Author: kennyroo

If I was President

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Photo Credit to: http://uanews.org/

The world would be a better place if I were President.

I’m well aware I’d be a little bit over my head with some topics, but let me tell you what I would change right off the bat.

Let’s talk foreign affairs. Let’s talk Women’s rights.

How about we make sure that fewer kids go to bed hungry every night, in our own country.

When you’re on a plane, an educational video comes on the screen before you take off.

The video tells the passenger to put on their own oxygen mask before helping their child – or anyone else, if the plane was to go down.

The same standard should be held to certain aspects of foreign affairs.

Women’s rights? Where do I begin? There needs to be more women elected into higher positions so we have both genders represented on Capital Hill.

If I was President, I would make sure I practice what I preach.

So, watch out election of 2033, because I have some big plans.

Tiny Wins

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“The more your praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” – Oprah Winfrey

Yes, I just quoted Oprah.

But maybe, just maybe she has the right idea about this topic.

I like to call these daily praises and celebrations “tiny wins.”

These tiny wins can really be anything, but I think it is ever so important that we at least acknowledge them.

It could be, as big as passing your license test the first time, or as small as learning all the lyrics to that new song you love. But these happy moments in life must not be wasted.

Everyday may not be great, but there is something great in everyday.

I know it is so easy to talk about all the annoyances in your life – but when we’re old and grey are all of these minuscule inconveniences going to matter?

Looking back on my life on want to celebrate my tiny, and huge wins with an enormous grin on my face.

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Photo Credit to: http://deliveringhappiness.com/

We live in a generation where so much is shared; so let’s start sharing our wins instead of our losses.

The Happiest Place on Earth

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Rightfully named “The Happiest Place on Earth”, Disneyland is one of my favorite places of all time. No matter how hard I try, this is going to sound awfully cheesy; but there is something magical there.

Maybe it’s the adrenaline from Space Mountain, or getting to see your favorite character in person, but there is definitely a certain buzz emanating from the Disneyland grounds.

This last weekend I got the fortune to visit this very magical place once again. Straight away we were off to Tomorrow Land which houses two of my favorite rides – Space Mountain and Star Tours.

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Photo Credit to: http://thehostelhopper.com/

These two rides never seem to lose their lust with me. But maybe that’s the thing about Disneyland – no matter how old or young you are, or how many times you’ve been there – fun has no age or time limit.

Time to Change

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Feminist: A person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

The basic idea of Feminism revolves around the sole principle that because our human bodies are designed to perform differently in order to procreate – our intelligence, social functions, capabilities, and rights should be considered equal.

The word “feminist” has picked up a negative connotation in recent years. Why is that? How did independence turn into “man-hating”?

Men and women pay the same for college tuition. So, how does it make sense that we could leave college, get the same job, but as woman I make 75-cents for every mans dollar?

Women were, and in certain ways still are, treated as inferior to men.
Sexism began as early as Aristotle, who claimed that women were ‘imperfect’ men since they did not contain a male reproductive system.

Children are taught in princess movies that a prince has to come and save the day for everything to be okay. How about we teach our daughters that they can save themselves instead?

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Emma Watson speaking about feminism and her campaign, “He for She” at the U.N. Photo Credit: socialnewsdaily.com

Actress, model, and spokeswoman, Emma Watson, was named U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador. She gave a life altering speech recently on this very subject, feminism. The speech left the entire room in tears and on their feet clapping – both women, and men.

We expect society to change – when as a society, we do not do enough to change it.

The Best Season of All

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Fall is here – the long-awaited arrival of the turning of the trees is finally here!

Fall holds a large place in my heart. Not only is it my birthday season, but it’s the start of club volleyball season, and it has the best weather.

While you may think that these three months of cool weather and warm sweaters aren’t a huge deal, they are to me. Living in a place like Ojai, and having dry heat most of the time, a cool spree is ever so refreshing.

I find that in these months people are in a much better mood, and have a certain buzz coming off of them. Perhaps it is because we are near the beginning of holiday season. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but this season is surely magical.

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Photo Credit to: http://www.naturepictures.co/

News Flash

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“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Young kids are taught this daily. Where did that principle go?

Pop-culture instills a competitive state of mind into children all day, everyday. How do we, as a society, expect for the next generation to come out any differently if we are all stuck in the same cycle?

This cycle may be better known as the idea that lowering somebody’s self esteem somehow makes yours grow.

While this topic may be more prevalent for girls, boys have it just as rough. We’re all just in the rat race to be better than the next. We all are too stuck in the idea that taking someone down raises you higher. News Flash! No matter how much you thrash somebody else’s reputation, yours does not rise.

I dare you reader – I dare you to give a sincere compliment to three people in the next 24 hours. What does that take out of your day? Maybe 5 minutes in total. But to them, that will probably make their day.

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Photo Credit to: http://janessajaye.com/

Make It or Break It

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https://i0.wp.com/www.conejovalleyguide.com/storage/CalHeatVBClogo.jpgClub season is back again! Every year in October, each volleyball club holds a series of tryouts for the upcoming season. In the past I’ve played for California Heat Volleyball Club. I decided to return back to my club for yet another season.

Just because I am a returning player, does not mean tryouts are any easier. The moment you walk in the door you are handed a number to attach to your shirt, and your picture is taken. Tryouts are daunting for anyone; you’re competing against tons of other girls for the same spot, your spot. Every Coach at the club sits in chairs lined up along the court watching every move you make. That alone can throw you off your game; nonetheless the idea that another girl could potentially take your spot on the roster.

What you do in those two hours sums you up to every coach sitting there, and ultimately makes or breaks you. It’s easy to let one mistake throw off your entire game. The end of tryouts comes and the head coach reads off a set of numbers. If your number is called, you’re being offered a spot. Thankfully, my number was called yet another year, and I was offered a spot for a division one age 17’s team. No matter how good you are, or how long you’ve been playing, tryouts are nerve-racking. I think it’s extremely vital that you stay relaxed throughout the entire thing, but fight for what you want. Show them what you’ve got.

The Week That Changed My Life

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This year, my club volleyball team California Heat had the opportunity to go to the Volleyball Festival, which is otherwise known as Nationals, in Phoenix, Arizona. We left on a Tuesday night at 12 a.m. so we could drive all night. The 4 teams took a gigantic tour bus that drove from state to state. With parents in tow behind us, it took us a total of eight hours to get there.

While sitting on a bus for that long is not super fun by any means, it created memories that I will never forget. The bus pulled up to our home for the next week and we all unloaded. After catching up on some much needed sleep, some girls from my team and I explored downtown Phoenix. The next day we had our first nine-hour set of playing volleyball in Arizona, which took a toll on all of us.

We as a team are used to long tournaments, but the thought that it was our life for the next week was daunting. After our long days of playing, the team and parents went out to dinner. Not only was playing nine to eleven-hour tournaments with my team a fear that we all conquered together, but also the time we had off the court was unforgettable. It is so interesting how experiences that a group shares together transform us all in the same way. Driving away from Arizona I felt like I did not only leave a 1st place champion, I left with memories I will take with me to my grave.

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Photo Credit To: http://www.volleyball-festival.com/

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Not to be Taken Lightly

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credit to ebay for the photo
Photo Credit to: http://www.Ebay.com

Isn’t it weird how you can think yourself into a bad mood? You can spend all day talking about happy things, and putting off a “put together” front. But in reality, the way that you talk to yourself when you’re all alone is what counts.

People are on medication to get out of the very real and dark place that depression is. And on websites like Tumblr, every other post seems to be about how depression is cool and interesting. I think that as a society we should focus more of our attention on things that grow us as humans. Depression is a very real thing, not a trend.

As someone who has had the fortune of never being in that dark of a place, I sympathize with people who are, or have been. I think that these days depression is a trend. Why is that? Why are teenagers trying to act in a way that a lot of adults spend years trying to fix?

Unplug

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cnn kid with phone
photo credit to: http://www.cnn.com/

When I was younger my brother and I shared a flip phone and we were over the moon thrilled. Our house had one big black computer, and my dad had a laptop for work. Adults had small flip phones to text, call, and take horrible quality photos — but that was it.

Phones weren’t buzzing and beeping 24 hours a day, and we could all get through a meal without even mentioning technology. Today, I have my phone with me most, if not all of the time. I can’t even go into a mall without seeing at least a handful of toddlers playing on tablets, or crying because they don’t get to watch television on their mother’s phone. The kids that are being born today are being born into a generation of technology – a generation that cares more about taking pictures of their lives, rather than actually living them.

Maybe we should all unplug. Take a break from other peoples’ lives and start living your own.