I Love the Holidays! - 14

Holidays are happy days for me. My favorite would have to be Thanksgiving. That's the holiday all the family gets together. I really don't have a specific memory, but I just remember how Grandpa would always have the game on in the background and all the females would be in kitchen cooking. I, of course, the little tom-boy I was, would be running around in the ditches with my cousins. We would walk in the ditch and skate on the little pieces of ice we found, then crack it, either that or go build forts out in grandpa's field.

The holiday I most dislike would be Halloween. I remember canvassing on Halloween night my sophomore year. I just remember trying to beat the trick-or-treaters to all the doors, or I would walk up with them to the doors. No one was interested. I think I sold a cookbook though. I guess the only positive thing was the candy I got and even that wasn't the best!

Drinking With Mom and Dad? -13

Underage drinking has become a serious problem. However, instead of really condemning teenagers, it seems parents are now supporting their children by allowing them to drink at home. They believe that if they allow it in moderation, their teens won't use it as much. This is a problem because teens will, instead of seeing drinking as a bad thing, they'll see it as something they did when they were younger and will be less likely to give it up. With such a past, would they ever amount to much more than drinking on the weekends.

There are now social host laws being enforced because of the underage drinking at home. I think this will eliminate the drinking problem because the consequences of this law is quite harsh. Hopefully parents will start to think and see that when they host parties they are really hindering, not helping.

"Stricter parental liability, can reverse society's tacit acceptance of underage drinking..." (U.S. News & World Report article, "A Host of Trouble" Oct. 9, 2007) This is a great statement that I do hope parents will take into consideration. Parents need to set a right example and take a stand against their teens. What parents really need to do is sit their children down and talk to them about the effects of drinking. Some parents think it is best to let their children experience something in order for them to learn a lesson from it. I agree, depending on the child, but great caution needs to be taken with this parenting.

Parents take a huge responsibility as to what choices their children make. They are the ones who train their child in the way they should go. When a teen decides to go out to a party, drink and possibly drive home, parents should be liable for what happens to them. However, there are those kids who where raised with Godly parents, but because of their heredity, these choices sometimes come naturally to them.

I think parents need to Analyze their parenting when they see their children getting interested in drinking with them at home...

That Silly Cat! - 12

If it weren't for that eager kitten, I wouldn't be in this pickle. My kitten was rather parched this particular day. She absolutely refused to drink out of her little kitty-printed drinking bowl I had gotten for her. I neglected to recognize the fact that the bowl had had the same amount of water for the past couple of days, so instead, she would drink from the toilet, as most felines do.

Well, my toilet seat was broken, so for a quick fix, I duct-taped the seat together. All was fine for me, but this hindered my kitten from drinking because she didn't like getting stuck to the side of the toilet.

Her meowing soon became incessant and it seemed apparent she wanted me to follow her into the bathroom to remedy the problem. I followed close behind and saw she wanted a drink. I bent down to take the duct-tape off the seat so this could be a possibility. As I was doing this, she started to get excited and began to move in all sorts of directions. In and attempt to dodge her, I accidentally fell on the toilet, right on the exposed duct-tape! And that's how I ended up duct-taped to the toilet!

Greatness - 11

"Everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame, but for greatness, because greatness is determined by service." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Greatness is dependant upon one's desire for it. Everyone does have the potential for greatness; it's whether or not they choose acknowledge that they have it. Only those who act upon spreading what they are passionate about, become great. Martin Luther King Jr. was zealous about preaching the equality of men. He acted on it, and became great. It just takes action and willingness to achieve something, whether or not your recognized for what you've accomplished, is not important. Being great in God's eyes is what matter most.

Everyone Counts - 10

Immigration nowadays is viewed by many as a political problem, when it's illegal. However the foreigners that come to America are sometimes still viewed under the same catagory as, illegal immigrants, and therefore deemed as a problem. This is unfortunate because they come here and get jobs. Even the illegal immigrants are working. They are all doing the jobs that we feel are demeaning, and lower class. What they do is immportant.

Just think, the next time you step foot into a Taco Bell, who is serving you? What about the fresh fruits you get from the fruit stand along the highway? Who harvested that food? If they didn't do those jobs, who would? I think sometimes most Americas see themselves as to good to 'lower' themselves to do such jobs, yet, they are the ones giving them the most business! We should start appreciating those who do the small, dirty jobs because they affect our everyday lives the most. Dr. Suess puts its best: "A person is a person, no matter how small."

Objects in Mirror - 9

My friend and I had just gotten our hairs cut. We were loving our new look! Walking our way home, we would stop at most every store window we passed and take just a few moments to run our fingers though our hair and give it a good little flip.

While passing a parked truck, my friend thought she'd get a real good look in a true mirror, not a window. She turned in to look at herself in the side mirror and played with her hair for a good minute or two before she realized that someone was in the car! I wanted a good look at myself too, so as I started to turn into the side mirror, she grabbed my arm, "There's someone in the car!"
The words stumbled out over her laughter. I burst out in laughter too, but felt embarrassed because just as she pulled my arm, I saw the lady in the car, smiling at our vanity.

We ran away from that truck really fast!