Ehh.

The smell of rain and newly mowed grass fills the air around my house. The sweet combination is one I've missed for quite some time. A little moment of fabulous in my currently cluttered life.

I've been getting a feeling of unsatisfaction in everything I do recently. Things that used to make me feel happy I now brush off with an uninterested "ehh". It's like when you start using drugs and then you slowly have to do more and more and more and more to get that same feeling that you experienced the first time. (You can totally tell I'm in high school from that analogy but you get the point.)

I don't know what it is, but I'm beginning to get extremely irritated with it.

I'm usually not the one to have an insufficient amount of happiness in my life either, making things all the more hard. And it's not like I'm sinking into depression or anything, I'm just at a standstill moment. I'm in the valley of my mountain. At my low, soon to embark on a high. Being pricked with a thorn, only a couple of inches from a rose.

I'm pretty determined to get out of this hole I'm stuck in. Let's hope for the best.

Have a fabulous day.

There are Good People

I'm pretty irritated.

Following every heart breaking event created by an inhumane human, social media has been on fire with posts about how there are only bad people, the world is awful, etc., etc.

To an extent, these people have a point. But I'm thoroughly convinced that they're more wrong than right. Nearly 1.5 million people are in active duty in the military, sacrificing so much to serve for their country. 120,000 children each year are adopted by American families in hopes that they can give a better life for these kids. People everywhere donate time, money, and even personal belongings to help others. I assure you that there are still people out there who have good morals and truly care. I've seen it with my own eyes.

I'm not trying to stand up for those who have done horrible things, so don't get me wrong. There are sick people in this world but the number of good people far exceeds the number of bad.

I'm determined to know, to find, and to shed light on those who are good in America and worldwide. If I had the resources, time, and personal connections I would love to bring these people to you on my blog, but I'm afraid I can't. Maybe my inability to do this is only doing you a favor. Since I can't bring them to you, then it should inspire you to find these people for yourself. I challenge you to restore your faith in humanity. Your own species. Your own people.

Think about it.

Good is such a common word. It's so simple and widely used and yet how can it be that hard to find these what seem nonexistent good people?

Be a witness for the honorable ones. Let others know that actions of gratitude and kindness are happening every day, you just have to look for them.

Trust me, they're there. And I'll be damned if others don't realize it.

Have a fabulous day.

Ugh. High School. Post #2

New?
Introduction
Ugh. High School. Post #1

Sorry that it has taken so long to get this post published. I've been enjoying life a little too much so take my lack of blogging as I sign that things are going pretty good.

Anyways, back to high school.

This post is more centered around those wanting insight on what a day in high school is like. Whether you're a parent trying to make sense of what your child's going through because, well, they refuse to speak to you, yet alone tell you about their day or maybe a thirteen year old who's only known thoughts of high school came off of Lizzie McGuire.

Either way, I'm here for you.

High school is like a big hot mess with a pile of "I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm just gonna go with it" slapped on top. And sprinkled with the occasional fabulousness, because even the worst things can shine with a little greatness at times.

I should throw a few things out there before I go any further though:

There aren't really any defined cliques. We don't get half an hour in the hallways. The food sucks. Most girls are too busy worrying about how they look, to notice how you look. The food sucks. Kids can be mean. A lot of teachers allow us to use our phones, so don't get alarmed when we text you during class about something. The food sucks. There are more weird people than you ever want to see in your life in that building. Did I mention, the food sucks?

Now that we got that out of the way, a day in the life of a teenager in my high school goes a little like this:

First we have this teacher who is solely responsible for 75% of the reported tardies that take place in our school along with 90% of dress code infractions. Most teachers are kind enough if your a couple seconds away from class when the bell rings, but oh no, not this lady. Ten feet away from your first period? Tardy. You already checked in with your teacher, but you forgot to get a note? Tardy. Even if she just happens to get a glimpse of you, SHE. WILL. TRACK. YOU. DOWN. It's awful to say the least, and don't even get me started on dress code. I sincerely hope none of you or your children have a teacher like this and if so, I'll pray for you. Hard. I'll pray for you very, very, very hard.

At my school we have four blocks, each an hour and a half long. We have 25 minutes for lunch (and we spend a majority of it in line, but that's another rant). We get five minutes in the hallway, which sounds like a lot of time, but there are some flaws. It is IMPOSSIBLE to use the restroom, go to your locker, and get to your class. Even if you don't need to go to your locker, the girls' bathrooms are always so crowded there's just no hope. The worst part is, teachers can't get that through their minds when we ask to use the bathroom during class.

Speaking of teachers, a majority of the teachers that top my favorites list, are from high school. The poor things are over stressed and under paid (actually, all teachers are but, I'm gonna roll with it), but somehow they get the job done. Honestly if you're a teacher of any grade level, kudos to you.

In my state we have had EOGs (end of grade) tests all the way up until eighth grade in both reading and math with the occasional science EOG in fifth and eighth. When you reach high school you take EOCs (end of course), although the only EOCs you have to take are in Algebra I, biology, and English II. Other than that, as long as you only miss a certain amount of days (it varies from county to county and depends on your average in that class), you can get away with only having to take a minimum amount of tests in your high school career. Just recently they've added what they call MSLs or the Common Exams which you now have to take in every single class unless it already has an EOC or CTE (it's a test for all of the career oriented classes and they're usually no big deal). The only classes that they've yet to make an MSL for are foreign languages, P.E., band, and theater  So for example, if I'm taking chemistry, pre-calculus, English II, and P.E. in one semester I'd have to take two MSLs and one EOC, where before as long as I didn't miss x amount of days, I'd only have to take the English II EOC. Not only that, but they're using the results of the MSLs to "grade" the teachers on how well they teach. But I should probably get off my soap box before I go any further.

I feel like I should cover more, but I feel I'm just kind of rambling so if you have any questions, ask away! I'll be sure to answer them in my next high school post.

So this is what a typical American high school is like in shortened form. Of course I'm sure certain things vary from state to state, even county to county, but this has been my experience. Thanks for reading.

Have a fabulous Saturday.


Want to continue on with the series?
Ugh. High School. Post #3
Ugh. High School. Post #4

Flipping Great

As I was rereading this post for spelling errors and such, I strongly felt that it was a little choppy, badly written at times even. Just excuse it and read on. My brains a little mis-wired at the moment, but just read on.

I've gotten a surprising boost in my blog traffic since my first high school post. It was a tad ridiculous how excited I got, but hey, whatever makes you happy.

Spring has finally come out of the closet this week. Flowers are sprinkled across my yard, the weather has jumped a good ten degrees, and for the first time in nearly five months, I've worn sandals to school. SANDALS. I've been confined to my Toms, Vans, and two pairs of flats for like freaking ever because my mom refuses to allow me to wear open toed shoes in cold weather, although I'd put up with some pretty sick and miserable things for fashion.

As warmer days are approaching, I've spent more time with my friends being social and such. I'm a child who enjoys being alone to an extent, so friendship time is much needed at times.

Contradictingly (is that even a word?), I feel that you need to learn to be alone. Because at the end of the day all we have is who we truly are. And that scares me a little.

Scratch that.

It scares me a lot.

And don't get me wrong, I love thinking about my life. I retell stories to myself. Relive my favorite moments. Dwell on my accomplishments. But sometimes that's not enough and that's what scares me the most. Could I have done more? Should I have done less? I want what's left of me at the end of the day to be something wonderful and beautiful and inspiring and just flipping great.

Just flipping great.

Is that too much to ask for?

Every night I have a routine.

Set my alarm.

Check la social media.

Pray.

If anybody listened in on my prayers they'd probably think I'm asking too much, giving too little. I pray to do flipping great on my biology test. I pray to do flipping great at my soccer game. I pray to do flipping great at everything that comes my way. (Okay, maybe I don't use the phrase flipping great, but it is a pretty flipping great two words.) My requests are small, stupid to some. But that's what matters now and in fifteen years when I've got bills to pay and mouths to feed, I'll wish that my only worry is to do well on a test.

So go out and make tomorrow flipping great.

Oh.

And flipping fabulous. Make tomorrow fabulous.

Ugh. High School. Post #1

New?
Introduction

On TV high school is perceived in many different ways. Most of the ideas are conjured by professionals who haven't stepped foot in one in years. Decades even. Times change. Rules evolve. New ways emerge. High school is no longer what it used to be.

First in this series is a basic rambling of everything that I want to get out. The stories I want to tell. The ideas that I need to share. I'll make it bulleted, because well, that makes it sound like I've got my crap together.

•What Happens Behind Closed Doors
As much as I hate to admit it, there are certain 'things' that happen in high school. Drugs. Sex. Drinking. Cheating. Lying. As much as we hate to come to terms with reality, it happens. I've seen kids that I've been with since elementary school completely change. Honestly, high school has made me scared to have children. I've seen kids who had everything going for them throw it all away. I always had this idea of how I would raise my kids and up into high school, I felt that I would be able to raise a kid who wouldn't turn into the drinking, partying, sex demons that we think attend this wretched place (okay, slight exaggeration). But this is impossible unless you like home school your child for all of eternity. We all want to believe that these bad things don't happen.

But they do.

•People Come, People Go
There were a lot of things that I walked blindly around. I thought that by not acknowledging a circumstance, it wouldn't be there. As foolish and naive as that sounds, it worked for a good portion of my high school career. One of these situations was friendships. You don't know how many countless times I was told I'd lose friends the year before my freshmen year. As people slowly started to distance themselves from me and as others started to just plain treat me badly, I turned away. I pretended like it wasn't there until ultimately when I came to terms with the circumstances and tried to mend these relationships, it was beyond fixing. I'm still struggling to re-sew these friendships back together, which then leads me to another thing. If you've been friends with this person since second grade, don't give up on them. On yourself. On your friendship. Maybe give yourselves a break, draw away and be partners with new people. Go shopping with a new girl. Hang out with somebody else, but still make that effort to stay with that person because if you don't it could be a regret. Now don't get me wrong. If this person is hurting you so bad that you just can't take it, truly drop them for a while. But ask yourself, imagine no longer being friends with them. Does it hurt? Do you get that gut wrench in your stomach? Then work to keep them. It'll pay off, take it from me.

•We Can Be A Little Snappy
This one goes out to siblings, parents, and all the adults we come across. Things are harder for us than they have been for the past decade and a half of our lives. There's pressure that we can't explain. Our minds at times aren't rational like adults are. We have homework. Friendship issues. Nagging parents. Teachers who are pushing us harder than any teacher we've ever had. We can be short on you, on our brothers, sisters, parents, even friends. You've got to understand how hard our life is at times. The situations we're facing may seem small to you, but they're big to us. And since we're claiming that you should walk a mile in our shoes, then we should do the same for you as well. But at Least give us the benefit of the doubt. Being a teenager is hard, we're treated like kids but expected to act like adults. A contradiction that is inarguably unfair.

The second post will be coming soon.

Have a fabulous day.


Want to continue with the series?
Ugh. High School. Post #2
Ugh. High School. Post #3
Ugh. High School. Post #4

Ugh. High School.

This is a new string of posts that I'd like to start. Maybe you're in high school. Maybe you're about to enter high school. Maybe you have a kid in high school and you'd like to know what the hell is going on in that ratchet place they drive themselves to everyday. Either way, I'm going to start my first ever "series" (because I feel that doing series is the new thang up in blogger) on high school.

I'm going to be giving ya'll the honest truth. There's no sugar coating it. It's like a freaking band aid and I'm about to rip it off with every one of your little preteen leg hairs (assuming you're the "about to enter high school" readers, otherwise ignore the above).

Anyways.

I've almost got my first post ready, so expect it to be up in a few short days. I'm hoping to get about five or six posts in this series with about a week in between each one, although with my track record, don't hold me on that last statement. I'm even trying to get a couple of guest posts squeezed in so if you're interested please contact me at sunsetsandsundays@gmail.com. I'm open to parents, high schoolers, teachers, anybody. I want to get and give as much insight as possible.

Some of my posts are going to be directed towards a certain audience while others are going to have a more general meaning. My goal is to provide understanding. To parents. To high schoolers. To teachers. To administrators. I want people to understand the complex pieces that make up us, as high schoolers.

I'm stoked about this new series and don't worry, I'll still have regular posts sandwiched in between. Have a fabulous week!

Monochrome

Back in January I made a post centered around black and white photography. After collecting some more monochrome pictures, I'm happy to bring to you a similar post.

I automatically love pictures in black and white. They have an essence of mystery. It keeps you guessing, wondering, assuming, thinking. It leaves an entire world open to the interpreter.

It makes the picture look more complex in some ways, yet simple in others.

 

It's like they hold power. They're dramatic. The absence of color allows you to focus on other things. Your eyes go straight to the details. Small ones. Big ones. Ones that were hiding behind a wall of color.

Choosing to show your pictures in black and white, is like a statement. Color is the norm, but yet you chose to present them without it. It's like your own little revolt, you're swimming upstream, going against the crowd.

I've always loved how turning a photo from color to no color makes it a totally different picture. Seventy five percent of the time, I shoot in color and then turn it into black and white and I love the moment when I see the finished product. It leaves me in total awe as to how much one simple step alters a picture. It's got to be my favorite part of shooting for black and white posts.

Some of my pictures I absolutely loved, while others I was on the fence about posting them. But then again, my favorite may be someone else's least favorite, therefore the one's I like the least could be the one that a reader likes the most. So let me know which ones you favor. Maybe even the ones you dislike. We could agree to disagree. Express our differences. Enjoy our similarities. Discuss our favorites.

Have a fabulous Sunday.

(Want to see my first black and white post? Check it out here.)

Sorry for the Lack of...

I've been gone for the past couple of days. Sorry for the lack of posting. And the lack of mentioning that I was going somewhere. And the lack of coming up with more lacks.

But.

I signed up for a spontaneous trip a couple weeks ago, a VERY high on life decision that I'm so glad I took advantage of. I wish I had pictures to show you, but most didn't turn out well on my iPhone camera. I swear I've never wanted a better camera more in my life, but I hope to get one in the near future.

Anyways.

I hate reading posts without pictures, so we'll cut to the chase. I have an Instagram for my blog. It's like legit and everything. I've had it for a while but I keep on forgetting to share it with you folks.

So go follow me here.

And don't be shy about emailing me! I've got a big series (surprise!) coming up and I'd love LOVE love to have a couple of guest bloggers. Even if you don't have a blog, but like to try it out, send me an email. Contact me. Give me a buzz. Hit me up.

You can find my email here.

Have a fabulous weekend.