Technically a Teenager

Since I am in the teen years of my life, I am considered a teenager, thus I am going through my adolescence phase. What a bunch of bologna. In some ways, I wish our culture was less about being the legal age to be mature enough to do something, and more about being mature when you are mature.

Just because I was 16, society allows me to obtain my driver's license. To be completely honest, I shouldn't of been able to drive. Even though I've never been in an accident (knock on wood) with only ten hours under my belt before getting my license, I for sure wasn't ready. Because I was 16, however, my parents made me go to the DMV and take the test.

I think that age is only a number. That everyone matures differently depending on what surrounds them. Since I have a late birthday, all my friends had their licenses and I much rather be driven around than being the driver. However, maybe if I grew up and it was my responsibility to get somebody somewhere (i.e. a little sister to dance class,) I would have felt a stronger need for my license. I think it should be more about if you are emotionally ready for something, rather than you have reached a certain age to do it.

Men don't cry, right?

Enough about the Women's Revolution- What about men?

Over time, the woman's role has evolved from housewife to working woman. There is no fine line between what a woman can do equally to men; However, there is still a line as to what men can do equally to women. Nowadays, women have almost equal power to men. They can work where they wish, have an education and when things get stressful, cry it out. Men have always had some of these opportunities, but, if a man were to cry because of the stress he faces at work, people would view him as weak, as a woman, as a "wuss."

Due to media and societal influences, men think that crying, showing emotions etc; are not masculine.On top of that, men feel that in extreme cases they must prove their toughness by acting out in violence(such as school shootings and sexual harassment). Why is it masculine to fight? Why can't they just bake brownies and sit around sharing their feelings? If we keep sending this message to men that they need to be violent, nothing is going to improve and the line between what men can do equally to women will just keep widening as what women can do equally to men will narrow.

False advertising.

Advertising- it's funny to think that it doesn't effect us. The truth is, the media has a huge impact on how we live. It is one of the biggest influences in our lives. The worst part? The silent messages seep through when we are idly flipping the pages of a magazine, or driving on the highway and glancing at a billboard.
One of the problems with advertisements is that none of them are pure. What do I mean by pure? I mean that advertisers spend hours and hours critiquing and photo shopping images to create the "perfect" picture. Sure, the ad might be more visually appealing and alluring, I'm not disagreeing with that; However, I am disagreeing that this shouldn't be happening in the first place! Because advertisers are selling this false ideal beauty, they do not realize the effect it has on a person's self esteem. Advertisements are just one of the factors that contribute to how we act, because they give us a sense of what is socially acceptable in society today. If these woman, for example, are all sizes 0 and 00, then it is silently forcing other women to be that size too. The problem is that not all women can be this size and if they fail then it lowers their self-esteem. Even though there is no way to avoid being influenced by the media, we need to realize what the ads are silently trying to tell us and be aware of it.

All you need is love

The Beatles were onto something when they sang all you need is love. 

Even though genetics play a huge part on how are as a person, your surroundings have a big, if not bigger, effect. In fact, I believe a person can never reach their full potential unless they interact with others on a regular basis.

To me, love is so important because it is the foundation for everything and everyone. If you don't receive love at an early age, then you become sad, introverted, and eventually will effect you long term because you will have trouble connecting with people later on.

I never realized how fortunate I was to be in such a loving and nurturing family until I realized how others had it- especially the feral children who received no love or attention from anyone (family, friends, neighbors, peers etc;). The people that I surround myself with have always been so loving and have realized that they have always believed in me, thus installing in me a confidence to succeed.

Money doesn't equal happieness?

Green. Currency. Dough. 

All those words are synonyms for the word money. I used to think happiness was in that list- but now I'm not so sure. 
In the book, Elsewhere, U.S.A., people were interviewed who make 200k or more. I for sure thought they would say how money has made them so happy because they can buy whatever they want, go where ever they want, and be who ever they want. But no. Instead, they still consider themselves, "poor" and unsatisfied in life. 
Honestly, my first reaction was-wow, these people are so greedy and spoiled! Even though that may be true, I don't think that's completely why they feel so...poor. 
When I first started working, even though I make minimum wage, I was on cloud 9 when I got my paycheck. After awhile, however, I began to feel unsatisfied, and began to search for baby sitting jobs for extra cash. 
American culture subconsciously forces us to always keeping wanting more, to never settle. When it comes to money, people are never satisfied with their bank amount. People are constantly trying to find new ways to get rich(er). Taking a step back, I don't think money is everything. Even though money is important, it's not everything. It's about surrounding yourself with the people that matter and the ones you love.

Peace, Love, Apple Pie

I'm English American.


Sure, my mom's side of the family may be from England and carried so many values and traditions here to the states, but no, that doesn't make me English- It makes me American. 


I'm American because I was not only born in America, but because the American culture has shaped me into the person I am today. Efficiency/Timeliness, one of America's values, I strongly relate to and is something that makes me American. I am constantly in a rush, or pressed for time. There is always a deadline I need to make, or something that needs to be done- I can never just be. Especially in school is when I feel time is of the essence. Each period has 50 minutes and there is soooo much information that needs to be reviewed, there's a constant pressure to get things done and to work efficiently.  

I'm going to leave my baby in a stroller...say what?!

Alright, I'm going to go to a cafe in New York City and leave my baby in the stroller on the street. Not.
Why wouldn't I do this? Hellllooooooo?! It's super dangerous! In America, we are taught that if you like something you always take good care of it- for us, that means always making sure it's safe and out of harms way. We see leaving a baby on the street unsupervised as hazardous. However to some other cultures, it's perfectly safe and acceptable. In fact, a Danish woman visited New York and left her baby on the street as she ate lunch in a cafe. To the woman, she saw no danger- In Holland, it was custom to do this! However, when she did it on the streets of New York, her baby was taken away and put into custody. i feel that if Americans, or all people in general, had more of a sociological imagination, they would have been more accepting of this. Yeah, okay, maybe they would've still taken the baby into custody, but they would have been more understanding as to why the woman left her baby outside. Unfortunately, because not all people are educated in sociology, they don't think this way, and I think this is why culture is still a barrier between all different types of people.