Senior Reflection: Every Story Has An End

“I could tell it was going to be a terrible, no good, very bad day.”
From a very young age, reading has been a very large, intrinsic part of my life. As a young child, my mom would read bedtime stories to me every night, without fail. My favorite book was Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. My mom says that she read it so often that to this day she could recite parts from heart. This particular book and the bedtime reading in general opened me up to the joy of reading, and it is still my favorite vice.
“Siddhartha a spiritual pilgrim is consumed by his quest for spiritual enlightenment.”
As a senior in high school, on the brink of graduation, it amazes me to reflect on my literacy. I’ve improved greatly in my writing, reading, and oratory skills. Reading has immensely affected my writing ability. As I read different literature, be it for my English class or on a lazy day, I tend to impart the writing style of the author. This can be seen through my piece, “The River Speaks Om.” In this piece, I tried to incorporate Hesse’s minimalistic writing style. Although I tried to incorporate this style, I still wasn’t able to fully omit my personal style.
“I said I was being scrunched. I said I was being smushed. I said if I don’t get a seat by the window I am going to be carsick. No one even answered.”
Beginning kindergarten I was able to read quite well, even if I did write two inches high. I remember feeling on top of the world when we would have to read in class when the other kids struggled. I was always an overachiever. I’m confident that my early start influenced my growth, along with some of the best teachers in the world.
“This exposure to the river as a young man was the foundation of the message sent to Siddhartha by the river; the unity of all things”
My vocabulary, sentence structure, and writing style can all be attributed to the literature I have read. I did not always maintain an affluent interest in reading. Throughout my middle school years, I detested reading because of the books that we were forced to read; they were well below my level, so I lost my previous enthusiasm. In ninth grade, we would have reading time. At first, I was reluctant, but so was my teacher on allowing us to give up. I stumbled upon Looking for Alaska. This book remains a cherished favorite of mine. Not only was it appealing to my age, but the protagonist, my kindred spirit. I have taken so much from this book that it is unimaginable to not have read. My favorite author is Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut’s literature was mentioned frequently in the book, and described so sublime that I had to read his works. Instantly I was hooked, and am so grateful to uncover such a good read. That book allowed me to discover so much amazing literature that it is improbable to elaborate further.


“At singing time she said I sang too loud. At counting time she said I left out sixteen. Who needs sixteen? I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.”
Although I had no problem reading, my oratory skills were remote. My shy nature kept me from advancing in this area. To this day, I have a problem with public speaking; shaking, sweating, stuttering. My writing skills are also an area in which I have lacked. I hadn’t come to this realization until high school, particularly my junior year. My amazing writing teacher offered constructive and sometimes harsh criticism. This criticism allowed me to grow as a writer. For the class we kept composition notebooks for our writing assignments. I enjoyed this assignment because I had always been reluctant to write as I didn’t hold much confidence, and this forced me to write. The assignment allowed me to express myself, and helped me learn to analyze what I read; a much needed skill for college. When I began my first comp book, my thoughts were scattered, I lacked an intelligent vocabulary and my sentences were simpler. Now, just over a year later, my writing maintains some structure, and I have learned to use a variety of sentences, and have gained a much needed vocabulary.
“Siddhartha reveals a strong notion, in which he must gain experience himself in order to find his Self.”
Over the past twelve years I have gained an unaccountable amount of knowledge, but there is always room for improvement. Personal goals that I have set for myself over the years regarding literacy include; finishing my life’s library, further enlarging my vocabulary (without the use of a thesaurus,) improving oratory skills, becoming fluent in a second language, and correct grammar usage.
My life’s library is a notion put forward by Alaska. It is literally my own personal library, full of many great books, those I have read numerous times and those I have yet to read. I began this goal in ninth grade, and have come far by adopting old books; being put to good use. I may never fully attain this goal as I come to the realization as I will never own all of the ‘great’ novels the world has to offer, but I’m sure I’ll be satisfied at the end.
“It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that…even in Australia.”
I hope to continue my journey with literacy for the rest of my educational career. College is just months away and I’m sure that I’ll face many of the similar struggles that I have throughout my schooling. I’m confident that I can overcome these, just as I have in the past. I’m coming to a close of this chapter of my life, with great happenings upon the horizon. It has been a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day. I have heard that some days are like that… even in Florida.