I was a part of "Outreach" for the Young Americans. What we would do is go to different at-risk sites and work with kids ages 4-18 teaching them our performing workshop. I got to work with homeless kids who were between the ages 4-14.
Every Wednesday from January-March, we would go to these sites and teach. Then the last Wednesday in March, we performed the workshop they learned for their parents and friends.
My first Wednesday with the kids went by so incredbily fast! There were kids everywhere jumping around, screaming, just so happy that we were there with them. Throughout the month, I got close to one little girl with huge, dark brown eyes and long black hair. She was so shy but she loved to dance and a different side of her would come out when we performed. She also thought she was the boss, she always told me where to sit or drag me around.
Along with making friends with these crazy children, I got to teach them dances as well. For little kids its a little easier because as long as you keep them looking cute, you've done the job. But its hard to keep 40 little girls interested and not have them run everywhere, you can't just teach them a dance you have to tell them a story and give them reasons why they should learn this dance. Because children are smarter than most adults give them credit for. They learn from their parents and they won't do something just because, for most of our generation we have to get something out of it to make it worth the work.
The last Wednesday came, and my little girl was really upset. I asked if her parents were in the audience and she said no. In fact, most of the kids' parents weren't there. And then she pulled me down and said, "Since it's show time, I won't see you ever again, will I?"
And we're supposed to run on stage in 30 seconds. I couldn't lie to her, but I knew if she'd got upset she would refuse to perform. So I told her right now its time to dance and later it will be time to talk.
The show went by and the kids were hectic but they're just babies so it was entertaining while being a disaster. And afterwards it was time for the final good-bye. She just gave me a hug and held onto me for a while. No tears, she just didn't understand why I wouldn't be coming back next week, or why she couldn't get my phone number, or why I'm not allowed to see her again. I think she was mad at me, but there is nothing I can do, so I had to just let her go.
For some reason I thought I would be the teacher in all of this and the kids would be the students. But as the weeks progressed it became increasingly obvious that I was learning so much from this girl. I thought she would need me, but I think I need her more. I need a reminder of all that I have compared to all that she doesn't. I need a reality check to not worry about the petty things that infect my life when she doesn't know where she will be sleeping tonight. I always think of people with these problems to be far away from me so I can't do anything about it. But these people are right here in my town and the reason that they are still struggling is because people like me are not helping. I can't say that I am ignorant to what is happening all around me, my eyes are no longer shut. I've gotten just a small taste of what it feels like to help someone that needs help. Giving the gift of music to a child, teenager, or adult refreshes me as much as it does them. It puts my whole life into perspective to see how music changes people. It is the best therapy I've seen. I feel very thankful and honored to be able to do what I'm doing and I can't wait for whatever is next....
Adam and I should update more often.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
"Oops, we did it again..."
THE RUMOR IS TRUE.
WE ARE BACK.
I am glad you care.
It is so weird to think that I started this blog when I was 16. Now I'm 19, I don't feel older, I feel younger and wiser. My life has done a complete 360 while not changing at the same time. It is an unusual sensation. I'm glad to have the blog start up again because I think that when people are bored or can't sleep, they need something random to read to make them think. And Adam and I are ready to make you think, make you not think, whatever it takes for you to look at this blog. Ya see, some blogs I really don't want to read because they are people complaining about things and they think that they are the only people who go through what they go through. The human race is living together, weird I know. We're never really alone in what we're going through. Thats where blogs become cool, because when you write something from the heart, people can relate. Its nice to read that you aren't the only one. Its nice to read something so different from your life, to escape the daily grind.
Thats why this blog is beautiful, because Adam and I have very different lifestlyes. Maybe you can relate to one, maybe you can't relate at all, that's okay because you are STILL READING THIS.
A quick schpeal about me so you can understand why I write what I write:
Why'll most everyone around me in highschool was going one way, and the adults in my life had their eyebrows raised, I decided the "risky" choice to not go to college right away. They say its hard to go back to school if you don't go right after highschool. I say, bullshit. If you want to do something, do it. As I said, a lot of skeptic teachers looked at me at school and other adults put in their two cents about my future but I ignored them and listened to (believe it or not) my parents. My parents said follow your heart. So I did. Crazy shit, listening to my parents.
So in August I packed my world in my volkswagon beetle and moved out to the West Coast in Southern California to be apart of the Young Americans. The Young Americans is a performing arts group that teaches singing and dancing workshops to kids at highschools all over the world. To be able to tour and teach these workshops, I first spend a year in California training. I take classes at their non-accredited college every week night and rehearse every weekend for any upcoming shows. I've learned textbook lessons and harsh life lessons over the past 6 months, met incredible people from all over the world, but most importantly I've looked deep into myself to discover just what it takes not to survive in this life, but to love, excel, and live this life. I think I'll save specific situations for later blogs, I just wanted to give you the brief overview of where I am in my life right now. A bit hippie and existential feelings.
I don't really want to make this blog like my journal or something, I don't want to write all about me. However, these things that I go through I think need to be shared because they are situations that not everyone has the oppurtunity to experience. So, I want to share my hectic, stressful, beautiful lifestyle with anyone who wants to read, hence the rebirth of "The Other Side of the Coin...."
Living pay check to paycheck
flying by the seat of my pants
yet keeping my feet firmly on the ground as I spread my wings and soar
I'm inspired by my california life
driving with the windows rolled down and music turned up
I'm in awe of my friends, their laughter is my medicine I learn from them and them from me and we find we're wiser than we thought.
Sometimes I get tired but I keep going...with the helping hands of those who have faith in me.
No IDEA where I'll be next year or month but I'm always going somewhere
Not sure what I'm doing with my life, just know I'm living it,
loving it,
learning, teaching, hoping, praying, believing that I'm on my way....
WE ARE BACK.
I am glad you care.
It is so weird to think that I started this blog when I was 16. Now I'm 19, I don't feel older, I feel younger and wiser. My life has done a complete 360 while not changing at the same time. It is an unusual sensation. I'm glad to have the blog start up again because I think that when people are bored or can't sleep, they need something random to read to make them think. And Adam and I are ready to make you think, make you not think, whatever it takes for you to look at this blog. Ya see, some blogs I really don't want to read because they are people complaining about things and they think that they are the only people who go through what they go through. The human race is living together, weird I know. We're never really alone in what we're going through. Thats where blogs become cool, because when you write something from the heart, people can relate. Its nice to read that you aren't the only one. Its nice to read something so different from your life, to escape the daily grind.
Thats why this blog is beautiful, because Adam and I have very different lifestlyes. Maybe you can relate to one, maybe you can't relate at all, that's okay because you are STILL READING THIS.
A quick schpeal about me so you can understand why I write what I write:
Why'll most everyone around me in highschool was going one way, and the adults in my life had their eyebrows raised, I decided the "risky" choice to not go to college right away. They say its hard to go back to school if you don't go right after highschool. I say, bullshit. If you want to do something, do it. As I said, a lot of skeptic teachers looked at me at school and other adults put in their two cents about my future but I ignored them and listened to (believe it or not) my parents. My parents said follow your heart. So I did. Crazy shit, listening to my parents.
So in August I packed my world in my volkswagon beetle and moved out to the West Coast in Southern California to be apart of the Young Americans. The Young Americans is a performing arts group that teaches singing and dancing workshops to kids at highschools all over the world. To be able to tour and teach these workshops, I first spend a year in California training. I take classes at their non-accredited college every week night and rehearse every weekend for any upcoming shows. I've learned textbook lessons and harsh life lessons over the past 6 months, met incredible people from all over the world, but most importantly I've looked deep into myself to discover just what it takes not to survive in this life, but to love, excel, and live this life. I think I'll save specific situations for later blogs, I just wanted to give you the brief overview of where I am in my life right now. A bit hippie and existential feelings.
I don't really want to make this blog like my journal or something, I don't want to write all about me. However, these things that I go through I think need to be shared because they are situations that not everyone has the oppurtunity to experience. So, I want to share my hectic, stressful, beautiful lifestyle with anyone who wants to read, hence the rebirth of "The Other Side of the Coin...."
Living pay check to paycheck
flying by the seat of my pants
yet keeping my feet firmly on the ground as I spread my wings and soar
I'm inspired by my california life
driving with the windows rolled down and music turned up
I'm in awe of my friends, their laughter is my medicine I learn from them and them from me and we find we're wiser than we thought.
Sometimes I get tired but I keep going...with the helping hands of those who have faith in me.
No IDEA where I'll be next year or month but I'm always going somewhere
Not sure what I'm doing with my life, just know I'm living it,
loving it,
learning, teaching, hoping, praying, believing that I'm on my way....
Let's do this...
Hey!
Is there anyone still out there in this part of the intertubes? No? Okay, I guess I'll just keep talking to hear myself talk.
So, I came back to this blog the other day and started reading all of those things I wrote junior and senior year. It's crazy reading it. That guy isn't hardly even me any more. He had some good ideas. He had some passion. He had some creativity.
What happened to that guy? Where is he now? Why am I shouting loudly into a lonely empty space on the intertubes?
I will answer these questions.
That guy is now a computer drone that does math and physics with an efficiency and correctness that is somewhat unsettling to the feeble dying human elements of this once completely human cyborg. He sometimes sits in class and sometimes sits at his desk in the dorms that are within walking distance of class. He dose some fun things now and again. He learns but hardly ever thinks anymore. Not like before. Before, he thought all the time and hardly ever learned.
If he looks, if he looks long and hard he can hear the breathing of the dormant person that he once was. He knows that sleeping something stills has all the passion. Days upon months of lack of time and sleep have caused these things to fall dormant. Which leads me to why I'm yelling into an abandoned space of internet.
It's time to reawaken this person. Return to thinking. Perhaps not a return to not learning. However, if learning is inversely proportional to thinking then it is a necessary trade off.
Most of the really cool things that guy said were the product of repetitive mundanitity(if it's not a word I'm adding it right now). That still exists.
So here I am, awake and ready. I'm yelling.
Next question.
To whom am I yelling?
I'm yelling, first, to Beth. And second to our two loyal readers out there. Come back and lets get the fun started again.
Here's why this time is going to be so much more awesomer then last time.(presented in a numbered list)
1) Beth has been living in California doing all kinds of cool things with her life that must have brought some sort of new and interesting though that I would personally love to hear.
2) I'm in the second semester of a 10 semester downward spiral into insanity that is also known as architectural engineering college, and this can only lead to further entertainment for you.
3) We're both older, not in highschool, and getting closer and closer to being in the 'real world' as they say. If you ask me I'm pretty much there now.
4) If you've read this far on the bulleted list then welcome aboard you are indeed one of our two valued fans and I'm glad to have you back.
5) I'm always looking for reasons to avoid the things that I probably should be doing. For example, right now I should be sleeping. Well, actually I shouldn't even be doing that. I should be working on writing a computer program for one of my classes. But, like I said I'm looking forward to thinking more often than learning and what better excuse for doing so then for you entertainment.
I'm sure Beth has something to say about our rebirth so listen up and pay attention.
O and one more thing. I'd like to take this opportunity to redefine this blog. 'The other side of the coin' was a reference to a Peter Jennings quote. Jennings said "When I see a coin, instinctively, I want to look at the other side." He was talking about an undying desire to always seek to learn more, to know more. Actually, he was talking about knowing everything, everything about any given story that he would cover. While we never sought to know everything we always sought to bring up some other thought, even if we did attempt to accomplish that by somewhat comical means.
Now, I return to a thought that I have often had. This country, and ultimately the entire world(or most of it, I cannot speak on the entire world because I know so little about it) is a competition driven society. We scratch and claw ahead of the next guy hoping to get that better grade to get that better job to get that better life, or so we think. For many people that system works but it seems to me that for every winner there are at least two losers. Also, rarely is it the hard worker that wins anymore. For some odd reason the amount of work a person puts towards 'bettering their life,' so to speak is not often related to how much better their life gets. And when I say 'bettering their life' I mean, moving up the 'social ladder' and pushing the other guy down. That is not acceptable in my book. Now, not too many people are reading my book and we're never going to stop this one-upper society.
We can, however, present the other side of the coin, in direct word or in spirit, of this social situation. Ask these questions: "Can I settle with happiness in my life or must I strive towards world impact? "While I may attempt to set goals and do things with my life, can I be happy at every stage along the way as opposed to only being happy once my goals are reached? "Can I view the cookie cutter life path that society has forced upon me as something to be treaded lightly instead of barreled down at full speed in the single hope that I'll finish before the next guy? If you ask me, the answers are all yes. The other side of the coin: Slow down. Enjoy each step of the way. All you have is time. You can reach your goals with out pushing down or beating out the other guy. I promise.
I also promise never to be that serious again.
that's all I really wanted to say
Adam
Is there anyone still out there in this part of the intertubes? No? Okay, I guess I'll just keep talking to hear myself talk.
So, I came back to this blog the other day and started reading all of those things I wrote junior and senior year. It's crazy reading it. That guy isn't hardly even me any more. He had some good ideas. He had some passion. He had some creativity.
What happened to that guy? Where is he now? Why am I shouting loudly into a lonely empty space on the intertubes?
I will answer these questions.
That guy is now a computer drone that does math and physics with an efficiency and correctness that is somewhat unsettling to the feeble dying human elements of this once completely human cyborg. He sometimes sits in class and sometimes sits at his desk in the dorms that are within walking distance of class. He dose some fun things now and again. He learns but hardly ever thinks anymore. Not like before. Before, he thought all the time and hardly ever learned.
If he looks, if he looks long and hard he can hear the breathing of the dormant person that he once was. He knows that sleeping something stills has all the passion. Days upon months of lack of time and sleep have caused these things to fall dormant. Which leads me to why I'm yelling into an abandoned space of internet.
It's time to reawaken this person. Return to thinking. Perhaps not a return to not learning. However, if learning is inversely proportional to thinking then it is a necessary trade off.
Most of the really cool things that guy said were the product of repetitive mundanitity(if it's not a word I'm adding it right now). That still exists.
So here I am, awake and ready. I'm yelling.
Next question.
To whom am I yelling?
I'm yelling, first, to Beth. And second to our two loyal readers out there. Come back and lets get the fun started again.
Here's why this time is going to be so much more awesomer then last time.(presented in a numbered list)
1) Beth has been living in California doing all kinds of cool things with her life that must have brought some sort of new and interesting though that I would personally love to hear.
2) I'm in the second semester of a 10 semester downward spiral into insanity that is also known as architectural engineering college, and this can only lead to further entertainment for you.
3) We're both older, not in highschool, and getting closer and closer to being in the 'real world' as they say. If you ask me I'm pretty much there now.
4) If you've read this far on the bulleted list then welcome aboard you are indeed one of our two valued fans and I'm glad to have you back.
5) I'm always looking for reasons to avoid the things that I probably should be doing. For example, right now I should be sleeping. Well, actually I shouldn't even be doing that. I should be working on writing a computer program for one of my classes. But, like I said I'm looking forward to thinking more often than learning and what better excuse for doing so then for you entertainment.
I'm sure Beth has something to say about our rebirth so listen up and pay attention.
O and one more thing. I'd like to take this opportunity to redefine this blog. 'The other side of the coin' was a reference to a Peter Jennings quote. Jennings said "When I see a coin, instinctively, I want to look at the other side." He was talking about an undying desire to always seek to learn more, to know more. Actually, he was talking about knowing everything, everything about any given story that he would cover. While we never sought to know everything we always sought to bring up some other thought, even if we did attempt to accomplish that by somewhat comical means.
Now, I return to a thought that I have often had. This country, and ultimately the entire world(or most of it, I cannot speak on the entire world because I know so little about it) is a competition driven society. We scratch and claw ahead of the next guy hoping to get that better grade to get that better job to get that better life, or so we think. For many people that system works but it seems to me that for every winner there are at least two losers. Also, rarely is it the hard worker that wins anymore. For some odd reason the amount of work a person puts towards 'bettering their life,' so to speak is not often related to how much better their life gets. And when I say 'bettering their life' I mean, moving up the 'social ladder' and pushing the other guy down. That is not acceptable in my book. Now, not too many people are reading my book and we're never going to stop this one-upper society.
We can, however, present the other side of the coin, in direct word or in spirit, of this social situation. Ask these questions: "Can I settle with happiness in my life or must I strive towards world impact? "While I may attempt to set goals and do things with my life, can I be happy at every stage along the way as opposed to only being happy once my goals are reached? "Can I view the cookie cutter life path that society has forced upon me as something to be treaded lightly instead of barreled down at full speed in the single hope that I'll finish before the next guy? If you ask me, the answers are all yes. The other side of the coin: Slow down. Enjoy each step of the way. All you have is time. You can reach your goals with out pushing down or beating out the other guy. I promise.
I also promise never to be that serious again.
that's all I really wanted to say
Adam
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Ladies Night
I went to The Christina Aguilera Concert and it WAS AMAZING. DanityKane opened up the show, and along with me not understanding the name of their group, I couldn't understand a word they were singing. Giving them credit that they actually did sing, and they sounded decent but whether they were speaking English or not I couldn't tell you. Nope. THEEEENNN the Pussycat Dolls came on stage, wearing more sluttier outfits than DanityKane, and they looked awesome. And I'm not even a lesbian or a declared bi-sexual. Only three of them actually sang while the other three were mostly dancers. The main singer, Nicole, sounds better live than she does on their CD which was a surprise to me. The girls really should have their own tour if you ask me, they're ready and could pull it off.
But after the opening acts came....Christina. Dressed head to toe in all white she came on stage singing "Ain't No Other Man" the song that was all over the radios this summer. She started off the show with lots of songs from her album appropriately titled "Back to Basics." Most of the songs have a olden days flair added to them, while others have the modern day crap we all know and love. While she was in white for the beginning and everyone was thinking that Christina was good, all of a sudden black chaps were put on her with black gloves and a whip and whoopah! Slutty Xtina was back for songs like "Still Dirrty" and "Can't Hold Us Down." The scenes switched to a circus theme with trapeze artists, man on stilts, fire throwing people. Christina sang more hits such as "Hurt" then got even a little more raunchy with "Nasty, Naughty Boy" when she got a guy from the audience, pinned him down, and whip in hand sang seductively to him. Michael was his name and he was probably gay. Not even fair, I wanted to be Michael. She ended the show with Lady Marmelade, Beautiful, and finally Fighter.
Almost a two hour show, Aguilera was flawless and amazing every second. Her voice is out of this world for such a little person. Hair bleach blonde, lips bright red, I could've had her with less costume changes. Every 2 or 3 songs she was changing something, and honestly they were all basically the same. Little leotards showing lots of leg, with sparkles. Doesn't really even matter how she looked because she sounded better and better with each song, her voice never cracking, hitting every note and then some. You can tell that she truly loves what she does and appreciates her fans with her attempts to connect with the enormous crowd and how she is so completely and totally in the moment with her songs. With her talent, creativety to try new things, and passion, it's likely that she will be successful in show business for years to come.
But after the opening acts came....Christina. Dressed head to toe in all white she came on stage singing "Ain't No Other Man" the song that was all over the radios this summer. She started off the show with lots of songs from her album appropriately titled "Back to Basics." Most of the songs have a olden days flair added to them, while others have the modern day crap we all know and love. While she was in white for the beginning and everyone was thinking that Christina was good, all of a sudden black chaps were put on her with black gloves and a whip and whoopah! Slutty Xtina was back for songs like "Still Dirrty" and "Can't Hold Us Down." The scenes switched to a circus theme with trapeze artists, man on stilts, fire throwing people. Christina sang more hits such as "Hurt" then got even a little more raunchy with "Nasty, Naughty Boy" when she got a guy from the audience, pinned him down, and whip in hand sang seductively to him. Michael was his name and he was probably gay. Not even fair, I wanted to be Michael. She ended the show with Lady Marmelade, Beautiful, and finally Fighter.
Almost a two hour show, Aguilera was flawless and amazing every second. Her voice is out of this world for such a little person. Hair bleach blonde, lips bright red, I could've had her with less costume changes. Every 2 or 3 songs she was changing something, and honestly they were all basically the same. Little leotards showing lots of leg, with sparkles. Doesn't really even matter how she looked because she sounded better and better with each song, her voice never cracking, hitting every note and then some. You can tell that she truly loves what she does and appreciates her fans with her attempts to connect with the enormous crowd and how she is so completely and totally in the moment with her songs. With her talent, creativety to try new things, and passion, it's likely that she will be successful in show business for years to come.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy Valentine's Day!
In my favorite class today, religion, somehow the topic came about to lowering the drinking age. Or something of that sort. I don't even really care about lowering the drinking age because if you want to drink, getting alcohol is really easy to do, and if you don't want to drink...then you don't. Alcohol is not something I feel very passionate about, yet when I raised my hand in class to say my opinion, I was defending it! And I just noticed that I will probably fight against whatever my religion teacher is saying because I don't like most of his opinions on things. I like him, very nice guy, top notch. But the way that things are explained have done nothing but turn me off to the Catholic religion. So even if he starts saying that we shouldn't test make-up on dogs I'll probably defend that we should, inadvertently proving his point that he inadvertently showers upon us, that teenagers will do anything in their power to rebel. I have been inadvertently brainwashed to fight for things I'm not sure I believe in. And shazam, we got a Catholic. Happy Valentine's Day!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
More VD
With Valentines Day rapidly approaching I’m sure there are many frantic fellows out there who are wondering what to get their sweetheart. Well, guys, I found the perfect thing.
Give your girlfriend syphilis this Feb. 14.
Yes, http://www.giantmicrobes.com/ sells the cutest in plush venereals. For under $10 your sweetums could be cuddling up with the Clap, thinking of you, every time she goes to sleep. In fact, Giant Microbes does sell a gonorrhea(even cheaper then syphilis). However, if I had to pick between the two venereals I would have to choose the syphilis because it is cuter.
Just remember, nothing says a long-term commitment like syphilis.
Adam
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
"Roberta, don't swear."
Going to a Catholic school I appreciate the things that I have been given that others don't get throughout their own highschool career. One of those things that others don't get is religion classes. However, this priveledge of being able to study religion in school can turn into a burden if the way that it is taught doesn't change. I keep in mind, I can't change it, but I sure can say that it should. So there.
Anywho, the whole point of religion, I think, is to keep people in line and feed our souls. There are some unexplainable things in our life and to have the answer, any answer, reassures most human beings. There is a divine force controlling what is happening. Ok thanks. Go read the Bible. The most I've gotten out of those classes is a teacher telling us what to believe and what to do. Why? Because the Bible, Jesus, God, says so. Well, these influential years of highschool, we don't like to be told what to do. We can't help it, we're teenagers, we're insecure, arrogant, unstable, and always right.
We're being taught that the world is not always fair, but then we're not taught how to deal with it. We're being taught that we are children of God, made in his likeness, yet every Sunday we mutter the words "I am not worthy to receive you." We're told a ton of statistics about sex and the diseases and the troubles it brings, so we won't do it. The learning tactic that is used is fear. We're not told why not to do it. To not get diseases and pregnant, of course. But why else? Is it hard to teach a room full of teenagers what it means to love yourself? It is so simple. If you love yourself, you probably won't misuse drugs, sex, and other people because if you respect who you are, and you'll respect other people. This simple concept is a life-long lesson that eventually everyone has to learn. So why, in religion class, aren't we taught how to love ourselves, when Jesus says the root of all life is to love and be loved? Cuz honestly, there is no way to love someone else and to have someone completely love you without that love of yourself.
Statistics are just numbers, tragic stories are just words, and God is just someone to keep in mind unless we're taught how to find a deeper meaning to the things we're told. And in the classes I take, I don't think I'm being taught that at all. I'm being taught to not have sex, to go to Church on Sundays, and that half the things I do give me a one-way ticket to hell. Thanks. I learned that much from 9 years at a public school.
So the moral of the story is...Love yourself. But not too much, if you know what I mean.
Anywho, the whole point of religion, I think, is to keep people in line and feed our souls. There are some unexplainable things in our life and to have the answer, any answer, reassures most human beings. There is a divine force controlling what is happening. Ok thanks. Go read the Bible. The most I've gotten out of those classes is a teacher telling us what to believe and what to do. Why? Because the Bible, Jesus, God, says so. Well, these influential years of highschool, we don't like to be told what to do. We can't help it, we're teenagers, we're insecure, arrogant, unstable, and always right.
We're being taught that the world is not always fair, but then we're not taught how to deal with it. We're being taught that we are children of God, made in his likeness, yet every Sunday we mutter the words "I am not worthy to receive you." We're told a ton of statistics about sex and the diseases and the troubles it brings, so we won't do it. The learning tactic that is used is fear. We're not told why not to do it. To not get diseases and pregnant, of course. But why else? Is it hard to teach a room full of teenagers what it means to love yourself? It is so simple. If you love yourself, you probably won't misuse drugs, sex, and other people because if you respect who you are, and you'll respect other people. This simple concept is a life-long lesson that eventually everyone has to learn. So why, in religion class, aren't we taught how to love ourselves, when Jesus says the root of all life is to love and be loved? Cuz honestly, there is no way to love someone else and to have someone completely love you without that love of yourself.
Statistics are just numbers, tragic stories are just words, and God is just someone to keep in mind unless we're taught how to find a deeper meaning to the things we're told. And in the classes I take, I don't think I'm being taught that at all. I'm being taught to not have sex, to go to Church on Sundays, and that half the things I do give me a one-way ticket to hell. Thanks. I learned that much from 9 years at a public school.
So the moral of the story is...Love yourself. But not too much, if you know what I mean.
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