On the chilly night of October 19, 1986 at 11:30 pm, a little boy was born that would change the world forever. He was named Mark. That is my name, and although I haven't really changed the world yet, I hope I will someday during my life.
      Anyway I was born to a mother, a father, and two older sisters. I have lived in Menasha my entire life and to tell you the truth I don't really like it very much. I would much rather live in or by a large city somewhere else.
      When I was younger I was always a good baby, at least that is what my parents tell me. I would always be quiet and nothing would ever bother me. One thing did catch my attention and that was basketball and motorcycles. Once I saw a basketball, you could never pull me away from a hoop and a ball. I just wanted to play all the time anywhere I could. I had a passion for toy cars and motorcycles as well. I used to sit around and play with my toys all day. However, that all changed when I received my first bike. I would ride that everywhere and anywhere my parents would allow me to. Little did I know at the time that riding my bike would get me injured.
      It was the first day of school my kindergarten year when I was trying to show off to my new best friend. I tried a trick on my bike and I lost control and landed on my chin. I had to go to the hospital and receive seven stitches in my chin. To this day I still have a scar from that innocent little bike wreck.
      My childhood was pretty uneventful and pretty boring. I was a little weird, but I thought of myself as a normal kid who always wanted to be doing something fun.
      When I was about six years old I started to play sports. I really was a natural athlete and I could play any sport I really wanted to. Although I always liked soccer, tennis, football, and basketball the best. I was very fast, but I was pretty small even for my age and that really never changed until about a year ago. That pretty much made football and basketball out of the question for me. I didn't have the strength for football, and I didn't have the height for basketball. This left me with soccer and tennis. I grew to love these two sports and I became addicted to them in a way. I am the best tennis player in our school, and I am one of the best soccer players as well. This reputation did not come easy, I had to work very hard to get where I am right now.
      My family has had many pets before, but now we only have two. I have a fish named Orion, and our family has a dog named Nadia. We have also had a bird and a rabbit before but those both died years ago. Before we had Nadia our family found a stray dog and we took her in and gave her a home. We named her Goldie. As it turned out she was probably the nicest dog anyone could have ever had. Our cousins found her in the woods with no identification tag so we kept her. Sadly, she died when I was in fourth grade and we eventually got Nadia who is the same kind of dog Goldie was. They were both Golden Retrievers.
      When I turned thirteen and became a teenager nothing really changed. I was in middle school, and I thought I was cool because I was in a larger school. Turns out I was just a normal kid. During middle school since there was no tennis or soccer teams, I went out for cross-country in the fall, and track in the spring. It was fun, but most kids looked upon cross-country as being stupid.
      I did enjoy middle school though. I got to be in some art classes which I really enjoyed because I am very artistic. I could draw almost anything I wanted to as long as I took my time. Now that I am in so many advanced classes some which are even considered college courses I don't have anytime to take an art class anymore. It may sound stupid, but I really miss drawing.
      So middle school was ok, but it seemed to take forever to graduate and move on to high school. I am now seventeen years old and I am a junior at Menasha High School. High school is much better compared to middle school. You have a lot more freedom in the choices you make and what you do. This is one reason I like high school so much. There is a lot more work and effort involved but it is worth it.
      When I was a freshman in high school, this meant I could join the school soccer and tennis teams because the high school offered those programs. I have played soccer all three years I have been at the high school, and I have been on the varsity tennis team all three years. None of my really close friends play tennis with me, but I still find ways to enjoy it. The thrill of playing and even meeting new people are all worth the effort.
      When I was in fifth grade I first picked up a saxophone, and I am still playing the saxophone and I am in our school band. I have to admit at first it was a lot of fun, but now it is becoming kind of a hassle. I have to wake up early to go to early morning practices and so on, and it just takes a toll on your body and I am getting tired of it. I enjoy music so much though that it has become a major part of my life.
      When I was in sixth grade I remember saving all the money I possibly could so I could buy myself a guitar and an amplifier. I would mow lawns as much as I could to earn enough money to buy my guitar. It was hard work and it was also very hot work. Once I saved enough money I went to the store and bought a guitar with a small amplifier. I didn't have enough money for private lessons, so instead I bought a book and I taught myself how to play guitar. This was very frustrating, but it was so much fun. When I was in eighth grade a couple of my friends and I got together and we played in a band for the school talent show. It was an adrenaline rush and I had a lot of fun. Last year as a sophomore in high school a few more friends and I got together again and played for our talent show. That was very scary but it was so much fun I would do it again if I had the chance. Now that I have experienced playing music, this is when I really started to become interested in it.
      I started to really listen to music and form likes and dislikes about different genres of music. For instance I hate punk and country music. I also don't like hip hop. It all sounds the same to me. I prefer rock, or metal bands. My favorite bands include Metallica, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Rage against the Machine, and The Darkness. I encourage whoever reads this to go out and listen to one of these bands. Their music changed the music industry forever and all have unique qualities ad sounds that make them different from other bands.
      Right now my junior year is almost over, and it is becoming very stressful. I have a lot of school work to do, as well as make a commitment to my high school tennis team two hours every night. I really have to stay focused on school because I know how important my grades are and I really want to try and get straight As this semester. It is becoming harder and harder to do, but I want to strive for the best. I really want to get into a good college and good grades can only help.
      Many of my friends this summer do not have jobs or commitments. I on the other hand have three jobs and I also play in a soccer league and take tennis lessons. My summer jobs include teaching tennis to kids from around the area, refereeing soccer games, and mowing our friend's lawn twice a week. It may not sound like a lot of work, but I am sure I will be plenty busy this summer. As a matter of fact, my soccer team has a tournament in Blaine, Minnesota this weekend. The place where we are playing in the tournament has the largest soccer complex in the United States right now. I am really excited and it should be a lot of fun!
      During spring break this year my parents and I went down to Florida for some relaxation. It was very hot down there, and I got sunburn very badly the second day I was there. It was all worth it though, I got to go in the ocean, ride a jet ski, and one day my dad and I went fishing on a boat. We caught a lot of fish and it was so much fun I want to do it again. Sadly I was only there for four days, and then I flew back home alone while my parents stayed down there for three more days. I had to fly home alone because I had school, and I didn't want to miss any tennis. Even though I was only there for four days, it was a lot of fun and I would recommend anyone to go to Florida.
      My parents are very nice and love me more than I could probably ever imagine, but sometimes I think they are just too strict. It does bother me that they try and control my life sometimes, but I eventually got used to it and now I just try and live with it the best way I can. I know all they want for me is to be successful, but they also need to listen to what I want.
      You may think I look very skinny, and this is true, but I tend to eat a lot of food. The only thing is it is hard for me to gain weight. I eat almost anything someone gives me. The only things I won't eat are pretty much asparagus and brussel sprouts. My favorite food has to be pizza. I also love to drink soda called Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew and pizza is probably my favorite combination of food and drink.
      Well my life has been for the most part pretty normal of a typical kid. My favorite color is green and I like to hang out with my friends and girlfriend whenever I can. I like almost any food and I like to do anything that is active and that is fun. So far this is the story of my life.