Keiran Eagen

1/5/2015
Sellers

Educational Autobiography
Spirit in the Sky
Elementary School was an interesting time in my life. Having just moved from
Alexandria Virginia to the small town of Durango Colorado and being newly enrolled in St.
Columba School I wasnt sure what to expect from this odd new place. The only thing that I
immediately related to was the school itself. The teachings of Catholicism, about Jesus, and
going to heaven when our lives are over. Id like to quote a verse from Norman Greenbaums,
Spirit in the Sky Prepare yourself, you know it's a must, Gotta have a friend in Jesus, So you
know that when you die, He's gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky1 This song talks
about exactly what I remember learning at the time. Heres another quote from the song,
Prepare yourself, you know its a must2 I think that this quote reminds me of the other subjects
that I studied during this time and the preparation for the tests and quizzes I had to take. These
other subjects included; social studies, math, art and Spanish. The tests that I took were pretty
formal. Any old test you might find in a public school. Overall the elementary school years were
challenging, but fun and had some Spirit in the Sky glory guitar moments.
The World At Large
Middle School. That was something, we know that for sure. The song, The World At
Large, itself takes on a slightly sad tone but we wont focus on that. Work a little harder, work
another way3 I think this quote really resonates with me. During middle school I had to learn
how to handle more school work, larger projects and a tougher curriculum in general. My work
ethic and organizational skills were in need of some major reforms in order for me to pull off my
middle school career with flying colors. I did manage to slowly figure out my new strategy and I
think I learned that being able to adapt quickly is a skill worthwhile. Id like to quote another
small section I move on to another day. A whole new place with a whole new way4 Which
reminds me of how everything I did during middle school seemed to be in preparation for my
high school years. Going in depth into math, social studies, art, theology and Spanish. Speaking
of Spanish that was a challenge within itself. Never having the same teacher for more than a year
made the subject difficult to learn because there were no parallel mediums between each
teachers curriculums. This quote, I like songs about drifters and books about the same
makes me think about the books we read in middle school. A lot of them were about people who
were in the poorer demographic of the citizens of the United States. Taking the time to read and
give yourself an imaginary bearing of what life is like for that demographic of people. My
1

http://www.metrolyrics.com/spirit-in-the-sky-lyrics-norman-greenbaum.html
http://www.metrolyrics.com/spirit-in-the-sky-lyrics-norman-greenbaum.html
3
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/modestmouse/theworldatlarge.html
4
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/modestmouse/theworldatlarge.html
2

middle school adventure with The World At Large playing in the background. Those middle
school years were good.
Always
Finally, last but not least, high school. For this section of my life I have chosen Always,
by Panama. High school has been interesting for me at Animas High School, but thats
interesting in a good way. Id like to take a quote from Always Disarmed me by the truth, and
broke my mold5 I find this quote popping out of every single nook and crevasse of my freshman
year. The Mask Project being the most prominent of all. I look back and I see how
uncomfortable and unsettled I felt when learning and thinking about how we as people have been
socialized through media. Thats where being disarmed by the truth comes in. I felt everything
that I had built start to be penetrated by these new truths that I was learning every day. The next
line Id like to quote is a little sad Goodbye my deeper child time to break down your barricades
and follow your own heart now6 I had to grow up a little bit during my freshman year because I
was learning about all these conflicts that are going on in the U.S. as well as the Middle East.
These conflicts may not be knew to older generations but to me I found them knew. I had to
grow up to grow into the person I am today. Breaking out of my mold mostly has to do with how
the students suddenly had a say in how the class was run and what projects might look like. I had
never done anything even remotely close to that. Those barriers and molds have been broken
down and I am molding myself into my own person by following my heart as I go through this
beautiful sophomore year.

Songs
Freshman Year: Always, Panama
Middle School: The World At Large, Modest Mouse
Elementary School: Spirit in the Sky, Norman Greenbaum
Song Links
Always: https://soundcloud.com/futureclassic/panama-always
The World At Large: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppzTFgwZxhc
Spirit in the Sky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZQxH_8raCI

5
6

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/panama/always.html
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/panama/always.html