In 2019, what area are you “making space” for?
“What makes LifeSpace so important to me at this point in my life especially is its ability to see all the moving pieces of my life in one place so I can have full control over what I choose to do with my time.
After all, time is the one thing they’re not making anything more of, so it’s what we do with the time we’re given that really, really matters.
In 2019, I’m Making Space for Writing”
Alex Montgomery, Cal State LA Student and Writer
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Share your journey and why this is important to you
I was born, much to my parents’ surprise, on a crisp May afternoon teetering on the edge of summertime.
My childhood was fairly typical, relative to most children with single parents. For the first 18 years of my life, I lived with my mother and sister in (quasi) harmony. Early on in my academic career, it became clear to my parents, teachers, and friends that I was what is commonly referred to as a “smarty pants” (not the exact medical term, obviously, but I’m not a doctor).
As I climbed the ladder of time through elementary school, I had an extraordinary difficulty making friends due to my compulsion to correct everyone on their grammar and spelling. Fortunately, I grew out of that habit (or, rather, I just got better at restraining myself for the sake of not looking like a pompous jerk).
Indeed, at home, things weren’t much better. My mother struggled financially for many years, and that in itself acted as a significant stressor on me, my mother, and my sister. The only real escape I could find was in writing stories, and in any books I devoured hungrily in my local library.
In retrospect, what really marked the turning point for me was my auditioning for the school play in 7th grade on a whim, and then being cast as one of the comic relief side characters. Finally, I had found an outlet where I could make other people happy, not just me. I must give credit to my mother for encouraging the more theatrical aspects of my personality all my life–I guess it paid off.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really realize that until my sophomore year of high school, when I (FINALLY) transferred out of marching band and into drama, where I learned that pretending to be someone else is far more suited to my talents than blowing air into a piece of steel while speedwalking on a football field or street.
My time in drama class bolstered my fledgling status as a writer. I had tried my hand at short stories to some moderate success, but in my senior year of high school, I began to rattle off one-act plays as if they were the most delicious insert beloved pastry here in town, and I was the baker. Once high school was over with, I had the tools I needed to not only survive, but thrive in any collegiate environment. Or so I thought.
Indeed, in college I found challenges that exceeded my expectations and emboldened me to push myself and my abilities even further. Once, I got a B on one of my essay assignments, and this only pushed me to work even harder on my coursework–and apparently, it paid off, since I just finished last Spring semester with straight A’s (again). As I approach my senior year of college and begin my minor in Theatre, I’m sure I’ll keep finding ways to continue to exceed not only my own expectations, but those of my teachers, friends, and family.
What makes LifeSpace so important to me at this point in my life especially is its ability to see all the moving pieces of my life in one place so I can have full control over what I choose to do with my time. After all, time is the one thing they’re not making anything more of, so it’s what we do with the time we’re given that really, really matters.
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How would you like to inspire others?
I want people to look at where I came from–a lower-class community in Southern California–and see that through hard work and the encouragement of the people in your life who care about you, you can succeed in college and beyond.
How do you use LifeSpace to achieve your goals personally and professionally?
Currently, I use LifeSpace to organize the different creative projects I’ve lined up for myself, but once the semester starts up again, I plan on making a space for every one of my classes, as well as one for my job at the university’s writing center.
I’m sure the rigorous nature of the courses I’ll be taking will be reflected in how well I utilize the Notes and Bookmarks feature. I’m also looking forward to making new friends this semester and using the Chat feature extensively.
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Provide a link for people to check out what you are up to
You can find me on Twitter at: twitter.com/moebiusdork
You can also find me on Instagram at: instagram.com/moebiusdork
Ready to share your story?
If you are someone making space for something important personally, professionally or socially this year, please send us your story to stories@lifespace.com
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