The Buried Life Project

This is my Jenga game, written bucket list to come soon!

Grad Quote

After some deliberation I decided to go with this Thoreau quote as my qrad quote because it is a reminder that you can make your dreams become reality. Thoreau was an author, poet and philospher and many of his ideologies and beliefs are ones that I definitely agree with. When I was a child a magnet used to hang on our fridge with this quote on it. Everyday while getting my cereal I would stare at this quote and try to figure out what it means. Its fascinating to me how much words written by someone that lived so long ago and whom I've never even met can remind me of home and still be pertinent today.

More on "The Search Begins"

Want to know more character detail? Follow the link below to view Jacob’s instagram account.

http://instagram.com/jacob__ek

Social Fiction Story

The Search Begins

September 23^rd, 2013

I have always wanted to write a book. Fiction, non-fiction, autobiographical; never have I considered the type of novel that I would one day like to publish. My reverence to historical accuracy is lacking, so maybe fiction would be best. The term, “based on a true story” seems to fit my preferences well. Like any writer, I enjoy my coffee black and struggle to meet deadlines. Much akin to the great Hamlet, procrastination is my tragic flaw. Most would say my thoughts are interesting but I do not like to exert the effort required to express them. Maybe I am lazy.

Truthfully, it is less difficult for me to put pen to paper than it is to verbalize my ideas. While speaking, the words that adequately convey whatever it is that I’m trying to communicate, seem to get muddled, misinterpreted or completely misunderstood by the subject of my awful, blabbering attempt to connect with another human being. Writing is obviously superior since any fool with a thesaurus can sound intelligent if they practice hard enough. I applaud public speakers for their ability to address an audience with gusto and improvise if things do not go according to plan. Unlike a speech, its impossible to plan a conversation; this is where I begin to fail.

It’s not that I am unintelligent by any means. Uneducated? Maybe. I simply feel that during an everyday conversation there is not enough time or depth of character to communicate anything other than, “What do you want for dinner?” The irony of the situation is that I should feel as if I have all the time in the world. I am young and have almost my entire life ahead of me. Yet, I choose to isolate myself and continue to believe that dialogue is overrated- when I should be out discovering who I am and who I truly want to be. Of course, all of this changed the day I met Jacob.

He was not your typical drifter. At first glance, Jacob looked like an average young man; he dressed simply and classically and appeared to be in his late teens to early twenties. His speech was eloquent and his grammar impeccable. Jacob seemed as if he had everything I didn’t, but my unskilled observation did not reveal to me any implications behind the fact that his leather jacket was slightly shabby, his jeans were a size too small and his Calvin Klein knit was of a season long past. He wore a saggy black beanie and a scruffy beard; his entire appearance screamed, “hipster.” I was immediately intrigued.

Our first encounter was a memorable and important step in human interaction for someone like me. Every day after school I would go to the local library to study, but really it was to escape the company of my mother and father-whose expectations I could never meet. Jacob’s look was one my mother would never approve of. My subconscious desire to rebel was most likely the true reason for my initial attraction to the strange male specimen before me.

As an eighteen year old, socially inept individual, I quickly and completely eliminated any notion of approaching him. In fact, I frequented the library in order to avoid these types of Catch 22 situations since generally, the only group who regularly visited the public domain were of the sixty-five plus age demographic. Jacob definitely wasn't a senior citizen and an air of confidence simply oozed from his pores, so what was he doing in a library?

In my curious wonder I had spaced out staring directly at the subject of my interest and he was gazing just as intently right back at me. Jacob looked like he was waiting for something but whatever it was, he certainly didn't get it. He pulled out the chair next to him and gestured to the seat. I did not accept. Instead, I swiftly stood and tried to walk gracefully towards the farthest aisle of books.  In my peripheral, I noticed him begin to follow. I had just hidden behind a large shelf when I noticed a copy of “50 Shades” sticking out along the social and literal barrier I did not want to cross. I glanced at the sign that dictated the section name. Just my luck, it read, “Romance/Erotica.” I was red before he even spoke.

“Shy?” He asked. Before I could attempt stammer out a reply, he put a strong finger to my lips and whispered, “Don’t say a word, we’re in a library.” My nervousness was incredibly obvious but I didn’t think he would save me the embarrassment of having to speak. He pulled out a notepad and a pen and began to write, I waited patiently until he was finished. The final result was a note that disclosed his entire life story, thoughts on the world and personal values. It started as far back as he could remember and ended with losing his mom, being kicked out of university and getting thrown out on the street by his father. I assumed at the time that the story had ended because there was nothing left to tell. I later learned that the rest was just too painful for Jacob. He concluded his tale with a question to me, “I’ve told you my secrets, what are yours?”

When he gently placed the pad of paper and the pen in my lap, I felt the burning sensation of shame reach my cheeks. Jacob had faced more hardship and trauma than I could have imagine and still maintained his zest for life. I had a roof over my head and two parents that love me, so why couldn’t I find my smile? My response to Jacob expressed all this and more. As previously mentioned, writing down my thoughts comes easily to me. The scary part was allowing someone else to read them. Still though, I told Jacob all about my parents as well as my insecurities, fears, hopes, dreams and especially, my loneliness. The entire time he read, Jacob focused solely on the message before him. He was so intent that he appeared to be entranced by the words on the page. My intriguing new companion waited a long moment before he picked up the pen again. As he wrote, I began to relax. Although I felt completely and figuratively naked, I felt as if I could trust Jacob with my deepest, crushing, emotions. Finally his message was complete, it read:

I am truly taken with your quiet exterior and witty insight but instinct tells me dormant fire lies deep within you; I can feel its heat. Own your fear, prove yourself wrong and let nature take its course. How will you find passion if you live life only half invested? Go all-in and discover your confidence. Mystery is fascinating but too much of it will drive others away. I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you can trust me you can trust yourself.

Yours truly,

Jacob

This was the first time I’d learned his name. It seemed too simple for someone so complex. I lay down the pen and paper and decided on a bold move. Before I could rethink it, I leaned into him and whispered, “Thanks for taking the time to investigate me and try to remember, trust is easy to break. Call me.” As I stood up and walked away, I noticed him neatly fold up the paper I had slipped him. It contained my name as well as seven simple digits that would allow us both to solve the mystery of each other.

-Anonymous

Lush Products

These are some of my favourite Lush products. As a former Lush employee I gained a personal knowledge of the products and ingredients and all of their benefits and uses. One of the most interesting parts of being an employee at Lush was learning about their philosophy.

A Relevant Quote

The author of this quote is unknown to me but it speaks to what many of my peers and I am experiencing right now during the final weeks of our senior year. Graduation is fast approaching and although I am excited to move on to bigger and better things a big part of me is afraid of the changes that will come with it. The future is frightening, hopeful, inspiring, undefined and always wavering. Nothing is forever and like the future humans must remain fluid.

Field Trip Questions

1. Talk about the process of eavesdropping:

i. Where did you go?

I went to the school cafeteria near the back table where the seniors sit.

ii. How long did you listen to conversation?

I listened to the conversation for about 20 minutes.

iii. Who was it between?

It was actually 2 separate conversations going on between 2 different groups of seniors.

iv. How did it feel to be recording the conversation?
Recording the conversation felt intrusive and wrong since the topic of conversation was mostly gossip or things that should not be repeated.

2. What insights did you gain about the way people speak?
I gained the insight that most people speak unbridled when they are in a comfortable and familiar setting.

3. How can you apply this to your writing?

I can use this to determine how my characters relate with each other depending on what their relationship is and how long they have known each other.

4. How is personality and character revealed through conversation/dialogue?
You can tell a lot about someone's character not only by what they say or the way the speak but also through body language, tone of voice and the language they use.

5. What happens when more than two people participate in a conversation?

When more people participate in a conversation the topic tends to wander a lot more.

6. What was the most surprising thing you’ve learned about the way people converse?
The amount of swearing and vulgar language used was the most surprising to me. Although we hear it all the time, when you stop and think it is very concerning.

7. What are the differences and similarities between written and spoken conversations?

Written conversations are a lot more thought out and any kind of space filler or unnecessary conversation is non-existent.