Everything my name engenders
On a lazy summer evening of 1995, my mother gave birth to me, her only daughter among a brood of four. She gave me an identity which goes by Maria Jamie Loren. You may call me any of the three: my peers prefer Jamie; my family goes by the nickname Jame; while quite a number of my close friends, who like to be-as they say-unique, call me Maria, Hayme and sometimes even the male name, James. Try Loren, for a change. You have the freedom to choose whatever you call me, just remember to spell Jamie right.
I grew up in Manila together with my three brothers whom I love, and of course, love to argue with. Ha. It isn't that hard to live with three siblings of the opposite sex, you just get used to it. Of course, there will always be times when one would not be able to relate to the other because of the gender difference but it's fine. I get along and move on. It is actually beneficial if you ask me. Because of my brothers, I know how to act around different people. I also learn a lot from them. For one, my kuya is to be credited for my taste in music. I think the reason why others find it complicated is because they are not used to the situation. But if they have been living in that situation all their life, they'd already be familiar with it and would know what to do. Anyways, I have my mother to turn to when I don't get along with my siblings. But don't be mistaken, she doesn't play favorites among us.
My mother is the best and I love her to bits. She is the one who taught me about life. The one who wakes me up when I don't hear the alarm clock, makes an awesome breakfast and drives us to school in the morning. The one who stays up with me when I need to stay up late to cram and she even helps me prepare my things. Whatever I am today is mostly because of her. My being God-fearing, selfless, and determined is all because of my mother. A lot of my goals and dreams either involve her or is for her. Other than God, she is my source of inspiration.
A friend once described me as "a damsel imbued with childlike innocence". I say it is quite true. I am already seventeen now but sometimes-if not always-I find delight in the things children are amused with. Like for example, a cloud shaped like a rabbit, a rainbow in the sky or even just a plane that passed by. Also, I am a bit immature for my age. I act silly when with friends and laugh out loud in public (that sometimes my companions are ashamed of me) and am easily amused. I don't know why I act the way I do. But, as Stephen Chbosky said, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.
There's something about books that I find fascinating. Though not a bookworm, I do enjoy reading and I read just about anything that tickles my fancy-from history books to romance novels to fan fictions-as long as I don't feel lazy. I love the color pink but I rarely have stuff that are in that color. I like to draw even though I'm not good at it. I simply like to do so. I love to watch movies-either at home or in the cinemas, with family and friends or alone. My family usually watch movies on late Saturday nights. I simply delight and look forward to it.
There so many things that engender me, but in the end, I am still confused with myself. Sometimes, I wonder who the real me is. I guess this is all part of being in the complicated stage of being a teenager. I know all of this confusion will end and I will blossom and create a wonderful me.
I am currently a college freshman, studying the highest form of art, that is architecture, at the first tuition-free university in the whole of Asia. Yup, I am a scholar of Manila. But don't mistake me for a nerd for I am not a nerd. But sometimes, I do try but it ends in inevitable failure. But I do whatever is required of me when it comes to my studies. I do my best to keep up and pass all requirements.
I never actually dreamed of being an architect. I dreamed of becoming a doctor when I was a kid. But then as time went by, I thought of it and realized that I may not have the skills to be one. Yes, I know that it may be learned, but still I couldn't shake the feeling away. What pushed me to study architecture, was my high school drafting teacher. I was inspired and awed at his expertise in drawing, drafting and his works simply amazed me. It was in my sophomore year that I first taught of being an architect and it was in my last year that I decided to go with the option.
Now, I hope of being a great architect someday. I want to design structures that will at the same time be innovative and helpful to the environment. Just like every architect, as Philip Johnson would say, I want to live beyond my death.
I am student number 2012-10527
Someday, I will design, create and inspire.
