Through the eyes of a modern-day Hippie

Everyone get's a trophy in pee-wee soccer.

2011-03-10T20:49:00.000-08:00

Sometime last year, someone told me "The problem with this country is that everyone gets a trophy in pee-wee soccer," What a genius quote. What does it mean?

That everyone is told from a young age that it doesn't matter if you win or loose. That is a lie! It often time matters if you win or loose. Teaching kids otherwise, might temporarily boost their self esteem and or self confidence, but in the long run, you're not showing them how to be competitive the correct way.

There is a sort of finesse to both winning and loosing. Sportsmanship is a key quality in anyone, not just athletes. How can you learn to be a graceful loser, or winner if you never focus on the competition?

I think that the adults in society, not all but a good chunk, are going about boosting children and teens self image the wrong way. In the real world...that is life after high school, competition matters. Winners are winners and losers are losers, it's that simple.

Should you get bent out of shape out of every loss? Probably not, because as they say "You win some, and you loose some."

Another issue pertaining to this matter, there should not be a 'tie' for best_________. (Fill in the blank.) The title is THE BEST not 'The top few.' This has been a recent frustration for me as I prepare to live life without all of my senior friends.

They have announced the valedictorians at my school. You read correctly valedictorians, plural, as in more than one. Now I think that it's feasible that two or maybe three deserve the title, but we have 14 valedictorians!

The one requirement to be valedictorian, is to maintain a 4.0 GPA (grade point average) all four years of high school, now this is not a task that is necessarily easy to do, but still, when you have a tie between 14 people, even if they are the best and brightest I think it's time to create a separate honor for 4.0 students, and up the required criteria for Valedictorian.

My anger and resentment is not toward anyone who has worked hard and maintained a 4.0, but at the fact that, at least at my school, being valedictorian just isn't as special as it used to be.
Click here to see a brilliant valedictorian speech!

A day of inspiration.

2011-02-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

Today, we had a guest speaker for Black History month. For the past few years it's been the same person, Mrs. Melva Jarrett. This is a women who grew up in the town I go to school. She knows my grandparents, which is not surprising, a lot of people do.

Melva Jarrett is not only an intelligent women, but a passionate one. From the minute I met her I admired her. I wouldn't say that we are necessarily friends, but we're more than acquaintances, the best way to describe our relationship is that we are kindred spirits.

She is an avid supporter of not only Black rights, but of equality of all men and women. Every time she visits our school, she asks questions about history, and whoever answer them correctly gets a bracelet. The last time she came I answered three or four questions in a row. She came up to me in the second row of the auditorium gave me another bracelet, and then she grabbed my hand and said "This here, this is my sister, and she's going to change this world."

Now does she remember this? Probably not, but I know that I'll never forget. After the assembly was over I went up to talk to Mrs. Jarrett, and she was more than happy to oblige me in conversation. Repeatedly she told me how she just knew that I had that special something; that passion, that spark to change people, to change the world.

It's people like Melva Jarrett that inspire not just the younger generations but all generations. She's different, no doubt, but that's what makes people remember her and what she says.

Listening to her speak today made me think of something that's been at the back of my mind lately, my heritage. I've always been curious, but the other day in my history class we finished watching a film on Native American's. I'm one-sixteenth Native American, now I know that, that's not a lot, but it's something, and whenever anyone asks about my ancestors I tell them that I'm both Irish and Native American.

I myself smirk at the combination. But the film we watched in history increased my thirst for knowledge about my family's past. Eventually I plan on hiring someone to track down the records. But for now, I'll continue to imagine I am the distant relative of a Chief, or Irish warrior.

I think that everyone should know about their past. It just seems that you can't know who you truly are until you know where you came from.

Self confidence is a must

2011-02-19T23:20:00.000-08:00

I like to think of myself as a patient person...however I know that I am not. Do I try to be, of course. But at times it becomes frustrating, not when someone doesn't know something or doesn't understand say a question or something like that, but when people don't try to understand or are just holding themselves down.

There is little that is more irritating than the person who constantly says "I'm fat," in order to fish for compliments or reassurance that she's/he's not. This doesn't even just have to be about weight, but pertains to intelligence and pretty much all other characteristics, mannerisms, and qualities.

After so many times of hearing a person complain or even apologize for something that they don't think they did well enough, I start to loose all sympathy, and empathy for them.

Self confidence is key in many parts of life including getting a job, overall it's something that will make your life much happier.

I understand, or at least I think I understand, what it's like to not feel like people enjoyed something you did or, that you didn't do as well as you could have, that should make you strive to make/do it better. Everyone needs reassurance every once in a while, but for it to be everyday or every time you do something is a little over the top.

People tend to think that teens claim to know it all, but honestly I know more teens who think that they don't know anything. When I come across someone who appears to be fishing for compliments or reassurance frequently I tend to think "GET SOME SELF CONFIDENCE!"

Now, that probably seems a tad bit harsh.But think, how happy do you think a person's life could be if they are constantly looking to someone else for approval. You shouldn't immediatley tell any person who's doubting themselves to just "get over it," but after a while tough love is a must. If you go on enabling them by reassuring them, and acting as a crutch then they're never going to learn to walk on their own.

There's a fine line between being a good friend, and being a bad crutch, which side are you on?

All the freedom, and no where to go

2011-02-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Your sixteenth birthday is a monumental one. It's the birthday you wait for from the time you learn how to talk. It's the reason you watch that show on MTV "Super Sweet 16."

Year after year you and your friends sit around discussing how epic it's going to be when you turn 16 and get a car. You contemplate all the places you'll go and things you'll do. The possibilities seem endless.

Giving your mother a heart attack, and your dad a headache you begin to learn to drive. It's worth it to give up part of your summer to go up to the school and take drivers ed. classes.

Finally you wake up one morning check your count down calendar and jump out of bed with excitement realizing that the day has finally come, your 16.

Then reality sinks in. Say you have the car, and the license and you go out for the first time with your friends...and you realize you have all the freedom, and no where to go.

Hope on Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

Today is Valentine's day. Despite my lack of having a "Significant other" I am not wallowing in self pity nor lashing out at everyone who has flowers, chocolate or a stuffed animal. Not even my loathing of Hallmark can make a Valentine's day hater of me.

There are several stories that attempt to explain the origins of the "Couples holiday," While they all differ slightly the one thing they have in common is the fact that Saint Valentine was a martyr for love and romance. Skeptics on the other hand seem to think Hallmark, in all it's evilness created Valentine's day merely as a way to gain profits.

Personally, I'd like to believe that the idea that is true love exists out there somewhere, and that there are people who are willing to go that extra mile to prove there love, and or fondness for someone.

Today without a doubt I became witness to the fact that romance is not dead. A certain friend in a certain class today got a visit from her boyfriend, who came bearing gorgeous red roses. This poor gentleman not only paid for the roses, and the gas it took him to drive to the school, but had to endure the wrath of our close knit class.

But he did it, and with finesse. Not once did he break a sweat while being questioned about his intentions pertaining to my friend and their future together, he even did so with a smile.

That was only one of two examples of romance. Another friend, wrote a poem for his prospective and possible girlfriend, and put this poem along with a few baked goods in her locker.

I guess the skeptics will always be skeptical and the cynics will always be cynical but even they will someday find true love, whether or not the realize it is a different story however.

Remember "The Journey"

2011-02-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Recently on a global scale there has been more violence and political uproar than usual. Egyptians are still protesting, and rioting in the streets. It is my hypothesis that when ever disaster strikes anywhere in the world it brings out the true patriot in all of us.

This past Sunday while watching the Super Bowl with my family I noticed how many commercials were centered around patriotism. Before the game even started a group of famous, or at least well known people lead individual groups in reading parts of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Watching the players stand solemnly with their hands on their hearts during the National Anthem, was truly moving. Seeing that single player shed a tear, made me smile at the fact that he too becomes emotional when hearing the National Anthem. At that moment the world didn't seem so big, or scary.

The Super Bowl did of course have it's lighter moments, during all of the comical commercials.

I would have to say that though the Doritos pug and Little Vader were close contenders, my favorite part of the Super Bowl was "The Journey."

Michael Douglas, an actor who just won his battle with cancer narrated this commercial and with flair he told the story to the generations who were born while there was still a Berlin Wall, and when you could see John Lennon in concert. For the younger generations Michael Douglas not only told a story, but narrated a legacy.

In times of economic crisis, I think that we forget how lucky we are to live in such a great country not only that but, I think that at times we forget what we've been through as a nation, and how much farther we can go.

Miss "The Journey"? Watch it now.

An inspiring blog

2011-02-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

Just recently I was reading over my friend's blog trying to get a feel for this whole ideal of blogging and I decided that I must reiterate a point that she made.

This friend is living and working in Honduras, which she has shared has been quiet the experience. In her latest blog post she was describing to myself and her other loyal followers the first time she saw a trash truck. Her description included children, riding with the trash collectors.

I shared her confusion when I read this and when her friend explained why those children weren't in school my heart sank and tears came to my eyes. Those Honduran children can't afford to go to school, they can barely afford the clothes on their backs.

In Honduras trash collecting companies allow children to ride around on the trucks and help the workers, in return they get to go through the trash and pick out whatever food they want to eat.

Sometimes we all need a good reality check, and reading that on my friend's blog was definitely mine.

Humanity will prevail

2011-02-04T10:02:00.000-08:00

In Egypt there are protests and riots in the streets of major cities throughout the country. Why are these citizens protesting? Egyptian president Hosni Murbarak has pushed the citizens to their limit, and they are now demanding an end to the “Murbarak Regime.”
        For years, Egyptians have been oppressed by the authoritarian government and now they are taking to the streets to show that they will take it no longer.
        Rioting often follows protests, and this case is no different. Looters, and thieves are taking full advantage of the rampant chaos, and lack of law enforcement. Before the police disappeared they were using brutal violence on protesters peaceful or not.
        Is there a silver lining to this cloud of morbidity? Yes, there is. All over the United States Egyptians and American’s alike are protesting in support of Egyptian citizen’s, some saying that President Obama needs to take a firmer stand of support, or even that he needs to be ready to send troops to help.

Never should you rejoice in violence or lack of freedom, but when humanity won’t take no for an answer when there are people being passionate about rights and freedoms, now that’s when you should rejoice, that’s what should bring a smile to your face.

Through all of the rhetoric, and debate over meaningless things people really care. No matter what they say about the vapid, and shallow ways of the human race I believe humanity will prevail! We will fight our way, hand in hand to the shores of justus and tolerance.