Oh teacher I need you....

I wrote this Junior year for Teacher Appreciation Week for NHS. It was worht five volunteer hours. I like teachers, so I wrote about them.

Smart, Helpful, Weird, Caring, Educated, Crazy, Professional, Wise, Sweet, Pest, Nice, Qualified, Old.

After asking students and adults ranging from age 6 to age 77, these are the first adjectives that they thought of when hearing the word “teacher”. Each word can be taken as a compliment, whether the adjective used is the word weird or helpful. Every teacher is a pest once in a while, and, not gonna lie, most of the teachers I’ve had have been crazy, possibly mentally ill. I’ve had young teachers, and I’ve had old teachers, but even though their ages might differ in many years, they all want to accomplish the same thing. Retirement. Although retirement is a fantastic goal to set out for, there’s another accomplishment that comes to mind when actually thinking of why a teacher becomes a teacher.
Old man Webster describes the verb “teach” as thus: instruct; impart knowledge of, direct, and (what seems to be a favorite) discipline. What knowledge do teachers actually want to instill upon us lousy kids? Usually we’re sleeping or text messaging when you’re talking anyway, however whether we’re paying attention, making fun of you, or facing the complete opposite direction with an Algebra 2 folder on our desks while we’re in American History, we’ve all learned something valuable somewhere along the line, and I think it’s safe to say, it was from one of you. Maybe it’s the lesson on how to solve sine and cosine graphs, maybe the chemistry lesson on the periodic pattern of electronegativity which stuck with us through chemistry class. However good these lessons do us in the future, I know that I’ve learned other countless lessons that aren’t necessarily related to Math, History, Science, English, or any of those electives we can choose from.
Aristotle said this: “Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well.” We’re around teachers more than our parents from the ages of 5 to about 18, that being said, we’re bound to learn life lessons from you somewhere along the line. I’ve been observing teachers since kindergarten, my mom’s a teacher, her friends are teachers, and I’ve noticed, they only want what’s best for the students that sit in their classroom for 180 days out of the year. The math teacher might be teaching math, but there’s so much that’s being taught that lies beneath the surface, I know I’ve found it, and I know many other students have found it, and we’ve all discovered it because each one of you has taught it to us. This speech isn’t a brown nosing attempt, I can do that without writing something like this, this is simply the truth of how I and many others feel about a person that means so much more than Webster describes them, this is the truth about how much we appreciate and how much we actually do learn from our teachers.

Randomness

Here I sit, alone with only my thoughts fluttering around in my fast paced mind, only to wonder about the future, the very small future in the long scheme of things. For I am only one life, a small insignificance that only a pin head of people throughout this world will only know and meet. The bewilderment of it all drives me to be all I can be, and do all that I can to succeed in this ever growing world. Do I really even matter? I mean obviously to those I love and spend countless days with I matter, but does anyone else even care? It’s not important though, not really.
This battle many people call life doesn’t seem to difficult, it doesn’t seem like it will drain me, yet I think I am over estimating my strength to succeed. Things have always come so easy to me, handed to me in a certain light, will I truly be ready for this step, this commitment of survival on my own? The goal in my life is to help people understand the good life can bring them, cure them of their issues, make them all go away. I want to be someone that a person can sit down and talk to, laugh with, cry with. But how can I be this person if I don’t know how to do this without someone spoon feeding me? I’m too impatient to wait and learn how (what a horrible trait)?
I’m probably over exerting my tired mind, for it is rather late, almost midnight, yet here I sit pondering my capabilities on succeeding and understanding adult life at a mere age of seventeen! What an oddity I must be! Surely thinking about the way I want to conduct myself later in life in a necessary thought process, but why bother with it now, a time when I’ve got so much on my plate. Perhaps I should keep my mind free and clear. And as I write I realize I am freeing and clearing my emotion filled brain. Oh good God, the emotion filled writing, it does toy with me rather annoyingly at that.
It is bothersome to me though, the fact that many adults do not think young minds are capable of high levels of thinking. We can think much harder that any of you lot can! I’ll prove it any day or time, (not now though however, for I am quite busy writing this total randomness down , and I do hope it is being enjoyed, for it is rather enjoyable to write may I add) and I wont be afraid to exert my brain capacity to its absolute fullest, in fact I eagerly await the meeting.

Stressssss

I am pretty good at shaking things off. Something comes hurling at my head, I am usually swift enough to see it and deal with it rationally. But there is a situation scurrying around my brain and body that is giving me stomach ulcers - I can feel it. The problem isn't about school or home life, it's about a fantastic experience I could be apart of that would no doubt be a great adventure to say I have done. But still, despite the doors it could open, and the things I might be able to take part in there is still this annoying feeling of concern and worry is lingering. I'm not afraid, trust me when I say there is no fear in the situation before me, for I see worry and fear two different things. However, there is this strange feeling, that glass half empty feeling that is just taking over my life! So here's the story, the situation, you will now get a glimpse into my crazy brain.
I have the chance to go to Honduras for 6 weeks over the summer, to be apart of an archeological dig! The excitement that this brings comes rushing to me, making my brain fill with interest, I become focused on only this. And that lasts for about 30 seconds. Then my mind begons to play tricks on me, I go from hell yes! to holy shit! in an instant. The amount of money that this trip will cost, the amount of time that I will be spending there, and hell, digging in the ground for six weeks? Is that even fun? Is this trip going to be anything like I think it will? It is so annoying to want something so bad, but be worrying about these things at the same time.
My friends and suitemates are telling me to go. Apply for it. Even if it does suck, it is an experience. And I know they're right. I feel that too. But they aren't sitting here having to deal with asking their parents for 5,000 dollars, having to be in a foreign country for 6 weeks, having their mind wonder constantly about what it is I'm actually going to have to do! It is way too hard. Way too much to be dealing with.
I'm getting details on the trip from the coordinators, and hopefully that will give me a better understanding of what the hell it is I'm supposed to do there. I really want to go because I know as I get older opportunities like this get slimmer and harder to do. I need to do this, I know I want to do this, then why is my brain screwing me like this. Not gonna lie, it's a little annoying.

TV

TV! TV! TV! I can't help it. There is just something abut the television that captures my attention. I can' ttell you what, but it is there. I can watch just about anything, whether it is a cartton, a drama, a movie, a comedy, something educational, something stupid, something live, a reality show, like I said, anything! Like everyone though, there are TV shows that are airing new epsidoes right now I keep a tab on, and I make sure I watch every week. Obviously there are 'old' TV shows I love, but they've been cancelled, so for this post, they just don't fit in (sorry Boy Meets World, The Nanny, and of course, Gilmore Girls). In this I'll probably just end up rambling about issues on my TV shows, my favorite characters, and why the hell the writers are screwing with my brain all the time. So, Lost fans, House fans, and CSI:NY fans, here we go!
So, we start with Lost. Plane crashes, stuck on an island, and crazy things begin to happen. This show is a brain killer. What was worse was I strated watching it in Januray which meant I was 3 years behind, and I had a month until the fourth season started, so I watched my friends DVD's for what felt like ever. But then season 4 started, and I kind of regretted putting my brain through, considering this show was like nothing I had seen before. So many secrets, so many storylines to keep track of. So much information being thrown in your face! Yet, it is genius. Pure genius, there has been nothing like this that I can recall on TV. In this show, it'l probably end, and we still wont know everything. Which is probably the way it is supposed to be. The differences in the characters makes the show well rounded, and it gives my people to root for and against, along with making me even more confused =].
Then there is the lovely show of House. A medical show, yes, the main focus being on diagnosing the patient and helping their crazy problems that happen so rarely they deserve to be shown to the world. But there is more to this show that meets the eye. Character devlopment is huge in this show. Gregory House is known as the jerk. He says everything everyone is think but he just doesn't care what you think. What a perfect character, right? The way he interacts with his team of doctors and his colleagues has one guessing every epsiode how these people function just knowing him. There is more to him than being an ass though. Who wouldn't want to hang around with someone who says it like it is? That just takes all the pressure off you, right?!
First there was CSI: Las Vegas. Then there was CSI: Miami. Fianlly, there was CSI: New York. This one caught my attention most, and I fell in love with it almost instantly. I love the idea of using science while at the same time solving a puzzle to put a perpetrator behind bars. I love the science of forensics and how they work. too bad real life CSI isn't anything like the TV shows, but hey we can all dream right? This show is just different from the other ones. Las Vegas was the original, everything was fresh and new, Miami is well, Miami, there are beach dramas, hotel dramas, tourist dramas. But New York City, is an array of crazyness. What isn't there in New York? There is city, Central Park, a river, everything one could want for commitiing murder, and everything for the NYPD to use against those criminals. It's a perfect mix.
So these shows might not sound like masterpieces from my little interpretations, but they aren't the point of this post. The point is that we all like different things, for different reasons, and somehow, somwhere, something on TV is going to depict it. And that is fascinating. It makes you fell less alone, it makes you feel like you aren't the only idiot who has a love for plane crashes, brutally frank doctors, or the perfect city for crime.

Hands Held High

Hands Held High
Is there anything worth fighting for? If there is, why care, why bother? Because all we need is one voice to start a purpose. All we need is a ray of light. Letting something one disagrees with take over their lives is failure. It isn’t what being a human is about. We were meant to do, not stand back and watch. Letting their voice be heard is crucial to the making of our country – standing for what we think is right.
“Linkin Park” has always been known as a loud rock band. They’ve always let their voice be heard. Early in their career it was very subtle, but there. Now however, because of recent circumstances, they have because they dislike the way the government (among other things) is being run. Now, they lay their feelings out on the floor, for all who wish to hear and take part in.
Their hit song “Hands Held High” preaches about their feeling on the nations view on the impending foreign situation, and they hint at who it responsible for it: The Leader stuttering and mumbling for nights he refused to reply:, and it seems like they are taking a blow at George W. Bush, and they have every right to. Do I agree with bashing our leader who WE voted into office? No. However I do believe in fighting for what one believes in, which is precisely what they’re saying and doing throughout the entire song.
The song also tells the foreign view of our soldiers over there and how people coping with it – very poorly. They talk about how the war is taking over families lives. It depicts the people about how our leader is running thing. In the song they state the people are thinking “The rest of the world laughing like what’d he say?” and because of the war situation their opinions changed to “Scared and angry like what did he say?” .
They take the time to show that the world is seeing us as completely insane and it is time for us to start seeing us like that as well. They are trying to once again say to screw what is being thrown at us. It is time for change, and the only way to get it is by doing and thinking against the tide. They say it best in this line: “Jump when they say they want to see jumping. Fuck that. I want to see some fist pumping”. Linkin Park is telling their audience to get up and become the black sheep, to be different, dare to so what they think, what they know is right.
What is it about these guys though? They are after all just a few friends from high school that decided to start a band. They speak to millions of people throughout the world, and one would think because of their success, perhaps more people would do what they think is correct. The lyrics in this song though, have a presence about them and there is something that people take note of. It makes them stop and listen. It makes them stop and feel the power of what they’re saying. This song allows people to relate to something that they could be very well be feeling, especially with the situations happening throughout our country.
This country was built on what people fought for, even if it was turning their back on their superiors, but these days, it seems like we are too afraid to do it. In the song ‘Hands Held High’, there is a sense of fight in their words. A sense that something needs to be done, but we just let it be. They tell it straight up that there is work to be done, but we just sit back and we let it happen. Is this song a push to do something, or is it to mock us? Yes, it is saying to stand up and work towards what you believe is right, but still, there is that sense of humility there.
So what are the guys of “Linkin Park” really saying then? That we need to fight for what is right, or that it is just like us to sit back and let it happen? Personally, I believe they are sick of it and they want it to be resolved. They want us as a nation to do whatever we can to flip things around, to change the course of where we are headed, to make a new and powerful decision. They aren’t saying do it illegally, no, they are just saying that it needs to be done. We are the ones that can change the way the world looks at us. So instead of them laughing at our leader and instead of them being afraid of what our leader might do, we can make a change in this country by voicing our opinions, by making new choices for our country.
It is up to us to make it happen, it is up to us to make this glorified change. But it can’t be done without will power. They are asking us to empower ourselves in this song, they are asking to take a look at the war and the leadership here, they are asking us to ask ourselves if we think it is right, and if we do or don’t they are asking us to take a stand and say why. Why is it important to us? Why is it important the world sees us as contenders, not as weaklings? That is for us to figure out, that is for us to state, that is for us to change.

Twitches

So I have a problem. It is called eye twitching, and it has been happening to my left eyelid for over a week. I heard it was from lack of sleep, stress, or even something I might have eaten. However, I sleep fairly well, at least 7 hours a night, I do not feel overly stressed, and I eat basically the same things everyday. Why is my eye doing this? Besides it being annoying, it distracts me from tasks at hand. During an exam, I had to stop just to focus on the fact that me eye was twitching uncontrollably. I've looked up info on my problem, and it says a cure was to just let it be. I have let it do its thing, and it continues to twitch. Another solution was BOTOX, but I don't plan on using that anytime soon. What to do, what to do! I do not know how much longer I can take this. My friend said this happened to her once, and it lasted for two months. TWO MONTHS! I can not take this much longer, how am I supposed to deal with it for two months! This is taking over my life, infact it is happening right now. Twitch twitch twitch. So if you all see me in class, do not think I am making weird faces at you, or rolling my eyes at you. I'm just trying to cope with the eye twitching that is taking over every second of my life.