All Grown Up

Growing up creates multiple conflicts that teenagers must face everyday. Here are some that really get to me....
1) When you're young, parents are seen as perfect, without flaws. Unfortunately, as you get older, you more easily recognize everything they do wrong and often search for their faults. This causes unnecessary arguments and hatred.
2) Every child starts out loving school. By the time they hit middle school, the passion for learning is lost. You go to school out of habit. It's what you know, so it's what you do. Instead of loving school for you favorite subject and teachers, teens often go for the socializing, being away from family, and 30 minutes of lunch. While we go to school and somewhat enjoy our classes and discussion on the First Derivative Test, we still can't wait to get out.
3) Growing up usually means trying to convince parents that you're responsible enough to do things without them. But, at the same time, you don't wont too much responsibility (especially the financial kind.)
4) The most difficult lesson we must learn is how to balance school, homework, family, friends, work, and fun time all at the same time. We're expected to participate in every form of activity almost everyday. The stress is immense, but the life is incredible.

Despite all the struggles and lessons to be learned, I wouldn't change one thing.

White Bones and Chocolate Pie

Family. What does that mean? There are so many different types of family. You could be talking about the people who live with you, your extended family, or even your family of close friends. My personal favorite is talking about my extended family, especially on my mother's side. My grandparents had five kids who, in turn, each had two or three kids of their own. That leaves me with one grandmother (my grandpa died), one great-aunt, eight aunts and uncles, ten cousins, four cousin-in-laws, two parents, two sisters, and even more second cousins of whom I usually forget their names. Talk about a full house!

Several times a year, mainly on holidays like Easter, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving, we all get together at my Uncle David's house. He lives in South Georgia on a farm with 200 acres of land and a beautiful house with a swimming pool. Usually, about forty to fifty of my extended family shows up for about two to three days. We eat LOTS of food, swim, and play on the farm. On a typical day, we (my cousins, sisters, and I) swim for two hours, eat lunch about 12 O'clock, play a game or two of Jeopardy on the computer while we digest, then take the old Ford out for a spin in the fields. We like to call it a FIELD-trip. Get it. Ha! Anyways, we go out looking for cows, and we usually have either a scavenger hunt or some form of game. You wouldn't believe how many things we have found over the years: stripped-of-the-flesh cow bones, wild coyotes, giant turkeys, baby deer, and a cow in labor. The stories I could tell you.... Then we head back to the house for another feast my aunts and uncles have spent all afternoon preparing. After dinner, the adults come outside and watch the kids play a game of either kickball or basketball. Then comes dessert. Chocolate pie with homemade whipped cream. Need I say more? By the time I go to bed, I've had about thirteen hours of none stop fun. For me, it's heaven-on-earth.

Knowledge Vs. Ignorance: What's the Difference?

All that I know is that I know nothing. I guess everyone has to start somewhere. I think that freewill/the choices we make leads us to our fate. Unfortunately, there is no way to prove this theory of mine, so how can I know if it is true. Fate sucks, man! It's a viscous cycle of knowing and understanding, which leads to answerless questions. They say that knowledge is power. Well, this unit has proved to me that knowledge only makes us aware of how incredibly naive we are. Now do I not only doubt my ability to spot motifs in a play written hundreds of years ago, but I also doubt my life "plan". If I don't have control over it, and I don't know who has control over it, what the heck am I doing here??!!!!!! The words "aimless wondering" just popped into my head. The one thing I am completely sure of is that how we react to situations filled with the unknown determines who we are. Who the heck cares what your accomplishments and failures are. All people should really care about is who you are as a person, what are your good qualities. This kind of leads to responsibility. Will you take responsibility for being a part in the action, or will you run away screaming, trying your best to deny what happened?

My number one question is- does your fate depend on your responsibility/who you are. Take Harold Crick, for example. He changed his fate by merely accepting it with grace. That is the kind of person Harold Crick is. But Oedipus didn't have that luxury, and he accepted his fate. A little too late, maybe. And we're back. A VISCOUS CIRCLE. What depends on what? That is my real question.