Really, A Friend?

     Ok I know I always say that you shouldn't dwell on bad things, but have you ever noticed that the best things in life always seem to have a complication in them? Especially when it involves high school drama.  Now I try to steer clear of drama, but sometimes it is just unavoidable.  When I talk about high school drama, I am pretty much discussing your relationship with friends.  You don't want to loose a friend or gain enemies because of decisions you make, but sometimes friends make something that makes you the happiest stressful and try to destroy it.  And through this, your friend ruins your opportunity r ruins some of your other relationships....It's sad that a friend would do something like that.  Can't they just let you live your life and let you be happy? I don't know.  I know I'm being vague, but I kind of have to be.  Especially if I want other to be able to relate to this a bit as well.  Do any of you have friends that seem to ruin events, friendships, relationships, or opportunities for you?

Ignoring Simple Requests?

    So I have adapted this weird thing where I kind of like to be alone on occasion and I also don't like to talk to people ALL the time.  Granted, this use to be different until talking to people all the time started getting old and I began to get annoyed by how much I talked to them.  I mean, yes, I love talking to my friends, but we don't have to talk 24-7.  It's especially bad if you see them every day and then talk to them after school and all the time when you don't see each other.  I don't know, I guess I find constant interaction kind of annoying...I don't mean to sound rude or anything, I mean if someone texts me or messages me, I will answer, but sometimes I just dread starting a conversation and debate pretending I don't see the message, yet I never do.
     The problem with this is that some people seem to always want to talk and I feel bad saying I don't want to. But when I do tell them I don't want to talk to people as much, don't want to use social networking as much, and not text as much, they still text, message, ect me.  This is where the idea of ignoring things comes in.  With these people, did they ignore me when I said that I didn't want to talk all the time or are they trying to force me to talk to them because they know I feel bad if I don't answer or even guilt me into talking to them at times?  It's almost like; are they trying to change me?
     I know it's weird to want to be alone and not talk to people as much, but if I see you every single day, I don't have to text/message you all the time...I want me time and sometimes it's nice to not have to carry on a conversation.  Plus I feel I get a little sick of people if I see them so much and talk to them constantly.  Hopefully that isn't too weird.  What do you guys think? Do you ever think something you want is ignored by people close to you or they don't like what you want so they try to force change?

Everyone's Happiness, But Your Own

     Ok, so I finally have a topic.  It's the idea of being kind to everyone around you and wanting to make everyone happy, even if it means that you are upset.  This seems to be a problem many people have.  The happiness of others and your friendships are more important to you than maybe something that makes you the happiest.  The problem then becomes, when you do something that hurts another person, but makes you happy, you end up feeling terrible about it...Now I know people say that sometimes you need to do what's best for you, but that is hard when your personality contradicts this.  Obviously, you should choose good things for yourself at times, but it can be hard and hurt.  So question for all of you.  Is doing something that makes you very happy worth hurting one or two people, especially friends, even if it makes you feel terrible?

“Battle of the Elements”

Free Verse: (I love this one)

red and orange light glows

the hot flames lick the trees

by the command of the fire god

who wants to destroy everything new and green

and cover the world in corrupted flame.

goddess of water must protect

purity and innocence of the young mind;

she commands water to parch the flames.

water wants to keep them green,

leave the child young and free.

fire wishes to disagree

thinking youthful minds need charring debris.

in this battle of opposing elements,

who will prevail?

will the world end in flame

or will water reign?

will the children be forced to lose all innocence?

come of age before their time?

or will the new growth survive to live another day?

Band of the Ages

Free Verse:

“She Loves You”
“Love Me Do”

“Please Please Me”

“From Me Too.”

reaching the top

of national charts

didn’t keep the band

from falling apart.

After ten years,

the band collapsed,

realizing their concerts were not as before,

not about the music anymore.

1970 the band was done

and the members began solo runs.

Part of the band was tragically lost

when in 1980,

John Lennon was shot .

2001 lung cancer attacked

and guitarist Harrison died from that.

Today we still have

McCartney and Starr,

who are trying to save

the band’s last memoirs.

The Soldier's Wife

Alright, so I've run out of topics at the moment, so I will post some of my stuff from creative writing on here as filler:)  Hopefully you enjoy it! This is my sonnet:) Yes, it is a bit depressing, but I like it none the less!

Each week she received letters

from a man who left in leather

a man who left his wife for war.

He wrote to her and her heart began to soar,

he was returning home from war.

Eventually, the doorbell rang

and she rushed to the door to hang

on the man she had missed for so many years

and share in many happy tears.

She flung open the door to find,

two dreaded men with faces too kind

to be bringing her good news.

They handed her a folded up flag and

she fell to the ground, his dogtags in hand.

Serve it Up!

     Well then...I have started falling behind on this, haven't I? Whoops...I guess the problem is I'm kind of out of topics...I could talk about the entertaining waiter at dinner last night.  So my friend took his girlfriend and I out to dinner last night and we were sat with probably the coolest waiter ever! First off, he was one of those waiter's that sits down to take your order and is super relaxed with the whole customer/waiter relationship thing.  As a side note, he smelled really good (he sat by me since obviously my friend and his girlfriend sat together).  Not to be weird or anything, it's just true.  But he also called my friend and I "hun," "babe," and "sweetheart" and called my guy friend "boss" and "dog." He also later accidentally called me "dun" thinking dog and hun at the same time.  Ya, I'm never hearing the end of that! But anyway, he also was super chill.  He didn't mind cussing around us (granted that sounds odd, but it was kinda funny) and he started discussing men wearing pink due to the prom rush that had just ended.
     By the end of dinner he gave another table our check on accident.  Since they didn't notice, he gave us their's instead, which was cheaper because we were quote "cooler."  My friend thinks he did it on purpose because he liked us better, but I doubt that!  Of course we gave him a huge tip, not just because as the two girls, my friend and I felt bad that we didn't get to pay so we helped with tip, but also because he was such a cool guy!  I love waiters that are super friendly and just relaxed with their customers.  It makes everything so much more fun and enjoyable!

We Can Be Friends Again, Snow!

     So how many of you have a snow day today??  I must say, it's pretty exciting when Jeffco actually decides to cancel school!  I usually hate the snow and was on a very strict friendship time out with it, but I think it has made up for its actions.  See, every time I have something going on, it just has to snow and when I say snow, I mean snow hard.  To start, I use to not be allowed to drive in snow, but luckily that has changed, so that isn't an issue anymore.
     The real problem I have with snow is that it makes many activities impossible.  I have a friend who lives about two hours away in Brush, Colorado (if you know where that is).  Well I was headed up to see his school play one night, but guess what, it was snowing.  It was already snowing hard down here in Denver, so just imagine how bad it was up near Nebraska.  My dad and I ended up having to turn around about 20 miles from Brush due to weather conditions.  You literally could not see anything (apparently they don't believe in street lamps up there for starters) and at the rate we were traveling, it would take another two-ish hours to reach Brush.  I have never been so terrified to be out driving than I was that night.  Snow has always gotten in the way of going up there or having my friend come down here and many other activities even down in Denver. It ruins many concerts because of bad road conditions late at night, it caused many people to not show up to opening night of our school musical and those who came were sorta grumpy, ect.  But the snow has made up for its actions today by giving us a well needed snow day!
     Last point I will make here is that I find it quite humorous that Jeffco will give us a snow day on a day like today (if you live in Denver you understand.  The roads seem fine, it is only snowing lightly now, and there is barely any snow.  They also canceled it way before even knowing if it really would snow), yet they make us come to school in a blizzard.  Trust me, though, I am not complaining! I am so happy to have a snow day today! I just find it kinda ironic/funny.  Have a wonderful day off everyone:)

Meaning the World to Me!

     Ok, so one thing I've noticed whether it be through personal interactions or just texting/facebook messaging, is that certain people just don't even seem to acknowledge your existence or the fact that you care about them.  There is a certain person (again not naming) that I care more about than anyone or anything (not in a crush way, he just means a lot to me.  We are just friends!).  I try to show him how much I care; making sure he is ok when he seems upset, trying to support him, doing everything I can to make him happy, ect.  Now the only issue with this, however, is this person adores others, including friends of mine, but yet he never seems to be too anxious to talk to me or be around me.  I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining, it's just something I was thinking about.  I do remember when him and I would talk all the time and maybe I annoyed him...but then again he talked to others I know everyday and still loved hearing from them, being with them, and was always so sweet to them all the time! Now granted, when he does talk to me and when I see him, he is very sweet...I just don't know whether he realizes how much I care about him.  I am so grateful to have him in my life and I want him to succeed in his dreams and always be happy.  It is just somewhat disappointing when you care so much about someone and they don't seem to really care much about you/even recognize how much they mean to you.  Obviously you don't want to tell them considering it could make things awkward, but it still just eats at you a little bit.  I know this person wont read this, but I definitely look up to him and he means the world to me and always will! This post is somewhat meant to just let me write about something I needed/wanted to, but also to maybe relate to a few of you.  Do you guys have anyone like this in your life?

A True Hero!

      Almost everyone loves some popular artist due to how attractive they are or how exciting their music is and they always overlook the most amazing bands due to unnecessary judgement.  I know many people who will take one look at a band like Black Veil Brides and The Relapse Symphony and assume that their music is dark, emo, or something of that nature and just decide right then and there that they don't like them.  They do this without even listening to their music. They judge a book by its cover, per say.
     These bands that everyone loves because of their looks (and just as a side note, the members of BVB and TRS are absolutely gorgeous and perfect in every way!!) and strange music are thought to be influential when in all honesty, all they are, are either dirty songs, break up songs that only diss the other person, or songs that insult specific things.  The bands that are truly influential and truly help people are the bands that are usually thought of badly just because of their appearance   Two bands that tend to be judged right away are Black Veil Brides and The Relapse Symphony just because of how they look and dress.  These bands happen to be two of my most favorite bands.  They have helped so many people through rough times and caused many people to stop cutting and attempting suicide.  
     Black Veil Brides writes songs about problems and situations people may encounter and help them through it through their lyrics.  For example, their new CD, "Wretched and Divine" tells the story of overcoming fear.  Also, look at the quotes from the members of this band.  You can tell that they seriously want to relate to and help their fans through life.  Looking at the examples below, I challenge you to tell me how this band is dark, depressing, and emo!  
     "Life isn't about how popular you are… What girl or boy you are dating or who you know. Life is about always being true to who you are or what you believe in. Never let anyone convince you that their way is better than your way. In the end all we have is our hearts.. and our minds. This is the reason we sing.. this is the reason we cry… this is why we live." - Andy Biersack      
     "As we grow up, we learn that even the person that wasnt supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it gets harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much and love like youve never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is one minute of happiness you'll never get back." - Andy

     The next band would be The Relapse Symphony<3.  Granted, The Relapse Symphony is new compared to BVB, but I still know people that will judge them just by appearance.  This is another band that is far from dark, depressing, and emo.  Even listening to what they have to say, you hear that they too were bulled in school and were always judged.  Their new EP, "Times Running Out," is all about personal experiences containing lyrics that encourage their fans and tell them they can get through anything.  Take their song "Forgotten" for example.  This song was actually written FOR their fans.  If you listen to the chorus, they are telling there fans that everything will be ok and that they will "never be alone."  Now tell me how that is dark and emo!!  Plus, Bret (Lead singer) talks to fans on YouNow every week, JC and Alex (guitarists) chat with fans on YouNow on occasion, and they all make question and answer videos answering questions including those on things like bullying!  Fans feel comfortable talking to the band members about problems they are facing and can relate to the band.  Just like with Black Veil Brides, you see fans telling the band how they haven't cut since they have started listening to their music and how their music gets them through the day.  The members of The Relapse Symphony are absolutely amazing with how much they care about their fans and how much they try to help their fans get through tough situations whether it be through there music or even personally talking to them.  You would be amazed at how many misjudged bands are just like The Relapse Symphony and Black Veil Brides.  The members of these bands are living proof of true heroes!
     So next time you see a band that may look different or dress different, don't automatically assume that they are a dark, depressing, or emo band! These are the types of bands that have helped so many people through depression, hard times, bullying, and life in general.  That is much more than you can say about mainstream bands such as Justin Bieber, Nikki Minaj or One Direction.  Before you judge a band, or even a person, listen to their music or get to know the person.  The kind of people that are different will always be the ones who just need someone in their life and will be the truest friends.  The musicians who are misjudged may be the ones who's music relates to life and helps so many people get through the worst of times!

"Life is a Gift, That's Why They Call it the Present!"

     There are many people out there, including some I know, that are going through rough times and have become depressed and sometimes suicidal.  This can be caused by many different things, whether it be a mental illness, bullying, family problems, stress, ect.  There are ways for you to get through the rough spots in life and help yourself move on through life, however.  What you have to decide is why is your life worth living?
     We will start with something simple.  Imagine, if you will, the Yin, Yang symbol.  The Yin and Yang can  symbolize the idea that there is always light in darkness, good in evil, and positive in negative.  Let's focus on the idea that every negative situation has some positive to it.  This positive may be small or it may not effect you until the future, but there is always a positive; you just have to be willing to look for it.
     Another small point is the idea that pain is a part of life.  This sort of goes with the idea of looking for the positive.  So, think about this: we always hear and recite the phrase "life is a gift, that's why they call it the present."  Well, with a gift, you are given the whole package; all or nothing in a way.  So with life, we must accept the good with the bad.  If pain is a part of life, then any part of life we receive should bring us joy.  If you are being given all parts of life including memories, happiness, pain, ect, then you should be grateful and realize that you are blessed to be able to be truly living.
     Now that we have discussed the smaller, in between details, let's get back to the question "why is life worth living?"  This question is something someone must answer for themselves, but if you fully think about it, you can always find the reason/answer.  But when thinking about why your life is worth living, think of this:  Why do we live if not for happiness? Life matters because of all the times and memories that bring us happiness.  Because of these times, any sadness can be counteracted by the happy memories and future hopes and as stated before sadness and negativity will always have some positive hidden inside.  Instead of focusing on everything bad in your life or focusing on the negative in a present situation, think of all the happy moments and memories you have and expect to have and try to find the positive in every situation.  Think about why life matters to YOU and focus on that.  Memories, friends, family, happy moments, goals, and the answer to that question will help you get through any rough situation<3

I would like to thank my friend for making me think about life as a whole and why it is worth living.  I wont name him due to privacy, but he knows who he is. So special thanks to him for giving me the idea for this post<3

Labels

     One thing I have noticed throughout my high school experience is that people get labeled.  Not stereotypes, per say, but those do play a small role.  When I say labels, I mean the idea of people always pestering someone about one thing, resulting in that person being known for that specific event/trait/mistake/ect.
     An example of this is that people will bother/make fun of people for maybe not making the best choices or not being the brightest student or maybe being the person who is always goofing off.  Now this may be true at the time, but the problem with labels is that people can get caught up in them.  If someone is known as the kid who goofs off, makes bad choices, and isn't the best student, there is a risk in that, that person may end up falling into their label.  This would make it quite hard for the person to get out of this "trap," per say, and they may actually start fitting their label.  It almost seems like the teasing and relating of a person to a certain thing causes them to start believing the label themselves.  This causes the person to start acting like their label all the time.  For example, the kid who is known for goofing off will probably always be the one getting in trouble for messing around.  The bad student will have trouble doing better because they feel like they can't do it and may be unmotivated and supported.  Last, the person who makes bad choices may start feeling insecure about the choices they make, afraid to make the wrong decision or do the wrong thing, causing either no decisions to be made or talking themselves out of the right decision.  The person being labeled will be "trapped" in this label until they are away from the people who continue to label them.
     Labeling almost seems cruel not only because the teasing and criticism could be thought of as bulling and mentally harm the person, but it can also prevent a person from growing up, gaining experience, and changing their bad habits.  If people were to stop being labeled and bothered about certain mistakes they made in the past, they would be able to move on and get past their flaws.  While labels still exist, however, people will be trapped by those they are suppose to trust and rely on, never being able to escape their flaws and mistakes.  

Gullibility at it's Finest

     So one thing I have always had an issue with is gullibility.  Now you would think that would be an easy thing to fix, but in some cases, how can you tell whether the person is being honest or whether they are trying to trick you? Since that might not make perfect sense, I will use an example.
     I have a friend who lost his job a few months ago and with the way he is, he is very good at finding the positive in situations and being able to make the most out of what he has.  (I very much admire this trait of his, by the way).  Anyway, I saw him a few weeks after this terrible event and asked him how his family and he were doing.  He answered saying that they would soon be able to buy their three cans of beans to share for the week, so luckily they would have food.
     Ok, so you may be thinking that this was an obvious joke, but would you want to be the one to laugh only to realize that it wasn't actually a hoax?  Granted, he said this with a perfectly straight face and seemed completely serious.  So I proved my gullibility once again by believing him.  I was seriously showing concern and apologizing to him for his situation.  Boy did I feel stupid when my sister and he laughed at me for believing him.
    Therefore, my new debate is finding out how to react to something when you aren't completely sure if it is the truth or a joke.  In situations like this, you really only have two choices: 1. Take it as the truth and risk looking gullible or 2. Laugh, assuming it's a joke, and risk offending the other person when it really was an honest story/situation.  The positive to number 1 is that if it was the truth, you have the correct reaction, but there is the risk of embarrassing yourself through gullibility.  The positive to number 2 is you don't make yourself look gullible (obviously), but if the person was actually telling the truth, you seem unsympathetic, inconsiderate, and rude.
     So personally, I would rather number 1, no matter how much I may embarrass myself.  I think it's better to be on the safe side, even if it means making yourself look somewhat daft.  But what do you guys think? Which would you prefer?

'Pilot'

     Hello Internet!  Bret Von Dehl from a band known as "The Relapse Symphony" got me thinking about making a written blog.  I always enjoy helping other and want people to be happy and realize that there is always a positive in every situation.  What I hope that this blog will do, is relate to you, give you advice, and help you through rough times and situations.  Some posts will be based on personal experience, while others will be based on what is happening to others or even questions you all ask me.  Post could also be about random/fun topics as well, just for variety and to keep things exciting!
     I would love for this to be an interactive blog where I, and even others, can hopefully help you as well as relate to you.  Please don't hesitate to post your questions, problems, or even vents on here.  I want to help everyone feel better about themselves and be able to keep them moving through life.  Love webs to all<3