Whats your balance?

I am the second of four sisters in my family.

My older sister is a talented artist, or I would say so. She attends an art school as well as interning at a comic studio, and has sold her personal art at comic con in the previous year. I aspire to be a photographer, whether or not I'm good at it is an opinion. Also, I play soccer and I would hope I am at least decent at that. My younger sister is book smart. Her last progress report her lowest grade was a 95%, and she's been like that since kindergarten. I don't remember her ever getting a B in a class if I'm completely honest. Like me, she also plays premiere soccer, and I would say she is skilled. My youngest sister is a jack of many trades. Currently she and my eldest sister are red belts in tae kwon doe, though now she has to balance that with dance. Hip-hop, ballet, contemporary and I think jazz at one point. She used to be really into bowling, and before that she tried soccer. Now, she really wants to get into volleyball. As if there wasn't enough activates she was devoted to.

When I explain this to anyone really, one comment that normally comes up is
"Wow. Your family is really talented".
Talent, yea sure part of it. But 'talent' isn't just it- we work for it. But that's not the topic. I think everyone has something they're good at, likewise I think everyone has something they're bad at to counter. It's a bit of a balance. Like physics see, for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. Kind of like that. Either way, as quoted from Rise of the Guardians-

" What is your center? " 

My sisters and I, the things we're good at happen to be activities but personal things about a person could count as that something you're good at, in my opinion. Such as-

• Confidence

People who are confident in themselves can do so much without a sliver of effort. Being confident is very good for your mental health as well as your image or how you portray yourself to other people. It's a good thing, really. Most people lack confidence.

• Likeability

I literally see no fault in this unless you don't like people and would rather be isolated, in that case my apologies.

• An Animal Person

People who are naturally good with animals are a bit of a wonder as I am not one of them. Animals are very comforting too, it's a win-win for you.

• Green Thumb

It's a cool thing really, I could see how people could assume otherwise and tag it as 'useless' but seriously. How is that not cool if you could grow flowers or like an orange tree than wow.

• Natural Cook

I have literally set my stove on fire before, (don't even ask) I envy you. Also people who can cook or bake well always make friends easily, based on personal experience.

• Listeners

Everyone needs someone to listen. This is such a great trait- don't ever think otherwise. Not only that but in class verbal learners probably do well with those teachers that write absolutely nothing.

• Writers

Poets, literature, speeches. Generally people who have a way with words that many people don't. People who you could listen to for hours, read their works forever. Some people work towards it, some people are naturals either way it's an entrancing talent or skill that will stay with you forever.

• Manipulators?

I mean, its useful. Maybe not morally correct but then again how much is in this world. If you could pull off what Iago from Othello is doing, respect. But also please use your talents for good.


The list is endless. Maybe you don't know what your talent- your 'center' is but really that's fine. You don't even need to know honestly. It's there. You don't have just one good trait about you either of course. But it's literally apart of your personal being. It's what you do with it that counts.

Shh..

You are a normal teenager, You have a friend. You're not best friends, but not an acquaintance like friend, in between really- good friends. You're good friends. You're talking to said friend, maybe on the phone, Maybe texting, maybe through social media 'dms'. Either way, you're talking. You've been talking for a while and then they say something in particular. 'can I tell you something?' You stare, it takes a second. Oh- its a secret. You say sure. They tell you ' but dont tell anyone I did that '. It would cause an uproar at school, your’re a bit shocked they did that. So you agreed. Of course you won’t. Except for your best friend, but you know. They don't count. You both tell each other everything. So its fine.

Right?

Whisper a dangerous secret to someone you care about. Now they have the power to destroy you, but they won't. This is what love is.

 Okay, you'll admit you care for your friend. You acknowledge the secret is dangerous in some form. You're not trying to destroy them- how extreme is that? Ridiculous. You know your best friend won't tell anyone. Besides, you already told them.

Lets make a chart. We'll give everyone names, your name will be Jamie. That's fine right? Of course it is. Your good friend is Jean, and your best friend is Nicky. Nicky has another friend who is around that good friend-best friend level who is generally addressed as Lar (you thought that was a weird nickname). Lar is very confrontational, and likes to know everything about everyone. They're nosy. Very. Very nosy. So here is your chart-

The line is the secret, the secret Jean told YOU, and where it traveled. That is right, it ended right where it started. 

Your communication with Jean has decreased significantly over the past couple weeks,  You miss Jean. You both had a good thing going. You thought they liked being your friend. 

...

Your name is Jean. A couple weeks ago, you told your good friend acquaintance Jamie a secret. Practically everyone has been asking you about it since Lar started asking. You messed up, you know that. It was a one time thing. You wanted to complain a little since your parents were bagging on you for being ' a horrible child ' and claiming you did it because ' you hate them '. You don’t hate them. You can’t for sure say the same for them, not after you did that. You didn't have a lot of friends to begin with, now everyone who isn't asking ' did you actually- ' avoids you giving you dirty looks. Your family thinks good for nothing and now nothing is going right. You were already having a tough time dealing with your family, but high school is brutal now too. It didn’t have to be, if you just didn’t tell Jamie… You thought you both were really good friends, you thought Jamie liked you. Guess not.

This is what I generally think about whenever people in general gossip. Of course it wouldn't go from Lar straight to Jean, and there would be plenty more people who were told along the way. It's pretty simplified though I feel the point is still there- everyone has that one best friend who 'doesn't count' and eventually everyone knows. You may think someone is stupid for doing whatever they did, but you don't know why they did it or what they may be now going through. The point is, if someone tells you to not tell anyone- dont tell anyone. 

Here Lies Poor Old Jack

What have I done?

What have I done?How could I be so blind?
All is lost, where was I?
Spoiled all, spoiled all
Everything's gone all wrong

What have I done?
What have I done?
Find a deep cave to hide in
In a million years they'll find me
Only dust and a plaque
That reads, "Here Lies Poor Old Jack"
But I never intended all this madness, never
And nobody really understood, how could they?
That all I ever wanted was to bring them something great
Why does nothing ever turn out like it should?

Well, what the heck! I went and did my best!
And, by God, I really tasted something swell!
And for a moment, why, I even touched the sky!
And at least I left some stories they can tell, I did!

And for the first time since I don't remember when
I felt just like my old bony self again...
And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King...
That's right, I am the Pumpkin King! 

And I just can't wait until next Halloween,
'Cause I've got some new ideas 
that will really make them scream!
And, by God, I'm really gonna give it all my might!
Uh oh, I hope there's still time to set things right!
Sandy Claws!

Writing this October 30th, Halloween is tomorrow so I of course have had Nightmare Before Christmas playing nonstop since the 1st. I personally love the entire soundtrack, but Poor Jack never fails to make me happy... Not even happy, it gives off a more powerful feeling more along the lines of 'I can'

I'll elaborate, Jack begins the song feeling rather empty and just as a failure, of course because he wrecked Christmas so bad he was shot down. Once he begins to think, 

But I never intended all this madness, never...That all I ever wanted was to bring them something great

He does recognize that he really did mess up but he knows that he really didn't intend to. He doesn't run away from it either, a quality many people in our modern society lack. 

Then he really gets it going, 

Well, what the heck! I went and did my best!

And, by God, I really tasted something swell!

And for a moment, why, I even touched the sky!

And at least I left some stories they can tell, I did!

What I personally enjoy about this song is this specific verse. He analyzed the situation and really took all he could from it, his own personal enjoyment as high as he could take it. He follows to go into a more optimistic view to say the people could take from it as well. He continues to discover that he indeed feels himself again and really just get over his little rather extravagant identity crisis. He returns to him normal self with a new found passion, but still remembers to fix his own mess.

His sense of pride at the end of the song is portrayed extremely well, in my opinion, by the lyrics and the singer. Jack tears his way out of an emotional gutter to the peak of his mood in less than three minutes. I of course think that it would be good to learn from 'poor old' Jack, and not only his optimism, but his sense of responsibility. Well trying to pin the act of wrecking Christmas on someone else would be rather difficult he did have the option of literally just disappearing. Instead he goes to confront his problem, and I that is an excellent way go about life.

Feel free to comment any opinions, or your favorite soundtrack from the movie, or just your favorite Halloween movie, thanks for reading!  

A Black House To Support Your Child

While scrolling through my tumblr dashboard, I came across a post with short clips of a German ad. (linked below)

The ad is 45 second longs long with sound effects and music, though no speaking. As the Huffington Post says " German Ad Doesn't Need Words To Speak Volumes About Supporting Your Kids" and after watching the ad I would say I full heartily agree.

To summarize what happens in the  45 seconds- 

• There is a teenage girl who stereotypically would be described as goth in her appearance 
• (She is wearing all black)
•  We see her dad driving her to school- the school that she obviously stands out in from her more pastel looking classmates. 
• They whisper when she walks by 
• They even put a frog on her desk and make fun of her
• She walks home and adults stare at her with judging looks
• (Someone even locks their car door)
•  She gets home which is being painted black by her dad
•  They look but don't say anything to each other, but for the first time in the ad the girl looks content.

While the ad is for a German home improvement chain, the message is great. I think its important for parents to support their kids, and let them know while it seems like the world is against them they'll be on their side no matter what.

 Painting the house of course is a bit extreme but of course it is an ad for home improvement, but the message still stands. 

Being in her teenage years, people may assume she is simply ' going through a phase ' (which is slightly ridiculous in my opinion, phase or not it's still happening and they're trying to find themselves) but her dad supports her 100% anyway. I think this is an important lesson as through personal experience I have heard of to many home situations where its a war between parent and children rather than working as a team. 

In a personal evaluation, I thought it was a nice ad and worth a watch.

Hornbach "Sag es mit deinem Projekt" - Hornbach "Say it with your project "

Hidden Biased Awareness

After reading the article 'Exposing Hidden Bias at Google' by Farhad Manjoo I would say that sending Google employees to workshops to improve awareness of the unconscious bias is a smart move. If these workshops are consistent, than the raised awareness with positively change the workplace. An example was already provided in the article,

"Another time, in an all-company presentation, an interviewer asked a male and female manager who had recently begun sharing an office, “Which one of you does the dishes?” The strange, sexist undertone of the question was immediately seized upon by a senior executive in the crowd, who yelled, “Unconscious bias!"

Awareness itself makes people think a little more, be it about their jokes and casual conversations or judgment on lesser co-workers.

The article includes to point out that everyone is a bit racist and sexist. ' That cant be right. Im not either. Im a good person. ' One of those sentances probably came to mind. Or maybe, ' ok ok yea but its not my fault! Just a little but it doesnt make me a bad person! ' Either response does not change that fact that everyone is, even the slightest amount. Though now, when making an accidental sexist or racist though you'll probably feel a bit more guilty. If so the acrticle, or in the empoyes' cases the workshops, has made an impact on you. 

The efforts to change the subconscious bias at google will not be a waste, no matter how slow, and this article is definitely worth a few minutes to read.