Ashley's English Blog

Dear future Ashley,      Hey! This is Ashley from 2025, right before I graduate high school. Currently there is a lot of uncertainty in my life. I don't know where I am going to college, and I still have many years of education ahead of me. Hopefully by the time I am reading this I have a clear picture of who I am becoming. I will have finished med school by then, and I will be in my residency program. I know it might be hard, but I also know you are doing great.      Future Ashley, I know you are stressed, because past Ashley is always stressed. Remember to breathe and take time for yourself. You are going to make mistakes. You are never going to be perfect, but you are going to try your hardest. You have already impacted so many lives, and you still have so much life to live. Remember to always live life to the fullest, and remember to have fun.  - Ashley (1-29-2025) Today in class we read more of the Color Purple and answered questions about what we...

I do not have a set way in which I am creative, but I do have set ways in which I express my creativity. My favorite way to express my creativity is in art, specifically in theatrical arts. I am currently working on a project to choreograph an entire show for Lakeside Theater Co. I am very proud of the work I have done, and I am very excited to show it off to everyone in March. Choreography is not an easy thing to do, and I am very proud of myself for allowing my creativity to shine in that capacity.  Today in class we made a cluster map about a character in the Color Purple. I am interested in developing my brainstorming skills before I leave for college. 

 One time I took a hiatus from something important was in 2020 when Covid hit. Due to the virus, I was unable to participate in theater, and it made me very sad. I had a show the following week, and it got cancelled. I am very thankful that theater is back in my life, and I hope to be able to continue it after graduation.  Today in class we took notes on the writing process. We also learned about the brainstorming technique of clustering. I am very excited to write in class, but I am probably going to stick with my favorite brainstorming process of an outline. 

 I overheard a conversation the other day of people making fun of me. I wish I could unhear that because it really bothered me. I am still really struggling from it. I really wish I could unhear that. Today in class we are working on making up all our missing assignments. My goal for the rest of the semester is to not have any more missing blogs. 

 One time I felt that I had the power to make a difference in someone's life today with Carter James Milton. Fun fact TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY!!! I decided to bring him candy to make him happy. I feel that I have made him happy, because he said it made him happy.  Today was our last virtual day, and I really enjoyed it, but I am ready to be back at school. I am working hard to remake all of my missing work. 

 The place I feel at peace is on the stage. I love the feeling of the lights hitting my face, and the roaring applause of the audience. I get to put on a character and be someone else for the entire show, and it is a truly peaceful experience. Today was a virtual day, so we had work to do. I am still working on making it up, and I hope we can have an in class discussion on the work. 

One person whose words have had a lasting impact on me is Shakespeare. I have always resonated with his phrase "though she be but little, she is fierce." People have often told me that I am too small to do things, especially when I was younger. I wanted to play football but people told me to draw. I wanted to do science but people told me to read. I want to be a doctor but people tell me to be a teacher. This has always been hard on me, but when I remember that phrase, I feel strong and empowered to be who I want to be. Today at home we read more of The Color Purple, and answered questions on it. I hope that when we get back to school we can have a discussion on these chapters, because I have many questions. One thing I am wondering is why Mr. didn't just throw away the letters, but instead but them into a trunk. I am hopeful that we can go back to school on Friday, because I miss seeing people and in person learning. 

 One time that I did not feel like myself was last year. I was trying new medications, and I was on one that was really bad for me. I lost who I was and the side effects were scary. Thankfully, I am on better medications now and I have found myself again, and I hopefully will never get to the place I was in last year again.  Today in class we read more of the Color Purple independently, and we answered questions about them. I enjoyed that we were able to read on our own, because I was able to move at my own pace. I am excited to see what happens next in the book. 

 One time I had to rely on others was today when we took the group quiz. I had to work with a group of people to take a quiz. This sounded really stressful for me, but we ended up working well and with some support from Mr. Reace, we got a 100! YIPPEEEEE Today in class we learned about more chapters of the Color Purple, and we took a group quiz. I honestly did not like not reading the chapters, because I love reading, and just skimming does not let me live in the world of the story. I also fell down the stairs right before this class. And now I have to go teach choreo. This is gonna go great...

 I am not a person who has sentimental value to many objects, but one that is important to me is a cross necklace I have. When I was in kindergarten my grandmother got very sick with ALS. She knew she only had a few months left to live, so she gave all of her granddaughters an identical cross necklace that we all still have. It really connects me to my grandmother, and makes the short time I knew her last forever.  Today in class we read more of the Color Purple, and we took an in depth look at the relationships between characters. This bettered my understanding of the book, especially of the character Sophia.

 One time where I had to step out of my comfort zone was when I was 6 years old and I had to play baseball. I am not a very sportsy person, so this was very difficult for me. I only ever hit the ball once, but I was very excited when I did it. In fact, I only ever hit the ball one time. This was a very exciting moment for me, because I was proud of myself for excelling at something that I was scared about.  Today in class we continued to read The Color Purple, and we wrote a 10 line poem using lines from the book. I am very happy that this book has LGBTQ themes, because I have never had that in a book for school, and that makes me feel seen. I am really enjoying the book and I am excited to see what happens next. 

 The other night I had a dream that felt very real at the time, but in hind sight, it makes no sense. Me and my brother were hiding from our extended family, so logically we walked through a dark alley with fences on both sides. This alley was filled with alligators and they bit off both of my brothers legs. I was able to climb a fence so I was safe. Thankfully, even though he was legless, my brother was able to survive. Yes I am painfully aware this is not very real.  Today in class we read some of the color purple. We are seeing more about the character development and arcs today. 

 My holiday break was very eventful and exciting. I traveled to Auburn and to Hilton Head, and I spent Christmas with over 20 family members. I also worked a lot, and did a lot of preparation for the Matilda choreography.  My 5 goals for 2025 are: to become a better leader, to read a lot of books, to make healthier decisions, to live life in order to best please myself, and to branch out more.  My first goal, to become a better leader, is important to me as I am choreographing Lakeside's production of Matilda. I love teaching people, but I would love to grow in my skills in this protection.  My second goal is to read a lot of books. I love to read and I see it as an escape, so I am going to prioritize time for reading in 2025.  My third goal is to make healthier decisions. I want to work out more and I also want to eat healthier food.  My fourth goal is to live my life in order to best please myself. I have always lived my life in order to please others, bu...