Assignment 1: Hey!

           This is now the fourth time I am writing this post. To say the least, I’m incredibly indecisive. To say more, I have a strange tendency to care too much about things most people don’t give a second to, such as how to sound humble without crossing into self-deprecating, or how to sound cool without coming across as self-absorbed. They’re difficult lines to manage. I’ve been told I think too much.

           My name is Allie Myers Gregory and I was born on December 25, 1998, at 4:08 pm, while A Christmas Story played on repeat in the background. In the sixteen years, eight months, five days, and too-much-math hours since then, there are a few things I have learned for certain. I know that of rock, paper and scissors, I am most definitely a rock, and without a doubt, I would never make it as a vegetarian. My favorite superheroes are Captain America and Batman, both because I have a deep respect for the moral complexes they adhere to while crime fighting and because I have a very strong tendency to root for the underdog (Steve Rogers having been a small yet resilient fighter and Bruce Wayne being just a regular guy beneath his mask). That being said, if I myself got to have a super power, I would want telekinesis, and not just to turn off the lights after I get in bed. It just seems both immeasurably convenient and extremely effective to be able to move things without touching them. Of course, I wouldn’t reject flying or super speed either… Really, I should just be a magician.

           As far as what geeks me out, that’s quite a list. What can I say? I get excited about movies, books, television shows, you name it. I adore Star Trek, particularly the new ones. I like action/adventure (saw Die Hard recently and loved it), but also Fantasy (Percy Jackson!) and Disney Movies (or any sort of musicals), and I’m a sucker for the occasional adorable romance (as long as the plot is still good). I’ve dabbled in the horror genre (with two younger brothers they’re harder to watch), but am extremely well versed in my mysteries. From 1930s black-and-white mystery movies to modern day BBC Sherlock, I have a fairly solid background. My favorite television show is Supernatural and my favorite book is The Mark of Athena. But my excitement for good stories doesn’t end with just reading and watching what others have made. From third grade when I started writing my own Nancy Drew books, to the novel series I am working on now, I’ve been in love with making my own. I always thought that I wanted to be a mechanical engineer, but recently I’ve been looking into the possibility of being a film director. My answer to what I want to be when I grow up has recently changed to “the next James Cameron.”

           As far as my goals for this year, I have too many to list. I’m the type of person who gets myself into the most ambitious projects, which works out well for my friends when they get intricately crafted, took-me-two-weeks birthday presents, but less so for me when I’m trying to get sleep.  I also have a lot of other things I’m not willing to sacrifice, like my good grades or cross country, or time on my weekends when I like to be doing fun outdoorsy things like hiking or camping or boating. There’s a stack on my nightstand of eight books I want to read, and amid this all, I want so badly to make 5s on my AP exams this year. I recognize that there’s only so much time… but my goal for this year is to make as much of this happen as humanly possibly. It really doesn’t seem all that likely, but to end on another thing about me: I’m an optimist. I have hope.

(A quiz once once told me that the literary character I was most like is Sherlock Holmes.)

Favorite Website: www.netflix.com