Monday, September 18, 2006
Sad news
A house fire in Tacoma claimed one of our students, Suzanne Surface, early Sunday morning. Suzanne would've been returning for her second year at Eastern. The EWU family's collective thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.
Here's the TNT story:
Tacoma News Tribune
Here's the TNT story:
Tacoma News Tribune
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This is my personal statement that I wrote to send out to colleges..I thought It was appropiate to post it...
Walmart Shoes
Growing up in a small town has taught me and my friends how to entertain ourselves. We take things that people would consider to be in their everyday routine and make them fun. One of the things we do is play hide and seek in Walmart. It takes us fourty-five minutes to drive there, and once we park, we run into the store and search for the perfect hiding spot. As we scatter through out the store, fellow shoppers yell, “NO RUNNING IN WALMART!” What they say never even fazes us. We are on a mission.
During one of our “missions”, like any girl would, I got distracted in the shoe department. I saw the cutest pair of tennis shoes. They looked just like converse, and they were only seven dollars. I instantly fell in love. I had to buy them. I used to think that I needed to have the coolest shoes no matter the cost, but every time I wear my seven dollar Walmart shoes, I realize how much I’ve grown up.
When I was little I remember looking at some of my adult influences and thinking I want to be just like them. I wanted to be fun like my fifth grade teacher, encouraging like my AWANA leader, nurturing like my mom, and beautiful like my baby-sitter. As I approach the end of my high school life, I am beginning to realize that I have reached many of my goals. I am what I have always strived to be. Nice, motivated, organized, outgoing, personal, and positive are only a few attributes to describe me. But no matter how many qualities I will gain, I will always strive to be more.
Recently, my brother’s friend, Suzanne Surface died in a house fire. Although she was only a little more than an acquaintance to me, she left a positive impression on anyone who ever met her. She was energetic, outgoing, friendly, full of life, welcoming, stunningly beautiful, and she just loved putting a smile on everyone’s face. When the shock of the fire spread through our little town, everyone was devastated. Two others died in the fire with her, but Suzanne stuck out the most to me. Everyone was grieving in a different way. I was trying to think of all of the wonderful memories I had with Suzanne. I remember when it was my grandpa’s birthday, and my brother walked through the door, and instantly my grandpa asked,” Is your lady love coming?” He wanted Suzanne to be there. Everyone wanted Suzanne to be there. She left a wonderful impression on us that will make eager young ladies, like me, to leave the same impression on the world. I want to make a difference like Suzanne did.
As I continue to strive to be the best person I can be, I realize that it’s not about the circumstances that God gives you, it’s what you make of the situation. Instead of just blowing by Suzanne’s death and pretending it didn’t happen, I have chosen to embrace it, and to work through it. It’s a hard process, but it will make me a stronger person.
Our lives aren’t about what kind of shoes we wear, or how much they cost, it’s about where we wear them. There are two paths in our lives; reality and the perfect world. In the perfect world Suzanne would still be here putting a smile on everybody’s face. Reality is that Suzanne died in that fire. Although she is physically gone, she is alive in my, and many other’s memories. I have chosen to walk the path of reality; even if I am wearing my seven dollar Walmart shoes.
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Walmart Shoes
Growing up in a small town has taught me and my friends how to entertain ourselves. We take things that people would consider to be in their everyday routine and make them fun. One of the things we do is play hide and seek in Walmart. It takes us fourty-five minutes to drive there, and once we park, we run into the store and search for the perfect hiding spot. As we scatter through out the store, fellow shoppers yell, “NO RUNNING IN WALMART!” What they say never even fazes us. We are on a mission.
During one of our “missions”, like any girl would, I got distracted in the shoe department. I saw the cutest pair of tennis shoes. They looked just like converse, and they were only seven dollars. I instantly fell in love. I had to buy them. I used to think that I needed to have the coolest shoes no matter the cost, but every time I wear my seven dollar Walmart shoes, I realize how much I’ve grown up.
When I was little I remember looking at some of my adult influences and thinking I want to be just like them. I wanted to be fun like my fifth grade teacher, encouraging like my AWANA leader, nurturing like my mom, and beautiful like my baby-sitter. As I approach the end of my high school life, I am beginning to realize that I have reached many of my goals. I am what I have always strived to be. Nice, motivated, organized, outgoing, personal, and positive are only a few attributes to describe me. But no matter how many qualities I will gain, I will always strive to be more.
Recently, my brother’s friend, Suzanne Surface died in a house fire. Although she was only a little more than an acquaintance to me, she left a positive impression on anyone who ever met her. She was energetic, outgoing, friendly, full of life, welcoming, stunningly beautiful, and she just loved putting a smile on everyone’s face. When the shock of the fire spread through our little town, everyone was devastated. Two others died in the fire with her, but Suzanne stuck out the most to me. Everyone was grieving in a different way. I was trying to think of all of the wonderful memories I had with Suzanne. I remember when it was my grandpa’s birthday, and my brother walked through the door, and instantly my grandpa asked,” Is your lady love coming?” He wanted Suzanne to be there. Everyone wanted Suzanne to be there. She left a wonderful impression on us that will make eager young ladies, like me, to leave the same impression on the world. I want to make a difference like Suzanne did.
As I continue to strive to be the best person I can be, I realize that it’s not about the circumstances that God gives you, it’s what you make of the situation. Instead of just blowing by Suzanne’s death and pretending it didn’t happen, I have chosen to embrace it, and to work through it. It’s a hard process, but it will make me a stronger person.
Our lives aren’t about what kind of shoes we wear, or how much they cost, it’s about where we wear them. There are two paths in our lives; reality and the perfect world. In the perfect world Suzanne would still be here putting a smile on everybody’s face. Reality is that Suzanne died in that fire. Although she is physically gone, she is alive in my, and many other’s memories. I have chosen to walk the path of reality; even if I am wearing my seven dollar Walmart shoes.
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