Family

                They say that “Friends may come and go, but family stays forever.” In a sense this is true, because no matter where you go or who you meet you are always a part of where you came from, who your parents are, and who taught you the essentials of what you know today. Although you are largely shaped from your ancestors and biological family, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will always be around. Who are “they” to have the right to say ‘You Can’t Choose Your Family’ or that they will always be there? Of course family is typically defined as who you grew up with and who raised you and your siblings but after you grow up and become who you are, your family is who you want your family to be.

                With this post I am nowhere near saying that if your family annoys you or they haven’t always been good to you that you should ditch them. Your family, no matter how close you are to them, is your family and has to at least be acknowledged, and hopefully respected. Besides that though, I like to define family as whoever you are meant to be with. Of course everyone has their friends, but the ones that are there for you all the time, the ones that may annoy you like no one else can, the ones that are almost always either around too much or around not enough, are the ones that I call family. These are the people that you would call when you are in trouble, or you would get up at one o’clock in the morning to help, no matter what the circumstances.

                Okay, that was really wordy and maybe even confusing, but what I am trying to say is basically that I believe they were right when they said that home is where the heart is. The heart is wherever you are the happiest. You are happiest wherever your family is, either the family you grew up with or the family that you were drawn to. Everyone should have at least one person in their life that they deserve, someone that they can count on, and someone that is seemingly impossible to replace. (377)

Lazy Days

Everyone has those days that all day they think "I have this to do" and "Oh, I'll start that soon." What ends up actually happening though, is that they get to about 7:00 and realize that they have not done anything productive, in fact, they may have even backtracked on their progress. Today has definitely been one of those days for me.
    Today was the first Sunday in a long time that I had no obligations; I didn't have to work, I didn't have to babysit or go anywhere at all. I woke up and thought wow, today I will get things done I haven't had time to do like finish blogging, clean my room, fold my laundry, and thoroughly do all of my homework. To be completely honest, I then convinced myself that I wouldn't be able to concentrate until I ate anyway, so might as well sit and do nothing until lunch. Lunch came around and I ate a little bit of mashed potatoes because I realized I wasn't even hungry in the first place. But after I ate I still was not motivated. So I took a shower... a thirty minute shower. After I was done I figured I should start my homework but after finishing the four questions I had left on my U.S. History study guide, I layed on my bed for about ten minutes thinking "I should get the other homework out of my backpack now" until that thought turned into "I should clean first, my room's a mess" until that thought turned into "I'm thirsty. I need water." After that my thoughts included about everything except for what I should have been thinking about.
    These kind of days some people just love; you haven't worried about anything and you got to spend the day lazing away and feeling comfy. Others hate these kind of days because after you realize you didn't finish what you should have, you regret it because after doing nothing all day you either feel really groggy and want to just sleep, or really hyper and  need to actually get up and do something active, something active that doesn't include your work. I personally sort of regret not doing anything because now I'm going to have to make up for it. I cant lie though; it did feel a little good to just lay on my bed feeling incredibly warm considering the current weather because of the warmth of the sun streaming in. It was ridiculously calming.
    Although it felt really good to sit and do nothing for a little while, it only caused more stress because now I'll need to make it all up inconveniently. These days are sometimes needed because some people need to take a break sometimes, but it also can feel like the day just went by wasted without getting anything real done. (485)

Smiles

Everybody has something they notice first when they look at people, whether it be their clothes, eyes, hair or shoes. For me, it is their smile. A smile can change everything; it can make people in a better mood because it’s so contagious. I love when you see someone and they look just normal, maybe even grumpy, but when they smile and their eyes light up it just gives them a whole new look and makes them seem so much more personable and happy. Smiles can also give hope; in times of trouble when someone can make you smile, even if for a stupid reason, it can show you that the future will be better. No one wants to be around people that are always frowning.

                Smiles are so important, and there are all different kinds of smiles. Smiles can be hopeful, they can show love, exude pride or they can simply prove happiness. Smiles can hide a lot of pain, but if you look closely enough, you can tell when a smile is genuine or not. People smile for others and for themselves, and the best is when they smile because they can’t not smile. There are moments that come up that just make your heart flutter, the weight on your shoulders lift, and a smile show up on your face before you even realize it’s coming.

                Smiles at strangers can make their day, or when people smile at you it can show you a little bit more of their personality. Smiles and their voices and laughter are what I remember most about people when they aren’t around. They are what I think of when I miss them, and what I want to see and hear when they are down. Smiles of friends and family are what make memories of them so great. (305)

Hy-Vee Customers

                Because I work at a grocery store, I see a big variety in people; happy people, sad people, grumpy, judgmental, genuine and funny. This is one of the reasons that I do enjoy working, because it can be interesting simply to watch people. You may think that sounds really creepy and maybe it is, but I find it fascinating to watch different people and their habits and behaviors. Some people are very easy to read; with one look you can tell what they are thinking. Of course you can’t know for sure, but their facial expressions and body language show plainly their mood whether excited or calm or stressed. 

Once while I was working a girl came through and when she saw me waiting for a customer, she looked at me with a big smile on her face. She put her groceries down beside the register and said “Hi! How are you today?” Most people that come through my line aren’t talkative and don’t ask me the question first so it took me a little off guard, but after I answered with a “Good, how are you?” she smiled and told me about her great day and how earlier she was pressured by her friends to go sky diving. She told me how it was exhilarating to free fall and then watch as the ground got closer, how she was so scared, and how she would never do it again but didn’t regret doing it at all. She was so fun to talk to, this stranger, and I wished she’d had more groceries so I could learn more about her experience.

                One person that came through my line was quite different than the girl that went sky diving. She came up to my coworker Kyle’s line right after he had told me a joke. I was laughing at the joke when I looked over at her, and was just about to ask her about her day when she started yelling. “What are you laughing at?” I told her that he had told me a joke, and offered to tell the joke to her. “No,” she said louder, “You’re laughing at me don’t lie! Have you never seen a big lady before?!” She was so mad right away for something she had thought I had done, and I felt horrible for making her think I would even do something like that. As she went through Kyle’s line though, she grew angrier because he “wasn’t bagging her groceries right.” She became more obnoxious until Kyle called over our manager who tried to explain to her that we didn’t have anything against her, offered her drive-up, and told her we were just trying to help. She seemingly didn’t believe it though, because she then put all her groceries in her cart, mumbling as she walked out the automatic doors.

                Others are much more subtle, and when I ask them how their day was they reply with the typical “Good, yours?” and are quiet until the end of their order when they tell me thank you as I tell them to have a great night. Everyone that I come into contact with at work are all so different and it is what makes it all the more interesting. (544)

Halloween

                Halloween is a holiday very unique from the others. For this day, you can dress up and become something you usually are not. It gives you an excuse to eat a lot of candy, and can bring a lot of excitement. Most kids love to go trick-or-treating. This consists of dressing up as what you would like and going around from door to door for candy. It is interesting to see how into it people get. Some people don’t do anything; they turn off their porch light and hide from the trick-or-treaters, not even passing out candy. Some only give out candy, or maybe even cans of pop, pencils, or other small items they may have. Others though get really into this holiday, and will decorate the entirety of their front yard with blow-up spiders and fake stone heads that screech when you walk by.

Once while I was out with a friend, a house had two zombie looking creatures sitting in chairs in front of the house that you had to walk by to be able to get to the door. We weren’t sure if they were real, but they were sitting quite still so we went ahead. We got our candy and to our relief weren’t scared at all, but then when we least expected it one of the figures stood up and groaned then started running towards us. It took a few minutes to calm down, but at least we had gotten our candy.

Another great thing about Halloween is that for the whole month of October, scary movies seem to be everywhere. Some may not see this as great, but scary movies are fun to watch when with the right people.  There are also a lot of haunted houses to go to. Most are just walking through a path while people dressed as clowns, zombies, monsters, and more, jump out at you from behind conveniently places tables and shadows. Some though, are much more intense. I know of one that is fifty floors and the higher you get the scarier it becomes. Starting on one of the floors, the workers are allowed to touch the people walking through. The whole point of Halloween is fright and madness, which some people love and others hate. It is a time to get together with family and friends and do your best to scare them the best you can for fun. (402)

Stories

                 Stories are all different. The relevance of stories varies significantly. Some stories are true, some nonfiction, and some are a little of both. Some stories make a lot of sense, and some are very hard to decipher with a lot of underlying meanings and facts. Stories are told by everyone, whether you would necessarily call them “stories” or not. Stories can be short, like what you saw when you looked out the window this morning, or stories can be long, which require time and a lot of background information.

                One type of story is nonfiction. There are many different things that branch off of this category, one being books. Nonfiction books often times have the reputation of either being boring, or interesting depending on the way you look at it. Some automatically just assume that because a book is nonfiction, it will be full of facts and other unimportant things. Although this is sometimes true, narrative nonfiction books can be very interesting. It is different to know in the back of your mind that what you are reading actually happened, and that it isn’t just something someone made up. Movies are another thing that change when it is known that what you are about to see is true. Heartfelt movies can become that much more emotional and scary movies become a bit scarier when you see the words “Based off a true story.”

                Another type of nonfiction is by word. People tell these stories all the time, and they can be sad like when you had to say goodbye to a dear relative or friend, or they can be funny like the time you fell down a few stairs. Stories can also be inspirational, like when people tell of a hardship they had to go through, giving you hope and motivation to get through something you may be going through.

                The other kind of story is fiction. Fiction books and movies can be very interesting because they are open to an infinite amount of plots and characters that all are different from the perspectives of others. Fiction can also be stories told by others, like rumors or sometimes gossip.  Stories are very important for learning and they can be influential. Stories can make you feel sympathy, or cheer you up depending on the story told. No matter what kind of story it is, it always has a purpose, whether it be to explain something, or simply because you just want it to be heard. (414)

Footwear

                Footwear is very important to have. It protects your feet from sharp and potentially harmful things. It also keeps your feet from getting dirty or wet. It is useful when running or walking long distances, and is very helpful when it comes to playing sports.
                There are many different kinds of shoes; flip flops, flats, tennis shoes, cleats, sandals, heels, and more. All of these have a specific purpose, as it wouldn’t be a very good idea to wear tennis shoes to a fancy party, or heels while playing soccer. This is because you want the shoes that are the most appropriate for what you are doing. Things like tap dancing and swimming with flippers just wouldn’t be possible without the right kind of footwear. When out in snow, it is important to wear boots, and I’m sure it would become extremely uncomfortable if you were to walk out in the cold rain wearing sandals.
                Socks are also very important things to have. Without socks while wearing shoes, it can cause blisters or your shoes to smell horribly. Socks also can keep your feet warm when wearing shoes is uncomfortable or while indoors. There are a lot of different kinds of socks, and the kind worn depends on the person’s preference and what kind of shoe is being worn. There are toe socks, ankle socks, knee-high socks, socks that barely show, and socks that are fuzzy. There are sometimes when you don’t wear socks with shoes though, like if you are wearing sandals, because it just doesn’t look very good. One good thing about socks is that if you wear them while on a wood floor, you can utilize the socks to slide across it. This may be somewhat dangerous if you fall or don’t know how to stop, but it can also be very fun.
                Although all of this is true, sometimes it is more fun to go barefoot. The more you don’t wear shoes, the more resistance you have to your feet hurting. Being barefoot can feel more free and you don’t have to worry about damaging your shoes for when you do need them. It is nice to be able to feel sand or soft grass on your feet, and it is much easier to clean off your feet than to clean off a pair of shoes. What you wear on your feet is important, and even if you don’t realize it, footwear is one of the first things you notice on people. Whether it is for a specific purpose, or just to match an outfit, wearing certain types of shoes can affect your whole day. (439)

Spring

                Just as I have said with all seasons, Spring has good and bad aspects. Along with the changing weather and the annual advertisements claiming “Spring has Sprung!” comes rainy days, plants, and animals.

One good thing about Spring is that once you start to get tired of the snow, it starts to melt. The grass becomes greener and flowers start to grow. Everything goes from gray and gloomy to much more colorful and bright.

Although things are usually brighter, there are the times when it seems to rain for days, or even weeks. It can be annoying, because it may ruin your want to go outside if you don’t enjoy rain. If you do though, it can be very fun to go outside and jump around in puddles or just run around until you are soaked.  Many people don’t like rainy days because it is too dark and gloomy. Those times are needed though, because without them things wouldn’t grow as well.

Another bad thing about spring is if you have allergies. Spring is when grass, ragweed, pollen and many other things come about. Bad allergies are horrible when the pollen count is high, and it can be hard to breathe or cause you to sneeze a lot. This is another time when rainy days can be a good thing as they help with allergies.

Spring, like Fall, is a season of change. The weather and the whole environment become completely different than how it had been a few months prior. These changes can be good or bad, depending on how you see it. (264)

Winter

                Winter is a season that like fall, can sometimes seem to be magical. Winter is a great season for many reasons that can be argued whether they are good or bad; snow is on the ground, the temperature is low, and everything seems so bright white.

                The snow is what I think makes the cold temperature all worth it. One of the best things to do in the winter months is go sledding. It can be fun trying new things while sledding and getting that feeling of excitement as you slide down a hill. There’s also snowboarding and skiing, which I’ve heard can be very fun too. It’s always a great feeling to come inside after a long time of sledding to drink hot chocolate and snuggle up under a warm blanket with friends or family. Winter temperature gives you an excuse to eat a lot of soup too. Soup is delicious and will warm you up fast.

                A bad thing about winter is the ice. It can be very dangerous for everyone, especially while driving. Things get slippery and cars may crash or people may simply slip and fall while walking. Now sometimes this is very entertaining to watch when it’s your friends, but only if they don’t get hurt too badly. It also becomes a nuisance when you want to go somewhere, but instead of just taking a walk there like you usually would, you usually drive. One of the worst things is when you get all of your stuff on to go outside like gloves, a hat, a coat, boots, and a scarf, only to realize that you have to pee.

                Another big thing that annoys a lot of people is shoveling. It sucks to wake up in the morning to look out at the beautiful snow on the ground and feel content, and then realizing that the only way you are going to be able to leave your house is if you shovel. There are also laws that you must shovel a path for your mailman to walk through, and if you have elderly neighbors, you also have the responsibility of shoveling their driveways too. The temperatures also can be bad for your car and especially if you have an old one, it can hinder its working abilities.

                Ending on a good note though, Winter holds many holidays. It is fun to drive around at night and be able to see all of the houses that have put up lights in the yard and on their trees. It also is interesting to see all of the snowmen people create, and of course it can be fun to make a snow figure yourself. (447)

Fall

                I know I said in an earlier post that I don’t have a favorite season, but I decided to write a follow up blog post on each season and its pros and cons. First I will talk about the season we are currently in, which is Fall. Fall can seem magical, with its browns and auburns and oranges as the leaves are falling and the weather turns chilly. Fall has an effect on people that puts a warm fuzzy feeling inside their tummy.

                One great thing about fall is the food it brings. The things you can do with pumpkins, apples, brown sugar and more are seemingly endless. Pumpkin bars, apple pies, warm drinks and the beginnings of wearing warm clothing are just as inviting as the thought of cuddling up and sitting by a fire or watching movies while drinking hot chocolate. The weather changes from a hot temperature to one much cooler, and football season excites a lot of people. These things are what make Fall such a great season.

                Another big thing about Fall is the holiday it contains; Halloween. Halloween can be so fun, whether you go trick-or-treating, go to a haunted house, or even just stay home and help pass out candy to the kids that come to your house. It can be interesting to see all of the costumes, and the funny ones some people can think of when they are being creative.

Although for many people, fall is a favorite, a lot of people dislike Fall. Fall indicates the transition from summer, warm weather and shorts to winter, cold weather, and layers. A lot of people also the shock of one day it being a nice medium outside, the next day it being cold enough to need a coat and some gloves.

The need to mow the lawn is lessened, there is a new need; raking. There are those who love raking; it doesn’t involve too much physical labor and it is always entertaining to jump into a big pile of leaves after raking, even if it means having to rake again. Others though hate raking, hate having to be outside to comb the grass of its leaves, and hate getting cold fingers from holding the rake. Raking can also be a time- consuming task depending on the number of leaves there are in the yard, how windy it is, and how many leaves are still falling. One of the most frustrating things is raking up a big pile of leaves and feeling that sense of pride as you look down at your big pile when a huge gust of wind comes from nowhere and ruins it all as the leaves fly and spread across the yard again. Although it has its pros and cons, fall is overall a good season to be in. (472)

The House that Built Me

                The song “The House that Built Me” by Miranda Lambert used to be one of my favorite songs. It has such a calming tone to it that drew me in. Although I loved it, I had never really listened to what they lyrics were saying until a few days ago when it came on the radio in my car. To see these lyrics you can go to http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/mirandalambert/thehousethatbuiltme.html or just Youtube the name of the song.

                The song is something that I feel a lot of people can relate to, because it really is talking about losing yourself, realizing it, and wanting to find you again. In the first few lines, she talks as if she is saying all of this to the current owner of her old house, whom she doesn’t know but wants to make her understand that the place she is living in is where she grew up in. In the chorus she goes on to say that she just wants to look around the house, remember all of the times she had there. She promises she won’t take anything, just a memory. With all of this, you can imagine her walking into the house and seeing with her memories not her eyes; seeing things that used to be there, not what is there now. This is what is helping her remember who she used to be and what she used to do and how it all made her into the person she wishes she still was.

                One of the lines in this song says, “You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.” This sentence is what portrays her motivation for the whole thing. That she grew up, moved out, and all of what surrounded her is what changed her. She may have been trying her hardest to stay true to herself, but she got lost in her attempts to do other things.

                This song is a good one in my opinion, and if you listen to it deeply enough you can feel the emotion in it and it can cause you to think of what made you into the person you are. The world today can be so busy, and although it isn’t always fair to blame other things, it can make you change, sometimes for the better, but sometimes for the worse. What matters is that in the end you realize who you are and find what works for you and what makes you happiest. (402)