Lately a lot of people have been talking to me about the idea of racism.
Touchy topic.
I think it's wrong. No other way around it. That's just it.
This is what I don't understand.

Skin color is one of the biggest factors in racism. "White" people are usually the aggressors, yet are we not the ones going out and tanning to make our skin darker?

There's really not much else to say after that. Just another reason why racism is pointless.

Those people that get everything right. They do the 'right' thing, get the best grades, have the most proper attitude. They are seemingly perfect at everything.

I look at them, and wish I was in their place. It's pointless really. We all have our little issues, but I still want to be just like them. I can't help it.

I know I'm not the only one. We are all too focused on comparing ourselves to others, to realize how good we have it.

I've been called one of "those people".

Guess it comes full circle in the end.

Another short story

"When do I get to learn?" Impatiently I bounce in my seat, hoping for the answer I want.

"First grade." My mom answers just like she has all the other times.

"What? That long? I want to learn now." Frustrated I sit back in my carseat. My eyes glare at the passing street signs and all of their hidden secrets.

"Ashlyn it's only a year. You can wait that long. Or if you wanted to you can teach yourself."

My mom chuckles to herself at the idea, but I don't hear it. I repeat it to myself liking the way it sounds. I am going to teach myself. I am going to learn to read, all by myself.

I have never been much of a goals person, but to me reading was something I needed to know how to do. With or without a teacher I was going to learn.

I threw myself at Dr. Seuss like a wild child. My mom read the books to me over and over until I had them memorized. I had her point at every word she read, then I would repeat it. Soon I would walk around the house reciting Green Eggs and Ham from memory.

My mom must have thought I was crazy. Or maybe she was filled with that strange mother pride they get when their child does something strange.

Simple words built on top of each other. From the bottom up they made paragraphs. Then stories. Soon tales about kids loosing teeth, and the three little pigs fly through my hands. The library became my second home. I would sit there for hours, in silence, reading. A miracle by anyone's standards, for someone my age.

On our annual trip to my grandma's house a stack of books sat at my feet. Stories waiting to be discovered, but this time I had a new mission. My attention turns to those street signs. The same signs I glared at before.

Then their secrets are slowly sounded out, into words dancing in my mouth.

Lilly and the Silver Blade of Grass

In a far away land, there was a king and his favorite daughter, Princess Lilly. They were close but Princess Lilly was unhappy. She wanted to marry a kind prince and live happily ever after like all of her friends.
“Daddy please why can’t I get married?”
She pleaded with him, but it made no difference to him.
“No man out there is good enough for my daughter. Nothing will change that.”
“But daddy that’s not fair. Everybody else has already started their happily ever after. Why do I have to wait?”
“Because I said so. Your friends must have found the only good men out there. Now you are stuck with me.” He chuckles at his own joke, but it did not comfort Princess Lilly.
It didn’t help Cinderella wrote letters to her all the time, telling her how wonderful Prince Charming was. They were off living their happily ever after, and she was stuck inside the palace with her father. It was ridiculous.
After many weeks of stewing she devised a plan. She would use all of her magic to make a fantastic meal for her father. Then after he was full and happy, use her charming voice to convince him to find her a prince.
“This is going to be the best meal ever,” she sang to the cooks. Together they worked for several hours to make his dinner perfect.
There was duck, potatoes, fresh bread, crisp crunchy carrots, and fresh chocolate chip cookies. Without hesitation the king gobbled down the meal. There was hardly a crumb left by the time he finished. With a satisfied sigh he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. That was her chance.
Grinning Princess Lilly leaned in and started to whisper in his ear. She used the sing song voice she had practiced in the shower for hours.
“Daddy I want to get married so much. It would make me so happy. More than anything in the world. Please… please find me a prince.”
Reluctantly the king agreed and sent out a notice to all the faraway lands for suitable men.
The next day dozens of men came to the castle to meet Princess Lilly. Rumors of how beautiful she was flew through the room, but before anyone could enter the king stopped them.
“In order for you to see my daughter you must bring me the silver blade of grass in the land of terror. Then, and only then, will you be permitted inside.”
It was an impossible task, but the king knew if any man shall accomplish it then only he would be worthy of his precious daughter.
One man traveled for 6 days on foot to reach the Land of Terror. First he had to scale the Howling Mountains. He made it all the way to the top, with some difficulty. Then he figured out the source for their name. The wind was so strong it made the very rocks howl. The sound paralyzed him in his spot, ending his quest.
After hearing of the first man’s failure a second man set out. This man made it in only 5 days. Aware of the danger at the top of the mountain he brings ear plugs. The sound doesn’t faze him at all. Continuing along the path he stumbles upon an empty field.
“This must be where the silver blade of grass is located! I will surely win Princess Lilly.”
He searches for many days and nights, with no avail. Finally something sparkles in the sunlight. It is the silver blade of grass. He rushes over to it, but a witch stops him.
“Young man of far away, you cannot take my silver. You must pay for it, give me a liver.”
“I have no liver to give you except my own. Surely you cannot take mine.”
And with that the witch condemned him to be her servant forever.

Many more men set out after that. They all wanted Princess Lilly, but also all the fame, and money that came with her. All of them failed.
At long last a suitable man set out on the impossible task.
He was in love with Princess Lilly, and wanted nothing more than to marry her. He listened for stories of the other men’s journeys, so he could succeed where they had failed. Finally he set out to find the silver blade of grass.
He made the trip in only 2 days, for he was strong from working on his farm. In his backpack he had earplugs, a liver, and a red velvet bag for the blade of grass. The mountains held no challenge for him. He scaled them with ease and agility like never before. Even locating the silver grass was simple for him. He patiently sat and waited for the silver to glisten in the sunlight. As he went to pick it the witch popped up again.
“Young man of far away, you cannot take my silver. You must for it pay, give me a liver.”
He pulled the liver out of his bag and handed it over to the witch, a little disgusted.
“What do you need it for?” he said.
“I have a friend who is very sick. This and a few other ingredients should make her all better. Thank you dear boy. Now go find your love.” With that she disappeared in a cloud of bright blue smoke. Without a moment to spare he plucked the blade of grass, put it in the bag, and hurried home.
When he arrived the king was blown away.
“It’s impossible. How are you alive? The journey alone should have killed you.”
“Sir I really love your daughter. I traveled all the way to the land of terror, found the blade of grass, and brought it back, all to meet her. Only the thought of her pushed me on.”
Princess Lilly ran down the steps overrun with joy. She had found her prince.
“Daddy he is perfect. Where did you find him?” she giggled with delight while tossing him shy glances.
“He actually found you,” the king smiled at his happy daughter.
The next day they were married, and Princess Lilly wrote Cinderella a letter all about her happily ever after.

My Idea about posture

I heard these two old women talking at my church the other day about how bad teen posture is getting. It's true. The majority of us slouch whenever possible and walk hunched forward.

This is why.

We have more homework and bigger books. It's as simple as that.
Students sit hunched over desks scrawling nonsense in our little notebooks for 7 hours a day with breaks inbetween to haul around 20 lbs worth of books on our backs. After years over that we are starting to look a little slumpish.
Not saying it's bad. I would prefer that than be stupid.
But give us a break, bad posture is the least of the worlds problems right now. Find something better to complain about.
And on the flipside I'll put forth an effort to sit up straighter in my chair during service.

Sexting..?

I just read the most ridiculous article ever.

Teens are being charged with felonies for sending nude photos over the cell. On top of that they become a registered sex offender for up to two decades.

Ridiculous.

It starts out with a principal confiscating a kids phone, to find a nude picture of the guys girlfriend. So.. they call the cops. Granted this was a hypothetical situation, but based on actual events.

First I don't think teachers, deans, principals, anybody, should be able to take a students phone and look through it. If there is probable evidence it's being used to sell drugs or something, then fine, I could care less. They can take it and chop it up if it makes them feel better. But when it is taken during class I don't think the teacher should have the right to dig through their phone for no reason. Turn it off, put it in the fancy desk, be done with it.

Ok second. Its the guy's girlfriend. Honestly they are probably doing a lot more if they are sending nudes.

Last calling the cops is a little extreme. My goodness talk to the guy and explain what a big deal it is. More than likely he didn't know how easily that stuff is spread around. He will be embarrassed people will found out. Or if adults are getting that worried about it have an assembly. Tell us the dangers of "showing off ourselves" to the world. It will at least be different from all the drug and abstinence talk we get. Honestly it is getting redundant.

I agree with the idea. I don't think pictures of yourself sporting the all original birthday suit is all that classy. Have a little self respect.

I don't agree with the idiot who wrote the column. (Sorry Mr. Worth if she happens to be some journalism buddy of yours, but I really hated how she wrote the story) She portrayed herself as some saint trying to defend teens, while at the same time calling us stupid. No she did not directly call us stupid, but we have all learned how if you want someone to see it a certain way all you have to do is write it a certain way.

I don't know if she thought she was doing us a favor by dumbing us down to make us look less responsible, thus making us seem unaware of what we were doing. Or if she just thinks we are the biggest let down in society yet. If nobody has read it this ties into my post, yes the world pretty much thinks we all suck. they are wrong =).

This is a link to the article
http://www.slate.com/id/2211169
read, enjoy, comment (:

my ode to cheesiness (:

You don't have to say goodbye
And I won't have to say hello
You can stay here forever
You will never have to go
Together we will stay
Where the birds always sing
I will never leave your side
Because you will be my everything
Simplicity
Is the key to my heart
I could want nothing more
Than to never be apart
I shall be your princess
and you my prince
In harmony as one
we will be ever since
we lay eyes on each other
like destined fateand for that moment
I will forever wait

"Love is the most expensive of emotions"

$14.7 Billion is predicted to be spent on Valentine's Day this year.
Yes love is important, and showing you love someone is important as well. I won't deny it. My problem is that people are spending 14.7 Billion on chocolate, jewelry, and flowers.

I could get really charity like and say "give it to the starving!" but that's not my point.

We live in the materialistic world where we measure our relationships based on what we get. Not kidding I bet everyone has thought in their head, "that's it?" Yea that's it.

This is my idea, make this one more meaningful. Instead of going out and getting her the most amazing looking card ever, keep it simple. Then write on the inside why you like her, not why Hallmark likes her.

Flowers are overrated. They die right away, if they escape the dog or cat for that long.

I do like the excuse to eat chocolate. But the stuff where your not even sure if it's chocolate anymore? Ha give me a plain Hersey's bar any day. Anyway less trash than those stupid plastic boxes (save the environment ;) )

Oh and that necklace that looks so nice. I would feel so guilty wearing that. It's almost like the girls compete to see who got the best stuff. "oh look how much he loves me. This is just gorgeous!" You're stupid.

Ok but this is my favorite part. Just to be generic, It saves money =) It's all over the news, but some people have missed it. The economy is tight. Maybe pay off your mortgage? On the other hand it's a good, natural, stimulus package. So stimulate it another way. Talk to your significant other on how to spend the money. Give it to a cause, or spend it on something you would both want, but may not be as romantic. Then later you can be all romantic just the two of you. Bet that would mean more anyway..

it's just a short story.

My arms and legs are heavy. Burning as if the bones themselves are on fine.
I love it.
The cry for rest from my lungs goes unheard.
I am invincible. Unstoppable.
Running.

In 7th grade I joined track. I don't remember my reasoning behind joining, if there was any, but within a week I cursed it.

Running hated me, and the feeling was mutual. I would stand at practice with Nike's laced tight, and a t-shirt hanging on me like a garbage bag. My only hope was for survival while I waited for the torture that is exercise.

At my first track meet my coach encouraged me to fun the mile. After a lot of stalling I came to the conclusion, running around the track 4 times wouldn't be that bad.

By the second time around I wanted someone to shoot me just to put me out of my misery. The only reason I kept running was because everyone was cheering for me with more excitement than I thought possible.
It wasn't until after the race, I found out they all thought I was in first instead of dead last. That's how far behind I was.

Returning home, humiliated, I declared running "man's stupidest idea yet." I promised I would never run again unless it was completely necessary for my survival.

The next day I went to practice.

The junior high team practiced at the high school's track with the high school team. I still called them big kids on occasion. A habit from childhood, that proved my own immaturity. Instead of practicing with my team I watched them. I would hide out in the locker rooms, watching them wizz by.

They ran like the wind, or at least to me they did. They pushed themselves to the very limit or their potential.

It wasn't impressive.
I thought they were stupid. When they started running I say pointlessness, and when they finished, pain. They gained nothing, yet gave everything.

There was no decisive turning point. I never sat down, and said I wanted to be like those high schoolers; however, at some moment I realized running is about challenging yourself. Their only motivation being themselves.

Now when I saw them start running I saw courage, and when they finished a conquerer.

That is what I wanted to be.

I was the slowest on the team with the most determination. Pain now marked growth. The very meaning of the word changed.

I knelt down to tighten the laces or my now worn Nike's. Many miles maked on the bottoms of them. Then I take off. My eyes set on the distance. A new goal, and only myself to push me there.

Jerkish teachers. I just love them.

You know the touchy feeling type of the teacher is the one that builds you up, and cheers you on. They are the ones that are nominated for awards and all of that jazzy stuff. But lately the fad has been to act too cool, or something, for the students. Sarcasm has become a part of everyday lessons.

I'm not saying it bothers me too much. If that's the way they feel they can teach the best, then fine. No big deal. What bothers me is when they take it too far. Like they something particularly rude, that they said just to get a reaction. Not even kidding. It happens.

But who is going to stand up to them? Not me for sure. I would rather sit silently and take it than be the one to say something over such a silly issue. Like I said it doesn't bother me too much. I'm just thinking about the students in our school who are a bit more touchy. How would they take it?

I can only think of 2-3 teachers of mine that really do it. But out of 7? Maybe something should be said?