My "Holy" Shoes
I grew up in Southern California with a
stay-at-home mom and an auto-mechanic dad. I didn't know at the time,
but this was rather miraculous, considering the cost of living in So
Cal. We have always made due by being frugal. We rarely got rid of
anything we hadn't used to it's fullest potential. I am not saying we
didn't have money for new shoes, but this view of money in
combination with my comfort-over-fashion attitude has meant that I
will stubbornly wear what my father would call my “holy” shoes.
God's Gifts to Me
Although I got my “punny” sense of
humor from my father, I got my chronic curiosity and desire for
knowledge from my mother. Any little thing either of us was
interested in would lead us to the library. We would check out books
on insects and try to identify the neighborhood critters, and my mom
would always be spouting off plant names when we went on walks. These
experiences have led to my faith being built on a foundation of
observing God's creations and wondering about the world around me.
This is a main reason for why I studied biology and now want to teach
it.
In addition to collecting information
about God's creations, I like to collect pieces of them and keep them
around my room as little reminders. Reminders, not only of God's
love, but also of the memories of people and places associated with
each one. I would not be me if I didn't have this collection of
friends and memories.
(In case you are interested to know what a few of these items represent:
The Bougainvillea blossoms are a papery flower that are everywhere back home. I picked this bit while on one of many walks with my cuddle-bug of a little sister. I picked the leaf here in Provo fours years ago, Fall of my freshman year. I was with my forever-friend Nicole.)
Creative Aspirations
Since I was a kid, I've loved rhymes
and alliterations. I've been writing silly poems since elementary
school and cheesy songs since middle school. It was then that I fell
in love with music by Michelle Branch, a young singer-songwriter that
made it big, at least in my eyes. Since then I have had this dream
and creative aspiration to learn how to play guitar and do the same,
although minus the “making it big” part. I have also had the
dream of getting something published. Just this semester I have
successfully met my goal of writing a song on my own guitar. I also
got my first rejection email in response to submitting some of my
poetry for publication.
My creative aspirations are a key part
of what make me happy to be me.
