For the first time in the history, young people are predicted to not outlive their parents. Yes, it’s us! We are the generation of high-tech gadgets, yet we cannot even get our nutrition right. We won’t advance further than our parents in education either because our rate of graduating college or even attending one is stagnating. Ironically, although this is the age of information, few of us are taking advantage of the liquidity of information to live more healthily. This is the result of a number of factors that we can change. We are earning on average less than the typical Americans a decade ago. This is a wake-up call! When policy makers take too long to figure out their politics or the gridlock in their governing system, each of us can do ourselves a favor by starting educating ourselves, reading more books, keeping up with what’s going on so that we can make the right decisions and refute the current predictions of our generation.
- Phy
Archive for the ‘The Real World’ Category
We Are The Change
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Home of the Outcasts
Monday, October 10th, 2011
Outcasts, druggies, whørëš: these were all names that were used for us teens that stayed in a group home. It was only a few days ago that I had lost myself, let someone else take advantage of me. It took me until I was expelled from school and home to realize that what I was in was an abusive relationship. I had lost all of my self-esteem; I didn’t know who I was at the time. In this group home there were about 10 of us, each one with our own set of issues. During my time I managed to cope slowly with all the pain I had inside me. It took a lot of strength but I pulled through. Every now and then one of us would go and someone else would come and replace them. As time went on ,I would have 1 hour every so often to talk to my friends on the phone, and my best friend would tell me what was going on in the school. Once I finished my time, I went back home. I felt better and was more capable of doing things. The suspension continued and I went in a program that helped me profoundly with my schoolwork, but it wasn’t enough. My grades dropped massively, and my friends began to talk to me less and less. Two months after no school, being back from the group home, and going thru two school board hearings, I finally received my letter…
- Stefannie
True Friend
Friday, October 7th, 2011
In my freshman year, it was the most difficult time of my life. I had discovered that we were getting eviction notices and I had now gotten myself in an abusive relationship. What was worse is that I didn’t know who to turn too. This was when I met my new best friend, and although many people wouldn’t have approved, I did become friends with him. He was gay and I knew it. I had seen him around before in school but somehow we began talking and soon enough we became best friends. We began to keep a journal together. It was so special to me. He would help me cope with my situation, and try to deter me from it as well. Many times I wouldn’t listen to him and I ended up drowning myself in troubles. It got worse and worse but he was always there for me and I was there for him when he needed me. I would go over my mistakes just to meet him all over again. His friendship is something I will never forget. The one most significant moment of our friendship was when I was expelled in from my high school that freshman year, and I ended up in a group home. That is when I needed him most.
- Stefannie
Poverty Lane
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
I remember when I read the first eviction notice that my mom was keeping from me. I was only 13 at the time; I didn’t yet understand what it meant. Then it was like an epiphany, I then knew that I was living in poverty. Every so often I recall finding eviction notices; I knew we were barely making it. It was my mom, my sister, and I. My sister had just been born less than a year ago, and it was getting more and more difficult. I had just started high school, a freshman that just wanted to fit in. There were some kids in the school that would come with the latest things in fashion and electronics. All I had were hand-me-downs and the things my mom could barely afford. I used to want to be so much like that, but I knew I wasn’t, yet I would sometimes pretend. I would deny it and act like I was one of them. I knew I had to do more for my family. I hadn’t heard from my father in years and it hurt. This was only the beginning of my struggle.
- Stefannie