Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Why We Tune In

What is the point of watching TV? It used to be to become more educated. The only thing you would watch would be the news, and maybe a few other goofy shows. But now, what has TV turned into? Is it people trying to achieve a purpose or is it just people looking for their fifteen minutes of fame? Well, in fact it is both. Reality TV has become more popular than ever.

Today while at musical practice, I took a poll. I asked people if and why they watch reality TV! To be honest, I do not know why I watch reality TV. It just always seems to be there and I know it will always amuse me in some way.

Some of the reasons people shared:

·         It is very humorous. In actuality, reality TV is not really reality. It is extremely exaggerated and is not a good representation of reality, which makes it even funnier. Take for instance the MTV Hit: “The Hills.” This show seems real, but it really is not. It is all scripted in order to please the viewers and to keep them coming back for more.

·         You get the opportunity to see life through someone else’s eyes. This reason actually makes sense because you don’t get to experience other people’s lives unless you are right there living it with them. This gives us the chance to be there with them and watch their lives as it unfolds. An example of this would be: “Sister Wives,” on TLC. It is a true show, about true events that are actually occurring. We get to see the life of someone else we probably would never have gotten the chance to see if it weren’t for the show.

·         We watch it because everyone else watches it. In two words: peer pressure.  We hear all of the buzz about the show, therefore we also tune in so we can be a part of the discussion.  This makes it more fun to watch, because you know the next day you can talk about it and feel what everyone else is feeling when they watch it!

Many people think reality TV is stupid. However, it can be very useful in life, while also being very pointless. But when we get the chance to watch it, most of us will, just for the simple reason of satisfaction. It gives us something to laugh about and to compare to our own lives.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Surrounded by Smiling Faces

Photos represent more than just pictures of things that have been printed or uploaded, they represent memories that you have. Some are good, and some are not so good. Some are happy and some are sad. When we see these photos, we are taken back to the place where the photo was taken and it is almost like we are there again.

My mom has always been one to take many pictures. Wherever we went, there she was with her camera getting ready to snap a shot. Sometimes, especially when I was little, I use to hate photos. I can’t really tell you why, but they just made me uncomfortable. I would stare blankly into the camera with a look of annoyance written all over my face. I still get grief for that to this day from many of my family members. But now I enjoy having my picture taken because I know it will be a memory that I and others can always go back to remember that day.

As I have become older, I understand the importance of taking and keeping photos. They help me know where I came from and what I have done in the past. Sometimes there is a photo that sparks a memory of something that I have blocked out or not remembered. I know that whenever I need to find a picture of someone, I can go to my mom’s full-to-the-top bookshelf of photo albums (dating back to her teens when she got her first camera) and I’ll find exactly what I am looking for. Now most people have gone to digital cameras (except my grandma who still uses a camera that uses film). This change has eliminated the process of putting photos in albums for most people, because it is much easier just to click one button on the screen and there your pictures are! But what would happen if your computer crashed or was stolen? Where would all of your pictures be? For me and for my mom, that is why printing our photos is still important. With our photo albums, it is easy to find what I am looking for, as long as I know the approximate year it happened.  The photos albums are a good resource of our family history. 

My mom is still expanding her photo album book shelf, and prints pictures at least once a week. We have picture frames everywhere inside our house as well. I like that because it gives me the sense that someone is always there, and that there is always a memory to go back to. I know that if there ever was a fire inside my house, the photo albums would be the first thing I would save (besides my family and myself) because those are irreplaceable. By having photos all around me at all times, it gives me a sense of home and the comfort of my family’s smiling faces.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Living with Divorce

If you compare the mid-to-late twentieth century to today, you will see many differences in how we live our life. One huge difference is divorce. Back then it was abnormal to have your parents be divorced, and even looked down upon, but today, it is abnormal in many cases not to have your parents be divorced. Life has changed, but not everyone has found a good way to deal with it.

My parents got divorced when I was three.  When I tell people this, they often look shocked. Their first instinct is to say, “Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. That must have been really tough.” But honestly, I do not remember it being that tough. Because I was so young, it is what I grew up knowing. I do not have memories of my parents being together. And you know, I am thankful for that, because if I would have known them being happy, or not being happy it would have been a lot harder to adjust to them not being together. When I was little I was probably the only one of my friends whose parents were divorced. But now, it is more common so I am not the only one. Yes, with my immediate friends I am still the only one, but I do not feel like a complete outsider because so many others are in the same situation.

There are many forms of divorce. The two forms I am most familiar with are: the divorcees get a long and can communicate freely and then there are the divorcees that have to go through their children in order to communicate.  My parents have always been able to communicate freely with each other. They do not have to go through me in order to communicate. This is easier for all three of us, because when it goes through too many people, things get mixed up and that is when drama is started. I am thankful that my parents can be “acquaintances” with each other, because if they wouldn’t have been it would have made my life a lot harder growing up. I am also exposed to the opposite result of divorce. My stepdad and his ex wife have trouble communicating directly. This is not because both of them do not make the effort; my stepdad tries to talk to her, but she is not willing to talk with him.  This is hard for not only my stepdad and his daughters, but also for my mom! This is because my mom is not able to know what is really going on, and my mom and stepdad have to go through many obstacles to just be able to communicate about little things with my stepsisters’ mom.

Many people go through divorces in life. It can be hard, but it doesn’t always have to be. I am actually thankful that my parents got divorced, because if they wouldn’t have, I would not have the two step parents that I have now. I like both of my step parents and I am thankful for them. And without my step parents, I would not have the three amazing sisters I have today. Sometimes it is hard, but looking at it now, I am very fortunate to have the family I have today. It makes my life so much enjoyable knowing I have more people to love, and who want to love me.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

The Importance of Family

Everyone has a family. Family can be blood related or not blood related. The dictionary defines family as a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not: the traditional family. Family is an important aspect of life. It is important for everyone to feel the sense of unity when they are together.

I am very close with my family. I care for them a lot. Every year over the Fourth of July we have a big family reunion. It isn’t just my immediate family; it is my whole extended family on my mom’s side of the family. My great aunts and uncles come together, and bring their children and grandchildren. We stay together in little cabins on a lake for three days. Those three days are my favorite days of my summer, and the ones I look forward to the most. And that is saying a lot because I am one of those crazy kids’ who travels everywhere and is hardly home during those three months!

When we get together, we immediately become close again, even though it was been a full year since we have seen each other. It never seems like it has been that long; we always are able to pick up where we left off. I am the oldest of my cousins and they look up to me. This gives me a great sense of pride, because I like to be a role model to them. They mean so much to me, and I want them to be the best person they can be. During these three days we mostly sit and talk. That may sound boring to some people, but to us, it is what makes the reunion so much fun! We recap old memories that we have. My favorite part is listening to the older generations tell their memories of when they were kids. My mom and her cousins like to tell stories about their grandma and grandpa (my great grandparents). I like listening to these stories especially, because I never knew them. I like learning about them, and comparing what their days were like with their grandparents to what mine are with my grandparents.

I also like learning about other past relatives of mine. I like hearing stories about how they lived, where they lived, and what they were like. We also bring pictures to share which makes the whole experience more enjoyable. One story we like to tell is the story of how my great grandmother was born. As my grandma says, “It was a snowy night in South Dakota. Grandma went into labor, carrying my mother. The snow was so bad, but the baby (her mother) had to be delivered. Grandpa took the horse to get the midwife. Once he got her, he was having trouble steering the horse back to the house, because he couldn’t see anything. Then the midwife said, “Drop the reins, the horse will find its way back.” And the horse did, just in time for the midwife to deliver my mother.” Every year we tell this story. Most people would get tired of hearing it, but I love listening to it over and over.

Many stories are told within a family. These are important because that is how they get passed from generation to generation. I know I will re-tell the stories I hear at my reunion at future reunions to come when I am the oldest generation. I am so thankful and lucky that I have the family I do. I know they are always there for me, and will always care. And by going to these family reunions, it just helps us become even closer and keep that special sense of family unity.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Finding That New Beginning

Looking for the right college can be stressful. You might find one you really like, but you are afraid you might not get in, or you do not really like a college, but it is the best fit for you. While you are in high school you get buckets of emails, loads of mail, and sometimes even phone calls from colleges trying to recruit you! It can get very overwhelming, but in time you will be able to make the best decision for you.

My mom likes to tell me that ever since I was in the womb I was raised to believe I would attend a FOUR YEAR, PRIVATE COLLEGE, LIBERAL ARTS, IN THE MIDWEST. This is what I have grown up knowing and liking because I haven’t ever been exposed to anything else. The summer before my sophomore year, my mom got me on a website called My College Options. This site helped me a lot. I took a survey and then they matched me with the schools they thought I would like and/or do well at. This site got me going on my college search earlier than all of my friends. When I began receiving information in the mail daily, my friends looked at me and thought I was crazy! However, I am glad that I got a head start. It helped me to narrow down my top colleges sooner than everyone else.

There are a lot of things that make a college appealing to high schoolers. One thing that I pay attention to is the amount of mail I get from them. And when I say mail, I mean mail that comes in my mail box from the post office. Sometimes, colleges can overwhelm you with information. It can be a good thing to get lots of mail if it is a college that I am interested in but it can be annoying from colleges I am not interested in. From a lot of the schools, it is a little random mailing saying “Hello from Columbia!” or something along those lines. However, I get annoyed with too much mail from one college if the information provided is not relevant, and it affects the way I perceive that college.

A lot of the time my email account blows up with multiple emails from a college a week or even a day. In high school, you have other things on your plate and are therefore not checking your email everyday like most adults do. When I log into my email and have 50+ new messages from many of the same colleges, it is a turn off. I judge. Yes, I shouldn’t judge from some cheesy emails, but I do. When I get “personalized” emails from the college or university, I am more inclined to read them. However, when they are just some average pictures or some general information, I tend to skip over it not thinking about it again.

Another important part of finding the right college is visiting. Visiting a college or university in which you are interested in can be a little nerve-wracking. However, you just have to go in to it with a positive attitude. This is the stage when prospective students make most of their judgments. Over the summer, I visited two private colleges in the Midwest. The first one was the alma mater of my parents. I have been raised on this campus because we were always down there for football games, graduation, or even just to walk around. Ever since I was a child, I said I wanted to go to college there. However, when I actually got the chance to go and take a tour into classrooms, the commons and the dorm rooms, sadly, I was a little turned off. The campus is older, but it has not been renovated. Because there wasn’t any “newness” to this college, I was kind of taken back. Then, a couple of days later I went to visit a college up in Minnesota a few hours away. I was more nervous for this tour because I had no idea where I was going! However, the more we walked around and toured, the more I could see myself actually going there. This campus was older too, but it was completely new on the inside. It was very fresh. Because of their programs and the overall look and feel of the campus, this college immediately jumped to the first spot on my college list.  I have a couple more campuses I want to visit before I make my final decision on where to apply.

Choosing a college is a big deal. Therefore you want to choose the best one that fits for you. You want to feel comfortable and safe, because this is going to be your new home. When making this decision you have to consider and take into account all aspects of the college to find the one best for you!

By the way, my mom works for a company that consults with colleges and universities and she wrote a blog on my college search process.  You can read it here:

Kindness Does Matter

One thing I have gotten to enjoy more and more as I get older is community service. Not everyone enjoys it, but I do because it gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing that I helped someone in need. After I do it, I always feel good because I know if I were in need, I would want someone to help me, just like I helped them.

Every year my church gets involved in various forms of community service. For the past couple of years I have been involved in a reading camp at one of the local private colleges. We meet with kids from one elementary school in town. For the past couple of years it has been with an elementary school where they are struggling to give their students a good education. The school is not located in the best area of town, so therefore the kids need extra attention and help. Typically the students I mentor are from third to fifth grade. I have had really good readers that just need extra attention, and I have also helped kids that are not very good readers and need help with becoming better, as well as the need for extra attention. Even though this camp only runs for five days, I have formed a bond with each child I was mentoring. At the end of the camp, you can see their transformation that they have made in that little amount of time. It is amazing! You also see an attitude change within them. I believe that this is because someone is paying attention to them and making them feel loved. Even if they do or don’t get the love they need at home, they have somewhere else to go for that week where they do get positive attention. This camp is important to them, but also to us, the mentors because we feel a sense of accomplishment and it makes us feel good that we made an impact on their life.

Recently, a teacher I had my freshman year of high school and that I was a teacher’s assistant for during sophomore year had a stroke. He and I had a love-hate relationship when he taught me as a ninth grader, but we became better “pals” my sophomore year. I was always there if he needed help with his teaching materials or for organizing. He and I formed a special bond that no one else had. When I first heard that he had a stroke (while in school) I was immediately worried. So later that night I had the greatest idea! I took three of my other friends that he also had as students to the hospital to go visit him. We knew he didn’t have any family in town besides his fiancé. Therefore, we wanted him to feel good and make him feel loved-because he was! We went to the gift shop in the hospital and bought him flowers, a balloon and a card that we all signed. We weren’t sure what kind of condition he would be in so we didn’t want to just pop in his room. We went to the nurse’s station and she gave us permission to go visit him. We walked in, and the look on his face was a look of confusion. At first, we weren’t sure if he knew who we were, but sure enough he did! It was so weird seeing him in a hospital bed, but it was so good to see him knowing that he was all right! A little bit after we were there and talking with him we asked if we were the first ones to come and visit him, his response was “Yeah, but I am not surprised that it was you guys!” Then he started to get a little choked up which made us feel so good that we had touched someone so much to the point where they got emotional. A little later, we walked out of the hospital after saying our good-byes. All four of us were to giddy and bubbly because we felt like we had done something so kind and nice for one of our teacher friends!

Recently, my show choir at school has been getting involved in community service projects. We have only done a couple, but we know getting our name out there will lead others to ask for our help. Helping someone in need is one of the best things you can do for someone. It makes them feel good as well as makes you feel good. It helps them to know that there are people out there who care and who will help them. If everyone in the world would help someone, the world would be a better place. A place full of love and kindness.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Not Enough Time; Not Enough Sleep

I think every high school student will tell you that high school is stressful at one point or the other. There is always something going on to be doing and there are always friends to hang out with. I’ll admit it, I would rather hang out with friends then do homework or study for tests…who wouldn’t?! But there is a time when high school gets extremely stressful. That is the time when your grades really start to matter, and the time when you feel like you have to be involved in every activity out there. But what happens when you become so overwhelmed that you start falling asleep in class or aren’t alert enough to meet your teachers’ needs?

The National Sleep Foundation says that teenagers, ages 10-17 need 8.5-9.5 hours a night. I wish that were possible! Teachers always tell us that we need to get more sleep and need to be able to focus and stay awake in their class, but do they realize it isn’t always our fault? They give us mixed signals. They tell us to be involved in high school because that is what allows all of us to have a great high school experience. So what do we, as students do? We heed their advice and do what they tell us, we get involved! However, then teachers go and give us a bunch of homework that causes us to be up late that night trying to finish it. When each teacher gives us about a half an hour to an hour or more homework every night, it really starts to add up. This then leads us to the exhaustion we feel every day; it also leads us to not having any motivation when it comes to school. All we want to do is stay under our covers and sleep.

As for me, I am not a procrastinator. I do my homework as soon as I can, so I can have the rest of my night to enjoy. But when I have practice for one thing from 3pm-6pm, then a different practice from 6-9pm I can’t even start my homework until I get home. On those nights I am too busy trying to handle everything that I only end up getting 6 hours of sleep! This is not healthy for any one, and makes waking up and going to school every day a lot harder.

In order for high schoolers to have a successful high school experience we need teachers to understand that we have more to do than just homework and studying. Yes, class work is important and it prepares us for the future, but sometimes teachers just need to understand that we have other commitments that are just as important as our school work. High school can be a stressful time, but it shouldn’t always be.



Word Count: 482

Sunday, September 18, 2011

"Keep Your Head Up"

Music. There are so many different meanings; most people like listening to it or even singing it! And even sometimes, music can trigger a feeling or memory inside of us. It is a feeling that is almost indescribable. It takes you right back to where you were when you were listening to the song, and almost immediately brings back those feelings you originally felt.
The other night I was sitting in my room doing my homework, while my iPod was on my favorite playlist. I made this playlist in early summer and I put all of my favorite songs that make me feel good on it. I have Adele, Maroon 5, Lady Antebellum and many others on it. They all are songs that I can sing along to, or make me feel better when I am down. While I was in the middle of a math assignment, the song “Keep Your Head Up,” by Andy Grammer came on. This song is just a simple” feel good” song, with a big meaning to me.
I went to Spain for two weeks this summer on a school trip. It was my first trip outside of the country without my parents, and my first trip across the Atlantic Ocean. I have been out of the country before, but it was only to Canada and the Virgin Islands. This was different. I didn’t have my mom (whom I am very close with) there with me, and I was with a group of people I didn’t know very well. My mom and I were both very nervous, but I was determined to do this, and to survive it. And my mom was determined to help me in any way she could. My instructor told us to limit communication back home, because he thought it would make us more homesick than we already were. However, I was the complete opposite. My mom and I have a very close relationship, in which we talk multiple times a day-even when we are together.  Not talking to her, and not having very much communication with her for two weeks was going to make me even MORE homesick than actually talking to her. So, I did whatever I could to communicate with her, because I felt better when I knew she felt better.
We were on our way to our homestay for five days in El Puerto de Santa Maria; I was getting nervous about meeting my family. They weren’t complete strangers to me because we had emailed and sent pictures for a while before I left. There is still that nervous feeling about actually meeting someone and being with them. This was going to be our first time completely immersed in the Spanish culture, without our American friends to be there with us. The first night of our homestay was very scary. I felt like an alien in my own word, because they talk so fast that I couldn’t understand them! I was constantly saying “Qu?” or “Com?” meaning “what?” The second I walked in the door of their house, they immediately asked me if I wanted to Skype with my mom back home. Of course, I said yes. The second she popped up on the screen we both started to cry tears of joy. We had been emailing, but this was the first time we had actually talked, and we were able to actually see each other’s faces.
Later that evening, I was still struggling to communicate with my family. They were so nice and they were trying to speak in as much Spanish as possible in order to improve my Spanish, even though they knew how to speak English. The little girls (8 and 10 years old) would sometimes translate into English for me, which was really helpful.
That night while I was going to bed, I was emailing my mom. I was telling her how hard of a time I was having communicating. I was all alone; in my own room; in an unfamiliar house; with people I didn’t really know all that well. It was scary. Soon, my mom responded with a very long email. She gave me a fabulous pep talk and told me everything was going to be okay. She was comfortable with my host family, because before I left, they reached out and sent her an email reassuring her that everything was going to be okay and that they would take good care of me. While I was reading this email (in which I still have today and read if I ever need a pep talk) the song “Keep Your Head Up” came on. This song is a feel good song that tells you to always keep your head up when you are feeling down, because everything will get better. This was the type of song I needed to reassure ME that everything would be okay, and that things would get easier. Yes, my mom had told me this-but it was different when it came from a song. It really got to me and helped me suck it up that night and to have a positive outlook.
Sure enough, my mom was right and so was that song. Everything DID get better and even though I was only with my host family for five days of my trip, I formed a tight bond. We still communicate and I still think about them often. I see their picture in my room every day when I wake up; it is the picture we took as a “family” before I left for Madrid at the end of my stay. I will forever remember those times I had with them, and the great people I met while staying with them.
So that night while lying on my floor finishing my math homework, I thought about that tough night and how I was struggling. But then I looked up and saw the picture of all of us and it immediately brought a smile to my face. Yes it was hard at first, but it got easier as the time went on. And I didn’t want to leave my host family because I was having so much fun. To this day, I tell a story every day about a memory I have of a time I spent with them. Someday I hope to go back and visit and I know I will start by “keeping my head up” and knowing that everything will be okay.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Words May Hurt, But They Don’t Have To

Everyone gossips in high school. Even if people say they don’t do it or hate it, everyone does it. It is a part of high school life. “Did you hear about Brooke and Mike? They broke up!”, “What did Zoey do to her hair? It looks so tacky!”, “Did you see what Sandra was wearing today?! What was she thinking?” or “Jenna is cheating on Dan with her best friend’s boyfriend!” Whether or not this gossip is true, it gets around. It gets around to people you wouldn’t expect it to get around to. The preps, the dirties, the nerds, the druggies, the music geeks and many more; everyone hears it. And once everyone hears it, there is no going back and trying to erase what has already spread.

What about when gossip actually hurts people? How do you get past that? Everyone is gossiped about something or other once in their life, no matter who you are, people talk. And then depending on whether the gossip is true or not, it hurts. If you are dealing with a break up, it just makes you feel worse when everyone knows about it. Or if you aren’t broken up, but then there is a rumor going around about cheating, it might lead to a break up that causes you to hurt. But when someone is constantly being gossiped about how they look, that is when it really hurts. Gossip IS a form of bullying and it can lead to serious consequences, such as suicide.

Why do we care so much about what people think about us? Does their opinion really matter? The truth is- it doesn’t matter. But in the world we live in, we are so focused on trying to make others happy that we lose touch with what makes us happy. You are trying so hard on trying to impress someone else, that you lose track of yourself.

People judge us on how we look, what we wear and how we act every day. And there is nothing we can do about that, except be our own person and not conform to what everyone is doing. We need to CONFIRM our selves and hold strong to what we believe in. In order to get passed the gossip, you need to be strong and confident in yourself.

If you believe in yourself, others will too. I am not going to tell you not to gossip, because everyone does it and there is no stopping it. But there is a difference between good gossip and hurtful gossip. “Did you see what Heather was wearing today? It was so cute!” People like to feel good about themselves. This kind of gossip helps people feel more confident in how they look and act.

When it comes to high school, you just have to move on and not let what other people say affect you. There will always be someone out there that has to pick at every little thing about a person; just don’t let that person be YOU.



Word Count: 527

Saturday, September 10, 2011

A Day to Remember

The tenth anniversary of 9/11 is coming up this Sunday. It is a day that is dear to all of us; a day we will forever remember. It is one of those days that will stick with you for the rest of your life. It is one of those days in which we remember exactly where we were when we first heard the news that American Airline flight 11 and United Airline flight 175 crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, and that there were two other airplanes that were threatening the lives of more people.
I was in first grade. School was going to start soon. My mom had run me up to drop off my books and folders in my locker before taking me down to daycare. Everything seemed normal as usual. Teachers were in their rooms preparing for the day. The hallways were relatively empty. The janitors were doing their last bit of picking up before all of the kids showed up, soon making their hard work seem like nothing. My mom and I were just chitchatting when my teacher, Ms. Walker, came out of her room with a look of horror on her face. She asked us to come into the room to see what had happened. I didn’t think much of it, but I just watched the TV like my mom and Ms. Walker were doing. I saw my mom’s face go pale. No one said a word as we watched the TV. We stood there, just staring at the TV hoping it wasn’t real; but it was.
Soon, my mom brought me downstairs so I could go to daycare while she left for work. She tried her best to cover up how she was feeling so she wouldn’t freak me out. When I got to my friends, we played like everything was ok…because we thought it was! We were too young to understand what was going on. Why were all of the teachers acting weird? Why were the TVs constantly on? As soon as school started, my teacher gave us a brief summary of what was going on. “Two airplanes hit two really big towers in New York City,” Ms. Walker explained. She didn’t go into much detail, because you could tell it was hard for her to talk about.  Before we knew it, we were spending the day coloring and playing games while my teacher sat at her desk; her eyes glued to the TV and her computer.
Then our principal, Dr. Lehner, came on the intercom every three or so minutes to start dismissing students because their parents were here to pick them up. “Pick them up?! Why do they need to be picked up?!” I thought to myself. It was a Tuesday and it was the night I was supposed to be with my dad. I didn’t think he was going to come pick me up, because he worked thirty minutes away, and he wasn’t scheduled to pick me up until five o’clock. But sure enough, my name came across the intercom! I was so excited! I got to go home!
I walked downstairs to see my dad, standing there waiting for me. I knew something was wrong with him, because he wasn’t as excited or as talkative as he normally was. But still, I didn’t think anything was wrong. We got to his apartment and he immediately turned on the TV and stayed there the rest of the afternoon and evening. I remember being upset because most of my toys were at my mom’s house, and he only had one TV that he was using and I wanted to watch the Ruggrats.  But looking back, that was nothing to be upset about considering what other people were going through that day.
The United States of America was forever changed that day. Many troops were sent overseas to fight for us. Many lives were lost. People died in New York City and Washington D.C that day and then later in the Middle East. Many people lost loved ones everywhere. Those lives were taken for no reason, and they can never be put back. They are forever gone. All we have left of them are their things and our memories of them.
Why did this have to happen? Many people blame the Islamic religion; is it really their fault though? Are all people who are Islamic bad? Can we stereotype all Muslims? No. It is not fair to them. We judge all of them, because of something a group of Muslims did to us. The truth is that the Islamic religion is one of the kindest religions out there. They are truly peaceful people; we just do not want to believe it because of how some Muslims affected our lives.
This year marks ten years since the attack on the World Trade Center Towers. There are many concerns about there being another attack. Fear is what drives us to be a better country. If this would not have happened, security would not be as good and people would not be as aware. This occurrence taught us to live together as one and it strengthened our nation. While we still have hurt inside, we know that our love ones are looking down on us and will always be there.
To all of the heroes of September 11th, thank you.