Kaitlin Kolk: A Short Story

Everyone has a different way of living and a different personality, and a lot of it has to do with how a person was brought up and their background. The person that I am today has a lot to do with my family's impact, the people I hung out with, the type of home I lived in, and the community I was raised in. There was a lot of lessons to be learned, but I was able to stick through them, and carry on with my life to the point where I am now.

It was on a frigid, dark autumn night that I entered this wonderful world. November 13, 2000, the date, almost November 14th. My siblings had no idea that my name would be Clayton Wayne Griep, and that minutes before midnight on that night I was their brand new brother. A few days later I would leave that hospital in Zeeland, Michigan and be welcomed to my new house, at 4096 Marion St. in Hudsonville, Michigan. Two of my siblings were more than excited to see me, but one didn’t have any idea what was going on. Cam, who was not even a year old, unbeknownst to him, had a new roommate. Jordan, who was in the 2nd grade at the time, was eager to meet me, his eyes constantly locked on me. Jalen, using her newly found vocabulary, probably babbling

In high school I liked to be very active. One of my favorite activities was soccer. I played numerous years before high school. While playing for the high school team, my timed mile was not where it should have been, I was so perseverant that I practiced a great deal of times. Finally I had reached my goal, but in doing so, I received many stress fractures. I was in so much pain but I refused to let it show, until I could not take the pain. The doctor said I had broke both of my legs with stress fractures and some larger fractures. He had informed me I could no longer play soccer competitively and I was not allowed to participate in any of athletic actives that year.

Anything you do makes you change who you are. Even what happens in your life can affect your choices you make that shape your identity.

Life is what you make it as we go through life’s journey. We all have different experiences that are unique to us individually. “Life is not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.” - Virginia Satir. There are typical aspects of our journey that are similar, but different; we share commonalities along the way with others. In life, we will face challenges that bring about change, which is what happens to us along the way when we are younger, and it makes us who we are when we are older. Change is the opposite

John Lubbock wrote, "Your character will be what you yourself choose to make it." This is a great opinion, but I also have an opinion of my own. I personally feel that experiences shape you into who you are. Every situation you go through impacts your life in many different ways. One small decision can change your life forever.

Life is an ever-changing reaction to the different situations that we are exposed to. Sometimes these opportunities for change are forced upon you, such as requirements at work, at home, or at school. Other times these changes are brought on by your reflection of things that have happened in the past.

Who I am today is a result of my life experiences and the ways I have chosen to deal with them.

I met Bailee on my first day of kindergarten. Though she was a few years older than me, we were fast friends. I thought of her as an older sister, and we spent every holiday together. Religiously, the Fourth of July involved our families watching the Stow parade together. We were so close, people asked if Baylee and I were sisters. We looked nothing alike; her wiry build, naturally tanned skin, dark hair, and hazel eyes greatly contrasted my appearance, but she was so patient with me that we seemed to be kin. Bayleigh amenably painted my nails, when she knew I would gnaw the polish off the very next day. She taught me the value of strategy in a pillow fight. Every article of clothing that she outgrew was passed to me, and still hangs in my closet, but most don't fit anymore. With her unique sense of humor that led her to constantly change the way she spelled her name, her insane fashion sense, and her charismatic laugh, Baylei was exceptional in every sense. I looked up to her more than anyone else in the world. Little did I know that Beili was fighting with herself as to whether she deserved to even live.

As I look back on my life, as short as it has been so far, there are a few key events that I recall that have shaped me most as an individual and secured my different places in life. I was born in Roosevelt, Utah. In this small town of just under 7,000 people I never truly was able to find out who I wanted to be. The community was heavily influenced by two main factors, the Mormon religion and a very conservative culture. If you were not a part of one or both of these influences you generally would run in an outer circle. I found it hard to figure out who I wanted to be as I battled with the cultural norm as well as my own internal struggles.

I started playing softball at the age of 5, as I grew up I continued playing, eventually getting to the highest competition for my age. I worked extremely hard. Softball was my whole life, my world revolved around it. I was a pitcher; I played for multiple different teams. I had a team Canada pitching coach, did personal training, every day I practiced or played ball. I didn’t have breaks and I didn’t want breaks. I worked hard to get where I got. At the age of 15, grade 10, I had developed nerve damage, I was in a walking boot or a cast for almost a year, nothing got better, we did cortisone injections into my foot hoping that would help, I got the injections then was put in a cast, I was scheduled for surgery but before the operation when

Life is a chain of changes that puts people in different situations and every change come with its struggles and we have to move along with the change.People might take the changes in different ways and everyone has their own story that makes them unique from other people and changes make people live through same story again and again or never.Going through changes and adapting to them is the real challenge that you have to go through and how you handle it gives you the identity but it is not an easy path to take for everyone some give up;some don’t even start to get on the path to achieve what they want in their life.

I had always been super shy and quiet as a child, this I believe, is what made it hard for my immediate family to comprehend the idea of sweet little Kimberly Ann being pregnant at the age of 16. It was embarrassing to say the least, having my entire family gawk at me. “What? I didn’t even know you were kissing boys yet!” My tia (aunt) shouted out, as my mother broke the news. I wasn’t a bad kid; furthermore, I received fairly decent grades and never gotten into any trouble—besides the occasional tardy I’d receive from spending too much time in the halls chattering with my best friends by my locker. I was the girl with my hair in a ponytail and a thick warm hoodie on nearly, every day. “It’s cold in there,” I’d tell my mother when she’d complain about the way I always

Identity is who you are as a person, but where does it come from? Are you born you or are there other factors. Many people may argue you are born with it, but others will argue there are factors and it has the stronger side. The factors that influence a person's behavior and identity in society are a person’s environment and life experiences brought upon through day to day life. First and foremost, environment is a major factor that influences a person’s character and identity.

You are a part of everything that surrounds you. Allow your surrounding to better your life in order to better your future What you are capable of doing can change your life;however, it is your character that with keep you in a positive path. Different obstacles you will face will not build your character; they will show it.