Friends

Back in high school my friend would always be worried for the future, she was always afraid her and her close friends would grow apart one they all hit college. That day came, when her friends all ended up going to Cal State Long Beach, and she ended up going to Cal State Fullerton, even now a days, she sees her friends once in a while, but she still feels that it is not enough for them to stay close. I told her that if she wanted to continue being friends, that they would continue being friends, to make an effort, and not to worry about her friendships. The college experience is about meeting new people and reuniting with her high school friends once in a while. Which is what I would rather do than go to a college with many of my high school friends, which is going to Long Beach, I'm happy with it, but I wish I could still get out and meet more people.

I advise her to go out and be social and friendly, that she'd meet a lot of new great people, and that she would still be able to see her high school friends. But perhaps she overreacted to the situation, we'll see how things turn in the end.

A past so unknown.

The other day I was at my friend's house, she is currently the lieutenant governor of Division 4 West Key Club for 2010-2011, and with that, she is passed down the binders of the previous LTG's from the year before. Now, I myself was highly associated with my division's Key Club when I was in high school, and I felt that I knew everything that there needed to be known about it. But I saw one of the LTG's binders from the 2006-2007 school year, my thoughts and believes were thrown out the window. I knew that this LTG existed, that this person did amazing things when they were an LTG, but now actually reading about them, it felt weird. I mean to say that I thought I knew so much about Division 4 West, but now reading this binder, it feels that I'm looking into something that is familiar to me, but I wasn't a part of, a past that I don't know. [Essentially this binder was like a yearbook, it displayed the past year, and it was created annually, however, only a single unit is created] It also showed me that names fade in time, like opening an old yearbook, looking through it and seeing all these faces you don't know, but that you attempt to try to piece into your head as students that also went to the same school you currently attend, it's hard to imagine. It's difficult to piece together, but you just have to know that this is true, that these people you didn't know also contributed to the school, but after time, their names have just faded away and no one remembers them any more.

Returning to high school.

Just today I went and visited my old high school, Fountain Valley High School, to help out an assembly for the school's video broadcast. Upon returning, I found out that I wasn't the only alumni there, there were about 20 other alumni from the class of 2010. I felt at home again, being at my own high school, with a few of my friends, walking around campus, although I didn't have to take any classes or pay attention to any of the rules (thank goodness), it felt good a sort of bittersweet taste arose. I thought I knew so much about high school, that I “ruled the school” per say, but now finding that the next generation has flown in to take over, makes me feel off. To know that the past I have gone through won't ever be repeatable, that the memories I made are there, and can't be erased. That these kids won't see high school as how I saw it. I guess that's the thing, we enter high school, and 4 years later, we leave, taking whatever memories we made with us, no one will remember us, except the teachers who had influenced us. I thought I knew so much...but I guess I don't. I guess it's all part of growing up.

Parents and luck.

A few days ago my parents put my spare license plate in my car, (which I did not place on the front of my car yet) they told me that I needed to put it on my car, or else I would get ticketed.

Just about a half an hour ago, prior to posting this, I was driving home after going to Knott's Scary Farm, and then Denny's, when I was pulled over by a police officer. It was weird for me to get pulled over, for two reasons. One, I hadn't done anything wrong, I didn't speed, I didn't swerve, nothing. Two, I have never gotten pulled over before, so it was quite odd.

The officer came up to my window, asking me for my license, then asking me if I had gotten arrested, I told him yes, then no, respectively. Then I asked him what I had done wrong, he said that I didn't have a license plate on the front of my car. Luckily, the license plate was in my car, and I reached for it showing him that I had it, and I told him that I would put my license on today (Saturday) or Sunday. The officer kindly let me off with no hitch whatsoever. Lucky me, just goes to show, that everything happens for a reason. Maybe if my parents hadn't happened to put the license in my car if I would have actually gotten a ticket, which my parents would scold at me for, (although it would be my first). It also goes to show that parents do know what is right, even if you are still in college, that we should still pay attention to them, even if we are “free” from them. I say “free” since they are paying for many of our college tuitions.

Success.

You record videos and post them on youtube, you're not a film maker.

You have an expensive camera and take pictures, you're not a photographer.

You write poetry you're not a poet.

You write stories, you're not a writer.

Nowadays many people become very cocky with what they do. I admit, I used to think this, and I may still do this now, I'll let people decide, I've got quite the ego. However, this isn't about me, it's about people in general. I'm not trying to offend people with established careers or those who aspire to be, but rather, those who believe that they are when they have nothing to truly show.

My main example would probably be the younger generation, they think that they can make it big by posting random things on the internet. Such as many people posting videos on themselves on youtube expecting to get millions of hits. To their disappointment they only get maybe one hundred views, maybe even less.

These people expect to become huge hits overnight, but they don't stop to think that all the people who have made themselves successful have worked hard at it for many months, or years, for even most of their life.

People who are currently working to be in their careers are an exception, since they're actually trying to make themselves successful, such as students in college. College students are at the determining point in their lives, where they are majoring in the careers.

Feel free to post your own thoughts on the matter, those are mine.

Armed Forces

I had an interesting conversation the other day with my friend Kevin who joined the marines as soon as he got out of high school. The conversation was about the United States Armed Forces, Military, Marines, Air Force, all branches. He made this choice to join the Marines as soon as he graduated, he decided to dedicate his life to protecting the honor and values of the United States, however, not for this generation. What does this mean exactly? Kevin told me that the people who sign their lives to the US government are doing it to protect the US, but it's not entirely about protecting the the civilians and the people, they do it to protect the future generations.

He said, “think about it, who is going to run the future of the United States and the world? The next generation.”

To be more specific, the children and the teens. They do it to ensure the safety of the history of the United States, the present presence of the US, and the future of it as well.

The conversation had me thinking about everything that we take for granted. These people, who rather than go to college, would give up their lives to make sure that we are safe and sound when we sit in our classrooms and learn.

Giving blood

My first true act of being an 18 year old was giving blood. I originally didn't plan on giving blood this past monday, but my friend whose birthday it was that day decided to coax me into giving blood. I had always wanted to give blood, but during the previous years I had completely forgotten about the blood drives at my high school. Being coaxed last minute and my first time giving blood, those two factors added together didn't really help me when it came down to actually giving blood, prior to the donation, I didn't eat the entire day, which technically you're supposed to. I went in and I did all the basics that I needed to do, then I gave the blood, everything went just fine. However, after each person's donation they must wait at least 15 minutes for their body to recover, my time was different. I went and sat down on the chair, I felt extremely lightheaded and my heart started to race, I felt as if I was going to have a panic attack. I decided to pick up my water bottle and take a drink...
I blacked out...
For probably about a second though, since I don't exactly remember what happened immediately after.
However, I could feel the hands of the nurses on my body, holding me up and lifting me on the stretcher, as well as hear all the voices of them around me.
I opened my eyes to find that everything was alright, I was recovering inside the same room in which I had given blood.
They told me to take as long as I needed to rest, which I did. An hour passed, I missed my club meeting, but I completely recovered.
All is well now, however I must say that next time I give blood, I'll be ready for it. One last thing I must say, I can't believe my friend coaxed me into giving blood.