Bully: a documentary

   It was frustrating watching the documentary "Bully" because it was sad to see those kids going through so much. I see bullying a lot different now after watching the film because you never know what exactly someone may be going through and one thing can lead to another and the bullying can make someone take their own life. I was really shocked at some of the things that the children went through on a daily basis. Children are going to school to learn and who knows if they can even focus on their academics because of the bullying. I wasn't very aware of any bullying in elementary, middle school, or high school because our school district had a strict policy on bullying. Everyone knew that if you were to bully someone in school or even out of school that disciplinary actions were going to be taken. On the districts website it tells everyone how many bullying offences have happened each year within each of the schools in the district.
   If my son were to come home and complained about someone bullying him on the bus I would be pretty upset about it. I would tell him to stick up for himself and not let people do those things to him but I would also go to the school about the situation and maybe even the bus driver. I would have no tolerance for the bullying so I would continue to go to the school until the situation was under control. If the assistant principle were to act the way she did in the film towards my child I may have a few choice words for her. The assistant principal seemed to get an attitude with Alex when he told her that she had done nothing about the situation the first time he told her he had been bullied. That is no way to act as an assistant principal and by saying, "well he didn't sit on your head again did he?" is not very reassuring to the child. There are more appropriate ways the assistant principal could have went about the situation but she chose to act in a way that seemed she didn't care and that if anyone were to bully Alex they would get a not put in their chart which in my opinion is not that scary. I remember in my high school if you even thought about bullying another student then you would get worse discipline than the children in the film.
   I have never experienced hash forms of bullying but I have experienced it. I don't think that the people saying the things realized that it was bullying but it was. I would get made fun of for my glasses making my eyes look big. Like hello, I cannot help that! It's okay to be different than everyone else and kids these days need to realize that people are different and it is not okay to bully someone because of that. This documentary was very sad and it hurts to see people get bullied. 

Assisted Suicide: Know the Facts

    According to the Merriam-Webster medical dictionary, physician assisted suicide is know as, "suicide by a patient facilitated by means or information (as a drug prescription or indication of the lethal dosage) provided by a physician who is aware of how the patient intends to use such means or information". In the United States 4 out of 50 states have legalized physician assisted suicide. It is not ethical to say that patients have the right to die when they aren't in their right state of mind, when physicians have taken the Hippocratic Oath, and because miracles do happen.

    In life there can be miracles when horrific things occur. Terry Wallis is a real life miracle from waking up from a 19 year coma. At the age of 20 Terry was in a severe car accident on July 13th, 1984 which put him into a coma. A few months after the accident Terry had been in a minimally conscious state but the doctors then declared him to be brain dead. On June 11th, 2003 Terry had woken up and started to talk with his first word being "mom". After he had said, "mom" he continued talking and even remembered things.  

    In 2008 Jordan Taylor was a normal nine year old boy from Hillsboro, Texas until he was in a car accident. He had suffered an orthopedic decapitation in the accident which is where his spinal cord was still in tact but his head and neck were separated. Physicians operated on Jordan by reattaching his skull with titanium rods and a metal plate. The physicians believed that Jordan had a one-to-two percent chance of living after the operation.  Jordan recovered fully from the surgery and was back to school in 4-5 months.

    Those two people are perfect examples of miracles. If physicians would have assisted in a suicide for either of those patients it would have been terrible. Not many people would think that someone could wake from a 19 year coma but it happened. If Terry's family would have requested a lethal drug to end his life after declared brain dead he wouldn't have had the opportunity to be alive today remembering things and talking. When Jordan's mother knew he had a one-to-two percent chance of living after his surgery and she had decided to ask for a lethal drug to end her sons pain then he wouldn't be up walking like a normal child again. Miracles do happen and when physicians are assisting in suicides it takes away a miracle that could happen with some patients.

THANKSgiving

Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Students are eager to go home for break, families are preparing themselves for the road trips, thinking about what to make for the Thanksgiving meal, scoping out the best deals for black Friday (might as well be Thursday) and so much more. One thing we cannot lose is what we are thankful for. Let me share with you what I am thankful for this holiday season. 

1. My Family: my family is beyond important to me. They are always there supporting me even if they know i'm wrong, they help me, they push me to be a  better person and they make me work for things. Without my family I would be lost, they are my world and I would do anything for them.

2. My Friends: the old, the new, the ones I haven't even met yet. You guys keep me sane! Thank you for listening to my nonsense and always being there for me. True friends are rare and I am blessed for all of you. 

3. Higher Education:Yes, I complain ALL of the time that I really hate school and I just want to be done but I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to higher my education. This will allow me to get a better job and expand my horizons with what I am able to do career wise.

There are honestly so many things that I am thankful for. It is hard to point out individual things that I am thankful for because there are so many. I have nothing to really complain about because I know that there are people who are worse off than I am who could use the help. 

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Smooooothie

Hungry?

Have a go at these super easy and cheap ways to make smoothies.

1. Go to the store and pick up some either frozen or fresh fruit and vegetables.

2. If you don't already have a blender/mixer- you can make a purchase at your local Walmart, Target, Kmart or Big Lots. 

I personally bought: spinach, bananas, frozen strawberries, granny smith apples, oranges, black raspberries and milk. You can buy whatever you prefer because you can make any different variety of smoothies you would like. I then found different proportions and recipes using Google and Pinterest (very helpful). 

3. Plan out your smoothies in advance. You can either put them in freezer safe zip lock bags or you can put them in small containers that will help with freezer burn. This makes it easier to grab and go. Everything is already measured out besides your add ins.

Nutri Ninja- $99.00 (Target)

Hamilton Beach Single Serve- $14.96-$16.96 (Walmart)

Oster MyBlend Personal Blender- $22.29-$24.99 (Walmart)

Prepping out your smoothies can save you on time and money. All together I made about 20 bags and only spent $18.00 all together. If you do the math it'll average out to about $1.11 cents per smoothie. 

One recipe I really enjoy is a peanut butter strawberry banana smoothie.

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 full banana

1-2tbs of peanut butter

1/2-1 cup of milk or almost milk

Stay tuned for more fun and easy smoothie recipes!

Foster Care--> Adoption

Internships

This semester I am in a general practicum class for one credit with Professor Baker in the Psychology department. I had to the option to choose where I wanted to do my forty hours of field hours.

The house of samuel

The House of Samuel is a Christian based adoption, foster care and counseling center in Cambridge, Ohio. I have had the opportunity to do plenty of things within this organization so far. It is a very hands on opportunity and a great learning experience. I have only been within the facility for about four weeks now and I have already learned so much.

facts about foster care and Adoption

 
1. Nearly 40,000 infants are placed each year
2. At least 20,000 teenagers “age out” of the system a year
3. Average age of a child is 10
4. The number of children in the system per day averages around 420,000 (U.S)
5. Close to 40% of aged out foster children end up homeless afterwards

Mac.Mac.Mac.

New Computer

 As much as I really enjoyed my last computer, a Sony Vaio, I really enjoy my new computer even more. Just this past weekend I got a new MacBook Air. 

Why?

  I had to get a new computer because mine too a complete crap on me. This past Summer (2015), my computer got a whole bunch of viruses on it. It was to the point where I could not open up any applications or internet on my Sony. My dad was able to reset my computer and get all of the viruses off. It was working up until recently when viruses started to reappear. I was able to use it for a few weeks with viruses popping up but then it became worse. I finally decided to upgrade this past weekend to my MacBook Air.

Do I Like It?

  Well, of course. It is a lot different than my Sony that I had but in good ways. First off, the battery life on this thing is AMAZING! I have had the computer since Saturday night and I have not yet had to charge it... If you do the math, that is four days. Second, I can text from the Mac. Third, there are so many more applications on the Mac than what were on my Sony. 

Those are just a few of the things I really like about my MacBook Air.

It is very thin and light. That will take some getting used to but I love it!

My Sister Danielle

Danielle Renae,

    My sister, my sister is my big sister but she is also my best friend. She is two years older than me and is a lot wiser than I am. 

When we were little we used to fight all of the time but as we got older and she went away to college, our relationship grew. Our relationship was unbreakable as it started to grow and to this day is still getting stronger. While we were growing up we would fight all of the time, she would blame things on me (as any big sister would do), we couldn't agree on anything. 

But now...

She is my person.

(Greys reference, thanks Merideth and Yang)

Yes, she is my person. Being someones person means: you are always there for one another, you have each others back, you have no judgement towards one another, you support each other in whatever it may be, YOU STICK TOGETHER. 

A person can be you sister, your best friend, your significant other, etc.

I have learned so much from my sister and I honestly don't know where I would be without her. She pushes me when I want to give up and she makes me keep going. She picks me up when I am down and makes me laugh when I don't want to.

I am beyond blessed for a sister like this. 

Vacation

Trip to South Carolina
Hello Travelers,

Just recently, my family and I took a trip to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. We had a blast and loved every minute of it. There are so many things to in the area and so many beaches near by. We spent most of our time at Surfside beach and at the nearby attractions at Myrtle Beach. I am going to share with you some of my favorite beaches and attractions in South Carolina for you to vacation.

My Favorite Beaches
1. Surfside Beach: approximately five minutes from Murrells Inlet, less cluttered than Myrtle Beach and it gets you away from the traffic. 

2. Myrtle Beach: approximately 15-20 minutes from Murrells Inlet, great for attractions during your day to take a break from the beach, plenty of food and activities for anyone of all ages.

3. Garden City Beach: approximately 10 minutes from Murrells Inlet, less cluttered than Myrtle Beach, few activities but great shops nearby (walking distance).

My Favorite Attractions1. Broadway at the Beach: (located at Myrtle Beach) outdoor shopping, boat rides, food, nightlife.
2. Ripley's Aquarium: (located at Broadway at the Beach) fun for all ages.
3. Ferris Wheel: (located at Myrtle Beach) an over-sized, enclosed ferris wheel to have an overlook of the beach.
4. Moped Rentals: (located at all beaches) must have a valid drivers license.
5. Marsh Walk: (located in Murrells Inlet) restaurants, walking of booths, night life and live entertainment, beautiful scenery.

These are just a few ideas and just a few of my favorite things. I could go on for days about this place because it is one of my favorite places to be. Make a visit for yourself!

Until next time fellow bloggers.