Of course, I knew my very last blog for MSA was going to be about moments that are based on reflecting about time or about the journeys we take. Not creepy or chaotic like my first blog. That itself seems like a lifetime ago.
Let’s talk lovelies. Or just read, it’s what brings us together best.
These past two school years have been the best story for me yet. Coming into MSA, I was ready to not get close to others out of habit of not fitting in. I was worried that I would lose my passion thinking I would be amongst those who would make me feel as if my craft isn’t up to par, coming from an old environment when writing was considered inferior to things like sports and homecoming court. I’m so happy by the fact that those nightmares didn’t occur.
When I stepped into the Literary classroom, I found that I was surrounded by passionate individuals who had a voice and a strive just like me. And they weren’t here to step on me, but instead to lift me up so that I could stay and be taught by their own experiences. I love being surrounded by other artists and their individual styles a lot. Like A LOT. Shout out to my senior class, their diverse voices are amazingly clever and bold, and every day since Junior year, I knew I struck gold with them as my classmates. Amelia, Carter, Chanel, Cooper, Crislyn, and Sone’t; thank you with my full being for adding to the indents that carve me into a better artist.
Thank you too Dr. A! Being under your instruction has helped me find a path to my voice. Now I’m ready to take a path with more creative freedom.
Throughout my time here at MSA I have grown quite a bit from the old person I was being just to survive. I’ve learned what type of people I truly like surrounding myself around and I’ve learned that those people are usually the ones that I feel comfortable getting silent around. I’ve learned to separate anger from stress and sleepiness from burn-out. MSA has also taught me that it’s okay to want to be in solitude sometimes. Being alone doesn’t mean you’re lonely. Being alone has given me time to adapt to learning new things by myself because people I know aren’t always going to be around the corner when I turn. That’s very much important to me because I come from a place where everyone sees everyone and everyone knows everything about you. That doesn’t give someone a chance to discover themselves when people know every move you make and each choice you decide. Getting a chance to decide for myself has been the biggest fresh breath of air. Writing was my main escape from people, but now it’s no longer just an escape but a haven that I spend time in so I can spend a moment out of reality before I run back to it. It’s great when I don’t mind reality.
This whole experience has been worth it, and I can dive into all my gratefulness for my time here and all the people that are some people to know, but I’ll be here all day. So instead, I’m going to go back to my roots with the movies. This time, I’m dropping movies that sum up how I feel about this journey we’ve been through.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED
Madagascar was basically a movie about these animals and their self-discovery journey, right? Well, they all learned something new about themselves every movie. Marty proved he was unique and not like the other zebras, he discovered individuality. Melman learned confidence and courage. Gloria learned self-acceptance and true love. Then Alex not only learned loyalty, but he found his family. Throughout my school life I’ve found different members of my family, and like any family some became estranged, and some taught awful lessons that I needed to learn eventually. But here at MSA, this family taught me acceptance. I first watched this movie in the Malco theater when I was in first grade with my aunt and my cousins. We went to McDonalds after, and I even remember the drive, the fireworks shop we looked at was what I really remember seeing. Sadly, my aunt passed not soon after from cancer. It hurt because that was one of the lessons about life that I learned early. Life’s journey isn’t always grand, but it’s the small moments that you cherish with people you love that are the most important. Like in Madagascar they went on all the wildest trips with each other, but they didn’t take any moment for granted. They also stuck together until the end. Class, y’all gave me a lot of those moments. Honestly.
SING
Y’all know that part in the movie when Meena is trying to get Moon to stop having a pity party and he tells her “You and me, we’re both afraid for good reason. Cause deep down, we know… We just don’t have what it takes.” Yeah, y’all know the part. Welp I’m pretty sure we all had that feeling at some point during our 13 years of school. But listen, the moment I love the most in this movie was at the end. When they are all lined behind that ribbon, and they clip the ribbon revealing a new beginning. One that they worked so hard for despite the doubt. We’re living in that moment right now. After all these times we’ve wanted to give up, we didn’t, and now we will finally be able to cut that ribbon. And just like for Moon and his father, all the self-doubt and pity parties you recovered from will be worth it. Just close your eyes and listen to the applause. You deserve it, after climbing up from rock bottom to see the moon.
TOY STORY 3
I got sick of watching this movie every day in fifth grade during state-testing. Now, my heart is breaking remembering what this movie did to me. It made me think that this moment would be so far away. But now it’s 23 days away starting today. Wow, okay, tearing up a little. But this is the biggest feeling that I feel right now. The feeling of letting go of old memories from your childhood so you can make new ones for your future into adulthood. Right now, we’re all Andy’s. And just like how he left his toys staring behind him, try not to get sad as you walk away from all the random friends you met at the water park, all the teachers who gave you headaches, all the bus rides when you really wanted to laugh at those kids who weren’t supposed be funny, and the bits of missed school days when your heart swelled at snow days, and it’s okay to get in the car like Andy. All of those you may leave behind will understand.
But yeah, again I just want to say thank you all and I hope to see you reign in your success in the future. And like what Buzz said to Woody on his way to his next chapter,
“To infinity, and beyond.”
Having a group of people to read the works of and share your own works with was phenomenal. Just getting to talk with everyone who was so glad to do the things they did shaped my work in of itself. I feel like I can write more now, and I can see all the ways I’ve improved, too. I know that no longer hearing all of you in workshop is going to leave a gap in me. I love you guys, man.
Bro, I knew this was going to make me have feel some emotions. Why did you have to end with toy story three that one really hit my heart hard man.