Personal Narrative-Sheltered Minds

In school, I tried to blend in the best that I could. I liked all of the things that the other students liked, I tried to dress like them, I tried to act like them.

I’ve always wondered what the outside world was like. As a cooter turtle, I’ve been living inside the same old glass walls filled with unnatural water. It felt like prison. No matter how much I swam, I would see the exact same things over and over again- small rocks, plants, and two other strange objects that I couldn’t identify. My turtle mate, River, had guessed that one of the strange objects were probably a human object used to keep the water “clean”. I found that kind of strange since the water was never clean anyway. River was a Red-Eared slider and was a few inches smaller than me. Or at least I thought he was. I’ve always thought of him as a scaredy fish because he always ran away from everything. Whenever the Twoleg came towards us, he would dash away like as if he saw a ghost, and whenever I asked him why he was so afraid, he would refuse to answer.

Her father’s words echoed through her head as one might hear a reverberation throughout the Taj Mahal. Continuous. Chilling. Having no control to distill the wavelengths until they mellowed out on their own accord. She tried to anatomize the depth of his phrase, more than dutifully needed but Davina needed to know why. Why did she need to keep an open mind and more importantly, who the hell was about to come bursting through that door. But then again, did it really matter in the first place. When she thought about it, the brunette could have laughed at the idea. That an unattributed, faceless figure had her panties in a bunch. Surely Dominic wouldn’t think to waste her time with venial diversions,

It is a somewhat unspoken agreement that people all have, and breaking this agreement is frowned upon. The bathroom is a very unsocial place. You go do your business and then leave, it is very simple. The social norm that I broke was talking to someone in the stall next to me, and continuing to have a conversation even when it was clear they did not want to have one.

The time I felt like an outsider was the time I came to worland high school I came from the city with gangs drugs and all sorts of stuff that was not here the reason why I felt like an outsider is because every one was into big trucks, chewing tobacco, and wearing cowboy clothes while I on the other hand was into skate boarding,gangs, marijuana I no longer like gangs or marijuana I like to skate board and play video games and mod/hack onto online games and phones the way I felt horrible and pissed off because I couldn't find anyone that was interested in the same stuff I was into and in the city I was taught to hate hill belly's and red necks and that sort of stuff so I guess I hated it from the start then it just got worst the teachers I had

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. [NASB Col 1:13-14]

I believe I was not created equally. When I open my eyes to this strange world I feel an urge to run and hide. I am not safe there is no escape.

I mended my body into the fabric of the hammock, curling my face into its warmth and accepting its embrace. Alex began swinging the one next to me before settling in. My legs rose up in the air, swaying around while I examined the old scars on them.

“Who thought the baptism water would be as cold as an ice bath?” Much like anyone growing up in Las Vegas, or otherwise known as “Sin City,” we have always been surrounded by people from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Those people are commonly known as “Mormons.” Boy, let me tell you, there are Mormons everywhere in Vegas! There was always something about them that made me interested. There was a light as bright as the sun that always shined from them. They always had a smile on their face, from ear to ear and once you start talking to them I found that they are the nicest people. I then got to know and started hanging out with the Mormons. I then became interested with the religion aspect.

Thanks for the conversations! I really like what we have here. Well, I'm sure you know my writing style at this point and if its at least before 1 AM, don't be afraid to message me if you need to reach out to someone. I definitely would be here for you, if you let me. Try and keep an open mind, I've learned that talking to someone helps gradually. In the moment, eveyrhting they say can seem as if they're playing devils advocate as well as being unsensical and rude. It's up to you to listen and comprehend, just as it is up to you who you talk to. I hope you find the help or a someone that can provide the support you need in those times of need. Housing at SJSU is going through a transition as a new building opens here is another coming to a

In a political climate today that is defined by hyper-partisanship, a confluence of factors have led my political leanings to lean left of center but center around a moderate outlook. As I grew up in a family with a Democratic mother and a Republican father, I often understand the logic of both sides. While many times political parties attempt to claim a moral ideological superiority, I believe that all people have their own experiences and opinions that justify their leanings. For me, a person’s political ideology is not a factor that defines one’s personality or character. Among my friends, I am often hesitant to initiate political discussion unless I have known the person for a long period of time. While politics

From Kindergarten through 8th grade I attended a private school, my best friend went to the public school. When we would get together I would always be jealous of the things she got to do, that I wasn’t able to. Things as simple as not having to wear a uniform, or being able to paint her nails. I always felt that not being able to do those things in school was preventing me from expressing myself. Then came the time to go to highschool. My mother wanted me to attend a private high school, while my dad was more in favor of the public school. It was up to me which school I wanted to attend. I decided it was time for me to be express myself the way I wanted to, so for the first time in nine years I went to public school. I was able to wear makeup and nail polish, and wear clothes of my choice. After going to a small private school of approximately 65 students in my entire class, my first day of high school was overwhelming to say the least. Going from a class size of 65 to 300 made me realize how much diversity was in the community I live in. I grew up with your typical “American” family; Mom, Dad, and me. I never knew there were so many different types of families and cultures right here in my community. At times I did feel sheltered after going to a private elementary school, but it provided me with a good educational foundation. I was a good student throughout grade school, made the merit roll and usually got A’s and B’s, but excelled in high school. My elementary school provided me with good time management skills, study skills, and a few life skills that would help me succeed in high school and even throughout life.

I was twelve when my sister went “mad”. The hidden family suspicions confirmed as I sat watching her write across her bedroom walls in colored sharpies. She would ramble one thing or another, as if to explain the meaning of each equation or symbol. She was a mathematician, and a brilliant one at that. Her autistic tendencies rubbed off on me growing up and together we studied the people around us in bewilderment. More socially apt as I was, I became the psychologist, she the mathematician. Together we dreamed of all the great things we would do.

G sharp, C sharp, E natural. Finger 5, 1, 2, and 5 again. And then F sharp, and then…yes, I finally got it! I think to myself as I do a fist pump into the air. I had perfected a part of a piece I was playing that I had been struggling with for the longest time. My left hand was already tired from hammering away at the piano keys for what seemed like hours. I turned the pages back to the beginning of the song and played through the whole song. I was finally ready perform it at the recital.

April 30,1999 the day I was born, my mom didn’t get a chance to see me until 12 in the afternoon. Hearing this story when I got a little older, I was kind of scared and creeped out at the same time. I was born with something called a veil over my face. A veil is a thin, filmy membrane, it is the remnants of the amniotic sac, that covered my face. When 2001 came my twin siblings were born and I was in the livingroom sitting between them both. When my mother was in the kitchen cooking I started yelling “Leave my babies alone”. My mother rushed in there to see what was going on, but she didn’t see anything. I would go to my grandmother’s house and stay the night or weekends … She claimed to witness me doing the same thing there as I did at home.