Collared Shirts

Since as long as I can remember, my wardrobe has been dominated by mainly collared shirts. What makes collared shirts better than t- shirts? They seem more professional and seem to provide a different appearance. Of course some collared shirts provide a different look than other collared shirts which depends entirely on the brand. Brands such as Hollister, American Eagle, or Abercrombie & Fitch, dominate most wardrobes. Why? Because of the name, because of the logo.

The difference between a shirt that carries no brand name and a shirt that looks exactly like it except with a Hollister logo, raises the price and value in society. The majority of my wardrobe consists of clothing from either of the three brands mentioned above. How do I feel wearing a brand other than those? I start to feel suspicious, as if the clothing no longer contains value. How can you describe this reaction? Like everyone else's. Whether people admit it or not, they are attracted to the finer brands, to the globally accepted and expected brands. Yet is a person wearing clothing from American Eagle or Abercrombie worth more than a person wearing clothing from the Salvation Army? No as human value is not determined by clothing, but the person they are on the inside. Yet the idea of fitting in, going with the crowd, causes society to often reject these folks or force them to convert over to being like everyone else. So in general, to be yourself, does it mean that you avoid brands such as Hollister? Does it mean that a person who truly wants to be different will find style in other stores? these brands are just names; the popularity of these brands are created through society. If we reject to wear Hollister, it will become yesterday's news and a new brand will appear to dominate the market.

Today, if a scout were to come looking for future models, what might they think of my orange collared shirt? Honestly they would probably just mix me in with everyone else as it is a Hollister shirt which has become the norm. It would not stand out as much compared to a shirt from an unknown brand. They could think I am stuck-up, self centered, and care how I look because those are general feelings connected to wearing such brands as Hollister. They could view me as just following what the media thinks is good and not thinking for myself. They could consider me another mindless drone who can not make decisions on his own. Yet they might view me as prepared, as somewhat professional, because collared shirts produce that image. Yet nothing would really cause the shirt to stand out, it would just be another among millions.

A Passion to Learn

Everyone encounters things in their lives that interest them, that make them think beyond their normal perspective. A person can learn various new things a day if they truly apply themselves, yet some people could care less about facts or new information as long as their lives continue to go the way they are. Yet for me, learning is a key to success. Many others would say the same thing and it is true, without a doubt, that the more a person knows, the better off they can be.

I carry a passion to learn, from my mistakes or just to learn new things. By learning, I feel that I have taken a step in the right path. Of course there are some things worth knowing and some that ain't. By pushing myself to learn new things, I can better adapt to my environment. I am neither a fast learner nor a slow learner, but if I had to pick one, I would be a slow learner at times. Often I make the same mistake over and over again because I push my passion to better myself aside. In the past few months, I have been trying to get rid of that habit, to learn to avoid making mistakes and to learn to avoid the mistakes that I have made. Before, my passion was not so apparent, I cared more about leisure time than academics, but I have been working on making myself a better student.

How can someone view a passion? Through the actions of the person. Yet many would say that I have not tried my hardest, because beforehand I did not care as much. Yet I have worked on stepping my game up, which a few teachers have been able to note. By trying harder, I feel happier as I get things done, I understand things more, and I do better overall. Stay tuned for future results.

Gum Nom Nom Nom

Whats so great about gum? Is it the various flavors in which a piece can come in or is it the chewy factor which never ceases to satisfy? Is it the popping sound which is produced by the creation of the bubble and the inevitable explosion? Who knows. All I know is that it tastes good and it creates a nice minty smell that comes from my mouth. Who wants to get caught with bad breath? Of course gum has its downsides, like when one talks and the words come out all mushed because of the gum in one's mouth. The gum under tables isn't that attractive either (waiting to buy more gum disposals). Also produces cavities due to the sugar, but who really pays attention to that. I chew gum because it is cheap to buy, produces a sweet taste in my mouth, and gives me minty fresh breath. That's why I carry it.

One of the more popular asked questions in school is "anyone got gum?" Now why does this question get asked day after day? Because gum has become to be a factor of importance in the mind of the teenager. Teenagers believe that a person with gum is better off than everyone else. Of course this is untrue and teenagers do not exactly think that, but it is the deeper meaning, beneath the surface of their thoughts. Gum has just become of those factors that everyone wants, yet only few are willing to go and acquire it. The rest just expect to have it handed to them by friends, which sometimes happens, but the majority just have to live without it. It is just an unneeded commodity.

If I were to die right now and a police officer was emptying my pockets to examine the contents and analyze the items he found to see if I was a regular civilian or a drug dealer in disguise, he would find my gum. Assuming he actually examines it instead of taking a piece, he would see that I am just like the millions of other young adults who chews gum. He would assume that I had a sugar craving like everyone else and used gum to satisfy it. He could say that I cared about how my breath smelled. He could presume that I possibly enjoy the popping sound produced. If he wanted to go deep, he might presume I chew gum just to act cool, just to pose as someone who I am not. Or he could just assume that I liked chewing gum.

Keeping a Plan

How many DHS students use their planners? Many actually. They serve as great spitballs and throwing paper when the teacher turns their back. Yet in my case, I actually use it write down my homework. How much do I depend on it? Here is an example: in freshmen year I lost my planner for a week. Without a planner, I just tried to remember all the homework that I had for the day in my head, yet I'd always forget something and I would start to fall behind in class. I am one to have horrible memory, I can see something or read something and be saying "what?" a few seconds later when I try to remember it. Whenever I hear the word "homework" pop out of the mouth of a teacher, a subconscious reaction occurs where I immediately reach for my planner. I go in order of periods, even if I obviously know a period (study hall) will not have homework, I still write " 7.)" and place "no" next to it. It helps keep me in check and ensures that I generally remember everything that has to get done.

Aside from homework, I generally write "study for test" on days leading up to a test and "test" on the day of a test to ensure that whenever I look at my planner, my mind is refreshed to remember a test is in the near past. Talking about this, give me a second while I write down "quiz 4/5 streves". OK done thanks for waiting. Keeping things written down ensures that things get done when they have to get done. 2 weeks ago, in Stat class, I forgot to write down a homework assignment and because of that my homework grade went from a 100 to a 94. Quite annoyed. That was the difference between rank 1 and rank 2. The difference between a 98.5 and a 97.2. With my poor memory, I'd be lost without my planner.

Now how could an archaeologist view my planner? They would see that I keep things written down and assume that I use it as an aid to remember what I have to do. They would also be able to tell what classes I take, as they would see "Spanish" or "world history" written throughout some pages. They could generally figure out what level classes I take if they studied it hard enough. They could tell my daily schedule in school and create their own interpretation of the schedule. They would see I am somewhat organized, yet that sloppy at the same time and possibly be able to tell more about me from that.

The Keys in my Pocket

What teenager does not carry keys? You need keys to get into your house, to open your car, to open your secret vault of goodies. Yet what do they tell about the person? If yo find just a lone key, it might say that you only have a house key, that you probably do not have a car, and you do not own a vault of goodies. Yet this blog is about me, so lets get to the point.

On my key chain I hold 3 keys. 1 key to open the outer door to get into my house, the actual key to get into my house, and a broken key which I have been unable to get off. Decorating my key chain is a picture of baby Jesus and the Holy Mary. Now I am not a deeply religious person, I do not often go to church every week, but I do believe that God plays a big way in how life is played out. By keeping these pictures in my pocket with me all the time, I feel as if I have my own guardian angel watching over me, keeping me protected. Whether this may seem foolish to others or not, it is my own little tradition that I have kept since I started going to house. In the near future I plan to add another key, a car key, but of course the near future will take a months to arrive, but that day will be much awaited. Do my keys accurately represent who I am? Not entirely but they offer a small insight into a part of me.

How might others view my keys? An atheist might just view my keys as normal, being just like everyone else since everyone carries keys. They could possibly believe me to be foolish for putting false hopes into religious figures and believe me to be brainwashed by the mass media into believing that external forces guide my life or offer some sort of protection. An artist might view the broken key on my key chain as a symbol for an event in my life, something that was so precious that I could never rid myself of it, yet they do not know that I could not get it off. Oh the fools.

My Pocket Dictionary - Pick a word any word

I picked up the Spanish to English Dictionary(also English to Spanish) and a thesaurus at the beginning of this year. They looked handy so I thought why not. The thesaurus has just been sitting there but the Spanish to English dictionary has come in handy. Now carrying these around make me look like I care about grammar or I care about using the right word. Well to an extent yes, but I am not to the point, checking word by word to make sure that I have used the best words possible. I carry these mainly as a precaution so that in the future if I need them, they are there. Could I live without them? Of course I could . . . I did for fifteen years so another sixty or so would not be so bad. Being somewhat more organized, somewhat more prepared is the way I am trying to go so by carrying these two books around, I think I am prepared for whatever word issues come my way.

How might a librarian view this? A librarian would most likely give me a pat on the back and say I am on the right way to success. They would believe me to be an ideal student, who comes prepared to class, one who crosses their t's and dots their i's. They would also presume that I take Spanish as my World Language class (correct they are) as an English to Spanish dictionary would serve no use in french or Italian. Shows that I am bilingual, which gives me greater capabilities when trying to communicate with others.

52 Card Pick Up

Playing cards serve as one of my key pastimes in study hall. I picked up the habit back in freshmen year and my skills were zero to none. Yet I slowly worked my way up, playing primary the game called "killer" which is a game more of bluff and chance rather than skill. Of course if your playing against idiots, skill helps. Playing cards serve as a way for me to cool down after a long day of endless information being drilled in and allow me to spend time with my peers.

Nearly every game you play with playing cards depends on luck: either you are dealt a good hand or you get a medium to bad hand. This relates to life for me: either I have a good day or a I have a normal day. What classifies a bad day? A bad is just another normal day for me. That sounds kind of negative but then you have to take into account a day consists of going to school and school equals bad in my mathematical equation. Of course school has its ups and downs as a card game would have its good moves and its bad moves. Isn't life just a hand of cards? Don't the cards we play signify the actions we take in life. A bad move equals bad consequences while a good move reaps in rewards. When we run out of cards to play, it is game over. Of course this does not go through the mind of a teenager very often. For a teenager, playing cards just serve as a manner of procrastination from doing productive work.

Through a strict, by the book lens, an assistant principal, such as Mrs. Ballenger, might view cards as a complete waste of time and might view the individual as a rule breaker as cards are generally not permitted in most DHS classrooms. Yet is this a good interpretation of one's character? I think not as cards just show that the student likes to spend his spare time with a fun, interactive game, but offers no insight into a student's academic achievements or other hobbies. Playing cards in general, will not offer much insight, other than possibly being a gambler, yet that would require more evidence, such as wads of bills, but playing cards on their own just show a manner of having a good time with friends.

Backpacks- my main vehicle of choice

Now now now a backpack. Very interesting right? Well everyone carries a backpack (assuming your a student and not a slacker) and generally it is not something to brag about. But one thing has to come to mind: a backpack is our vehicle in which we carry more things. So in a sense our backpack is our most important item we carry.

When thinking of a backpack, we generally wish for something comfortable to wear and carry around and something within our price range. So what about Northfaces? Since freshmen year I have seen Northfaces dominating the DHS hallways and 2 years later they are stronger than ever. Now we have to keep in mind, when something just starts out, it has few followers but over time it gains more. When something gets too popular, it starts to backtrack and become unpopular as everyone has one. Society causes individuals to follow the crowd and be like everyone else yet when everyone starts becoming like everyone else, people reject it and shy away. In a few years Northface backpacks will be obsolete and a new brand will have taken over.

Now how might someone else, other than a student, view a backpack? Bill Trump might view a backpack as being prepared, having investigated beforehand what has to be done and what has to be brought. A backpack that is bulging with items clearly shows that the person is prepared for success or carries his home on his back. A teacher would think on a similar mindset: a student who carries a backpack that seems full shows that the student wishes to be prepared and carry everything with him while a student whose backpack seems empty may need a little more encouragement to get on task. How do my DHS peers view backpacks? If your backpack is medium to bulging then that would be what we would call a "freshman" backpack as freshman year normally compiles backpacks with books and notes. An average DHS backpack would be empty to empty/somewhat full just to show how much DHS cares for academics.

Why do I carry a backpack? Convenient storage case for all my goodies. Why a Northface? Jansport was getting outdated for me. In my case, my backpack contains mainly school items, with other goodies. With my school items largely outweighing my other goodies, an archaeologist would view me as a possible dedicated student who would find time to goof off and have fun while a teacher might view my notebooks and books to show that I stay on top of things, but might view the detention passes in my backpack as a sign of possibly vigilanty actions.