Can you let me talk?

There are some people who feel inclined predominating conversations. We all know for a fact that conversations are intended for two or more people to participate in. It is like being in a tennis match; as you hit the ball to your opponent, you expect a response from the offense. Therefore, it is absolutely provoking when only one person is leading it. It does not reckon with the other person to speak their mind.

One night, at a family gathering, I was settled at a dining table, sitting quietly with the adults as the area was encircled by laughter and chattering. There was a familiar face who was seated beside me. I did not know her personally but I remember my mum telling me about her before. She is a year older, but seeing her in person for the first time, she appeared younger than her actual age.

“Hi there” she suddenly accosted.

I was startled; I did not expect her to talk to me at all. Although, I appreciated the fact that she was very friendly because I did not know how to address her.

“Hi” I shyly replied.

She beamed an amiable smile and introduced herself.

I began to ask her questions about her school, her interests, and her social life; just for the purpose of having a topic. She acknowledged the effort I was making and she became more loose-lipped. After a while, as our conversation progressed, I was beginning to feel slightly omitted. Through out the duration, she merely talked about herself. Even if I did not ask, she continued to share all of her stories.

Also, whenever I would interject a comment or a story in the discussion, she seems to disregard it. Her actions showed her lack of interest in what I wanted to say. It is quite irritating because the conversation seems to revolve around her. Her excessive talking is utterly overwhelming. As if the words she had delivered are far too large for my brain to consume and process. I was starting to wonder whether she knew what she was doing or she was purposely trying to shut me up.

However, I did not get a chance to express what I wanted to say or even confront her for her behavior  I did not want to make an assumption that she was being egoistic. It was not her personality that I disliked, but her behavior during that time.

As it was an aggravating experience, there are many reasons why people are so immersed in one-sided conversations. It could perhaps be because of the person’s need to drive the conversation into a direction they want to go to; Or just to seek for more attention. Or for the reason of a person going through something we are not aware of may cause them to act a certain way. 

Yet this kind of conduct solely displays a rude manner to the other person. After all, it is expected for people to contribute equally in conversations. 

"I love you." Oh, REALLY?

We speak of love so casually as though we’re mentioning the norm: the bitterly cold temperature in winter, about what time it is, or perhaps how sleepy we are after a long day of school. We were taught how the word is spelled and pronounced, but not what it truly means. As a result, we feel entitled to look for it. I guess we can find love in strange places. However, only a few of them lasts long – or worse, actually means it. Although, just because you can say it whenever you like, it doesn’t mean you should.

Once during the summer time, I was heading home from my volunteer work when the word “love” first appealed to me. More often than not I shut myself away from the world by listening to music – I go inside the bus, greet the driver, pay the fare, find a place to sit, and put my earphones back on. Although, this time, I escaped the familiarity by pausing the music. I started listening – not to songs, but real voices rather. There were arguments, gossips, and chats. However, there was only one thing that resonated in me the loudest. Two people were sitting in front of me, and I couldn’t help but to overhear their conversation. Both of them seemed really young.  “Hey, listen to me. I love you,” the boy said to the girl sitting next to him. He seemed surprise because of how loud it sounded, so he lowered his voice and the next words came out as a whisper. Still, our distance was enough for me to hear him.  “I know I’ve only known you for a week, but I really do.”

“Really?” the girl responded, her voice mixed with joy. “Uh, I love you too!” 
“I love you more!”

At first I didn’t mind, until my veins went on the verge of exploding as they continued to exchange love confessions during the entire bus trip. I suffered silently. 

Since then, I started questioning what love truly is. Their words, even though weren’t meant for me, lead me to begin asking myself how they could easily be said without the fear that the love might falter the moment after they were spoken. Perhaps I share a different perspective as everyone else, for I have never accepted love, let alone have said the words directly to anybody before. Still, the idea never stopped haunting me and I started hearing the same thing everywhere. It continued for days.

Almost a week after the first encounter, I saw the boy once again. However, the person he was with was different from the last time. I heard him mutter the same words.

In that moment, the word ‘love’ resonated in me, all over, as though the first hit wasn’t enough. Eventually I started doubting the existence of it, until it was only just a word. As I heard it repeatedly, the meaning of love I imprinted to myself started to fade away. As a person who has never embraced love, it's very upsetting how the word ‘love’ has been ruined for me.  We continue to abuse the word by saying it repeatedly, even during the times we mean them the least. Until now I look for what it truly means, but I know someday I may eventually wonder if there will be something left for me to find still.

Love is a very strong word, and it pains me how we toss it around so carelessly. I believe the resonance of the said word ought to be sacred and not spoken all the time – especially when you don’t mean them at all. Two beings that communicate and understand each other through the language of the eyes will never mar the ecstasy of the feeling. Love, if has been said many times, will cause the feeling to diminish eventually.

Perhaps you can do all of us a favor and don't ruin it, please. 
(Also, if you're planning to be all lovey-dovey, just get a room.)

High life

Underage smoking is one of the major health concerns facing our country today. This heinous act not only effects the perpetrator, but also children, men, woman, and the elderly alike. This act only leads to the downfall of any who come into contact with it. As well this addiction is a life long struggle based on the need to fit in that provides no benefit. Outside of the school doors, teenagers anywhere from 14 to 18 years of age spend countless hours smoking cigarettes and marijuana. On several occasions, I have witnessed 14 year old children smoking cigarettes in plain sight. This too during school hours. In one instance, a mother and her four month old baby were walking on the sidewalk. The perpetrators did not consider to move out of the way nor did they halt their activity for a few measly seconds to prevent damage to the baby or as a sign of common courtesy. I have not addressed these individuals as I know they have seen numerous presentations and have been spoken to by administration countless times. Many tactics are used to halt these addictions, but go by unheard to many. The grip nicotine has on many teenagers is too strong to be broken by the early signs of drug abuse. Cigarettes contain over 4000 chemicals in which the majority of them cause cancer. Second hand smoke kills between 1100-7800 innocent Canadians every year. I believe the reason most teenagers decide to take up smoking is to fit in. In high school, there are many cliques. Each with it's own specific requirement. I feel that many whom do not fit this criteria tend to find an alternate source for support. These individuals may understand that it is very dangerous and destructive to smoke but know that if they do not participate, they will be ostracized from the group. I have come to the realization that these underage smokers are around the substance so often that they begin to forget that others are bothered by it's cancer causing toxins. I also think that many smokers fail to realize that they have a filter while the rest of the world does not. The cause of this addiction could be linked to early exposer from parents or older friends and/or siblings. It could also be as simple as the primal need to become accepted by others. A suitable approach to dealing with this epidemic is to create an enjoyable and energetic feel for students at school. This would lead to a more pleasant and inclusive feel for everyone. Along with providing nicotine patches such as nicorette to students whom are attending a support group and are working through cold turkey symptoms. To conclude, Underage smoking adversely effects everyone but with a proper approach that includes everyone and provides support for those involved, this health epidemic can be diverted.

I blame the media

Young girls are growing up with a more negative body image than ever before and this is something I see everywhere, all the time time, but mainly on the Internet and it's ridiculous. Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and many more sites are filled with hundreds of posts each day by girls who have been hypnotized by the media, complaining and worrying about their weight. When I see posts shared by friends and sometimes even strangers, of photos of what they would want to look like, or Ben an update on how much weight they lost, instantly throws a bunch of negative thoughts into my head. Now I have become hypnotized, I'm complaining, and worrying.I remember scrolling through my twitter feeds one day and coming across a tweet with a picture attached. It was of a girl, possibly a model. By the looks of it I was guessing she was probably, 5 foot nothing, less than 100 pounds, and I'm 110% sure it was a bit photo shopped. But anyway, the picture was to show what their goal is too look like in the near future. I actually cringed when the photo fully uploaded.I've never addressed a person directly about this kind of thing because it's a very touchy subject and I've also never knew anyone well enough to say something. The reply I'd probably get would be to mind my own business but...that's understandable. Although I know even if someone close to me had an issue like this and I gave my opinion or try to give some advice, they wouldn't listen because the media has full control over them, or like I said before, hypnotized.Commercial messages from advertising billboards, television commercials and magazines get inside the girls' brain and tells them they need to be slimmer and prettier. That is why I try to avoid magazines and any websites that involve celebrities.
In a recent research they have found that by the age of seven, 70 percent of girls want to be thinner. By nine, half have been on a diet, and for girls between the ages of 11 to 17, it's their number one wish in life. Maybe if they stopped having so many stick mannequins in every clothing store, and didn't play a Victoria's Secret commercial every commercial break, the percentages would go down. OK...that sounds silly, but you have to admit, it would help. The skinny seen in the media is computer generated. Stop displaying things that aren't real.

Bad Manners

Almost everyday of my life, I always come across and encounter groups of teenagers and some adults who don't have common sense and don't really care about anyone that approaches them whether they're a student or one of the teachers working in the school. They will start to disrespect anyone that comes close to them like they own the spot around the seaford main entrance where they all hangout. Every time I walk pass that area, they're always there giving me the looks, like they want to start a fight or something. I keep telling to myself, "What in the world is wrong with this people.""Don't they anything to do besides standing there like a bunch of outsiders trying to fit in!?" Not a very long time ago, another group of very young teenagers started engaging to this kind behavior. This time it's in the Maples main entrance. They usually block the doors during school breaks, lunch, and after school. It seems like as weeks pass by people with this kind of behavior keeps on adding up like there are no solutions for it to decrease whatsoever. And addressing this issue to them personally, will just make things a whole lot worst because I've seen some people address this issue before and they all fail of doing so. Maybe why people engage to this kind if behavior is that they think no one will care about it and that it's the right thing for them to just stand there and block but in reality thats not the case. With the crowded hallways that we have in this school (Maples Collegiate), many people including me would think that this problem would just add up to an even more bigger problem which needs to be dealt with. The people that are doing this kind of behavior are not completely aware that what they're doing is bothersome to others because if they are then they will stop doing it before this issue starts to arose. I think one of the main factors why people might foster with this kind of behavior are the people itself. Their colleagues might think thats it's appropriate for them to do this kind of behavior so they join them and make things a whole lot worst. People might feel that they don't have to do anything to change this kind of behavior which is the the wrong thing to do because they know that they're bothersome to others and the people around them could say the same thing to them.

Cell Phone users while driving !!

Cell phones users are one of the biggest pet peeves that many people have these days. So many people are either loud or rude on cell phones in public or use them while driving, and why don't some people insist on trying to eat a meal on Plate with a fork while driving too. On the other hand there are some drivers who put the phones on their ears and then drive like "hello Sir, you are not a ninja " and then they forgets to give the directions and met in an accident or end up hitting someone else's car.  A week ago I went out with my cousins and noticed that they were;continuously texting on the phone while driving, one of my cousin who was driving the car was texting and talking over the phone, it was too dangerous, my heart was pumping out as he wasn't driving the way he should , he was completely distracted , even tho his hands were moving but those hands were not being used for driving they were being used for texting , he was completely lost in his phone. I would say cell phones are important, they can even save a person's life when he or she is in trouble but on the other side it can even take a person's life back from it if they keep on texting and calling their buddies while driving.  Nowadays the world is getting more new technology where there are the bluetooth in the cars and a person can talk over the phone without keeping the phone on their ears. People say that's a great idea but I think it's still the same as when a person is driving he or she should concentrate on the roads, the directions but if they are using bluetooth for talking over the phone still they are getting distracted, they are not completely concentrating on driving. I have seen a lot of people texting or talking over the phone while driving , those people are even educated , they even read the newspapers and watch news daily, they even know that most of the accidents occur while driving, they even try to correct the other person but when it comes to themselves they end up talking over the phone or texting and hence becomes uneducated and unknown. 

Need a gas mask?

Society frowns upon people harming other people. Well, in this case it seems that society does not frown upon smokers who smoke in public places, who potentially are doing harm in long run. It's not like people are outside spreading toxic gases like it's not a big deal like smokers do on a daily basis.  It irks me that I have chosen to live a healthy, and smoke free life but whenever I want to go to a public place there are usually smokers, puffing their life away.  An example of a case that irks me would have to be the time when my family and I decided to go to a park to enjoy some fresh air, and sunshine. However that was not the case because  there was a group of smokers, smoking their life away. You may be thinking that since it's a park everyone should be spread out amongst themselves. But no that was not the case I felt like there was a visible cloud of smoke from the huddling smokers, and as my family got farther and farther away from them it seemed like they began to get closer and closer. Another time would be when I was walking towards the mall when I was attacked with the toxic smell of cigarette smoke. I could feel as if my asthmatic lungs were getting smaller and smaller the closer I got to the entrance. Typically, whenever I see a smoker I cough obnoxiously to get their attention. However this time I noticed that the person smoking was with a child, so as a quick response I told the smoker "you shouldn't be smoking here" but the smoker's response was just "shut up". It's people like this who have the audacity to just put me aside like one of their done cigarettes.  I understand that smoking is highly addictive, and is considered a hobby for some. But there are many other things to do, and things to spend your money on. There are also many treatment options available.  I believe that some people cannot help but satisfy a craving, and mean no harm. But other smokers know it's bothersome, and what they are doing has many effects towards themselves and the people around them. It leaves the smoker in poor health and quite frankly, smelly.  Smoking does not just pollute our lungs, but it also contributes to the liter on our street. Many smokers believe that sidewalks are their ashtrays and can just throw their done cigarette on the ground.  There are countless people on this world who are selfish enough to have other people's health at risk whenever they smoke in public, and I think this needs to be taken seriously. So next time you crave, and want to smoke a cigarette. Look around you, and rethink that decision.