I Heart Animals

Yesterday, I volunteered, finally, at the animal shelter in Voorhees. It was so much fun because I absolutely love animals and my heart always goes out to the animals who're neglected and beaten. So, when I went there yesterday and saw all the animals that were given away, I felt so bad and I wanted to take them all home. The only downside to volunteering at the shelter is because that is the same shelter I had gotten my dog from, and I had to give him back to the shelter five years later. And what made it worse was that there was a dog that looked just like my Handsome, my dog, but his name was Diggy, and I could tell that he wasn't my dog. Anyways, I was only there for a little bit before I had to go and pick up my sister, but when I came back, I went into a room full of adult cats. I fell in love with one, her name was Miranda and she was absolutely adorable! And there was another cat, I didn't find out his name, but he was like an orange Tabby cat, and unfortunately, he was missing a tail! It was horrible and I felt so bad! But I don't think he minded very much, because that didn't stop he playful nature, and boy was he a bad kitty! He attacked my shoe, which I thought was totally cute, and he played with the feather toy-thing with much vigor and gusto. I had so much fun with the animals and I can't wait to go back and volunteer again.

I Don't Know If I Should Have...

Today in my History class, a few of my friends and I were very disruptive during a video about the Korean War. My teacher had asked us to stay quiet and pay attention to the video, or else she'd turn it off and make us do an assignment. But the video, the same one from the day before, was playing the same exact thing we saw the other day, so we were watching the same thing we already saw. I paid attention to the video somewhat, but my mind also strayed a bit because I wasn't interested in a recap of a slightly boring video. So my friends and I were laughing about some of the things, unnoticeable to most in the class, but we were laughing a little too loudly, so we were disrupting the class. Now, I understand I was wrong, and that we deserved to get that assignment that she gave to us, so I wasn't really complaining about it when she shut off the video. She said that we had to write a two page journal entry about what we thought respect meant, but then she changed it to what respect in the classroom meant. So I did the assignment without much complaint, however, at the end of said assignment, I wrote what I thought about that class. I said some pretty harsh things, and before I did, I asked Bonvincent, a classmate of mine, should I write it and he said no. I agreed with him, but when I started to write a finishing paragraph, I wrote my opinions about the class instead. I know that I shouldn't have and some things really are supposed to be left unsaid, but I couldn't help it and I thought, in the back of my mind, that it needed to be said. Was I wrong to write negative things about the class or should I have kept it to myself, but still think those things in my mind and never say them? I'm torn right now because I know that receiving such negative things about how you are running a class is hurtful, especially if you have been teaching for such a long time, but I also know that if you have opinionated students, you should expect criticism. And I did say criticism, not constructive criticism, there is a large difference in those two things.

Wow, The World Today...

Yesterday, after watching both Addams Family movies on channel 29 late last night, a show called The 700 Club came on. I started watching a little bit and the first subject that came on was about a nurse in England, being reinstated to her job, after getting suspended for offering to pray for a patient. As I continued watching, intrigued with the fact that this woman was suspended for her faith, it seems as though she does this with many of her patients. She said that they welcome her prayers, wanting someone to pray for them and help from the good Lord above. It seems that the patients had improved after she prayed for them, and thanked her afterwards. When she asked one of her current patients, they had politely declined and she said that she did not push the suggestion on them. However, the patient, I believe, complained to her supervisor and the supervisor suspended her because there was a prior complaint about it from another time. While the woman was suspended, the Christian League, or whatever it's called, complained to her job, saying that if she were Muslim, she wouldn't have gotten in trouble. They did not like the fact that because she is a Christian, she is susceptible to more trouble with her job, than if she were another religion. They said that if she offers to pray for her patient then that should be acceptable. It wasn't like she was pushing her faith onto the patients, and they accepted her offers before. The nurse is finally back to work and is still asking her patients if they would like her to pray for them, and is still devoted to her faith.

P.S. In the picture, that is the nurse who was suspended.

Is She Serious?!

Today in my AP History class, we were talking about the 1950s and the economy and all that good stuff about American history. Then we started getting into the topic of whites migrating to the suburbs and the blacks and other minorities moving to the inner cities, and our topic went astray. My teacher, whose name I will not mention, started to rant about people not being able to keep the front of their homes well-kept and neighbors complaining about their values going down. And of course it was still pertaining to what we were talking about in history, but she had mentioned black stereotypes and why whites complained about blacks moving into their communities. She said that it was a stereotype that blacks could not keep their homes clean and that's why many of the whites complained about them moving into a house in their neighborhoods. But she also said that whites could not keep their homes nice-looking either, and said that her neighborhood would send letters to that family complaining about it.

So we started to go more into that topic, discussing the exterior images of homes and apartments in poor communities and I said that even if the homes on the outside do not look nice, that doesn't mean that the inside looks crappy as well. She said that may be true but they should still try and pretty their porches. Later into the conversation, she said that families that own homes should make their house look nice, and if they can't then they should not own a home and rent an apartment. How can you tell someone that they shouldn't keep their house and rent an apartment, if they cannot keep its appearance nice? You can't and she seemed to be sprouting nonsense because even though some families cannot make the image better does not mean that they can't keep a house. My mother couldn't keep the appearance of our house up and make it better, but she made sure that her children had a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs, and kept the electric and hot water on. She doesn't get it because she grew up with two parents, in a more affluent community, and she didn't have to experience half the stuff that many less-fortunate families did. She's speaking from ignorance and she needs to shut her mouth because she has no idea what she's talking about.

My First Mentor Meeting

Yesterday I had my first meeting with my mentor, Mr. Roddy. We talked about a lot of stuff having to do with my project and my not-yet-work-in-progress short story. I cannot wait to get started and write it because I've never finished a story before, so I really want to see this through. Also, we looked online to see if there were any books that could help me become a better writer and we found one called Novels and Short Story Writer's Market. It's a handbook that can help aspiring writers to write better and get their work published. Mr. Roddy told me today that his library has that book, even though it's from 2007, and he has asked them to send it to us. And also he wants me to write in two different journals, one for writing about anything and everything, and the other for a character that has a conflict. I have an idea about a young girl around my age in the Meiji Era in Japan, and she has to wed some man that she has never met before. But first I have to research about the Meiji Era and some of the major events that has happened in that time period. It was a really informative meeting and I think we've gotten a lot done considering it was just our first, and when I still have yet to meet up with my sponsor.

My Weekend

My past weekend has been pretty wild but also boring as ever. It started on Friday, when my gym teacher McGriddle, or McGuirl, played the playlist for my friends and I after a week after requesting it. It was a playlist of all rock songs that we liked, and we had just wanted to listen to something other than the music we always listen to in gym. So when he played it, we were all happy and excited because we got to listen to something we had preferred. Now, my school is pretty diverse but it mostly has African-American students in it that all listen to the same music really, so when the rock music started, it was a BIG wake up call to everyone else in gym. Afterwards, when we were in the locker room, I had gotten into an argument with one of my oldest friends from way back, and it was a really stupid one at that. We had gotten into it when she made a comment saying that she'd rather "listen to nothing than listen to that." So I got a little mad because it was just one time that we were probably going to do that, and there's nothing wrong with rock music. I mean I know that we could've made it more diverse for everyone to enjoy, but when we listen to R&B, Rap and Hip-Hop, there's never any rock music, so I said that "not everyone listens to rap music all the time." And then she had gotten angry as well and we started to yell and argue with each other over music! It was really dumb and nothing really important to argue over, nor to strain our friendship over either. I mean, afterwards I knew that it was stupid, and I didn't regret it because I was still mad, but I knew that arguing over something stupid would put a strain on our friendship. So after school, after ignoring each other all day, I got fed up with it and I apologized to her and vice versa, and we made up. I was happy about that because I don't like arguing with my friends at all. Later that night, I went to my friend's house to chill with him and a bunch of my other friends. It was a pretty fun night and we all had a fun time.

The next morning I had to go to work and I felt so sick that morning. It was horrible. I had to go to work like that and I was glad that I only had to work for four hours because I didn't know if I'd be able to make it through the day. When I got home, I just lazed around and watched television with my little sister, and then watched Grease with my sisters before one of them had to go to work. I didn't really do anything interesting on Sunday, except for going to church, but my mom let me use the car, which was great. I had taken my sister to the library, and then we went to go visit my friend, Shayla, who lives in Voorhees, before she went to work and she told me some shocking news. She wants to join the army! I asked her why and she said it's because she's "too stupid for school and college." I said it's because she works too much and she agreed but she also says that if she doesn't work, she won't be able to take care of herself. Her situation is really sad because she lives with her parents, her mom and stepfather, but she has to take care of herself or else she'd starve. I feel bad for her all the time, and my mom has offered to take care of her, but she rejects it because she wouldn't have as much freedom as she has now. It's hard to accept love from someone when you haven't experienced it for a long time. And that's how she is, she wants to live with us but she pushes us away because she's not used to our lifestyle. I feel like I always have to take care of her because she's like a little sister to me, but also because she needs the attention or else she'd find it from someone else in a worse way.

Heartbroken

Why is it that I always lose out? Either it's for a big role in the play, a spot on the team, or with a guy that I really like. It just seems that all the guys I like, never like me back, and just see me as a friend. It hurts when it happens constantly and I always feel like just giving up. I mean you pour your heart out to a guy you really like and it ends up in shreds. It seems my luck with love is all screwed up because all the guys I like don't like me back, and all the guys I don't like, like me. Whenever I like a guy, it never works out because in his mind, I'm a friend and nothing more. All my friends can cheer me up and say "he wasn't good enough for you anyway" but that doesn't answer my question. When will he ever be good enough? Why is it that other girls my age can find someone good enough for them right now but I can't? I'm tired of being heartbroken by the guy I like. I know that everyone has been heartbroken before and I'm not saying that I'm the only one out there. I'm just saying that I'm tired and ready to give up on love at this moment in my life. My mom says that he'll come if I just wait, but how long do I have to wait before he shows up in my life? It's just like in Natasha Bedingfield's song "Soulmate"--

"somebody tell me why I'm on my own

if there's a soulmate for everyone..."

To view lyrics click here:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/natashabedingfield/soulmate.html