Seriously, Let's Not Judge Others

I am Andee. I, like anyone else, have my own set of morals, values, opinions, ect. My morals, opinions, and values may be different from yours, but who are you to judge me? One of my goals in life is to eliminate my own judgmental feelings towards others. Easily, one can be less judgmental by being educated. I advise that everyone take a sociology and/or psychology class to get a better understanding of different cultures, individuals, races, ect. Additionally, one can become educated by getting to know people before they judge them. Secondly, you can eliminate judgment by just having the will-power to not judge people. You know, the golden rule, “treat others as you’d like to be treated.” I think it’s fairly simple manners.

So let’s get down to what happened today. If you couldn’t tell, I’m steaming about this topic. I went to a doctor’s appointment, pretty normal right? I may be assuming here, but I’m pretty sure when you go to the doctor’s office, it’s not really expected to hear the nurse talk bad about you. Am I wrong here? Anyway, what the nurse said was not exactly appropriate since it had to do with the medical reason I was visiting the doctor, and it was rude comments about my let’s call it “condition.” What she said and why she said it is not important for this discussion other than she didn’t agree with my morals/values. Still, she has no right to judge me because A) she doesn’t know me and B) she should not be talking about a patient to other people who are not directly involved with my visit, let alone where everyone in the office can hear her! I was in a room and could hear her. If you’re in any kind of field, especially the medical field, your job is to practice medicine (or whatever) and not judge your patients for any reason. That’s just what I think. ­­

So the moral of the story is; don’t judge others. I’m so tired of living in such a hateful, judgmental world. I am an individual, just like anyone else. I have feelings and I get hurt. Why can’t we just put a stop to this and work together to make the world more accepting? I’m going to have to quote John Lennon because maybe “…I’m dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.” And I do hope that, because I want a better future for the generations to come. So next time, do yourself and others a favor; think before you judge someone and act acco­­rdingly.

I Love You for Who You Are

Every girl gets this idea that they want to find one guy who just loves her for who she is. She sees it in movies, reads it in books, and she wants a love like that. She spends her life waiting for a guy like that. All she wants to hear is "I love you for who you are." She wants and needs to believe in those words.

When she finds the guy who utters those words she knows she has to hold on to the love they share and never let go. She has reason to believe in those words and knows he means those words. That's when she can truly give her heart. Maybe it'll be difficult, but it's something she needs to do and wants to do. And she does it because she loves you for who you are.

Love Isn't Always What I Thought

When it comes to love, I'm a hopeless romantic. I want nothing more than my very own romance novel story. And maybe I'm too optimistic because I want some perfect love story. Realistically, love is never perfect not even in books. For example, tons of people (myself included) adore Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook. Allie and Noah are so perfect together and you may think their story is a "perfect" love story. I used to think this, too.

It's time to face the fact: Noah and Allie were just about as perfect as any real relationship. They fought, but they were still crazy about each other. Additionally, they faced the hardships of being separated and lied to in order to be kept apart by Allie's parents. Their love, however, is something to strive for. For years, Noah waited (although he tried to move on and failed). Allie moved on, but in the end she chose Noah because he was who really held her heart. Thus, I believe true love prevails. No matter if the couple is fighting or distance separates them, love will win.

Noah best sums a relationship up when he tells Allie, "So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard: we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday." And thank you Nicholas Sparks for making me believe in true love.

Help Stop Poverty!

Did you know that $15 can help a person in poverty for an entire year? To us $15 doesn't seem like a whole lot, really it's enough to get sunglasses or a pair of jeans. To someone in poverty $15 is life for an entire year. It has always been my dream to help make a difference in the world, so this is my first attempt to change the world. Please help me reach my goal, even if you donate $5. Any amount is helpful! Plus, I've pledged to dye my hair black (even though I doubt it'll look good because I'm so pale) when I reach my goal. To all of you who took the time to read this thank you.

Help me stop poverty by donating to my fundraiser at: http://support.outreach-intern​ational.org/site/TR/Events/Per​sonalFundraising?pg=fund&fr_id​=1030&pxfid=1082

Searching for a Purpose

What is my life purpose? What is my personal legend? I'm drowning in questions and in the unknown. I have so much to figure out, but the most important thing is what is supposed to be my purpose. The one thing I've wanted to do my entire life is to help. After some self-searching, it extended to making a larger difference.

I want to do great things, but I don't know where to start. I mean there are so many ways to help and there are so many things I want to do to make a difference. The problem is rooted in that I feel too insignificant to make such a large difference on my own and I may be. Somehow I've got to reach out and help. When I was little I thought I'd be a nurse or a teacher, and currently I'm considering a degree in biology. I can be a conservation biologist and help save animals, or I can be a teacher and make a difference in the future starting with the youth.

I know what I want to do. I know how to accomplish it, but there are so many roadblocks and obstacles. And trust me, I want to get there. I know I can, but a lack of inspiration stunts my abilities. So in the end that's what I'm looking for, a bit of inspiration and a push in the right direction. Maybe as I make my journey through life I'll figure out my personal legend, but the now is important because if I do nothing, I'll go nowhere. I must act now.

Hidden Heart

Robert Frost, one of my favorite poets, once said "Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up." I definitely understand this, because I've built walls (fences). Walls are great for one thing: keeping yourself locked in. Sure, I see the benefits of being well protected and keeping yourself from feeling too attached or too vulnerable, but there are so many disadvantages. I'm starting to think it's not worth it.

First, locking yourself in also keeps everyone else out. That's obvious, but what you don't realize is that keeping others out, may push them away. It may be unintentional, but they may feel that by being kept out they can't connect to you. As you can see, this is a hindrance on relationships/friendships.

Second, you're hurting yourself. I know that I don't want to end up alone and by hiding behind walls, I could very well end up that way. Plus, walls don't allow true feeling. What's life without a little risk, anyway? Isn't love and friendship worth it in the end?

I feel that by hiding your heart behind walls is ridiculous. I get scared, but I want to take a chance because there is so much I'm missing if I don't. I've been hurt and I know the feeling of "I'm never letting that happening again." That's no way to live, so I'm going to work at it. We can't always be safe, but in the end loving and being hurt is so much better than not ever loving.

Letter to an Amazing Guy

Cameron,

What do I contribute? What is my purpose? These questions are complicated, but I strive to find some kind of answer. I was posed a similar question last night and I can't get it off my mind.

In P.S. I Love you, Gerard Butler says "Watch out for that signal, when life as you know it ends." Meeting you changed life as I knew it. Life is different now; it's better. You make me feel safe, even if it's just a scary movie or facing my greatest fear. I know I can count on you to protect me, to be there for me, and to make me happy. You give me so much without even realizing it.

I love how you and I have enough similar interests, but also enough differences to make it work. Being with you feels right. Depending on anyone is scary, because of what I've been through, but it's a risk I'm willing to take now. The truth is you mean a lot to me and I don't want that to change. I hope that our paths continue to intertwine together for awhile, because ultimately we both contribute to each other a lot by providing introspection and learning about one another.

For such a complex question, this hardly feels like enough words, though every word I've said is true. Every time I think about you, I realize that our song by Ben Folds is right, "I am the luckiest."

Yours truly,

Ashley

I'm feeling...

Instead of stating how I feel, I want to convey it through a story. I will not obviously state what it is, though there will be several hints. This will be from my character Carmen's point of view. I hope you can all see it similarly to the way I do. If not, I'd love to hear your responses, so leave comments or contact me otherwise. :)

One cold winter day, I walked home along the creek with Raine by my side. I could still hear the whining and moaning from all of my classmates, who complained about their problems. No one had asked about my issues, they all assumed I wanted to hear their babbling. It's not that I had a lot of issues which begged to be discussed. It's just that I felt lost in all of my thoughts like a child lost in a crowd.

As my thoughts consumed me, I kept walking forward until all I felt was an icy chill run through my body. The water crept up past my shoulders and before I could think my head was covered. I reached for Raine, but there was no hand to grab. I tried to scream for help, but I produced no sound. Raine stood at the surface, searching for me. The murky, cold water kept visibility to a minimum, so I swam towards the light. I surfaced and gasped for air.

"Are you okay? Take my jacket," Raine said as he hurriedly took off his jacket.

"I-I'm okay," I stuttered between teeth chattering.

"What was on your mind and had you so intrigued?" Raine got it. Finally, someone had realized. Before I could utter another word he hugged me. "Tell me about it when we get you inside."

So there it is. Tell me what you think!

Relationships = Life Lessons

Not everything in life is love related, though as a girl and a hopeless romantic, love is a large portion. I know Valentine's Day is around the corner, so I feel this blog is appropriate. I'll spare you the heart gushing and get to my point. Relationships, if not always great, are awesome for life lessons. Sure, there is vulnerability and there will be heart-break, but no matter what happens, you can learn something. Not only do we learn about other people, but we learn about ourselves. Relationships teach us how to interact with others and what kind of traits we may be looking for. Love is complicated, so we must be open minded to the lessons it can teach us. I believe love doesn't just magically walk into your life. On the contrary, I do believe by using relationships to learn, love can develop.

Sink or Swim

Debating and deciding, oh those major life-altering decisions. When making decisions, the one thing to consider is to sink or to swim. I've concluded that I want to stand on my own after graduation, and I don't want help. I'll either sink or I'll swim. Swimming is the best option and I will do my best. Also, when considering mlad's you may have to settle until you can find a way to reach a greater goal. Settling might actually turn out even better than your original plan. Start small and work your way to the top when you decide to gain your independence. The world may be big and bad, but you can be tough. Face it, and demand your independence.

Where's home again?

It took me staying out of my house for six days to realize that home is always home. I mean that no matter how far I stray or how long I'm away, I can go home and feel safe. I believe it's true that home is where the heart is. Home is about being around people who love you and feeling protected. I know that no matter how bad things can get, there is always one place to go.
As a teenager all I can think about is getting out on my own and being independent, and this six days has given me a taste of that. When I get out into the big, bad world I will remember my where I came from and be thankful that I have somewhere my heart belongs. In seeking my independence, I may find that somewhere else is where I should be, but for now my home is where I've grown up. Understanding and appreciating your roots is a building block of gaining independence, and I'm glad I've learned this early on.

Walk-in Friendship

Walter Winchell, an American newspaper and radio commentator, once said, "A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." I have to agree with Winchell. It seems that people always walk in and out of my life, but the people I consider my real friends are always there for me. My experiences so far have shown me that some people are not always going to stick around through hardships. Life can get difficult and nobody can deal with it completely alone. I always put up a tough front, because I've been through a lot and I want to deal with what life deals me, but I couldn't have made it through the worst without my friends. I love my friends and I hope they all know how much I appreciate them.