
In life I think it’s really easy for people to get comfortable with all they have and never reach for more. For me personally, I don’t really try new things very often so something I do to not get stuck is make short term and long term goals. The Reason I need both is because short term goals seem a lot more attainable. By consistently reaching my goals, it keeps me motivated to keep going in anything that I choose to do. Getting stuck is really easy for many because in most cases we think we are ahead and yet we are falling behind. When I first moved to Ripon I felt like I had a fresh start in 7th grade. Prior to me moving here, I had already built my reputation and I felt as if I was trapped in a cycle of nothing new. Coming here, I had the chance to be anyone I wanted, which I kind of struggled with at the beginning because I had to earn the trust of so many new people who didn’t know me or who I am as a person. After being stuck on the same road for so long, it was refreshing to be able to set different goals and challenge myself in ways I haven’t before. I think that it is so important to stay true to yourself because others' paths are all different and they might seem better than yours, but it’s really important to trust yourself and stay true to your own path. Word Count: 256 |
January 17-Ability
There are so many different stills that people have in this lifetime that I only wish I had, however there is one that sticks out from the rest, the ability to write poetry so effortlessly. From when I was younger and to this day, I have always found poetry one of the most interesting things in the world just because of how authentic and real it is. Poetry is so beautiful in a way that normal essays can never be, the thing about poetry is that there are no rules to what poetry can look like. Poems can be small or big; it doesn't really matter. What matters is the content and the impact of the words. Poetry makes the audience feel something that is so raw, and beautiful in a way that is completely natural. I wish that I was able to make people feel something with my poetry but everytime I sit down to write some I always get writer's block and I wish it just Came to me more naturally. People who are good at poetry are always the most real people which I love. If I was able to write poetry like some of these people I world be so glad and I also feel like it could be like a new form of therapy that I didn't even would work for me.at the end of the day, it's the fact that I want to have an outlet to express my emotions and if I was better at poetry that would be so incredibly helpful.
Word Count: 262 |
November 30-Just an object
A mirror, a simple object, yet a window into the past, present, and future. Everyone has one, and mirrors are often taken for granted. We wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and see a horrific appearance that we need to clean up before school. While mirrors show you what you look like, they represent so much more. Your mirror has seen you since you were in your mothers stomach and up to the person you are today. It has seen you get ready for your many first days of school and it has seen you after a long, hard day when all you want to do is crash on your bed. Of the many firsts in our life, our mirrors have witnessed them all. Whether it’s your bedroom mirror or your bathroom mirror, the memories it holds are incomparable. At some point in our lives, it is inevitable that we have looked into the mirror and said something negative about us. Whether it be about our body or something else, the mirror knows our biggest insecurities, however it is not able to comfort us in any way. On the darkest of days when we don’t want to see anyone, our mirror sees us. Even further, it sees through our souls and all the damage and happiness it possesses. At the end of the day it is just an object, a lifeless object. An object that we see everyday but don’t give a second thought about. It reveals our biggest flaws and highlights our greatest accomplishments, mirrors are so much more than they seem.
Word Count: 266 |
October 11- A new perspective
There have been many things that I have been told throughout the course of my life that have shaped me into the person I am today, but there is one thing that sticks out from the rest. When I was in elementary school I had a couple people tell me that I talk too much. I try not to take too many things to heart, but after hearing this I started to doubt myself. “Do I really talk too much?”, I started to question myself. Soon after that I became quiet. I listened more than I talked for a while and this actually taught me a lot. I learned so much from other people. While this taught me to listen to other people, there were also some negative consequences. I became too quiet in class. I went from being the type of kid who would raise her hand for every question, to one who started to doubt herself every time before speaking. Since that point in time it has taken me a while to learn and find my balance. It is so important to me that the voices of other people are heard, but also that I am not afraid to speak up when the time is right. I have learned to be observant to those around me and now I can say that I have found my balance. Throughout the many lessons I have learned thus far, this one has been the most prevalent in my life. Not only can I use it in school, but it’s a life skill that I can use forever. This phrase may have lowered my confidence when I was little but it also changed my perspective and built me up to who I am now.
Word Count: 301 |
August 30-In the COMFORT of my skin
When it comes to being a “change of pace” person or a “same old, same old” person, I believe that I am more of a person who likes to stick to the things I know. When I find something that I like and that I feel comfortable with, I tend to stick with that same thing for a very long time. From the clothes I wear, to the people I hang out with, I tend to keep things very similar, rarely switching things up. If you were to ask anyone who is close to me, they would tell you that I get really attached to things and don’t want to let go of those things. I remember this one time when I was in the car and my dad suggested we should all go get something to eat. The only problem with this was that it was Gia’s turn to pick and she is one that likes to experiment with the food that she likes to eat. So inevitably, she chose seafood, something I have never cared to try, just simply decided that I didn’t like to eat. As we entered the seafood restaurant I was immediately put in a bad mood. I did not feel like switching things up and trying seafood, all I knew was that I was really hungry. As my family ordered buckets of seafood, I sat there and didn’t touch a thing because the food wasn’t something that I was familiar with. Eventually, I was so hungry that I ended up just going next door and getting a burrito from a Mexican restaurant instead. Burritos are something that I grew up eating, they are familiar, therefore I gladly ate one. Although this may just be a case of a picky eater, it is not only food where I don’t like to switch things up. When it comes to clothing I will often wear one pair of jeans as much as I can before they rip because I just feel comfortable with them and don’t want to switch up my style. Overall, I am one who likes to stick to the same routine and stay in my comfort zone.
Word Count: 363 |
August 23- Hermione Granger
Hermione Granger is a character from Harry Potter that has been my favorite character since I first watched the movies. Hermione is known for being incredibly intelligent and focused. When first meeting Hermione's character, some might think that she is too uptight and not approachable, but once the audience gets to know her, they figure out that they misjudged her. Hermione works really hard to stay on top of all of her classes and be perfect. Part of this stems from her origins. Hermione is a mudblood born, meaning that her parents are not wizards, but rather they are just normal people. Hermione, unlike her parents, possesses the capability to perform magic and be a witch. Because Hermione is not like every other witch and wizard at Hogwarts, she works extra hard to prove herself. Her family history motivates her to continue to do well in school. Hermione may be at the top of her class, but being at the top also means that relationships are affected as well. Most of the teachers at Hogwarts love Hermione because she is the ideal student in their eyes, but the rest of the children have their own opinion on her. In fact, most of them think that she is bossy and that she needs to let loose a little bit. With this first impression Hermione doesn’t have the truest of friends. As her character develops throughout the story line, we get to see her opening up and becoming more brave like the true gryffindor she is. Her relationship with Ron and Harry is a big part of this. Around them she can authentically be herself and not worry about fitting in. When she found friends like Harry and Ron, she also found her comfort place, somewhere she could be at peace. I’m drawn to Hermione's character because she was someone I looked up to when I was younger. She was so smart and talented, the perfect role model in my eyes. She always remained true to her character and to me that meant so much more than any intelligence that she held. Yes she was known for being smart and hardworking, but the fact that she remained true to herself is the reason that I fell in love with her character. Hermione really embodies all my morals in one character and because I have looked up to her since I was little, it has taught me to always be true to those morals.
Word Count: 411 September 8- Romantic COMEDIES |
Hands down, the best movies are rom-coms. I am very much someone who becomes fully emerged in anything I watch and feel like it becomes a part of my life. That being said, watching rom-coms makes me feel warm inside. It’s the safe feeling you get from staying in on a cold winter day and drinking a warm cup of hot chocolate. The hopeless romantic in me loves to live vicariously through each and every character in rom coms and it is so easy to do so. Anyone who watches a rom com can be easily consumed by the feel good energy that they portray. Watching rom-coms take the audience into a whole new world, from the endless love tropes to the added sense of humor that can lighten anyone’s mood, the joy rom-coms make people feel is infinite. There are so many great movies out there that fall under the category of rom-coms, including “ How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days’’ and “It happened in one night”, which are two outstanding rom-coms. When most people don’t know what they want to watch, they usually throw on a rom-com because they are such comfortable movies and hands down my favorite. For those who are both hopeless romantics like myself, or those who think relationships are gross, rom-coms have movies that appeal to both and that is so powerful. The audience of rom-coms varies because each rom-com focuses on a different trope allowing the audience to be able to connect to different types of movies, but at the same time unite under one genre. Word Count: 264 |