A Life Preserved in Brown Paper Bags

Task of the week: Find three things that summarize who you are and are able to fit in a brown paper bag.
     This becomes the sentence that seems easy to fulfill, only to find that it has been a week and you still haven't found a single thing. My frustration at this task steadily grew. How could I possibly begin to represent myself in the form of three small items?
      Of course, the whole point of this exercise is self-exploration; to find what makes you the person you are and what you believe to be precious. It's not supposed to be easy, it's supposed to make you think about what you care about.

After a deep breath and renewed concentration, I managed to come up with:
~A passport
     I absolutely LOVE travel and have traveled to England a few times as well as Scotland. I really enjoy seeing the world and experiencing different cultures; if I ever won a lottery this would definitely be how I would spend the money.

~An old film camera
       This represents my love of antique things, it could also represent my love of history. I believe that it is important to remember the past and learn from it. I can also probably claim the award for the only teenager to be excited by a record player or typewriter but, there ya' go.

 

~Goggles(specifically this pair that I made)

     I chose this pair because this shows my love of making and creating things. I am a huge fan of steampunk(A genre of fantasy involving steam powered technology which is generally set in the 19th century during Victorian England times, as if the future was set in the past. Much better summaries of steampunk are readily available on the internet...), and made these goggles to go with my outfit. I suppose that really these goggles represent creativity and imagination, two things I cannot live without.

                                

     I also learned a lot about others and what defines them. Several people brought pictures of their families, and many brought along headphones to show their love of music. One of my partners brought a small pillow that was made by her friends because she really cares about those close to her. 

     While this exercise might have seemed like an easy task, it's really a thought-provoking process designed to make you reflect on what you value in life.

An Unexpected Opportunity

Setting the Scene:
      A guest speaker cheerily walks into the classroom to tell us about a program we will be participating in called Main Street Philanthropy. He energetically explains to us that for the next eight weeks we will be learning about philanthropy and eventually donate money we raise to a few charities that we all agree on. While most guest speakers and eight week programs might not sound that exciting, I was intrigued because not only is this a chance to learn more about philanthropy and a chance to give to people in need, it is also a chance to learn a little bit more about myself and what I can do to help.