Who I Am Essay

Who I Am

It's kind of weird being the son of two college professors, the brother of a chemical engineer, and the brother of a soon to be graduate student working on her PhD. You might think that I have a lot of pressure to do well in school, and I did early on, but by the time I got into highschool I realized that who I want to be has nothing to do with who my siblings or my parents are. It's not who they are, it's who I am.

  Music is my life. When I'm not playing piano, saxophone, or guitar, I'm listening to music. I really want to be a high school or college band director. Honestly, I'm a freak. How often do you meet a fifteen year old who knows exactly what they want to do with their lives. Tons of college freshmen don't even know what they want to major in, and I've known since I was six years old. I went to Appalachian State this weekend to visit my sister Lucy. She is in the marching band, and hangs out in the music building often. While my family and friends were tailgating I asked her to take me on a tour of the building. It was awesome. I seriously can't wait to go to college, not that I am wishing my life away.

          Last year was my first year in high school, and I was a little bit scared. My sister is a junior in college this year, and still has never made a B in school. When I came to Hoggard I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't give up, and always shoot for an A. Surprisingly it worked very well for me last year. It was the first time that I had made straight A's since third grade. In middle school I was not a very good student. I wasn't necessarily a terrible student, I just didn't try my hardest. I made B's and C's and a few A's. One time in sixth grade my mom called a parent teacher conference with my science/math teacher because she told me that I couldn't be trusted with scissors. Isn't that hilarious? Anyway, I just had a terrible work ethic because I figured that school didn't really matter. But that was the old me. The new me-high school me- rarely procrastinates. The only time you will catch me procrastinating is if television is involved.

  My family watches television religiously. We form or daily schedules around our favorite shows. If we get started on a new series we use the internet to watch all episodes that have ever been created. Our number one favorite show is NCIS. The show is in it's ninth season, and we have been watching it since the very beginning. We really feel like we know the characters. I know that sounds crazy but if I were to run into one of them on the street I would call them by their characters name. I always wonder if they actually behave like their characters. I doubt it, but that would be so cool. Speaking of television, my sister and I love comedy TV. Last year over her fall break she was working on a video for her political satire class. We spent the weekend writing political satire, and improvising on film. We went all over the place to do different scenes wearing crazy costumes and wigs. I love writing comedy script.

          I talk about my sister a lot, and not so much about my brother. He is twenty-four years old, so we have a big age gap. He went to college when I was nine or ten, so we never really hung out a lot. Now he is a chemical engineer working in Durham on night shift and can't come home that often. But when he does come home, we always sing and play guitar and have a great time. He is the funniest person that I have ever met. It is unfortunate that I live at the beach. It is probably my least favorite place on earth. I love the beauty and the peaceful feeling that you get at the beach, but I absolutely hate sand and salt water. I have lived at the beach all of my life and we 

rarely go as a family. Both of my parents grew up in the piedmont and went to Appalachian State University. I am truly a mountain person. October is the best month in the mountains with cool breezes and wonderful colors of leaves changing. My family goes up to the mountains every chance that we get, because we all love it so much. My dad loves to take us on hiking and backpacking trips. This summer I went on a 100 mile backpacking trip in New Mexico. If I could go one place on earth and just sit there, it would be on the top of a mountain in the Blue Ridge. Even though I am a weird fifteen year old who knows what he wants to do with his life. And although I am a TV crazed,comedy loving, mountain person who would love to just sit on top of a mountain with my guitar for hours, I am who I am. I am Walker Ballard.