Who Is...
GRACE CRANDALL
Grace Crandall /
21 /
Valley Center, CA /
English and Film
#3: As a child, what did you want to be?
I don’t know, I wanted to be a lot of different things. I think like the one thing I always wanted to be, that was always there no matter what other degree was at top, was that I always wanted to be a writer. So, like, just like, write books and stuff, even if that was just a side hustle, but that’s always been the main thing I always wanted to be. Everything pretty much revolved around stories. There was the animal phases and the marine biologist phases everyone had, but for the most part it was just writing stories. I wrote tons of little—I would write these stories then tie them together with a string, and my mom would be like “another book by grace!” I’m sure she still has a few, I want to see them again. But yeah, I was always writing poetry or little books when I was a kid. And before I could read, I would just copy my parents’ reading books and just like speak gibberish and be like “lalalala” but yeah, I always liked writing.
#32: What’s your favorite part about yourself that isn’t physical?
Umm, I think, probably, how I see like meaning in a lot of things, even if they’re really small. To some people it could just be like hanging out with friends, but to me it means a lot more. Or for some people it could just be a very specific way the light comes through the window and like “oh it’s so pretty, the sunset,” and in my head, it’s like “the sunset’s so pretty, what would that look like in a fantasy world?” Or just like, I don’t know, everything I see I sorta come up with a story for. Just like, subconsciously, like when I got my nails done a while ago, they were a certain type of green, and I was like “that looks like the color of green for a forest or some place that a fairy lives” or something, I always have some sort of analogy going in my head. It’s not that it always makes sense, but I’m always just thinking about stuff. Just imagination, even as an adult that I still have. Even like, it won’t have to be something I make up, but just seeing that Batman poster, I just think to myself it’s so crazy how like stories bring people together, like how a bunch of people at school want to see this movie, and that just makes me so excited. But a better, simpler answer would be that I’m n i c e.
#20: What do you think is your defining characteristic?
I'd say physical, I’m tall, that’s about it. I’m 6’1. My defining characteristic, as in personality, I think for a long time was being quiet, which like I’m still having a hard time with because like I can still be loud and I’m like “oh that’s not grace,” but I’m still trying to get over being quiet all the time. So quiet and tall have been my defining characteristics my whole life so, I mean there’s not anything I can do about the height. Like, I’m getting hEiGhT rEduCTiOn sUrgEry.
#25: Think of someone you admire. Who are they, and why does this person come to mind?
Umm……………………. I would say my Dad. Just because, I know a lot of people who don’t have good dads, and have bad relationships with dads, and have a bad relationship with men. And, I’ve heard a lot of people, here too, be like “men are awful, they’re going to break your heart, don’t get too attached” and I’ve had a hard time with that, because I’ve been hurt since I’ve been here. But it’s just because I trust people, and I have such a great dad, and he’s always been there for me, and he has his own issues that come with being a man or whatever, but he’s always been there for me and constant, and I never have to worry about him betraying my trust or my mom’s trust or anything. So, I would just say, I admire him for being steady and steadfast, and I want to be that person. And not so much that I want to be—I DO want to be like that—but he reminds he that there are really really good men out there, and you’re not going to find them right away, but you don’t have to be cynical about males ya know.
#11: What is the priciest thing you’ve splurged
on?
Like a fish tank. Like a fish tank with the filter and heater and everything. I’ve spent SO MUCH money on fish! If I could see how much money I’ve spent, I wouldn’t want to see it because it would make me upset; it’s probably like $900 over years. But yeah, I’ve spent a lot on fish. I know that’s really odd; I don’t buy purses or fancy clothes or anything…. I just like fish, and books.
#36: What is your favorite book you’ve read?
Just plain and simple, The Return of the King, Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien. A not so mainstream book that would probably be my favorite is like, The Secret Life of Bees, that’s a really good one! I don’t think it may—OH NO! Wait! I have a really good one! It’s called The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern. It’s my favorite standalone, people haven’t heard of book.
#41: What makes you smile the most?
Umm……I’m really trying to think about it *laughs* I think, just when I hear a song that just gets me in the right spot, I just smile really big. Yeah, just certain songs, like if I hear When You Wish Upon a Star, I immediately start smiling, I just feel so much emotion, like oh my gosh it’s so beautiful! It’s the nostalgia, like yesss this brings me back. It just reminds me of old memories and stuff, just makes me happy.
#24: Something that brought a smile to your face this week:
Umm, I got a new beta fish, and I was very excited about it. I got this one yesterday, so yeah, I was really excited about that and I was smiling when I put him in, he’s so cuteeee! His name is Wooshi, it’s Chinese for like “the lion dance” they do in Chinese festivals, because he looks like one of the puppets kinda. Sooo, Wooshi.
#26: What would your younger self not believe about your life today?
Probably, first of all, probably that like I can do stuff now. As a kid I had reallyyyy extreme anxiety, like agoraphobia level’s, could not go out of the house, could not do anything. And this was like, it got really bad—it was the worst in fourth and fifth grade, I was like going to doctors and stuff cuz like they thought I was having a brain tumor or something, but it was just anxiety. I was just being dRaMaTiC. I couldn’t go to the store, I couldn’t do horseback riding lessons, I couldn’t do all this stuff, and then I got it again reallyyy bad my junior year of highschool. And I still struggle with it, but that was like, I wouldn’t eat all day, I would go to school and had to leave early, I wouldn’t even go into class. And now…. I’m like a totally different person, which isn’t—it’s medication and therapy which is really great—um, but now my younger self would not believe that I’m just chilling out here, with friends, writing, and on my phone, and not panicking every second. So yeah, I think that’s a good thing, and I’m really happy about that.
#8: What is the last note you wrote on your phone?
It’s a quote that says, it’s from Arcane, a TV show. It says, “In the pursuit of great, we fail to do good.” And I thought that was a really good quote, and decided to take note of it.