Family

Parents were never cool when you were younger and still are not the ideal people to hang around on a friday night, but recently I have come to realize that I owe my parents a little bit more respect than I give. They are the people who have been with me since day one, and will be with me longer than anyone else I meet on this planet. I realized that I am going to miss them dearly when I leave for college, in more ways than one. Aside from missing the small things they do for me like make me meals and do my laundry, I am going to miss them as the loving, caring people they are. They are the only people I can know for sure will never turn their back on me no matter what the issue is. I remember how I used to say " I cannot wait to graduate and get away from them and just do what I want", and now I am saying the complete opposite. Sometimes I wish that I could just stay around here locally and go to somewhere like Roanoke so I will be able to stay close to my family. Not that this is not an option, but I do want to leave Roanoke at least for college just for a new experience. I think this is one of those things that God makes work out how it is supposed to in the end. In the beginning our parents are our guardian's and protect and take care of us for the first years of our life. In the end, it is our parents who we return the favor to as old age begins to take its toll on them and it is their kids who will see them through in their final days. Despite how sad this process is, it is always comforting knowing that I will always have them to support me until their time on this earth is over.

High school romance

What does it mean to be in love? I have no idea, but I am sure that it is rare for someone to find their true significant other in high school. Everyday I walk through the halls and I see couples holding hands or just holding one another for that matter, sometimes even smooching. Since the beginning of high school I have been in one relationship, and despite it not working out I learned a vary valuable lesson. I dated one of my best friends, and because things did not work out I ended up losing a close friend for a very long time. I salute those who are able to work in a steady relationship that lasts for a long time, because that is something worth working for. What I think the silliest thing about high school relationships are the people who date someone for a week or two, break up, and then date someone completely different the next week. If I am going to be in a relationship then I want to be in it for an extended amount of time or I do not want to be in one at all. What is the point of dating someone if it is only going to last for a couple of days? Another problem with high school romance is that the people in the relationship sometimes tend to be completely obliviously to everyone else aside from their significant other. Friends are going to be there for you much longer than any high school girlfriend or boyfriend... at least in most cases.

The Winter

Despite how much as I like Thanksgiving and Christmas, the winters that drag along for what seems like forever are usually miserable. I like the cold for the first month or so because it means I can start wearing jeans and jackets, but then I miss wearing shorts and a shirt. Snow is one positive aspect of the winter time, except for when there is too much snow ( 16 inches ). This is fun to play in for a day or two, but when you get snowed in and you are unable to travel via car due to the icy roads, it just loses its appeal. My birthday is during the winter, but after that there really is nothing to look forward to until summer. The worst days during the winter are the ones where it is sunny outside. As soon as one steps out the door though, they remember that it is winter and despite being sunny outside it is still ony thirty degrees. I like playing soccer in the winter, just because it keeps me occupied despite the frigid temperatures. Winter Break is also another positive aspect, however I do wish we took our exams BEFORE the break so that when we came back we would not have to cram in review sessions to make sure we pass. I will say that I do love watching college basketball more than anything else during this time, and Duke winning the national championship almost made up for this miserable season.

Hand held computers.. I mean cell phones

Remember the days when a ell phone could only make a call?...yeah me either. Today's technology has come so far along that cell phones can basically used as computers and some people would honestly die without them. I use my cellphone to make plans and to get a hold of people if I am in a hurry, and after that the rest is all rubbish to me. Internet browsers? What in the world do I need to look up on my phone? Paying thirty dollars extra a month for silly add ons like that makes no sense to me at all. Being technological advanced is one thing, but the real problem I have with cell phones is that in some cases they literally become the center of peoples lives. I have friends who are constantly texting and only get off of their phone to eat, and sleep. In their spare time I really could not care if they were on their cell phones or not, but when I am hanging out with them I think it is plain rude to pay more attention to their phone then to the people they are with. What really irritates me is when a person is on their phone while they are hanging out with you, yet when you try to get a hold of them later they refuse to answer or reply. I have a friend who is constantly texting his girlfriend, and when he hangs out with her it is impossible to get a response from him until hours later. Sometimes decency is hard to find.

Growing up

I don't think that I could remember a single instance before the age of seven, and as I get older I feel like this number will gradually increase. Elementary school went by in a flash, and I hardly care to think back to those awkward stages of middle school. High school has definately been an eye opener, and now that the finish line is slowly coming into view i'm realizing that i'm going to miss it all. College is a year away, and then what? Hopefully i'll go to school after college which might lead to an internship and then hopefully a solid job... and then my life is basically done in my eyes. I will stay in the same town and hoepfully make a family, and do the same job over and over again each day until I retire. The other day the subject of life after college was brought up and literally everyone had the same confused look on their face. I am going to miss being a kid so much it's unbelieveable. There is nothing more upsetting then thinking about the day when me and my friends part ways for college. The kids I have grown up with and opened up to in everyday life will no longer be around as often, it's almost like starting over brand new. I hope this is one of those situations where everything works out in the end. Its just scary knowing that in the blink of the eye i'll be leaving this town that I have come to love.

The power of music.

Rap, country, folklore, tribal - music is the one thing that unites people from all over the world. Each genre of music has its own unique style that allows people to associate with it in their own way. Everyone has their likes and dislikes, but fortunately people are able to be friends dispute musical interests.Personally I enjoy several types of music, including rap, indie, and whatever category John Mayer falls under. I also play the guitar, which gives another unique feeling for music that many people cannot experience. I love downloading music and putting it on my ipod for wherever I go, but there is also something truly special about hearing artists in real life that is completely undescribable. There is something about the atmosphere and being around thousands of people with their eyes entranced on the same person mixed with the actual music that brings about an unreal feeling. One of my favorite quotes related to music is " When music hits you feel no pain." Putting the headphones in and putting it on a playlist is one of my favorite ways to prepare for a game. It puts me in a state of mind that just lets me relax and think about what I want to do in the game and how I am going to do it. It is a way to take a vacation from reality for just a short bit of time and put my thoughts in order. Imagine a world without music, how boring would that be? The day the world loses music is the day the world loses its color.

Stink bugs

Every winter when the temperature drops and the animals begin to hibernate, it's like an atom bomb is dropped on the insects of the world and they all seem to disappear. I forget about these pests until about halfway through the winter, when I will find a bug or two on the brink of death, struggling to survive in the crevice under my stairs ( this is partially due to the spray that the exterminator disperses around my house). This is the beginning of bad news however, as spring comes closer to the surface so do the bugs. Their numbers gradually increase under our noses, and before long they are no longer fearful of the artic temperatures and come out in the open for fun and exploration. Out of all the bugs I dislike the most, the winner would most definately be stink bugs. I think this is because they have a unique ability to find their way into my house, as well as invite their friends. If I was to display my room and my bathroom right now, I could probably find five or six stink bugs just kicking back and relaxing. It has gotten to a point now that whenever my friends are over and see one, I just refer to them as some of my pets and act as if nothing was out of the ordinary.The stench they let off is what really used to make me mad, what can you do about it? I would rather just be bitten or stung by some other insect then have to deal with that annoying smell. I dislike these bugs so much that I have almost come to friendly terms with them, just because trying to keep them out is useless. These bugs are relentless, and I just hope that they will remember my kindness when they have the numbers to take over our world...

Prom - a small fortune

Prom night; the most memorable night of the year... and probably the most expensive as well. Considering that this is just my first prom, I had never really thought about how much each couple has to spend for prom to be successful until the other day when I was buying tickets. It is debatable on whether the the gentlemen or the ladies must spend more, but lets have a look at each side. The guys must: rent a tuxedo, buy tickets for prom, tickets for after-prom, pay for dinner, as well as provide transportation. A tuxedo costs anywhere from $100 to $150 dollars to rent, tickets costed me a total of $65 dollars, and dinner will range anywhere from $25 to $40. For the ladies, buying a dress and a pair of high heels can be just as expensive if not more. Dresses can range in price from 100 - $200 dollars, and high heels can come in anywhere from $50 to $100 dollars. In the end, Prom will end up costing a couple close to a total or $400 or $500 dollars for just one night! Obviously the girls will end up using their apparel over again, but as soon as homecoming or another formal night comes around they will want to buy a new dress, which means new shoes as well. The guys really get the short end of the stick, as they must return the tux within two or three days time, and will just have to pay for dinner and tickets the next time as well. Thank god there is only one prom a year.

The exciting sport of nascar

"Gentlemen, start your engines!" The classic phrase that can be heard at the start of every race, getting thousands of fans out of their seats as the drivers get ready to begin the long ( and I mean incredibly long) journey of the beloved nascar race. The combination of speed, skill, strategy, and mental and physical endurance is what makes nascar the sport it is, but why do people really want to watch drivers drive in a circle for an extended amount of time? My dad really enjoys fast cars and the sport of racing, and he and my mother have attended one or two races in their time. The feedback I have gotten of these races is that the noise is defeaning, the stadium is crowded, and the entire place just smells of beer and chips. I cannot say that I have ever been to a nascar race or even had enough interest to watch more than twenty seconds of one on television, but I imagine that the first lap or two would be entertaining... just not three hours of it. On the flip side of things, I think that it would actually be pretty cool to be a nascar driver. I would enjoy having a crew, driving at extreme rates of speed, being sponsered and getting a huge trophy if I won, i'm just not so sure about the whole peeing on yourself thing during the race...

The abundance of pay and lack of service

As a teenager, I love sports just as much as the next kid, and I often find myself dazing off and pretending to live the lives of some of these super stars. Obviously everyone knows the big name players like Lebron James and Christiano Ronaldo, but on the other hand there are players who make big bucks and what they do is hardly participating. The English Premier League is one of the top professional soccer leagues in the world, including many top teams and players. Some players however, spend 98% of their season on the bench during games and are still making what is equivalent to three million dollars american money. One player this season has played a total of 9 minutes in a 36 games so far, and will end up making more this year alone then many people will make in their entire lives. In Lacrosse, there are players who are paid to come in for the opening faceoff and then are instantly taken off after. One boy from a local highschool has been reciving offers from division one colleges for this. Do not get me wrong, I love watching sports and I definately have my favorite players, but seeing some of these no name players making big bucks for hardly participating just doesnt make sense to me.