A Review of My Year: 2012

Here we are on the final night of 2012, waiting for old man time to pass away. As I await the dawn of a new year, I look back at the past 12 months. I have to say, it was a pretty amazing year. I lived life to it's fullest, for the most part. I tried to make every single day count.
The year started off slow, but it was only a week or two before I was arguing with grown adults on the internet (Which, by the way, I just love when 40 some year olds call my 16 year old life pathetic). But that really seemed to set the mood for the year. Thinking about it, I've had a lot of arguments. But I've also grown up a lot. I realized that sometimes you're never going to get through to people and sometimes the argument is just not worth fighting for. However, it's still sort of difficult to keep my mouth shut. I'm 17 after all.

February was an interesting month as well.

• I dressed up in a Gorilla suit and went out in public for the sake of a History grade. 
• I also got my permit, which I lost in June. 
• I found the written proof that I am Jewish. 
• I discovered CleverBot and talked to my computer for a whole hour. 
• I signed up for Relay for Life.
• I finally saw Titanic and bawled my eyes out. 
• I gave up lying for lent. 
• But the best was when the Dominoes delivery boy showed up at my house looking for a fictional street. He seemed so confused. I felt bad.

March was also a lot of fun.

• I took a walk down the street to find a gorilla and a banana coming toward me. 
• I went to the Crayola factory!! Also, it was the first time I heard Fun. on the radio. 
• I discovered my talent for baking cheesecake :)
• I went ice skating for the first time!! 

Yeah I fell a lot.

• I also baked the biggest cookie ever!! 
• However, the amount of fires in my area was unbelieveable. Many lives were lost that month.
• I was also helping to fight the threat of the music department getting taken away at a school I used to attend. 

By April, not much was going on but I was itching for summer to begin

• I walked The Relay for Life and got some serious sunburn. (Getting cancer while fighting cancer, right?)
• All I wanted was for Knoebel's Amusement Park to open.
• I was so ready for summer break. 

May! Final month until Summer!! 

• It was so warm out that I was already swimming.
• The first time I witnessed someone being pulled from a car after an accident. 
• I also saw the movie Insidious, which I did not like. 

• There were some massive floods. 
• My doorknob fell off of my door and I was stuck for a few hours. 
• And on the last day of May, I became a Junior (:

June is full of firsts:

• I took my first plane ride to Georgia. It was amazing. 
• I also lost my wallet in the airport for the first time...
• When I came back, I saw my first broadway show. 
• I started listening to ska. 
• I took interest in learning guitar and wouldn't give up until I got a guitar for Christmas :)
• I stepped into my new room in my new house for the first time.
• I spent my first night alone in my new house and I was scared to death. 

July!

• Saw my first drive-in movie!! Batman!
• I did my first CMVA event! I spent the weekend in a dunk tank and doing a bikini bike wash.

• Did I mention first motorcycle ride as well?!?! 

• I really started to grow as a writer as well. I feel like my blog posts were getting more mature. 

August here I come!

• August was hard core band season. I spent most of my time at school learning our field show ;D
• I started my Junior year!
• I also missed the second day of school to go to Uproar. It was so worth it :)

Up front to the right :)

• And of course, first football game against my old school!! 

Wake me up when September ends:

• I discovered my loathing hate for Chemistry.
• I was only in two activities but the practice was so overwhelming.
• I got a fish from the fair. It died.
• I started a new blog! theinternetlies.blogspot.com all about my Pinterest projects :D

October:

• I continued my love for Ian Somerhalder
• Hurricane Sandy gave me a few days off of school
• I celebrated my favorite holiday! Halloween!!

November:

• I turned 17!
• I auditioned for County and Disrict band for the first time ever.
• I read The Catcher in the Rye, which was life changing.
• I saw The Trans Siberian Orchestra!! 
• I was so ready for Christmas by the end of the month.

And here we are, December:

• I visited a VA Hospital. There's so much to say about it. Please. I urge you to read my blog post about it. It was life changing. 
• I got my guitar!! 
• I discovered my love for Michael Buble
• I discovered what they meant when they said "honesty is the best policy"

But most importantly, I changed some lives this month and that's the greatest feeling in the world. I cannot wait to see what 2013 has in store for me. If I could help just one person, then my life is worth living. 

Have a happy and safe New Year! ♥

Sandy Hook: How I See It

I wasn't going to go through with this at first. I had started typing but couldn't bring it upon myself to complete a blog about the Sandy Hook Elementary Massacre. So much is happening and the media has the facts so askew that I don't know what to believe. It's seriously shady how so many reports vary. But there's too much to say about this event to not be quiet about it. So I guess I should start by telling you exactly what happened. The truth, as far as I believe.

On Friday, December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza, carrying three guns which belonged to his mother whom he had possibly killed for. It is confirmed that she is dead however the motive is officially unknown. He then traveled to Sandy Hook Elementary School, home to grades kindergarten through fourth grade, and opened fire on twenty innocent lives, ages six and seven. Among the children, he also fired holes through six adults before ending his own life. It is reported that as many as eleven bullet holes were found in one body alone.

After the news spread of this gruesome crime, voices rang out in horror. Arguments exploded about gun laws, mental health care, morals, etc. It seemed as if everyone was forgetting the lives that were lost. As those mothers and fathers are burying their children today, the last thing on their mind was gun laws. The only thing they care about at that moment is their child. Maybe it's just me but I find it a bit disrespectful to be at each other's throats over guns and healthcare as a child lays cold in his or her own blood. I understand a lot of people are responding with, "If not now, when?" I also understand that there is no "good" time to talk about this. I'm just asking, could we shut our ignorant mouths for a few moments and just mourn?

As for the one's who refuse to give up the argument about gun laws, I have a few things to say about that. Many people believe that tighter gun control will solve our problems. I also heard someone say, when referencing how 'the system' is broken, "We don't hold gun owners accountable when they let others have access to deadly weapons (as is the case here)."
Woah, wait. This is probably one of the most ridiculous things I've heard if this person is saying what I think they're saying. So, what I believe this is saying is that it's Lanza's mother's fault for letting him shoot and kill her so he could steal her guns.
That's as bad as saying that we should make it more difficult for people to get guns so the shootings will stop. I know, you're thinking 'Wait, what's wrong with that?' Well, they tried to make drugs more difficult to get a hold of. If the wrong people want something bad enough, they have no problem breaking the law to get it.
I say we should encourage gun ownership. I'm not saying just hand out guns to anyone. But, we trust our teachers with our children. Why not a gun to protect our children?
If one man out of twenty decides to kill someone, he's going to be less likely to follow through when there are 19 barrels pointed at him. All these shootings are happening but we never consider how different the situation would be if just one person involved had a gun handy.
For some reason, liberals don't like to look at things that way and they say conservatives are more worried about guns than anything else. Guns are just as important as anything else, in my opinion anyway.
Oh look, I've turned this rant political (which I guess it sorta was before considering we're talking about laws to be passed). Kind of how Obama turned the Sandy Hook memorial into a political rally. Oops. Nice to see he finally showed up days later though.

Another topic brought about was mental health care. I agree with many. Our country does not take mental health seriously enough. Even society seems to look down on it. If someone is diagnosed with depression, one might be heard saying 'suck it up', 'life's tough' etc. However, it seems as if every time someone goes out and shoots a bunch of people, they're excused under the assumption of mental illness. Adam Lanza, as far as I believe, was autistic. I know many autistic adults and children and it would never cross my mind that they would harm anyone. We just have to admit that some people are evil. We can't try to fix that and we shouldn't use mental illness as an excuse to justify our crimes.
I also don't find neighbors and siblings of Adam Lanza to be credible sources. The neighbors said that they found him to be a little odd. However, I can say that about many of my neighbors. His brother is the one who mentioned mental illness. We have to consider that this is Adam's brother. He would possibly say anything to make his brother's actions less atrocious.

While we're talking about guns and mental illness, it was suggested that one's mental state should be evaluated before the purchasing of a gun. I don't see how this applies to the Connecticut Shooting being that Lanza was denied a gun a few days prior to the events on Friday. Also, he wasn't given any mental health care at the time so how can we blame the system?

I read a comment online about how a mother thought it was wrong that her child had to go through a drill where he hid in his locker in case an adult decided to get a gun and shoot. Why is it wrong to be proactive? Trying to stop something like this from happening completely without preparing in the event that it should happen is like trying to stop a hurricane without even preparing for the idea that one should come.
I feel as if some people believe that tighter gun laws will allow them to leave their doors unlocked at night. the reality is, we will get tighter laws and nothing will change. If someone has it in their head that they want to harm someone, they will go to any extent to make that happen with or without guns. It's been happening since the beginning of time.

I saw a politician on the news earlier today speaking about guns saying, "You do not need these kind of guns to defend yourself." To that I say, you don't know what kind of gun you need if you don't know the size of the battle you're going to be fighting. I'm not going to go further into this topic online.

Also something to think about:

A statement was released saying that Obama planned that preppers will be the first to have their guns taken away should there be a National Emergency. I typed 'Adam Lanza mother' into Google yesterday to keep myself updated and a new article came up headlining that Lanza's Mom was a Prepper. The media works in mysterious ways. I'll let you dwell on that thought and not bother explaining what I've gotten out of this information because many of you might think my ideas are far fetched. But hey, there's nothing wrong with considering all the possibilities.


I'll leave you with this:



twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
they were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.
they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
"this is heaven." declared a small boy. "we're spending Christmas at God's house."
when what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
and as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"may this country be delivered from the hands of fools"
"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"
then He and the children stood up without a sound.
"come now my children, let me show you around."
excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

The VA Hospital: A Life Changing Experience

When I agreed to go visit the VA Hospital, I had no idea what I was getting into. I was going to help hand out socks, underwear, shirts, puzzle books, etc. and I was doing it for my senior project, and of course, I wanted to do something good for someone. But, by the time I left the hospital, this project meant so much more than getting a passing grade. This meant so much more than the project itself.

Entering the building, a timeline of American wars lined the hallway. I looked at the pictures for the Revolution and smiled at an excerpt from Thomas Paine's 'The Crisis', which I recognized from reading in class. I glanced at a picture of Lincoln from the Civil War and remembered the movie I had just seen about him (no vampire slaying). Looking further along in history, I felt a small sense of pride in my country. Seeing all these pictures in front of me reminded me of the stakes we've gone to as a nation to defend our freedom.

The hallway opened into a small reception area which was vacant of people, except for us. Looking up, an extraordinary American flag canopied the room.
There were stairs that led up to a second floor type of balcony in the room which held some marvelous things. There were display cases containing pictures of soldiers and their medals. There were numerous purple hearts. I saw a pocket bible looking scorched with an information card explaining how it saved a man's life in two ways. For one, by reading it. For another way, by carrying it. There was a deck of 'survival cards' from Vietnam which gave instructions such as boiling water. I read a Christmas card from Vietnam from a soldier to his mom. He wrote briefly how a famous singer (I can't remember the name now) was coming to the base. There were soldier uniforms, books, tools, plaques, so much history in such a small area.

One of the coolest things I found was a piece of a Japanese jet that was shot down during Pearl Harbor. It was signed by all the men who survived and dismantled the plane, although it may be hard to see the signatures in this picture. The day I visited was the day after the anniversary of Pearl Harbor so I found this very cool.

We were in the reception area for quite a while because the nursing home section of the hospital was finishing up their Christmas party. When we were finally allowed to visit, we packed two shopping carts full of stuff and took the elevator to a cafeteria-like hall. There were elderly everywhere. There was both men and women, and they were all veterans. I was told that the one thing to remember is that they're just people. Just ordinary people. 

We walked around and talked to every single one of them, asking how they're doing and if they needed anything. It was quite sad to know how many people needed something as simple as underwear, or a pair of slippers. I learned that the patients have to buy everything they need. And if we were to leave behind any of the things we brought, I learned that it would be sold in the gift shop. The people in our group that told me this learned from personal experience. A few of us witnessed a volunteer sifting through the stuff in one of the carts and taking off with a few unopened packages of clothes. You can interpret this however you like. I like to believe that the volunteer was going to distribute the items to the patients who could not attend the party.

One of us walked over to a man sitting at a table with a group of other veterans and asked him if he needed anything. The man responded with, "I'll have whatever she wants." He was referring the the elderly woman sitting next to him who responded with, "I want you." 

That almost brought me to tears right there. I learned that the couple have been married for only 16 years and their anniversary was the previous week. This was proof to me that it's never too late to fall in love. 

A man sat there and cried because I handed him a Christmas card that was made by my sister's Girl Scout troop. I didn't hear of this until after we had left the hospital. This was absolutely heart breaking. 

After everyone had left the hall and gone back to their rooms, we also left to visit the patients on the psychiatric floor. They were possibly the best people. Some of them were only a little older than I. Some of them were way older. We joked around with them a bit and one man asked if we could please bring soda next time because they don't have any. These were just ordinary people as well. They were dealing with their own demons inside, but aren't we all? 

The ICU was probably the most heart breaking. There was a man who could barely move, barely speak. One by one, we leaned over his bed, held his hand, and thanked him for all that he did. Two people left the room with tears in their eyes and I was one of them. 

A man named Sid resided in the next room. I entered after everyone else had and someone was speaking to Sid's wife, a tiny elderly lady with a purple hat and prominent pink blush that sat faithfully on his bed. She was explaining how she always stayed at his side and did whatever she could for him. Their daughter stood on the other side of the bed. She was holding a tissue in her hand and I didn't realize until she handed Sid a tissue that he was the one who was crying. 

After the ICU, we visited another floor which didn't contain much. And most of the people who were on the floor had a pink sign warning any visitor to take caution. In one room, a white man was sleeping and his leg was hanging off the bed, almost completely black. 

 

We had been there for three hours but I couldn't believe it was already time to go. I wanted to stay with these people and tell them all how much I appreciated them. I know I just told you about this experience but I'm telling you now that you will never truly get it until you've been there and you've felt the atmosphere and you've looked into the patient's eyes. 

I must have cried for at least two hours at the Christmas party that was held later on that night and I'll admit, I shed a few tears today. Not out of pity, but out of disgust. A few comments were made toward me at the party. One was that the reason I was crying was because of some hidden meaning about myself. Another comment was made that if I keep crying over this that soon I'll be crying over the children in Ethiopia.

 That's not the case though. These men and women are the reason we are here today. They're the reason why I'm allowed to write this blog with the freedom to write whatever I want. They're the reason for our freedom. They're the 3% that fought for us and we leave them in the hospital, some forgotten, to die. I understand that everybody's gotta die sometime. But don't you think they deserve a little more respect than this? They're the reason we pay in American dollar bills and they're forced to pay for their own necessities. Some of them cry at the thought that someone actually cares about them and has not forgotten. 

 I might not be able to change the world, but if I could get one civilian to see how much these veteran's need our Thank-You, I'd have some meaning. 

Yeah, this place changed my life in 3 hours. 

If you see a vet, or even someone currently serving, don't be afraid to thank them. That's all they want. And it's because of them that you can thank them in English. 

Christmas: That Warm Fuzzy Feeling

"Another year has come and passed, like memories through an hourglass, and at the end of this year's trail, an offering- a final tale"

This was the beginning line from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert I recently attended. I'm not trying to over exaggerate this, but it was possibly the greatest thing I have ever witnessed. Although they didn't play my favorite song, Old City Bar (Here's the link to the song), which from what I see is awesome live (Listen to the other link first, then click this), the lights were amazing and the music was fantastic. What really had me was how much fun it looked like each and every one of the musicians were having.

TSO (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) relays such a good message in a really kick ass kind of way. It's not Christmas without their music.

These two came down into the crowd and were right next to me. I absolutely love their outfits. The violinist was amazing. He really got into it, not to say that the other guitarists didn't either. Everyone was having so much fun. It was like I wanted to be up there with them. I know I've already said it, but this was a truly amazing experience. I would have never been able to see them if it wasn't for the help of a great friend.

***************************************

This year, for some extraordinary reason, I am in love with Christmas. No, not just Christmas, but the warm feeling that comes with it. Christmas is an excuse to be nice to everyone you see. Even I, someone who hates people, am more willing to be around and communicate with others. It's almost magical to see how people change during the holidays. But what if we could do this year long?

As TSO states in their Old City Bar song, "If you want to arrange it, this world, you can change it. If we can somehow make this Christmas thing last. By helping a neighbor, or even a stranger. To know who needs help, you need only just ask."




I wish I had this warm hope for society all year long. Maybe that'll be my New Years resolution, to see all the good in society and to not be the problem. To be nice to people. What about you?

Ordeal By Cheque

This is a story written for my writing class. We were given a series of checks that were written out and we had to tell a story. While typing this out, my teacher made a comment that he believes that so many people make their characters die at the end of a story because they get frustrated with the assignment he gave us. Well, if that's the case, I hope he gets the message ;) Enjoy! 

          With blurry vision, and shaking hands, Lawrence Exeter stood up. The church was packed with mourners, all wearing black. In his aging hands, he held a speech. The papers were creased and the corners dog eared from his anxious fingers. He didn’t want to give a speech but it felt it was necessary. Besides, this was his time to come clean. He took slow steps toward the podium, leaving a faint scent of alcohol with every sorrowful step he took. With his back to the mourners, he paused at his son’s coffin. He looked at peace. I owe this to him, Lawrence thought. He nodded with grief, swallowed, and turned to face everyone.

                Neighbors, friends, and family were all looking back at him, patiently waiting for him to begin. “I want to thank you all for coming.” He began. “Thank you for attending this beautiful memorial for my loving son, Lawrence Jr.” A few heads nodded in agreement. Lawrence continued on. “It seems like yesterday that I was in the store with his mother buying his little white crib with the blue bows. He loved those bows. He’d always play with them as a baby.” He dabbed his eyes with his white handkerchief. However, it didn’t stop the wave of memories from releasing a waterfall of tears. “And September 2^nd 1903, the day that I held him in my arms for the first time, that was the greatest moment in my life. There’s nothing greater, I can guarantee it.

My wife and I both thanked God when he had his first check up and he was the healthiest baby boy. That Christmas, we spoiled him in gifts. He must have had the most toys on the block. We did everything we could to make our child happy. The fall of 1909, my wife was in tears as she watched our little six year old boy walk off to school, lunch box in his hand. This was the first time he left home and it was hard for us. However, we soon realized the academic potential of our child and we needed to reward him for his good grades.  I’ll never forget the smile on his face when he came downstairs on Easter morning to a shiny new bicycle and his eagerness to learn to ride it. He always wanted to learn.”

Now Mr. Exeter’s eyes were creased from smiling at the memories. “As soon as he learned to ride, he’d spend hours outside riding up and down the street, chasing the neighborhood girls. Even at a young age, the boy was always chasing girls.” He let out a half hearted chuckle, allowing the audience to smile at the thought. “He was always chasing after them, pulling their hair, stealing their dolls. I, of course, knew that boys will be boys. However, my wife feared we were raising a corrupt child and she made the decision to send him to military school when he was twelve years old. It was difficult for us, at first, not having him home all the time. But we soon realized how well developed military school had made him as a teenager. We didn’t have the problems that most parents had with teens. He was a good kid.” Lawrence was looking at his son’s coffin now. “He was a really good kid.” He took another moment before looking back to the audience.

“And I’ll never forget that blue Cadillac and how the sun reflected off of the paint as if the car was painted with the sky itself. He was eighteen years old when we gave him that Cadillac. Boy was I sour when four days later, he came home from the movies with his girlfriend and he said to me, all quiet-like ‘Dad, I crashed the car.’” He turned to the coffin again. “I was really mad back then Larry, but I forgave you. Who wouldn’t have? You were a good boy, Larry.” He dabbed his eyes with the handkerchief.

“He might not have been the best driver,” he said, addressing the audience again. “But his grades were astounding. We were able to send him off to Stanford when he graduated high school. The marriage between his mother and I was becoming strained while he was away at college. I can’t say why but the love just wasn’t there anymore. The Valentine’s Day before our son’s college graduation must have been the worst fight the two of us had gotten into. I’d bought her flowers and everything. I really tried. But the truth is, and I’ll admit it now, I had met someone else. I think Mel knew. She just knew.”

Lawrence took a moment to let the information sink in, more so for himself than for everyone else. He began again, this time looking down at his papers. “That June, I missed my own son’s graduation. For why, I am ashamed to say. But the truth must be told. I owe you that much Larry.” He turned to the coffin again. “Larry, I was too busy cheating on your mother to think about you and boy, do I regret it. I regret it every goddamn day. I’m sorry Larry. Your old man is sorry.”

The audience remained silent as Lawrence went on to explain the affair. “I bought a house that August.” It seemed as if Lawrence forgot everyone else was in the room. “I even hired professional interior decorators. At this point, the divorce paperwork was almost complete. I was ready to start over, Larry. I hadn’t spoken to you in months.  I wanted a new life. I never stopped loving you, though Larry. It was really Abby that forced me to remove myself from your life. Your stepmother’s the one that didn’t want you. And your mother put it into your head that I didn’t want you. She told me you were so angry at me.” He paused to think for a moment. “But that’s no excuse. I’ve been a horrible father Larry and I’m sorry.”

Now the audience was getting anxious. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Being a retired detective who was once the best in the county, Lawrence Exeter had a well established reputation in Coleville. Most of the town respected him. No one would have thought that this was the life he led. Whispers filled the atmosphere of the church. Among the faces was Dr. David McCoy, the family doctor who had watched Lawrence’s son grow up. Lawrence and his son had been in his office multiple times throughout the years. It was difficult for Dr. McCoy to believe that a man like Lawrence had led such a life of lies and deceit. Looking around, Dr. McCoy watched the widowed Miss Stevens and Mrs. Jefferies doing what most old women do and gossiping about the scandalous news. The pastor of the church had his head down in prayer.

 “In November 1926, the same year you graduated, I went on a cruise with Abby to Hawaii. You thought I was going on a business trip to meet a client from my firm. But when I proposed to her, I knew that there was no way I could hide the engagement. When I called you and gave you the news that night, you hung up on me. It nearly broke my heart Larry.”

Lawrence was choking on his words now. He was desperately trying to control his sobs. “I tried to buy my son’s love back. I sent him two hundred thousand dollars the day before my wedding. Six days after I proposed, I middle isled Abby in a hotel on a Hawaiian island. I was ready to leave my old life behind. He wouldn’t let me though. That Christmas, Larry showed up at my house. I’ll never know how he found out where I lived. I wasn’t going to ask him at the time. Larry was a mess. He informed me that his mother was ill with cancer. Mel was a good person. She didn’t deserve her illness. I tried making Larry stay the night or at least eat before he left but he wouldn’t allow it. That was one of the last times I saw my son.”

Mr. Exeter was a mess. Dr. McCoy was beginning feel worse for him. Why is he telling us all of this, he thought. A short speech about his son would have done fine rather than this whole life story.  Not that the doctor was bored with the story. He just wanted to know why Lawrence Exeter would air out his dirty laundry to the town.

“After his death, I was looking through some old checks that Larry had.” Mr. Exeter began again. “I noticed that he had bought chocolate and lingerie. I also noticed that he had been to a women’s shoe store. This all happened between nineteen twenty-seven and nineteen twenty-nine. This was surprising to me because I hadn’t known that Larry had met anyone. Despite the fact that we didn’t talk, word spread around town quickly and I would have heard word of it. I also noticed Larry had sent money to a man by the name of Tony Spagoni. So, I did some research.”

Mr. Exeter turned to his son’s body. “I’m sorry for this Larry, but we have to confess everything.” Then, Lawrence explained it all. “I discovered that Tony Spagoni was a male escort from a club across town. So I tracked him down and I asked him what I knew about my son. This isn’t easy to confess and it’s not something I’m proud of but I’m afraid my son was a transvestite. Tony told me he was also a regular of that particular club. It really breaks my heart to know that I raised such a son.”

Everyone’s jaw seemed to drop. At least, it seemed so to McCoy. It was silent now. It was so silent that you could probably hear a pin dropping on the maroon colored carpet. Everyone wanted to know what Lawrence was going to say next. Only Dr, McCoy seemed to question Lawrence’s motive.

“I also learned that a lady finally came into my son’s life. He had bought her a diamond and proposed. I found this to be grand news. Miss Flossie Wentworth, I know you’re in the crowd somewhere. I just wanted you to know how worthless I think you are.” He was angrily shouting through his tears now. “My son paid you $50,000 for a marriage that lasted six months. If you ask me, you’re a double-crosser. You took advantage of my son and all he was worth.” Flossie Wentworth was sitting in the front row. She could feel all the eyes on her back, though she didn’t dare to turn around.

“My son went into a downward spiral after that marriage last year. It’s upsetting to read the newspaper and read about your own son being arrested for assaulting his own aunt in a drunken stupor. My sister isn’t attending this memorial today. She’s still upset about Larry attacking her and stealing money. I don’t blame her. He stole $175,000. All of which he gave back, along with paying for both law firms involved in the lawsuit. He was always trying to make things right, Larry was. He didn’t always make the best choices but he always tried to fix it.

Tony Spagoni isn’t here today either. Larry started to visit him again. Peter Ventizzi was a jealous friend of Tony’s. He’s the man that shot my son and put him in the hospital. I forced this information out of Tony before I shot him. Both Tony and Peter got theirs. Their bodies can be found in a back room of the night club they worked at.”

The audience was now horrified. In front of them was a man who murdered two men and didn’t think twice about it. With all eyes on him, Mr. Exeter pulled out a small, silver gun. Staggering slowly, he stepped down and walked back toward the only church exit. “I want to thank Dr. McCoy for coming to the hospital in my son’s time of need. I also want to thank the Hollywood Mortuary for preparing my son’s body for such a lovely memorial.” He was standing in front of the doors now and everyone’s neck was turned toward him in fear.

In a quick second, Lawrence raised the gun and blood rained down upon the church of Jesus Christ. He kept shooting until all of the bodies stopped screaming. Bloody flesh, bones, and brain matter were splattered all over the pews and the carpet was drenched in thick blood. Dr. McCoy lay dead on the floor with a bullet hole through his forehead. Flossie Wentworth’s jaw was blown off and laying a few feet away. Some bodies were still sitting upright, as if they were still alive and listening.  Miss Stevens and Mrs. Jefferies leaned on each other as if they fell asleep in the pew.

Lawrence took the same slow pace to walk back to his son’s coffin. “It’s a cruel, cruel world Larry. All your sins are forgiven now. I hope you can forgive me.” He looked up to the church ceiling. “Jesus Christ, forgive me.” Without hesitation, Lawrence lifted the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger, falling dead over his son’s body. 

All You'll Ever Be Is A Faded Memory Of A Bully

Here's some soundtrack music to this post.  Listen to it while you read. 

It's seventh period. There's a substitute. The class is anything but quiet. I'm sitting across from her. Everyone nearby is staring. Small pieces of paper fly through the air and animal noises come from the mouths of numerous classmates. She must feel humiliated. But I'm not looking at her. I'm looking at the teacher. She's in the back of the classroom at her desk watching. Aren't you going to say something, I ask her in my head. This is bullying. Something has to be done. But the substitute just keeps watching. 

This is a true story and it's something I don't like talking about because I feel responsible. I feel disgust for everyone in that classroom, including myself and with the exception of that girl who I will not name. Someone should have said something. The girl isn't really popular and she has a few strange habits about her but that is no way a reason to single her out and make her life miserable. 
No one deserves to get treated as badly as she does. 

The next day, our teacher was present and class carried on like normal. Nothing was done about it. It was like nothing ever happened. I had previous personal reasons to have little respect for teachers before this incident, but this really added to my disgust. 

I believe situations like these should be a part of your teaching requirements. Something like getting students to set up a fake bullying scene to see how a teacher reacts to it. Maybe have the same thing for students. If an act of bullying is reported, everyone who was present during the time should get a degree of punishment for not being the ones to speak up. 

I also believe that something like making even the smallest comment or giving the smallest look to someone can be bullying. I think people do it because they can't get written up for looking at someone the wrong way or saying something in the wrong tone but if you perform any action that makes a person feel singled out, humiliated, threatened, or worthless, then yes, this is bullying. 
And by bullying, I mean having it happen over and over throughout a period of time. 

The hurt really does stay with you. I've had it happen and years later, I feel threatened just being in the presence of some people. It really is awful how one person can make you feel like the most worthless person in the world. 

We don't have to take this, back against the wall. We don't have to take this. We can end it all. 

Nail Polish: My New Addiction

I think I should have been Asian. In case you didn't know, I've been getting super good at doing my nails lately. I actually feel like I'm really good at it, which is saying a lot because I don't ever really give myself credit for anything. I'm still trying to overlook the unnoticed mistakes I make when I paint my nails. 

But anyways, here's a few things that I've done so far. I encourage feedback! And I do this all by hand, I promise. 

Neon Stripes. This was really easy...

....and they glowed under blacklight!

Music notes. Cause I'm into music and all that :3

Rainbow Stripes :O

Animal Print!! 

Watermelon Toes. One of my favorites. 

Pacman nails. This isn't my photo or my hand but it basically looked like this. 

Skyline nails. This isn't my photo either but it's really close to what I did. 

And as soon as I get a hold of brown nail polish, I'm gonna try Perry the Platypus (: Wish me luck!! 

                       

Teen Fads. Why I hate my generation.

The following is a list of some of the stupidest teenage fads that I could find of today's generation. I'm warning you, some of this stuff is pretty ridiculous.


Stupid Things We Do


1. I'm gonna start us off with hand sanitizer. It's cheaper than alcohol and you get the same effect!!  
Yes, I mean people are drinking this stuff for the alcohol content in it. It's disgusting and desperate if you ask me. 


2. The Choking Game. It's exactly what it sounds like. You can use a rope, a belt, or even your own hands to choke yourself to the point where you experience a momentary high (aka: lack of oxygen to your brain). This game's been going on for years and there were several reported accidental suicides from it. Because it's totally cool to hang yourself from a rope in your closet (That's sarcasm. Don't actually do it).


3. Planking. It's basically laying face down and as stiff as a board in public and having a friend take a picture of it. WTF. We have more freaking electronics and game systems in the world than we ever did and we're laying on random things in public for entertainment??? *facepalm*


4. Biting (and no, this isn't bath salt inspired). With the whole vampire craze going around, people are actually biting each other. And this isn't your average hickey. This is like, I'm gonna suck your blood kind of biting. All I have to say about this is, why?


5. Flash Mobs. Okay, I'll admit, I think they're pretty cool and I want to be in one. But when a group of teens take it upon themselves to organize a flash mob, people are going to get hurt. And it's happened already. 


6. Smoking and/or snorting Smarties. No explanation is needed here. 


7. Sexting. freaking sexting. I think we all know what this is. Can't you two just wait until you're alone? For real. That's not classy at all. 


8. Trunking. Due to new driver laws that limit your number of passengers in a car when you first start driving, people have been hiding in trunks. This shit is for real. Look it up. 


9. The Datura Flower. If you eat it, you get high. But you also probably end up in the ER or dead. So good luck (: 


10. Being a whore online. "Hey girls, did you know, that ummm, you're boobs go inside your shirt?" Like seriously though, you're like 10. Put your training bra back in your shirt.






Stupid Things We Watch


I'm not even going to explain these. 


1. The annoying Orange


2. Fred


3. Jersey Shore


4. Spin offs of Jersey Shore


5. American Idol


6. Glee


7. Keeping up with the Kardashians


8. Anything else with the Kardashians 


9. Twilight


10. 16 and Pregnant (what ever happened to 'my super sweet 16'?) 










There you have it. I'm not perfect either. I've probably seen a few episodes off of the list above. And I'll admit, I was once a Twihard. But some of this stuff makes me want to bash my face into a wall. 


If I missed anything you think deserves to be on this list, feel free to comment!! 

If You Can Read This, Thank a Teacher. If You Can Read This In English, Thank a Soldier.

Summer 2k12. While it went fast, it was a summer full of firsts. Probably the most exciting first I had this year, besides plane rides and dunk tanks, was riding on a motorcycle. It's the most amazing feeling in the world to be speeding past cars on the highway with the wind in your face. Seriously, you will never understand why dogs stick their heads out the window until you ride on a bike. And I'm quoting my aunt there. 

I'd also like to address the issue of how misunderstood bikers are. The ones I've met are probably some of the nicest people I've ever met. And they all look out for each other. It's like a wolf pack, only with bikes and leather. It's only about 1% of bikers that give them a bad rep. Believe me when I say, these are awesome people. 

The people I met are from an association called the CVMA. It's basically a bunch of combat veterans from all branches of the US Armed Forces who ride bikes as a hobby and help out other vets. They're doing what the government should be doing. Some of these vets get checked into Veterans Hospitals and have to pay for their own toiletries. Some of these vets get checked into Veterans Hospitals and don't have money or family to help them. Click here to check out the CVMA website

I find this fact just disgusting. These men and woman risk their lives and give blood sweat and tears to defending our country and then they get shit on. Wars and soldiers are so underrated. Especially our Vietnam vets. But that's another story. 

It's never too late to thank a vet. 

Oh and try riding a motorcycle sometime. It's awesome. I swear. 

10 things I've learned about life

This blog entry is long overdue so I'm just going to get to the point.


I've been told many times that I'm wise beyond my years. I'll leave that to you to decide. Although, looking back today, I see I've come a long way. Here are some things that I've learned about life in the short 16 years that I've lived it:

1. People make mistakes
2. Because people make mistakes, you must learn to forgive
3. Forgiveness has nothing to do with religion. It REALLY DOES help you move on with life
4. Only you know what's best for you
5. There's no certain age where you're finally old enough to make life changing decisions. (I learned this young)
6. You don't have to be the one making the mistakes to learn from them
7. There will always be someone there for you. Always someone to miss you when you're gone. No matter how much you don't believe it. 
8. When it comes to politics and religion, people are blind and stupid.
9. We live in a world where it's acceptable to be different as long as you still fit in with all the other different people. 
10. You're really stupid if you think you know it all. 

Oh and I have to give a mention about the Olympics in this post, as suggested by a good friend (: