Nothing lasts forever

Relationships. Throughout high school, the majority of us end up having one. As teenagers, we all want to fit in, and relationships let us do that. It’s the ‘cool’ thing to do. Dating also gives you the opportunity to find out more about yourself; like what characteristics you like and don’t like in people and it also show you characteristics you never knew you had. And that, is very interesting.

                We’ve all heard the saying “nothing lasts forever” this statement applies to many things, especially high school relationships. This might be because we always get into relationships for the sake of just being in a relationship. To show we’re not alone. To show that someone ‘excepts’ us. But this isn’t always true because at the beginning of a relationship we date that person because of their looks and then find out we don’t really like their personality. Another reason relationships don’t last in high school is because we have so many options. That probably sounds bad but it’s true. Even if you don’t think it is, trust me, it is. Then once we find someone else we like we just move on.

                High school relationships, and all relationships, take a toll on your friendships, sometimes, leaving you to choose between your friendship and you relationship. Unfortunately this always weakens one relationship. Possibly even ending it. And it always just so happens to be your relationship with the person you’re dating. Sisters before mister’s right? Drugs, alcohol and sex also have a very big effect on relationships. These things dramatize your relationship more than it needs to be. But I’ll save this topic for a later date.

                On the bright side, some high school relationships do last. Even if it is only about 5%, it still proves that something’s do, indeed, last forever. 

Freshman Rant

 

The other day, my class went to a preview of the school play. Before the scene started some under classman decided to play ‘who can get the last clap’. Of course this provoked others around me; sophomores where yelling “shut up!” seniors whispered “really?” and “how immature”. Seeing this response from the sophomores and seniors, I knew it had to be the freshman playing that game.

            I guess my question is why? Why do the freshman have to be so obnoxious? Do they not care if they get beat up? Do they even know how annoying their being? Most of all do they know how disrespectful their being?

            You’re getting out of class to watch a play preview. Not only that, but the actors have been preparing for so long. Making everything perfect. Memorizing the script. Becoming the character. And you have the nerve, as freshman, to play the last clap game while the director is beginning to talk?

            You’re freshman. You’re not ‘the top dogs’ anymore. You’re at the bottom of the food chain. Do you not understand that? Why is it so hard to sit down and watch a play preview for what? 20 minutes? 30 at most. And you sit here and just clap you’re little hands hoping people will think you’re funny. Well I can tell by the response from the people around you, and my opinion, you’re not ‘cool’.

            Another thing freshman do is walk to close to people or push people in the hallway. You don’t need to be standing so close to someone that you repeatedly step on the back of their feet. I have blisters from this! And seriously stop pushing people. You have plenty of time to get to your class. There is no need to push people into other people. I can see brushing past someone who isn’t moving and lightly apologizing or saying excuse me. Is that really so hard? Is you’re tiny body filled with so much rage that you have to push an upperclassmen? Do you want to get beat up?

            I blame the freshman’s lack of common sense but also the lack of helpful older siblings to guide them through the do’s and don’ts of the high school community.

 

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Healthy?

Last year, when the Healthy Kids Act started, we no longer had desert at our school and we also had to start using heart rate monitors in gym.  Heart rate monitors are devices that you put underneath your shirt by your heart to see how many beats per minute your heart gets. This data is collected and displayed on a watch. For gym we have to get 30 minute per gym period with a heart rate over 140.This of course raised a lot of complaints.

                At the beginning of all this I, myself had some complaints, but for no really good reason besides the fact that we didn’t get to have cookie dough once or so a week.  We mostly had complaints about the heart rate monitors. And now that I think about it, there are mostly good things about the heart rate monitors and not having cookie dough.

                On the positive side of all this we are, in fact, getting healthier. Especially with the heart rate monitors. We may not be able to see it right away but there are results. Maybe it’s not getting winded when you go up the stairs or losing .5 pounds.  And not eating cookie dough and other deserts means eating more fruits and vegetables. This has fewer calories and more of ‘the good stuff’ like vitamins and minerals.

                On the bad side, sometimes the heart rate monitors don’t work. Maybe because they have low batteries or you are already in shape. But even if you are in shape you have to work just as hard as or even harder than those who do get winded by just walking up the stairs. But I guess that how it has to be. We can complain all we want but that isn’t going to raise our heart rate.

The Art of Procrastination

Sometimes, when we have things to do like, oh I don’t know, write an essay for a blog or study for a test, we find ourselves putting it off until the last minute.

                This applies to everyone, but mostly high school students. But why is that? Why do we always put things off until the last minute? Because we’re lazy? Is it because we have better things to do? Or is there a deeper meaning?

                (http://greatist.com/happiness/how-not-to-procrastinate-reason-procrastination)

                While doing this essay last minute, I read an article called ‘The Real Reason We Procrastinate’ this article states that we procrastinate because doing the task will cause a certain amount of pain. This makes sense, no one wants to be in pain. They use the word ‘pain’ in a very broad way, meaning pain can be fear or shame and not just physical, mental, or emotional pain.

                The article goes on to say “without realizing it, most of us instinctively retreat to a comfort zone and do our best to never leave it.” Time does not procrastinate, so if we stay inside our ‘comfort zone’ opportunities and good grades fly out the window. After that the article says that eventually, this pain turns into power. With homework, I don’t believe that at all. Mainly because it’s Sunday night and I still have another essay to write. I do, however, think you can make things like homework and doing the laundry a bit more enjoyable. Even if it’s just turning on some up-beat music or rewarding yourself with M&M’s when you’ve finished your task.

                Another way to make things more enjoyable is to take a break every once in a while. If we don’t take a break sometimes we will never want to do things we have to do. Leaving those tasks undone and you unmotivated.  

Finding Myself

 

Usually, when someone asks me who I am, I simply respond with ‘I’m Megan. And you are?’ or ‘I’m Megan, we’ve gone to school together since the 6^th grade?’ but when someone says no WHO are you? What makes you, you? I just stand there, open mouth thinking ‘who am I?’ because I honestly don’t know who I am. I just am. You know? I can’t explain who I am because I view myself differently than everyone else. For example the girl I sit next to in one of my classes. She hates me. She might tell you that I am a… well, you know. My grandparents would tell you that I’m a nice young lady who is funny and very bright. But my friends might say ‘Megan? Yeah she’s cool’ but I guess this is the essay were I tell you about me. However, instead of telling you my favorite color is orange and my favorite food is watermelon. I will tell you a story giving you a glimpse of who I am.

            Now the question is, what story? Something that shaped me… something that made me who I am… Got it! I’ll tell you about my best friend. Kirsten.

            As a preschooler, my parents had to meet with my teacher towards the end of my preschool career. Not because I was a bad kid and bite someone, but because my teacher thought I needed to go to alternative kindergarten, which is basically another year of preschool before kindergarten. The first day I went, I was scared. I remember getting on the bus, my little head barley tall enough to be seen from the windows outside. I sat alone at the front of the bus.

            Later that same day we had ‘play time’ where we stayed inside and played with the little kitchen set or blocks in the classroom. I remember approaching a small round table perfect for my size. The table was decorated with a red and white checkered table cloth and fake food. This table was intriguing to me and a little blond girl named Kirsten. Quickly she became my best friend. When we got on the bus that afternoon, I no longer had to sit alone. Kirsten now sat right beside me.

            At the end of the year I moved, and was going to start a new school without Kirsten. Once again I was scared and thought I would have a hard time making friends. When I got to the open house to meet my teacher, I saw the little blond girl walking towards me. I was so happy to see her. Our parents started talking and we found out we only lived a block away from each other. Hearing that made our tiny brains go crazy with excitement. I could tell by looking at her excited face that this was the start of a long friendship.

           

            I’m now a junior in high school. Kirsten and I no longer live a block away from each other, and we don’t have any classes together. But we’re still the best of friends. I find that so amazing because it’s been 12 years… 12 years, even through high school, where friendships come to die. 12 years our friendship has lasted and 12 more years are to come. And honestly, at the end of the day that’s all that really matters, friendship, and I’m so glad I have someone like her to call my best friend. So thank you Kirsten. You’ve helped me find who I am. And that’s the best thing anyone can do for some one.