My name Braden Lake St. Ama my name is very unique and I am also the only person in the whole world with this exact name. My name really isn’t anything special, after someone hears my name they don’t think anything of it. I’ve never heard anyone say “Wow that’s a pretty name”. Or really anything nice about my name.
Braden also doesn't really mean anything either other than “broad valley”? So i really don’t know what that is supposed to mean. Personally i don’t like my name either I feel it's just very bland and nothing special about it. Then if i ask my parents why they named me this they just say “idk”. Which for me is frustrating because i have nobody to look up to with my name, no famous actors or athletes.. Just me. Also with this i feel that i should be something important and big someday so people can name their kids braden. Then those kids will have something to look up to other than nothing.
The good thing is with me not liking the name braden nobody even really calls me this, instead i get called by my last name St. Ama. Which gets messed up most of the time with people pronouncing St. Ama as St. Alma, Ama, St. Mama, St. Llama, Sain. Tama, Stamina, even Santa so people may never pronounce my name right. Even though this happens i still like it better than Braden. The other thing i’ve noticed is guys never call me Braden including coaches not even knowing my first name and i play a big part with them in sports. Then the people that call me Braden is reserved for girls as a good 40% of them call me by Braden instead of the usual St. Ama. All in all my my name is alright to me i feel that it could be better but is still a good name.
Sports:
For me sports is a huge part about my life. I was kind of forced to be a pretty good athlete though my dad was a 4 year varsity linebacker at his high school and my mom played D2 volleyball at MIdwestern State she could have played D1 but she's only 5’6. They both pressured me to play sports too and both are hard on me when it comes to sports. Although i still love sports weather my parents pressure me to do them or not I play them anyways. I also play a lot of different sports such as football, baseball, basketball, track, field, 7 on 7, cross country and soccer. With all of these sports, they mean a lot to me and have a big impact on my life. Sports have built a lot of friendships for me and have helped keep me in good shape. I’m also pretty good at sports with receiving the athlete of the year award in my 7th grade year for being the top 7th grade boy athlete. As i was the A team quarterback, A team basketball and did track last year. So by this everyone can tell that i really love sports.
Another time I played in front everybody in sports is when i played knockout a basketball game. Were everyone that's playing gets in a line and first shoots a free throw and if they make the free throw they go to the end of the line and give the next person the basketball. Then if you miss the free throw you get the ball and put the ball back up into the basket until you make it. How you get someone out is if you make a shot before the person in front of you, the game is also played with 2 basketballs.
In my case to get into this knockout competition i had to beat every 8th grade basketball player in a 3 point knockout which i won with one shoe on. Finally at our school pep rally i had to go up against 2 of our best basketball coaches coach Ayers and Kysar. Then the top 8th and 7th grade girl even the top 7th grade boy in basketball. Along with 2 other girl coaches. So fast forward to the last two people in the competition as it was me and coach Kysar. Finally after a good minute going back and forth Kysar finally missed one and i ran to the free throw line turned around and banked it off the backboard which was pure luck. So saying all this sports has impacted me greatly and I am very thankful for them whether it’s luck or skill.
My house
My house on White Cloud court is a two story house on 2 acres with 4 people living inside my mom, dad 16 year old sister and me. Along with my two dogs and cat. Mainly it’s just me at the house like my mom is always gone because she teaches and she plays tennis every day. Then my dad is either outside working on something or inside at his desk doing work. Last my sister is at volleyball or out with a friend. Therefore this leaves me at my house by myself most of the time which in fact i like.
At my house there really isn’t much to do unless it’s in the summer, cause in the summer i have a pool to swim in and plenty of yard space as well along with a basketball hoop. One of the main bad things about my house tho is that no one my age lives inside me neighborhood not one. Which i don’t like but i have gotten used to this and often i go friend's houses on the weekends. Then at their house they don’t have very much space at all in between houses and most of the time me and my friends go to the park or go walking around because of this. This sometimes makes me wish i lived in this type of neighborhood because all my friends live around and everything but then i think back to my own house and think otherwise because at my house i have land which is nice and it's also more secluded. Really when it comes down to it though i would pick my neighborhood and house because of more land and pool. Therefor I am really thankful for my house.
The house on White Cloud Court
As you can see my house on White Cloud Court and the sports I play have shaped the way other people look at me. As now when people see me they might see me s some one that plays sports. Also living at my house has shaped my personality and how I am perceived today. My life and how I am seen at also reflects to the book in some ways. As we share many issues. together.
In the book a big theme is coming of age and how she comes into that. Unlike the book i have not personally felt a coming of age moment or over time. Also i did not personally enjoy the book as i felt non of the vignettes seemed to go together and i got lost many times throughout the book.