I Am Who I Am...Unique

I'm Emily, sometimes called Emmy by my friends, family and coworkers. I'm seventeen, going on eighteen (finally!). I'm a pretty short girl, only about five-four. I’m disproportionate, if you ask me. I'm the oldest of four children, though sometimes I wish I was a lone wolf. I'm a brown-haired, green-eyed senior. I have my likes and dislikes just like any other person on this planet. I am unique. 

I'm a Cedar Rapidian. A lot of kids my age don't appreciate it here, but I love it. I was born here, I've lived here all my life, and I'm comfortable living here. Outsiders can refer to Cedar Rapids as "the Great Land of Sweet Corn" all they want, but I can't think of "home" as being any other place. The sweet corn is just a bonus. 

I know in high school, everyone relies on their stereotypes to categorize people based on their likes and appearances. According to those characteristics alone, I would fit into multiple cliques of people and, honestly, I'm okay with that. Labels are for middle school.

My appearance confuses people sometimes, I think. I'm a jeans-and-a-t-shirt kind of girl. Most days, anyway. Converse shoes are my best friends, especially my purple ones; I adore purple. Occasionally, I'll dress up a little bit but hardly ever to school. I'd rather be comfy in denim sitting in hard chairs all day. Sometimes I wear pink or any other bright color, but I wear black a lot more: black shirt, black shoes, black nail polish, black eyeliner. Some people have called me "emo" or "goth" before because of my choice of attire. Seriously, though, just because somebody wears black, doesn't mean they're sad or depressed all the time. Just because someone wears pink doesn't make them preppy (although...this doesn't really apply to my sister). Somebody who's not a jock can still run around wearing basketball shorts and tennis shoes. I even wear basketball shorts.

My favorite pastime is listening to music. My iPod is a cornucopia of radio pop music, country, a little blues, instrumental, and even some Christian rock. However, the shock factor for people is that I absolutely love rock and heavy metal. Nothing makes me happier than shredding guitar solos and long-haired men screaming the lyrics in my ear buds, full-volume.  I have a guitar obsession. I’m not sure why, but the majority of my music is by male artists or bands. It could be because of their deep voices; I love to sing along and I can reach pretty low, so it’s easier for me to sing with male voices than female, I think.

I also love doing art, and I’m pretty good at it. I love to sculpt with clay the most, but I can also draw and create things with other random media like wire and wood. I plan on going to school for art in the future. I find myself doodling in class a lot to pass the time.

I really like to read, when I actually have the time to indulge in a new book. I enjoy mysteries a lot, or romance novels. Sometimes I like being introduced to a new assigned book for school because nine times out of ten I discover I relished in reading the book, even though it wasn’t one I had personally chosen. If I find a book I’m really interested in, I won’t put it down until I’m finished. I’m kind of a bookworm.

I’m a very organized person. I’m a little obsessive when it comes to straightening things. I work at Gordmans and I always have to sort things for people because they don’t want to take the time to organize it; I don’t complain because I have fun doing it. If only I could keep my room clean and organized….

            I’m usually a shy person, especially around people I don’t know or those who intimidate me for any reason. I never used to be very confident, but once I found out I could be myself around people it became easier to do just that. Once I get comfortable around someone, I open up and sometimes I can’t stop talking. I make jokes a lot, not always the most appropriate ones but I’ll leave out the examples. I laugh so much that I cry and my sides hurt. I’ve been told that I’m funny and I make other people laugh, too.

             I am a lot of things compacted into one single body. I’m short. I wear whatever I want. I’m a rock girl. I’m an artist. I’m a bookworm. I’m majorly obsessed with organization. I’m shy but crazy. I’m me.

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