Week 15 Writing Post

* What did you like best about the writing for this class? What would you like to see more of?

•  I LOVED the storytelling assignments. It was a fun way to make sure we read and give us an opportunity to show our creativity. As for what I would like to see more of, i'm not sure. I also really liked the Famous Last Words because it let me tell about my life and what has been going on each week. Maybe a few more personal post type assignments would be nice in replacement of others or for bonus points. 

* Did you choose the Storybook or the Portfolio? Are you happy with your choice? What information should I emphasize to next semester's students when they make that choice?

•  I chose the Storybook and i'm glad I did. A lot of my storytelling assignments often ended with little room for further expansion, so the Storybook allowed me to write new stories that all related to my reading but left lots of room for my own twists and changes. I don't know that you need to emphasize anything. Your explanations of the assignments were easy to understand and going into my choice of Storybook or Portfolio I felt well-informed and able to make a decision.

* Do you have suggestions for the commenting process: suggestions about commenting on blog posts? suggestions about comments on Storybooks/Portfolios?

• No, I like how the commenting process is structured.  

* What kinds of comments did you find most useful as you working on your Storybook/Portfolio?

•  Comments that pointed out things I did well/right as well as things I could/should change. It is nice to be told what you're doing right so that I can stay on that track and continue to do well. 

* Do you think this class helped you to improve your writing?

•  Absolutely! The comments and revisions have been a HUGE help. 

* What kind of writing do you see yourself doing in your future career? Will writing be important in that career?

•  I have always enjoyed writing stories and poetry so I think I will continue to do that. Writing helps me work things out that i'm thinking about and allows me to express my creativity. Writing will be important in my career as a social worker because we have to document EVERYTHING. We have to write reports, keep track of records, write grants, etc. so being able to write efficiently and well is important. Thankfully, handwriting does not have to be done well because computers are awesome, so writing matters but HANDwriting does not.

* As you look back on your writing this semester, what advice do you have for students who will be getting started next semester?

•  GET STARTED EARLY!!!!!!!! Get as much done as you can so that you have a head-start on your work because it takes a while to get into a good rhythm for completing assignments and you don't want to get really behind in the beginning while you're trying to figure out when/how you're going to do your assignments each week. 

Week 14 Famous Last Words

If I had to describe this week in three words they would be: Cold, Busy, and Happy. It's been a good week full of fun, but it has definitely been jam-packed with stuff I have had/have to do. 

Monday was wonderful because it was a SNOW DAY! I woke up to big fluffy flakes floating gently to the ground. I love snow. It's so beautiful and exciting! Maybe I feel this way because I grew up in Texas where it doesn't really snow; at most, ice falls in sheets and covers the ground making travel and fun in the snow nearly impossible. Plus, in my entire life of living in Texas I only had a "white Christmas" once even though I dreamed about it every year while Christmas music played in my head. So, when I opened my front door and saw the snow I squealed and took a bunch of pictures. I spent the day at home with my boyfriend and roommate working on homework, drinking cocoa, and relaxing by the roaring fire. It was absolutely wonderful and really served to put me in the holiday spirit. I have to admit, for the first time ever, I put my Christmas decorations up early. Judge me if you want, but I love love love the entire Christmas season. Everyone just seems to try harder to be nicer and the overall feel of everything is more cheery. Plus, I am a big fan of scarves so cold weather is perfect for me because otherwise I get too hot to wear them. 

BooBoo Kitty Layin by the Fire 

Me and my Roommate, Amber, Watching the Snow Fall

Lily LOVES the Snow!

I got all Bundled up to go out into the Snow 

Tuesday I was at my practicum site for 9 hours getting supplies together for Calm Waters' big holiday event on Wednesday called Creating New Traditions. It is an event that is open to the public and is geared toward families who are about to enter their first holiday season without a loved one. The adults have a guest speaker who talks about the difficulties of going through the holidays after the loss of someone close to them and the children get to go into a group with other kids their age and learn about having the holidays without that person while also doing lots of fun crafts. It's much less intense than our normal grief groups and focuses on teaching families that they don't have to try to do things the way they did before their person died. Things are different, and that may mean different holiday activities which is okay. I'm really excited for this event, but preparing for it was hectic to say the least.

Here's a little more information about Creating New Traditions from The Calm Waters Website

Today,Wednesday, started off kind of crazy because my cat fell in the toilet (I know, what a dork right?) causing me to be late to my first class. Thankfully, my professor is super awesome. I've had her 3 different times for three different classes and she is always my favorite. Anyway, I have class 8:30-4:20 (plus a huge social work research methods presentation that's been stressing me out for weeks) and immediately afterward my fellow social work student Michelle and I have to immediately head to OKC so we can help set up for the event and work it. It's going to be a long, but wonderful evening to follow a lovely day.  

Thursday will be my rest day. I don't have class or practicum so I will be spending the day working on projects that will be due soon as well as planning a little get-together for the last week of class. I'm going to hold a dinner, drinks, and crafts event at my apartment for my friends and I to hang out, eat, drink (responsibly of course), and do Christmas/Holiday-themed crafts while listening to Christmas music and playing some fun games. I think it will be lots of fun!

Christmas Tree Ornament by Kris de Curtis

Found on Wikimedia Commons

Friday I have practicum 8;30-12:30 and afterward will get on the road and drive home to Texas for a friend from high school's wedding. I'm very excited for her, but not looking forward to helping Mom with the catering.

Enough of that, I've blathered on long enough. I hope y'all had a great week and I hope your next is absolutely fantastic! Stay positive and warm!

OH ALSO, quick afterthought: I make wreaths! Each one is specialized and individualized to be whatever you want it to be! Plus, I just learned how to put lights (that use a battery pack) in the wreaths! So, if you want one, just message me here and I will give you my email so we can talk about what you want. I usually only charge $10 per wreath, unless you want a larger size or some specific costly addition.

Here are some examples of wreaths i've made this year

Collage created using Pic Monkey

Week 14 Storytelling: The 3 Encounters

The Three Encounters 

Sydney had always been exceptional. They day she was born it was as if the sun shone brighter, the flowers stood taller, and everyone near felt an overwhelming sense of calm and joy. She was so full of life and had an incredible thirst for knowledge. She would spend hours reading before going outside just to swing under the sun’s rays. As a child she talked often about having discussions with the sun, the trees, or even the creek not far from her house. As she grew, she began acquiring human friends. Everywhere she went, Sydney made a new friend ad everyone she talked to could not help but smile and love her. She was a staple in the community as she spent a lot of her free time volunteering at various agencies in her town.

Girl, Child, Kid Smiling by Shaunaleianderson

Found on Pixabay

In high school she continued to excel; she made As in all of her classes, was captain of the student volunteer club, played Belle in her school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast”, was co-captain of the debate team, and held the position of vice president of the student council. She was well-known and liked by not only her teachers, but her peers and she seemed to carry with her an everlasting sunshine. Light just seemed to emanate from all around her, spreading happiness and positivity to anyone near. Though she was highly involved and motivated, she was not seen as strange or different. In fact, Sydney was every bit the normal, albeit more well-behaved than most, teenager. However, Sydney’s sense of normalcy would quickly be changed. On a field trip to a ginormous new art museum, Sydney became profoundly impacted by three artistic encounters.

Kimbell Art Museum

Found on Wikipedia

The first occurred not long into the class’s tour of the museum. They were walking through the Ancient Greece exhibit and was astounded by the detail that had been put into the marble statues that filled the hall. She walked slowly, admiring the fabric on the statues and the authenticity of their bodies. One statue caught her eye. She wasn’t particularly attracted to it, but found she was inexplicably drawn over to a statue of an incredibly thin man lying on his side. He looked ill and Sydney began to feel uncomfortable. She had experienced minor sickness before (colds, allergies, etc.) but had never seen such a sickly form. She tried to look away, but the statue began to move! The man shook and shuddered as he turned to look at her with his cold, marble eyes. “I’ve been sick for so long now. Please end my suffering! Oh what a wretched fate! Please, help me!” he said, reaching out for her with one skeletal hand. Sydney screamed and jumped back drawing immediate attention from the fellow students and her teacher. “Are you okay?” her teacher asked. Sydney looked around; had no one else seen what happened? “I’m fine,” she replied, “I just found a spider on my sleeve.” The teacher sighed and patted her shoulder before the tour guide began speaking again and the group headed off to the Indian Contemporary exhibit.

Abel Dying by Jean-Baptiste Stouf

Found on Wikimedia Commons

Sydney felt odd, but soon her smile returned as she passed by dozens of beautiful paintings. She loved how full of color and life they were! Each painting was so bright and vibrant, but much like the previous exhibit one painting stood out. It was of an old man with hair white as the marble statues she’d just seen. She inched closer and closer to the painting. Something about the man seemed so familiar. Had she seen the painting before? Maybe on the internet? She peered into the old man’s eyes; they seemed so sad, so lack-luster. She’d seen eyes like that before, on her grandfather. Looking into that old man’s eyes was like looking into a shell of a once great man. She reminisced but not for long because suddenly the painting began to speak! In a soft, frail voice the old man said, “You are so young, so beautiful! Life has been good to you, but just wait. You too will grow old and weak. You will no longer be able to do the things you once loved. Old age, what a wretched fate!” Sydney stood there shocked, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. She didn’t know how long she stood there before her friend came over to get her, but it felt like an eternity. “Man, that old man is right! I don’t want to grow old? Why can’t I live ALL of my days in peace and happiness?” Sydney wondered to herself as her class moved on to the Old West exhibit featuring the largest collection of original black and white/sepia photographs in the country.

Little Old Man by Tyrislow

Found on DeviantArt

Sydney enjoyed exploring the exhibit. She could imagine what life was like in the Wild West and loved seeing the clothes from the time-period, but towards the end of the exhibit the art took a turn for the macabre. Behind a maroon velvet curtain, in a mostly dark room hung tons of photographs. Most showed families, standing unsmiling as they waited for their picture to be taken. Some showed children and family pets, but the ones that really got the group's attention were the death photographs. The guide explained that back then it was common practice to photograph the bodies of the deceased because for many of them it was the only picture of that person that existed. The pictures were strange, discomforting and the students fell silent as they were led through the long, dark hallway that housed the death photos. Sadness overcame Sydney as she stared at a photo that reminded her of her grandfather. The man lay on a bed of sorts with his hands crossed and eyes closed. Apart from his frail appearance, he looked relatively peaceful... that is, until he snapped up. He hollered and tore at his hair, "I wasn't ready! I had so much left to do! Why has death taken me so early? Oh what a wretched fate!" With that proclamation, the man fell back into his original position. Sydney was shaken, but more angry than anything.

Unidentified Man, Postmortem

Found on Flickr

He's right! Why does death take us when we are not ready? Why should we have to spend our lives in fear of sickness, old age, or death? It's not fair! There must be a way to deliver humanity from the evil of decay! Sydney tried to focus on the art, but for the rest of the day all she could think about was how cruel fate was. By the time she stepped off of the bus at home, Sydney  had become determined to find a way to change humanity's fate. She would seek knowledge of how to live a life worthy of freedom from the three evils she'd witnessed that day. 

Author's Note:
I read the unit about the Life of Buddha this week and really liked the idea of the three encounters changing his view on life and spurring him on to seek enlightenment. I wanted to keep writing! I enjoyed writing this story so much, but did not want it to be too long. I changed quite a few things, but think it is still pretty easy to see how it relates to the original. 

Week 14 Essay: Learning about the Buddha

Reading Unit Homepage
The Life of Buddha

Buddha Meditating

found on Wikipedia

This week I chose to read the Life of Buddha reading unit. I thought it would be interesting as I’ve always liked learning about other religions and therefore about religious figures. This story of how Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha was broken up nicely so it did not feel tiring to read or boring due to staring at nothing but blocks of text. I enjoyed reading it not only because it had a nice layout, but because it was an easy read and had interesting content. My favorite parts of this reading unit were the three profound encounters that Siddhartha experienced (seeing an old man, a sick man, and a dead man) because it does not seem like seeing those things would have a big impact on someone. We see old people and sick people all the time. Plus most people are aware of and have accepted that death is an unavoidable and often uncontrollable part of life. The idea that a man would see those things and be so upset that he is forced to go on a journey to seek enlightenment seems almost ludicrous in current times. However, I love the idea that someone would desperately seek a way to not only find enlightenment for himself, but to free humanity from old age, death, illness, etc. So many people now are solely focused on themselves that I just always enjoy stories of people doing good by others. I also liked the story of the tree of knowledge and how the Buddha’s light kept him safe in the face of true evil. I’m a big believer in energy and its effect on our lives. I like to think that if you put out positive energy, you will receive it as well. There weren’t any stories I truly disliked, as they were all part of one big story. As such, I think this unit is really well worked out and does not need any other notes or aids to be understood. It also fits in nicely with the readings we’ve been doing so far as it relates closely to the Ramayana through the ways gods are involved in the lives of humans, the characters involved (Rama’s son is mentioned), and through the themes present. Overall, I think this reading unit was a great choice and that it does not need any real changes. 

Reading Diary: Week 14- The Life of Buddha

Reading Unit Homepage
The Life of Buddha 

Part A

• Maya's Dream
• Queen Maya dreams that a great white elephant descends from the heavens into her womb where its arrival is celebrated by many gods. She wakes up and has the king summon a group of brahmans to interpret the dream. They are ecstatic to learn the queen's child will be the new buddha!
• Birth of Siddhartha
• The queen wanders through the beautiful gardens and woods near the palace where she gives birth very easily to a baby boy whom they name Siddhartha.
• Asita's Prediction
• Asita visits the king to let him know that he heard from a divine voice that the king would bear a son who would have the true knowledge and save everyone from the torment of rebirth. Asita notices that the child has the marks of omnipotence and states that the child's tiny body barely differs from that of a god. Asita cries because he is old and knows he will die and therefore miss out on Siddhartha's great life.
• Siddhartha at the Temple
• After the child's birth the kingdom flourished and prospered, but Queen Maya died only 7 days after the birth. Maya's sister, Mahaprajapati, is left in charge of the child. She tries to adorn him with jewels, but they do not look right. She is told by a goddess living in he garden to take the jewels off because if the Earth were made of gold, one ray of light from the child, would dull it. 
• Siddhartha is taken to the temple of the Gods where all of the statues of the gods came to life and fell to their knees at the feet of the child before shouting his praises.
• Siddhartha's First Meditation
• Visvamitra takes Siddhartha as his student but soon realized there was nothing he could teach the boy. Siddhartha left, heading into the country towards another village. He stopped to rest and watch some peasants who were working in the field. As he sat, his mind wandered and he became lost in meditation. Then, 5 hermits saw him and exclaimed that he must be a god! They ran to the king to declare how blessed the son was. The son meditated for a long time, and the shadows of the trees around him lengthened and moved. However, the shadow of his tree remained the same. The king wept with joy at the sight of his son in meditation for he was truly a sight to be seen. 
• First Encounter
• Siddhartha has an irresistible urge to leave the palace so he took off on a gold chariot. Soon he came upon a desolate old man with sad eyes. He wondered why the man looked the way he did and the chariot replied that old age ruins beauty and vigor while causing men to lose their memory. The prince is terrified and asks if he too will grow old to which the chariot replies yes and the prince freaks out and returns home with the fear of old age in his heart. 
• Two more Encounters
• Next Siddhartha comes upon a very sick man and asks what is going on with him. The charioteer answers that sickness has made the man weak and ill. The prince trembled in fear and returned to the palace. The charioteer tells the king what happened and the king flips out and punishes the man who was supposed to clear the streets. He ordered that all the cripples, ill people, and old people be driven from the city so Siddhartha wouldn't see them. The gods don't like this so they made a corpse and four men to carry it who were all crying. Only Siddhartha could see them and he asks the charioteer what is happening. Siddhartha learns what death is.
• The Fair Maidens and Gopa's Dream
• Siddhartha's friend Udayin gathers a throng of beautiful women to dance in the garden and captivate the prince but they were all awkward, quiet, and timid because they were intimidated by his majestic splendor. He gives them a pep-talk and hey kick it into gear. They try everything to seduce and excite the prince but to no avail as he was thinking about death. He asks why he should partake in their beauty when he knows that everyone gets old and dies. Everyone retires to bed feeling down, little sleep was achieved that night.
• Gopa (Siddhartha's wife I think) has a dream that all sorts of awful things happen around her naked self and she runs to her husband asking for guidance. He soothes her fears saying that the things she saw were all good signs!
• The Great Truths
• Siddhartha goes out to the country to meditate. He meets a monk who is actually a god and is inspired. He decides to leave the palace and become a monk. He goes to his father the king and asks him to support his wish to leave. The king cries and pleads with him not to make such a huge decision at such a young age. Siddhartha says that if the king can promise him that life will not end in death, sickness will not ruin his health, age will not ruin his youth, and misfortune will not destroy his prosperity then he will stay. The king exclaims that his son is asking too much! In frustration and with tears in his eyes, he returns to his part of the palace. He sees his wife and her companions singing, dancing, and laughing but does not care. They all go to sleep and the prince declares that they are all dead because all of their spark seemed to be gone. With that he leaves and grabs a horse to get outta there. 

Part B

• Siddhartha Leaves
• Siddhartha boards his father's horse Kanthaka and in the quiet of the night they silently slip away.
• Siddhartha the Hermit
• Siddhartha gives his jewels and horse to Chandaka before telling him to take them back to the palace and thanking the horse. Chandaka pleads with him to not leave behind everything. Siddhartha then took his sword and threw it into the sky where the gods caught it. He also switched clothes with Chandaka, giving him his beautiful robe. Then he set off for the hermitage and Chandaka left to take everything back to Kapilavastu. 
• Gopa and Suddhodana Grieve
• Gopa and Suddhodana awake to discover Siddhartha has left. They are struck with grief and can no longer take pleasure in anything. the horse returned to the stables but was so saddened that he died. 
• Arata Kalama
• Siddhartha reaches the hermitage of Arata Kalama and soon the hermit asks him to teach alongside him for Siddhartha knows the law as well as he does. Siddhartha questions if he is on the right path. Surely Arata's doctrine is right and his followers will go to heaven, but when they die humanity will still be subject to old age an death. These men will live a life of suffering, grow old, and die just like any others and the world will continue to fear death and do everything they can to be reborn in a positive life. Siddhartha informs Arata that he will not teach his disciples and that he is going to leave. He then sets out for the country of Magadha where he stayed on the slope of a mountain and meditated. 
• Siddhartha and King Vimbasara
• Siddhartha enters the city of Rajagriha where he is spotted by King Vimbasara who was confused why a god of sorts was begging on the street. He ordered that Siddhartha be followed so he could know where he was dwelling. The next day the king traveled to the hero's retreat. He asks him many questions about his quest and finally proclaimed that when the hero was enlightened he should come teach the king his ways. Then he left and went to visit Rudraka, son of Rama but learned that his teachings knew nothing of the law just as Arata's so he traveled on followed by 5 of Rudraka's disciples. 
• Siddhartha Deserted by his First Disciples
• Siddhartha came to a beautiful area where he became so enthralled in meditating that he stopped breathing and fainted. The gods saw this and freaked out. Was he dead?! Maya saw what had happened and cried before spreading flowers over her son before he spoke to her. He told her not to worry for he would soon attain supreme knowledge. 
• For 6 years he stayed there, but true knowledge did not come to him so he left and came to a village called Uruvilva where he spent many long hours in meditation. Soon the women of the village began bringing him food which he ate happily. He gained weight and became healthy once more. Things were going well, but because he had not attained true knowledge yet his disciples left him and called him a madman and a fool.
• The Tree of Knowledge
• Siddhartha took the clothes off a dead man and washed them with help from the gods. He then fell asleep and had 5 dreams. 
• He was lying in a large bed which was the whole earth with his head on the Himalaya, his right hand on the W. sea, his left on the E. sea, and his feet on the S. sea.
• A reed grew out of his navel and up into the sky
• Worms crawled up his legs, completely covering them
• Birds made of gold were flying toward him from every direction
• He was at the foot of a mountain of filth and excrement which he climbed all the way to the summit before ascending, unaffected. 
• He woke up and knew that today was the day he would learn the true knowledge and become a Buddha. He went into the village to beg and received some delicious milk in a golden bowl. He bathed and ate before throwing the bowl into the river. If the bowl went upstream it meant that today he would become a Buddha, if it went downstream today was not the day. It went upstream.
• As night fell, Siddhartha walked toward the tree of knowledge. As he approached, he saw Svastika, the reaper who gave him 8 handfuls of grass in exchange for being taught true knowledge later. Siddhartha lay the grass down under the tree like a carpet before sitting down, facing the east, and saying that no matter what he would not move until he attained supreme knowledge. He crossed his legs and sat straight, preparing to wait as long as it would take.
• Mara's Defeat
• The light from Siddhartha's body reached everywhere, even the underworld, where Mara the evil one reigned. Mara's army tried to assure him that they would annihilate the soon-to-be Buddha. He called them fools and told them to leave Siddhartha alone. Mara would take care of it himself. He set out to attack, but wanted to scare the hero first. He made rain fall down with great violence but Siddhartha remained unmoved. Then he hurled blazing rocks at the hero but before they could hit him the rocks turned into flowers and fell softly to the ground. Mara then commanded his army to fire arrows at the hero, but they too turned into flowers. The army attacked, but Siddhartha's light acted as a shield and no harm came to him. The soldiers fled in fear. Mara was pissed. Why should he be defeated? He has been kind and generous to his people and they would bear witness to that. Who had Siddhartha been kind and generous to? Who would witness for him? Then, the Earth itself spoke to Mara, bearing witness to Siddhartha's generosity. Mara wept because he had been defeated.
• Siddhartha Becomes the Buddha 
• Siddhartha comes to realize that ignorance lies at the root of death, old age, suffering, and despair. He comes to the conclusion that leading a life of holiness leads to stifled desire, and we cease to endure birth and suffering.
• In the morning he became a Buddha and was revered by all. 

Week 13 Famous Last Words

This week has been pretty good. Here is a list of the adventures I went on and things I did that made me happy this week:

• I drove to Texas Wednesday evening for an appointment with True Results Thursday morning where I was told that my progress is exceptional and i'm doing really well! The doctor and I discussed my eating habits and my concerns that my portions were too big before deciding to bump my saline in my lapband up just a little bit. She injected .4 ccs of saline into my band which brings me up to a total of 5 ccs (the band holds 11 total). I'm feeling great and motivated to keep up with my progress.  

Before surgery, 267 lbs/ size 24

Last month, 210 lbs/size 16

Today, 206 lbs/size 16 

• While in Texas I got to see my Naala!! Naala is my mom's chinese crested powderpuff. She is absolutely amazing, hilarious, and awkward. I love that dog so much!!!! Plus, now she is finally fluffy again! 

How freaking cute is this dog? Seriously. Adorable. 

What a begger: Naala scoping my bacon

• I took a comprehensive exam in my generalist practice social work class and made a 98! Woo! 
• I decorated my apartment for Christmas. Well, I started decorating. My boyfriend, roommate, and myself all decorated the living room and put up/decorated the big tree that goes in there. I still need to put up my small tree that goes in my bedroom as well as the outdoor decorations. Then, I will continue to accumulate and put up decorations from now until Christmas. I'm also working on wreaths for my roommate, my friend, and my roommate's grandmother (who is super awesome and I love her!). I like making wreaths and it's super easy!

This pretty much sums up how I feel about Christmas

Mom on Christmas Day 2013

• I finished my volunteer training for Valir Hospice which means I will be allowed to begin volunteering and doing extended care for their patients next week! I'm so excited!
• Today i'm getting my nails done with my roommate. We are getting Christmas colors! While we do that, the dog will be just a few doors down from us getting groomed. Boy does she need it! Lily just got done with her second heat, which was awful for everyone involved and unlike her first one had a really gross side effect: she began to emit the most AWFUL smell. Her whole body stinks and so does all of my roommates bedding as well as the dog's crate. It's seriously gross and i'm so glad she is getting her cleaned up because I feel bad not petting the pup or letting her in my lap, but dang! I cannot handle that stench!

Christmas Dog!

Found on Tumblr

Week 13 Essay: First Reading Experience

Reading has always been a huge part of my life. My mom loves to read and thankfully instilled that love in me when I was young. We did not have much when I was little, but she always made sure there were things for me to read. Back then we lived with my great aunt, Barbara, who also loved to read as well as travel. She would read to me, tell me stories of her travels all over the world, or have me read to her. I loved every minute of it and it didn't take long for Mom and Aunt Bar to notice that I had a huge appetite for learning and reading. I was always asking questions, fiddling with things, exploring, and telling my mom new things I learned. Both Mom and Aunt Bar were very supportive and nurtured my fascination, but Mom was very busy. She was a single mom with 2 kids working 2 jobs, so she did not have as much free time to spend with me reading as she would have liked. Aunt Barbara stepped in and after mom initially taught me how to read, Bar would help me further my reading skills and knowledge in any subject I wanted. So, as my brain and my vocabulary grew, I began requesting different types of reading material. At 5 I received my first medical book. It was a medical terminology book, and I was ecstatic. Soon, I was reading scholarly articles about the origins of headaches, anatomy books, articles about medical technology and advances, encyclopedias, books about animals, books about Egypt, original writings of popular fairy tales, and books about science in general. I enjoyed fiction and fun stories, but gravitated towards non-fiction writings that helped me learn more about myself and the world around me. One of my first memories is of me asking my mom a bunch of questions about symptoms she may have because i was convinced she had some super rare disorder. Turns out I was on the right track because I was looking at an obsessive-compulsive disorder (I don't remember which one exactly) and Mom has generalized anxiety disorder (as do I) which is closely related. Overall, reading became a huge part of my life and was something I both enjoyed and excelled in. It was also a great way to connect with my mom who did not have much of a childhood herself and as such does not really know how to play or engage in activities involving the imagination. It brought us closer together and became a source of pride for her, especially in 2nd grade when I was placed into a 5th grade reading class because I was being disruptive due to boredom in my class. After all, in 2nd grade I was already reading young adult novels.

Girl Reading a Book

Uploaded by bf5man and found on Open Clipart

I love reading.

Side note: My love for reading made me really connect with Belle from Beauty and the Beast, which is why the only princess that I ever dressed up as (until college) was Belle.