Blog A- informal education

It was at nighttime, and I was cuddled up with my mother, leaning my head against her shoulder. My sister was on the other side, staring intently at the pictures before us. Although neither one of us could read, we loved to sit there, next to the warm fire, listening as my mother told the story so that it would come alive for us. These moments were very common, giving both my sister and I a basis in language and in reading that would give us an edge as we started school. My parents never believed in television and instead encouraged us to use our imaginations through books. As a result of this, Anne and I were very good readers and I have learned how to use books for entertainment and for research. Without my parent's help, I do not believe that I could have been the reader I am today.
Another lesson I learned was not from my parents. Instead, I learned this lesson from my best friend, Sarah. Sarah is one of those people who is friends with everyone. She is kind, sweet, and always makes you feel special. When I am upset, she is always there to help me, to support me, and to advise me. Sometimes, I do not like to listen to her advice because it seems harsh but I know that she does it because she loves me. A truthful person, she never lies to me. If I ask her something, she will tell me the truth, even if it is not something I want to hear. Yet, Sarah is never malicious. She never talks about people in a negative way and always remains upbeat. She is loyal to her friends, and is the first to defend me when I need it. When I came to college, I knew that I was going to miss her. She had been my support; without her, I was not sure how to survive. Even now, after meeting wonderful people, I wonder if I ever will meet someone like her. Looking back at my memories, I realize what a role model she is. She is someone to model yourself after. By trying to act and behave like her, I feel that I am becoming a better person, less judgmental and more approachable.
Another lesson I learned began in my freshman year. I was a scared 14 year old, stepping out of my comfort zone. It was the second week of school and I had decided to join the swim team. I did not know anyone on the team and was scared out of my mind. I had never swam competively and I was afraid that I could not keep up. Walking into the room to meet the rest of the team and my coach, I had to step out of my comfort zone and do something I had never done before. It was the best choice in my life. Swimming taught me time management and responsibility. To swim, you were required to be there at every practice at a certain time, no excuses. Furthermore, swimming lasted about two to four hours a day, making it mandatory that I learn how to manage my time. Balancing my homework, a social life, music and swimming gave me the ability to balance my time through the day. Then, when I was a junior, I was given the responsibility of being captain. Being captain was a huge commitment. I am the kind of person that likes to fulfill my obligations fully. What this mean to me was that I had to be well liked, positive, supporting, and I also needed to be responsible for everything to run smoothy. Taking my responsibilities seriously, I met with all the girls, trying to be amiable. I would joke around with everyone, as a result becoming very popular with the team. This made me improve my social skills and how to interact with people that I might not necessarily talk to in any other situation. Furthermore, as Captain, I was expected to make everything smoothly. This meant that I had to order the suits (and decide what kind of suit would work best for the team), goggles, and cap, as well as hosting team dinners and organizing functions so that the team was more united. I also had to, during the meets, make sure that everyone was ready to go and that they were ready to race when it was their turn. At the end of the year, I made everyone something (a card etc) to make them know that they were appreciated. I also had to get the coach a gift and make a collage. All these things made me a better person and made me someone who was friendly to everyone, who was responsible and showed good leadership qualities.