Remember Where You Came From

Looking back on my life, I would say that there are two things that have defined me most: My family, and my faith.

My Dad always says, "Remember where you came from." The family that I come from has basically defined who I am.

My family loves to spend time together, whether it just be eating supper together or going on a trip together. Now, with a family of six, it gets super busy. My sister goes to university, my other sister has a job, and my brother plays rep hockey, and I figure skate and play school sports, and with all these activities things get pretty hectic, so all of us eating supper together has become a rarity. Since family time is limited during the year, every Christmas and summer we try to go on a trip together, just our family, and we always have an awesome time.

My family is always there for me to rely on if I need them. They're also the ones that call me out when I'm doing something I shouldn't be doing, and the keep my accountable.My parents have also passed something onto me which I cherish, my faith.

I'm a Christian, and that basically keeps me grounded. Because of my faith, I've chosen not to do "bad" stuff like smoking and drinking. Also, I've realized that their is no point to life without a relationship with God. What's the point in living if you're not thriving towards a goal, like bringing people to Christ?

Another way my faith has defined me is how it has dictated who my friends are. Sure, I have friends who aren't Christian, but when I think of my absolute closest friends. They are all Christians. Coincidence? I don't even believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason with God.

So throughout my whole life, the things that have ultimately define me are God and my Family. And i love them both. :)

The "People" of our Pop Culture

Have you ever noticed how our society is obsessed with celebrities? There are countless magazines and websites that we read to learn anything about celebrities that we want, like People, US, Star, and Perez Hilton, to name a few. Some people are religious about knowing everything about their favourite celebs, and always feel the need to check these websites and read these magazines.

Realistically, how is knowing what Victoria Beckham eats in a day, or where Chase Crawford was shopping really going to help you in your life? Some articles in these magazines are so completely useless, and even at times, completely untrue. I've probably heard that Britney Spears is pregnant about 5 times in the past year, and so far there's been no baby!

I myself will admit something; I am a reformed celebrity junky. I am one of those people that checked Perez Hilton's website daily, and always read People when I got the chance. My sister used to make fun of me and say that it was like I knew the celebrities, like i was their friend or something. After a while, I just got really bored of reading about the usual pregnancy and divorce rumours.

The magazines and tabloids aren't even fair to the celebrities. It must be hard for a marriage when magazines have reported that you've been getting a divorce ten times. One family that was really torn apart was the Gosselins, from the TV show Jon and Kate Plus Eight. They have a TV show where cameras follow them around everyday of their life, and that makes a show. They used to be a wholesome family that people looked up to, that is until the parents decided to get a divorce as a result of being ripped to shreds in the tabloids. Now the husband, Jon, is doing anything he can to get attention, from lying in interviews to dating a girl ten years younger than him.

Overall, I think that society needs to stop idolizing celebrities so much and just give them a break. We don't absolutely NEED to know everything about them. Oh, and by the way, did you hear about Miley Cyrus's new boyfriend? haha

Highschool Prejudices

Recently in my English class, we read the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and it go me thinking about the different prejudices in my school that I experience everyday.

To start, I kind of think of the Mennonite community as the Tom Robinsons or the Boo Radleys of the school. For the most part they are innocent and generally nice people as a whole, but are the brunt of many jokes as a result of the clothes they wear, and their overall demeanor.

Next, there are the "Ewells" of the school, commonly known as greasers or losers. They have their own friends, style, lunch table, and generally stick to themselves. They are often ignored by the so called popular crowd in classes, but it seems like they like it that way. Are these people being prejudiced against, or is it their own fault that people treat them this way? Do they truly like it that way?

Finally, there are the Jem and Scouts of the school. The "popular" people. They too have their own lunch table, wear brand name clothes, and are all about the social life. They are the ones who's jokes always get laughed at in class, who get comforted when they are down, and are known by most people in their grade. I don't think that these people deal with much prejudice, but that's my opinion. I know that there are definitely people in this group that are prejudiced against by other people within the group, more than people outside the group. These people may be treated differently because of their clothes, how hard they try at school, or who their friends outside the group are. This is just not fair.

Overall, I tend to try not to join any of these groups, simply to avoid labels. In some ways, I think by not joining other groups, I'm starting a new group. I haven't felt that I have experienced any prejudice, but there is also nothing about me that really sets me apart from other people in the world. I am a white Caucasian who wears brand name clothes. I have basically conformed to society, without meaning to. I don't think that I have done it to avoid prejudice, but maybe I have subconsciously. Just something for me to think about.