lamest ever

This is a blog for my college writing class. There will probably be a lot of random stories and strong opinions posted up in here.

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

Last Blog? Maybe?

As this class comes to a close, I find myself both relieved and nostalgic. I'm so glad that this class was educational while being fun and very informative. I feel like I've become, not only a better writer, but also a more informed and more understanding person. This class helped me grow in numerous ways. I took a look back into my writer’s inventory to see what goals I wanted to accomplish in this class. In part I was discussing my weaknesses, I said, “Often it is hard for me to recognize what is crucial and what isn't as important when providing information to an audience.” This class has taught me so much about research and presenting that information. I feel confident that I can find quality information in articles and such, and I can conduct my own experiments and surveys and collect data. I believe I am able to write about important research and provide information that is crucial for my audience. In the beginning of the semester, I stated, “The biggest thing I want to take from this course is confidence in my work, and to feel more comfortable sharing information and opinions with audiences.” I think I accomplished this for the most part. I feel a lot more confident in my writing than I did before the class. I thought of my work as trash, but now I think my hard work is paying off. Being in this class, speaking and listening with other classmates has helped me open up and be more willing to discuss important issues. I enjoyed hearing everyone's opinions and listening to their experiences. I still have a lot of room to improve in my writing. The most memorable thing in this class was project 2. I absolutely loved seeing everyone's visuals. A lot of the projects had a big impact on me. It was interesting to see what everyone values in the class. Currently, I am writing this blog while sitting at a booth in a Denny’s after closing at subway. I don't really know what else to say. I'm honestly just trying to get to 400 words. Every time I go to Denny’s I get an order of fries and a chocolate milkshake… Denny’s has the BEST milkshakes, 10/10 would recommend. There's a table of people screaming behind me and I'm uncomfortable. I'm glad I got to spend my first semester of college working in CWP 102. I'll be able to use everything I learned for the rest of my college career and beyond!

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

Mental illness has become a growing topic in recent years.  With things such as Mental Health Awareness Month, people are becoming more open and talking about the issues people face with mental illness.  Although light has been shed on people’s struggle with mentalhealth, from 1999 to 2014 there has been an increase in the suicide rate in America by 25%.  One in four.  American adults will face having a mental illness in their lifetime, and nearly everyone is impacted by a friend or family member who is diagnosed.  Approximately 20% of teenagers live with a mental health condition.  In today’s day and age, mental illness is a topic that has been more widely talked about than in the past, but it is still a topic many are too afraid to discuss.

For project 2, I researched the barriers that held students back from reaching out and receiving mental health help.  I also researched how to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illness.  The studies all show that college-age students, 18-24, are becoming more stressed and likely to develop mental health issues.  The information found also explains that young adults and teens are highly unlikely to search for help when they are faced with mental health concerns.  Studies give us ways to break the barriers that shield young adults and prevent them from speaking out.  My question is tracking back to the start of mental illness and stress: What triggers mental health issues in young adults and what can help eliminate the stress?  I also am curious to find out if mental health issues and stress is lower or higher within young adults who do not attend college.

For my research I plan to survey two groups of ten people: one group including a random mix of young adults age 18-24, who attend college; and then a group of people of  the same age range who do not attend college.  I will ask several questions and the subject will be able to answer anonymously.  The survey questions include:  Gender, Age, Race, School, Hours spent studying per week, Hours spent working a part time/ full time job per week, Sports involvement, Hours of exercise per week, Hours spent on leisure activities/ hobbies,  Hours spent with friends, hours spent with family, hours spent alone.  After that survey questions will include answers involving stress/ anxiety that are on a scale of 1 to 10, ten being the highest or worst, and will be yes or no questions.  These questions will include: How stressed are you on an average day?  Does being at home make you more stressed?  Do you feel overwhelmed?  Have you or a family/ friend been diagnosed with a mood disorder? And more.  In the end i hope to find connections to outside variables and mental health.  I also hope to find whether college students are more or less stressed than those who chose a different path after leaving high school.

[lgbt-history-archive]

“OUR FIGHT HAS JUST BEGUN,” National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Washington, D.C., October 14, 1979. Photo © Ted Sahl, c/o @sjsu. 🏳️‍🌈 (at Washington, District of Columbia)

[outropeace]

positive things…

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

I voted! Forgot to take a pic at my poll location, so here I am. I felt so strange and awkward voting with a bunch of middle age adults 😂 Hope everyone else that had the opportunity got out there and cast their vote! Your vote matters!

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

The Dakota AccesS Pipeline

This is a huge problem that many people don’t know anything about.  The Dakota Access Pipeline Project and protesters were not covered by the mainstream media until recently, and the public is still very unaware of the situation unfolding.  It is crucial that the pipeline is stopped from being built because it poses way too many risks to not only the Standing Sioux Tribe, but also the thousand of people who rely on the Missouri River for water.

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) Project is a 3.8 billion dollar pipeline proposal that will carry crude oil and extend across North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa to areas in Illinois.  The pipeline was designed to transport about 470,000 barrels of oil per day across 1,172 miles.  As of recently the pipeline is already about 60% complete, even though there are over a thousand people fighting against this hazardous project.

The companies in charge of the construction of the DAPL forgot to take into account the reservation it would be passing through.  The Standing Rock Sioux live on this land and wish to keep it clean and safe for their people.  For months now, protest have been held against the pipeline project.  Protests began in April when the Sioux warned that the pipeline would most likely interfere with their culture and could potentially severely damage their water supply (the Missouri River.)  In November 2015, Bernie Sanders spoke out against the pipeline, while Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton still have not said a word about it yet nor have done anything to address the issue… wow, shocker...

On July 27, 2016 the Sioux tribe filed a lawsuit against the United States Army Corps of Engineers, after finalizing their crude oil pipeline permits, for violating multiple laws, one of which includes the National Historic Preservation Act.  The judge did not grant the injunction, but there were a few agencies that halted construction on the land.

Back in September, journalist Amy Goodman was covering the protests taking place when she was arrested by sheriffs for trespassing.  Later, they changed her charges from trespassing to joining in rioting with protesters.

A few weeks ago, actress Shailene Woodley was also arrested for trespassing.  She joined hundreds of other protesters, but was one of the few arrested that day.

More than 80 peaceful protesters were arrested for trespassing just yesterday, October 22, and some were pepper sprayed for what police called “rioting.”  

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

We Are Doomed

I don’t know. One candidate is just an idiot, and the other doesn’t seem to have concrete values.  In my opinion, both candidates are power hungry and don’t give a damn about any of the citizens of the United States, they just want your vote.

I can’t deal with this election anymore.  I want to blast off of this planet into outer space and die of oxygen deprivation and explode anytime I hear one of the following words: election, vote, Trump, Hillary, candidate, and president.  I can’t take it anymore.  I literally can’t.

Both candidates are a sack of shit in their own way.  I actually spend my own free time trying to search for good things that either of them did, and for the most part, they both suck ass.  I never even curse that often, but I am just so annoyed about the election that I don’t have the composure to think of more sophisticated terms to use.

Politics are a struggle for me because I am an independent.  I don’t consider myself Democratic or Republican, in fact, I don’t think there should be political parties at all.  Why didn’t we listen to George Washington?  He warned us about these things!  Anyways… I have some views that are more liberal and others that are more conservative.  (Sorry if I triggered any of you by saying “conservative.”)

One of my main concerns is environmental issues.  Global Warming is becoming a bigger and bigger problem by the day.  If you think Global Warming is a “hoax,” I’m sorry, but you are a special kind of stupid.  There is scientific proof that it is a huge issue and problem and humans are to blame.

I don’t even want to talk about Trump and his stance on the issues.  He tweeted that Global warming was a myth invented by the Chinese… Yeah. Okay, whatever you say.

The Democratic party is more involved with helping solve environmental issues, but Hillary Clinton has not earned my trust.  Clinton claims to want to steer the nation toward clean energy and a healthy planet all while receiving large campaign contributions from oil and gas lobbyists.  She also was “inclined to approve” the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline until about a year ago when she stated she was against it.  Hillary also supported the internationalization of fracking and the expansion of offshore oil drilling.  I don’t trust her for many other reasons.

I honestly don’t know how to conclude this.  But, I think more people should take environmental issues more seriously.

[themusicismymasterr]

Visit Original Link

Heather Angel - Sonic Youth (A Thousand Leaves, 1998)

[themusicismymasterr]

Visit Original Link

The Kill - Joy Division (Still, recorded 1979)

[jaybuffstate3-blog]

Blog #1

Hey what’s good! I am a sophomore majoring in Business and soon Minoring in Digital Production. I hope to one day get into contact with the right people, and start my own record label. I am 19 years old and from Albany, NY. Music, and sports in general help fuel my fire throughout the day, every day. Music is a way of life for me. Throughout my life, I have had many obstacles thrown my way, whether it was heartbreak, disappointment, life changing decisions, and facing unfortunate realities. Music has been my escape route for quite some time now. Writing music has helped me get through some of the toughest times. When I was only five years old I wrote my first song and from there on, I have been writing songs non stop. In my past, I have done a plethora of things that I am certainly not proud of, but I am trying to make myself a better individual, and a better man. My main focus is definitely the hip hop and R&B genres of music because I can better express my thoughts and feelings. Now that I’ve gotten all of the sob story boo hoo crap off of my chest, there has been a lot of good in my life as well. I mean, a brotha graduated from high school when all the odds were against me (and other African Americans), and according to that bum Donald Trump, “You are living in poverty (first of all, all of us African Americans are not all living in poverty), your schools are no good (second, all of our schools are not no good), you have no jobs ,58% of your youth is unemployed (and last but certainly not least when referring to something this nut job said, we aren’t all unemployed), what the hell do you have to lose?” What the hell do we have to lose!? How about dignity? Maybe respect for ourselves? The list could go on and on. I could probably write a book about it. I could name this book Donald Trump: The One Who Changed America. Take it as you would like to, but in my eyes, Mr. Trump is certainly not fit for anything but being a low key Hitler. I’m not saying that if you vote for Trump you’re a bad and heartless person, but in my eyes, those who vote for Trump haven’t opened their eyes to reality.

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

Now, I am certainly not for Trump, and I am definitely not for Hilary, nor was I for Bernie.  Politics make me want to jump off a bridge honestly. And, I TOO compared Trump to Hitler, a few months ago.  If I would have read your post before I found this article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-marshall-crotty/comparing-trump-to-hitler_b_9334668.html), which informed me quite a lot, I would have agreed 100%.  But, I read it and realize we can’t really compare anyone to Hitler yet, it’s just a tad extreme.  I enjoyed this article when I read it a few weeks ago, so I thought you might want to read it too. It really changed my perspective, not trying to be offensive or anything just helpful.

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

The World is Evil and I Cry Over the Death of Small Animals

It took me forever to decide what story I felt like telling for my first blog post.  I have a lot of stories to tell, but I can never seem to think of any when they are needed.  I have chosen to share a traumatizing event from my childhood with you.  This memory is forever burned into the back of my mind, and shall stay with me until the day I die.  Here it goes…

I was about seven or eight years old, and it was a warm summer afternoon.  The sky was clear with a few splotches of white here and there, and the sun was glowing in the East, and let’s say the temperature was around 80 degrees with a slight breeze.  

My nextdoor-neighbors were throwing a party next door.  For what?  I have no idea.  There was only a small strip of grass, maybe three feet wide, that separated my family’s driveway and the neighbor’s.  I was sitting in that strip of green when I noticed a caterpillar inching along my driveway.  I observed it’s every move, admiring it’s lime green fuzz and its splotches of red as it dragged along the pavement.  I placed my hand down next to the little guy and compared its size to the length of my pointer finger. 

Splat, and a fizz.  Orange soda fell from the sky- or really, the hands of two older boys towering above me.  I watched in horror as the caterpillar reacted in a terrifying and indescribable way.  Squirming and jerking it’s fragile body left and right.  My heart shattered into a million tiny pieces.  The boys proceeded to sever the creature with a hockey stick, and the pieces of my heart began to explode.  Tears began welling up in my eyes.  I jolted into my house, through the garage and up the stairs, while the boys menacing laughs echoed behind me.   

I reached my bedroom, out of breath, and slammed my tear-stained face into my pillow. 

So… why does this story matter?  In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t.  Nothing matters, we are all going to die and no one cares if you cry over a caterpillar being slaughtered or not.  But, I think this is a good story to introduce myself with because it still conveys some accurate things about me as a person:

I am very observant and perceptive; and, I am distracted or amused by little things very easily.  

I show a lot of empathy toward other living beings.  

Whether it is a bug, animal, or human, I will try to understand the way it is feeling in different situations.

I cry a lot. 

Animal Rights is now a big topic of interest for me, years later.

This is the story of the moment I realized humans are evil, and that’s all I have to say about that.

[thereszomb-deactivated20161208]

Can I just say that tears was running down my face while I was reading this? I have a HUGE soft spot for animals. Big or small. I too, had a very horrifying experience as a child. When I was about 8, I remember going shopping with mom while my grandma stayed home to watch her drama shows and When we came back, there was a black cat with bright green eyes standing by our porch and my grandma was watching it with an curious expression. The cat didn’t have a collar, so we through it was a stray. And so, I wanted to keep it. The adults agreed and we wash it and feed it food. I forgot what I named the cat but I believe it was a simple but unique name that fitted the cat 100%.

The next day, The cat was gone. We believe it jumped out the window and ran away. That part is a bit blurry. Anyways, I was sad and thought the cat didn’t like us. Few days later, me and my grandma was walking to the market and what do we find?

A dead black cat with faded green eyes, laying at the side of the street.

Sigh.

But yeah, I just wanted to share that with you. But hey! I have two loving cats now and I love them both so much!

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

Oh my goodness, this broke my heart!  But, it makes me so happy that you have two (very alive) cats now!  You should post a blog with them in it one day so we can all admire their cuteness!! 

[whatatime2bealive96-blog]

Blog #3 CAR SHOPPING

BMW dealers across the globe no longer make the BMW product with the same value as they did before but expect a bigger compensation. Four generations of the BMW five (5) series have been released within the past twenty (20) advancing from engine sport bases, technology, and vehicle material. As time progressed the cheaper route in finishing it’s product had always been taken. Assembling their cars took place in various countries around the world. Adding multiple details and elaborating on certain aspects to this assumption will paint a vivid picture of how people lost touch of what they really care about in life.

No one really knows how many parts make up a car, so naturally we won’t care. Taking advantage and using recyclable parts is something BMW does to impersonate environmental corporations that care about going green when they really just plan on saving another dollar. Technology increasing by a thousand percent during these past two decades forced a luxurious company like BMW to continue in their advancement towards technological cars during so their name will still have it’s worth. Going from a V6 to a V8 turbo in twenty years may not be something a top car company would like to focus on. All generation stuck to this original front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout keeping conversation throughout the world with positive feedback.

Being known for its great standard vehicle BMW main rival in the middle-class world has always been Mercedes Benz. BMW’s five series always being compared to Mercedes’ E Class the past 20 years BMW has received the short end of the stick only being sold off of its name. Although five ‘series has lost its worth the name has only gotten bigger and greater in value.

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

I know absolutely nothing about cars.  I feel so ashamed in myself and awkward around people who know so much about something and I know so little.  I seriously don’t even know how to turn on the windshield wipers in cars that aren’t mine.  I also don’t know many car names at all.  My family all owns ford cars because my father works at the stamping plant in Buffalo.  It’s super interesting how much you know about these BMWs!

I think it’s kind of cool, even though they might only be reusing parts to save money, it still can help the environment.  The environment is so important to me, and it kills me that we destroy the earth more and more everyday.  It’s getting harder and harder to control.

[therealsaleh-blog]

blog #1 This may just look like a regular soccer field… But to me it is more than a soccer field, but for a lot of people this field is all they look forward to. With one ball and a few friends you can change a bad day into one of the best memories of a lifetime. Once throughout my child here in this unique field between the mountains, is where I experienced my first fight. At the time it may had seemed like a bad event, but just thinking about that fight now I realize that it gave me a big lesson. A brawl between two young boys erupted just because they were from 2 different villages. The life lesson I gained here is that you shouldn’t think you are better than anyone, you can call it a big slice of humble pie. It all erupted as each side of the rival fans faced off before a rival game among my own village “Lasboor” & one of our biggest rivals “Houf”. The kids from Houf came out as really arrogant and as a bunch of pricks, but we weren’t perfect either. As both sides started trash talking each other one of the bigger kids from the other side called me out to step up and fight one of the bigger kids from his village. So for me there was really never a choice, I had to step up and fight the kid. And before you knew it I was on top of the kid throwing punches. It was actually really easy for me, the kid ran towards me and I quickly wrestled down and before I knew if the older guys were already breaking it up. The moral of the story for me is that it isn’t smart to listen to others and fight someone or do something stupid just without any true meaning. It’s not worth any of the stress it brings upon your family. It’s always wise to respect others and fight only to defend yourself because fighting & beating up another kid only brings about regret. Anyways the good part about this field is that I learned a lot here and this place is very close to my heart mainly because I experienced the good and the bad here, the rainy days, clod foggy mornings, & the warm summer nights all still fully installed in the majority of my brain capacity.

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

In the beginning of your post you mentioned that the soccer field is much more to you than just a field.  This reminds me of when I used to play soccer and softball, I loved it more than anything, and playing brought me so much joy.

I like how you learned so much from this one event that happened to you. To me- respecting others is one of the most important keys in life.  If you show respect towards others, they will respect you.  If they don’t treat you with respect, you must always be above them by showing them that you are the bigger more mature person.  

If you fight- fight for a good cause.  Fight for love.  Fight for freedom.  Fight with reason.  Fight with passion.  Fight only when you feel it is right.

[superwomanchemist-deactivated20]

Perfectionism. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

Being a perfectionist is so annoying, yet so rewarding.  All my life people have said “why are you trying so hard?” or “you know, it doesn’t have to be perfect.” It kills me!  I’ve worked at a pizzeria for three years now, and a subway for about eight months and I get the same phrases thrown at me daily... “I’m in a hurry, my food doesn't have to look perfect” and “if you weren’t so focused on it being perfect, you'd be a lot faster at this by now.”  And, it sucks, ya know!  I’m just trying to do my best (and the food I make always looks like art, and I am proud of it), but people still complain!  It’s crazy!  

The struggle of being a perfectionist are real, and with me its extra difficult.  You see, yes I am a perfectionist, but I also admit that I am horrible with planning and I procrastinate to the max.  This frustrates me so much because no matter how many times I tell myself not to, I wait till the last minute.  And, I speed through projects and such and freak out trying to make them perfect.  In the end, I do well on tasks, but I know it could've been so much better!

Time is against us perfectionists!

[thereszomb-deactivated20161208]

Time to ramble

So me and my friends took a road trip to Syracuse this weekend for a bit of girl time and to catch up on things. I personally love these moments because I get to be myself around my closest friends and tell them just about anything. Even if they needed to vent to me about their troubles, I always want to listen and see if I can help them out by giving out my opinion of the situation.

I feel that hearing someone out is important even if the situation is small. But sometimes people can take advantage of that. For example, if you wanted to have someone’s opinion about something, they just brush it off and move on to their own problems, not caring about your own. Which I find very rude.

The reason why I chose this topic to talk about is because one of my closest friends is going through the same thing. She is the most chillest and understanding person I have ever met but people always take advantage of her kindness. She talks to me personally after the road trip because she knows that out of everyone we know, I will listen to her without shoving her off. She told me about her “somewhat” boyfriend and his foolish actions lately, her grandparents that are being hospitalized, and the people that she blocks out of her life because of reasons that should be undiscuss. School, work, and her martial arts class is stressing her out enough and now she has to deal with so much bullshit that it breaks my heart every time.

She doesn’t deserve that.

No one does.

So if someone is in need for a friend to talk to…step in and help. Make them feel better about themselves. Tell them that you’re there and willing to talk.

Don’t be that person to push a friend in need away.

They don’t deserve that.

Opinions are nice too. But try not to be so negative.

Anyways, I’m sorry for pushing this out on y'all. I just needed to get this point across and help the future ya know?

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

First off, I would just like to say, I really admire what a genuine and caring person you are.  I think this post is so important!  In my everyday life I have conversations with people and I constantly feel like I am talking to a brick wall.  I feel like few people actually give a damn and rarely listen when you just want to talk.  Often times I just stop in the middle of my sentences to see if the person is listening; sometimes they’ll say something like “okay, go ahead,” or they won't even realize I stopped mid sentence!  It’s so frustrating to me, especially because I realize how important it is to communicate and really understand not only our friends but everyone around us.  

I think showing others you are there for them is the most generous thing you can do.  Many times people in this world feel very alone, so lending an ear or a hand or a second of your time can mean the world to them!

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

Multimodal

Multimodal- when I first saw the word in my textbook, I guessed the next chapter was going to be about different ways to combine things to create a text.  Basically, what I have come to understand multimodal as is using different forms of communication in one text to get a message or story to reach an audience.  I find it strange, and kind of ironic, that the word was so foreign to me when I am surrounded by multimodal texts every day.

In our culture today, multimodal texts are found around every corner, you don’t have to search very hard to come across one.  Everywhere you turn you can expect to see forms of media coming together for a single purpose.  For example, Tumblr itself is a form of multimodal text.  Different blog posts can contain images, words (of different fonts and sizes), sound such as music, and so much more.  On your drive to school you pass numerous signs and billboards begging to grab your attention; whether it be a bright orange road-work sign, or a Celino & Barnes advertisement, these are multimodal texts.  Movies are a great example of cross-media where visuals, sounds, and words, are strategically placed to force an audience into experiencing a wide range of emotions and thoughts for the director’s purpose.

I have to create my own form of multimodal text and build a narrative out of photographs in an area.  I was having a difficult time trying to decide where I should take my photographs.  I want to have a deeper meaning to my photographs, and the animal rights part of my brain jumped in and I thought “I can take pictures at the Buffalo Zoo.”  I thought I could highlight the desperation and sadness in the animals behind bars.  But, then I thought “Hmm, I don’t want my classmates to think that I think I’m some sort of Eliza Thornberry or something,” even though that would be so cool.  I also get weirdly emotional and upset when I step foot into a zoo or aquarium, so better to stay away for now.

Then, my idea hit me.  Everywhere I go, there are stories all around me, I just have to ask myself where I must look closer to find them.  There are stories in nature and the people around us.  All the things we simply believe to be background noise and the backdrops to our lives, they all have a story of their own.  I haven’t figured out just how I want to go about this yet, but I want to tell a story that shows there is relevance in our surroundings.  

[smolbeanblogging-blog]

The World is Evil and I Cry Over the Death of Small Animals

It took me forever to decide what story I felt like telling for my first blog post.  I have a lot of stories to tell, but I can never seem to think of any when they are needed.  I have chosen to share a traumatizing event from my childhood with you.  This memory is forever burned into the back of my mind, and shall stay with me until the day I die.  Here it goes...

I was about seven or eight years old, and it was a warm summer afternoon.  The sky was clear with a few splotches of white here and there, and the sun was glowing in the East, and let’s say the temperature was around 80 degrees with a slight breeze.  

My nextdoor-neighbors were throwing a party next door.  For what?  I have no idea.  There was only a small strip of grass, maybe three feet wide, that separated my family’s driveway and the neighbor’s.  I was sitting in that strip of green when I noticed a caterpillar inching along my driveway.  I observed it’s every move, admiring it’s lime green fuzz and its splotches of red as it dragged along the pavement.  I placed my hand down next to the little guy and compared its size to the length of my pointer finger. 

Splat, and a fizz.  Orange soda fell from the sky- or really, the hands of two older boys towering above me.  I watched in horror as the caterpillar reacted in a terrifying and indescribable way.  Squirming and jerking it’s fragile body left and right.  My heart shattered into a million tiny pieces.  The boys proceeded to sever the creature with a hockey stick, and the pieces of my heart began to explode.  Tears began welling up in my eyes.  I jolted into my house, through the garage and up the stairs, while the boys menacing laughs echoed behind me.   

I reached my bedroom, out of breath, and slammed my tear-stained face into my pillow. 

So… why does this story matter?  In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t.  Nothing matters, we are all going to die and no one cares if you cry over a caterpillar being slaughtered or not.  But, I think this is a good story to introduce myself with because it still conveys some accurate things about me as a person:

I am very observant and perceptive; and, I am distracted or amused by little things very easily.  

I show a lot of empathy toward other living beings.  

Whether it is a bug, animal, or human, I will try to understand the way it is feeling in different situations.

I cry a lot. 

Animal Rights is now a big topic of interest for me, years later.

This is the story of the moment I realized humans are evil, and that’s all I have to say about that.