by Genevieve R. 7A CW

In Tom Sawyer, Tom at one point is whitewashing a fence in front of another boy. Tom looks at the fence critically, like an artist, polishing his work to perfection. My persona cannot be polished like a fence or a work of art. It is like a tornado, more likely to destroy a fence than be one. I’m open to interpretation and constantly changing. I’m completely improvised, I have no idea what I’m going to do next, yet I’m excited to see what interesting thing it will be. I know myself better than anyone because I am me, but in some ways I don’t know anything about what I can do.

I think everyone in the whole world is just a reflection or piece of everyone around them, a collage. I'm a collage, a smiling freckled face patched together from other faces. My personality, appearance, and clothes, are all pieces from everything that influences me. Friends, family, music, artists, food, and books influence me a lot. I really enjoy baking sweets and then, of course, eating them. I also love to read thought provoking books and listen to music my dad listened to when he was younger. Out of everything, my parents affect me the most. My dad is an intense, talkative person filled with random facts, while my mom is a hardworking, creative, perfectionist. Both my parents inspire me continuously.

Sometimes I’m an actor, trying to appear one way, but unconsciously revealing that I am, unfailingly, me. I might try to appear to be loud, outgoing, and easy to talk to, but I’ll still be as introverted as ever. When I meet new people I’m very quiet, but I’m eager to get to know them. I play different parts in every scene and sometimes I am surprised how different I am in different situations. Ms. O’Brien gave my class a quote, “I am not who you think I am. I am not who I think I am. I am, who I think, you think I am.” Right now I think that you think I’m a writer, and I think I’m a girl who doesn’t know exactly who she is, so there’s a disconnect. If Ms. O’Brien’s quote is true, then I would be a writer because I think that you think I’m a writer. Why can’t I just be a girl who doesn’t know who she is but writes about it?

I like to fool myself into thinking that I am average height, but I’m just short. Despite my saddening height, I love to swim. I could stay in the ocean all day if I had a choice. I have loved the water since I was three, but I have been swimming seriously since fourth grade. I don’t swim on a swim team, but I do play water polo. I love the sport. It’s swimming except not just lap after lap, there’s action and pressure and reliance on my teammates. Whenever I play, I feel this rush of adrenaline that I don’t feel anywhere else.

I hope I’m not misleading you to think I’m only a contemplative person because that’s just one side of me. I love to sing, act, read, eat and draw. My dad calls me melodramatic, my mom calls me creative, my brother says “Genevieve be quiet, I’m trying to play video games!” and 6 year old boys call me “annoying.” I am what the people in my life think I am and I am what I think I am. I still don't know myself, but I'm getting to know her a little better.