New Year, New Writers!!!

 January 2021!!!!!!!

Let's ring in 2021 with a batch of 12 new pieces for our blog.  Make sure to real ALL of them.  You are required to leave comments for three or more of your favorite pieces.  

Remember, that this is a safe space for sharing and encouraging one another.  Be cognizant of tone as well as your content.  

Comments are due Friday, February 12.

Don't comment on a mobile device and don't forget to please sign your name to each comment.

Have a great couple of weeks.

I will see you in class.

Feed your soul,

Mrs. Solano xo

image citation: https://www.google.com/search?q=hello+january&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS864US864&sxsrf=ALeKk01tgRZFcQBJb-yxDMc9lTdEZOqoBg:1612147922712&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi8hIiC18fuAhUcJTQIHZb9BQQQ_AUoAXoECBkQAw&biw=1398&bih=697#imgrc=NX30U1eE37dIHM

The Perfect Man--Ben

“David, you have to get your act together!” This time it was his counselor telling him this but he had heard it from many adults. Before this meeting, he hadn’t even known the name of his counselor yet now he was being called “buddy.” ​What a pal!​ The mood didn’t feel very friendly though. Mr. Dunmire was starting to get a little agitated. David thought this was a reasonable response because he was intentionally being a jerk. Partly because he knew his mother had organized this intervention (interrogation) and partly because he just didn’t like the guy. ​Or did he?​ There had to be some reason he didn’t like him. There was a reason for everything. Dunmire had been talking this whole time but David wasn’t listening anymore.

Yeah, now that he thought about it he was fairly certain it was because Dunmire licked his fingers​ before opening up David's file. ​Yeah that’s why! The man was an absolute monster! His actions had created an... an unacceptable teaching environment. A breach of basic human decency and cleanliness standards and so he was justified in rendering Dunmire’s words as unworthy of his attention. In fact, Dunmire was lucky that David hadn’t groaned in disgust when the incident happened. It was the flu season for God’s sake!

David often did this. Sometimes a small part of his mind would tell him that he was making a really idiotic.... decision. But to prevent himself from feeling guilt David would create a new reality where his actions had been justified. He would replay these fictions enough in his own mind that they became true. David’s reality was the only reality that mattered anyway. David was now unsure if Dunmire had ever licked his fingers. But who cared, David didn’t.

He was proud of his method. It worked very well. He was in control. He was of a higher caliber than his fellow seniors. A higher caliber than the general population for that matter.

He left a defeated Dunmire with fifteen minutes until lunch. He went into the crappy bathroom and encountered a group of vaping boys crowded inside. Once done, he washed his hands then used hand sanitizer, something friends teased him for. David didn’t care about his friend’s opinions anyway, they were just temporary entertainment. They were like leaving the tv on for background noise. It filled the space well but you didn’t actually listen. Once high school was over he would forget about them quickly. Life goes on right? His current friends were in no way special. But he was.

He walked to go eat lunch with his friends. Since Dunmire had been particularly irritating, he told his friends Dunmire had wiped his nose and then licked his fingers. Or something like that. David couldn’t remember. Besides that, it was rather uneventful. It was generally a variation of this for the school year. The repetition was comforting but it worried him. 40 years later on the path he was going, David would be working some mindless factory job. He would come home to his crappy suburban house with his wife and three kids and beat up minivan, and he would get out a 6-pack of beer and watch the football game to forget it all. What a life! But these thoughts were extremely brief. He rarely remembered them.

He went to history. Mrs. Adler was a decent teacher. He almost felt guilty when she had to talk to him after class about his poor grades. But no, it wasn’t his fault of course. ​Mrs. Adler, despite being a nice teacher, was an insufficient one for someone of David’s mental aptitude. A genius in such a class would obviously fail due to lack of mental stimulation. In fact, David’s time was spent much better learning other things, things his simpleton classmates (and teacher) couldn’t begin to understand.​ But anyway, life goes on.

He sat in class sort of paying attention. He stole a glance at the pretty girl with the braids. He had liked her until he had heard her voice. It was nasally and reminded him of his mother’s. Something about this reasoning made David uncomfortable but now he remembered that she had never returned a pencil, no no $50 to his dear friend Rebecca despite her constant requests for the money back showing that the girl simply was a m​ oral degenerate​ and would not be a good person to talk to for David or quite frankly anyone. Not to mention her frequent use of heavy makeup shows how much of an egotistical self centered person she was.

Adler finished early and David looked out the window. By some slim chance of fate he saw Gerald Loastein who he didn’t care for. Gerald dropped his papers and the day was a bit windy. A recipe for disaster. His suffering was amusing to David. Gerald was a nice guy, had good style, a handsome face. David was easily more attractive. Gerald would have been another background character in David’s life but Gerald hadn’t burned out. He survived the game and that meant he was stronger than David.

David was a bright boy at first but then he had screwed up. He had had perfect grades, volunteer work, a college admissions advisor his parents blew money on. David was lazy though. But he was expected to be perfect. So David had become perfect. His ability to lie was addictive and it poisoned his mind. His sense of reality was extremely warped and filled with false events now. David knew all this. But who cares, ​life goes on.​

Gerald stopped inside to deliver some paper to Adler. David noticed how eyes were drawn to Gerald, full of respect and admiration. A flood of jealousy went through David that he quickly suppressed. David watched as Gerald pranced around the room before going up to the pretty girl with the nasally voice and whispering something in her ear. She let out a squeal of laughter. Anger rushed through his body. They must be talking about him. He began to mutter his lies aloud “​Gerald abused his last girlfriend Cynthia, he cheated on his SAT, he had a vaping addiction, etc.”

He looked up. Gerald had left now. David’s friend was looking at him with wide eyes but David didn’t care, ​life goes on right​. With a hoarse voice he asked to use the restroom and soon he was walking the way Gerald had gone and hey there he was!

What a coincidence. David decided to say hi to his ​BUDDY​ Gerald. He had timed the encounter so that they would meet behind the science building which was absent from cameras. ​Now why would he do that?

“Hey Gerald, how you been man?” David was smiling(grimacing).
“Pretty good man pretty good. Hey listen I’ve got more classes to go to so-” “Oh don’t worry Gerald this won’t take long.” He then explained that he would appreciate it if Gerald stopped flirting with the girl he was talking to.

“It's a pretty rude thing to do man but don’t worry, we all make mistakes sometimes.” David smiled like he was doing a favor for Gerald and really he was. It wasn’t Gerald’s fault, he was just a bit slow that was all.

Gerald gave up on the forced niceties and began to get pissed off.

“What are you talking about? I’ve been dating her for four months now. Claudia told me you texted her over and over like a creep until she threatened to report it to the school. I knew you had problems at home so I never said anything but you better stay away from her.” This was the gist of what Gerald had said but with much more cursing. Something like that. But who cares anyway, David didn’t.

“I’m just messing with you man take a joke,” David replied with maniac laughter slowly backing away. He bit his tongue and tasted blood.

Gerald swore at him much more and then bent down to pick up his papers. He then ​licked his fingers​ and flipped through them while still cussing David out.

David who was backing away stopped. His mouth was dry. The fingers..... Horrible grief passed through him because for a second he saw reality, he saw that he was the miserable worm of a man. He was the inferior one! The horror of it was incomprehensible and in his moment of clarity he whispered “I’m sorry” to not just Gerald but his mother, his lost friends, even old Dunmire for he was the bad one and a terrible rage seized him .... And then he shoved Gerald. No he ​helped Gerald​. Yes that was it. That was his job after all. “With great power comes great responsibility right!” Spiderman:Homecoming was his favorite movie!

Gerald had been occupied with the mess of papers. He tumbled backwards slamming headfirst into the wall before collapsing into a pile on the floor. His head made a sound like a bongo drum.

David stood emotionless above, partly unsure of how he got there. He poked Gerald with his shoe like some roadkill. Blood had begun to trickle down Gerald’s nose. He checked for a pulse (or did he make sure there wasn’t one?). Gerald was dead. Had David done this? Murdered the golden boy? No no it was self defense of course. No what had happened was ​Gerald had threateningly​ ​cornered David, almost foaming at the mouth like some rabid dog, while screaming obscenities before physically confronting David multiple times. David tried to calm him down but he had to defend himself, any sane person would have done the same thing...

How to--Air Fried Oreos--Mary

 

So I know a sufficient amount of people do not like Oreos. Gladly, I cannot say the same. When I say I can eat about 100 Oreos in one day, I am not joking. In all seriousness, I know I would never do that because I would have a serious sugar rush. Ever since I was young I have eaten Oreos, it was honestly my little treat. If Oreos were the only cookie I could eat for the rest of my life, I would not complain. Especially, since I do not like any other cookies.

Now, I usually can eat 20 Oreos with milk and call it a day. However, upon enjoying my 20 Oreos and milk, I randomly got bored of eating it. And no, it wasn’t because I was sitting in silence, or pondering what next to do to in life. I actually was heavily entertained as I had Netflix on and was watching Bridgerton.

When you eat 20 Oreos and milk all the time, you're going to get bored and your tastebuds become immune. This was my breaking point with Oreos, and I though I would have to stop my lifelong tradition. However, in perfect timing my friend suggested I should try something different with the Oreos. I knew this would be a great idea, so we began to brainstorm. Originally, I was set on the idea of making an oreo cake, but got lazy and ended up not making it. For me, I needed a quick and easy recipe that could be made in a matter of minutes. I wanted to find the best snack, that could be made with Oreos. That's when I discovered Air Fired Oreos. Upon placing this snack in my mouth, it was literally the perfect blend of sweet and savory, at least for me. To be honest, it was way better than just eating a regular Oreo all the time. To this date, I’ve made this recipe 5 times. It is a great way to utilize and make a variety of things with Oreos. Now I will share with you this Air Fried Oreo Recipe, that literarly takes 10 minutes:

Tools you’ll need

• ●  Air Fryer

• ●  Prep area ( Parchment paper, table, etc..)

  Ingredients you’ll need:

• ●  8 Oreos Cookies (or however much you want to eat)

• ●  1 pack of Pillsbury Cresent Rolls ( there are 8 triangles in one pack, if you want more you

  can get however much you want)

• ●  Powdered Sugar for dusting (optional)

- I prefer to put glaze on the top of my air fired oreos sometimes.

Instructions:

1. Get your pack of Pillsbury Rolls and spread out the crescent dough on a prep area

2. Separate it in the triangle shape that is already outlined for you.

3. Place 1 Oreo cookie in the biggest part of the triangle (the middle) and fold the dough’s

   corners over the Oreos.

- Make sure the dough surrounds the oreo, and covers the oreo entirely
4. Option1: Preheat the air fryer to 320 degrees for 2-3 minutes, then place the

Oreos(wrapped in the dough) in the air fryer. * This option allows you to fry the oreo in a shorter amount of time because you would preheat the air fryer while preparing the snack.

*** Special tip:​ Make sure they do not touch (give them room). Now let the Oreos bake until golden brown.

-Option 2: Place Oreos(wrapped in the dough) in the air fryer, then set the air fryer to 350 degrees for 9 minutes until golden brown. * This option is just for people who don’t really care about time or forget lol

Once the Oreos are done, carefully remove the now, air fried Oreos from and dust them with powdered sugar if desired ( I prefer glaze)

Let cool for 2 minutes, then enjoy!

This recipe is referenced from ​https://www.everydayfamilycooking.com/air-fried-oreos/​ ( You can check it out!)

(image from bitzngiggles.com)

How To: Life After Losing Religion--Kendra

Doubting and questioning what I believed was scary. I was raised in Christianity and had been a follower of the faith for most of my life. Although I was versed in traditional theology, I read the works of philosophers, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, atheists, and agnostics. While I was a part of the faith, I suppressed my most burning questions because I interpreted them as signs of a wavering foundation that could stabilize once again, only if I prayed a little longer, or sang the lyrics to “Oceans” a little louder this time. A year or so later, I came to a point where the church no longer made sense in the new paradigm of doubt, uncertainty, and mystery.

Love, compassion, moral goodness, generosity, and community are virtues that are traditionally sought in a religious context, but in this blog post, I will attempt to provide a​ ​guide to seeking these virtues outside of religion and living in the secular realm of the world. But, before I begin: readers that are loyal to any one religion may view this as the epitome of arrogance or incompetence. Rather, please view it as a lack of patience; there is hardly enough time in a blog post, or even a book, to get to the point.

I. Compassion and Ethics
Many religions, at one point or another, call us children (regardless of our age)— and they are

correct to do so. Humans are in dire need of moral and ethical guidance. All of our selfish and otherwise unpleasant tendencies can be mitigated and subside if the glimmers of the insights gained in ​metta become more and more of our daily lives. In ​metta​ (loving-kindness) meditation, there is a clear goal to produce a state of mind that can serve as an antidote to the subpar baseline emotions we feel towards ourselves and others (judgment, resentment, jealousy, etc). Over time, the notion of love should shed its transactional form (needing a reason to love someone) and become unbound in its nature. When love is no

longer obscured, loving our enemies can come to us quite easily, just as religion teaches, and we can become more willing to be charitable and more welcoming to strangers.

There are many ethical questions posed to us as humans in the 21st century. Consider, for example, the treatment of immigrants, incarcerated felons, and animals through the lens of loving-kindness. We should be directing loving-kindness to all sentient beings, without limit.

A. Metta​(loving-kindness)
Okay, first: Take a seat, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. Bring to mind someone you

love— someone for whom it is very easy to feel a wealth of good intentions. This is someone you really want to be happy and free of suffering, without reservation. It can be a friend, a sibling, or a parent. Bring this person to mind in whatever way you can. Think, “May you be happy, may you be free from suffering. May you live a life of peace and joy and ease.” It may seem contrived, at first. But just recall this person and think “may you be happy” and ​feel​ that intention; let that feeling ​expand​ and reduce your self-concern​.​ What does it feel like to wish that someone else be free from suffering, and ​really​ wish it, from the core of your mind? If you feel your mind softening, and this feeling of loving-kindness growing in intensity, change the person you are thinking about to someone more neutral. It can be someone who works in a store that you frequently visit or someone you saw on the street today— any person at random for whom you don’t have strong feelings. Bring this person to mind and think these same thoughts: “may you be happy, may you be free from suffering. May you escape the worst sorrows of this life. May you experience deep friendships. May your hopes be realized.” As you bring this person to mind, recognize that you actually want them to be happy. What does that feel like? See if you can fall into the well of those good intentions. Finally, spread this feeling of loving-kindness to everyone in our city.

II. Spirituality
We must distinguish spirituality from religion; in this context, what is meant by “spirituality” is

dissolving the illusion of the self or the “thinker” of thoughts; that being said, it is important to not lose the nobility of feeling if one decides to abandon the doctrine. Through “meditation” and “mindfulness,”

keeping these virtues within your grasp is more explicable than it sounds. However, “meditation” and “mindfulness” are words that have been thrown around and become quite distorted (and phony) as a result. I should warn you that the purpose of meditation is ​not​ to “relax” and “become less stressed.” The true purpose of meditation is to become aware of the nature of consciousness in each moment (whether pleasant or unpleasant) and achieve equanimity amid the flux.

There could be many reasons why we hide our true selves (our political beliefs, sexuality, etc.) from our family and friends. Revealing parts of yourself, or rather, shattering their perception of who you are, is frightening. Will they accept us, or just tolerate us? And will they love us the same? When I was asking these questions in regards to religious belief, the question that scared me the most was, “do we live in a vengeful universe that retaliates those who seek a different wisdom?” Truthfully, it took me many months to confidently say that the answer to this is ​no​. Pursuing different understanding sought with integrity takes time, patience, and courage.

For example, what compelled me to stay in the faith for the time that I did was a crippling fear that leaving the faith would bar me from the future I thought I had secured through my commitment. It felt as if certain things were promised: a long and healthy life, a family, a fulfilling career, all of which were aligned to happen at the perfect time, according to a perfect plan. Losing this sense of security left me feeling vulnerable, as the present moment was all I had left. We would spend less time worrying about the future if we resisted the habit of being identified and blown around by every thought and emotion that pops into our consciousness.

A. Vipassana
Every thought or feeling you’ve ever had, good or bad, has arisen then passed away. Think about

a negative emotion you felt yesterday or even a year ago— it isn’t here anymore. It only arises in the next moment if you think about it, and it will once again pass away when you are no longer thinking about it.

If you pay clear attention to an emotion like fear arising in your mind, rather than merely think about all the reasons you have to be fearful, it becomes impossible to stay fearful for more than a few

moments at a time. You cannot stay fearful for a day, or even an hour, without continually manufacturing this emotion. This happens when we think without ​knowing​ that we are thinking. Although meditation won’t keep you from ever becoming fearful again— or angry, or anxious, it can teach you to not stay in these states for very long.

“1. Sit comfortably, with your spine erect, either in a chair or cross-legged on a cushion.
2. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and feel the points of contact between your body and the chair or the floor. Notice the sensations associated with sitting— feelings of pressure, warmth, tingling, vibration, etc.
3. Gradually become aware of the process of breathing. Pay attention to wherever you feel the breath most distinctly— either at your nostrils or in the rising and falling of your abdomen.
4. Allow your attention to rest in the mere sensation of breathing. (You don’t have to control your breath. Just let it come and go naturally.)
5. Every time your mind wanders in thought, gently return it to the breath.
6. As you focus on the process of breathing, you will also perceive sounds, bodily sensations, or emotions. Simply observe these phenomena as they appear in consciousness and then return to the breath.
7. The moment you notice that you have been lost in thought, observe the present thought itself as an object of consciousness. Then return your attention to the breath— or to any sounds or sensations arising in the next moment.
8. Continue in this way until you can merely witness all objects of consciousness—sights, sounds, sensations, emotions, even thoughts themselves— as they arise, change, and pass away.” (Harris 39-40)

This practice can be the difference between letting a surge of anger dissipate in seconds and ​acting​ on that emotion in ways that taint a whole hour, day, or week of your life.

III. Community and Awe

If you find yourself at odds with the veracity or dogma of religion, realize that it proves to be useful. You don't have to purge yourself of literature, art, music, architecture, traditions, etc. that have religious roots. If you grew up saying grace before each meal, there is no good reason to stop doing that; practice gratitude by taking the time to consider how lucky you are to have food on your table and a roof over your head.

Finally, I suggest that we can turn to science for some perspective, and to once again make us feel small; we can be equally as awestruck by nebulas, black holes, stars, and Saturn’s rings, as we would be if we were looking at Michelangelo’s frescoes of the nine vivid scenes from the Book of Genesis and hundreds of cherubs and prophets towering above us.

IV. A Note on Deconstruction

1. “It can be difficult to tell the difference between things falling apart and things falling together.”

2. 1. You are free. You always have been. You always will be.
   2. You have the right to ask questions as a way to become wise.
   3. It is your right and responsibility to find your own spiritual path.
   4. It is necessary for you to be true to yourself before being true to a community. 5. Recognize your roots but do not allow them to prevent you from changing.
   6. Take charge of your life and live it wisely, compassionately, and joyfully.

   (Hayward)

Works Cited

De Mola, Estefania Loret. “Things Falling Apart and Things Falling Together.” ​Estefania Loret De Mola​, 2 Oct. 2020, www.estefanialoretdemola.net.

Harris, Sam. ​Waking Up​. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2014. Hayward,David.“MyManifestoforSpiritualIndependence.”​Nakedpastor,​ 3Jan.2021,

www.nakedpastorstore.com/blogs/news/my-manifesto-for-spiritual-independence. Origlia, Franco S. Getty Images

“TEDTalks: Alain De Botton--Atheism 2.0.” Performance by Alain De Botton, ​Atheism 2.0​, TED, July 2011, www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_atheism_2_0?language=en.

One of a Kind--Aubrey

 

Originality: [​noun]​ “a work not received from, copied from, or based on other works.” In today’s world, so chock-full of new books, music, paintings, and buildings, we often strive to be original, to create something new no one has ever seen before that will amaze the world. However, for all those who claim originality in their work, they fail to realize that they as humans are the culmination of thousands of previous creators who left their mark on these ‘visionaries’, and inspired the new wave of talent. As a result, hardly anything we see today is original, just products of hundreds of thousands of long-gone artists who laid the groundwork for new generations of creators.

Despite this, originality is not required for a piece of art to be considered valuable, or for an artist to be considered competent. Originality is something that our society praises, and yet the vast majority of creators are influenced by artistic movements, whether they are conscious of that fact or not. It could be something as simple as hearing a composition that inspired you to make your own in that same key, or a painting style with colors you wanted to emulate, or even a piece of literature with a particular theme that resonates with you. All of these things do not determine the success or the validity of a piece of art, but instead merely demonstrate that things produced in this modern era often have a backstory and don’t require originality to be important.

An example is Ancient Rome. Ancient Greek architecture, philosophy, religion, and society were all replicated (and in some cases improved upon) by Ancient Romans, and yet Roman society is still considered to be incredible despite the lack of originality. As a more modern example, fashion trends build upon previous years’ products and evolve into newer pieces that preserve the original concepts while expanding on different creative aspects. Consequently, originality is not required to be good at something or be considered an artist or creator.

Additionally, creativity and originality are not mutually inclusive. Creativity can present itself in a number of ways, such as adding a bold new interpretation to a famous painting, making poems out of other authors’ work, improving on a certain concept, etc. Creativity knows no bounds, since there will always be someone who is able to perceive the world and its art in new and exciting ways. To make originality a goal for creators is a herculean task, one that when undertaken stifles creativity to the point where all a creator can think about is, “Has someone already done this? Is this one-of-a-kind?” and no longer revolved around making something they care about. I, for one, attempted to think of something entirely unique to write about, and was unable to put more than a sentence together, as I was attempting to reach an impossible goal of completely original writing, when I came to the realization that originality isn’t as important as we’re led to believe.

It’s okay to not be original, because the only thing that truly matters is making your mark through the aid of your own unique perspectives. Even if you take heavy inspiration or key ideas from someone else’s work, your interpretation will invariably be different than someone else’s, and thus make your insight and contributions worthwhile, despite them not being your own original concepts.

The moral here? If you’re creating something you like, originality doesn’t matter. The only thing of importance is that you strive not for perfection and originality, but for creating something that you can genuinely say you enjoyed making and are proud of. You do not require originality to be considered good at your craft, but instead a love of what you do and a sense of happiness at producing your art. When you finally come to this conclusion, your creation will always be one of a kind, and the world will recognize that your work is the culmination of all the experiences, art, and people you’ve encountered in your life, and is better off for it.

Abolish Cancel Culture--Somi

 

Imagine:​ you’ve just turned 16 years old. Ever since the app TikTok came out, you’ve always wanted to go viral. One day, you post a video of yourself mouthing a well-known song to TikTok, and your video blows up! Everyone in your comments is complimenting you and telling you how much they enjoyed your video. You think, just for a second, that maybe you can build a following on this app. But suddenly, a stranger comments under your post saying that you used to make fun of them when you both were younger. Someone else comments the same thing, and even posts an old yearbook photo of you as “proof”. Within a matter of minutes, your comments are filled with people telling you to leave the app, and your inbox is full of hate messages of people telling you to do horrible things to yourself. Just like that, you’re cancelled. Next.

What ​is ​cancel culture? According to my research, the formal definition of cancel culture is ​“ a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles - either online on social media, in the real world, or both​.” In theory, cancel culture sounds like it would be effective. If you do the unthinkable, you do not deserve to be a part of society. Right? I guess that begs the question, when did the ​unthinkable b​ecome being annoying on social media? Cancel culture has been so over exhausted and overused for every minor situation, so much so, that it has lost all its value.

Human beings are inevitably envious. I can even admit that I feel it at times. You see someone doing well, for example, blowing up on TikTok for doing relatively ​nothing. ​It makes us jealous. It makes us ask: “why couldn’t that have been me?” That ​very ​feeling of “why couldn’t that have been me”​ ​is precisely where cancel culture stems. Cancel culture is not, and never

was, a way to teach “bad” people a lesson. It is a way to tear others down in order to bring ourselves up. It’s a way for insecure people to project their insecurities onto others. Misery loves company, and “canceling” innocent people is a perfect way for misery to obtain its company.
I mentioned earlier that cancel culture has lost its original purpose. However, if one were to look deeper into cancel culture, you would find that there was never really a justifiable purpose behind it to begin with. There is simply no way to justify one human being telling another human being they do not deserve to live. If ostracism and public humiliation were deemed ineffective back in the 1800s, why did we think it would suddenly be effective now? The main point I am attempting to make is that everyone makes mistakes, and no one is perfect. Who are you and I to determine who belongs in society and who doesn’t, when we’re all the same. I guarantee that the mistakes people in the spotlight get “cancelled” for, are the same ones that some of us make daily. Cancel culture is hypocritical. It’s easy to hide behind a screen and comment horrible things under someone else’s post. However, it’s not as easy to receive those messages. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Imagine it was you getting “cancelled” for something so small, or maybe even something you didn’t do at all. In the blink of an eye, hundreds, thousands, and maybe even millions of people ban together just to tell you you’re worthless. It’s sad that cancel culture even still exists,​ ​and I really believe that we’re better than that. It’s time we stop expecting those in the public eye, especially ​children​, to be perfect. It’s time we realize how mentally exhausting it can be reading the same terrible messages over and over again. It’s time we acknowledge how damaging cancel culture can be to the perception of one’s self worth. It’s time we abolish cancel culture.

Source :
1. “Cancel Culture.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Jan. 2021,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancel_culture#:~:text=Cancel%20culture%20(or%20call%2Dout,s aid%20to%20be%20%22canceled.%22.

Perfect--Kristel

Being “perfect” is having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, and  characteristics. 

Throughout your life, you have always been told “perfection is unattainable,” but what if I told you that statement is false. What if I told you being “perfect” is achievable? What if I also told you being “perfect” is not achieved by having what others consider the perfect nose, the perfect smile, and the perfect skin? What if I told you being “perfect” is being happy and content with yourself? What if I told you being “perfect” is not having all the required elements, qualities, and characteristics that others want you to have? Instead it is having all that you want for yourself.

Let me explain, say you were to have an unconventional nose, crooked teeth, and not so clear skin, and you still felt as though you were the most attractive person in any room you walked into. These qualities are commonly seen as unappealing, yet you are still happy. You are content with your appearance and yourself, regardless of said qualities. You feel no need to change any qualities. Thus, wouldn’t you consider yourself in a state of perfection? 

Let’s look at it in a different perspective. Say you had a feature that someone else considered “perfect,” but you disliked it. Wouldn’t you still consider yourself imperfect?  

Being “perfect” is having the elements, qualities, and characteristics you want. Being “perfect” is not having the elements, qualities, and characteristics that everyone wants you to have. 

In addition, there is this idea that everyone is striving for someone else’s “perfect.” That people actively seek to please others. That people feel the need to be seen as “perfect” in other’s eyes. However, in actuality everyone is striving for their own “perfect.” In actuality, everyone sees themselves as “perfect” once they meet their own checklist, no one else’s. As mentioned earlier, you are not always satisfied with what others find appealing. Thus, everyone comes to their own conclusion of being “perfect” based on their own desires.

There are many ideas of being “perfect.” However, they all seem to have a common meaning. The word “perfect” translated in Greek is “teleios.” Teleios means something being in its intended function. A person happily pursuing their own desires for themselves, is someone being in their intended function. Based on the Greeks definition, a person pursuing their desires is someone living their “perfect” life. The Bible defines being “perfect” as lacking nothing necessary to completeness. A person that happily completes their own checklist, based on their own desires, is considered to be in a state of perfection, in terms of the Bible’s definition. Both ideas of perfection, supports the idea of achieving perfection through fulfilling one’s own desires for themselves. Perfection is fulfilling the elements, qualities, and characteristics you desire. No one feels “perfect” after fulfilling someone else’s wants.

My suggestion to people trying to achieve perfection, is to achieve happiness within yourself. To achieve your desires, no one else’s.

Works Cited

Newman, Leslie. “What Does Perfect Really Mean According to the Bible?” Journey to Imperfect, 15 Apr. 2017, www.journeytoimperfect.com/2017/03/13/what-does-perfect-really-mean-according-to-the-bible/.

“Perfect.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfect.

Hi Dad--Donna

 

Hi. This is my story, which may not seem like a patch of thorns to some, but it is for me. If you don’t like “unnecessary ranting”, please skip :)

“HI DAD!”

The large crowds of people at the airport seemed to disappear at that very moment. My tiny feet and my short stubby legs ran towards my father’s embrace with eagerness. As a preacher in a different country, my dad never had the time to stay with me for a majority of my life. Every year from May to June, my dad would visit us, but even then, he stayed at church.

“Don’t worry Donna, maybe next year,” my mom would say on every birthday with a smile. But even as a 5-year-old, I could see the invisible tears running down her face.

My parents were old, and having a child seemed to be impossible. After I was born, the doctor said that my mom could not have any more children. They called me a miracle child.

They said I had good eyesight when I was younger because I was always the first one to spot my dad at the airport from a far distance. But as time went on, the large crowds were all I could see. My dad would slowly walk towards me and tap my shoulder. Only then would I look up from my phone and greet him.

“Hi dad.”

I can’t pinpoint the exact reason why I grew apart from my dad. I didn’t hate him, but I didn’t love him. Having a dad was not a necessity to me, but I also felt lucky enough to even have one, knowing that not every child did. All I cared about was my mom. She would work for 12-16 hours everyday just to make enough money, but my dad barely even bothered to call her. I despised the reality that my mom was living in.

If I wasn’t born, my mom would not have to overwork herself.

In the summer before my freshman year, my dad was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer. From then on, he stayed here in the U.S. to receive treatment. It was my first birthday spent with him, but he could barely mumble the words, “happy birthday.” My dad grew weaker and weaker as time went on. He had to receive surgery twice and was only able to keep his left lung and half of his right lung. He is now at stage four.

Every morning I help my dad walk down the stairs. I cook him all his meals making sure to follow his required diet. I count and organize his pills, I give him his daily shots, I drive him to his chemotherapies, and I carry his oxygen tank everywhere he goes. When he would get hungry in the middle of the night, I’d force myself out of bed to make him a small snack. If he didn’t like my food, he’d refuse to eat it.

“I’m getting weaker because you aren’t feeding me right.”
“Where is my juice. How do you expect me to eat this without juice.” “Stop being useless.”

The last one would always hit me. What once was neither love nor hate turned into something unexplainable with words.

At one point I couldn’t take it. Thoughts filled my head, like the crowds at the airport that never went away. I am not a miracle child. I wasn’t supposed to be born. My absence would actually be a good thing. Things got worse and I went into a state of emptiness. I was alive, but not living. My friends would often read my random texts that made absolutely no sense, or listen to my deep man-voice which I often used to make them laugh, or watch the dumb IG posts or memes I would send every 30 minutes, but I knew that I was unknowingly creating a facade of happiness, using it as a shield to protect myself from complete emotional detachment.

One night I was organizing my dad’s pills. I counted the usual dosage and had 12 pills in my left hand, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to let go of them. My eyes focused on the pills as tears ran down my face. When my mom came into the room, I dropped the pills. I turned my head up, I met my mom’s eyes, and the invisible tears she once hid finally came down in front of me. I ran out of the room, got in my car, and drove as far as I could.

My mind was completely blank. Although my actions did not carry through, I knew that my mom saw my intentions. My thoughts did enough to defeat my superwoman and my superman; my mom. What made me feel even worse was that I felt like I didn’t have the right to have such thoughts. I wasn’t brave enough to do it, and I felt like I had disrespected the souls of those who did.

I parked at an empty parking lot and looked up at the starless sky, which made me feel even worse, knowing that there was nothing extravagant or life-changing to witness. But as I took a closer look, I noticed a tiny spec in the sky. It wasn’t a star.​ It’s probably a satellite​, I thought. It’s not supposed to be there, but yet, it still is. That tiny little spec probably isn’t appreciated as much as a real star, but I thought she was beautiful. She probably looked beautiful, but I could tell she was lonely. I could tell that she wanted to stop pretending to be a star. She probably wanted to leave the sky too, but I could tell she chose to stay.

I’m not a miracle child, please don’t call me that. I can’t reach the expectations of being a miracle child. It’s too far, and the journey to reach it is beyond what one can actually prevail through. I am too weak to be called a miracle child. Little hardships can drive me crazy. But I want to stay, just like that little spec.

I drove back home through the starless sky which saved me from being in between hope and hopeless, like a lifeguard saving a child from being in between the shore and the dark, endless ocean.

I stood in front of the door that seemed to separate me from my dad, not only physically, but emotionally. I opened it. I knew that I had yet to learn my dad’s side of the story because at the end of the day, I know he’s scared of leaving us too.

“Hi dad. Don’t forget, you need to take your shot.”

A Vision For My Future--Nikhil

 

Let me start by asking you a question. Do you have a dream for your future? A goal? An aspiration? A mindset of early, life-long accomplishments? Well, I do, so allow me to paint you a picture of the vision I have for my future and how determined I am to make this vision a reality.

My entire life, my parents have been the biggest motivators and a great support system for something that was but also continues to be years ahead of me. My parents, coming from underprivileged lives before, have constantly worked and worked to build an enjoyable life. ​The dedication to fight through the disadvantages struggled daily and rewarded with the wins is my constant drive. Now that my parents do not work as hard, I have the ability to continuously learn from them about success in life, finding a passion that is my own, making something of myself that is meaningful, and most importantly to never give up on my goals. That is only the surface of the many life lessons I’ve learned from my parents and I still to this day, discover new things about myself and different approaches to the life I want to build for myself. With my parents being the backbone through different academic programs, a variety of extracurriculars I engaged in, and constant guidance throughout schooling and life in general, I was able to build skills that set an inner focus and perseverance to find a passion of my own that I want to pursue as a career in the future.

School...This was the center of pretty much everything that I was taught at home. I would always hear not only from parents but other family members and family friends as I was growing up, “you need an education,” “you have to go to college,” “don’t stray away from the path your

on,” etc but what I want to say is that, sure, sometimes constantly hearing the same things over and over can be huge stress especially when you want to please your parents. However, I can say from the bottom of my heart that as I gained more knowledge and lectures over the years, I truly did come to appreciate the advice and teachings I had received from people because it is what made me hone myself into the person I am today. By my parents, I was always pushed to take the hardest classes in school available to me no matter what, even if it meant nothing to me at all but the reality was that even if I thought I could not learn something useful, I was wrong because there is always something I can learn in everything around me. Grades were another huge thing within my family, I had to come home with straight A’s otherwise it would be another lecture, another yelling, or even me getting grounded. Sure I was upset at times, but the lesson in that pretty much demonstrated that I did not study enough the night before because I went to play video games instead or I did not ask enough questions for the things that were complicated, or even just me not paying attention at times. I learned to appreciate the way my parents got involved because it showed that they cared and that it was for the benefit in the long run which was something my mom constantly said because everything that she and my dad do is for my future and for my benefit. Over the years, my parents did become a little more lenient but only so as long as I stayed on the right track with their end goal of me getting into college, and I stayed focused on school, I was able to do pretty much what I wanted: hang out with friends, play video games some more, anything that pertained to some sort of entertainment which I enjoyed that privilege.

Furthermore, I can proudly say that not only is school (mainly due to mere interests and curiousness for science and the human body) one of the reasons, but also the environment and world around me, the people who support my choices and decisions, and most importantly, my personal self and feelings, I chose to dedicate myself to pursuing a career in medicine. Over the years, I’ve tried to figure out who I am and what makes me get out of bed in the morning, or what puts a smile on my face, etc. I can definitely say that I am someone who cares deeply for others, a little more than what is good for me but that’s the beauty in it, I am someone who finds pleasure in helping other people for their benefit, I am someone who is motivated enough to motivate others when they are down, and I enjoy being there for people in a time of need. There is way more to me but above it all, I find happiness in helping other people because it benefits them. This is definitely one of the biggest reasons why I chose the medical pathway not only because of interests but because I see myself as a compassionate person and I believe I have what it takes to engage upon this path. When I learned that I wanted to go into medicine, there were so many days just filled with research both online and advice from family and friends into me learning about medicine, the different specialties, the different types of doctors, daily lives of physicians, etc. It was if so that I was just so intrigued by it and a little obsessed with wanting to figure out what I wanted to specifically do. Eventually, I gained a soft spot for surgery and I was set on pursuing a specialty in surgery, specifically cardiothoracic surgery. Why do I choose heart surgery? Simple really, personally, I have a big heart and as I have mentioned, I care very deeply for those around me and so just something about the different ways people feel, how the heart is the center of our life and the emotions and feelings that we base our heart off of, these basic functions that make us, us, truly is something I want to explore. I want to help people live out their lives happily, lovingly, and full of joy in their hearts.  I am truly passionate about pursuing this career choice and this is my one goal, aspiration, vision for my future, whatever you want to call it, this is all I want to do and I will constantly strive to fight through the daily struggles and celebrate the wins at the end of the day no matter how small, just as my parents showed me to and to never give up on something I am passionate about.

This is the beginning of my journey along the paths I have chosen to engage upon and with that said I want to pass on a little motivation to the readers. If you have a goal, something you feel strongly about, whatever it may be, I want to emphasize GO FOR IT no matter what. No matter who brings you down, no matter what obstacles you come across, still go for it. There will be times where you lose motivation, times where you lose that spark that keeps you going, times where you just are not determined, but this is where you see what you truly are capable of because failure happens to be the best motivator, ask yourself, “What can I change?” or “What did I do wrong?” and trust me you will learn a new lesson. Can I be honest, there were numerous times where I wanted to just quit, where I had no motivation, where I got lazy at times, but even then I chose to continue. Also, there will always be other people that bring your goals down but it is important to block out the negative energy because only you can build yourself what you choose to build and so do not let anyone else put you down. Those that put you down are already below you. I have definitely had other people shoot my goals down, laugh at me, saying why am I wasting my time going through 15-20 more years of schooling, saying that I am not gonna make it, etc but let me tell you, if it’s a true goal to you and you own that, the amount of negativity you are able to block out becomes immeasurable. Finally, something that I say to myself when I feel a lack of motivation, “Dreams don’t work unless YOU do!”

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger--Alec

 

Throughout my life I have experienced events that no child should experience however, that have made me into the person I am today. When I was in second grade, in the winter time of 2007, I experienced one of the two events I will be illustrating. I will never forget that day as my family was full of joy as we were going to Disneyland during our winter break. The day was extremely fun, we went on all the rides, ate good food, and I was seven so of course I had a good time with my family.

The fun had finished and we went home. Everyone was tired, my two older sisters and I were passed out in the back seat and my Mom in the front. We got home and everyone was ready to go to bed after the long day we had. I went to sleep first and not even ten minutes after closing my eyes I heard a loud bang come from one of the other rooms in my house.

I thought nothing of it but then I heard running coming from my sisters room and heard my Mom yell to my Dad that my sister Isabelle was having a seizure. I went outside and saw my sister shaking on the floor and my Dad over her not knowing what to do. Everyone was scared as this was the first time something like this happened. Thankfully we have a Doctor in my family so we called him and he told us how to control the situation until the paramedics arrived. That night was definitely one of the scariest nights in my life. I remember the paramedics taking my sister downstairs on a stretcher and crying saying goodbye to her. My Grandma came to take care of my other sister and I while my parents were at the hospital with my sister. I just remember crying and being scared and confused until the tiredness of the day came upon again and eventually fell asleep in my Grandma’s arms.

The next day my parents woke me up from my bed walked me over to my sister’s room and told me my sister was alright. Although it was a frightening experience, what mattered was that my sister was okay. This experience as a child first introduced me to the life lesson of not taking your loved ones for granted.

The next event that had a major impact on my life happened when I was in the fifth grade. At this time I was one of the youngest in my family and among my cousins. I am blessed to say I am a part of a big family and grew up with over ten cousins that I would consider like my siblings because of how close we all are. A majority of my cousins are girls, so my older cousin Andy and I were super close even though he was eleven years older than me.

The Sunday after my sister had her party for completing her confirmation, which is a sacrament of the catholic church, I went with my Dad to the store and overheard my Mom say to my Dad over the phone that they cannot find my cousin Andy. Once we got home my Dad left a couple hours after and my sisters and I thought nothing of it. A few hours went by and Mom came home but with my older cousin Angel. She said we had to go to my aunt’s house and nothing else. Once we drove up my mom parked the car and said to my sisters and I, “Before we go in, I have to tell you guys that Andy is in heaven now.” My cousin got into a crash on Mt. Baldy in the morning of May 18, 2014. We all started weeping in the car but thankfully my older cousins were there to help calm us down, that way we could comfort each other. I remember seeing all my loved ones in pain, and that is one of those memories you do not forget from your childhood.

I think about my cousin a lot, but I try to remember the fun and not the pain. Often when I think about him, I try to think about how him being in my life was a blessing in and of itself, even though his death put my family and I through pain. My cousin’s death was the first loss I experienced in my life. Although I was young when this happened, this experience soon helped me realize that being alive is a privilege and you have to cherish every moment of it, even the hard times. When thinking about his death I think of the blessings God has put in my life that I haven’t experienced a death as close to my cousin’s since then. Also, how although my sister has had her seizures, she has been alright after the few incidents she has had. I think of how my family is a blessing and how we are able to pick each other up and come together when we are down and how this allowed us to not go through his death without one another.

In tragedies like these I am not alone, as people have endured worse situations than mine. However, experiences like these help mold you into the people you become. I know many people and family members that when they experience circumstances similar to mine, they gain life lessons and meaning that can be carried with them forever For me, I felt that my cousin’s death and my sister’s illness have taught me to be a better brother to my sisters, an example for my younger cousins , and a shoulder for people to lean on when they need it. See, I believe that experiences can knock you down, but it is up to you if you have the determination to build yourself back up stronger and live by what you have learned from those experiences.

The Meaning Behind Succeeding--Sean

 

To succeed is something that a lot of us dream of achieving. Whether it be to become the

most spectacular dancer, the most creative artist, or the most enduring athlete, we all try to be successful at something. But where does success come from? Who dictates whether we’ve succeeded or not after all our work, grit, dedication, and determination? Is it the boss you work under? The people you try to serve? Those around you that judge every movement and decision you make? Or is it you, yourself, that decides whether you’ve succeeded or not? It could be all of these, some of these, one of these, or maybe even none of them. Truth is, we all seek success and find the confirmation that we’ve succeeded in various places in our lives. But the one common character in succeeding, the one indicator of success is, I believe to be, a continuous drive to keep moving forward; to constantly dream of achieving more.

The most basic measure of success today is money. I’m sure many of you have heard the saying, “money can’t buy you happiness,” and to that, many people counter with, “money can’t buy you happiness, but I’d rather be crying in a mansion.” Both statements are very valid perspectives. While money and wealth definitely give you a better standing in life, for some of us, it doesn’t exactly reach into the crevices of our heart and quench our desires to succeed. Though some may actually enjoy money with its use as a physical representation of hard work and achievement. Some people may not even care about wholeheartedly succeeding, and just want to live lavishly, which is completely fine too. But as Benjamin Franklin said, “without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”

Chasing success is quite literally like running on a treadmill. Some may, after hitting a set of miles, like to slow to a walk; to relax after working for however long they determined to work.

Some might even hop off the treadmill, completely content with their mileage. But those people determined to really succeed, and really achieve greatness, they stay on the treadmill forever; forever chasing more and more. There will always be improvements to be made, there will always be more that you can do. Success isn’t a physical thing that we can hold our hands after toiling for some time, it’s in some ways not even meant to be achieved at all. Not because it’s overly difficult to obtain but because its purpose is to keep inching away from your grasp, pushing you to keep moving forward. The act of succeeding, is the act of continuously improving and pushing yourself. Sure, you’ll trip along the way, lose your footing. A lot of the time you’ll just want to give up because it’s so daunting to keep moving when it feels like you’ve already traveled across continents. But there’s merit to getting back up, to keep moving despite how difficult it is. The more you chase after success, the more you accomplish, the more you grow. Then you start to dream of achieving more and it just repeats over and over again. That to me, is what it means to succeed; to not reach the top of the mountain, but to reach every peak you find, continuously searching for more to conquer.