"You're juniors now, I.E you're adults"

At the beginning of this year, I knew that this upcoming school year would be different; now we begin visiting colleges, worrying about our grades, and taking on more responsibility. But what I did not expect was for many of the teachers to use the phrase, "You're juniors now, so you need to figure out what you need and how to manage you're own time." This phrase boggles my mind because I know that I am a junior and that college is honnestly right around the corner but how does this make me an adult. The only thing that I think is different this year than last year is that now, I can drive. This does give me more responsibilty but how does this make me an adult? I can not vote, drink, get married, or enlist in the army but I am considered to be an adult? I understand the thought of preparing us for college and what not but "holding our hands"freshman and sophomore years but then come junior year we are on our almost, kicked out of the nest and told to figure it out on our own. I wish that it had been a slower process over sophomore year and then junior year so that by the end you really feel like an adult more. Senior year is more on the "fend for your self"because it is the last year prior to college but up until then it should be more of a slow process of taking on more responsibility, not just a kick out of the nest. How, at the ripe age of 16, are we considered to be adults in school?

Unrealistic Expectations

The pressure on adolescents and teenagers to succeed in life, be skinny, be rich, be number one in their sport, and be academically talented is absurd!  There is no reason that kids as young as 10 should be worried about their weight or how smart they are and whether or not they are going to get into college.  The pressure is starting earlier and earlier and increasing as time goes on.  Isn't there a chance to just be a kid?  Make mistakes and screw up?  With all of the pressure on kids they are growing up too fast and not getting a chance to experience what being a kid is all about!  A 14 year old is going to learn more lessons acting like a 14 year old than acting like an 18 year old.  So, are the parents to blame for this incredible pressure or the society in general?  Why do kids feel the need to grow up so fast and act older but they get older and they want to be younger?

  No one kid is perfect; no matter what any parent believes no child is 100% what the parent wanted.  Being a talented athlete, a talented scholar, rich, and skinny is not everything that life has to offer and it is unrealistic to expect the most from every child.  So, a message to parents: let kids be kids, keep them focused on school work but still allow them to experience things that kids should experience.  And a message to kids: don't try to grow up too fast, savor every experience because before you know it you're looking at colleges and leaving home.

9/11 Revisited

It is approaching the time of year again when people start to remember what happened on that horrible day in 2001. It has almost been 7 years since that dreadful day but questions about how much our country has changed and if it is safer now still arise. Is terrorism gone? Are we truly safer now that we have invaded Iraq and Afghanistan?
I remember that day clearly and the terrified feeling that I had. My dad being one of the many people who was supposed to be in the World Trade Center that day. I did not have any concept of what terrorism was or who would want to do anything to the country but I knew that the country I had thought was so safe and that nothing would ever happen to was no longer safe. I look back on that day now wondering if I was right in my thinking that I would never truly feel safe in this country again. And I know that I have a feeling of being safe but I also know that things can happen at any time. Many died in that horrible attack and many have also died fighting for the safety of our country. They have done an amazing job but they should come home because it has been so much time we should think that the world knows that we are serious and don't want to be messed with.
On the anniversary of the attacks I remember those who died in the attacks and think about the safety of our country and I feel good. Think about if we are safer and wonder, what would have happened if we had not invaded Iraq and Afghanistan.

Leave Palin's Family Alone!

Ok, John McCain has chosen a running mate and not everyone may like her but that is who he chose. Sarah Palin, the current governor of Alaska, is going to be John McCain's running mate and quite possibly the next Vice President of America. I don't think it was the wisest choice for him but that is his decision and it is Palin's decision to accept the nomination. Yes, she is a mother of five and yes, her daughter is pregnant but that shouldn't have anything to do with how she would be in the White House. No one should care if her daughter is pregnant and if they do it shouldn't be to criticize her but to support her and see that even though her daughter is pregnant she still believes she can do a great job in the White House. I am not a fan of John McCain or Sarah Palin but I think that her family should be left out of the media and that it shouldn't be a deciding issue in the race for the White House. Also, I think that this is going to be a historic race for the White House because no matter what there will be a first. Either the first African-American president or the first woman vice president but it will be a first and a different race. John McCain kind of is thinking that the people who voted for Hilary Clinton would change and vote for him because of his Vice President post but it is highly unlikely and he is just going to have to try another way to get those people to vote for him!