"ALL THE COOL KIDS ARE DOING IT"

This one time, at band camp, my friends and I were sitting around the campfire singing our c-a-m-p-f-i-r-e campfire song.  Within about a half hour, a couple of my friends decided they wanted to leave for a little bit.  We weren't allowed to leave, but they were determined to.  They told me to come with them because they were going to do illegal things.  There was an ongoing bicker of "come on!""Meh, go without me." for about 15 minutes.  Finally I decided I would just go with them because we would be back before anyone really noticed we left.  So we started our trek into the woods, but I did not take part in the recreational use of illegal substances.  Instead, I looked at the stars and talked to Orion until they were done. 

Was I wrong to go with them?  Nahh.  I was on the bridge, but I didn't chose which way to go.  I didn't chose to stay back and I didn't chose to fully take part in their adventure.  I think for my entire life I have never really been on either side of "the bridge."  I guess you could say I'm on my own bridge which is determined my own personal morals, not anyone else's or society's.  So for this situation,  I suppose I went the wrong way according to "the bridge" but I think I was happily sipping tea on my "bridge."

Literally

Being literal means to be completely factual.  Something that is literal is not an exaggeration.  People always use "literally" when they speak, but not correctly.   For example, people often say "I'm literally going to kill myself."  That's not true. They won't actually kill themselves.  They just exaggerate their stress/sadness for dramatic effect.  Using the word "literally" in such context means that it is not metaphorical or figurative, but completely accurate.  If they were actually being literal, then they would kill themselves in the near future.  Pretty much, people who say "literally" when they don't actual mean it are liars.

meow. 

keep yourself sane.

walk in the rain; don't let your friends cut your hair; take a walk by yourself; sit on your roof and watch the stars; sneak out at night; start a journal to document your life; don't leave the stove on after you cook something; don't sleep with your contacts in and wash them well, you might get a bacterial eye infection; don't use aerosol hairspray, the hole in the o-zone layer doesn't need to be any bigger; wear sunscreen, you'd rather be less tan than have skin cancer; put away your laundry in the right places or you will never find what your looking for; don't go on the computer before bed, you will never fall asleep; read books, it's a good escape from life; take pictures; do something artistic once in a while; walk barefoot for a day; wear your seatbelt all the time; don't make everything more dramatic than it has to be; recycle!; kayak in the ocean, but wear lifejackets; have bonfires with your friends; spend time with your family; put your dirty in a laundry basket; take a bus to the city by yourself; go skydiving!; don't try to jump off a roof; go to concerts; dwelling on bad things won't make them good; crying is not unhealthy; go on a run; learn to play a musical instrument; it's good to dream; if you want something, take action on it; smile at people who look sad; be nice to everyone; find that one person you can tell everything to; talk in different accents when you meet new people; go on vacation with your friends; try to count the stars; texting is not real communication; meditation makes you feel a lot better when you are stressed; once a friend, always a friend, if you drift apart, they will still always be there for you; take care of your hygiene, nobody likes smelly people; some people don't deserve what happens to them; learn from your mistakes; take vitamin c, having a cold isn't pleasant; see how long you can be a vegetarian; eat sushi; take a road trip; do something to make that sinking feeling in your stomach diminish; don't run on slippery wood floors; play with your dog; you're never too old for spongebob; listen to your parents; don't fight over stupid things; get to know people better than you think you do; pick flowers; a messy room is not a happy room; play video games; facebook is heaven for stalkers; don't be afraid to ask for help; you don't know everything; negativity means never having to be disappointed, but it also means never having to be surprised; don't wear socks to bed, let your feet breathe; breath deeply once in a while; send yourself flowers; never be ashamed of who you are; make bets and win them; make you sure you can win the bets that you make; feelings are not something that should be played around with; pay attention in class; do good in school, or at least try your best; read the books and watch the movies people tell you are inappropriate for your age; don't shut yourself out from reality; go to your schools field at night and watch the stars; wishful thinking is what keeps people sane. 

Whip Around

beautiful friend, only friend

never let me fall

some people want it to happen, some people want to see you fall.

whatever happened know that the future will be better than the past

you're a common person, you have common thoughts, you have a beautiful soul 

that can make every rotten thing about life seem like its going to me okay

letter; friend; music

Dearest Alyssa,

                 You have no idea how ecstatic I am about our friendship.  I mean, we get along so well, probably because of our taste in music.  You and I share the interest in bands like Taking Back Sunday,  The Spill Canvas, Jack's Mannequin and more from the alternative punk/pop/rock genre.  The fact that we like a lot of the same music has made for some good conversations between us.  I am always super duper excited when we show each other new albums, new bands, or upcoming shows.  

      I do not fib when I say that music is a big part of why we are friends.  Remember what really started our friendship?  A concert did.  Bamboozle 2008, the great music festival where scene kids all over the tri-state area gather to jump around to the sick melodies of their favorite bands.  Yes, I  remember that weekend like it was yesterday.  We slept over Kimberly's house the night before, and I woke you two up at 6 o'clock!   Then, we headed for Giant's Stadium for the exhilarating event.  That day I knew it was the beginning of a great friendship.  We saw all our favorite bands like Mayday Parade,  The Academy Is..., Senses Fail, and we even got to meet All Time Low!

  Oh Alyssa, I will never forget that day, for it was the day we truly came together as friends.  You cannot even imagine the joy I feel when I get to see my favorite bands perform, and I'm happy I got to share that experience with you. I am so grateful to have a friend that enjoys the same sick melodies as I do.  You can bet your lucky stars that if it wasn't for you, I would be a lonesome individual in the field of music.  You are just about my only friend who likes the same music as me. Nothing makes me giggle like a child more than when we bond over the musical sounds of our shared favorite artists.  I hope we stays friends forever.

With Apples, 

             Sha Nay

P.S. by apples I mean love. And we're going to see ATL this month. 

Texting

Text messaging, a quick and convenient way to get in contact with people. But what about texting is so wonderful? Why is the new generation attached to their cell phones and taking it out every 2 minutes to check for the little box saying "new text message?" I feel like nobody makes phone calls anymore and it is assumed that you don't really know someone until you have their phone number and are texting them regularly. I personally think that as many pros that text messaging seems to have, there is an equal if not greater amount of cons about it.
Text messaging is seen as an easier way to get in touch with people. Proper words and grammar are unnecessary, which might be one reasons why it is so appealing to people. Also, with texting, you can send a quick message without having to have a full conversation. You also have time to answer a person, which gives you more time to think. In addition, it is easier to end a conversation. All that is needed to stop conversing with someone is the simple abbreviation gtg(got to go) or even simpler, and harsher, just not answering.
Although texting is worshiped like a god and treated like a miracle to most of my peers, I personally am in favor for the old fashioned phone calls, and even more old fashioned meeting in person and having a conversation. I think that texting is great for small things like, "I left something at your house, bring it to school tomorrow," replied with a "k." But, when it comes to serious conversations about serious topics, I do not think that texting is an appropriate form of conversing. Using texting to communicate contributes to confusion. When typing words on a keypad, one cannot help but make a few mistakes, but, unfortunately those few mistakes can easily lead to mass confusion which may possibly lead to anger. Also, texting is not a personal way of communicating at all. When one person wants to get to know another, I think it is way more significant to talk in person, or at least over the phone. Doing so allows for more things to be understood, as well as being able to hear and see emotions.
I do admit to using text messaging, but I would not call myself a "texter." Also, when I do happen to text message someone I make it quick about a small subject, and I do use proper words and grammar. Overall, text messages have a vast amount of pros and cons.