Introduction 2nd semester

Well, the year is over.
It’s been an interesting year. Now, “interesting” is a word that one could use in various ways. Interesting can be a polite way of saying “It’s been living hell.” Interesting can be a muted way of saying “It’s been a romp of chaos and destruction, but, yeah, interesting.” Interesting can be a subtle way of saying “Nothing much happened, but since you’re my mother’s bestest nosiest friend, I’ll act like I didn’t squander my best years.” Interesting can be the plain way of saying “Yup, this was a year filled with hijinks and tragedies. This was a year where I’ve made my best friends, my worst enemies, and the acquaintance of many more. This was a year where I found my strengths and my faults. This was a year where I discovered more of the person that I am and not of the person others wish or perceive me to be. This was an interesting year that could fill a book. And of which I am writing down as to have material for that bestselling novel in the future.”
Well, my name is UnJi Nam and I’m here to tell you I’ve had an interesting year. In all the senses of the word. I’ve spent the whole year in one sense doing nothing at all interesting. After all, AP homework, essays, projects and the time spent complaining about the coursework to friends isn’t exactly palm-gripping material. But in another sense, the year has been hectic and chaos, full of tears, silence, and loneliness. And in another sense, this year I’ve made my best friends, a coterie that looks out for each other’s bad and happy times. I’ve experienced phenomenal bits of luck, like being able to indulge in my hobbies. I read somewhere that a life is not yet complete unless a birth, a wedding and a death has been experienced in it. Well, I’ve seen the birth of a new acceptance in myself that whoever I am is who I am. My close friend is actually literally going to get married after high school, the start of a new epoch where my friends and I will make new lasting foundations for the future. And I’m present at the death of many things—my childhood, carefree days, and old idealism.
Who knows what the future holds. Whatever it does, it probably will be even more hectic, chaotic, fun—more “interesting” than the year before. It’ll be at least four years of college ahead, after all. Lots of promise of long classes, boring professors, and quirky people letting loose after years of parental guidance. Whatever it does have, I look forward to maturing more and learning more of life. And also of long all-nighters in a row, tons of very late night study/lets-raid-McDonalds fests, and time to find fellow members of fandoms. I plan to study my head off, have fun, and go climb tall campus buildings without getting caught.
But whatever does happen, I know I’ll be the better prepared for it thanks to the lessons that writing English essays taught me. Every word I typed of the first semester E. P. essays was a stark reminder to never, ever procrastinate so much on essays that one has to do two all nighters to finish them all. The week where first semester ended was a dark, foggy, time of which I have little recollection of except being in a sleepy haze and wanting to kill someone. But on a more serious note: I’d say that it was the Poisonwood Bible essay that expanded my idea of what defined right and wrong. Writing this essay, and hence being forced to look more into what constituted responsibility, I realized just how much people are a community, not a collection of individuals with full control over their actions and their consequences. And also, of the human resiliency and will to redeem themselves. The novel taught me that it doesn’t matter so much what one does to correct a wrong as long as the individual acknowledges this wrong and addresses it in some way, to correct their responsibility for it. An individual has to address their responsibility in order to grow as a person.
Another essay that expanded my knowledge of people was delving into the Frankenstein essay. Writing this essay also opened up the idea of responsibility, but also more of the shades of grey in morality. And also of how human selfishness can taint morals. One has to be open to other viewpoints, to the lives and will of others as a factor to being a good person. Another essay that widened my viewpoint was writing an analysis of Tess of the D’Urbervilles. This made me realize the importance of honesty, and acceptance of what one truly is. With hypocrisy and denial is the death of goodness, as shown with Tess.
One day, I know I’ll end up using these lessons to guide my own way through life and situations. So thank you, AP English Literature class. You helped pave my way and make it a little less bumpy for when I have to find the path in tough times.