Assignment 8 Daryn Smith

Fears: losing family and friends, burning in a fire, not succeeding
Annoyances: expecting favors from me, fakeness, people talking about me
Accomplishments: getting good grades, setting example for kids I teach
Confusions: racism, ruthlessness
Sorrows: being short-tempered, over reacting, lack of strength
Dreams: get into good college, have a successful scientific career
Idiosyncrasies: Harry Potter nerd, sleeps in, likes soft things
Risks: going far away for college, trying a new sport (want to)
Beloved Possessions, Now and Then: frog stuffed animals (then), friends/ time with friends (now)
Problems: procrastination, perfectionism, making silly mistakes

When I was younger, my whole life revolved around things- objects that I could touch and play with. Among my favorite of these was anything frog-related- blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, drawings, and any other kind of toys. Throughout my childhood, frogs were my obsession and the things that I owned that were frog-related were more than beloved to me. I would go through phases of a particular theme or color that I loved, and my most beloved possessions during any given phase were those related to that which the phase revolved around. Frogs were the longest lasting phase and they remained a consistent favorite even during other phases of obsessions.

Now, my most beloved possessions are a little less childish. What is most important to me today is my relationships with my friends and family. As I have matured, I have slowly recognized that what is important isn't "things" nearly as much as it is people and the relationships and memories that you build with those people. As different people have come into and gone out of my life, I have discovered those people who are the most beloved to me, and found that the memories with even those I don't talk to anymore are unlike anything I could hold in my hands. Maturity has caused me to discover who and what is most important to me.