Logan Lampkins

Mrs. Thomas
English 1101-101
22 September 2014
Revised according to all the feedback. My literary experiences are hard to explain, so
that might be apparent when reading this. I was concerned about what material I would put
into this essay at first, but I actually had a realization that literature really has affected my
life, and in big ways. I hope this gives a good idea of how much these words shaped me over
the years.
Life Lessons From SpongeBob
Reading hurts my eyes, and it usually gives me a headache. The reason for this may
just be that I dont read correctly, but Im never usually the one who is most eager to read.
However, I am shocked by how much literature has changed my life. Literature is not
limited to just books; it is anything written by someone else. Everyone alive is affected by
literature, and its amazing how simple words arranged in a particular way can create the
foundation of ones identity and personality.
I grew up in a typical Christian school, Back Creek Christian Academy, spending each
day yawning in chapel or losing my page during Bible reading. I never had more than
twenty other students in my grade. Growing up on this foundation gave me knowledge of
how the world came to be, and how to understand what was happening around me.
However, my identity did not begin developing until personal experiences connected my
life to the poetically written stories in the Bible, and created the foundation of my beliefs
and values. Every part of my personality now has stemmed from my upbringing.

At a young age, people are shaped into individuals based on what they are exposed
to. The literature I was exposed to had an effect on my personality and morals. Because all
humans imitate the things around them, childhood books, stories, or movies have a big
impact on how one will act for the rest of their life.
My first books were usually things like Dr. Seuss books that were given to me by my
parents. I remember the enjoyment of flipping through One fish two fish red fish blue fish,
Green Eggs and Ham, or THE CAT IN THE HAT. Dr. Seuss books in particular strived to
teach kids about the ways words could be arranged to tell stories differently. I cannot think
of a single way these books have affected my life, but Im positive that they have. Toddlers
take in a massive amount of new information that affects how they act. Knowing this, I am
sure that some of my perspectives originated from the childrens books I read when I was a
single digit.
After toddler books, I started reading books on roller coasters. I have no memories
of why there were roller coaster books on my five-year-old bookshelf, but there were. I
developed an obsession with roller coasters at a very young age, and roller coaster books
were my portal into a magical world that it seemed like I could never go to. Before the
internet, books were the only way I could see things like roller coasters, and imagine what
they were like based on the pictures and descriptions. There is video footage of me at four
years old reciting the introduction of a roller coaster VHS I had, completely from memory.
Roller coasters remain one of my biggest hobbies today, and it all originates back to the
books I would glue my eyes to when I was younger.
Im still astounded by the fact that we can remember even the most random
SpongeBob quotes. If I shouted a SpongeBob quote in a quiet classroom, someone would

surely recognize it. This is an example of how much our childhood exposure stays with us
forever. TV shows such as SpongeBob also play a big role in shaping the identity of their
young viewers, because young kids will often imitate what they see. Most kids are
sometimes found pretending to be their favorite hero in their favorite movie. Adults always
remember their childhood TV shows, and the memories from the simpler times are very
precious.
For me specifically, SpongeBob is probably the most influential on my personality,
and especially my sense of humor because of how commonly I watched it for several years.
In addition, everyone I knew watched it, so I could relate it to others. Information from
SpongeBob has been pounded into my head against my will, and I will probably always
remember scenes from SpongeBob, word for word. Several years ago, I realized that I knew
the SpongeBob Christmas special extremely well. As a determined pre-teen, I took on the
challenge of scribing the entire episode without watching it first. After many hours of
writing, erasing, and bathroom breaks, I successfully produced a script. After my dads
thorough grading, it was revealed that I had made four simple spelling or grammar
mistakes. I knew the entire episode word for word, which is scary. Similar to my recital of
my roller coaster VHS several years earlier, this is the perfect example of how some stories
stay with us forever, and become a part of us.
When I transferred into a public school in eighth grade, I encountered the biggest
shift in reality I had experienced so far. Due to my lack of common sense, confidence, and
stable mindset, I was very disturbed by the fact that I didnt know anyone at the school, and
that they werent being as kind to me as they could have been. I dont have many memories
of that time period, but my parents say that my happiness was at a slightly lower level than

it usually was. Coincidentally, it was at this exact time that the words of an angel saved me
from despair. Maybe not, but thats what it felt like at the time. I was introduced to lyrical
genius; words that turned my perspective on life from dark to light. This was music from
Owl City, a young electronic music artist from rural Minnesota. I was never a big fan of
music before hearing from this artist, but music, like many other hormonally stressed
students around my age, was the key to the lock of my cage of depression. I quickly
realized that I was worrying about things that were simply not important, and my
perspective on life was drastically improved. This life-changing improvement was caused
by words, arranged together in such a particular way.
Everything I have talked about so far has shaped my morals, personality,
perspective, and frame of mind. The most recent piece of literacy that impacted my life
changed my perspective on emotion. It is Air. I would say that Air was the final piece in
developing my full set of personality traits. I did not know that a story that was told to me
could actually make me feel with the characters, until I was introduced to Air. Air is actually
a 12-episode Japanese TV animation about a traveller in search of the legendary girl in the
sky. It made me realize the power that a story can have over the audience, and I began to
understand why people were so passionate about literature. After experiencing Air, I now
understand the people who say that they have cried at books. I never understood how
someone could feel emotion by looking at white pages. It was the same with a screen; I
never knew that my computer screen could ever tell me a story that could change my
perspective on such a large scale. Air was the first time I felt the same emotions as the
characters in the story, and I cant fathom the fact that the story was written by a human
being. Good writing allows the audience to experience a story based on someone elses

perspective, while still feeling like they are in the story with the characters. Ever since my
experience with Air, I started to enjoy analyzing the writing in everything I read or
watched.
My literacy experiences have played a significant role in my identity and personality.
These things that have completely shaped my personality were simply written by other
human beings, coming from their imaginations. I am very impressed by the fact that the
writings of others can impact my life on such a large scale.