Take It All In

Take It All In

It’s important for a person, especially a young adult like me, to be able to take constructive criticism. I feel that there are too many people today who have troubles with this task. Not being able to take criticism as a young adult is just going to set you up for failure in your future work place.

As a human, we all make mistakes there is just no way to avoid it. Those simple mistakes make it that much more important that we need to know how to fix these mistakes as easily and quickly as possible. Thus the reason we need to be able to take constructive criticism. By avoiding other people’s thoughts or concerns, there is little to no chance of improvement.

I have learned to take in peoples opinions in two very important ways, one being with our school newspaper. With the newspaper we might not always write what you want to hear, but we try our best to be news worthy. For us the best way to find things that are news worthy is talking to people around the school. We get almost all of our story ideas from outside sources. Along with getting story ideas from others we also bounce things like layouts off of each other as well as other publications. With our newspaper, it’s very important to us to keep in mind others opinions, at times we may not use them, but they are still very important in keeping up with a publication.

Another place I have applied others’ thoughts is with soccer. It’s important for an athlete to take what coaches and other players have to say, sometimes they may sound like they are getting angry with you but you should know that in the long run they are just trying to help you. Again you don’t always have to take their opinions but it’s important to take them into consideration.

Ultimately everything is your decision in life, but take a minute to see what others think about it. It’s okay for others to tell you differently and you should definitely take in their opinions instead of pushing them away.

(360 words)

Cat Naps

Cat Naps

As I sit in my desk my eyes lids tend to slowly droop down to cover my big brown eyes. I don’t know if it is because I decided it would be a good idea to block a ball with my face in my soccer game this weekend or that I am suffering from a tremendous lack of sleep.

Although my eye had gotten a little puffy after the weekends game, the truth is I don’t get enough sleep. They say a person my age should be getting around eight or nine hours of sleep but I truly do not understand how that is possible.

Here’s how my day goes; my alarm goes off at 6:30 each morning after pressing the snooze button an unhealthy amount of times, I am finally out of bed by 6:55. After getting ready I am out of the door by 7:15 and on my way to school. I am at school from 7:25 to 2:45 each day. After this long laborious day of school I rush home in order to take a nap before my day really begins. I nap from three to five, and then hell begins. I have to finish my homework and eat before 8 when I go to late night practice. Practice is 20 min away two nights of the week and 35 min away the third night of practice. Although I love soccer very much, it is tough when I get home at 11 each night. Not to mention some nights I have to work so I don’t get my nap or homework time in so I am up even later.

When joining the high school society they hound on you to be active in your school. I don’t think they really understand how hard it is to really be involved. Me personally, I’m not very involved and I still struggle to get the necessary hours of sleep. I don’t understand how the people who are actually involved in this school can literally survive.

It’s hard to stay involved and still stay healthy but overall I think it’s worth it. I think it’s worth the extra cat naps to tell your grandkids what a wonderful time you had in high school.

(380 words)

You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

You’re never fully dressed without a smile

There is just something about a bright sparkling smile that just makes a person extremely attractive to me. To me a smile is much more than the pearly whites. A smile represents a person’s overall happiness.

Walking through the halls getting shoved from either side there is nothing better than coming across a beautiful smile that just lights up the hallway. Although some people don’t receive the best dentistry these days, that’s not what matters. What I like the most about a person’s smile is their pure happiness, those fake smiles in the hallway don’t fool me; it’s a real genuine smile that can just put me and everyone else in a good mood.

Some say I have a weird teeth fetish. I admit I do have a slight obsession with some good choppers. But who doesn’t like having their day turned around by something as simple as a smile? Your smile is a powerful tool, so use it wisely, and just remember, you can make anyone feel better just by using those extra muscles to create a beautiful smile.

(190 words)

How much is too much?

How much is too much?

As I talked about in one of my past blogs “Lack of Leadership,” it is very important to support your school. When I said it was important to be there and cheer, that does not involve coming to the game extremely drunk or high, that’s just plain stupid.

                When I turn around and see a little sophomore passed out, it just gives me the creeps. As I continue observing this child. He begins to puke on himself while he is unconscious. Every ounce in my body wanted to help him, but as his gum slowly creeped from his mouth I just couldn’t keep my stomach in order to help him. As I think back on it, I don’t know if I should have even thought about helping him. I mean, he did put himself in this awful situation, but it’s hard to see people so miserable like that.

If they aren’t passed out or puking, they are loud and obnoxious. Somehow I always get the job of talking to the borderline alcoholics telling them to calm down and go home. As they push against your back, and scream every word of their conversation with the person two feet away with them, that’s when I get called over. “Austin, you need to go to the bathroom and just calm down, nobody wants to deal with you right now,” then as they reply by repetitively announcing to the whole stadium that they are scared they will run into a cop. I can’t help but respond with “Austin, if you didn’t want to get in trouble with the police. Don’t come here drunk off your butt, if you aren’t looking for trouble. You know there are cops all over here, can you really be that stupid.”

Its kids like these that just drive me crazy. I know I’m not going to stop them from coming to the games under the influence, but maybe I can get through their head that they could lay off a little. I don’t think teens really understand how much is too much. Do they really think it is worth it getting a five day suspension and charged with public intoxication? I don’t think so.

(370 words)

Gumby Boy

Gumby Boy

Every little kid has a dream about what they want to do when they grow up. Mine was to be on Broadway. I just knew I was born to star in the play Annie as the freckled red headed orphan. But these plans have drastically changed. I no longer sing, dance, or act. So I think Broadway may be a little out of the question.

Sense Broadway didn’t really work out, I have completely changed directions. I would like to major in Special Education while I am in college. My main goal is to become a middle school autism or special needs teacher.

Over the past few years I have gotten the opportunity to work with a few of these amazing kids. It’s so interesting to me how they learn and grow. I think they are underestimated on their abilities. These kids have special talents, that people who don’t have problems learning would struggle with tremendously. Some of these kids may have better memories, math skills, or even musical skills. You never know what they are really capable of doing till you observe them in their own environment.

This summer is when I had decided that this is what I really want to do. The turning point for me was watching my buddy Clayton. Clayton is almost completely nonverbal, so of course he is behind for his grade on learning. Although he cannot talk correctly, this kid would never fail to put you in a good mood. Just looking at him can put a smile on your face. Just image a 5’7” seventh grader with his tan skin and a nice slicked back comb over, manipulating his skin and bone body in ways you didn’t think were humanly possible. The way he can bend his body is like Gumby, I swear he has no bones, and then suddenly he’ll just burst into a big loud laughter for no apparent reason in order for you to smile. It’s like he knows the perfect timing on when you need a pick me up, to me there is nothing better than this kid.

It’s not just Clayton to be inspired by, it’s all of them. They have their own corks that can just make you giggle. It’s things like these that just persuade me more into this career. I honestly could not picture myself doing anything else. I have my heart set.

(400 words)

natural reflex

Natural Reflex

As Halloween approaches, there gets to be a type of eeriness in the air. The naked trees surrounded by the black crows swooping overhead tend to make a person’s hair stand up on their neck. With all this mysterious scenery, there is no wonder haunted houses are so popular.

It is a strange sensation, to be frightened. Some people enjoy it and others don’t take it quite as well, personally it’s a thrill. It’s more like a love heat relationship for me. I love the fact that you don’t know what’s going to be coming around the corner, breathing down your neck scaring the living daylights out of you. But on the other hand, I hate when people touch me. I cannot stand people being in my bubble, especially when I don’t know them. What’s creepier than a total stranger in a Freddy mask coming at you with a chain saw?

Haunted houses can be a thrill, but it’s all fun in games till someone gets hurt. For me if one of the workers came up behind me and even as little as nudged me, my natural reflex is to swing. I think it’s natural for a person to protect themselves when put in danger. I think my brain is unable to understand that it isn’t real, I’m not going to get hurt. Although some people may think I over react, I think it’s amazing that I would be able to trust my body If I was, god forbid, put in a real situation like that.

(260 words)

This post is for ages 10-18

This post is for ages 10-18

I am a kid at heart; there is not a day in the week I would pass up a fine game of Twister or Hungry Hungry Hippos. It is just refreshing to me to let all other things be ignored and just relax and have some good old fashioned fun.

This fun can easily be ruined by just the box of the game. Who is a toy owner to tell you, you are too old for a game? I can play a game if I want to, it shouldn’t matter my age. I understand why they put an age requirement on it, you wouldn’t want a small child to choke on a game piece or something. But my question is, who comes up with the age limit? How do they come up with it? And if they have these “rules” why don’t they enforce them? They are probably just wasting money printing the age limit on the box.

If anyone knows anything about who makes these decisions, please let me know. I would like to ask them these questions. Then hopefully I can get back to this topic in a later post.

(200 words)

Fresh Start

Fresh Start

When it comes to college, I just want to get out of Iowa. I don’t care what state I go to, I just need to be away from home. A lot of people don’t understand why I want to leave so bad, it’s not that I want to get away from my family and close friends as most people think. It’s that I feel like college is supposed to be a whole new experience for me.

As you go from elementary school to middle school, you know a handful of people making the transition with you. Then you transition from middle school to high school, still knowing 1 out of 10 people you pass in the hall way or more. I’m getting kind of sick of making transitions with everyone I know.

 I want to go to college and have there be no one from my town at the school if I had it my way. I feel like if I didn’t know anyone, I would have such a greater opportunity to meet new people. People always ask me if I think I would miss all my friends. All I can say is if I really want to see someone from high school, that’s who I would come back and visit or make an effort to communicate with. They also ask about my family, I love my family no doubt about it. But they also want me to get the best experience I can out of college, it’s a once in a lifetime thing to start over socially. I know grandma isn’t too happy about it, but maybe I’ll have to set her up with skype for us to stay in touch.

One of my pet peeves is when people choose a college in order to stay close to a significant other, what happens when that relationship tarnishes? With my decision of not going to college with anyone I know, I don’t have to worry about that drama. To me it doesn’t matter how close you are to that person, if it’s going to work, it will work. I don’t comprehend why you would let someone else affect one of the most important decisions of your life.

Along with not having to deal with high school drama, I get to experience a whole new environment; new school, new teachers, new coaches, new friends, new city, new state. I really think college is about starting fresh. And how fresh can you get than starting over completely. I know it will be hard leaving the people I really care about it, but I think the change is needed.

(440 words)

It just Doesn't Add Up

It Just Doesn’t Add Up.

At the age of 18 they say I have the maturity to vote and the join the army, but yet I am still too childish to intake alcohol. Something just doesn’t add up to me. I’m not here saying the drinking age should be lowered, I just think all three topics should be associated with the same age.

A group of people argue that your brain isn’t fully developed till your early 20s and that’s why you shouldn’t consume alcohol before that age. But if my brain isn’t fully developed, why are they asking for me to vote? How is my brain developed enough to make such an important decision such as choosing who runs our country? And if the government doesn’t think I’m mature enough or developed enough to hold a drink in my hand, how on earth are they comfortable with me having a gun in my hand? It all just doesn’t make sense to me.

Some people also think 18 year olds shouldn’t have the opportunity to vote because they aren’t educated about politics. To be honest, I don’t think a lot of adults are very educated about what’s going on in the world today. For me, on voting, I don’t think it matters if you're 18 or 99 if you're not educated or informed about the politics involved, don’t vote.

My same opinion goes for joining the army, it doesn’t matter how old you are, it matters your maturity level. If you want to join the army, go ahead and join the army if you think that’s what you were meant to do in life. And the same goes for alcohol, if you aren’t mature enough to handle it, don’t drink it. It’s all about choices; whether you make the right or wrong choice ultimately it was your decision and your responsibility.

(310 words)

Harmonic Hipsters

Harmonic Hipsters

There is just something about a perfect harmony that just gives me chills all the way down my back. When two peoples flawlessly pitched voices just match together it’s like mash potatoes and gravy, peanut butter and jelly, peas and carrots you just know that those voices go together.

While listening to the band called First Aid Kit, you get those chills and you know these two singers were born to sing together. An example of this would be in their cover of Tiger Mountain Peasant Song by the Fleet Foxes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMrqBldlqzA. For one these young ladies voices are fantastic on their own, but as they collide together the chills begin.

As their voices creep together, you can feel every little hair stand up on your neck. It sends a burst of nerves to your heart warming it with every note. For me it’s my comfort zone. When I am feeling down in the dumps, it’s my go to thing to listen to some high quality music. No, not the regular stuff you hear on the radio. There is so much more talent out there than what is over played on the radio.

First Aid Kit is a fabulous example of these unrecognized artists. Not a lot of people know who they are but after you listen to them, you won’t be able to stop. You become addicted to the sweet harmonies of these two sisters voices becoming one. You can hear so much passion in their voices along with the harmonies, and the uniqueness of their voices gives you that sort of comforting feeling. It has the uniqueness that you can’t hear on the radio, it won’t be on the billboards, they are much underrated for the talent they have. I feel like they are doing so much more than singing a song, they are telling a story. The passion in their voices, gives you a much more sophisticated professional feel then songs on the radio rapping about drugs and booty.

Not only do these underrated artists have higher quality voices than most of the artists on the radio, I feel like they put a lot more meaning behind what they singing. Yes, they are higher quality voices and on top of that they aren’t over played. People don’t hear them every day. When you listen to music that is off the pop-charts you get the opportunity to introduce these feel-good voices to people who wouldn’t normally listen to this unappreciated music.

So the next time you are feeling down and you just need something heartwarming. Tune into some music that’s of the mainstream. You may find that the secret harmonies could really turn your day around, get those chills and enjoy that feel good music.