The end of the semester has arrived and so to comes my blog
to an end. Blogging for me was actually really great, I enjoyed being able to
quickly type up something that had to do with me and post it for others to see
and comment on. Overall I really did enjoy the experience, I made a few
mistakes on the way. The biggest one was when I stopped posting anything. If there
is anything I regret the most it is that, I started off so well and basically
became one of those first airplanes that catches some air and then comes
crashing down to the ground. I think I will create a new blog that has to do
with my everyday life and not mess up my blog. My last words to my fellow
classmates is if you ever do something, give it your all. Even its something as
simple as a blog don’t give up on and give it everything you have.
on Tuesday, November 27, 2012
If I had to pick three people that have been important in
my life I would have to choose my family. Which would first start off with my
Dad. He has always played an important role in my life. First of all he ha been
the one who has always gotten up in the morning to go to work and provide for
my family which includes me. Without his strength and diligent work I would
have never been able to be where I am right now. He has taught me what is
required to create a strong base to which start a life with and live it successfully
and with humility. Overall my dad has been the engine in my life that always
has been the key component that without I could not move forward.
The second person that is very important in my life is my
sister. My sister has been like a watchful guardian over mer. She has protected
me from everything and anything that could lead to harm me or affect me in some
negative way. She is something of a safety net, if I ever mess up in anything
she always seems to be there with a solution on how to fix the problem that I have
put myself in. Not only that but she has helped me out with my entire school
and educational career. She has been my tutor and teacher when at times I require
help on a tough problem. She is very important to me because without my sister I
would have surely ensured my downfall many times in the past and always know on
who to count on.
Finally the third important person in my life is my mom. My
mom has been a sort of shield that always tries to protect me from any problems
I have caused. If my dad is mad at me my mom usually takes my side and helps me
out anyways she can. My mom is a very strong woman but full of so much love
that it has easily become part of me as well. If my mom was not a part of my
life I truly cannot see where I would be. She is a important part of me and my
life that without here there is no me. My mom, sister, and dad are all very
important to me. But without any of them my life would
never be the same and that is why they are the three most important people in
my life.
on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
For me, this school semester is turning out to be the best
one so far. I have come to this conclusion because I know that compared to the
previous semesters, I have given much more attention and effort to my classes
and school work this time around. That effort that I have found has really
pushed me forward this semester. When it comes to my homework and assignments I
have been constantly turning them in. My quizzes and tests have given me great
outcomes and overall great grades so far.
I have learned from my previous mistakes and have lowered my workload to
help me focus on getting good grades. Some of the challenges that I face or
seem to be facing sometimes is laziness. I have a problem of getting tired or
lazy and not wanting to do my work, so if there was a dark shadow that followed
me it would most certainly be that. Another thing that I would consider a
challenge for this semester is the lack of having swimming in my schedule. That
is because swimming is the one thing that I love to do and the one thing that I
mostly look forward to when it comes to school or going to school. The way I stat
motivated is by having breaks. These breaks include going out on weekends to
have fun. As long as I do well in school all week long I know that I owe myself
some compensation. But in the end what keeps me moving forward is the thought
of me being very close to being able to transfer out and continuing my college
career somewhere else that I know I really want to go to. I know that in the
end my time at school and in this semester will pay off greatly.
on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Quite recently I have changed my
opinion about a certain person who I assumed to be a very good friend. It was a
person whom I thought of as the brother that I always wanted but never had. It
was the person whom I would always been seen with. The dynamic duo that anyone
would be quick to put together in whatever it was. But all good things must
come to an end. Well at least that is what happened. People change, this is
something I have learned in my life. And once my friend became something he
never was, he quickly became someone I used to know. Sadly though, my change of
opinion about this person was a gradual one that took time. During that time I
came to realize that I was mistaken about the person once the change
occurred. My opinion on this friend was
no longer what it once was. It became into a negative opinion that I knew would
yield no positive ends if I kept viewing him the way I once did. It affected me
because I never did think about this ever occurring. Overall this changed how I
approach people. It changed my opinion on how friends are. I take precaution
now so that I do not fall into the same trance I once was. I have built a sort
of wall around me when it comes to friends, this wall in my mind just helps me
from making the mistakes that made me fall in the first place. And overall it
has changed my view on people. I think all people change, whether it be for the
best or the worst they all do. It can happen in a blink of an eye. And most of
the times when you don’t expect it.
on Sunday, September 30, 2012
One would expect that
graduating from high school is something that is bound to be fun and planned
out. It is something that you look forward to from the very first day you walk
into school. When you enter through the gates into the high school for the very
first time you think about the day in which you will be able to graduate. I
myself walked through the front doors of my high school having this very same
thought. However, something that I have learned throughout my short life is
that nothing ever goes according to plan. Even if you have your entire life
planned out perfectly in a straight line, you will never walk that line as you
first intended. As I tried hard to look back into my past, and think about
something that had affected me in profound ways, in all honesty I could not
think of a single event. But then I asked myself, “What has happened to me that
has changed who I am, how I approach things, and how I deal with the problems
that are right in front of me." After this question, my mind could only
jump to one single event. The day I had to decide to leave high school for
ever.
I
started my senior year in high school rather normally. One of the mistakes that
I did up until then was evident to me during the beginning of that year. My
friends had always been older and grades above me. So when I began my last year
of high school most of those friends whom I had were gone, and I was left
behind to graduate. It was not a big problem as I made more friends throughout
the year. My classes were not exciting or interesting to me. I had already
taken all the classes that I was required to take. So all I would do was go
into the dull and boring classroom, sit in that blue chair that was always
quite uncomfortable. I would stare at the seemingly new desk and notice the
little drawing's people in the periods before me had drawn onto its top. I
would also add to the wonderful collage of bored student drawings. However, this had a negative effect on me; I lost
interest in my classes and would stop going; I would instead go somewhere else
than go to my classes that seemed irrelevant to me. I would much rather go to the
beach and simply sit down by the waves with my phone in hand, and earphones
plugged in. I would just relax and have some peace from any other events in my
life that would be occurring. Since I still had pretty good grades in my
classes I never thought I missed my classes as much as I would soon realize. Even
so, I just kept this new habit that I had picked up and enjoyed high school. I still
enjoyed seeing friends every day, hanging out, and doing what high school kids
do, which is to have fun and enjoy the time we have.
‘I opened
the mailbox and grasped the letters inside, brought them out and began to sort
through them to see what had arrived. One letter stood out to me. It was from
my high school. I opened it and read thoroughly’
“Your son Juan Carlos Vazquez has failed to attend class or classes on time and
is in danger of being SARBED this is his last and final warning” When I
saw this card, I showed it to my mom. I really did not understand what it meant
by my last and final warning, this was the first time I had ever heard of this.
My mom was understandably mad at me for supposedly not attending class. Nevertheless,
she called my school and received an appointment for the next day. The following
day came, and I walked to the office as I knew my mom would be arriving soon. My
mom was on schedule waiting for me inside the unfailingly cold front office,
always so quiet that if a paper clip were
to fall you could hear it hitting the floor and making its click clack
sound. She was not really mad at me; she just wanted to know what exactly would
happen and what we could do about it. We entered the quite plain office of the
new counselor/school psychiatrist. I had never seen her before so we did the
ritual greetings of handshakes and hellos. After that we got right into the
point. She explained to us that since I had been absent and late too many times
this year, they had accumulated up, and I had been warned various times before.
At that time, I did recall this other letter that had arrived home that stated
my tardiness but I never really put any attention to it. She continued with
explaining that even though I had at no time been in any trouble, no
detentions, suspensions, calls to the office, or anything. I could still be very
much be affected by this just like anyone else who was a “trouble maker."
My mom asked what the consequence of this was, she responded by telling her
that I could not be able to graduate, and that they could be greatly fined for
every time I was late. The next question that my mom asked was on how I could
fix that problem, “there is only one way” she responded. She explained that it
required me on getting 100% attendance for the rest of the year. This meant I could
not be tardy or absent one more time or else there would be dire consequences. All
I could think of while listening to this conversation was how greatly I had
messed up if this was to become true.
“What
has been bothering you?" “Why are you not attending your classes on time?”
these were a couple of questions that she began to ask to me, while my mom
would repeat those same questions in an attempt to see what was going on. However,
the problem as I told them was that nothing really was bothering me. I lost the
enthusiasm I had throughout my past years I told them. I tried to explain how
hard I had worked the previous years and completed everything for nothing; this
year was the same stuff over again. They sat there and listened as I tried to
get them to understand, I never wanted this to happen and even though as persistently
as I know I would try to get to every single class on time for the rest of the year.
It was too hard for anyone, including me to accomplish without having something
go wrong.
“Why
are you here?” I was pushed back when I heard this question. What did she mean
why I was here? “Obviously, to go to school” I thought to myself. I asked her
what she meant by that question, and she then followed by telling me that I was
done. I had finished my requirements and done more by the end of my junior
year. “I’m done”? I waveringly asked, “Yes you have been done for quite a while”
she said. I knew I was close but had no idea I was already done. She proceeded
to tell my mom that she now understood why I had lost interest, she continued
to explain that because I had previously done everything and much more I had
lost that push which I had all the years. She emphasized to me that I was done;
I could graduate at that exact moment and be done with high school forever. After
all is this not what everyone wants? I did want it, but now that I had an
option and opportunity at a hand's grasp; I really did not want to take it. I
just sat there and thought about what she had told me. Two minutes passed and
all the while so many things went rushing into my head. So many questions I
asked myself, so much confusion and conflict. I was on the verge of tearing up;
it was something that had caused a global war inside of my own head. First off,
I really did not know what I want. On one
side yes everyone, including me wants to be done with high school but on the
other hand, I did not want to leave because I never had planned for it. When
would I ever be able to go through the high school experience?
After
those two minutes of basic self-nuclear war, we talked. I still did not know
what I was going to do. But then I told myself that I knew which choice was the
obvious one that I had to take. I could not stay there and risk something to go
wrong. Deep down, in my head, knew what must be done, I had to graduate early.
I was left alone with my mom for a couple of minutes to talk about it, she told
me, “This is your decision; you must do what you think is best for you” After
she told me this I had laid down my decision in stone within me. So I told her
that I must graduate early because it is the clear choice that I must take. At
the same time, I told her that I could certainly stay, and I would try my very
best not to miss any class or be late, but it was too high of a risk to take.
The counselor came back inside the office and I, and my mom informed her of my
decision. Thinking it was the best choice and a good one for me, she spoke of
how she approved of my decision. We filled out paper work later that day to
finish the official side of my decision. I walked outside through those very
same gates I passed my first day of school the difference was I had graduated.
For
the following few weeks, I was upset of how these events had unfolded. I
entered school one day and came out graduating that very same day. It was never
planned; it was just the first day I had to decide on a major event in my life.
All I had to do after that day was to start college and wait for the day for me
to walk the line and join my friends and family in celebrating my graduation.
Looking back at it all now. That day changed me, I became greatly more
responsible of myself. No longer was I just a kid waiting for others to decide
things for me. I had to take my life by the helm and take control of it. Not
for a moment did I know how much one single event can transform who you are, or
how you act. Never did I think this day would change how I come to deal with problems
that come and turn my life upside down. One last question that I was asked that
day by the counselor still roams my mind and receives much thought from me.
“How do you feel now that you made this decision?” I constantly ask myself this
question after I have just finished deciding on something important. I know I have done my very best into reaching
whatever it is I have come to decide upon, so I always know exactly what to
respond. “I feel great”
on Tuesday, September 18, 2012
When your life has been centered on
your health. It can literally shape you into someone that is passionate and
ambitious at what one does. This is what I learned from Nick Short whom I had
the great pleasure of interviewing. Nick who is currently 17 years old, has
lived a life which has included a great deal of doctor visits. This has come as
a cause of the heart condition that he has which is called SVT. At the same
time he has also had to fight through the nerve disease that he has
encountered. When he talks to you, he does so with such enthusiasm and charisma
that one would not even know what pain he has been through and still has to go
through. He enjoys talking and meeting people and makes you feel very
comfortable when having a conversation. Some things that have helped him to be
at where he is right now is his family who has supported him through all his
troubles. But at the same time he has learned how to manage the doctor visits
with school to allow him to be successful in both school and his health. When I
asked him where he would see himself in five years he told me that he could see
himself working with animals. He loves animals and would really much enjoy working
with them. And given how I learned how kind and passionate he is about whatever
it is that he does; when he told me that he would like to work with animals, I could
truly see him in the same exact place he sees himself in the future.
on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The way we communicate with other people has always been
evolving slowly but surely. Before texting became one of the biggest ways the
modern world communicates today, we used to call each other for the smallest of
things. But now that seems quiet irrelevant. For example when I go to pick up
my friend from his house, I do not call him to say that I am outside his house.
I simply send a text to let him know that he better get out quickly or else he
is staying behind. It has turned out to be a real quick way of communicating
with anyone. But with the advantages it has over many other forms of communications
it also has its disadvantages. First of you can easily make a mistake that can switch
the meaning of the text from something normal to something that can be taken
greatly out of context. These mistakes could easily lead to awkward situations
that no one wants to find themselves in. And sometimes we replace a
conversation that requires one person to call the other, but we find that
calling the other person is way too much of a hassle so we rather choose to create
long and elaborate paragraphs of texts. Texting is just the way we mainly have
conversations with our friends and family members in today’s time. It has its
faults and is not always the best way to carry out a conversation but in the
end I will always prefer sending a simple “K” over calling the person to say “okay”
on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Whenever there is nothing for me to do at home I turn on my
TV to see what, if anything good is on. I usually just click the button labeled
next on my TV remote and begin to channel surf to see if anything catches my
eye. But usually nothing really does so I just click the power button. Like
clockwork later sometime that week one of my friends is bound to ask me if I had
seen that amazing thing some guy did, or maybe if I saw that the Kardashians
went out to eat dinner then went straight back home. My usual response is that I
did not see that because I do not really watch reality TV shows. When I think
about a reality TV show I think it is something very irrelevant that should not
be considered a TV show. Or better yet should not be considered reality itself.
If I was to put someone my same age who had never been to America or seen our
lifestyles and shown him or her some random reality TV show such as the
Kardashians or Jersey Shore (which thankfully is no more *sigh in relief*) and
told them this is what reality is, what kind of image would they have of us? When
did reality become TV?
Lately
reality TV shows have taken America and the world by storm, giving a false
impression of popularity and every day true reality. I would not entirely
condemn these shows and pursue them to be banned off TV networks or something of
that sort. Since no one is forcing anyone to watch them, you have that decision
in your own hands and that is how it should be. But I do believe that these
shows serve no true purpose, they have no underlying message that many people
would like to connect with and would have a good and positive reaction towards.
These shows usually include friends just getting drunk and partying, being rich
and enjoying that which many ordinary people are not able to do, or many other
negative images and overall bad messages. They may be fun to watch for many
because hey, it’s funny seeing someone trip into a pool and have everybody
laugh at them or seeing people in a bar and getting punched by some guy. But
the problem here is that the people who are in reality TV shows usually become
famous for all the wrong reasons and spread this same message. “Well I would
like to have fun and just do funny stuff and act like someone I’m not to become
paid and be famous” that is the kind of message that some kids and people may perceive
from some of these shows and I believe it is not a very good message to be receiving.
As I said
before, you hold the controller in your hand, you are the one who decides what
you want to watch. I also have the decision to watch reality TV shows but
decide against it since I know that all in all it is overall idiocrasy to be
taking it as true reality. But as much as I wished that they were not labeled
reality TV shows and not better “Fake reality TV shows” they are not. This is
what many other people do indeed consider as true reality that is achievable if
one mimics those same actions that made those people on TV famous and rich. I
for one will continue to skip and press next to any “reality TV” show that
shows up on my TV screen.
on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
“Should I
go to the grocery and buy some chicken to cook later today?” “I don’t think I
have time to go buy and then cook, I think I will just stop by McDonalds and
get something through the drive thru” this is how my current love affair with
fast food is. It is some sort of bad romance because I really dislike going to
go get something at Jack in the Box or some other fast food chain because I
know that it is not the healthiest thing I could be eating. But their is many
reasons I that persuade me to go somewhere to buy food instead of buying the
ingredients myself and cooking it at home.
In my family’s
life and in my past fast food was not a very common thing because food was usually
cooked at home. I would usually come home from school and my family would cook
up a good dinner in about an hour or so.
Although I really did not have a choice in the matter since I was a kid.
But when we did go out to eat fast food it would only be on some random day
just because we were either lazy to cook or just because my parents had decided
upon that. We would usually go to
McDonalds or sometimes Jack in the Box.
I was never a big hamburger person and still I am not so I would usually
get something with chicken or some chicken strips. At the time it was never a
real big deal because well I was a kid and food was food. But it also was not
just any food it was pretty delicious food that the more one would have the one
would more want.
Life in the
fast food section of my life was almost the same up until quite recently. I
would say it was about two years ago that a transition began to occur. I
started driving, this meant that I was out of my house much more often. Eating
at home started becoming less and less frequent, and same thing with my sister.
I began eating out more and more. Fast
forward up to now and I sort of have become relied onto fast food. Not
completely but it has become something unique in my life. I try quite hard not to go to a fast food
place but with the time and sometimes money being a issue I really do not have
a big choice other than to go eat something from a fast food establishment. Currently
I might eat it 3 to 4 times a week.
Comparing that to the past, I go much more frequently than I used
to. But I do know where I stand one
eating fast food, and that is to slowly start decreasing the amount I eat. For
one, I know that it is not very good to be eating that much fast food, but I do
know that there is something I can do about it. And when an opportunity is open
for I know I want, in this case it being for me to eat less fast food. I have
taken it and am attempting to try my current fast food trend.
Looking back at was happened to my
life up till this point is somewhat of a blur. Not that I have a bad memory or
some sort of problem it is just that I can never fully remember everything but
only certain aspects of my past. But those aspects are really well implanted in
my memory that I can remember everything in great detail. So as I close my eyes
and look at my past I can tell you that I have always been a good kid, never a
real troublemaker or anything of that sort. I always did all my schoolwork and
always had pretty great grades also. My family in the past has always supported
me in anyway that they have ever been able to. Something that I think I should
talk about because I believe people should be more aware of how this can be a
problem to younger children is bullying. I was one of those kids that was
bullied, not in the physical kind of way but more of verbally than nothing. It
has been a big aspect of my past that I have come to overcome, but now I
believe that it is a problem some kids might be going through themselves at the
moment and should be addressed by people who could help.
Living in
the present rather than the yesterday is something I do quite a lot now. I try to enjoy the moment that is the present
because well there is nothing quite like it.
Many times I do something that I would call a self evaluation in which I
ask myself what am I doing right now, and depending on those answer fix things
I believe should be changed. For me my
now is always changing because once I believe things are just perfect or a norm
has kicked in, life attacks and changes it all. Sometimes it’s for the bad or
sometimes it’s for the bad. But all that I know is that for now I am in college
and I am quite grateful that I have the necessary requirements to succeed right
now and enjoy doing it. Because I always know and remind myself that tomorrow
might be a whole different day.
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