It seems like everyone’s life story is quite exciting. Not exciting in a ‘Hooray!’ sort of way, but exciting in a ‘I would read a book about your life’ sort of way. Mine isn’t, but last year we had to write about something that had shaped who we are today (and include a ‘maxim’), and this is what I wrote. All my friends enjoyed it, so i hope you lot do as well.

As soon as our teacher told us that we were to write about momentous life occasions and how they have changed us, I was pretty sure I was not going to like it. All throughout my life, I’ve been sailing on smooth waters. If I have ever been drastically changed by an event, it has long escaped my memory. However, though my life seems exceedingly dull, I don’t let that idea get to me, and I never let it diminish the way I see myself.

            My outlook on the assignment only got dimmer the next day, when we read and judged last year’s contest winners. There was a girl with a dead father, a boy with a dead mother, a girl who had a potentially fatal illness, and a girl who had an aunt who had a potentially fatal illness. Oh dear, I though to myself, I don’t know anyone dead. I have no memory of being in a hospital, let alone terminally ill in one. Usually, I’m thankful for that, but when one has to write a heart-wrenching essay about growing up and “The Laws of Life,” it would be best to have some sort of tragic incident. I however am severely lacking in the tragic incident category.

            I’ve always been quite average in other categories too. I’m okay at music, and alright at dancing. I’m pretty good in school, but I’m not one of those impressive math prodigies, nor am I able to speed through school, get perfect SAT scores, and become a doctor at age 14. I have not been composing beautiful music since age four (yes, I’m talking about you, Mozart, though now I suppose you’re decomposing). I have no hopes of being the next Einstein either, since I don’t slack off in all my classes (it doesn’t help that I’m not German, either). So, at this point, I had ruled out writing about traumatic incidents, and also about my brilliant talents, of which I have neither.

            I sat down on my bed, feeling downtrodden and uninteresting. The rough draft was due the next day, and I had no ideas and no quotation to use. My father is still alive, so I can’t write anything about him. I can’t write about all my super skills, because, well, I’ve got none. Then I remembered one of my favorite songs: “Navy Taxi” by Kate Nash. I’ve always thought that the chorus relates to my life, where she sings, “Take your time love, ‘cause you don’t have to rush, ‘cause it’s your life and it’s no one else’s. Don’t let someone put you in a box.” If I had been in a cheesy movie, I would have jumped to my feet and shouted, “Yeah! It’s my life! What am I doing letting this assignment put me in a box?!” Unfortunately, I am not in a cheesy movie; I am in real life, so I did not jump to my feet and shout, I only yelled in my head.

            When somebody asks me to tell them about the important, pivotal moments in my life, the moments where I’ve learned valuable information, well, I can’t. Until now, because now, I have realized that I don’t need to be exciting to be significant. So, I’m still awaiting the moment that will change my life, and make it dramatic or intriguing (hopefully a late Hogwarts acceptance letter). Until then, though, I’m not going to let people put me in a box by telling me I’m boring. I’ll just remember what Kate Nash said, that it’s my life, and no one else’s, so no one else can tell me to make myself more interesting. I’ll take my time, thanks.

 Truth is, now my lack of interesting-ness is starting to get me down sometimes. I think about how most of the 12-year-olds in my dance class are and always will be doing way better than me, and one of my best friends who is really really good at clarinet, and how all I do is make good grades without really learning and sit at home watching Doctor Who on Netflix. But I keep telling myself to just wait, because I’m sure I’ll be good at something and interested in something enough to turn it into a decent career that I like… one day. 

P.S. I’m sorry if my essay is an annoyingly different font. I don’t think it’ll do that, but it might

P.P.S. I’m sorry if this is somehow insulting to people who have experienced tragedy. I didn’t mean it that way.

Sorry I didn’t publish this earlier! Tumblr didn’t say I had any messages…

You will have plenty of life changing events in your life, I promise you that. You don’t have to experience a death, or be a prodigy to have an interesting life, though. You already lead quite the interesting life. Everyone is unique. There has never been a you before, and there will never be a you again (well, assuming cloning is far past our time). There is just you. Living your life. Right now. A unique, interesting life that will never happen again.

Some of the most impacting moments in life are the seemingly irrelevant ones. That day a stranger smiled at you when you were having a gloomy day. Or that day someone dropped money on the ground and person, quickly picked it up and gave it back to its owner. I find the tiny moments to be just as important. Because, they usually aren’t triggered by a death, or genius, or what not, they are just seemingly normal people (who are actually far from normal, because everyone is interesting and brilliant, but that’s a ramble for another day) doing slightly more than seemingly normal things in a seemingly normal world. How do you think you’ve become the person you are today? Events have to occurred to shape you, yes, possibly tiny ones, but they’re still there, just because they may not be noticeable or apparent doesn’t mean they aren’t. Now I’m really rambling, so I’ll stop, and end with, you are quite the writer (I bursted into laughter at that Mozart pun, decomposing - hilarious!). Thank you for sharing.

P.S. No worries.

P.S.S. I don’t find it insulting. And I don’t think anyone else will.

Well, where do I start? I am currently 19 years old and I am studying to be a case manager (a kind of social worker :)) but so much has lead me to this.

I haven’t exactly had an easy life, in saying this, I will never say that my life is more difficult than anyone else’s because I believe that to be a lie.

A few months after I was born, I was diagnosed with chronic asthma and up from then up until I was 8 years old, it was pretty much touch and go on whether I would be alive from one day to the next. During this time, however, my parents separated, my father was diagnosed with a mental illness and my mother got remarried.

Once I hit my teens years, things started getting really tricky. When I was 13, a “boyfriend” (I put brackets, because having a boyfriend at 13 was a little ridiculous) of mine abused me and after this, I went spiralling down into a deep pit of depression. I went through high school being bullied every day but feeling like I was totally alone even though my mum and I were (and still are) very close. From about the age of 14 through to when I was 16, I was having suicidal thoughts too often than I want to admit and when I was 16, a friend of mine finally realised how bad things were getting and contacted my mother, it was the best thing that could have ever happened because I finally felt like I could talk to mum about this and I started getting treatment.

Since that day, my passion has been to help people, if I can help just one person then even a small part of my life has some meaning.

Even though I want to help people, my burning passion, my lifeblood is acting and writing. I have been acting and writing for as long as I can remember and I am currently writing a book.

Whilst the things I have been through haven’t been pleasant, I would never trade them for the world because they have helped me become a stronger person, a person who can help others because of what I have been through and a person who can help make a difference in the life of others.

- I just want to say to you, thank you so much for setting up this page, for giving people a place to come and to talk and to find hope. There is nothing more important than hope.

It’s always a refreshing idea to know that there are people like you who love helping others. And, I know, you have helped plenty already (even if indirectly), and I don’t see that stopping any time soon. Acting and writing, eh? Those are lovely skills to have. Such great skills to watch or read… or both. You can do it all, you know? You can act and write and help people. You don’t have to choose. With a mind, past, and perseverance like yours, your options are endless. Thank you so much for sharing!

- Oh, and, I would like to thank you. For being so strong and hopeful. There really is nothing more important than hope.

I’m only thirteen, so I guess my story’s still being told. In fact, it’s really just beginning.

I’ve loved words and writing ever since I can remember. When I was a toddler, I had an obsession with the alphabet. I spelt my first word at eighteen months (or so my parents say).

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was in grade two. I had just gotten into Harry Potter, and it was a growing obsession with me. One day, we had a relief (substitute) teacher, and were doing a writing excercise. I sat at my desk scribbling pages and pages, when the rest of the class had been finished for at least ten minutes. The teacher looked at me, smiled, and said: “maybe one one day you’ll be an author.” I took it to heart. It’s been my goal ever since.

I guess I’d have fallen in love with words no matter what some teacher had told me. But I still consider that one person to be one of the most influental people in my life.

This passion grew over the years, as I fell hard and fast in love with book after book. In fifth grade, I read Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart: a book about books, a book about words. It introduced me to a whole online community or Inkheart fans. We called ourselves Inkers, and together, we talked and wrote fanfics. I never finished my fanfic (which I called Inkwings), but it was a stepping stone to something bigger:

NaNoWriMo. In grade six, I participated in my first NaNoWriMo. With the Young Writers Program, I finished a “novel” of 15,000 words, and last year, 30,000.

Last year, I won first prize in my age group in a national poetry competition, the name of which must, I’m afraid, remain a secret online. It was a huge achievement. I had people I had never talked to before asking me about it, the principal of our nearby college told me it had been emailed to her. I was stunned that I could ever achieve so much.

I hope to keep writing, and one day, maybe my name will be on the covers of books, and maybe one day, I’ll influence people as much as some authors have influenced me.

Thanks for reading this.

First off, no, thank you for writing this.

You have got quite the skill. Writing is a powerful skill to obtain, a brilliant one if you’re great at it, as you are. I don’t think I need to tell you that you’re absolutely brilliant, because surely, you must know that. A thirteen year old astounding writer, you’re going to be great. Oh, you bet your name will be known. It practically already is - what with winning a national poem competition. My my, look at you! That’s brilliant! Oh, and, of course you can achieve that much. You’ll be achieving much more, you know? You’ll be unstoppable. But you can’t doubt yourself. Doubt yourself, and you’ll be holding yourself back. And what a horrible thing to hold back from the world. I hope, in the future, when I’m walking in a book store, simply browsing, and stop because a book catches my eye with curiosity. I hope, I open that book, and read about the author, and she just so happens to have won a national poem competition, and just so happens to be a best seller. And then, of course, I’ll buy that book. Thank you for sharing, I look forward to reading any of your books!