In my house in Massachusetts, my life was full of adventures. I was always outdoors, and I was constantly busy climbing trees or playing in the dirt.
As I was living on the east coast, the summer months were filled with bugs. If I was able to get through the swarms of mosquitos during the hot, humid days, the cool nights would bring fireflies.
When the sun dipped behind the mountains, the dark of the night would light up with hundreds of fireflies, illuminating the dark. The field across the street from my house was the best place to go – I would run around for hours, just chasing bug after bug, trying to capture one to keep in a jar.
I would look forward to the nighttime every day, filled with anticipation at dusk for the start of the night’s adventures. And each summer night, I would cross the street towards the big field and wade through the tall grass, in search for the biggest, brightest firefly.
When I was little, I lived in a little house in Hadley, Massachusetts. It was in the countryside – it wasn’t cut off from civilization, but it was outside of the bustle of the town.
Three sides of my house were surrounded by a forest. That forest was my playground – I’d go on long walks with my dad, where we’d listen to the crunch of the leaves, climb on boulders, and run with my dog.
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My favorite part of the forest was the vine swing. About five minutes from my house grew a gigantic tree, and from the tree grew a vine that hung down, almost to the ground, and then grew back up again, forming a swing. This earth-made swing was better than any plastic playground in the middle of a busy park. This was Mother Nature’s playground, and I always felt like she made it for me.
I would play on the vine swing for hours, but when I got tired out my dad, my dog and I would venture on to the apple orchard that lay just a few minutes walk ahead.
For my younger self, this forest held everything. It was a place to play, with a million little adventures that entertained me for hours on end. I don’t know how big the forest really was, I only ever saw this one section. But through all of my adventures, I always felt like this one little part belonged to me.
I dove off the scorching rock, my hands piercing the bright blue water. Completely submerged into the cool, salty ocean, I propelled myself forward, deeper and deeper. Pushing past tangles of seaweed and batting away the occasional bottle or can, I swam down, into the depths of the dark, murky waters.
There it was, looming in the distance, dark and tremendous. I swam faster, excited. I got closer and closer, my heart beat faster.
It was gigantic, almost unreal. A piece of history, something from the past. I swam up to the wreck, pushing aside a broken board and slipped inside.
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What I saw made me freeze, I was in awe, unable to move. It was a scene from the past, just frozen in time. Tables still set for dinner, but chairs overturned, as if guests left in a panic. It was an abandoned ship, but a ghost town. The tables had accumulated millions of barnacles, the silverware rusted and the tablecloths disintegrated.
I shivered, looking around at a life that existed over 100 years ago. It was the past, but my present. I took one last look, and swam back up to the surface.
The Onion, a satirical newspaper that exists primarily to mock America’s antics, is one of my favorite forms of entertainment. While scrolling through Facebook, articles randomly pop up on my news feed, and never fail to provide amusement.
Even funnier than the articles themselves though, are the headlines – I cannot explain my love for them. I admit, I don’t always get around to reading the actual stories – that’s a big commitment – but the headlines, a short and easy read, are simply genius.
Impeccably sarcastic and wittily worded, these headlines are the epitome of satire – I love it.
Here are ten of my all-time favorites, in no particular order.
‘I Am Under 18’ Button Clicked For First Time In History Of Internet
Miracle Of Birth Occurs For 83 Billionth Time
Taylor Swift Now Dating Senator Joseph McCarthy
Secondhand Smoke Linked To Secondhand Coolness
Gay Teen Worried He Might Be Christian
Kitten Thinks Of Nothing But Murder All Day
Dwarf Falls Equivalent Of 10 Stories
Fun Toy Banned Because Of Three Stupid Dead Kids
Alcoholic Father Disappointed In Pothead Son
Buddy System Responsible For Additional Death
It doesn’t even matter if you read the articles themselves– the headline is all you need.
I don’t understand the stigma around tattoos and piercings, and the shaming of general presentation of oneself. The fact that someone has to censor their appearance out of fear of getting a job is corrupt. Everybody should feel safe to express themselves how they choose without having to worry about judgement and discrimination.
However, this is not to say I don’t see the reasoning behind this societal rule. It would be difficult for someone covered with crude tattoos from head to toe, or with piercings covering their face to escape judgement. While this person could in fact be incredibly kind, I believe it’s safe to say most would not want him/her to perform their heart surgery, nor teach their kindergartener.
I believe the only rational argument in this case to be the fact that although only a generalization, it can often be inferred that someone who would get an obscene face tattoo suffers from a mental illness. Therefore, it is fair to prevent these cases from working important jobs.
However, more times than I can count I have heard “with that piercing, he/she will never be taken seriously” or “with that tattoo, he/she will never get a job.” A few, small piercings or a small, tasteful tattoo should not affect judgement of a character, and especially not an employment decision.
Everybody expresses themselves in different ways – different wardrobes, jewelry, cars, etc. Why should body art be any different?
Again, I’m not talking about those with obscene tattoos or piercings, as people with insane clothing choices are likely to be judged equally. But there is no reason someone’s small depiction of self-expression should negatively impact how they are perceived.
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If an interviewer is unable to see past a tattoo and view a person as a whole, then honestly, the job in question might not be the job for them. Although a matter of opinion, tattoos and piercings do not represent somebody in entirety.
To put it simply, it’s not fair to discriminate against people solely because of how they choose to express themselves.
If I had power over the entire world, here are a few things I would banish from existence:
1. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are the bane of my existence. They are fungus. Fungus! Yet people still choose to eat these smelly, squishy, brownish-gray lumps of decay. I will never, ever understand these abominations.
Moths are terrifying. I don’t care what anyone says. These papery, powdery creatures flock to lights and windows at night, casting ominous shadows and evoking nightmares.
I don’t think any explanation is needed here. Just banish him.
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4. Certain words
Some words are DISGUSTING. I don’t mean the definition, just how the word itself sounds when spoken. Take the words moist, ointment, stringy, and squelch. Now say them out loud. They just sound revolting. I hate saying them. I hate hearing them. I hate just typing them here. They should be taken out of the English language.
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5. Homework
This one is a cliché, I know. But let’s face it: no one enjoys homework. Not even teachers. It’s pointless. This mind-numbing, stress-inducing phenomenon benefits no one, and should be taken out of schools, and out of existence!
Or more commonly known as Valentines Day, which is right around the corner. This Sunday, the world will come together to celebrate (or not) this holiday, falling victim to colors like red and pink, and hearts as far as the eye can see.
Hallmark holidays earned their name from their sole purpose of existing for commercial reasons, as opposed to commemorating an important event or tradition. Go into any given department store, and flashing signs point to isles of mushy cards and pink, glittery decorations. Although said to celebrate love, some argue that Valentines Day is a money-maker for stores, marketing thousands of cards and mass amounts of chocolate.
Don’t get me wrong – I think celebrating love is great, and important to do. However, an emotion that should be constantly expressed shouldn’t be stressed on one specific day just because a holiday is devoted to it.
This annual holiday puts a large stress on love and relationships, with demands like flowers, candy, and expensive jewelry. For most, relationships aren’t about material goods. One’s love is not measured by the amount of money spent on a partner, or the number of material items given.
Love can be celebrated every day, and doesn’t need to be shown through cheesy cards and cheap (or very expensive) chocolate. It can be sweet, but it shouldn’t be a representation of love, or a relationship itself.
Whether Valentines Day is celebrated lavishly or strongly ridiculed, there’s only one thing that remains important. This Hallmark day, full of stuffed bears and chocolate hearts, should never be the basis of romance.
This past week was the busiest of my life. I don’t want to go into great detail about every assignment, but let’s just say that I had about a week’s worth each night. Seriously.
I had one paper or major project due every day, along with smaller daily assignments. On top of that, I had the ACT on Saturday which I had to study for.
I didn’t wear makeup one time – and while that’s not of great importance to me, I think it serves as a visual representation of my stress.
This weekend isn’t any better – with the combination of my test and homework for next week, it’s just as busy. Next week is already set up to be the equivalent of this past one. I can’t catch a break!
Everyone always says how junior year is the hardest – there’s the most work, it’s the most stressful and of course, the most important. I can now say, with complete assurance, that I finally understand.
You are wired – it is how your brain functions. You are programmed – you are made in one specific way.
You have a chemical makeup, you are your own chemical makeup.
It epitomizes you, it controls you, it decides who you are.
It is set in stone, yet is easily altered. And when that happens, it is scary.
What once controlled you and monitored who you are, has now changed. You are no longer yourself – once made up from certain chemicals, you are now inhabited by imposters.
You are changed, you are different.
You are not yourself.
They say it’s good, they say it helps. It’s good for you, it will make things better.
It will make you better.
You are out of control. You are not yourself.
Are you better?
They say things will be easier, that you are struggling.
It will put you at ease.
You just need to be different, a changed version of yourself.
Welcome to America, where people judge others for things about which they know nothing.
Say you relate to a religion, or group of people who have a bad reputation. Say you’ve done nothing, yet you still get blamed or treated poorly due to your affiliation to the group.
Take Muslims for an example. Many ignorant, misinformed people accuse Muslims of being Islamic Terrorists. Not only is that extremely racist, but it is simply inaccurate.
Just because someone relates to a group of people it does not mean that they are the same.
Similarly, German people have suffered some similar prejudices. There have been instances where someone from Germany has been accused of being racist or even being a Nazi. The kindest person could be treated awfully solely due to an accent.
These occurrences are more unfair than anything else. Kind, innocent individuals have done nothing, yet are targeted due to their accent or appearance. They have done nothing to gain a bad reputation, yet are stuck with this burden.
OVS Journalism Blog 
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