Why I do what I do

[Emily Parkin]

Because being numb isn’t worth it.I am Emily Parkin and am a freshman at UCLA. I love any type of music and love to dance. I am extremely close with my family and thoroughly enjoy spending time with them. I have a boyfriend in San Diego who I hope is worth the struggle to keep long-distance. I have a close group of friends that I can tell anything to. I have a quiet side and a crazy side, but the latter sometimes needs time to warm up.Whenever I am upset I usually cry unnecessarily and call my mom. But she assures me that everything will be okay or tells me to “stop crying and pull it together” if I’m really being too dramatic. On the reverse side, if I’m really happy or excited about something I also call her. I use my phone and computer to connect with people and maintain my relationships.I live life through my emotions. The relationships I have and maintain are guided by my emotions. Sometimes they get the better of me and sometimes they get to be bigger than they should be. But most of the time living my life through them has allowed me to be me and stay true to who I am.I do what I do because it makes me happy, it enriches my life, and it connects me with other people. I do it to get more out of life, to expand my knowledge, to learn to love, and to learn to live. I do it to affect the life of someone else, to expand my beliefs, to stretch my limits, and to have no regrets.I do it because being numb isn’t worth it.