The Final Post

So this is it.

The end of this blogging journey
Photo courtesy of myself

I am extremely doubtful that I will ever write another blog post after this one, an awareness that's accompanied with a sense of both relief and sorrow. We are nearing the end of this school year, my blog's expiration date.

Where was I when I started my blogging journey? I was admittedly very confused, unsure how I could possibly manage everything that was bound to be thrown at me. I've grown slightly, although I don't feel like much has changed.

I've learned a lot from blogging, as stupid and vaguely cliché as that sounds. Being given an outlet is an amazing feeling. I was able to release stress by writing ridiculous theories about the universe, I was able to distract myself from other things I was worried about, and I was able invest a piece of my mind in one of the first school assignments that has ever truly been fun.

I honestly don't think much has changed since the fall, when I began contributing to this blog. Other than creating some sort of digital journal for my future self, nothing extremely life-changing has come out of this assignment. However, I still feel like it was worth it. I learned from this experience.

Mostly, I learned that it's impossible to escape some things, like the extensive workload you're bound to be given and the bad things you're going to feel. You can manage, though. As people, we forget how tough we are. It's not like the video games, because in reality you only get one life and most people still live an average of 78 years. There are moments when things feel really bad and that's okay. I know that's okay.

I'm not going to tell you that you can do anything or some bullshit like that because I'm not a motivational speaker. It's just that, this year, I've found out that hard things are possible. Maybe I'm bound to fail the AP test this upcoming Friday and, yeah, I've bombed lots of assignments this year. But all these terribly stressful difficulties are things that I've accomplished. I survived my first year in high school! Look at me go.

So where am I today? Still confused, that's for sure. I still have no clue what I'm doing and maybe I never will know, but I've decided that nobody really does. It's okay to feel lost because we are living in a world full of people who feel the exact same way. We're all stumbling around blindly, searching for places where we feel okay. I think people are like puzzles – yes, in the way that we're all looking for ways to put each other together, but in a different way, too. I think we hand out puzzle-pieces of ourselves like flyers on the sidewalk corner. Me? I've given a piece of myself to my friends, to my family. To dance, art, writing, photography, reading, music, movies…things I love. Things I can't lose.

Now, the human mind is a complicated thing. I'm never going to know all the secrets of the universe, but I know this: everyone's trying to find something to root themselves in. Perhaps a religion, a band, someone to love. People want to feel safe. And everyone needs somewhere where they can be whoever they want to be, free of fear or discomfort. Maybe a group of friends, a church, a social media site.

Or maybe a blog.

A/N: Thank you to anyone who has actually been reading my blog (my friends, mostly). People who have left compliments – especially the few that stopped me in the hall to tell me they loved my writing when I didn't even realize they knew about it. This was a cool journey. Thanks for sharing it with me.
Also, I'm allowed to be sappy and superficial and fake-deep because this was an entire school-year of my life and I feel bizarrely attached to it. Thank you. This is the end.

What's Wrong With Technology?

How many times have you been scolded for being on your phone? Personally, I'm been reprimanded constantly from my mother, as I'm sure most teenagers have been. I've discovered that often the people criticizing the use of technology are the same people who are incapable of utilizing it.

I don't understand why so many adults are convinced technology has a negative influence on our lives. Like all things, of course, there are adverse traits, but the amount of technological advances we've experienced over the years is incredible. 

There are cars being sold now that run without gasoline. People can search for cancer with only a simple blood test. Printers exist that can develop 3D objects – scientists are even trying to print live organs for donation. The technology in our world today is absolutely amazing.

I understand that most adults aren't complaining about this. Majority of the people who whine about technology are directing their issue toward teenagers, a group of kids who are known for being completely obsessed with their screens. But why is this so bad? Sure, it's not easy for most of us to go a day without utilizing technology, but that is the world we live in. We are the generation that is going to grow up and invent the flying cars and mechanical surgeons that save lives. We are the generation that is going to use our knowledge and our technically-savvy minds to fix holes in our planet. Technology is not a bad thing, so stop treating it like it is.

Look how many positive things come from technology!!!!
Image Credit

And if you're the type of person that scolds others for being on their phones in public, shame on you. You don't know what they're looking at. Maybe they're reading a letter from their Grandma who just passed away, studying for a geography test or looking at pictures of their old friends that don't live near them anymore. Maybe they had a shit day and all they want to do is sit peacefully on the bus and play a cat game. Good for them.

If you think that a teenager (or any person, really) should look up from their cellphones and absorb the world around them, please shut up. Technology is not ruining our lives, and seeing a person on their phone in public is not "sad." It's common. It's useful. It's necessary. We live in a world surrounded by technology, so if you're against that then I'm pretty sure it's your own fault. 

A/N: This is kind of harsh. It started out as a rant toward my mother concerning her constant lectures for being on my phone… I got a bit carried away.

Nothing Special

When I was younger, for whatever reason, I created a very stupid game. To play, you're supposed to try to formulate the strangest sentence possible. As a child, the sentences were often senseless and completely confusing, like "Chickens bounce small from skinny weasels and evaporate onto the gum balls." The object of the game was to say something that no one has EVER said before.

Obviously, there is no distinct way to determine whether or not a sentence has already been said in all of human history. That was sort of the point, really – your sentence had to be such nonsense that nobody could've possibly uttered it.

Now that I'm older, the concept is a bit more meaningful.

Have you ever wondered if all your words have been said? Maybe every sentence you've ever spoken has already come out of someone else's mouth. Perhaps there's even one specific person who has said everything you've ever said, just in a different order.

Furthermore, maybe everything you've ever done has collectively been done by other people. Maybe you've never performed an act that hasn't already been performed. They say that no two snowflakes are the same, but how are they supposed to know if the same snowflake that fell outside my bedroom window today fell 1,000 years ago in Portugal?

I've lived in three houses before the one I'm currently sitting in. What if tomorrow a new family moves into my first house – the one I lived in until I was 6? What if that family has a daughter just like me? What if the family then goes on to live in my second house? Then my third one? By the time I go off to college and get an apartment of my own, what if that little girl lives here? What if she ends up sitting where I sit to do my homework after school? I would never know. I could be following someone right now and I wouldn't know it; there could be someone ten years older than me who has lived my exact life. I wouldn't have a clue.

Image Credit

A/N: I'm not really sure why I wrote this. I was standing around a pool table with one of my friends a few months ago, listening to loud music through the ceiling-speakers. It was past midnight, and for some reason we were talking about this. I thought it was interesting.

Read more of my theories here.

Settle For Less

A student comes home with their final report card, disappointed in some aspects but somewhat proud. They've received mostly A's and B's, along with a single D but that doesn't really bother them. They worked hard this semester and are fairly pleased with their good grades.

The second they enter the kitchen their mom/dad asks to see their report card. As a parent, their eyes go directly to the D. Their first response is immediately "You got a D in History?" because that's what they see. That's what doesn't fulfill their expectations.

As a student, their parent's retaliation seems heart crushing. The student didn't think it was that bad. One D, they thought. My other grades were all good, they thought.

It's disturbing that most adults focus on kids' failures as opposed to their successes.

This is true in all situations. This is the reason that adults constantly ridicule the younger generation for everything; technology, for example, is not appreciated for being impressive and revitalizing – it's scoffed upon for being distracting. This is the reason that kids don't feel appreciated for their hard work.

This comes up on Google Images if you search "parents clipart"
Photo Courtesy

It's not just parents, either. Everyone does this. All people subconsciously focus in on the substandard things rather than admiring what they have achieved. All people work a harder to become something more; all people strive to be good enough.

So, is it ever going to be good enough? Or does everyone keep reaching for a report card…an approving smile…a lifestyle…that's unachievable? If the student works hard enough, will their parents ever look at them and say they're perfect? And if they say it, are they lying? Of course it could be better; it could always be better. No matter what it is, you could achieve more.

For some people this is inspirational. If you can always improve, then there's always something to reach for. This is a form of motivation.

For others, however, this reality is immensely defeating. No matter how hard you work, how fast you climb, or how hard you try, you'll never reach the absolute maximum of human accomplishment.

So settle for less. Do everything to your best ability, and be proud of yourself for it. Look at your report card and think, hey, I worked really hard on this. Don't ever deride yourself for not being good enough, and don't let anyone degrade you for your pride.

Flaws In The Education System #2

You Aren't Learning Anything Beneficial

Around 55 million kids in America are enrolled in elementary or secondary schools. Every day, approximately 55 MILLION American students sit in classrooms. Yet, according to Ecudemic, the United States isn't even one of the world's top 10 education systems. So what is everyone in our country doing? To sit in classrooms (1,680 hours each year, by the way)…does that even benefit us at all? Are we learning the wrong things?

Half the things you're taught in school don't help you succeed.

Everyone has wondered this. Everyone has sat in a classroom and groaned internally, knowing that this curriculum would never be used outside of the school walls. This is a question commonly asked by a confused math student: "When are we ever going to use any of this?"

Upon being asked this, I've found that most teachers respond with one of two things:

1. They'll list a specific job category that uses this curriculum (sometimes minimally), and often it's something that no one wants to grow up and pursue. For example, "Construction workers use this all the time!" or "My husband's sister's daughter majored in ophthalmology, and she uses this every day!"

2. Either that, or the teacher will sigh and make the student feel guilty for asking the question. I have a theory that this is just a ploy to get out of the situation without answering the question at all. They'll say something like, "This is the worst question. I hate this question, I absolutely hate it. I'm just…I'm going to pretend that you didn't just ask that. Wow…" Then they'll pause, let everyone wade in the uncomfortable silence, and say, "Alright then, let's get on with the lesson."

Teacher being a teacher
Photo Courtesy

But the thing is, school doesn't really teach you anything worth knowing.

We're not taught how to get to know people or how to make someone laugh. We're not taught how raise a dog or how much to tip the waiter at a restaurant. We're not taught how to manage 4 hours of homework after 5 hours of schoolwork, and we're not taught how to cope with the stress or the anxiety or the pressure. We're not even taught how to pay taxes. I have no idea what a mortgage is. Instead, we're taught the plot of Greek literature and the history of Israel's wars. We're taught how to formulate arithmetic sequences and how to label the protons and electrons of a Phosphate. We're taught such unnecessary things. And what do we learn? I don't know about everyone else, but so far I've mastered how to befriend teachers and how to bullshit three-page essays in under an hour.

School is supposed to be a privilege. Kids are supposed to wake up and want to learn things. Our education is being sucked out from under us, and now we are confused high schoolers with monotone answers to questions we don't care about.

Look at us. We're learning nothing useful. 

Flaws In The Education System #1

I plan on writing multiple posts about things that are wrong with our education system. Welcome to the first of (hopefully) many.

Education or Grade?

Photo courtesy

A student walks into math class feeling entirely normal. She/he has just finished conversing with a friend about the geography test next period, something that everyone seems to be stressed about today. He/she takes a seat where he/she is assigned and glances forward. On the white board is written, "TEST TODAY. NO CALCULATORS!"

She/he mentally panics, immediately filling with terror. With the biology test last class and the geography test next class…he/she completely forgot about this one. Math.

The student's eyes scan over the bold words again. No calculators. She/he hadn't practiced multiplying matrices at all. He/she was relying on the use of a calculator in order to pass this exam. So he/she snatches one from the basket and holds it in between their thighs, smiling warily as the rest of the students enter the classroom.

No one seems to notice him/her cheating, but they're very cautious. Sure, he/she feels awful about it, but they have good reason. The teacher doesn't let them retake tests! And the student knows their grade will not be an A after this.

At some point he/she realizes that they have absolutely no clue how to perform this equation. The person sighs, glances up, and glimpses at another students' work (Not even to cheat! They just want to see how far behind they are) only to realize they're on the exact same problem. And his/her neighbor, unlike his/herself, actually has an answer written down.

You may be thinking: How is this a flaw in the education system? It seems like a flaw in the teacher's awareness. However, this is the issue:

The reason students cheat on tests is because their grade matters more than their education.

Why is this, exactly? I think the answer is sort of obvious. From the moment students start receiving grades, the entire idea of them is exaggerated. Once you reach high school especially, everything revolves around your GPA. It's not about being knowledgable. College applications don't look at your brain activity, they look at your transcript.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the original point of school was to educate kids. The emphasis on learning feels like it's been decreased. To me, it's as if the entire point of high school is to get good grades, get into a good college, and get a high-paying job. I don't just want to succeed in school; I want to be intelligent. The idea of learning and knowledge is really awesome, and school takes that away from us.

So screw the grades – aim for intellect. Set fires with brilliance, break hearts with capability, and learn.

The Large Gap Between Where You Are And Where You Should Be

The thing is, you may feel sort of unaccomplished. Maybe you're like me and you spend your minimal free time looking at pictures of dogs dressed as bees. Maybe you're life is a repetitive cycle. Maybe you're slower than everyone else, and maybe you feel a bit behind.

That's sort of okay, though.

There are people in the world who move really fast – the type of people who are ahead of all their responsibilities, homework, and chores. These are the type of people that have everything planned to the minute; the type of people that text you "hey" and say "sorry I have to go" two minutes later. Treadmill people. They take advice from time and never stop going places. These are the type of people who are rooted into their beliefs. Always on the ground, never distracted. Stable, conscious, fast.

Then, there's everyone else. Possibly you. The people that feel like everything is moving too quickly for them to keep up – like they're constantly running to catch the bus but it pulls away as soon as they arrive. They sometimes feel like they're moving too slow, but that's fine. They take their time on their homework, chores, and responsibilities. They're the type of people that will sit down at the bus stop and accomplish something else as they wait for the next vehicle. They'll text you and ask you how your day went, and (even if they have something else to do) they'll maintain a conversation. These are the type of people who are suspended in the sky. Gentle, free-falling, slow.

There's nothing wrong with moving "too slowly" or being "behind everyone else." Take your time. Breathe through everything.

There's also nothing wrong with moving quickly. Write a final essay in 27 minutes. Check something off on your to-do list and sprint to the next objective.

But:

If you look at other people and wish you were there, stop doing that. I'm serious. Stop. Maybe it doesn't seem that easy ("I can't just stop being envious of people") but you actually can.

Try to compliment someone else without comparing them to yourself. Try to look at people and flood them with admiration. Everything is beautiful and everyone is beautiful. At some point you'll realize that you're a part of everyone, too.

Actually, the title of this post is a complete lie. There is no "large gap between where you are and where you should be." You are THERE. You've accomplished everything you're supposed to have accomplished. This is for you:

Do you think they actually posed for this, just suspending their hands in the air like that, or were they actually mid high five? Anyways, photo courtesy here

A/N: This is actually a fairly inspirational post, which is really unlike me. I mostly wrote this because I was feeling overwhelmed and very behind with schoolwork/responsibility. It sort of made me feel better. I hope it does the same for you. 
Also please excuse the high-five picture. I'm required to add an image to every one of my posts and for some reason I thought it was funny.