It's nearly midnight. A golden luminescence fills the room, falling from fairy lights draped across the walls. They reflect off the floor and the glasses on the table. I’m standing against the wall admiring the room in a sleeveless periwinkle-blue dress and my curled, dark hair is half-up and half-pouring over my shoulders. Despite the beauty of the room, I feel like crumpling with exhaustion. I'm tired of small talk with people who don't care about me, and I can feel a small lump in my throat. My eyes start to slide out of focus as I wonder what my cat is doing back home when, from a small crowd, he emerges. He's wearing a dark suit and, unlike most of the sweet but morbidly skinny boys around me, looks like he belongs in something so elegant. I smile softly and watch him. Pitifully, it strikes me that I've been stealing glances and avoiding his eyes for two years. Just as the thought crosses my mind, we make eye contact, and, instinctively, I find my shoes very interesting. When I look up, a kaleidoscope of butterflies erupts in my stomach. He's walking towards me. I pray for the earth to swallow me up or at least give me something interesting to say but the earth remains under my feet and my mind remains stubbornly blank except for a long, faint scream. All too soon, he's standing in front of me, talking and smiling. He makes me laugh and, ten minutes later, to my elation, we are still talking. The music changes, the conversation lulls, and I start swaying to the song. He notices my immersion in the music and smiles. "Care to dance?" he asks casually. I am speechless but I nod. As the melody lingers, I look into his deep brown eyes and he asks to take me home. When I said yes, I didn't see our future. Laughing in front of the fire. Crying in frustration. Talking late into the night. Dancing in the rain. I've never opened up to anybody in my life but I can talk to him about anything. I'm not scared of the world anymore. This is what happens every time I play, "You Are In Love" So many songs glorify one-night stands and shallow relationships. So many people are lonely and just want someone to know them at their deepest level. This is a beautiful song about a relationship that works. This may be her best attempt at "put[ting] it into words". I've never been in love but I think this is what it might feel like. And that is why 'You Are in Love' is my favorite song on Taylor Swift's '1989' album.

My mom was a leader. A leader who is changing the world for the better by caring for someone else. Lots of people think that leaders have to be good at giving orders and being loud and telling everybody to get in line. My mom could do that too. But, more importantly, she made sure we grew into people who could succeed. She guided us away from the dangers of drugs, social media, and general stupidity in favor of reading books, finishing our school, and becoming kind people with character. I'm not sure if I'll ever be as good a leader as Mom. But I practice by caring for those closest to me. I listen to them, letting them know I care. I have to set a good example with my own actions and lifestyle so I am someone they look up to. By earning their respect, I'll have reason to think that when I tell them what to do, they'll listen. Having the respect of others is the most important precursor to being someone others will follow. It's not easy and, sometimes, it even feels like a burden, knowing that everyone is always looking up to you and will always be affected by your actions. I know first-hand what it is like to lose respect for someone who was supposed to be a leader. That memory only pushes me to be the best that I can be for those around me. If more people strived to earn the respect of their family and coworkers and respected others in return, this world would be a better place. My upbringing was also deeply rooted in the Christian faith which taught me that, no matter what position in the world you hold, you are a child of God, and responsible for and capable of so much. From the plumber to the doctor to the homeschooling mom, they were all capable of leading others to Christ and impacting the world for the better, one person at a time. This is why, while I might not run for class president, I know that I have my work cut out for me just the same. I have, arguably, the harder job of being an honest, capable, caring person who can take care of others while managing my own life at the same time. I think my love of connecting people, protecting them, and caring for their needs makes me a leader like my mom.

My future self changes depending on the proposed period of time but, in six years, I hope to have graduated with my Master's degree, achieved my goal body, improved my character and personality, and maybe, maybe, have a gentleman friend.

I don't remember a time when I haven't loved reading. When I was a toddler, I used to laugh hysterically when my step-sister would get to the end of my favorite Dr. Seuss book. When I was a tween, I sped through the classics, only later discovering popular children's literature, which I checked out from my local library and read as well. Now I'm moving on to analyzing bigger, deeper books like Anna Karenina and Atlas Shrugged. Though I blush to say it, War and Peace is still in my to-be-read stack. Although Life is the biggest obstacle between me and War and Peace, it is also the reason I read. Without my favorite books, I never would have been strong enough to keep myself from spiraling into depression. The magic of books kept me pushing through the slog of life. The heroes, heroines, adventures, and idyllic settings, kept me hopeful and gave me strength. Anne of Green Gables is one heroine who has inspired me to be a better person. Her dreams, her work ethic, and her ability to better the lives of the people around her were things that I both related to and wanted to emulate. Jane Eyre, despite being poor, used her education to get out of her horrible situation at the orphanage. She also had a truly inspiring moral compass and a firey, beautiful spirit that is not paired, as it so often is today, with gorgeous features that only a few can aspire to. Neverland is still my dream home and Peter Pan stole my heart the first time I read it. I cried when I got to the tragic ending and, because of that book, I know I must never forget to remain young at heart, no matter how old I grow. I have made sure to pass on my love of reading to my siblings and books have helped me become closer to them. Being their best friend is important to me but not always easy. So I decided to start an exclusive book club involving only them and me. It gives us something in common to talk about, sparks their creativity in the creation of posters and signboards, and, most importantly, gets them used to the idea of reading books for pleasure and not just for school. Ultimately, my love of books made me decide that I wanted to work with and be around them all day. I plan to get my Master's degree in Library Science and work in a small public library. This job appeals to my sense of romance, allows me to help people, and, most importantly, means I am aiding in the free distribution of knowledge which is one of the core tenants of an imaginative, intelligent, free society. I can't wait to be a part of making that better world.