Peer Pressure

This is a very interesting topic for me, because there is someone I know that struggles very much with this, even though I'm not even sure if he knows it.

So, this is basically it, being pressured to do things by your friends or other people that you might be trying to impress because they'll have some sort of respect for you if you do it. That's the first thing that many people think of when they think of peer pressure. But, there's also the smaller things. Like, when you are with your friends and they want to work out, but you have a mountain of homework to do and you need to get started on some of it. You were planning to do that, but, now that your friends are gong to go work out, you think you'll just follow them.

For all the talks and lectures I've been given about peer pressure, this example has not been given a lot. But, I believe that it needs to be given a lot more. Usually, when I've heard about peer pressure, I've heard about doing drugs, smoking, drinking and things in that genre, but never about the example that I've stated above. That example is important because it tends to happen earlier than when people get pressured with drinking or smoking. If you gain the confidence to do what you want to do, or what you think you need to do early on, before drugs, smoking and drinking come into play, than you will have a much easier time saying no later on.

This happened to me today, and I am sad to say that I didn't say no, even though I was contemplating it multiple times. I had to stay after school because my dad couldn't pick me up, and my friends wanted to go to the gym, however, I had a lot of homework that I needed to complete. I wanted to leave, and do my homework, however, I felt like I wasn't going to have any fun if I did so. So, I stayed, and now, I have a lot of homework to complete before I can sleep.

So, have you ever had to deal with peer pressure? How so? And what do you believe is the point where you being influenced by your friends is going too far?

Symbols for You

So, yesterday, I had to write for my English blog. The title was "Symbolism" because we were discussing it in class. The assignment was to write about a symbol that represented us.

I chose a dove, because I couldn't think of what to write, so I decided to take a quiz online. I chose a dove because it symbolizes peace in a way. I'm the kind of person that doesn't like to stir up drama, or be involved in it. Which is why I started this blog. So I could let people know about my feelings without hurting people, or upsetting people. Also, I'm the kind of person that just flies away when I don't like where I am. And, if I'm stuck, I'm always trying to get...unstuck, I suppose, and fly away from trouble as fasr as I can. Whenever people are having a conversation that I don't want to be a part of, I just leave and try not to make it too obvious, and neither does a dove. I suppose I just thought that peace and flight were parts of me, and a dove symbolizes both of those things.

So, in your comments, tell me what symbolizes you. and why. I'm really curious to hear what you have to say.

Epiphany Day...Sorta

So, today, a guest speaker came to speak at my school. Some of the things he talked about really made me think. Like, if I knew that a friend was drinking a lot and it was becoming a problem, would I tell their parents? Well, I could go on and cover for my friend so they're not mad at me, but, whree would that end up. If my friend was drinking one day and they decide to drive a car, with other friends in it, and they get into an accident,... Would I rather have my friend mad at me for telling, or dead? Those are some things that he really made me think about.

Another thing he made me think about is saying two words. These two words should be said often, and, they are. These two words are very important. And, we use them a lot, yet, we don't usually use them unless we see the immediate need to. You see, when someone opens a door for us, we say it. Thank you. We say it for something as simple as that, but, do we ever say it to our parents because they set aside all that money for our college funds? Do we say it to our parents because they raised us? Do we say it to our teachers because they taught us? Not usually. So, I'm going to try and be more thankful from now on.

Then, I guess there's the last thing. So, today, he asked all the senior boys to stand up, and give him a reason besides sex to have a girlfriend. He said that if they couldn't think of anything, they should sit down. So, all of the guys sat down except two. Is that really the type of boyfriend that I want to have? Is that really the type of guy that I want to be dating when I'm a senior? Is that the guy who I want in a lot of my memories about hgih school? And, well, it also makes me think about a guy that I like. Would he be sitting down, or standing up?  And, it makes me think of the probable answer, which is sitting down.

So, the question that encompasses all three of these topics is... What am I going to do about it? When the times come for all these questions to arise, which is soon, for all of them... What am I going to do about it?

Website Review: MovieStarPlanet

Here's something new that I'm doing on my blog that I hope you all will enjoy. I will be reviewing websites, just so you know exactly what kind of website So, here's the first one on MovieStarPlanet.


MovieStarPlanet:
http://www.moviestarplanet.com/

This website is a fun place to let your famous side shine through. You can make movies and your friends act in tem. You can also create looks, chat with friends, favorite your own Youtube videos, and see which videos your friends like, play games, shop, adopt and play with pets, and decorate your room. Then, when you have created your movies, upload them and enter them in competitions so that you can earn money, fame and share your creations with the rest of the world. Use MovieStarPlanet to make yourself an award winning director. I have a feeling that anyone who loves the idea of fame will love the idea of this website.

Golf

Today, I had my first golf practice. And, I thought it was really cool, because our coach reminded us that it is a sport and skill that we can use for our entire lives. Like, my dad's best friend is someone that he plays golf with all the time.

So, I'm excited to learn how to play, because I know it's going to have a good impact on my life, and a very long-lasting one. I can't wait to start getting better, and learn as much as I can from golf. It's going to be such an important skill and activity later in my life. It's a good way to meet new people and talk to people that I already know.

Well, of course this has to have some advice. It's not difficult. All you have to do is find a sport or activity that you really enjoy and that you can carry on for the rest of your life.

Family Troubles

Here's a post for everyone who is experiencing family troubles. Never give up. Always try and get everything to go as well as it possibly can. And always put mending things in your family above all other problems in your life. Because when you feel like you ha ve nobody to turn to, your family will always been in your corner.

So, I guess what I am trying to say is that whenever there is an issue in your family, you should always try and resolve it, or somehow have it resolved. Because family is important, and should not be broken in any way.

Two Hectic Weeks

I'm sorry for not updating in the past two weeks. I'll explain why now.

So, on July 9th, I boarded the Bus to Nashville, so I could sing in the Crossroads Children's Chorus Festival on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. At first, I thought that wouldn't be too fun. And, granted, we did spend more than a fourth of each day there rehearsing, but, it was quite frankly amazing. The Gaylord Opryland Hotel was truly amazing. The fact that there was a Garden Conservatory in it, with resteraunts and everything was just truly the best. It was the most amazing hotel I've ever stayed in, and I really wish I could go back sometime. So, the coolest part was that there was this one choir from China there. They were all really young and absolutely adorable. Anyway, it was incredibly fun, and I had an amazing time. Stephen Hatfield was a wonderful director. And so was Russell Davis, who played the piano for us. After that, there was Collin Raye, Kallen Esperian and Lawrence Hamilton, the three soloists who sang with us. We had a lot of fun every single day, and it was just amazing that we had so much fun.

Then, I learned that my grandma had fallen and broken her leg. So, I got home Friday night and then at Saturday morning, I drove to Chicago. I wanted to see her before she went into surgery, and luckily, I got there just in time. She's doing better now, and she's even starting to remember things.

Lastly, I went to Robotics camp. It was pretty awesome. I made tons of friends there, and I also made tons of cool robots. The first was a wal-following and line following robot. It was difficult, yet we called it Snorebot, and it ended up working in the end. The second was a racing robot, which was difficult to make, and it turned out that the controls we used were even worse. After that, there was my favorite project. The Sumobot. Mine was named Failbot. I think that was the simplest to build and program and everything. It also ended up winning the giant sumo competition. Also, during the battle, we played all this super epic music in the background. It was so much fun. We later made these segway bots, which helped us learn about balancing. It wasn't too big of a project though. Then, on the last day, we did the final search and rescue project. It was awesome.

So, I hope you understand where I've been for the past few weeks.