You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?

Those things on Facebook that people share that should be researched first or really thought about. Let's really talk about this, with a few of my favorite (least favorite) graphics that I've ever seen.

Let us look at this timeless classic that addresses the second amendment rights we are guaranteed through the Constitution. Now recently there has been a lot of posts showing up in my news feed stating that this right is being threatened. Why? Because recently Obama started pushing for high capacity magazines to be banned. Which means that civilians can no longer purchase them. Now why is that an issue? Let me see. It really shouldn't be an issue, because in reality, it would decrease fatalities in mass shootings or shootings in general since there are multiple cases where the shooter was stopped when they had to stop to reload. Now if they had to stop to reload after five rounds rather than 13, I think a lot less people would be dead. Also, let's take a second to realize that asking civilians to give up their rights is not asking them to hand over their rifles, which, in cause you don't know, dear reader, is a single shot firearm. Congratulations on being ignorant, and trying to whip America into a frenzy about our Constitution being "violated", original poster. You, creator, are an idiot.

Next up is this graphic that is about Brian Terry being murdered by Drug Cartels using weapons they acquired during Operation Fast & Furious. This operation did not result in a border war, and it also was not an attack on our second amendment rights. Seriously, people. Not everything is an attack on our second amendment rights, stop trying to make every person who dies a martyr for your redneck arguments about how the President is trying to take your guns. The purpose of Operation Fast & Furious was to track down Mexican drug cartels. Also, the Operation immediately ended after Officer Terry was murdered. Thank you.


This particular misuse of a Peanuts cartoon upsets me greatly as well. Let's talk about things here. First of all, yes, gas prices are going up, the job market is crap, and it costs a lot to heat houses. However, none of these things have to do with the fact that religion has been removed from places of public education, government, and a commercialized holiday. Want me to explain? No? Too bad. There is a good reason religion is no longer being forced upon students. Because people in a position of authority over other people should NOT be telling them what to believe especially when that person holds someone else's grades and success in their hands. Gas prices are also not determined by religion or belief in God or anything like that. Gas prices are determined, most basically, by supply and demand. In reality, the amount of prices that are determined by religion are probably zero. I mean, a strong argument for Bibles could be made, but I'm also sure that's supply and demand. Also, let's celebrate the separation of church and state, because belief in a higher power is important to a lot of people, like me, but then again, a large majority of people do not. I don't think its correct that people want to mix church and state when all it would cause is more fighting in the country as we would then have to choose which church governed America, and then had to deal with a whole lot of Atheists who don't want to be told what to do by a God they don't believe exists. Many people need a higher power in their life, but not all of them. Also, America, not God, can fix these problems. We have not fallen out of God's grace as this suggests, people have just resorted to yet another form of scapegoating.

If there is a point here, it would be that before you share random posts on Facebook, THINK FIRST BECAUSE USUALLY THEY AREN'T LOGICAL AT ALL AND THEY MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A HUGE IDIOT.

Things just got so serious I had to all caps lock. But I'm serious, folks. Think you before you post. It will save you a lot of face palming later.

Alexis Olmstead is a very frustrated individual who regularly posts about things that grind her gears. She would post a link here to that series, but chances are, if you're a human being or anything that is alive, chances are she has blogged about you. Especially you. For more YKWRGMG check out her blog more often. 

Clothes for Concerts

Once upon a time I was a senior in high school looking for a project. Since the end of my junior year I had wanted to start a program that would benefit the underprivileged students of the Omak High School music program by giving them a place to find something to wear for the mandatory performances.

Concert attire is usually kept to semi-professional black and white clothing, which is usually pretty hard on the wallet. My solution was to start Clothes for Concerts, a donation based program that lent clothing to students of the music program (and one boy who needed a tie for a dance) so that they would have a shirt and tie, or a nice pair of shoes, or a good skirt, or whatever else for the concert. Then the clothes were washed, and hung back up in the music closet, which I spent many hours organizing.

With the help of Mr. Pearce, Nadia Chilmonik, and The Chronicle, word spread about my little project and it achieved great success, bringing in donations from across the state and enabling students to have nice clothes to wear. However, upon graduating I was worried that my work would fall to the wayside and CFC would be forgotten.

Flash forward to Monday when I say Mrs. Pearce, Mr. Pearce's wife of course, at the store. She told me that they were still keeping up the closet and people were still donating. Thank you so much, Lynn, for telling me that, because it seriously made my entire week. Clothes for Concerts is still making an impact (even if its a small one) in the lives of students who need something, and I think that is super cool, and give me all sorts of wonderful feelings inside.

I, a naive girl of 17, made my mark and made a difference, and that's really neat.

And now I'm off to sift through my gently used black and white clothing to see if I have anything to donate. You all should, too!

Homelessness.

Once upon a time I considered writing about homelessness but was afraid that people would think that I was examining the problem from a privileged perspective. But I would like to say to all of you today, that I am not.

I know from first hand experience what homelessness is like. And it's awful. I know how it feels to live without a bed, without a place where you can have people over, or even a place to go, and it is awful. So please, be patient and understanding as you read the rest of this and understand that sometimes, people just need to get words out of their brain.

This post has been in my head for about a week and I have been waiting to post it so that I may be do the topic justice.

Homelessness is what happens when you're 12 years old and you go away to sixth grade camp with a house and come back only to find that over the course of a week you were kicked out because your mother spent all the money on drugs. You don't confront your mother, you just cry and listen to your mother ramble on and on about how fun it is to live by a lake in a trailer.

Homelessness is that trailer by the lake that you and your brother can't go in because your mother and her boyfriend are having sex in it all day long. It's seeing all your belongings in a storage shed and the loft bed you loved and your grandmother gave to you being used as fuel for a fire that crack is cooked over. It's being told that there are fish in that lake and that if you don't catch any, you don't eat.

Homelessness is finding a stick and tying a belt, fishing line and hook to it so that you have the means to catch your dinner, because you're hungry and don't know what else to do.

Homelessness is abandoning the trailer by the lake for an apartment with your aunt and her two children, while being forced to sleep on the same bed as your four brothers, your mother, cat, and her boyfriend because the police are onto your family and if they catch up, you'll get taken away from your mother. But really, how bad would that really be?

Homelessness is not knowing where you'll sleep today, tomorrow, or the next day. Its not knowing why this is happening to you, how far you have left to walk, or why you can't just go stay with your grandmother. Its turning 13 and being too afraid to ask for presents because you know you'll get hit. Wanting presents is selfish and how could you even consider such a thing at a time like this?

Homelessness is being too proud to ask for help. Homelessness is degrading. They say what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, but in the process of building that strength, homelessness sure as hell eats away at you.

Everyday it gnaws at your soul and your self worth, whispers in your ear, telling you that you're so terrible that no one cares enough about you to give you a place to sleep for the night or a home to live in.

That's homelessness.

Whistling From Cars

This could be the most important thing you ever read, gents.

Today as I walking uptown with my good friend a car full of men happened to drive by and make barking noises and catcall us. Let me tell you that was the highest compliment that I, a self respecting  woman, has EVER recieved, and when I asked Daryn how she felt about this anonymous group of men who expressed their appreciation for us in such a neanderthalian manner, she looked me straight in the eye and said "you know what, Alexis, I just wish they could come back so that we could go back to their place! I really love it when men do me the honor of driving by and whistling at me. I don't feel like a piece of meat or a random object to be ogled at at all!" That's right, boys, we girls really go for you just leaning out the window and making random noises at us because that's the only way we'll ever know that we're attractive!

Just take the other incident that happened today when on a way to a high school play another man leaned out his window and yelled "DAAAMMMNNN" appreciatively. I didn't feel violated in the least. Any woman who tells you differently is just lying. Because there is nothing we women like MORE than having men just yell at us from your car as we are walking down the street minding our own business.

And if you REALLY want the girl, you should turn around and continue the playful harassment. It doesn't bother us at all, or even make us worry that you may have less than honorable intentions, since you're in the car and we're on foot. Really, we don't even think for one second that you're a potential rapist who has nothing more to do than follow random woman walkers around and non-verbally alert them to how hot they are.

In fact, we take being whistled at like dogs as a COMPLIMENT. Because what are women but men's playthings? You're right. We're nothing. I'm glad that you, random men in cars are here to set me straight. I wouldn't feel validated unless you were there on my walk to work, hootin' and hollerin' at me.

I'm serious! Keep whistling and cat calling at women who are just trying to take a walk. Because it will most definitely get you a slap in the freaking face because we don't think its cool you effing caveman. 

Today I was harassed in this manner, not once, but like I said, twice. And once, when I was a sophomore in high school me and my friend were walking uptown to go to Wal-Mart and a car full of men decided to drive by us several times and yell lewd things at us, including the term "I wanna f***k you both!" If you think for one second that's a compliment to women anywhere at all, you're wrong.

What do the people in cars who do that expect to accomplish? Do they think I'm going to chase after their car, screaming that I'm theirs now, because they bestowed their grunts and whistles upon me? Men that whistle at me from their car make me afraid. They make me feel like they are going to come back and force themselves upon me, and I know I'm not the only one who has this fear.

There is a reason that women are afraid to be raped, and part of that reason is because men still think that grunting at us as if we were animals is a compliment, and that we will sleep with them at the drop of a hat.  Yes, Billy Bob, I do really like it when you grunt at me appreciatively. Now let's sleep together. NOT.

Here is the thing, douchebag driving cat callers. I will not sleep with you because yell "DAMMMN" out a window. I will not consider dating you when you compliment my butt from a car moving 35 miles per hour. You're not clever, romantic, doing me a favor, or scoring points. You're being an asshole and perpetrating the treatment of women as objects, rather than human beings.

Dear Justin Bieber,

I admit it. Once upon a time you wooed me with your lyrics. I would have been your girlfriend and let you be my Buzz Lightyear, whatever that means. But after the past month I can definitely say that you need to leave the limelight and possibly sit in the corner and think about what you've done for a while.

I mean, getting in a tussle with the paparazzi I mildly understand, but writing in Anne Frank's guestbook that you hope she would have been a belieber and throwing up gang signs while in photos taken at the Anne Frank museum? That's taking it too far. Let's face it. You're over worked and not spending enough time educating yourself on how to behave properly in this world. Please do the rest of the human beings in our demographic a favor and get a job flipping burgers for a while. Come back down to Earth and realize that no, we don't all love you, no you shouldn't throw up or pass out backstage at concerts because its not healthy, and yes, its okay that you're quickly losing popularity because your increasingly crazy antics and increasingly baggy pants. I seriously don't even KNOW how its possibly to have baggy skinny jeans, but then again, I don't want to know.

Also, what about the pet monkey you abandoned? I mean, first you didn't let it stay with its mother as long as necessary and then you just leave it in Munich. Not okay. Are you aware of the fact that your monkey can't even eat without having a comfort object to hold close? I bet you aren't, since you LITERALLY just abandoned it.

I know you're tired of trying to have to keep the public/media happy but you're a celebrity. That's what your job entails, keeping us happy with your voice/sweet dance moves learned from Usher. So stop upsetting us. Because I can tell you now, it looks like you're about to get fired if you keep up these antics.

Now as much as I think you're kind of being terrible recently, don't think I have discredited some of your good deeds, such as helping raise awareness (and money) for atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumours (AT/RT) research by offering to meet the fan (belieber) who raises the most money for AT/RT research. I also applaud you for flying out your number one fan, Avalanna Ruth, out to New York with her family so she could hang out with you on Valentine's Day in 2012.

I was also really impressed to find that you have donated $500,000 to the Make A Wish foundation, performed a benefit concert for and gave equipment to a school in Las Vegas who helps students with rough lives excel, and contributed to organ donors in Ontario.

Also, your more recent visit to 7 year old Millie Flamm of Utah who is being treated for leukemia was definitely something to smile about.

My point here is, Bieber that you've done some good in the world, but I think your star has fizzled out. What happened to cute JBieb who sang cheesy bubble gum pop and didn't experiment with marijuana or abandon monkeys in German airports. Also, put a shirt on.

Signed,

A concerned ex-fan.

Why Is That Even Legal?

Dear Legal System and/or Legislators,

A few years ago I was shocked to find out that a rapist could sue for custody rights if their crime produced a child. At first I refused to believe that a country so "advanced" as ours would allow such a thing to happen, but then I remembered that America totally propagates rape culture and is urged on by the media who makes the victim look guilty about pressing chargers against her attackers and "ruining their promising futures". I'm sorry, wasn't their future ruined when they had intercourse with a blacked-out 16 year old? Oh, it was.

But I'm not here to talk about victim-blaming, I'm here to talk about the fact that this country prides itself on being the best at protecting its citizens, but things like rapists gaining custody of the child they basically forced a woman to have, and killers suing the wives of the men they killed still happen here. Why?

Now I know you, the great lawmakers of this country have a lot going on. Making laws is very hard, and tedious, and requires a lot of attention. But at the same time, is it really that hard to look at a situation and ask yourselves "who the heck thought of this?" and then take it off the books?

Let me start with why it is WRONG to allow rapists to file for custody of children who were conceived due to a crime. Now, if you're Todd Akin, you might want to pay special attention, because if you didn't know before, I hope you know now that rape can end in pregnancy. And in 31 states, the father of that baby can gain visitation and sometimes even custody rights.

In these 31 states filing for custody is rare, but the threat of it aids rapists in preventing victims from filing criminal charges. If these charges aren't filed, then the rapist cannot be convicted and they can wander free, possibly to rape again. And the victim? She has to live with the knowledge that her attacker is out wandering the streets, and could, at any time, try to become a permanent part of her life by getting visitation. I'm sorry, but why do we let this happen?

In one case a woman decided to give up the child for adoption, but because of the laws of the state, had to tell her rapist about it. He then took the children and tried to get her to pay child support for children she never wanted and tried to give up. For a woman who had already gone through so much, she then had to deal with that from a man who attacked her and really should have been in prison.

Why do we allow this to happen to the women of America? Why do women so often get the short end of the stick? We didn't ask for it, and its not fair. Rape is rape in any form and the sad thing is, American legislators, I don't think you take this issue as seriously as you say. Because if you did, you would not allow 32,000 women a year worry about the fact that if they press criminal charges, their attacker will pursue paternal rights.

Our laws are absurd. There can be no contest to the fact that as Americans, there are some pretty idiotic things written in the rule books. And also some pretty large, gaping holes that allow terrible things to happen to good people, more than once.

In Seattle right now there is a woman who is wondering whether or not she will have to go to court because she is being sued by the man who killed her husband. Why? He claims defamation of character. First, why is this allowed to happen? Killers, once put away, should no longer be allowed to have any contact with the families of their victims. Especially when those family members are still scared that the killers may come after them.

So get this. In Tacoma about 17 years ago a man shoots another man in the face. Three years later they arrest the killer. Said killer requests to be moved from his current prison to a prison in Canada, where he grew up. The woman, who by the way has moved several times because she's afraid the killer is going to come after her, contacts the Department of Corrections and asks that he remain where he is so she can keep track of the man who brutally murdered her husband.

Now the killer, like I said, is suing her for defamation of character. I'm sorry, Larry Shandola, but you shot a man in the face. He died. If anyone "defamed your character" it was you. The man who pointed his gun at another man's face for probably no reason at all.

Now legislators, why is there no law preventing killers from contacting the survivors of the victim? Why doesn't a potential law suit have to go before a judge so that they can decide whether or not its frivilous, potentially harmful, and/or a waste of time?

And also, why do survivors of murder victims have to seek a restraining order against people who killed their spouses, etc.?

As I said before, you have a lot on your plate. But it is 2013, people. I thought that as a country we would have it a little bit put together by now. But nothing.

Sincerely,

Alexis

The 6 Phrases I Hate Hearing.

This isn't in any particular order, I just listed them as I got irritated.

6. "I'm not gay but I support gay rights."

What I actually hear: "Well, my friends are gay, but I don't want anyone to think I'm gay."

Just for the record, if you have to clarify that you're not gay before stating you support gay rights, how much do you REALLY support the lgbt community? I mean really, "I'm not a dog, but I support their right to have owners who don't beat them". "I'm not an AIDS patient, but I support AIDS research". Doesn't that sound ridiculous? It does. Almost as ridiculous as "I'm not gay but I support gay rights".

If you are so ashamed of a movement that every time you show support you have to add the disclaimer "I'm not actually part of this group" then you need to re-evaluate your support. Furthermore, god forbid people think you're a part of the group you show support for. Why not just leave your sexual orientation out of the equation when declaring your support, instead of adding an invisible #nohomo to the end of it. Believe it or not, injecting straightness into into the frame of gay rights actually HURTS the lgbt movement, rather than helping it.

If you are truly an ally that means you are willing to embrace the pains of people who support a cause that isn't supported by the majority. It means that you deal with people thinking that you're gay even if you're not, because why is that something to be ashamed of? Take your sexual preference out of your support statements and actually help the cause.

5. Rape Jokes. Any Rape Jokes at All.

What I actually hear: "I'm totally okay with the fact that every 2 minutes someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. Also, I'm a giant ass."

I want to meet the guy who used the word rape casually for the first time. I want to go to the moment when he jokingly stated that he was raped by something and then shank him before he (or she) spreads this filthy trend throughout the world. Making jokes about something traumatic isn't funny. 

Making jokes about something implies that you think it is funny. If you think rape is funny, then make jokes about it, but know that you are a disgusting human being. If you don't think rape is funny, then don't make rape jokes, simple as that. 

Now please understand that this is not me being an "uptight female who has no sense of humour". In fact, I'm quite the opposite. However, I fail to find the funny part of unwanted, forced intercourse. And I doubt I ever will. 

Also, jokingly threatening to rape someone isn't funny in any context. In fact, if someone ever comes up to me and says they are going to rape me, joking or not, I will report them to police. Because rape is serious. And no one should ever joke about it. 

4. "Are you on your period?"

What I Actually Hear: "I can't think of any other reason as to why you might be upset other than the fact that you get hormonal and moody once a month due to your gender. Yes, I also equate all your other moods to your gender because I'm an idiot."

I'm sure a lot of girls can relate here, but when people attribute my bad mood to the fact that I may be on a period I get really upset. I'm sorry, am I only allowed to be in a bad mood 7 days out of every month? No. I'm allowed to be angry whenever I damn well please. And if any of you read my rant post, you'll know I get angry quite a lot. So attributing my revulsion of the human race to my period is not only insulting but also rude. 

Basic point here - girls can be moody when they aren't on their period! If you didn't know that before, you know it now!

3. "You ____ Like a Girl".

What I actually hear: "I still believe that women are the inferior gender. And I'm an idiot."

For the record, girls get stuff done. Like seriously, you can thank a woman for the internet you're reading this post on. You can thank a woman for being alive, because she gave birth to you, and you can thank a woman for the cellphone you use, anti-fungal antibiotics, and chocolate chip cookies. 

And for the record if you think that women are the weaker sex, let me remind you that the pain from giving birth is traumatic that the brain actually shuts out the memory. So women know it felt bad, like really, really bad and painful, but they will never EVER remember just how painful it was. What can men compare to that? Nothing except for getting shot. 

Want to hear more about how stupid this statement is? Read my post on it. 

2. "Just Get Over It"

What I actually hear: "I don't care that you're upset and it would be easier on me if you just moved on".

People get upset. That's a valid emotion - sadness or anger or whatever upset means. And if someone trusts you, they will confide in you as to why you're upset. Your response, as the person they have trusted enough to handle their feelings when they are at an emotional low should NEVER be "just get over it". 

Why? Because it immediately invalidates their feelings. Telling someone who is upset to just get over it won't help. If a friend comes to you for advice and you can't say anything except this, you're a terrible friend. There is always better advice to give. Or don't give any advice at all, just give them a hug. 

Be useful when people ask you for help, not a prat.

1. "You're Too Young".

What I actually hear: "I doubt your ability to achieve this thing because I don't understand how someone can achieve something at a younger age than what I achieved it at."

I understand that sometimes people are actually too young to do something. Such as my 11 year old sister being too young to date. She will also be too young to date until she turns 35. But that's besides the point. When a young person sets out to achieve something, don't dull their shine, or crush their hopes by doubting their capability because of their age. 

In fact, children are intensely capable. Akrit Jaswal from India performed his first surgery at the age of seven.  Mozart made his debut as a musical genius at the age of four. Chopin achieved notability at the age of 15. Micheal Kearney was a professor at a college by 17. All children. All amazing. 

Age isn't a limit on very many things. I know that I've listed some pretty big anomalies to child development, since most aren't ready to learn college material, let alone to teach it by 17. But that doesn't mean that they still can't do great things, or achieve smaller things on the path to greatness later on while they are still young. By telling a child now that they can't achieve something because of their age, you are starting them down a road filled with excuses as to why they can't achieve anything later on.

No one is ever too young. They just don't have anyone to believe in them.

"But You Don't Look Like You've Been Abused!"

One time I was part of a debate about what was really happening in the poem "My Papa's Waltz". Someone suggested that the piece was a child recalling being abused by his father, to which I heartily disagreed because I'm a human being and my opinion is different from other people's. Now my counter argument was that the narrator looked back on the experience too fondly to be telling a story of abuse.

Instead of maturely debating this point with me, my opponent moved to the edge of her chair, stared down her birdlike nose at me and very rudely replied "How would you know? You've never been abused."

Statements such as those are dangerous for a couple reasons, the first being that when you spew an absolute like that out of your mouth, then you set yourself up to look like a complete ass. Second, in the event that you are wrong, you've just offended someone a large scale. So the first lesson here is unless you know without a doubt that your statement is true, try not to speak in absolutes.

Now, being that I am a survivor of child abuse, I happened to get very offended. When asked how she could possibly come to such a conclusion, the dreadful woman replied with "because you don't look like one".

SERIOUSLY?

It's been almost two years since this incident and I'm still irritated by it. So, second lesson, don't judge people based on their outwardly appearance, it creates the illusion that you are an ass. And yes, I think very little of the woman who threw that statement out there, because she discredited my opinion based on the fact that she didn't think I looked like someone who had knowledge about the situation, when I had nearly 13 years of experience with child abuse.

So here's what I've learned about abuse survivors. Those who can't escape from the situation in their minds, even if they are no longer being abused (dwelling on it), and those who move on, allowing their experiences to make them stronger, not cut them down. No, abuse victims are not recognizable first off. You can't give someone a once over and just know that they've been abused in some way, because abuse victims are used to hiding their plight. I know I was. Furthermore, what is the identifier for someone who has been abused?

I know child abuse is easier to spot, with the bruises and malnutrition and such, but once those go away how do people know? Like I said, they don't, and it is extremely ignorant of anyone who thinks that they can just look at someone and determine that they have been abused, especially since there are things like verbal and emotional abuse and also make-up.

But on the other hand, I want to thank that random lady. Because she let me know, in her own way, that I have successfully moved on with my life. Life isn't about where you come from, it's where you go from there and she let me know that I've built myself a life away from my childhood.

Now I'm a firm believer in facing your past, but I also believe that the past should not completely define us. We, as people have the ability to grow, to get stronger, more durable, mature, educate ourselves etc. So when faced with a tragic back story, brush yourself off, and own it. Realize that it happened, and you can't change that, but how you grow from there is in your hands. Your abusers do not have the right or ability to shape your future and you can do anything you want.

You survived, I survived, and we're the better for it. And if no one can see any outward semblance of abuse, good. They don't need to, and you have no obligation to declare your journey to the world until you are ready. And once you're ready, tell who you want. Because being abused is nothing to be ashamed of. Surviving is something to have pride in. Surviving abuse makes you strong, capable, and everything your abusers said you weren't. And through everything, you are loved.

Even if it doesn't look like it.

If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse remember that even in the darkest of times, there is always light. You will make it out. There is hope, and most importantly, there is help. 

• Abuse Hotlines by State (list provided by Abuse Victim Hotline)
• National Child Abuse Hotline - 1-800-422-4453c
• National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-SAFE(7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224
• National Hotlines (list provided by feminist.org)

Stay Strong.

Why It's Hard to Want to Be a Teacher

At first the only reason was
"because I'm not John Keating".

Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I would play school with my friends, and eventually teddy bears because apparently no one likes leaving school and going to pretend school.

But as I got older that game of make believe turned into a plan for my life and basically right around fifth grade it was public knowledge that I was (am) going to be a teacher someday.

However, its gotten harder to keep that dream alive. Why? Because of the brats that occupy the halls of high schools, that's why. Okay, I'm only partly serious when I call them brats. But my main reason is because of the students.

Now let me make one thing clear. I want to teach so that I can help my students not only learn about literature and theatre and the English language, but also so I can make a positive impact on their life in some other way.

My reasons may be clear and good enough, but if I ever wanted to give up on being a teacher, my entire reasoning would be because I know exactly what the students are going to say about me when they get home. Why? Because I'm a young adult with a tumblr.

What? I'm complaining about tumblr? You bet I am. Tumblr is a place where many people feel safe to let out their feelings and say what they want to, not what they feel other people want to hear. Baha. I'm just kidding. A lot of people join tumblr to get notes and only cater to the masses, not their actual feelings. Whether or not the user is a people-pleaser, chances are they have some sort of post dissing on teachers on their blog.

And why? Why do students (particularly high school) students hate their teachers so much? Because teachers actually make them behave and do work and not text during lecture and participate in society. So really the blame lies with the parents for not disciplining their children and then sending them to school to mistreat their teachers who are trying to prepare them for a world that now only accepts people with diplomas.

Everyday I read at least four things that make me want to give up on teaching, and I have yet to begin! How can I make a difference when I know the second I start doing anything, there are going to be students going home and telling their parents and friends how much they hate Ms. Olmstead?

These are the things I worry about at night. And what if I have to fail a kid? You know who is going to get blamed? Me. Because long ago parents forgot that the teacher teaches, but the student doesn't always learn. And that's also hard. Because no matter how hard I try I can't make the kids learn stuff if they don't want to and that reflects badly on me, ya know?

But really what it all goes back tohere is parents. Dear parents of children who I will someday see in a high school classroom: Please teach your children to be respectful. I understand I'll get hormone controlled, acne infested boys and girls no matter what, but please send them in with some manners, and the ability to shut their yapper when teacher is talking.

Because otherwise I will start petitioning for the right to use the paddle in schools again.

Kidding.

Or am I?