Brothers

I have grown up as the middle kid with two brothers all my life. Before you go “aww, that would suck” keep in mind, I am daddy’s little girl and the golden child. So trust me that part of it doesn’t suck at all. The parts that are not so fun is dealing with my two brothers. My older brother, Eric, is 21 years old and my younger brother, Chris, is 13 years old. There isn’t really a huge age difference between us so we tended to butt heads when we were younger. That all changed as we got older.

I know all of you with siblings can relate to the statement “my brother/ sister is so annoying!” Siblings always seem to know exactly how and when to push your buttons and sometimes it's infuriating. My brothers and I used to do it all the time, but now we don’t see each other very much so we just don’t have time to fight. I am busy with work, so is my older brother, and my younger brother seems to only care about video games nowadays. Trust me, we still do bicker and fight occasionally but it’s nowhere near as frequent or dramatic as before. We've all grown up and just tolerate each other now a days.

I know there are some families out there that are completely split up. Some people don’t even know their siblings. Others know theirs, but fight with them so much that they don’t talk or see them ever. That really makes me feel sad because, even though my brothers drive me crazy, I love them so much and can’t think of a life without them.

To be completely honest, my brothers drive me absolutely insane, but they are the ones who made me who I am today. They’ve made me cry, they’ve made me laugh, they pulled my hair, they gave me hugs, they laughed when I fell but then picked me up and dusted me off. No matter what happened I know my brothers will always be there for me. They may not think I like them that much but I truly do love them so much. I’ll always be their little/big sister they sometimes wish they never had. Even though they are stuck with me, I hope they love me just as much. 

Cold Weather! :(

It is December in Iowa and it is getting really cold, really fast, which is expected. No matter how many times you go through an Iowa winter, you will never ever like the cold. Having to put on layers and layers and layers just to go outside and still feel the freezing air down to your bones. It gets dark at six now and you feel like its midnight when it’s really only seven. The gross weather that messes up plans, gets you sick, and is the most unforgiving season you will ever encounter. There are only a few people who truly like winter.

I will admit, there are a few things I do like about winter. When it first snows and the entire world is covered in a beautiful blanket of sparkly white. It seems so calm and peaceful. Going out and making a big snowman with your friends and family. I especially love cuddling up by a fire with some hot chocolate, watching Christmas movies.

That's the best part of winter, the holiday season. You get to see all of your family and friends and it’s the season of joy and happiness. Everyone is so full of cheer and you hear Christmas music all the time. Everybody is so excited for that one day where everyone is joyous and together. Children get presents, parents get to relax, and families celebrate. Christmas is number one best thing about the winter season.

But then you have to dig your car out and risk your life driving through the gray slush and ice and the magic is gone. I hate the feeling of cold air freezing you down to the bone. The days become shorter and the nights get longer. You wake up in the morning to go to school or work and it’s still dark outside.  I am always missing the grass during winter, being able to go outside and play soccer or just run in the sun.

Many people suffer a disorder during the winter called Seasonal Affective Disorder (yes, SAD). People who have this disorder experience depression during the winter season due to less exposure to the sun. They tend to fall into a depression because during the winter there is less sunlight and it darkens their mood. It may just sound like an excuse to be a hermit during the winter but it is a real thing. Many people have had to move to more southern places, where there is more sun year-round, just to combat the depression.

So don’t get me wrong, I love the holiday season and the joys of Christmas. When it comes to the cold weather though, mother-nature can just take that back and give me the sun.

Family First

These days, having divorced parents is a very common situation. It is so common that it has actually become normal. My parents have been married for almost 23 years and don’t have any previous marriages. Nowadays my family would be viewed as very uncommon. We are the unicorns of family situations. I know this is a very fragile topic and I’m not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings I would just like to talk about how different people’s lives are in this day and age.

Most of my friends have different family situations. Most have divorced parents, others have parents with previous marriages, and some have single parents. There are very few of us with parents who are still together through a first marriage. All of these kids are still very happy and are not any different from me. They just have different family.

We all have really different family situations, values and routines. Some people have brothers, some have sisters, some have both and some are the only child. We all have grown up in completely different ways. We are all still great people who have values and care about things. They are just different. We should never judge someone just because their family is a little different. Those are the most important people in that person’s life and you are insulting him. That is not fair or nice.

Trust me, growing up, I’ve seen a lot of my friends, who have different family situations, get teased and bullied because of it. They already had bad feelings toward their situation and others just made it worse. It wasn’t fair to them at all because people were just looking at their family and judging them when, really, they are an amazing person. When you insult someone’s family, you are also insulting them.

I just want everyone to realize that we are all different and it’s ok. We need to learn to accept people how they are and not make fun of them for who they are and where they come from. That person you just made fun of because their mom left a note in their lunch? Their dad left years ago and their mom is just trying to make ends meet and still care for her kids. That person you teased because they don’t look anything like their family? They were adopted from an orphanage and is so happy to be with a family who truly loves them. You never understand someone’s situation unless you’re living it. So don’t jump to conclusions and judge someone before you get to know who they really are. Who knows, you might be surprised at who you meet.

Is Christmas Coming Early?

It is November now and all the Halloween decorations are gone. The candy is eaten, the fake skeleton has been shoved back into the closet and the toilet paper has been cleaned from the trees. Now should be the time for simple fall decorations and preparing for thanksgiving right? Apparently, some people don’t think so. A lot of people are already preparing for Christmas.

You walk through the stores now and all you see are Christmas trees, blow-up Santas, and snowmen. I understand that the Christmas season is the best time of the year but we aren’t even half way through November. I feel it is too early to be pulling out the Christmas lights. Thanksgiving is the next holiday and so many people are just skipping right over and freaking out about Christmas. We are supposed to be remembering to be thankful for our friends, our family, and our country. We are too busy getting hyped up about black Friday sales, presents, and singing Christmas carols though. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. It has always been my favorite holiday and I love to feel the Christmas spirit. But we are starting way too early.

A lot of the causes for such early Santa jitters are because of stores and marketing. It is getting close to the most popular and profitable time of year and management is trying to get as much as they can, as fast as they can. Black Friday sales used to be on the Friday after thanksgiving. Now there are sales on thanks giving itself and even the weekend before. It is getting to be absolutely crazy. We should all be spending time with our families for the holiday but many people have to leave theirs so they can come sell you a toaster on sale. Does that seem fair? Everyone should get a break for the holiday, that’s why Black Friday is on FRIDAY. But the sales industry has become greedy and moves their sales up to get as much profit as they can.

Basically what I am trying to say here is we need to calm down about Christmas. It is the best holiday season of the year but it needs to wait its turn. I know everyone is excited, trust me I am too, but its only November, we have time. Either way let’s all get ready for the holiday season. J

Work Load in High School

We have all had that moment, “oh my god, I have a paper due in a week, a test on Monday, and three different assignments due tomorrow.” We all stress out about how much homework we have at least once a week. Teachers give so much homework each night and it seems like you will never get it all done. You curse the person who ever thought up the term “homework”.  

So many teens can relate to the fact that we get too much homework a night. Not many teachers think about the fact that you have at least 5 other classes with homework too. It gets really hard to juggle it all. Many students stay up till 2 AM or so just to finish all the homework they have. Most students have some sort of after school activities like sports, clubs, show choir, or work. They do not have enough time to get all they need done.

Many teachers would say to just manage your time and you will get it all done. I do believe time management is great and needed but it is not helpful when there is just not enough time for all that work.

With the huge workload teens develop stress levels that can affect their health. Students could become very tired, depressed, less motivated, even make some feel sick. All this could make them feel like they can’t work so they get even more stressed so it’s a cycle. Stress can be good for a student but if it gets to these levels, it can be destructive.

Many people believe students need to reduce their classes so they have less of a workload. That doesn’t always work out though. Students only have four years to get all the education they need before college. With some of the requirements they have for colleges, they can’t afford to cut down.

Right now I’m not really sure of a solution for the heavy workloads. All I know is, it’s not good for us students and something needs to change.
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/12/02/246599742/school-stress-takes-a-toll-on-health-teens-and-parents-say

Relationships As a Teen

In high school it almost seems like a rite of passage to start dating. Everyone begins to pair off and some people may not be able to find anyone. Your best friends seem to only care about boys now and you just don’t understand. Or you may be noticing boys but they don’t seem to be noticing you. I’m here to tell you that you really don’t need a relationship in high school. It may seem all fun and rainbows but in reality it’s a lot of work.

You may see the couples around school and think it’s always happy and cute. It’s not. Ever heard the saying “you never know what happens behind closed doors.”  That fits really well in this situation. You don’t know what a person’s relationship is really like unless it is yours. The couple you see walking in the hallways, holding hands, might be having screaming fights on the phone every night. The girl being hugged by her boyfriend might be getting abused. Some couples may seem very happy and they probably are, but there could be a lot of problems.

Another huge point of not needing a relationship; you need to focus on yourself. High is a time to figure out who you are and explore yourself. You should be trying clubs, musicals, sports, AP classes and tons of other stuff. Have fun, meet new people, and figure out what you want in life before you worry about someone else. You don’t need to focus your time on anyone but yourself.

Just recently my friend and I broke up with our boyfriends. We both realized we needed time to ourselves. Right now we are living the single life and really liking it. We are able to do what we want and talk to whoever without worrying about another person in our life. We were both sad to see our relationships end but now we are able to have fun and explore who we are.

All I’m going to say is; you do not need to find love during high school. Chances are you probably won’t. We are all too young to fully understand what love is. So right now, have fun, flirt with people, and don’t take the need to date too seriously. You can worry about love and relationships when you’re older. Right now, it doesn’t matter.

Peer Pressure

Peer Pressure

When you start high school everything seems so new and huge. There are tons of new people, new changes, and new experiences. I’m not going to tell you some cliché stuff about high school being “the best years of your life” because that really isn’t true. These 4 years could be great or terrible, it all depends on the choices you make and whether they are your own. You should never give into peer pressure.

Peer pressure is when your peers, in a group or as individuals, try to pressure you into doing something you are not necessarily comfortable with. Most people give in to the pressure because they want to fit in and seem cool. I am here to say, you do not need to change yourself to fit in. If you have to change who you are to fit in with certain people, than they’re really not worth your time.

Peer pressure can be about anything. Whether it’s about drinking, sex, drugs or even just relationships, it’s never fun to be pressured into things you aren’t fully comfortable with. You need to know what your values are and have strong morals to be able to go against pressure. Many people are not fully sure what they believe so they let others decide for them. You need to make your own decisions that you are comfortable with. Never let anyone else decide how you should live your life.

 I will admit there are a few times when peer pressure can be positive. Many people try to convince their friends to do something good, like try out for the play or talk to their crush. These kind of friends are truly looking out for your well-being and want to help. They don’t want to hurt you, they just want to encourage you. These are the kind of people you want to surround yourself with. Not the ones who want to make you do something you really don’t feel comfortable with.

If you ever feel uncomfortable and pressured in a situation just say no, explain your opinion, and if they still pressure you, leave. You do not have to be forced to stay in a situation where you feel unwelcome. Never give in to peer pressure, make your own decisions, it’s your life, not your friends.