Goofy

So Im sitting here working on photo editing stuff and looking through pictures of friends in the past and some from recent like New Years and Halloween. I realized something all my friends and I have in common. We are all awesomely goofy. We all act crazy and do odd things that make most people look at us oddly like Steve in the picture.

I think of all the times spent with Melissa and the odd and off the wall things we have done, like sitting on the sidewalk in front of my parents house playing with sidewalk chalk and wooden blocks, or spending 8 hours one night coming up with random and odd situations about a guy we worked with. Or even getting somewhat yelled at in a training.

I don’t think I would have half as much fun with my friends if we didn’t act as goofy as we do, like Josh having a British accent, Crissy being idk what she was, and Tom being Sean Connery during Dirty Minds. The game still would have been fun, but them randomly adding accents to it made it even more fun. We could be doing nothing and still have a good time and carry on.

I think about some of my other friends whom I have lost over the years and I try to figure out why we seemed to have drift apart and wonder if it’s because that goofy random quality was missing?

Sisterly Thanks

Yep that time again for me to give thanks to someone special in my life.  Someone who has made a great impact even if he doesn’t realize that.  Growing up the only person my age I talked to or interacted with was my brother.  People keep asking if we are twins, though we are not.  When I sit down and think about my brother and the fun times we’ve had, I realized…I would be lost without my brother in my life.  So here’s a giant sized thank  you to my brother:

Watching over me while growing up

Listening me rant when you’d rather do something else

Trying to get to me to do new things with you

Being strong-willed and kindhearted

Calling everyday during my treatments just to say hi

Making me laugh whenever I’d cry

Being completely random :D

Being an example of hardwork and dedication

Getting me to experience another culture through music and  literature (manga)

Supporting me through any decision I make

Protecting me whenever someone tried to hurt me

When I decided to do my weekly thanks, I set restrictions for myself that it would be 10 things that I am thankful.  But now that I am doing people I am thankful for it is hard to restrict everything to 10 things.  I could go on for 10 more.  When it comes down to it, I am thankful for everything my brother is and has done.  I am proud to say that I am his sister.

Losing Compassion

As I said earlier this week, I am now a substitute teacher in the city of Pittsburgh as well as being a TSS.  While a TSS I witness many different things including other TSS’s within my company and another completely losing compassion for the children we work with.  People give up on the kids or move on to a different job and just leave the kids, without saying good-bye.  I have a hard time understanding this.  I was upset almost to tears because I couldn’t tell one of my clients good-bye and explain to her why I was leaving.  I kept one because I don’t have the heart to leave her.  She has had so many people up and leave her, so I am staying on which means I will drive to Washington for two hours and then come back home twice a week .  Its worth it to me if I help her.

While subbing I have also seen the lose of compassion for the students.  Some teachers just take off and not leave work for the subs to give the students.  Many schools don’t even have a full time teacher for some classes.  If there is no sub for the day then the students get shuffled around to other classes, just to give them a place to go during that period.  Some students have said they haven’t learned anything in almost a month because a specific teacher has been out for much of that time.  It’s sad that many of the kids get the brush off because some teachers are ill or some just simply don’t care about the kids.

I am seeing more and more people loss compassion.  They don’t care about anyone else.  There are so many jobs in residential homes that don’t require a degree and many people won’t go for those jobs because they “don’t do diapers” or won’t work shifts, or don’t want to deal with some of the stereotypes of residential homes.  Sure there are some that are dangerous but there are others.  Where has all the compassion gone?  Why are we now only looking out for number 1?  People are always saying the believe in this this and that, but when it comes down to standing up for those believes they back down like a dog with his tail between his legs.

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear

As most of you know I have gotten a job and I have started it this week: monday was my first day.  Many people who have heard that I am subbing for the Pittsburgh Public Schools have told me horror stories.  I subbed (or rather subbing) at a school in Oakland, close to Carlow University and PITT.  When going to any school you never know what to expect; other than typical high school stuff and that is what I have seen among other things.

Monday I wasn’t given anything to do with the kids such as worksheets or review anything.  Nothing.  What surprised me is many of the kids in the classes I had were incredibly upset about it.  Some asked if they could do homework for other classes so they could be constructive.  Others complained that they weren’t learning anything new and voiced their anger about it.  The rest of the week the school staff including another math teacher helped get me things to give them to work on for the period, so that helped.

I admit I was a little weary about my first day especially with the school I am at.  I have heard many things from other people about the school, and I didn’t realize it was this one until I seen a friend  here.  While this school’s students may have a bad reputation or rather the city having a bad reputation.  I have seen normal teenagers trying to find acceptance, education, friendship, and more.  I think we are too quick to pass judgment.  People tell me to be careful because the kids in Pittsburgh schools are violent…I have not seen any more violence in the city schools that I haven’t seen in country schools.  I think people think “the big city” is a dangerous place with drugs , violence and alcohol.  Its the same wherever you go.  Can’t believe everything you hear.

New Year Expectations

Here it is the fourth day of the new year.  Has anyone begun their resolutions they have set for this year?  Or is it the thinking that “I have all year” to do things that would “improve” the way we live?  I don’t know what this year has in store for me, no body does.  I am excited to see what blessings will come and lessons I will learn throughout the year.  I also worry about what struggles may arise during this new year.  Last year was definitely a year of surprises, some good and some well not so good.  No one can expect to always have good things happening in their lives.  We don’t need to expect the bad, but prepare ourselves in knowing that struggles may appear throughout the year.

Every year we all start it off thinking “yes this year will be the best year.”  “this year is going to be the year I do …… and ……” whatever the …… maybe, how many of us are able to say that we have done everything we set out to do that year?  We never think “okay this will be a good year, but along with the good there is bound to be some bad.”

I didn’t expect some of the struggles I had last year or the good for that matter.  There is no real way of preparing yourself for the unexpected whether it is a loss of a job or the death of a family member, or even something minor like the loss of a friendship.  I grieve over the loss of many of my friends, some new and some old.  I have no clue what will present itself throughout the new year but I anticipate it and look forward to anything life has to throw at me this year.  Lets hope I can handle it with God’s help.

Death Notes

I have been reading some manga that my brother wanted me to read, and then anime that goes with it called Death Note.  Basically is about Death Gods who have note books that they write people’s names in and well the people die.  In this manga, a Death god: Ryuk gets bored and drops his notebook into the human world.  A young man Light Yagami picks it up and decides to use it to kill the criminals and make the world free of crime.  But…what he is doing is considered murder and the serial killer is name “kira” and is investigated by the world’s best detective L.  The story goes on and on; a few twists and turns are thrown into it.

I got to thinking.  What if something like that existed?  What if the Angels of Death had lets say a list of people that are supposed to die and it somehow gets found by a human.  Would we have enough faith to understand the complexities of it, or are we going to be greedy little buggers and use it to our own personal gain like several characters in the series?  The idea that I am going with are even the most innocent of people…capable of killing other people “for the sake of the world” like Light? or will we try to just make our own lives better?

New Years

This year we spent New Years with Tom’s friends (and mine  now) we had a great time.  At one point Josh acquired a British accent and Tom was Sean Connery.  There was much food and good cheer spread even Jack joined the party by hiding under the tree (bungo kitty).  The girls even dressed up in sexy dresses and I looked good haha.

There were times when I just sat back watching Tom and was so thankful that I found him.  I finally got to ring in the new year with someone who honestly loves me and I love him dearly.  While I watched him interact with his friends and I interacted with the girls (three of us tried to have girl-talk but the boys interrupted) I realized how important ringing in the new year with him was.  2010 wasn’t the year I expected it to be and Tom was my blessing this year.  Giving him that kiss at midnight was the best (not that our kisses havent been amazing) there is something about kissing the person you love the most at midnight romantic and special.

It was cuter when I laid on the couch and he was “petting” my head while he was asleep.  He did not remember any of this when I told him the next day.  But it seems I cannot put into words how special and amazing this year was for me.  I didn’t realize it until Friday Night.