Where I Stand

Jared Li Mrs. Smithey AP Lang - 3S 13 September 2024 Where I Stand I am a simple person, cliché as it sounds. I’m someone who’s curious and I tend to ask questions, sometimes more than is appreciated. I see myself as someone who loves to dream, but often they stay just that. I believe that I have a fairly good sense of direction – I can generally find my way around after going somewhere a few times, though I did somewhat embarrassingly get lost on my second day at Farragut High School. I like to think of myself as a creative soul, but I’m not sure how much of that is just imagination. Lastly, I know I’m rather contradictory when it comes to who I am. For example, I don’t like uncertainties, yet, unfortunately, the only thing I’m really certain
I also love satire, my friends (some of them), writing (like this essay, for example, for real, really! I’m just kidding. and humor. I love all the rich experiences that the world offers, and I love the fact that I have tasted a fraction of the delights available. I love looking at landscapes and skylines – the beauty of scale is something that truly inspires awe. I love the creative highs and rush of inspiration that I doubt any drug could give (I wouldn’t know). I like the biology of the sex. As Walter Hartwell White once said, “Chemistry is the study of change”, and if that’s so then, I’d say biology is the study of connection. To me, there’s something innately fascinating about seeing the connection that underlies nature’s most unique and illusive characteristics. It’s truly at an unfathomably complex scale, and I find it humbling to think that no matter how far we’ve come, there’s still so much that we don’t know about the very brains and bodies that we’ve used to get thus far. I believe that there is value in both cynicism and optimism. Be it the need to protect ourselves, or the instinctive wariness we evolved to keep our families safe, preparing for the worst will, at worst, be what you
I have a bunch of really cute turtle plushies. Like for real. I have four of them, and they stack on top of each other really nicely. I love them so, so much, and if I lose one I might really cry. The biggest one is turtle, or turb, or torb, and I got him at Kohl’s. He’s almost as old as me. Other than cute plushies, I also have an amazing brother. As a kid, I probably wasn’t the best brother, but my brother was always there to help, and I turned out alright, so he must’ve been pretty good at his job. Other than that, he’d always look out for me, and more importantly, he’d give me something to eat when I was hungry. I don’t think I’d be here (literally, I’d probably be dead by now) without him. I’ll probably be grateful for at least another two weeks for him. I prefer waffles to pancakes. Honestly, I’m not sure why this is a debate. Typically, waffles are more complex. Be it the crisp ridges, the valleys engineered to capture condiments, or the trifecta of a brittle exterior; fluffy folds; and a soft, delicate, cloud-like interior, every waffle offers a textural wonderland that no pancake can rival. In terms of taste, they’re probably similar; both are made of whatever batter the maker