Nguyen, Michelle. Californian native. 17. Aggie. Full-time student, part-time dreamer. This is an account of cupcakeisms straight from my red velvet heart. Writing is my release.

Lately there’s just been particles, fragments of thoughts floating around in my mind. This is totally unreal. Eight schooldays. (Yes, it jumped from ten to eight schooldays because today ASB planned a Field Trip on June 1.) And I’m leaving this town behind me with … not much. I read something the other day by Ernest Hemingway that I would like to quote: “Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.” There is an edge of truth to this theory. The standards of intelligence in this country’s youth is extremely low. Simple people are easily content. I would say I am generally happy when I am kept busy with my daily routine … but once I get on my isolationist boat and drift away from the shores of reality, and really begin to start thinking, the world always ends up topsy turvy. Nothing is really as chipper as it seems. Love is accompanied with pain. Smiles shelter lies. Good intentions come hand in hand with subconscious selfish desires. And they say ignorance is bliss, and that too is true. Ignore the impending, terrifying truths if you want to stay in a state of peace. What is better? A simple, happy life? Or a wretched life full of insight on this wicked world?

Thus begins the transformation from an optimist to a realist on the verge of pessimism.