I took a deep breath in.  That was it.  Done.  I had strived to complete the most important, vital, and life-altering obstacle placed in my path.  With a sense of accomplishment riding on my shoulders, I stood tall and proud.  What have I done that is so miraculous?  Completed my Junior Year in high school.  Finished. 

            That's right, I give you permission to laugh now.  Don't you worry; I've come to terms with my plethora of nerd qualities, and am a self proclaimed geek.  But think about it…  It is supposedly the most important school year of my life.  Colleges will be basing a lot of their decisions off of what I have accomplished (or failed to accomplish) this year.  And to think, I finished with several awards of recognition, relatively amazing ACT and SAT scores, and I was involved in too many activities, but that isn't the best part.  I finished at the top of my class.  Are you still laughing at me?  I imagine that's my own fault, I did give you permission.

            At this point and time, I am a bit worried that I seem a little too proud.  Perhaps you now think me highly conceited, arrogant, pompous, and snobbish.  Let me be the first to tell you, that is not the case.  Far from it.  My ego?  Well, you see, it's as dead as one ego can be without being…dead.  It's probably lying in some dark corner, being stomped on by a rather large elephant.  But that's beside the point.

            On that note, back to the point.  Well, I suppose I haven't quite defined the point yet.  Have I mentioned I'm easily distracted?  My attention span is so minuscule; it almost lost me my A in Chemistry…  Anyway.  Back to the point.

            I am naïve.  If you haven't caught that much yet, then maybe you should get your eyes checked.  I live a relatively sheltered life.  The closest I've come to the real world is the show on television.  (And to be quite frank with you, if that's the real world, then I prefer being naïve…)  I'm an only child, and I figure I was born to make my parents proud.  Who doesn't want a responsible, low maintenance, undemanding teenage daughter?  I am beginning to hate my naivety more and more each day.

            Get to the point; you're insisting, right, right…  In all actuality I am overwhelmingly disgusted with myself.  Teenagers aren't supposed to be perfect; they're meant to be…Reckless, immature, mischievous, prone to making mistakes and most importantly a pain in their parents' bum.  I can't honestly say that I'm even one of the above.  That's the point.

            So I've come up with a goal in which I wish to have completed by the end of this summer.  (Yes, I do realize how incredibly nerdy I still sound, you can't expect a person to change in a matter of seconds)  I, Madison Green, swear to the following over the term of the summer of 2003:  I will only read five books.  I will not commonly use words with over four syllables.  I will seriously make an attempt to see the good side of rap music.  I will try to break myself of my shy tendencies.  I will try to befriend someone who I would not normally befriend.  I will do something that will completely shock everyone who really knows me.  I will escape from my naïve-persona, and become a new person, while staying true to myself.

            Mission impossible?  Not quite…  But close.  It'll be an interesting summer.