Personal Narrative: When I Was Growing Up

I think that I have grown as a student and a person as a whole. Emotionally I have matured so that I don't take everything so serious, I don't get upset over things I don't need too. I have become more responsible for example I take care of my items and do my homework. I have more knowledge now than ever before, this knowledge has helped shaped me to who I am. Over all I have grown greatly throughout the years.

Many people are crafted by the events that have had an impact them and made them who they are today. Like me, I have had so many experiences in my life that have made me who I am today, but there is one that defines me and made me how I am overall. The one experience that truly shaped me and made who I am today is an event that happened on my first day in 1st Grade.

Growing up I was raised by my mother and great-grandfather; my father was never involved and still isn’t presently. Since my mom was a single parent she was always working late at night and my great-grandfather would take care of me. He was a strong, stubborn man who loved everyone with all of his heart. However, he was dying of two arduous cancers; esophagus and colon. I was well aware of what was happening to the only father-figure in my life but I tried to keep his spirits up every day. I spent every day of my first 9 years with him and I regret that I didn’t spend more. Due to him being sick and passing away, I grew up quick. I was more mature than most of the kids I was around which inhibited my child-like character. Throughout middle

The mind of a six year old is full of curiosity, adventure, and ignorance; once that child grows up and matures into an adult, this mindset is then replaced with reason, logic, and routine I grew up to be the person I am today because of what my family has taught me, but also because of the events and experiences that have transpired throughout my life. I, as a child, did not did not grow up in an unhealthy environment. In fact, I was thankfully raised in an apt household which,painless, worry free, and loaded with family and friends that were constantly able to catch me before I fell. But like any family, there are ups and downs. Our family has had high ups and low downs, but that never changed our family. One event however, did shake the

Did you know that my grandma’s family name was originally Karlsson if you were a man and Karlsdaughter if you were a woman? When my great, great grandfather moved to America they changed it to Carlson so it would be more American. This is how they came to America.

14 years of age and still growing. I would say that I’ve experienced being adult, but I’ve got 4 more years for that. What I have experienced is my coming of age,and transforming over my years of life. Typically, being the outgoing person I am today, you would think I’m an interesting person, doing a lot of fun things. I’m actually not though. Besides the fact that I’m a troublemaker and a person that doesn’t really make a lot of friends now that I am older. My only close friends are from when I was younger. I find it harder for me to make more friends now that I am in Highschool. I also find it easier for me to work better, harder, and more efficient on any of my school work. That’s just about me now. I’ll tell you how I succeeded on who I am today, and the obstacles it took me to get here.

We human beings are all works of art. Every experience that we have is a new stroke of paint to our canvas. The things that influence us do the same. I am not a completed work of art, but I can show my progress of what makes me. I am influenced by the media, my teachers, and the neighborhoods I lived in. Now here is the showing of my work.

Aristotle once said that “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” While other children grew up amazed by the night sky and all its wonders, I grew up captivated by the orchestration of the tiny universe within each and every one of us. Throughout my life, I am constantly mesmerized by the human body’s uncanny resilience against adversities. What fascinates me the most is the body’s ability to constantly overcome obstacles in its battle for survival. The intricate and interdependent symphony of our inner machineries working ceaselessly, enabling us to not only survive, but also thrive fascinates me unlike any other fields of knowledge. Yet, despite the body’s best effort to maintain this inner harmony, there comes a point when it can no longer burden the stress placed upon it. I learned this harsh reality through my father’s battle against his chronic kidney diseases.

Coulthard what an unusual last name right. Well that is my name sometimes I would look at others last name and think wow that is awful. Then I remind myself Madison your last name is Coulthard. Coulthard originated from the Scottish and Northern English. Although I do not know anything about my heritage before we arrived here, I do know a little bit about my ancestors. For example, my grandmother on my dad’s side is 1/8 Native American Cherokee to be specific, which makes her great grandmother a full blooded Cherokee Indian. The trade of dark hair and skin was pasted down from that blood line both my dad and aunt has dark hair and a very tan complexion. I only really know information from my great grandparents to know on my

Influences, they come from many sources; people, television, places near and far from our homes. For me however, my influences are in games, one game in particular. A game, whose community is so small and minute, that even its creator has moved on to other aspects of life. This game doesn't even originate in my own country, and most of the people in this fanbase don't either. In fact they are mostly spread across Europe with at least one member in South America. Because of that I can only speak in one of the many languages we have among us. Thankfully, English is what we speak most commonly, and that this majorly influential game of my childhood, has an option for.

As impossible it might look, it only takes effort, hard work and willingness to accomplish your achievements.

Growing up for me was quiet. I lived an average life, for example I would go to school, mom and dad would go to work, and we do it all over again the next morning. Nothing really changed until the beginning of second grade. After one week of second grade at a school I had been going to for years, my family decide to move. After we moved once we continued to move. To this day I don’t know why we moved around so much, but it caused me to check into a different school each month. I had changed five schools in less than a year.

I had only been six years old during the time of the move. Yet, nothing had processed to me that we were moving in no less than a month. Not the endless piles of boxes filled with all our belongings or the large trucks that had come and gone while taking the boxes with them. None of these reasons had processed in my head.

I reminisce of the days when my mother made my siblings and I say this verse out loud every morning, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him”. My life has been filled with adversity. I grew up in a small village in Africa, where I was surrounded by poverty. I still can hear the little children crying out of hunger, school children walking miles to school with no shoes, little children sniffing glue or following strangers begging for money or food. I can remember the agony in their eyes. Growing up, I was very timid, intimidated (especially by those who grew up in big cities), lacked self-confidence and conscious of what the society thought of me.

It was the first day of school, all I could think about were the new people I would meet and how I’d get to the top of the popularity board. I got on the bus and realized so many new faces, some were young and others were… still young but more mature. I found my good friend Jaden that was with me all throughout elementary. For the first couple of days, things were pretty chill. After the first month I was starting to lose control of my ship, I slowly but surely sailed away from the destination. By January my grades were plummeting, and I was in an awkward relationship. I was only recognized as the try hard and Mr. good lookin. Of course I made friends along the way, but not to the extent at which I hoped of. By mid-march my grades had completely fallen off Mt. Everest and into an abyss. I was rockin’ E’s and D’s, and some B’s. I had been through two relationships and made more enemies. I apparently made excuses such as I didn’t have “time” to study because I was caught up in my social life. Soon it was the last quarter and it hit me slightly, I had to shape up. If I was going to advance, especially in such a gifted school, I needed to let stuff go and gain good knowledge. Realize I still didn’t care about homework or due dates, or work really at all. My sleeping schedule was wackier than the Tazmanian Devil, and my diet was just as bad. I was skinny, but not gaining any muscle, no matter how much physical work I put into it. I started to understand math and the other subjects a little better, but my enemies were strong and brought me down, I couldn’t focus with them around. Good thing is, I passed advanced on both of my SOL’s but my ending grades were C’s, B’s, and 1 or two A’s. It was alright and I was fine with that…