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publictongue:

Welcome to the place where perfect rules and anything less than that is marginalized. Growing up in the valley, it’s really hard to see all the indecencies and flaws of the world. Poverty, hunger, disease, slums are non-existent here; it’s all shopping centers, gated communities, and luxury cars. Here, everyone lives the good life no matter what your circumstances are. In the valley, even the poor are well-fed and fat, and “ghetto” schools offer Advanced Placement programs.

We’re quick to judge and easily better than everyone else. The smallest disturbance in our lives cause us to cry, curse, or reach for a pack of hidden cigarettes.

This is the good life, and most people don’t even realize it.

I lose my respect for people extremely easily.

Which gives me high standards when it comes to people I meet or allow myself to get closer to.

Which leads me to not fall for people easily.

Or open up. Or be 100% completely comfortable.

Which makes me either want to change that side of me & accept who people are, or keep waiting.

I catch myself thinking, “Wow, I wish I could be more like that..I wish I had that lifestyle.”

“I wish I can do this, that, be like her, be like him..”

And then I tell myself every single time, that if I’m willing to give up everything in my amazing life up until now just to trade places with who I think is “living the life”, then go for it.

And then I stop.

Today during my 3rd period Physical Education class, the following scene progresses:

6 rows of 7 sophomores each begin doing the standard stretches for the day. My “teacher” begins discussing with a number of different students (but the entire class was listening) about the day, when one student mentions something about Lent. My teacher, R, begins bashing and totally insults Catholicism.

She begins saying “What, Catholics do whatever they want for a year and for 40 days don’t eat meat? That’s so stupid! Like God really cares.”

” Confession is just stupid! It’s wrong and all you really do is go into a room and talk to a curtain.”

“The things Catholics do, and then you read the Bible, it DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.”

“That’s why I’m not a Catholic, it’s STUPID. I grew up a Catholic and made me realize some really idiotic things about it.”

…and I’m supposed to call you a teacher, and have some kind of respect towards you.

I’m completely fine and understand that people are entitled to their own opinion. I don’t care. But to fully insult and abuse a religion in front of an entire class is just plain wrong. You’re a teacher, you can’t just bring up a religion and begin to degrade it in front of your students. I cannot believe you had the audacity to bring it up and share your negative feelings about a religion that some of YOUR STUDENTS HAPPEN TO BE A PART OF. I’m okay with anyone having their thoughts and opinions when it comes to religion, but as a teacher, you are supposed to be mature and restrict conversations that might cause controversy and offense. I wasn’t the only Catholic in that class. And I wasn’t the only one who agreed that her words completely crossed the line.

If she began bashing on another religion, Judaism, Islam, whatever, I would still be  angry. People that are insensitive towards other people with their opinions are rude and I don’t think I need to give any respect to them.

I know I’ve been posting a lot of things lately bagging on “everyone else” and “society” and “our generation” but I can’t help but look around me, in high school, and see so many things that need not to be.

Often times I just want to zoom through high school and head off to college where I can meet mostly mature, sensible, and worthwhile people I can actually hold a conversation with.

Ever since I was younger, not a kid, because I still am one-which has just reminded me as a notice to any tumblr high school readers: WE ARE STILL KIDS. Many of you need to remember that..

Anyways, when I was much younger, I’ve always dreamed of a picture perfect future. And for some reason, I’ve always believed that getting accepted to UCLA was my only ticket to happiness in my future. Because of that, I’ve become obsessed with being the ‘ideal’ student to the acceptance board’s eyes. I don’t think I have ever wanted anything as badly as attending to UCLA for college. Many people ask me why, when I tell them this, and honestly, I’m not sure 100% why.

But I can think of a few reasons:

I love the location. I love that it is right in the middle of a relatively safe part of a city, between the 3 “B”s (as a tour guide once quotes) - Beverly Hills, Bel air, and Brentwood. I love that it is in Los Angeles, a city I’ve visited all of my life, yet one I still need to explore. I love that UCLA is only 45 minutes away from the most amazing family I have. I love that UCLA is a ‘big school’ campus where I can meet tons of new people, and be a part of a proud, frenzied college rivalry. I love the refreshing feeling it gives me when I talk about, hear of, or see the campus. But mostly, I love that UCLA has given me a goal to achieve in the earlier years of my life.

& now, to prove my point, here are the oh so lovely classes I am going to be taking next year, Junior Year.

AP Calculus AB, AP U.S. History, AP Studio Art  (I’m in AP Drawing right now), Honors Physics, Honors English 11, and ASB.

Goodbye sleep, Hello Junior Year!