You Can Only Do So Much

You Are Not Responsible for Taking Care of Anyone but Yourself
     As a good friend, I always try to help the people I love as much as I can. You should too, but how do you know when to stop? You can only help someone so much, especially when they, themselves, do not want to be helped.
     We all have those friends that we know needs extra attention when it comes to making the right decisions in life. It is natural to want to help them out, but sometimes helping someone else so much can become inconvenient for yourself. In high school, friends often drift apart and go down different paths. It is best that you know that. With that being said, understand that if your friend makes wrong decisions, it is not your responsibility to take care of them. That can be a hard lesson to learn, but sometimes you have to put yourself, your future, and your life in front of others. 
     For example, drugs can seriously take over one's life. I had a friend that I tried to help out as much as I could. We always talked about college, jobs, and just about living life the way it should be lived. I really did a lot for this person, but something took him over and made him not care: drugs and alcohol. We had many fun times and great talks, but over time, he lost interest in being my friend because I did not do drugs or drink. He started to cling to those who got him what he felt he needed, and I was no longer one of those people. This took a toll on me because I hated to see my friend go down this path. I had made many attempts to make him come to his senses, but none of them worked. Eventually, I realized something. I am not my friend's parent. Why should my friend's lack of responsibility and lack of self worth hit me so hard? I am not responsible for my friend's mistakes. I had to let it go.
     Remember, it is always in your best interest to have someone else's best interests in your mind. There is nothing wrong with helping the people you love to stay on the right path. But when there is nothing left you can do to help your friend out, move on. If your friend does not want to help their self, you can not risk your own worth and potential for the sake of saving their's. You have to make sure you stay on the correct path for your own life. If someone does not want to tag along, then it is best you leave them behind. I'm not saying that you should give up on your friend if they start to drift away, I'm just saying that there comes a point when you are helping out with something that is a lost cause. There is no point in putting energy into someone or something that will never change when you could be pushing that energy out into helping others who deserve it (sometimes yourself). Do the right thing. When you really think about it, deep down, you always do know what the right decisions are- so be smart and do for you.

-B

December 21st, 2012

The End of The World, or Just the Beginning?
     If the world were to really end this month, how would you feel about the way you lived your life?
     Of course, the world really will not end on December 21st, but if it did, I am sure many people would have regrets about decisions they made and did not make. 'Living with no regrets' is such a cliche and is a philosophy that many may say is completely overused, but what exactly does it mean? Because of its overuse, the meaning has pretty much been lost.
     Living life with no regrets means exactly what it says. Live your life and do not regret anything you do. So, how do you not regret things you do in your life? The answer is simple: do what you feel, and think about the consequences. Life should be about having fun, working hard, and accomplishing your goals. You should have a vision for your life. Once you have that vision created, think about what you have to do to get to that. Then, do what you need to do. While doing what you need to do to create your happiness, you should experience happiness by having fun along the way. Embrace your family and your friends. Enjoy their company. Do your part to make the world a better place. Care. Put yourself out there. Be there for people. Bring happiness to others by being yourself and allowing them to do the same. Give all of your energy to rejoicing every single minute of life.
     Of course, the world is not ending today, but if it were, I would hope that you have no regrets about life. Everything you experience happens for a reason, always remember that. You may never know the reasons, but you don't have to. Take life as it happens to you. Appreciate it because you only get one. Just be sure you have fun, work hard, and enjoy the ride.

-B

Abuse

There Is Always A Way Out, So GET OUT
     Although I have never experienced abuse myself, I know many people that have. Abuse comes in many forms: physical, verbal, and emotional. Abuse occurs far too often in the world; however, many people are not aware of that. The statistics are shocking. 1 in 3 teens admit that they have experienced abuse at least once in their lifetime. Think about that: In high school, there are usually about 30 kids in each class period. That means at least 10 kids in the room could have experienced abuse before. If you think about it even further, it seems like a pretty realistic number. Remember, abuse can come from anyone- parents, significant others, family members, family friends, friends, enemies, and the list is endless. Another shocking statistic that may hit home to some of you is that 80% of teen girls who are in abusive relationships continuously go back to that boyfriend over and over again. That is so scary. Ladies and Gentlemen, we need to start to put an end to abuse and domestic violence NOW. Abuse is not something many people talk about in schools or in public at all. Thank God I have never experienced it myself, but I feel that because I am able to discuss it with out being compelled not to because of an experience, it is my duty and my mission to spread the word about this awful crime. Abuse is NEVER okay, so if you experience it, don't let yourself make excuses for whoever your abuser may be. You have to be logical and know what is best for yourself. Tell someone. Get help. No matter how severe or how extreme the abusive situation is, there is always a way out. I will continue to get facts on abuse so that I can continue my mission to help out teens who are close to the edge. I can't sit here and do nothing knowing that there are people that could possibly be close to me experiencing this terrible type of hatred. Stand up for those who aren't strong enough to stand on their own, and help them realize that they can will be one day. 

Thanks for reading, and please share this crucial message with your friends and family,

-B

You're a Shooting Star I See, A Vision of Ecstasy

Official Music Video Premiere of "Diamonds"

     Rihanna is currently one of the hardest working females out there in the music industry, and her talent easily shines through to the world. 

     Her new album "Unapologetic" will be in stores on November 19th and I can't even wait! Hearing from the previews on iTunes, her 7th album sounds like it could be her best album she has ever recorded. I'm already in love... 

     Meanwhile, the music video for her brand new single "Diamonds" premiered today. It is simply beautiful... Enjoy!

Shine Bright Like A Diamond,

And stay tuned for "Unapologetic", the 7th incredible album from Rihanna ;)

-B

Making Decisions

Think Before You Act

     Every day we are faced with tons of decisions, whether we realize it or not. These decisions come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be small decisions and huge decisions, but no matter how big or little the decisions are, every choice we make ends up affecting our future. As humans, we have the power to make our own decisions. Therefore, we have the power to choose how we want our future to turn out. 
     Especially in high school, in can be difficult to always make the right choices, and it is a part of our nature to not always make the perfect decisions, so don't become discouraged if you mess up. Use your mistakes to learn what not to do in the future. Again, you have the power to make your future a bright one.
     How can you become more likely to make the right decisions for your life? Stand for something. If you stand for something, you will be tested in it. Stick to what you believe in, no matter what. Even if your friends try to get you to do something you don't want to do, always remember what your morals and values are. They might even rub off on your friends. However, if they don't, just know that you should be satisfied with yourself for standing for something. Being passionate about something positive in your life can do great things for you and take you far. Stick to how you truly feel. Just be nice to people, don't drink or do drugs, don't skip school, don't exert violence and hatred... Be positive and encouraging towards yourself and others around you.
     Before every decision, think about the consequences you will receive in the future. If you stop and take a minute to think before every action, I guarantee you that you will see a positive change in your daily life. It's not hard. Just think before you act. 

Tell yourself every day: "I will make the right choices, because every little thing I do today will affect my future in some way." 

-B

Moving Forward

Leave the Past in the Past     

     As you go through life, there will be people and situations you have to leave in the past. Of course, some things will be easier to leave behind than others, but we leave these things in the past for a reason. They aren't supposed to make it into our future. 

     We experience people and situations for a variety of different reasons. We don't know all of these reasons for sure, but we do learn from the experience. If you can't figure out why some things happen to you, just know that they were meant to happen and that you will be okay. Like I always say, there is no other option but to be okay. Whether you lose someone to death, you go through a break-up, you stop being friends with someone, you have to be okay. The future holds so many opportunities for you and you have to be confident enough to know that you will do good for yourself. The true accomplishments in your life don't happen because of others, they happen because of yourself. 

     It can be extremely difficult to not look back at the past, that's why it is okay to glance back every now and then. It's actually important to "glance" because then you will continue to learn from your past and its mistakes. However, you can't "stare" back into the past because it can easily make you depressed and cause you to lose motivation. If anything, the past should motivate you to do good for yourself in the future. You can't go back and change anything, so use your experiences to make changes for your future. Don't rehash, there is no point. 

     If you continue to look forward, I promise you will be happier. You will be happy focusing on positive aspects of your life. You will be happy appreciating the everyday moments. You will appreciate the hope you have for a brighter future. You will appreciate a brighter future. 

Don't you dare kick into reverse. Glance in your rear-view mirror every so often, but you better make sure you keep a steady press on the gas and keep your eyes on the road to get where you are going. 

-B

Take Some Time for You

     How do you know who you are?

     How do you know what you really feel? How do you know what your own true opinions are? How do you know who you are? It is so easy to become influenced by others about many things. A lot of times, you base your opinions about topics based on what others think because it is easy. It is easier to feel how others feel about situations because it avoids conflict. This is understandable to a certain degree, but what about when that feeling gets lost in the person that you truly are? It can become so easy to lose yourself in the way others think and feel. How can you really find yourself?

     It's easy to say that you know who you are, but the truth is there are many people who don't know who they are and don't even realize that. It's important to take time for yourself to gather your own personal thoughts and feelings. When you get lost in the way your friends or peers think, you lose your own identity and sense of self worth. You become dependent on others which can be harmful to society because you won't be able to think about situations logically. Life becomes a popularity contest, when in reality everything should come down to wrong and right. There is nothing wrong with going into a small "hibernation" with yourself every once in a while so that you can become mentally stable. In fact, I recommend everyone do this. Also,check yourself at the end of every day. Take a look from the outside and ask, "Do I like the person I was today?" If the answer is yes, then think about how you can build onto who you were that day. If the answer is no, think about (and even write down) what you didn't like about yourself that day and brainstorm about how you can fix those things. Don't forget that there is always room for improvement. When you think you are at your best, think about ways you can make yourself even better. Once you get into the mindset of really practicing to be the person you know you are, things will start to look brighter for you. Learn who you are by taking time to get to know yourself, and once you begin to see who you are, project that into society and I guarantee you will gain nothing but positivity and support in return.

-B

Know When It's Time to Make A Change

You Can Always Do Better For Yourself

     The most important thing in life is happiness. So what happens when you suddenly find yourself in a place where you are not happy? You feel confused about your choices and you start to question every little thing that you experience. This can quickly cause your feelings and energy to follow a huge downward slope. What most people fail to realize when they are in this place is that YOU are in control of your own happiness. Do not let others control your mood because it is so easy to allow that to happen.
     For example, one of my friends had been in a relationship for almost a year. During the last few months of the relationship, her and her boyfriend had been on and off constantly. They had broken up and gotten back together at least 4 different times within a few months. Every time they got back together, they were happy for a little while but then they quickly realized that things just were not going to work out. During these last few months, they were confused about their own happiness. When they were apart, they were happy but they missed each other. However, when they were together they were not happy but they were in a place of comfort because each other was all they felt they wanted at the time. I never fully understood why they kept going back to each other because my friend always seemed much happier when she was single. I guess it was the attachment she felt towards her boy and that was okay, but the relationship started to be unhealthy for everyone.
     Finally, the last time they broke up, my friend came to her senses. She realized that she was in control of her own happiness and that the only way she would remain happy was if she did what was right for her. She left him, and even though it was incredibly difficult for her, she has been extremely happy since she left him. I am so proud of my friend for taking control over her own life and I would like for many teens to learn this lesson as well! You should never allow yourself to become stuck in a situation that you know you are not happy in. Like I stated earlier, happiness is the most important part of life, so you should never let someone else take that away from you. YOU are in control, so take control. You can always make changes to your life that will make you happier, so there is no reason not to do so. Don't worry about being judged by others or being pressured into doing something you don't feel right about. Worry about yourself and your own happiness, because that should always come first. 

-B

"Enough Said"

Aaliyah featuring Drake

   It is no secret that Drake is a huge fan of the late singer Aaliyah. On his first album, "Thank Me Later", he sampled one of her songs for "Unforgettable", but this time he has paid respects in an even bigger way. Drake released a remixed version of a song with one of his biggest musical influences of all time. This song is incredibly controversial just because it features Aaliyah, but I absolutely love it. I, myself, am a huge fan of Aaliyah and it is so sad that she has passed so soon. I miss her dearly, and I think that Drake is doing an amazing thing by keeping her music alive... Have a listen to "Enough Said" right here:

-B

It's Contagious

Energy 

     "Positive Energy" has been a major theme in my life recently, and spreading it has been an even bigger objective that I have chosen to challenge myself with. However, when it really comes down to it, spreading positive energy isn't all that challenging. All one has to do is maintain a positive attitude about everything, and others will start to do the same. If one begins to portray negative thoughts and feelings towards a situation, others will eventually catch those same vibes and the energy will continue to feed off onto others. Remember that next time you are faced with a tough situation, no matter what it is. School, work, sports, clubs, friends, family, drama, essays, books- do not stress about a thing. You will be 10 times more likely to be successful if you stay confident and stress-free, and when that energy feeds onto others, the results will be magical. 

Energy is contagious, so let's make it positive,

-B ;)

Stay Triumphant...

The Latest Single and Music Video from Mariah Carey

"Triumphant (Get 'Em)" featuring Rick Ross and Meek Mill

"Can't fall down, stay triumphant, keep on living,

Stay on your toes,

Get off the ropes,

Don't let em ever count you out,

Realize all things are possible,

In your hear who's the greatest,

Reach for the stars,

Be all that you are,

And make em all fall down"

Inspirational, positive, and encouraging. I love it!

Cool song and video!

Stay triumphant,

-Brandon 

You Were Here

What will you do on World Humanitarian Day 2012?
And beyond?

World Humanitarian Day is August 19th...

The most important thing in life is helping others. Let's all be courageous, encouraging, and inspirational...

Visit www.whd-iwashere.org for more info.

We can all do our part to make this world a better place. Lend out a helping hand, be a good friend, raise money for a charity, donate your time to others, and...

Leave your mark,

-Brandon

There Is No Other Option

     Every day I see, hear, and interact with many different people. Whether I am at work, with friends, or even on the Internet, I care about being in contact with others. Something I notice is that everyone has their own story, and everyone wants their story to be heard. We all go through difficult times, and no pain is greater than the other. Some may be going through a break-up, going through a friendship break-up, losing a loved one, dealing with family problems, or any other type of drama, and I am always here for anyone who needs advice. One piece of advice I always give to every single person, no matter what the situation is, is this: You're situation will work out and everything will be fine in the end, because there is no other option. What I mean by that is you don't have a choice but to deal with things so that you can get to a place of happiness, so don't waste time being depressed over something because you just have to understand that one day you will be okay. You won't be sad every day for the rest of your life. Live in the moment, but think of the big picture. Is whatever is bothering you in the moment going to be a big deal to you in 25 years? Most likely, it won't. So enjoy life. Go out with your friends, spend time with your family, love everyone, be crazy, make jokes, laugh, party, be wild, and encourage others to do the same. Life goes on, and so will you. 

Stay Positive, 

-Brandon

Always Count Your Blessings

Ten Things That Make Me Happy


10. Starbucks
Starbucks is incredibly relaxing to me. I go there at least more than three times a week with my friends and I always get a Venti Caramel-Mocha Frappuccino with Extra Caramel Drizzle!

9. My Hair!
This sounds kind of silly, but my hair is me. I always love changing it up and messing with it and doing new things with it. I think over the past year, I have had about 7 different hair styles LOL.
My favorite hair product that I use every single day is Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shaping Cream. Also, thanks to my mom, she is the only one I usually let cut my hair!

8. My Louis Vuitton Wallet

Not only is Louis Vuitton one of my favorite brands in the world, but my wallet holds a great amount of sentimental value to me. In sixth grade, I went to New York City and bought my Louis Vuitton wallet with my own money at the store on 5th Avenue! Many people judged me for that, saying I had no business buying LV so young. To them, I have to say that I still have it, use it every day, and it is still in perfect condition!

7. Houston

I live right outside of Houston, and when ever I go into Downtown, I always have the best time. I love being in the city! There is no other place like Houston!

6. Bentley!

Bentley is my dog that I bought with my own money when I was in 8th grade. I wanted a dog so bad and for the longest time my parents' answer was "No!"... Of course, I talked them into it though. 

5. Music

I don't know how life would be if music didn't exist. I love to listen to anything that sounds good, but my favorite songs always have an amazing beat with emotional vocals and lyrics. 

4. Work

I am obsessed with work. I hate being bored and having nothing to do. I used to work as a model and a model scout, but my most recent jobs include working at Abercrombie Kids and Hollister. I love my job at Hollister and work is so much fun to me!

3. Dreaming

I don't necessarily mean dreaming when I sleep. I mean dreaming about the future. I do this almost daily, and I think it is one of the healthiest things one can do. It keeps one working towards a goal in their future. My ultimate dream is to write best selling books that help people, while owning my own magazine company and living in a penthouse in New York City.

2. Writing

Writing is one of the few things that has the ability to get me through anything whether I am writing fiction or blogs. When I write fiction, I am able to escape real life for a minute and kind of live through characters in a different life. When I write on my blog, my goal is to help other people with problems in their lives and make them feel better. So to know that I am possibly doing that, I feel good. Writing is my passion. 

1. The #1 thing that makes me happy in life is spending time with my friends. 

My friends are EVERYTHING to me. We always have the best time when we all get together and hang out. I can tell them anything, we never hold anything back from each other. We always laugh non-stop too. My friends are just the best. 

Go make a list of what makes you happy in life! This will help you to think more positively about life and you will be able to push away all of the negativity because you will realize how great life is.

Thanks for reading!

-B

High School Dating

Is finding a relationship really what is most important right now?
     We hear those movie-like stories all the time about how couples have been married for years and years after meeting in high school, but are those types of stories caused by searches or just by chance and luck?
In high school, we have so many things to worry about: friends, grades, clubs, sports, jobs, college, etc. So with all of those important activities to tackle, do we really need to be focused on trying to find someone to spend the rest of our lives with? No. Odds are, the person you date in high school will not be the person you end up marrying when you are older. So why waste your time looking for what you most likely will not find when you should be concentrating on setting up your life and future. 
     This is just high school. Relationships are not the most important things. Teens need to start prioritizing grades to get into a good college. After school, the next priority should be having fun with friends. Having fun is the best part of high school and most couples don't know how to balance friends with relationships so they end up wasting those years focusing on one person. 
     For those of you who are in high school and in healthy relationships, I'm not saying that is bad. But you should definitely be aware that balance is the key to success. Don't get so heavily involved with someone that you start to lose your sense of logic. Always follow your heart, but always use your brain also. 

-B

What Is A Best Friend?

A best friend is a friend that you share almost everything with. You tell them almost everything about your life and they accept you for what is good and bad about you. You can always laugh, cry, and get into deep conversations with them. A best friend is someone who always sees your side in a situation, but also tells you what you need to hear. A best friend always has your back no matter what. A best friend should mean the world to you. My best friends do. 

Acknowledge those you support you and see the best in you.

Tell them how much you appreciate them and how much you value their friendship. 

-B

Channel Orange

The New Album from Frank Ocean

Yesterday, Frank Ocean's debut album was released on iTunes (which was a week earlier than the expected release date). Within the passed few weeks there has been a lot of talk about Frank Ocean because he casually came out as a gay man on his blog. For the hip-hop industry, something like this is a major step. There has not been much negative criticism about Ocean for coming out, his peers actually have been openly supporting him. This is what life is about- supporting and encouraging others to be their selves. 

I have listened to Channel Orange a few times since I bought it last night, and this album is simply genius. Frank Ocean can seriously write and sing. Every song on this album has an amazing beat with incredible and emotional lyrics and vocals. That is what makes a good song to me. Some of my favorites are "Thinkin Bout You", "Pilot Jones", "Pyramids", "Lost", and "Forrest Gump".

I really recommend you go buy this album ASAP! You will not regret listening to this musical genius and learning from a positive and sentimental person.

Here is the complete track listing for Channel Orange:

1. Start
2. Thinkin Bout You
3. Fertilizer
4. Sierra Leone
5. Sweet Life
6. Not Just Money
7. Super Rich Kids (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)
8. Pilot Jones
9. Crack Rock
10. Pyramids
11. Lost
12. White (feat. John Mayer)
13. Monks
14. Bad Religion
15. Pink Matter (feat. Andre 3000)
16. Forrest Gump
17. End

Go listen!

-B

Quote Time!

     Okay, I have no idea where this quote came from, but I had it written down on my computer and I absolutley love it and live by it!

"I actively seek out the company of people who inspire me, and willingly shed those who hold me back... I know I must commit to something greater than satisfying the needs of a few people... My greatest reward is to live with integrity."

Thanks to whoever said this! Ha!

-B

Friends Dating Friends...

Being The Third Wheel

     I was asked by one of my friends to write a blog addressing what it is like to be a third wheel and advising those in that situation on what should be done in order to keep the peace...
     So what happens when you know two of your closest friends like each other as more than friends? I'm sure if one is placed in this situation, many questions may run through one's mind... Should I get them together? Should I try to keep them from getting together? Will they ever actually date? How long will they last? When they date, what happens to me? When they are over, what happens to my relationship with each of them? Well, most people have several categories in their brain: Friend, Enemy, Acquaintance, Possible Relationship, Crush, etc... So, when someone has a crush on someone else, they automatically place that person in the "Crush" or "Possible Relationship" category. That person is no longer in the "Friend" category, but you are. Because of that, as the third wheel, one has to realize that one is now in fact the third wheel. The dynamic is totally different, whether one realizes it or not. The person who has the crush on the other friend first no longer sees the situation as "Oh, we're all good friends!". Unfortunately, often times, that person will begin to only focus on the person they have a crush on. This is either because they want something more to happen, or simply because they can't help but focus on that person.
     When the other person realizes that they too have a mutual crush, there is pretty much no turning back, at least for most cases. When your two friends begin to date, most of the time, things will never be the same between all three people involved. The two people in the relationship will understandably want to hang out with each other a lot- alone. That means there is not always going to be that friend time for everyone to just relax and have a chill time. So, as the third wheel, if you speak your mind, two things can happen. Things could change and you could begin to hang out with your dating friends, or nothing can happen and you will stay upset, and you must learn to accept the new situation. The best advice for a third wheel is that if you feel left out, you should have a conversation with your dating friends. In any friendship or relationship in your life, communication is key. That sounds like such a cliche, but it is the truth. You can't expect for things to be fixed or improved if others don't know that you are upset. Always let your friends know your feelings. You may also want to let them know how you feel before they begin to date. This could completely get them thinking about how their relationship will affect others. So, if you begin to hang out with the couple, start bring other people into your group, that way you are never left out and you always have someone to talk to since your dating friends might be too caught up in each other. If your friends don't work to change the fact that you are being left out, then it is best to move on. However difficult this may be (or however difficult you think this may be), you must find other friends. You can't work towards two people who don't value you enough to work towards you.
     The hard part comes into play when your two friends break up. Do you stay friends with both of them? Well, your intentions should always be to stay friends with both people. A lot of times when people break up, they are able to stay friends and be cordial to each other, but sometimes that is not the case. Sometimes exes despise each other so much that they can't even stand to be in the same room with each other. Then what do you do? Stay friends with both of them, especially since you were friends with them before anything even happened. What ever you do, do not choose sides. That will only result in you losing a friendship, which is not what you are trying to do. The absolute best thing you can do after the break up is have a talk with both people, whether they are in the same room at the same time or not. Let each of your friends know that you are not going to take sides and that you fully intend to stay cool with both of them. Most of the time, they will understand and you can maintain good friendships. But sometimes, one or the other, or both, may become jealous and drift away from you. That is just something you are going to have to accept. There comes a time in your friendships when you have to cut your losses and when you have to understand that it is not worth it to work towards a friendship when the other person is not working towards it. That's not fair, and what are you really working for anyway? If someone is not working towards being your friend and keeping things okay with you, then what have you got to lose at that point? You have already lost your friend.
     This post pretty much describes the worst case scenario, but there are times when everything runs smoothly. Some people truly live by the saying, "Once a friend, always a friend". In that case, the only thing your really need to understand is that you are incredibly lucky that the dynamics of your friendships didn't change.
     Good luck to all of my third-wheelers out there, and understand that you are not limited when it comes to friends. Friends can come from everywhere, so just because one of your friendships might end, that doesn't mean you can't find that companionship anywhere else...

Thank you so much for reading, it really does mean a lot to me!

-Brandon

Blind Dates...

Good idea? Or bad idea?
     I would probably never go on a blind date, and at this age, not many of my friends would either...
     The reason I am deciding to write about blind dates is because right now I am at Starbucks with my friend, and there is a boy and a girl sitting on the couches on an apparent blind date.
     So, the girl got here first. She was here for so long that my friend and I began to question why she was here by herself. It was quite awkward. After almost an hour after the girl had been sitting by herself, her blind date showed up. Now, I don't know what his reasoning for being so extremely late to the date was, but apparently she was okay with it. To me, even though I have never been on a blind date, showing up late seems like something one definitely should not do. Maybe he had a good reason though... Or perhaps, she was early.
     Anyway, they seem to be getting along well, despite their difference in appearance. (The blog before this talks about looks and dating, so go read!) They have pretty much just been talking about school and discussing proper subjects one should talk about while on a date. The conversation is staying pretty light, which is a good thing. You never want to get too deep the first time you meet a potential partner because what you talk about could immediately scare them off. Who knows if this relationship will work out for them or turn into anything, but for them the experience is going pretty well so far. According to their body languages, they actually seem quite into each other. If only I knew what was really going on in each of their minds...
     UPDATE! A couple of the guy's friends just walked in... They walked over to the guy and he started talking to his friends, completely ignoring his date, for a good 5-10 minutes. Immediately, the girl's body language took a turn for the worst. Blind Date Nightmare. She looked down at her cup and began to play with the sleeve. It was obvious that she did not know what to do and that she was in a seriously awkward position. After the date-boy's friends walked away, he continued to talk to his date about what he and his friends were discussing. At this point, at least from an outsider's point of view, the girl is majorly not interested. It gets better... The guy began to continue conversations with his guy friends from across the room. The girl was behaving even more awkwardly now. After the guy's friends left the building, the date went back to normal. The date-boy should have introduced her to his friends. However, he probably thought that by doing so, he would have scared the girl away. Also, how would he even introduce her? I guess it can be embarrassing to admit to your friends that you are on a blind date... But it really shouldn't be. Going on one doesn't mean you are desperate!
If you are going to go on a blind date, it is appropriate that you go on them with people that your friends have set you up with and not just random people you meet on the Internet. Obviously, the main reason is because placing yourself in that situation could be dangerous. However, there are several other reasons why you should not go on random blind dates. Your blind date could turn out to be someone completely different than the person they presented his or her self to be on the Internet. Not good if you are only attracted to the person they are on the Internet. 
     I do not suggest that teens go on blind dates. It isn't safe, and dating just really isn't that important! During your teenage years, you should focus mainly on your grades and your friends. Have fun and don't worry about trying to find someone to be in a relationship with... You have your whole life for that!

Thanks for reading,

-Brandon

When Considering Someone To Date...

Do Looks Matter?
     The deep and profound answer to that question would be no, however if looks do matter to you, that doesn't mean you are superficial. When you are looking for someone to date, the first thing you notice is what someone looks like right? If you are going to be in a relationship with someone, you must be attracted to them. If you think that sounds superficial, then read further, because there is an explanation for that statement. Everyone is attracted to different types of people and looks. So what is beautiful to one person, might seem ugly to another. Just as what is ugly to another person, might seem drop dead gorgeous to another. That doesn't leave anybody out. 
     Now, a new question is should looks matter? Well, I can't and won't give a definite answer of yes or no, because I'm not even sure of that answer myself. However, I do think that if you are looking to date someone, you should at least give them a chance, even if you aren't 100% attracted to that person. Once you get to know someone's personality, you might end up becoming more attracted to that person because of who they are on the inside. I definitely don't think that you should rule someone completely out just because you don't like the way they look.

Thanks for reading,

-B

What Have I Been Up To?

Since I Clearly Haven't Been Up To Blogging...

     Every single month, I try to get out as many blogs as possible. Of course, this is dependent on my schedule and my amount of energy to actually think outside of school, but I always try to keep my readers entertained and informed. During the month of May, I took somewhat of a break- I only posted one blog. I guess you can say this is because I completely lost all of my motivation to actually do anything. There were a few scandals I had to deal with at school, and let's just say that I was fully preoccupied. Everything had my attention except for my blog (which has been quite unusual for the past couple of years). Since Day 1 of having this website/blog, I have always claimed to keep things 100% real on here and I have claimed to not allow any topic to be off limits. So, here we go. Let's discuss the events that have occurred in my life that have kept me away from my blog...

     Scandal at School

     Typically, I would never want to put this kind of business out there for the public to see, but the reason I am choosing to do so is because I know I learned a huge lesson from this event. Maybe my readers will learn from it too so that they will not have to make the same mistake... Most people who know me well know that I am a writer and most definitely NOT  a reader. Sometimes I enjoy reading, but I would much rather write. And when I do read, I prefer for it to be on my own terms and not on the terms of a class or teacher. Hopefully some of you can already relate... This past school year (my Junior year), we had to read a book for English class. I was not thrilled about this at all. Therefore, I did not participate. I chose to not read and I planned on passing by asking about the book and learning about it from others instead of from the book itself. About every week or so, we had a quiz over a given amount of pages of the book. I chose to cheat. Every day that we had a quiz, I would simply walk up to my teacher's desk, look at the questions that were on the quiz, and go to the people who did read to ask them if they knew the answers to the questions that would be on the quiz. Every time I went up to my teacher's desk to look at the questions, I chose to not do it discreetly at all. I guess I found it not as wrong to cheat if my teacher knew I was doing so, so that's what I did. Over the multiple times that I looked at the quizzes before anyone else got to see them, my teacher would only smirk at me and not once did she ever reprimand me for my obvious wrong-doings. Because of this, it was clear to me that I would get away with receiving a free 100 on all of my quizzes, until we had a quiz one Monday. I had planned on using the same tactics I had previously used on every other quiz in my English class. However, this time I couldn't find the quiz. My teacher was outside of her room so I decided to dig around and search for the quiz a little bit. I still couldn't find it. So I gave up and went to my desk. I thought to myself, Maybe I can guess and still get some of them right, it's not that big of a deal. Then, my friend entered the classroom. I told her that I was not able to find the quiz on my teacher's desk and that I was going to fail. I figured it was fair enough. I didn't read, so I would basically get what I deserved... Then my friend found the quiz. All of my thoughts of fairness seemed to fly quickly out of the window and my friend ended up taking a picture of the quiz on her phone so that we could look at the questions. The first picture was blurry, so she ran back to my teacher's desk to take another picture. That picture was also blurry. With a quickly decreasing amount of time before the late bell would ring and we would have to begin our quizzes, I desperately thought of a way to get a clear picture. I gave my friend my phone and she ran back, once again, to my teacher's desk to take a picture of the quiz. This picture was perfectly clear. We looked at the questions, we discussed them with the students who actually read, and we found ourselves prepared for the quiz. We took the quiz, and I knew the answer to almost every single question. The quiz took all of the period to complete, and by the time I turned it in to my teacher, I felt a nice sense of accomplishment. I had cheated my way through another quiz. Of course, I shouldn't have felt accomplished because of this, but I did. In my advanced classes, I fall upon the percentage of not-so-smart students. Yes, I am incredibly intelligent, but compared to some of the other students in my classes, I was considered almost stupid. This made me feel like I constantly had to prove myself to others; I was caught up in everyone else's opinions of me. This was sad because I used to preach and preach and preach about how you shouldn't care what others think of you, but I suddenly forgot about all of that. I would do anything to show others that I was smart, and my grades were for sure ways to get my peers to directly see results of my intelligence. So they thought. I pride myself in being real, so how could I have attempted to be so fake? I did not care about being fake or real, I just wanted my peers to view me as if I were on their same levels of intelligence. This is why I found cheating to not be so bad. After class, I walked to my truck in the parking lot and before I could even remember where I parked, I got a phone call. It was a call from my friend in English class, the same friend who helped me cheat during the quiz I had taken only minutes before. My friend told me that after class, she had to go back to the classroom because she forgot something. Well, when she got back into the classroom, my teacher approached my friend with news that she was aware of our cheating. Our teacher told my friend that she was informed by other students in our class that we had taken a picture of the quiz and that we cheated. My heart dropped when my friend told me this, and I quickly tried to think of what I could do to make the situation better. There was nothing I could do. I went home and went about my evening as if nothing had gone wrong that day. Perhaps the situation would just fade away. I shouldn't have thought this way, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't help it especially because the next day during English class, my teacher didn't even say one word to me about what she had found out. I thought the whole thing might just blow over, so I decided to keep my mouth shut. Well, the next day came and I had started to hear things. None of these things came from my teacher's mouth to my ears. I began hearing from my close friends that my English teacher was talking to her other classes about my cheating. Oh hell no, I thought. As most of my friends can probably visualize, I began to lose it. My eyes got big and I just wanted to burst out of control because of my sudden anger towards the fact that someone was spreading my business around. My friends were always quick to inform me that my teacher wasn't mentioning my name to her other students, but I did not care about that. My peers were smart enough to put 2 and 2 together, and what made the situation worse for me was knowing that she knew they would be smart enough to put the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out that I was the one my teacher was talking about. I felt betrayed by my teacher who I used to get along with so well. I tried to reason why she would be acting this way, and I discovered a likely possibility: She felt betrayed as well. What I did was sneaky. How could I go behind my teacher's back like that? She had so much trust in me (so I thought), and now every ounce of it was gone. Then, I thought some more. Does she really even have the right to feel betrayed? She had known that I was cheating on all of these quizzes. There's no way she didn't know. There had even been a time when I was looking at the questions before I was supposed to and she asked me what I was doing and I told her with out hiding anything about my actions! If there was a time for my teacher to feel betrayed, it should have been the very first time I walked up to her desk to cheat. I was over that moment of sympathy very quickly. However, I still knew that what I did was wrong. But I still didn't think being gossiped about by an adult was proper punishment either. A day after I heard of my teacher's gossiping, I had her class again. I thought that she would mention something to me for sure that day. I was wrong. She didn't say one word about cheating to my entire class. When I got home that day, I couldn't take it anymore. I hate being in a place of "I don't know", and that is exactly the place I was in. I decided to come clean to my teacher about the situation, even though she already knew. I'm not sure if she knew that I knew that she knew, but I decided to own up to my mistake and sincerely apologize for it. I wrote her an email explaining what I had done and describing just how sorry I was for betraying her (even though I felt it was a little unfair for her to play the "betrayed" card). Within minutes, she responded with "Thanks for the admission". She went on to tell me that she was still trying to decide how she would handle the situation. Okay great. I'll take it for now. That means there is still hope. Oh, how I was wrong... Friday, my teacher announced that we would be grading our quizzes. She handed them back, and everyone got their quizzes except for my friend and I. She chose a student to read the key out loud while she took my friend and I into a separate room. I thought she was just going to talk to us about how disappointed she was and how wrong it was for us to do what we did. Oh, how I was wrong. My teacher told us that what we did was wrong, and she knew that we knew that. Then she went on to say that because we cheated in front of the whole class and because the situation became that of a very public one, she felt almost forced to follow through with complete disciplinary action. Okay, I can take it, I thought. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks. My teacher told my friend and I that that disciplinary action would include a possible removal from the National Honors Society club, a zero on the quiz, and a notification to our principals of the situation which would result in either detention or in-school-suspension. Oh! And she threw in that this incident would be placed on our record. I was furious. I could have flipped over every desk in that room and ripped off the paint from the cheap walls with my bare hands, but I stayed calm. I stared off into the distance and remained completely silent. This was unusual behavior for me. I would have usually lashed out and spoke my mind, but I just wanted the situation to be over with, so I kept quiet. My friend tried to reason with my teacher, but my teacher's actions showed me the true type of person she was, so I found that arguing was not worth a thing. Immediately after school ended, I called my mom and told her about the situation. Yes, I was told that what I did was wrong, but I was not in deep trouble at home. Maybe this was because I had already experienced a lot of punishment by not knowing the "outcome" of my situation for a week. Or maybe it was because I had already experienced punishment by my teacher gossiping about me to my already judgmental peers. What ever the case may be, I was reassured that yes, I was wrong- but I was not the only person who was wrong in the situation. To cut a long story a tad bit short, over the next few weeks, I was exhausted. I was exhausted because of several reasons. I felt betrayed by my teacher. I felt betrayed by my peers who had told on me. I felt betrayed by the students that told my teacher they "saw the picture of the quiz" when they know for a fact they did not. I had deleted the pictured the day we took the quiz and did not send it to anyone. I had English last period, there was no reason for me to send it to anybody! Anyway, I was exhausted. My teacher and many others were just keeping me in the dark. No one was telling me anything regarding my upcoming punishment or anything. I couldn't handle being in that place of "I don't know" and I felt extremely unmotivated to do absolutely anything. I deserved to be punished for my cheating, but I did not deserve to be kept in the dark like this. I'm not sure if anybody (including my teacher) knew exactly the toll this whole situation was taking on me. Or did they? The answer to that became even more unclear when we had a National Honors Society meeting about a week after my incident became public. I was not kicked out yet, so of course I attended the mandatory meeting. The meeting went well, until the very end of it when my English teacher decided to share some words. She talked to a huge lecture hall full of students about how wrong it was to cheat. She said that as people who were a part of National Honors Society, we should not try to cheat our teachers and our fellow students out of a grade. She went on to say that cheating was a very dishonorable thing for someone to do and that Honors Society was for honorable people. Did she just imply that I am not an honorable person because I cheat on quizzes even though she used to seem to not care that I did so? Yes. What a confusing point of view my teacher seemed to have. When these statements were made in front of some of my most intellectual peers, it seemed as if everyone was looking at me and my friend. They knew exactly why my English teacher had said what she said. This was absolutely humiliating. Was she just trying to bring me down now? Who knows... A couple weeks later, my friend and I had meetings with "officials" and we were both kicked out of Honor's Society. We also received a certain amount of detentions, but I was pretty okay with the outcome. I was just glad it was over. So to get back to the point of this story, this situation kept me in the dark for the whole month of May. Yes what I did was wrong and I should have never felt anything positive towards that action, but I did not deserve to be kept in the dark and I did not deserve to be humiliated. The moral of this story? Don't cheat. Cheating just is not worth it and I would never wish what I went through because of it upon anybody. But, when you do slip up and make a mistake (not necessarily cheating), own up to it. That is the only thing you can do to try to make the situation better. I learned a lot from this experience and overall, I guess I am glad it happened to me. I did not cheat for the rest of the school year, nor do I plan on doing so for the rest of my school career. 

     

    Work

     I have an amazing job at the mall that has also been keeping me busy. I love working where I work. My coworkers are completely amazing and what I do is enough to keep me thinking while occasionally getting the opportunity to stay social with people who are incredible and fun to be around. My job really remains sure to keep me busy, but I love it. I hate sitting around and not doing anything at all, it just isn't productive to do so. 

     So school and work are pretty much the main two reasons why I have been missing from my blog for the past month or so... But don't worry. The writing portions of my brain and soul have been fully rested and I am more than ready to dive back into this passion of mine. I never contemplated giving up my blog or not... So here's to the future of my website. It will only get better from here!

I really hope that you all learned something from my story about cheating. I did not write it to put anybody on blast or to blame anybody else for my actions. I just hope that at least one person out there reading this will learn from my mistake. If that occurs, I will have done my job.

Thanks for reading, 

-B