SociALLIEgy in the Community

After reading the excerpt from Outliers by Malcom Gladwell, I learned that the community that people live in has a huge impact on the way people interact with others. By developing strong relationships with your peers, you will have a healthier lifestyle. People rely on others more than they realize, and their lives not be healthy without a solid support system. I live in a community where there is constant competition. It is very prestigious, and there is a lot of tension between families because everybody is very passive aggressive. For example, parents pressure their children to be the best, so they have to start playing competitive sports earlier than other athletes. I know that the area I live in is different than other places because I spend my summers at a camp in a small Michigan town. The population of that town is very small. All of the families know each other, and the town is very welcoming when the "camp people" are in town. A larger town, like mine, has too many people to realize when new people are in town. A lot of the relationships made in my town are superficial because the town has such a high population, and it is hard to get to know so many people. If the theory of sociological imagination is true, the people of an intimate farming town will live healthier lives than the people of my suburban town.

About Allie!

My name is Alexis, but everybody calls me Allie. I am 17 years old. I have a younger sister, Jamie. She is 15. I have two dogs, Honey and Sammy. Honey is a 12-year-old Silky Terrier, and Sammy is a 1-year-old Yorkie Poo. My favorite color is purple, and I love to spend time with family and friends.

The best vacations I've taken were to Los Angeles and Boston. In L.A., my sister and I were given the opportunity to be extras on a T.V. show ("The Cleaner"). The day we filmed was the coolest day ever! I am really fascinated by the film industry (even though working in the film industry is not my career path choice).

My favorite place in the entire world is camp. I have spent 7 summers at camp, and I plan on returning for many more years. I teach water-skiing. I can slalom (ski with one ski), kneeboard, and wakeboard. I love the people I've met at camp over the years. My camp friends are my best friends; we've known each other for almost half of our lives. Weird, right!?

I don't really have a favorite music genre. Maroon 5 is my favorite band. I am not too picky about the music I listen to. I love Pandora. Pandora is an Internet radio app that you can get for your iPod/iPhone/Blackberry. It is such a great concept!

My favorite T.V. show is Grey's Anatomy. I also love sitcoms like Rules of Engagement and Modern Family. My favorite movies are 27 Dresses, Father of the Bride I/II, That Thing You Do, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. I don't read very often, but my favorite book is My Sister's Keeper.

I am involved in a lot of extra-curricular activities. I really want to make a difference in the community, so I participate in a wide variety of service groups. I am the 2011 Relay for Life event chair, I was on the Project Dance and Odyssey committees last year, and I am in Beading Cancer club.

That's pretty much everything. Yay!