My name is Jillian, or Jill, Jilly, whatever. I answer to it all. I was born on the 13th Day of October, 1983 to Daniel and Vanessa Anderson. Almost three years later my only brother, Jordan, arrived. Our relationship as brother and sister started out rocky. Mom remembers me as saying, “He makes me so mad I’m afraid of what I’ll do to him someday.” I got over that though, and I’m glad, because he’s my best friend today.
My mother was born and raised here in Columbia as well. Her family is here also for the most part. Save her younger sister and family, who live in Iowa. My father was born in Falls City, Nebraska and moved here when he married Mom in ‘81. His family is still in Nebraska, including his mother, two brothers and their families, and two sisters and their families.
I am a publisher in the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Hallsville, a small nearby suburb. I was baptized July 3, 1999. My entire family, including most of my extended family, are also baptized Witnesses. I would never want to be anything but a Witness of Jehovah. His organization consists of the most loving people in the entire world, and I’m glad to be part of it.
I attended Hallsville Schools up until ninth grade when I left and home schooled myself through High School. I graduated in 2001. I’ve always been passionate about photography. So after high school I studied professional photography for a while until it became a chore. Nothing that you are passionate about should become burdensome. When it does, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. I realized that and stopped studying photography as a future profession. It’s now much more enjoyable as the hobby it’s always been.
As far as interests go I’ll try not too bore you too much (Too late right?)
You’ve already heard of my love of photography. I also write poetry. While they’re mostly nothing more than glorified journal entries, they’re special to me. I don’t express myself in many ways but poetry is a healing outlet that is as public or private as you want it to be. I love reading poetry also. My favorite poets are William Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe.
I have interests in nearly every art medium. I don’t actually practice any of them, it’s more of an appreciation for all art. Particularly architecture. I could stare at pictures of Renaissance cathedrals and Gothic castles ‘til my eyes dry up and fall out. I dream of going to Rome or Venice someday, just for the buildings. And is it bad that I also have a fascination with religious art? I mean I wouldn’t display it in my house but I doubt anyone would contest that the Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel or David are spectacular works of art. Then again I consider the paintings done by Brothers and Sisters at the Society works of art as well.
Books and music you could call another hobby I guess. I love science fiction. My favorite is the Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The first of which was written in 1912. I love Frank Herbert’s Dune books too. As far as music goes you’ll probably only ever hear me listening to alternative or “punk” rock. I use the term punk loosely because today true punk is hard to come by. And I’ll freely admit that I love Emo. For those of you who don’t know what that is, Emo is short for Emotion Rock. Bands like Dashboard Confessional, Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, All American Rejects and the like are all great Emo bands.
That’s more or less me in a nutshell. No wait this is me in a nutshell, “Help! I’m in a nutshell! How’d I get in here? What kind of nut comes in a shell this big? It’s crazy!”
