One Medium Suitcase

If I were to be taken away from everything I ever had/knew and could only pack ten things I would pack:

1.       Notebook and paper

a.       I would use the notebook to use by journalizing the events that will be occurring because it will be a long while before I am able to get into contact with any of my family and friends. I’ll use the paper to write to my family to let them know I’m alright and I’ll even make the envelopes out of the paper to save resources.

2.       Pen/pencil

a.       I’ll use the pen/pencil to be able to write letters to my family and add to my address book. I will also use them to fill out applications to find a job so I can maintain my living to where I’m taken and also to write to my family.

3.       Stamps

a.       The stamps are used for the obvious use of envelopes to mail the letters to my family. If the stamps are not useable I’ll train a messenger pigeon to take my letters where I want them to go.

4.       Address book

a.       This kind of connects with the pen and pencil. I will use the address to keep connection with family and friends through letters.

5.       Maxum

a.       This may sound a little childish but Maxum is I doll that is very important to me. He was the last gift I got from my parents before they got a divorce and I’ve always had him and he’s always been there. He is my most valuable possession.

6.       Savings

a.       I will withdraw all the money from my savings and checking and hide them in a secret compartment of my suitcase. I will use this money to live off of until I can have a steady income from a job, if I am able to work.

7.       Personal information

a.       I.D

b.      Social Security

c.       Insurance

                                                               i.      I will take all this information with me so I have proof of identification. If something were to happen to me I would want my family to be informed of what occurred. I don’t want to be an unknown person.

8.       The family picture

a.       Every holiday on both sides of the family we take big group pictures. I’ll take these pictures so I can somehow keep my family with me.

9.       My locket

a.       For just because my dad bought me a locket that really meant a lot to me. The locket on the front has a cross and on the back it says; “My little girl yesterday, my friend today, my daughter forever.” This locket will keep my dad in my heart forever.

10.   Water

a.       I would take a few bottles of water because that’s all I drink and I hate tasting nasty water. I tend to drink lots and lots of water so if that water just lasts me until we get to where we’re going that’s ok, because at least it quenched my thirst.

Family Stories

In my family not everyone has tattoos but they are not frowned upon if they have a meaning behind the image of which you chose to scar your body with. One Thanksgiving we were all at my grandmas talking about tattoos and sharing the stories and reasoning behind our tattoos and out of all the stories my cousin Blake’s was the best. “It was a long hard day in mid-November and I just wanted the day to end so I could go on home and finally relax. When the chance finally came to unwind and finish my day with a cool beer a few of my buddies plowed down my door ready to party. I knew I was tired and that I should have just leave them to their own party but I could not resist the temptation of a good drunken night of fun with my buds. Now, we Arkansans (Natives of Arkansas) know how to hold our beer but when it comes to liquor, we tend to go a little nuts. After three games of FUBAR (F’ed up beyond all recognition), and a few cases of beer we were feeling pretty good. Danny, the wilder one of our bunch, brought out the whiskey. Now I know I said before that we can hold our beer but if we hadn’t have had all that beer inside our guts we would have probably hesitated  on drinking this whiskey but we were all feeling good enough to try and make ourselves feel better. Now the last thing I remember of that night was when we were all talking about why ninety percent of the things in America said made in China and laughing, after that, nothing. The next morning I woke up my head was pounding but I couldn’t help but laugh knowing that we all had a good night. I went to itch my chest and it kind of hurt, almost like a sunburn. I looked down and couldn’t believe what happened. Right below my sternum in little black letters it read, “Made in America” with a little American flag. I couldn’t help but laugh and that’s when I decided that would be the last time I would ever drink whiskey.”

Looking Up

Shel Silverstein

One person that I look up to would have to be Shel Silverstein. He amazes me because even though throughout his childhood he wasn’t one of those who fit in with the other kids he began his talent in what helped him build his career today. He took all that spare time alone as a kid to work on drawing and writing and is now a fantastic author of children’s books that have been translated in thirty languages and has sold over twenty million copies. He inspires me to take advantage of the time and talents of my own. I want to be like him by following through with my dreams. He took a simple hobby as a kid and turned it into an inspirational life style.

Meghan , Ung. "Shel Silverstein ." Humanities on the Internet. N/A, 9 Dec 2002. Web. 19 Feb                                                             2013. <http://faculty.weber.edu/chansen/humanweb/projects/MeghanUng/biography.htm>.

Leslie Mann

Another person that I could look up to is Leslie Mann. Leslie Mann is a great actress who has acted in many familiar films. What amazes me about her is that she is a homely looking person. She’s not fake like some people become after hitting the “big time.” One thing I really like about her is how even though she is this great celebrity she still tries to stay involved with her kids. In a few of her films her two daughters are characters in the show usually playing as her kids. Its great how she keeps them in the picture and gets them active with her and her work. She inspires me to, in the future, always be active and involved with my future family and to never let work get in the way.

"Biography for Leslie Mann." IMDb. Amazon.com, n.d. Web. 19 Feb 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005182/bio>.

Alecia Beth Moore

Alecia Beth Moore inspires me in many ways. She’s been through several different phases of character growing up but she still was a unique person of her own. She never gave up on her dreams of becoming a singer but she did give up on her dream of becoming an Olympic gymnast. She decided that there was one chance of becoming a singer and when that opportunity struck she took it and ran with it. After her non-stop effort of trying to become a young pop-star she has finally followed with her dreams and is now the known singer, Pink. She’s showed me that your dreams can change and you can always succeed. I really like how she can take all the bad and the hate that has happened to her and use it to help her career versus letting it tear her down. She inspires me to be a stronger woman and to be my own unique me.

"Biography for Pink." IMDb. Amazon.com, n.d. Web. 19 Feb 2013. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0600877/bio>.

The true story behind this picture:  It was a typical Thursday night at Hornback’s Arena. Everyone was gathered around the bleachers waiting for the buck out to begin.  They had just called out each bull rider participating in that nights ride and one by one they lined up in the middle of the arena. This was the big ride because this ride would determine who had placed first in having the most eight second rides. There is a certain family that had about six little bald headed boys ranging from about six to twelve running around raising heck screaming, climbing the gate, and throwing stuff at people. They were constantly in the way and I yelled at them bringing a few to tears.

Groundhog Day Re-Do

 The day I told on my brother was probably the most regretful tattletale I have ever done in my life. That day my little sister, Eryn, had told me a secret; a very shocking secret. She was nervous when she told me about my brother. I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t believe it. My little sister begged me to not tell mom that she saw him because she didn’t want me to get him into trouble but I just knew something had to be said. I was bubbling up with all these mixed emotions and wasn’t sure what I should have done. I promised my sister that I wouldn’t tell my mom but I knew that this issue was a huge concern and needed to be taken care of. Somehow my brother needed to be confronted with what he was done was wrong and he would never listen to me, only be mean to me like he always was. Growing up we always butted heads but we also had a bit of a stronger bond then our other siblings. That night I went back to my dad’s and I couldn’t stop thinking about what my sister had told me. The more and more I thought about it the more it was making me nervous. I wasn’t sure what to do so I asked my sister what she thought about it, bad mistake. She told me that if I didn’t tell her mom and my dad then she would tell so it put more pressure on me because knowing how my older sister was, she would have completely exaggerate things. I finally built up enough courage I started to make my way down to my step mom and dad’s room. I was about twelve when all this happened and growing up around my step mom and her kids made me absolutely terrified of her and of getting into trouble. I made it to the bottom of the stairs right at their door, knocked, and peeked in. of course my step mom was immediately irritated and starting yelling at me but then my older sister jumped in and told them I had something important to say. I waited and waited just looking down at the ground. How was I supposed to say this? My step mom yelled at me to spit it out and so finally I did. I told on my brother. I wasn’t exactly going against what I promised my little sister, I told her that I wouldn’t tell our mom so instead I told my dad and step mom. I learned real quickly that by their reaction I should have never said a darn thing. They were freaking out. Things just became a huge ripple effect. The further out it got the bigger the ripple. Because of what I had done my sisters and I were not allowed to see our brother for six months. My step mom had called the police/ juvenile office on him and he was sent to juvenile detention for six months. I felt terrible, what had I done?! Even after everything was said and done my brother never hated me for it. He forgave me and said that I was only doing what I thought was right. Looking back on it now I would want to re-do that day by not telling my step mom but by telling my mom. She would have done the right thing and would have punished him the appropriate way instead of sending him off to juvi and making him have a record. If I could re-do this day it would help me and my brother to this day because he could have a better chance for a better life without that record and I wouldn’t feel so bad. But even though how everything came about he still loves me and that’s all that matters.