Responsibility is an important characteristic that everyone should have. I am usually very responsible but two weeks ago, I fell apart at 10:00pm when I could not find my white volleyball jersey. I had a match the next day and I was determined to find it. I searched every inch of my house until finally at 11:45pm, my mom made me realize that it was definitely not anywhere in my house, so there was nothing left that I could do. So I emailed my coach confessing that I had lost my jersey and explaining where I could have lost it. I called the bus company, I called Flintridge Sacred Heart High School where we had played the previous Friday, and no one had found anything. I did not know what else to do because I had already asked all my teammates and all the coaches if they had seen me jersey. I had almost lost all hope when a week later, I log in to check my email, and I have an email from David. I wondered how he got my email address and then just shrugged and opened the email. It read, “ Coach on one in the morning. Julie Kellman found your white jersey at Flintridge School and turned it in to me. Bring all your jerseys tomorrow so that we can sort it out.” I was so excited I paged the entire house screaming, “They found my jersey!” I was not to enthusiastic about the coach on one punishment, but that was the least of my worries. Even though, I did coach on one, ran, and the worst blocking drill of my life, losing my jersey was not the worst thing. I am now extra careful with my personal belongings, and it taught me a great lesson about responsibility.

The bell rang and school’s out! It is a Tuesday afternoon, but it feels just like a Friday. I rush down to the gym and as I walk down the hallway I see three familiar faces. I step into the gym, and all I hear is “Lauren…Lauren…Lauren!” All the blue uniforms balance out the purple gym and for the first time, its not so purple. I am considered the “trader” to both teams. I play for Sunshine Volleyball Club, which is connected to Marymount, but I play for Marlborough, Marymount’s rival. I look up and see my Marlborough assistant coach, and across from them is my club sports conditioning trainer, my coach for this upcoming year, my coach from three years ago, and my coach from this past year. I give them all a hug and then look over, only to realize I know all but two of Marymount’s ninth grade players. I walk over and greet all my club friends. I haven’t seen most of them since June. Then my friends’ parents are there so I then walked over to talk to them. After I look up and my assistant coach is giving me a not so good look and I realize it probably was not the best idea to completely socialize before the game. So, I take my place on the line and watch my Marlborough team, get beaten by my rivals, who also happen to be my friends and teammates.

My dog Gracie is a seven year old, extremely spoiled, golden retriever. She is not like any other dog for many reasons. First of all, she is scared of all other dogs, even when she is three times the other dog’s size. When Gracie was eight weeks old, she had a bunch of energy one night. So, my dad took her for a walk, where we used to walk my previous dog, Kelsey. As they started up the hill, three nasty dogs came running down and tried to kill Gracie by ripping open her throat and jumping all over her. My dad finally got the dogs off for good and then took Gracie to the emergency pet clinic where she was immediately treated. But, to this day Gracie is scared of any other dog, no matter what kind or size. Second, she does not chew anything. We have to let her food soak for five minutes before giving it to her because she just inhales it and it disappears in thirty seconds. Third, her tongue is so long, she sticks it over the side of the table and licks the side of your plate when you are not looking. Also, she hates water and getting dirty. We had to create a bathroom area for her with no grass because she did not like getting her paws wet from the grass in the mornings. Gracie also does not like dog beds so we had to custom make her a down chair with a basket to keep all her toys in, because she hates to be messy. She always sleeps with a toy under her chin, like a pillow. Gracie is a great family dog and the most she could do to you, is just lick you to death!!!

Everyone has an outlet, where they can express themselves. Whether it is music, writing, or story telling it tends to reflect who you are. I express myself through oil painting. After five years of art classes, volleyball seemed to rip the paintings right out of my hands. But, when I was an active painter, the paintings I created were often based on my feelings. When I was having a discouraging week, it would show it through the subtle dull tones. When I was having an exciting week, I would express that feeling with vibrant colors. I remember painting a snow leopard behind a patch of ferns. That was definitely my favorite painting. I also painted a replica of Monet’s “Water Lily Pond.” Some of my other memorable paintings include an artic scene with glaciers and polar bears, and an ocean scene with many grassy islands. I still have my art box with all the tubes of paint and my old stained brushes. Sometimes I open it up and just start to paint again. Many old memories start to flow back to the front of my mind. To be honest I miss oil painting, but it will never really go away. I can always paint and express my feelings, just like old times, bringing back the memories of my childhood.