21of21 Thane Ali

Thane Ali
Age 5: "Why are we being pulled over? I wonder how Mom's going to talk us out of this one..."
Age 5: "I smeared Vaseline on the tile floor. So shiny!"
Age 6: "Daring me to eat a worm? Ha, I'll show those boys! I'll eat three!"
Age 6: "They were teasing my brother again, so of course I chocked them all out! I'm sure that will take care of things now."
Age 7: "Mom sure is mad that I won't get on my knees for mass today. But I'm not in the mood to pray!"
Age 7: "I know I shouldn't make friends at the refugee camps - but Mosi seemed so nice! I shouldn't get attached, he'll never be able to adjust to life here. Then again, who can?"
Age 8: "Soccer with a dead pigeon - why not!"
Age 8: "They're actually turning that building into a church? What about all the guns and stuff they found under the floor boards?"
Age 9: "They pick on my brother - I vandalize their swings. Makes sense to me!"
Age 9: "Yes! The teacher totally believes they were the ones who destroyed the swings! They won't be picking on my brother any more now!"
Age 10: "Dad's shredding papers in the back room, and selling everything that won't fit into the car. I guess this means we're moving again!" 
Age 10: "Moving is so exciting! I love new beginnings!"
Age 10: "I can't believe 'Plan B' actually worked! Communist authorities are so grumpy."
Age 11: "Scored some rockets that haven't gone off yet - out to the forest we go!"
Age 11: "These rockets are definitely not going off. Bummer."
Age 12: "Hm, I wonder what will happen if I tie my sister to my bike and ride with her down the hill?"
Age 12: "Well that didn't work! Why is the neighbour yelling at me so much? Doesn't he know that I don't speak his language!?"
Age 13: "Bombers are flying over us, the whole house is shaking. This means more refugees. I hate politicians."
Age 13: "More bombers. Mom says this is going to be happening on a regular basis now. I hate people with power, and their sick territory games!"
Age 14: "Let's fill all the soap dispensers with lotion! I love practical jokes!"
Age 14: "Awwww, those poor little baby birds are all abandoned! I'm so glad the farmers gave us the nest - now we can nurse them back to health!"
Age 15: "Moving to America this time. I'm not so sure about this. They take a lot of refugees."
Age 15: "Oh my God - what is that thing?! A cockroach?? What's that?? How much longer to we have to live in this tool shed for?"
Age 16: "Ha ha yeah - I don't think I'm cheerleader material."
Age 16: "If I have to sit through another one of my teacher's stupid lectures about how 'I don't know anything about the world' I think I'll puke on her shoes. I don't even bother to comment back to her now."
Age 16: "Stop laughing. Stupid jerks. Thane is so a girl's name."
Age 17: "I seriously can't take this any more. I'm dropping out. There has to be more to people in America than this."
Age 18: "Who needs school? I can teach myself everything I need to know!"
Age 19: "All my friends are amazed by what I can do on the computer - but it's so easy!"
Age 20: "Oh I know I've got the skills to get a great job in this field - no question there!"
Age 22: "They even called me Ms. Ali during the interview! So professional!"
Age 22: "I love my career, it's more than I've ever dreamed of - it's like putting art in motion!" 
Age 24: "I'm so happy to be a part of this team. IDGI is like a second family."
Age 26: "It's just an ingrown toe nail, I hardly feel like I need surgery for it! But whatever the doctor says, I guess! I just hate that I'll have to take a week off work!" 
Age 26: "My toe still hurts. Maybe they didn't remove the nail fully?"
Age 27: "What an irritation - that's okay, I can work through it."
Age 27: "There is something seriously wrong with my foot now... I'm really quite worried. What if I've left it too long?"
Age 27: "Flesh-eating disease? What is that, like a one in one-hundred chance?"