Fifteen Years Young

Fifteen Years Young ! Jacey Olson

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Fifteen�� Years�� Young

Jacey�� Olson


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To my family & friends


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Table of Contents

..........................................................................................................................My Name! 5

........................................................................................................Advice From an Adult! 6

.......................................................................................................Neighborhood Games! 7

.....................................................................................................................Happy Place! 8

..................................................................................................................The Big Game! 9

..............................................................................................Positive Story from School! 10

..................................................................................................................A Happy Time! 11

...............................................................................................A Special Family Member! 12

.............................................................................................................Life in Wisconsin! 13

.............................................................................................................................A Birth! 14


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My Name

Addison, Adelyn, Natalie, Jacey. Jacey. Jacey means honesty, determined, being a leader and original. A name reminding me of the clear blue skies. So many people pronounce like JC. But it’s Jacey like Lacey or Tracey. It flows nicely when you say it. It reminds me of a girl that can have an attitude when she wants but overall is a generous person, and good friend. Worries how people feel. Jacey is very considerate of others. Jacey was one of the many options my parents were considering. Watching the Olympic gymnastics the announcer called Jacey to the stand my mom turned to my dad and said, “I like that name, Jamie.” With the 7 months left during pregnancy it stuck with them. When they first held me, they knew that I was a Jacey. Jacey was the name for me. People who are unfamiliar with me often call me JC. The sounds of the consonants’ sound so rough and harsh when they spit them out like that, I often times correct them right away. My name is not JC, it is not harsh it is simply Jacey rolling off the tongue like waves rolling through the ocean. I have an identity different from anyone else. The way my hair lays on my shoulders, the way I walk down the crowded halls, the way I talk to my friends, family, coaches, and teachers. My name is Jacey, and will always be. I have a distinct way of everything I do that is completely different from anyone else’s. I am different, I am caring, I am an athlete, I am determined, I am me. The name says it all.


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Advice From an Adult

There are going to be things in life we wish we could have. We will be jealous of things that other kids may receive instead of what we have did. It won’t be fair when the other kids get what ever they want whenever they ask. We may be upset when ‘everyone’ around get’s a smart phone, or the newest clothes, or to stay out later than us. But in the end the thing that matters it you take what you have been given and make the best of it. I am blessed with everything and everyone that is my life. There are so many people out there that would kill to have what I have and sometimes I don’t think I truly and honestly realize it. “Be happy for what you have, and make the best of what it is. Be happy and make the most of every moment.” Those were the words that my mom had said to me after I told her I what I was considering to be the worse days of my life. I am slowly, but surly learning throughout my freshman year that things are going to be a lot different than I would have ever imagined, and although it has been great, one day everything was wrong. I came home from practice I broke down. I lay upon my purple sheets with colorful blankets wrapped all around me. Everything that was bottled up and sealed up exploded out of me. Once, she spoke these words to me, things changed. It’s not like I was instantly ok, but I did realize how little my own problems were compared to the rest of the worlds. Things were bad, but probably not as bad as I had thought they were and how could I be happy if I was constantly only thinking of the negative? Just smile and move on. Don’t let it bother you and realize how precious life it and to make the most of every day.


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Neighborhood Games

“WHITE WOLF! WHITE WOLF.” The bare feet take off running. Kids running of into the night with excitement and fear. We sprint to the mailbox of course not wanting to get tagged. When we are meet up again, no one is tagged and we start again. Such a simple game that would get our hearts pounding in our chest like hammer and nails. Being that there was about 12 kids always together during the days and nights. We were all best friends. My favorite game to play is capture the flag. We would each be assigned to a team and would each get to hind a playground ball. If you crossed the other team’s boundary you could be tagged, and if you were, you would go to jail. The team that successfully gets the ball the their side of the playing field first would win. Thinking back, I remember all the small little arguments we would have because we were all so competitive. Games would last for an hour or so. We had so much fun just being kids and running around. We will always be friends. We would spend hours each day in the summer running around play capture the flag, scream white wolf, eating popsicles as the sticky liquid slowly drips down on chins on to our hands, playing kick the can, swimming at the pool, going on bike rides or walking our dogs. I just seemed that there was never a moment apart for each other. As we got older, yes we split apart some, but we are still friends. We still all talk. And it’s nice to know that even though we may not always be together anymore, these kids would always have my back. That’s what I think keeps us still bonded. We will always be friends.


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Happy Place

A happy time for me, well there is just to many to choose. But I feel as though the most happy time for me is summer. Running around without a care in the world, and the sunshine hitting your face sets of a gleam of happiness. Happy to be alive, happy to be healthy. Happy to have people that care about you. In the summer, everything I love is being done. I love being outdoors and getting the a tan. I love that no matter if I am sitting home for the night watching a movie, or out somewhere with my friends I am content and I am happy. Waking up each morning is an adventure to me because honestly I don’t know what’s going to happen that day. Maybe I’ll meet some new friends and maybe I learn something new. But I never know what is going to happen next and it excites me. A happy time for me is when I am playing any sport, but mostly basketball. Playing AAU, not only did I meet new friends and then aside from meeting them, I met some of there friends now making them my friends, but I get to play basketball. The hot sweaty gym is where I feel like when I’m frustrated I can take it out. And when we’re playing and we beat one of our biggest competitors, the joy last. We did it. Summer is perfect. Not a care in the world, but so much to do is a happy place for me to be. A place exactly where I want to be.


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The Big Game

ERRRRR. The buzzer sounds for the beginning of the West Salem vs. Arcadia game. So much is expected for us. To play like our team just had against Westby. We have to win. If we don’t, we lose the only chance we have at winning a Conference Champion. My heart is pounding in my chest like a hammer hitting nails. The ball is tipped and goes straight into my hands and the game has officially began. So much is going on! The screams from the crowd, my team mates, my coach, the bench. I finally realize how much we are dominating them as I hear the ref blowing his whistle because the other team has called a time out. We’re winning 8-1 only being four minutes into the game. The game was suppose to be a nail bitting game if we choose to step up our effort since the last time we played then and ended up losing. At a point in the game it actually could be considered a close game. It was a one-point game but the start of the 3rd quarter, we brought it. We ended up pulling away by 5, then 6, 7, 8, 9... Finally when the start of the 4th quarter rolled around, Arcadia had reached the point to be within 5 points of us. I had a mind set that they were not going to win again. They will not take away our chances of a Conference title especially after so many people had doubted us to do anything since we were so young. Oh, how they under estimated us. We have power, we have strength, we have motivation, we have drive. I scored 8 of my 14 points in the fourth quarter knowing that if we continued to play hard we could pull away. We could do it We did exactly that and ended up winning by 18. We had played as a team, as one, and all wanted to accomplish this more than anything else we had done this season.


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Positive Story from School Valentines day for some is a day of love, candy, and happiness. Others, it may a reminder that they are single and a day of sadness. But on February 14th, 2013, it was a day of coming together and supporting people in a setting that involves someone other than yourself. Today was the not only a big game for varsity basketball, but the day of PINK OUT for Chloe Stauffer’s Senior Exit Project. Pink t-shirts, pink jerseys, pink socks, pink bracelets, pink balloons, pink streamers, pink crowds, pink everything. Not only was this a big rivalry in the conference, and not only was this game important because if West Salem didn’t win they wouldn’t have a chance at a conference title, but it was a game raising awareness for Breast Cancer. This night was bigger than any of us had thought it to be. What Chloe was doing was showing that no matter how big of a game or how much of a rivalry we have, we are truly on one team for the fight against breast cancer. That two communities can come together and do more than just play basketball, but also show people what the true meaning of coming together means. We are a town blooming into something bigger. This event will always be remember, not only for the glorious win but the $4,000 we all helped to raise. Also the extraordinary thought, time, work, and effort put into this. Chloe honestly did make an everlasting impression on me with this and throughout my life, this will be something that I will always remember.


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A Happy Time

When I’m at the courtShooting passing dribbling

Playing with my team

GO! Pressures onThe crowd, yelling behind us

I do love this game

The buzzer goes offIt’s done, we won, it’s over

A smile appears


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A Special Family Member

All of my family members are just as important as the next to me. The help me get through each day and are very supportive, but one that I love is my dog, Cooper. Sometimes he is a little trouble make, but when I am sad I feel as though Cooper knows. He crawls up right next to me and he licks my face wiping away the sadness say, “Be happy! Be happy!.” At night time he curls into a little ball and snuggles right up next to me giving me comfort. When he was a little puppy he was quite the trouble maker. Cooper would purposely true to annoy my other and ‘wiser’ dog Boots. He would jump and pounce on him like any puppy would want to do, and sometimes he would have his little accidents on the carpet. Mom and dad were not always happy about that. But everyone has their flaws, right? Coop’s short white curly hair and random brown spots on his body make him Cooper. The naughty, cute, hyper little dog he is. Cooper can always make me laugh. Sometime when he tries to jump up on my bed, he jumps short and hits head. I start laugh only to hear jump up again because he will not give up. Of all the weird and crazy things Cooper is defiantly capable of my favorite is when he jumps for his toy, his two little beady eyes looking straight into mine. This dogs has hops for how little he is. Regardless of his size, he never fails to make me smile on days that I don’t know how to.


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Life in Wisconsin

Life in Wisconsin is all I have ever known. I don’t know what it’s like to live where the city never sleeps, and the waves are always crashing down. But I do know what it is like to live where everyone in your town knows almost everyone. Where we can come together as a community in times needed. I do know that although sometimes life here in little old West Salem can be extremely boring, but I wouldn’t trade for living in a big town and being afraid of what’s around the corner. In the summer the nights grow long and night are short making more time for sunshine and summertime. In the winter days are short and cold and nights are long and dark. Life in Wisconsin could be described as being bipolar. One year it’s winter is hardly there and by March, it’s already 70 degrees outside, or the next year could be all winter and have predictions of 8 inches of snow. It’s unpredictable, the weather is and always will be. Things will change from day to day. You may know someone one day and the next you may become strangers. I feel like everyone is the same, but everyone is so different. It doesn’t matter where you live or what type of car you drive, people have the same thoughts on Wisconsin. Life in Wisconsin can be boring, fun, happy, exciting, relaxing, or even dreadful. It’s what you make of it mostly and how you choose to live each day. Life in Wisconsin is like fireworks. You never know when the something big will happen and the impact it will have in the sky.


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A�� Birth�� My�� cousin�� Myles�� Riley�� Payne�� was�� born�� on�� February�� 18th,�� 2006.�� I�� was�� young�� but�� old�� enough�� to�� know�� what�� was�� going�� on�� and�� I�� was�� the�� most�� excited�� little�� girl�� to�� know�� that�� I�� was�� going�� to�� have�� a�� new�� baby�� cousin�� coming�� soon!�� I�� was�� at�� a�� birthday�� party�� when�� my�� grandma�� came�� and�� picked�� me�� up.�� I�� kept�� babbling�� on�� and�� on�� about�� how�� much�� fun�� I�� had�� until�� my�� grandma�� finally�� said,�� “Jacey,�� honey,�� we�� are�� going�� to�� go�� to�� Madison�� now.�� Auntie�� Peggy�� is�� going�� to�� have�� Myles�� very�� soon�� now.”�� My�� eyes�� lit�� up�� like�� Christmas�� lights.�� I�� had�� never�� been�� so�� excited!�� I�� was�� going�� to�� see�� a�� little�� baby�� cousin!�� My�� cousin�� being�� born�� was�� so�� exciting�� for�� me�� because�� I�� was�� finally�� going�� to�� have�� a�� little�� cousin�� that�� was�� small�� enough�� for�� me�� to�� hold�� and�� when�� I�� was�� older�� babysit.�� We�� arrived�� to�� the�� hospital�� and�� after�� an�� hour�� I�� was�� able�� to�� go�� back�� and�� see�� Myles�� Riley�� Payne.�� I�� laugh�� now�� at�� remembering�� that�� I�� asked�� my�� mom,�� “Mom,�� where�� did�� he�� come�� from?”�� She�� of�� course�� said�� she�� would�� tell�� when�� I�� am�� older,�� the�� typical�� response�� to�� my�� noisy�� self.�� I�� went�� into�� the�� room�� and�� felt�� his�� soft�� as�� silk�� hands�� and�� feet,�� being�� so�� fascinated�� even�� from�� a�� young�� age�� that�� someone�� new�� was�� in�� the�� world.�� I�� wondered�� if�� it�� was�� right..�� When�� I�� was�� finally�� old�� enough�� to�� baby�� sit,�� my�� parents�� drove�� me�� down�� to�� Madison�� for�� a�� weekend�� to�� babysit�� Myles�� while�� and�� aunt�� and�� uncle�� went�� out�� for�� the�� night.�� I�� remember�� his�� fussing�� as�� a�� put�� him�� down�� to�� sleep�� and�� I�� remember�� the�� smile�� on�� my�� face�� when�� I�� held�� him�� for�� the�� very�� first�� time.��


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Fifteen Years Young