2. Steineman 1
1
“‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ ‘An honest, brave, compassionate human being’
‘No...I mean, how do you want to sell your labor?’” -Existential Comics
3. Steineman 1
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
My Life.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Chapter 1:.................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Career ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2:.................................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Health ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 3:.................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
A Life Not Wasted............................................................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 4:.................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Family...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Chapter 5:.................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Pre-Death and Death......................................................................................................................................................... 9
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Me and My Best friend Mara............................................................................................................................. 2
Figure 2 The Adoption Symbol .......................................................................................................................................... 8
4. Steineman 2
2
DEDICATION PAGE
1. Arron King, my tennis coach
2. My Mom Debi
3. My Dad Brian
4. My older sister Samantha
5. My younger sister Kelli
6. My aunt Denice
7. My Grandparents on my mother’s
side
8. Mr.Walp, my old band director
9. Mr. Rogers, My favorite science
teacher
10. John Douglas, my saxophone teacher
11. Mrs. Hall, my art teacher
12. Mr. Altman, my old history teacher
13. Mrs. Pebler, my elementary school
teacher
14. Mark Foster, my favorite musical
artist
15. Amy Phoeller, my favorite actress
16. Alex Turner, another one of my
favorite artists
17. Katya Wills, My best friend
18. Mara Guerin, My old best friend
19. Nina Parajape, My even older best
friend
20. Valentina Quintana
21. Sierra Koch
22. Alexis Vincent
23. Tabitha Hernandez
24. Cristian Chavez
25. Kyra Liu
5. Steineman 2
2
Figure 1 Me and My Best friend Mara
MY LIFE
his quote most accurately describes how I feel about the pressures of life and adulthood.
The true essence of life is still a mystery for me, as for many other people. The whole
concept of the reality that social standards have built for us and the whole idea of the
“American dream”, I just don’t get it. Go to school, get a mediocre job, get married, have and
raise kids then retire at 60 and live in a retirement home slowly crippling away until your
inevitable death. I experience antipathy to the whole idea. I don’t want to live a boring life, I
don’t want to be like the others, and I never have. I want to be free from the ideal constructs of a
normal adult life because I don’t believe that all of this accounts for the true meaning of life. I
want to do things that actually matter and contribute to the world, and above all else, I want to be
happy. So join me as I attempt to plan out the next 70-80 years of my precious life over the
course of about three weeks!
T
6. Steineman 1
1
CHAPTER 1:
CAREER
have had many thoughts about my
career and what I want to do, especially
considering that for most of my life I
have been led to believe that your job is all
that matters when you are older and defines
who you are as an individual. Besides that I
have had very mixed feelings about what I
want to be, a lot of this ambivalence comes
from my interests in an abundance of
different subjects. When I was in grade
school I thought I wanted to be a fashion
designer, but as you will see my interests
have moved far from that. I had many other
ideas such as movie director, chef, chemist,
artist, Congress, CPS, but I knew that
somewhere in the back of my mind these
career choices were not for me, and I
continue to search for my “dream job”. In
the end I know that whatever I do, I want it
to be very profitable and I want to be happy.
My ideal lifestyle is one where I am
comfortable, I want to be financially stable
in order to supply for my family and myself.
I’m not saying that I have to be a
millionaire, but I would like to be able to
afford some of the finer luxuries of life. I
would be more than willing to work hard for
it too. I want to have a high paying career so
that I can support myself in this ever so
competitive society. The average American
is said to spend about 51,100 dollars per
year just living, so my goal is to make more
than that so that I can treat myself and my
loved ones. I also need to make enough to
allow me to pay off all of my student loans
from the years of additional schooling after
high school I must attend. Along with that I
hope to actually like my job, unlike the
various adults in my life that constantly
complain about the intense loathing they
have for theirs. This is considering that fact
that careers consume a mass amount of your
life and I would prefer to like most of it.
Subsequently, I realized that I had a
passion for arguing and altercating with
people. I found a lot of joy (possibly more
than is socially acceptable) in winning an
argument and stultifying my opponent. I
guess you could say I’m a rather bellicose
person. So with this in hand the career of
being a lawyer seemed quite evident to me.
It had everything that I was looking for:
good pay, something I like doing, and it was
not completely insipid. But I also discern the
copious amounts of lawyers that are in the
workforce today, approximately 1,116,967
or 1 in 300 people. This means that there
will be a lot of competition for me, and that
I will have to work my hardest and be the
best that I can be to ensure that I have a
sustainable job.
So how do I become a lawyer?
Unfortunately it’s not that easy as just
“becoming one”. According to studies by
US News, the best colleges for a law degree
include Yale, Stanford or Harvard, which
would of course be the ideal choices. But I
do realize that these are rather difficult
I
7. Steineman 2
2
schools to get into and I am also looking to
get my juris doctor degree at UC Berkeley,
UC Los Angeles and Gould (Southern
California). It is required that I have a total
of 7 years of education, four of which are
my undergraduate courses and three years of
law school. I am looking into getting some
sort of scholarship so that I do not go
completely broke by the end of it.
Although I can't start going to
college now there are other ways I have
researched where I can study and learn
about law. One such opportunity includes a
camp by Envision in Stanford in which you
go through a stimulus court case and
investigation while learning how to prepare
a successful argument. The course also
promises to prepare you for future legal
career. Unfortunately our school has no
classes available for law studies, but I am
part of the JSA club which is debate team
that I feel will prepare me to argue in a
courtroom. As well as this, I plan to do some
reading on the career, for there are many
books on the study of law that are available
to me.
Now considering that I make it into
one of my colleges of choice I would start
my path to becoming a lawyer. Of course I
would take the required classes for my four
year undergraduate and then the law courses
later on. Along with this I plan to do an
internship near the college I will be
attending, I found interest in the internships
and the site interships.com which featured
many options of both paid and unpaid. In
order to become a lawyer there are some
courses that will help me prepare for law
school, some that are recommended include
English, economics, public speaking, or
government. I am also required to take the
Bar exam and the LSAT. The Bar exam
includes testing on contracts, constitutional
and criminal law, evidence, real property
and torts. Likewise, I need to possess these
skills: negotiation, legal research client
interaction, and case and litigation
management.
When it comes to what kind of
lawyer that I would want to be I am looking
at civil rights or possibly a divorce lawyer
for I feel very strongly about them and I feel
I would be able to form a good case for
both. It would also be preferable to work in
a small firm versus a big company so there
is less competition. With this job, I am
estimated to make about 76,438 dollars and
even up to 140,000 dollars by a study from
Payscale.com. This pay is also said to
increase the more experience I have and the
longer I work. If for some reason I am not
satisfied with this career choice I am also
looking into being in the FBI, in which I
would have to have a prior career for 3 years
(which may be a lawyer.) This career
includes most of the requirements I should
have obtained from my law school
experience, with the exception of a written
exam. Now of course these are all just ideas
and I may change my mind in the course of
the next four years I spend in high school,
but I am determined, willing to make
sacrifices, and I won’t stop until I know I am
pursuing the perfect career for me.
juris doctorate
undergraduate
lawyer
8. Steineman 3
3
CHAPTER
2:
HEALTH
ealth is a huge
part of life, this
includes physical
and mental, so obviously I
am going to include that in my
future plans. I currently see
myself as a moderately healthy
person. I eat my fruits and vegetables, I
play sports which occur three out of the four
seasons, I drink water, I sleep (sometimes).
But I would like to improve in these areas,
for I feel as though I am not as healthy as I
could be. I want to be at my optimum health
capacity in order to have the happiest life
that I possibly can, given that I only have
one.
One thing that I probably need to start with
is drinking water because I'm positive that I
do not get enough that is recommended. My
body apparently needs 8 eight ounce glasses
of water or half of a gallon per day. That
seems like a lot of water that I am missing
considering I only have one or two glasses a
day. Drinking more water is said to prevent
health problems, improve brain functions
and even help with weight loss. All of these
factors I think would really improve my
overall life experience.
Now when it comes to food I find myself
having a taste for both “good” and “bad”
foods, but if I want to have better health I
should probably lean more towards the
healthy side. When I am older and out of the
house I hope to have a job that allows me to
purchase organic foods, for they are rather
pricey. I recognize the importance or
organic foods and the amount of toxins
intake I would be
limiting if I ate only
organic. Everyday
people are putting
thousands of
chemicals into their
bodies and their loved
ones through the
consumption of
processed foods or
pesticides and quite
frankly it scares me. I would
like to cook nutritious meals for
myself (and my future family)
every day and to hopefully stop
skipping them. I hope to increase my
intake of vitamins through more fruits and
vegetables as well as nuts a whole grains.
Fitness is also another key component in
health. Right now I participate in two sports
which I think is pretty sufficient. However
when I am older I do realize that playing
these sports might not be as accessible. This
is why I am trying to get into yoga, and
other physical activities that I can do at
home. YouTube has an abundance of videos
and tutorials on yoga and cardio workouts,
one channel in particular that has caught my
eye is POPSUGAR fitness. Not only does it
include quick workouts, but it is also easily
accessible, which may help me in my busy
college years. As for when I am out of
college I see myself having a gym
membership of some kind where I can work
out in the morning before work and play
tennis in my spare time.
As for mental health I understand that there
are many components that affect how stable
or happy you are. Trauma, heredity and
mostly chemistry in the brain are all factors
that can seriously affect your mental
wellbeing and quality of life in general.
Although I was never diagnosed, I have
experienced anxiety,
H
9. Steineman 4
4
disconnection/hopelessness, and extremely
low self-esteem. I have been doing better
though, slowly but with hard work I'm sure
that I can be at my optimum positivity.
Mental health is probably the most
important kind of health that there is, for
what is the point in living if you cannot do it
happily. Being mentally well is said to
attribute to my productivity, longevity, sense
of purpose, and overall well-being. So you
can see why I would want to keep mental
health at the utmost importance. Some ways
of improving my mental health include
eating well, sleeping normally, and physical
activity, socializing and thinking positive
thoughts in general. I also believe it would
be beneficial for me if I were to begin
meditating, which I can start with the help of
the variety of books on the subject like
Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-
Zinn.
10. Steineman 5
5
CHAPTER 3:
A LIFE NOT WASTED
ver since I was a young girl, I have
always wanted to do something
amazing, something to change the
world for the better. Much of this inspiration
probably comes from all of the super hero
movies I watched. I loved to see how just
one person was
able to do so
much, and have
so many people
look up at them,
and how they
stayed humble
throughout the
whole event. I
actually love
helping people,
not only does it
have a feel-good
effect on me but
I like to see how
either big or
small I have
somehow made
that person’s life
better. Plus,
helping people
doesn’t make me feel as though I am a
useless human being either.
Right now for example I am actively
involved in three volunteer groups: Interact,
which is a stem of Rotary, KEY club, which
is a general volunteering club, and Sierra
Service Project, which is a church sponsored
event where students travel around for a
week and build things for communities in
need. Unfortunately helping people for a
living does not provide a very financially
stable life, as shallow as that may sound. I
have considered time and time again in
being in the Peace Corps once I am out of
high school. This includes the graduate
program that they offer where you can study
for a year, volunteer for about two years,
then returning to finish your courses
required for graduation. Financial assistance
is also offered to those who qualify. But I do
know that this will interrupt with my career
path and I am not sure whether I want to
follow through with this idea. On the other
hand I know it
would be an
amazing
opportunity and
a once in a
lifetime
experience that
would not only
help people in
need, but
broaden and
open my mind as
well.
Whether
I am involved in
Peace Corps or
not I would still
love to help
people in other
ways. If I am
able to make a sufficient amount of money
in my career, I would like to donate to
charities. Some organizations I am most
supportive of include (but are not limited to)
Boys and Girls Club of America, Human
Rights Campaign Foundation, Domestic
Abuse Charity and Safe World for Women. I
also plan to be involved with some sort of
local volunteering when I am attending
college, possibly an animal or homeless
shelter or even an elderly home. As for
when I am older and with my family I want
E
11. Steineman 6
6
to join my local rotary club. Rotary is a
volunteer group that’s goal is “to create
positive, lasting change in our communities
and around the world”. I learned about this
group from one of my close friend’s father,
who is a member in his local Rotary Club. I
observed all the beneficial and constructive
activities that they put on and I was inspired.
I believe that in order to live in happy
community you need to help make it so.
I also want to give some of my ideas
a voice. I feel very strongly about
acceptance and equality this includes
everything from sexuality, gender, race,
religion, ableism and more. I believe when it
comes down to it we are all in this together,
a single human race. In order to live happy
lives, we need to all find a way to work
together and survive side by side or the
human existence will cease as we know it.
Alot of this respect for differences or
accepting of one another derives from what
we learn when we are young. If your parents
are racist for example, it is highly likely that
you may be too, unless you are taught
otherwise. It is truly terrible and a huge
issue that I think needs more attention
brought to it. Very few people realize that
hate crimes and violence rates would
greatly decrease if children are taught
acceptance of one another's differences.
We need to focus on educating the
younger generation in order to have a
productive and more open minded
future society. If children are forced to learn
about drug abuse and sex education, an
equality and acceptance course should be
required too. It has been one of my dreams
to travel around to different elementary
schools and educate them on diversity and
the acknowledgment of their classmates’
differences. If you want to stop
discrimination you need to start at the roots,
which are the children of this world. I know
it would be very hard to start this as a
movement and try and get funding and
support from the school systems and
parents, but I would like to try.
12. Steineman 7
7
CHAPTER 4:
FAMILY
ere comes the big topic, family. The
people you spend all of your time
with, the ones who always have
your back and are there for support.
Traditionally people have families in order
to survive, so that they could protect each
other, feed and care for one another, as well
as continue the
human race. But
given how times
have changed,
the world is
overpopulated
and it is now
easier (and even
more practical)
to survive and
thrive on your
own. This makes
these “ideals”
not as relevant.
Don’t get me
wrong, I don’t
hate the concept
of a family, I
come from one myself, I just don't think
they need to hold up to “tradition”.
For myself I still don't know what I
am looking for when it comes to a family.
Being the cynical individual I am, the idea
of “true love” eludes me. In my own opinion
it is only a myth created by society in order
to trick you into marrying someone and
possibly starting a family. Nevertheless I do
see it as a possibility that I do fall in love
with someone. In such relationship I want
this person to truly love me for who I am,
for all my flaws and all my quirks. I need to
be as madly in love with this person as they
are with me. I also need to know that I won't
get bored with this person and vice versa,
that we will continue to play and act like
children until death do us part. In my life I
have witnessed far too many divorces,
adultery and just general loathing to their
spouse. I don’t want that, but the fear
overwhelms me that it will happen. If you
consider the fact that divorce rate is literally
half of all marriages, you can see how it
would cause one to be reluctant to marry
anyone.
Marriage has
always scared
me and I can
only hope to find
someone that
can change that
for me, and I
know it would
take me a long
time to do so.
But I also
believe that I
could do just
fine on my own;
an independent,
self-sufficient,
happy woman,
who doesn't
need to be in a relationship to have a
satisfying life.
Hypothetically speaking, if I did get
married, I am skeptical of the idea of kids.
I’m very open to adoption as well as having
the child be blood related. With adoption
however, I feel as though I am helping out
more. Why would I need to have a child
when there are already plenty that need a
home or parent of their own? I know a few
adopted children who are so grateful and
happy with their adopted parents and I find
H
13. Steineman 8
8
it very heartwarming. I am aware of the
stigma that you cannot bond with the child
or that you are unable to love them like you
would your own, but I strongly disagree.
The child is my child no matter blood
relation and no one can judge or try and
determine how much I will love and care for
them. Love is not just another statistic and
no one can tell me how I will feel. I would
also want to have more than one kid, I know
from experience that having a sibling is like
having a best friend for life and is definitely
something that I think would create a
positive atmosphere.
Figure 2 The Adoption Symbol
I want my kids to have open minds
and open hearts. I want a family that is tight-
knit, accepting and above all else happy. A
family without trust is not a good family in
my opinion, as so I will try my hardest to
ensure that we all have faith in one another.
I am not religious myself, but if my spouse
is I will respect that and allow them to teach
our children. But I will also educate our kids
in the theory of evolution, something I
believe strongly about. I will let them
choose which religion they follow, whether
they choose to have a faith or not and I will
accept and support them no matter what they
choose. I know it may seem irrational to let
a kid choose their religion, but I do not want
them to conform to ideas that they do not
believe in. I would like to have an open
relationship with my children as well. I wish
to raise them in such a matter that they
respect me and also feel open to talk to me
about anything. I know that this
communication is very hard to obtain, but I
think I have learned from my own personal
experiences and I will try and make this
happen. I want my kids to feel comfortable
to tell me anything and I also promise to
educate them on the ideas of equality and
such and how to treat other people with
respect. One thing I will never do is spank or
hurt my kids (or spouse for that matter). I
believe that if your kid is so out of control
that you have to spank them, that is a fault
of your own parenting. As well as raising
respectful children, I also want to raise them
to be responsible and independent.
Personally, I think it is very important to not
spoil your child and make them do chores
and work for what they want. This will help
them later in life to be self-sufficient adults.
14. Steineman 9
9
CHAPTER 5:
PRE-DEATH AND DEATH
iven the terrible decline of the
economy, mass amounts of job loss,
and the rising expenses, my
generation is not expected to retire until
much later than I hope. I would hope that I
have a financial advisor that has set up a
good retirement plan for
me and my significant
other so that I can
actually retire (at a
reasonable age) and
approach my death in
financial comfort.
Throughout my regular
adulthood I expect to be
very busy. I plan on
having kids and a
family, a high stress
career, volunteer
activities, tennis
tournaments and so on.
This leaves me very little
time to do the “fun
stuff”, which is why I'm
leaving that to my
retirement;
approximately 20 years
give or take, so that I am not bored.
I am not sure if I will still be married
or not but I should plan on doing these
activities both on my own or with a partner.
One such dream is to cook through an entire
cookbook. Cooking and baking has always
been one of my favorite pastimes. I like
being able to mix up something that brings a
smile to the face of the consumer, knowing
that I made it. I consider myself an okay
cook as I am right now. I cook for my
friends and family and they seem to enjoy it
just as much as I do. I don’t think I could
ever make a career out of it though, so I
leave it as a hobby. But what I really want to
do is prepare every meal that is featured in a
cookbook. One specific book that I want to
explore is The Joy of Cooking by Irma
Rombauer. Or I would like to cook dishes
from around the world. I believe that I will
enjoy this mini journey, and really find joy
in life.
Studies show that
older adults or elderly
that partake in physical
activity have lower rates
of blood pressure, heart
disease, strokes, type 2
diabetes and some
cancers. These active
adults also have less of a
chance of falling and
have better functional
health overall. Given my
crippling age, I probably
will not be able to
participate in hard-core
cardio anymore (this
includes my lovely
tennis). But I do think I
need to stay fit given all
of these benefits, which
is why I will do yoga. Who doesn't love a
granny who is able to put her foot behind
her head? Also, I would like to take swing or
salsa dance classes with my significant
other. Dancing is one of the most beautiful
art forms in my opinion and I would love to
share that experience with someone I love,
or even on my own depending on my
situation then. An added bonus with this is
that it is both fun and a good workout for an
old body.
G
15. Steineman 10
10
I don’t want to be like all the
stereotypical elderly folk though. Of course
I plan on doing some crafts though, my
choice being soap making and candle
making. These crafts are relatively simple so
I plan to just read a few books on it such as
The Complete Soapmaker by Norma Coney
and Candlemaker’s Companion by Betty
Oppenheimer. Although I may want to
participate in some good old BINGO, I don’t
want that to become the highlight of my day
when I’m older. I want to still do things, I
want to travel, I want to go to all the
amusement parks, I want to ride motorcycles
and get in fist fights. I don’t want the last
years of my life to morph into some sort of
banal or insipid waiting game for my
inevitable death. I’m terrified of feeling lost
and bored in my old age; I want to love my
life and all the exciting things in it.
When my time does come though I
have a lot of specifics of how I want it all to
go. I want to establish a will before I pass,
leaving my valuables and wealth to my
children if I have some. Doing this I ensure
that there will be no arguments on who gets
to keep my junk. I want to die satisfied. I
want to say what I have to say to the people
in my life that matter the most, saying things
that I may have been holding back for years.
I want to be very honest with everyone in
my last few days, with them returning the
favor. I would wish to die without regrets,
but given that I am imperfect, I doubt this
will happen. This in hand, I hope that I have
at least accepted these mistakes and regrets
and moved on. Although it is out of my
control I want to have a “fun” funeral. As
absurd as this sound, it is what I desire. I
would rather people celebrate my life rather
than mourn my death. Death is out of my
control though, and I can’t plan when it will
happen, or why, or even if I will do
everything that I want to do beforehand.
Worst case scenario, my final wish is that I
die happy. Whether or not you noticed it,
that has been my theme throughout this
whole essay. Whatever I do in life and
however I end up to my death bed, I want
my life to have been happy and to die happy.
16. Steineman 2
2
Works Cited
"About Rotary." About Rotary. Rotary International, 2015. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.
"Attorney / Lawyer Salary (United States) United States Home Change Country Don't See What
You Are Looking For?Get A Free Custom Salary Report »." Attorney / Lawyer Salary (United
States). PayScale, Inc, 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
Baker, Jennifer. "Divorce Statistics." Information on Divorce Rate Statistics. Divorce Resources,
13 Jan. 2015. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.
Becker, John. "The Joy of Cooking." The Joy of Cooking. MRB Revocable Trust, 2012. Web. 05
Mar. 2015.
"Best Law Schools." Best Law School Rankings. Ed. Brian Kelly. Mortimer B. Zuckerman,
1995.Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
Bjarnadottir, Adda. "10 Ways to Stay Fit & Healthy." LIVESTRONG.COM.
LIVESTRONG.COM, 04 Nov. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
Comics, Existential. ""What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?" "An Honest, Brave,
Compassionate Human Being." "No...I Mean, How Do You Want to Sell Your Labor?"" Twitter.
Twitter, 19 Feb. 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.
"CONSUMER EXPENDITURES--2013." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 9 Sept. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
Ellis-Christensen, Tricia. "What Percent of the US Population Do Lawyers Comprise?"
WiseGEEK. Conjecture Corporation, 2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
Fisher, David. "What Books Do I Need to Get Started Making Soap?"About.com. N.p., n.d. Web.
11 Mar. 2015
"Graduate Programs." Graduate Programs. Peace Corps, 30 Oct. 2014. Web. 1 Mar. 2015.
"Legal Internships near Los+Angeles,+CA." Internships.com. Chegg Inc., 2014. Web. 20 Feb.
2015.
"Loving and Bonding with Your Adopted Baby." Independent Adoption Center. Adoption
Families, 2012. Web. 4 Mar. 2015.
"Parents Talk About Envision." Envision Career & Leadership Programs. Envision EMI, 2013.
Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
"Physical Activity and Older Adults." WHO. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 10 Mar.
2015.
"Take Action." Take Action. Equality Now, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2015
"Types of Lawyers and Areas of Law Definitions." Lawyers.com. Martindale-Hubbell, n.d. Web.
19 Feb. 2015.
"Www.mentalhealth.gov." What Is Mental Health? U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2015.
