Oh, little six-year-old me by Karisa

Oh, little six-year-old me by Karisa - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

I never remember wanting to be a princess or an astronaut or a mermaid...When I was six years old I had no clue what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I was little that was never a question I liked hearing and even now I still don’t like having to answering it. My six-year-old mind thought that if I answered their question I would be stuck doing whatever my answer was forever. I don’t like feeling stuck or trapped. Who does? I think that is the reason I still don’t like answering that question, I don’t feel like it gives me the flexibility to change my mind.
When I was little I always wanted to color or make something instead of playing with toys. I remember thinking that if I played with the toys I would have to pick them all back up when I was done and I would have nothing to show for what I had done all day. But if I made something I could give it to someone or it could go up on the refrigerator and I would have something tangible left from my activities of the day. For the most part, I think this is still the mindset I have now. I’m still making and creating things and for the last nine or ten years I have been selling the things I have made at craft sales. I really enjoy the whole process: coming up with an idea, working on it, seeing the finished product and the seeing someone take it home. I think that is something I would like to grow and see what else I can do with it. Even though I didn’t know it at the time, when I was little I already had an idea about what I wanted to do.
Another path I am considering is dance. Six-year-old me had no plan of this; it was a thought that probably never crossed my mind. In fact, when I was six years old, my sister and some of my friends started taking a dance class. I was too scared to join. I only started taking the class because I felt left out. And even thought I stated dancing when I was fairly young, I didn’t receive any real technical training until high school, which means a lot of hard work and playing catch-up.
Much like when I was six, I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up. Even though I don’t have a specific plan just yet, I think I have a good start. I try to take each day as it comes and not worry too much about the future. I love what one of my dance teachers said, “I think you just have to keep planting seeds and see what God does with those seeds.” I think that’s exactly what I am doing.