This Is Standard?

   Hey, guys! You know who it is, so I won't bother telling you.
   So, today I wanted to talk about culture. That sounds weird, and possibly offensive, but the way I mean it is different: the way people behave these days (or at least Americans), problems with the new society, things like that.
   Now, when I say society, I don't mean politics. I mean standards.
   So let's start with (and most likely end with) teenagers. This is where the most problems arise. Once you're a teen, it does not mean that you have to change yourself completely! A lot of teens, unfortunately, do just that. Here are the main problems:

   Phones: Where to start? The thing about phones, they detain us from actual social interaction. Many people that I know will literally sit right next to each other and text back and forth. When I ask why they don't just talk to each other, they say that it is simply more fun that way! 
   I may be one of the lesser side of people interpreting it in this way, because I am one of the few people who don't have phones! I have never owned one, and at first I wanted one; all of my friends had them, they texted each other all the time. I always felt left out. 
   But after a literal year, I realized that I didn't want a phone. I did not want this form of corruption that had already corrupted part of my friends' action towards me. I did not want to unknowingly give others the cold shoulder (as I first interpreted it) as had been done to me.
   Now, if you have a phone, please do not be offended. I know many people have phones only because their parents want to be able to reach them for safety reasons. I just wanted to tell you how this can be taken by others.

   Social Media: So, we all love to see what's trending on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, etc., right? But this also a problem. You see, such social media sites as these can, and most often do, give you a false vision of other's lifestyles. 
   If you do this yourself, you may or may not be surprised to know that others do it, too: people take about sixty pictures of the exact same thing, just to find the perfect one to post. The perfect picture is almost never the true reality of it; most of the time, it is either the lighting that they took ten minutes getting just right, the perfect outfit that they had been planning for days, the painstakingly detailed, divine-looking meal that they payed way too much money for. 
   I would say that many live in constant fear of how each of their pictures are taken by their audience. How many likes they got, what the comments said. 
   Something that many people don't realize is that social media is almost like a war. A subtle war, to be sure, but a war, nonetheless. This is how the war works: one person takes an amazing picture, which suggests that their life is picture-perfect (literally!). Someone else sees it, thinks, Gosh, she's perfect! I wonder if I can top that... the next day, they create a picture, most likely Photoshop it, and bam! 
   Suddenly they're popular, trending, and (in some cases) viral. That is, for one to three days. Now someone else has the crown, and you're left to read the comments on how amazing they are.
   This is how it works in a mind-blowing amount of cases. 
   Sure, sometimes someone will post something literally because they feel like it. Or they just want to share it with the world. Those people are actually happier. They didn't try, they were simply themselves. And that's how it should be, right?

   Self-Esteem: Everyone is happy if others like something of theirs, how they performed something. It is part of human nature to respond with a positive attitude towards approval (though there are those people that only complain about why they didn't get more approval... these people are casually placed in the annoying, stuck-up category). 
   But what happens when your actions are recieved badly? How do you feel then? 
   You feel as if you have failed your supporters, and you will sometimes try extra-hard to fit in as a result. You want to keep making others like you.
   But sometimes, it's best to remember the one thing that you will always know: it doesn't matter what others think. If you are criticized for something that you are happy with, ignore it. 
   Obviously, there is a difference between the people who actually care about you versus the people who simply want you to be exactly like them. If your mom tells you that she is not comfortable with something so revealing as what you are currently wearing, of course you listen to her. 
   The difference is when someone (a friend, a classmate, etc.) tells you that no one else is doing, it, so you shouldn't do it. 
   There are two things that are confusing about all this: One, how do you stay on good terms with those you deny? Two, how do you decide upon doing what you want, without regret in the future? 
   The first one is actually optional. If people are treating you badly, it is best to stay away from them completely. Find someone else who is like you; different. 
   If the people are ones that you respect and truly want to know, just act like you don't care what others think. (Hint: it is helpful to master the actual feeling...) 
   Or, you could just detach a little. You don't need to be best buds with the people, right? Maybe you could just sit with them at lunch every once and a while, talk a little before class.
   The second one is very easy: keep in mind consequences. e.g.If you want to dye your hair a vivid purple (with permission, of course) you may want to start with a little at a time. Try dying the tips of your hair only. You might want to try this with a haircut in mind. That way, you could simply cut off the ends; no damage done! 
   Or simply putting something the same shade as the desired color next to you hair. Does it look right? 
   Consider how the change would affect you. Would you be able to conceal it for performances and other? Would it dry out you hair too much?
   Always remember who you want to be. That is a wonderful way to live.

   Trends: You get to your friend's house, and he/she is wearing something interesting. You ask where they got it, and they tell you the brand name, along with a casual remark on how it's trending right now. That makes you panic. Trending? If it's trending, you may go to school tomorrow and be the only one without them! That would be so embarrassing, right?
   So you order it immediately. Once you have it, you realize that it's not really your style, the color is not flattering, and, it's uncomfortable. But you wear it anyway. Gotta fit in.
   The next day, you're so glad that you ordered them. Everyone else has them, so if you didn't, you would be the girl hiding in the bathroom all day. 
   It's popular for a week. You are super excited to come back next week; another week of fitting in! When you arrive Monday, however, you realize that no one else is wearing them. You attract stares, people are so surprised that you're wearing something so two days ago!
   You get home and throw them away. What's the point?
   This is how many trends work. You buy it, you enjoy it, you regret buying the stupid thing. 
   Hint: don't follow trends. It won't be trendy in up to a week.

   I hope that you have enjoyed my list of the unfortunate problems in this day and age. I promise you, I have experienced the results of all of these.
   Let me know in the comments if I left anything out that you find stressful, yet standard.
   I love you all! Thanks for reading!
                                                                                                                                         - Hope :)
   

Thanks & Giving

  Hello, everyone, it's Hope here!
  Now, we all know that Thanksgiving is coming up, only... *calculates* nine days away! 
  So I wanted to talk about the many things I am grateful for. I was sitting here on the computer, thinking about what I should post, when I realized that I have been taking things for granted. And I decided not to do that, not anymore.
  I also wanted to remind you guys of the little things that you may have forgotten. That is at the bottom, and many are personal enough that you might not understand the feeling, but they are wonderful things, to me.
  Here's my list:

My House

  So, I am starting out basic. My house! 

  I am so privileged that I get to live in such a nice house! It bigger than a lot houses of I have seen, and I have my own room, which I know many kids don't have.
  
  Fun fact: I am literally living in the house that my dad lived in as a kid! Isn't that cool?

My Room

  I already mentioned my room, but let me describe it: I have a huge closet (not a walk-in, but it's bigger than many), a full-sized bed, my mother's own desk, nightstand, and dresser from her childhood (which are surprisingly new-looking), a shelf, and a huge four-pane window. 

  It has wood floors and pink walls, and the whole thing is pretty - pretty.

My Brother

  He's a computer/video game/gaming device nerd. He is also pretty into acting and martial arts. He loves to tease me and make jokes, and, although it's not always the perfect-sibling relationship that can only happen in TV shows, it's one of the best things in my life. He's always there.
  
  To my bro: If you're reading this, don't think I'm going to start laughing at all of your jokes, playing all of your weird games, or agreeing with your every word I was in a grateful mood, okay?
  
  Just saying. 

My Mom

  She is a really nice, supportive mother, who teaches me at school! Dun-dun-dun...
  
  I'm home-schooled, by the way.
  
  She is also, very patient and tolerant, which I've known from the start. I mean, she teaches me. Me.
  
  I love her so much, even if I get frustrated when she tells me that lunch-break is over. She is probably the best mom ever; that's what I've always assumed.
  
  To Mom: If you're reading this, everything I said in here is true, although I'm still uncomfortable with saying 'I love you' out loud.

My Dad

  He is a wonderful, quite humorous, surfer dude. He is a pretty devoted Grateful Dead fan, and he likes a lot of older music, not the cheesy pop these days. 
  
  In this way, I have gotten exposed to many wonderful artists, like Blackmore's Night, Over the Rhine, Joan Baez, Billy Joel, and so many more!

  He is also very supportive, and practically lives on super-foods, along with green smoothies and salads.
  
  Basically, amazing.
  
  To Dad: If you're reading this, I just want to say that I wasn't saying the fact that you're healthy and Grateful-Dead-supportive in a bad way. It's all good. Skaka-bra! 
  
  (That was an inside joke, so if you don't get it, it doesn't mean you're crazy.)


My Grandpa

  He is a professional photographer for baseball games, and his pictures have appeared on many newspapers, and websites. I believe the total is 70?
  
  I love him because he knows so much, especially about writing, photography, old movies, and old literature. I can (in complete honesty) talk to him about a random object for an hour, because almost every word we say brings up a new conversation. Sometimes we completely forget what the point of it was.
  
  Good times, good times.
  
  To Grandpa: If you're reading this, I do want to say how much I enjoyed our conversation about the unkillable monk.

My Grandma

  She is a wonderful woman with impeccable taste, and she's not bad in the kitchen...
  
  She's full of stories from her childhood. Whenever I see her, we can get immersed in the stories she tells.
  
  Another thing is, when she is giving her opinion on something, she doesn't act like anyone else needs to have the same opinion, like many other people do. She is also very helpful when talking about clothes.
  
  Isn't that how every grandma should be?
  
  To Grandma: If you're reading this, please realize that I mean everything I said. You are amazing. What else can I say?

My Friends
  
  They are all super approachable, really nice, increasingly helpful, infectiously humorous, predictably unpredictable, randomly random... and, they all take ballet with me, in the same level! 
  
  They're amazing, the best friends you could ask for. I'm not going to do the whole 'To __________ ', because they don't actually know that I have a blog                                  Insert name here

My Pets

  First, Daisy, my cat. She is a beautiful tabby with all white paws and this little white streak on her nose (we all joke that she got paint on her nose, and now all the cats at kitty school will tease her - not that there is a kitty school -) . 

  I love her because when she doesn't get up and leave, you know that she's loving you at the moment. She's very honest in that way.
  
  Second, my dog, Stella. (By the way, 'my' doesn't mean I own whoever it is that I am referring to. It just means the family... whoever.) She's a blue poodle. Sounds weird, right? But blue doesn't mean literal blue. Right now she just looks ebony-ish, but she will turn a sort of silver-blue color when she's older.
  
  The great thing about her is that when you get home from dance or activities, she jumps on you and licks you like you've been missing for years.
  
  Nice to be appreciated.

Ballet

  I am so grateful that ballet was invented, and I'm so, so grateful that others appreciate it as much as I do, enough to teach it to us. I send my thanks.

All of the Little Things 
  
  (They sound weird, but if you think about it, we all experience some form of enjoyment from little things, we just never take the time to think about them.)
  I love running my hands through Stella's curly fur, looking at the flaming sunset,

                           Here's a picture that I hope will make you feel grateful
                                         that things so beautiful were created in the first place.
                                       (I did not take this picture, it was just a sample picture 
                                                       that the computer already had.)



staring at the moon, hearing the national anthem play, finishing a wonderful book, rehearsing for a performance, being struck by a new idea, seeing my name on the cast list on the bulletin board, finding out that the next outfit I have planned is my favorite, daydreaming, reading about people who made a difference, pushing myself to do better, competing with my friends to see who can jump the highest, get our legs the highest, singing like no one hears me, seeing someone else smile when I compliment them, dancing to the music in my head, watching a show I enjoyed as a little kid, finally learning to do a bun almost perfectly, discovering a little cheat in a game, running so fast that I just have to laugh, laughing at a stupid commercial, nearly going hysterical at a senseless joke a friend made, picturing myself winning a grammy award for Best Starring Actress, looking at the flowers that only bud in spring, examining the leaves in the fall, hoping for the snow that probably won't fall, coming up with a new dance move, stepping on stage, finally understanding how to execute a formerly impossible move, listening to the wind blow in the trees, zoning out on something that only comes into focus later because it's beautiful, taking a long, hot shower, letting chocolate melt in my mouth, saving a worm from the harsh sunlight so that it can live, pushing the elevator buttons so that they light up, jumping high into the air and landing in a cool position, seeing my performance costume for the first time, doing a somersault into my grandparents' pool... 

  There are so many things! You just have to take the time to appreciate them! There are so many people I am grateful for as well, more than 90 individuals, but for their privacy... well, you know.

  I also wanted to say that I am so sad about what happened in Paris! I am sending my prayers to them constantly. 

  If you are reading this, please pray that they will be okay, and they will eventually be safe. Send your love, it truly can make a difference. 

  How? Well, maybe someone in Paris is wondering if anybody is praying for them, is unsure that anyone cares. If you pray, you will know that they are cared for, and maybe they will come to realize it too.

  Thank you for reading this. I love you all so much! 

                                                                                                - Hope :)   

  
  

Let Me Explain...

  Hey, people of earth! The following is a rather long disclaimer about my crazy brain, why I haven't been posting for a week, and how you guys are going to help me. Okay, so, here we go.

____________________________________________________________________
  
  I just wanted to say that I am so, so, so, sorry that I haven't posted for a whole week!
  You see, I write all the time. I have started at least seven stories in different files on my computer, not counting this blog. I seem to always have an idea, no matter how crazy. 
  Trust me, I surprise myself sometimes...
  I've heard of other people having writing blocks, but I had a hard time believing that those could happen. Until it did. 
  So, I have been having a majorly huge writer's block all week, and I think it's taken me even longer to come up with ideas because I have never experienced one before. It confused me for a couple of days, but then, on probably the fourth day, I eventually came to the conclusion of the writer's block.
  And that's where you come in.
  You guys are going to do the following. Hopefully.

  1. Go to the comment section.
  
  2. Give me feedback about literally anything in or about the story: how much longer you think it should be, what you want to happen, where you think the story is going, what you think makes a story complete, what touches you, what you think the cheesiest thing in stories are, what you like, what you don't like, why I'm so amazing...
  Okay, so maybe not that last one, but everything else.

  3. Hit 'Send', or, in this case, I do believe it's 'Publish'. (Does it matter?)

  So, yeah, I really hope you guys have enjoyed my posts before this whole block thing. And I will keep making posts, don't worry. But they'll be even better with your help!
  You only have one option...
  No, you can actually do whatever you want, but I've always thought that that's a really cool, dramatic line to say.
  Keep coming back! I will post soon! (Well, this is technically a post, but it's not the story kind, so...)
  Bye!
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                                                                                                  - Hope :)
  
  

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 7: Savior

Disclaimer: I wrote this, but the backstory to it is all Mackall's. Blah, blah. Okay, we're done! Read, read, read...
                                                     - Hope :)
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  I sat up fast, and literally banged my face into Catmans. 

  We both yelped. Catman rubbed his nose. I caressed my forehead. 

  Catman raised his eyebrows at me, but he didn't seem really annoyed. More like... amused. 

  "Oops." I said. 

  Catman just grinned a little. 

  "Is your nose okay?" I asked awkwardly. 

  "Yeah, man, it's chill. Far out, waking up like that! What's the skinny?" He sat down cross-legged on the ground to the right of me. 

  "Er- well..." I hesitated. Things had worked out in reality, but in my sleep, it had turned to... a nightmare. My dreams had slurred  together, one in which the girl had gotten hurt; the next one involved somebody burning, but I couldn't see who. 

  The family sentenced me to the fire for not saving their daughter, in the next one.

  After that, it got even worse. The fire wasn't just fire anymore: it was Hell. The girl turned into a formerly sinful sort of devil, and everyone I had loved turned away from me, for saving her. 

  This morphed into an ugly scene in which fire demons appeared, everyone I had ever even seen was present, and the devil himself challenged me to a duel. He fought with ice, and I fought with fire, which, of course, makes no sense.  

  Then he froze everyone with his ice powers, and I tried to free them, but the fire somehow broke them apart, and soon, there was nothing left but one million pieces of ice, scattered all over the floor, and I was alone. 

  Note to self: Don't go through that mess again. It already fried your brain for the day.

  Then I realized that Catman was still waiting for an answer.

  "Nope. All good," I said.

  I was surprised when he didn't question me. Maybe he believed me, or maybe he was just that good of a guy.

  I hoped for the latter.

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 6: My Miracle

 Disclaimer: I know, you want to get on with the story. Fine. Mackall owns this, not me. There. Disclaimer's done. 
 Wow. That was quick.
  Please comment and give me more ideas! Please. 
 Do it for my sanity...    
                                                                                                                              - Hope :)               
________________________________________________________________________________

 My feet landed on what appeared to be a stove, and I didn't stop to think, just hurled myself up and off of it. I hit the ground hard. 

  Once I had steadied myself, I ran toward the pile of wood under which the girl was trapped. I started pulling at the wood, splinters pressing into my palms and fingers. 

  Then I heard a crackle. It was the crackle of fire. 

  I looked up. The fire was spreading towards us! I had to get the girl out of there, or she would be at the center of a bonfire!

  I desperately pulled at the wood pieces. I was slowly making progress, but if I kept it up at this pace, the fire would soon be all I saw. Then, when I was almost ready to give up, I saw a little hole. It was large enough for my arm to fit through. I stuck my wrist in, then wriggled my hand down until I felt a body. I felt a hand grab my hand, and I pulled... up, up, up...

  And, amid an explosion of wood pieces, she was out. 

  I made sure she was okay. She was a little scraped up, but nothing too bad. 
  I looked into her eyes. "Okay, now we have to get out of here, are you ready?" 
  She looked at me, uncomprehending. 
  "We," I said, pointing to each of us in turn. "Have to go," I said, miming running away while pointing for emphasis. 
  "No entiendo," said the girl. It took me a second to realize that she didn't speak my language. 
  "Umm..." I wished my school taught Spanish. 
  Then I heard a shout from behind me. "Correr!" It was Catman. 
  I wasn't sure what that meant, but I used it anyway. "Correr!" I said. 
  The girl's eyes widened, and I could tell she understood, whatever it meant. She watched me expectantly, as if waiting for me to give the cue. 
  "Seguir corriendo?" she asked. She mimicked running, as I had done. 
  "Oh, yes, er- seguir corriendo!" I said, grabbing her hand. I assumed that meant run. 
  We took off towards the nearest exit. We had to jump over the various obstacles, but this time, I did it with experience, pulling her along with me. 
  The exit was only a few yards away. We were almost there. 
  But suddenly, a tree fell across our path, and the fire caught on. I pulled up, halting the girl as well.     We were trapped.
  I assessed the situation, my head spinning, trying to take in the fact that we had no way out. 
  I considered throwing the girl over, but it was too risky; I didn't know what was on the other side, and there was no one to catch her. 
  God, please, help me, one more time. I don't care if I die or live anymore; I'm past that. Just let the girl live, I thought.
  God really must have been with me, because the next thing I saw was a window pane, still whole and unbroken. I ran to it, leaving the girl for a second. My eyes traveled back and forth from the window pane to the girl. Yes, the perfect size. 
  I went back to the girl. I didn't know any Spanish, so I tried to communicate with motions. I pointed to the pane, then back to her. Then I pointed to the fire, and mimicked holding the window in front of me.
   I was trying to tell her to use the window pane as a shield against the fire. I wasn't sure if it would work, but I had to try.
  After a few tries, she got it. I gave the pane to her. And she walked towards the fire. I could see her trembling. Then she was through, and I let out a sigh of relief. 
  But I was still inside. 


  After a few minutes, I finally realized that there was only one solution: I had to walk through the fire. I wrung my hands out and breathed. Then I got as close to the fire as I dared. 
  I tried to think cool thoughts. I pretended that I was in Antarctica. 
  I am in a blizzard. I can feel the ice against my skin, the snow sliding down my face as it hits me. I am cold. I am numb. I am walking into a freezer... not a furnace. I may get frostbite, but that will be fine, because it will not hurt me, no, the cold makes me to numb to feel.
  I took a step forward, and gasped as the heat got harsher. 
  Then, I just couldn't take it anymore. I leapt into the air, up and forward, screaming as the fire licked over my legs. 
  But the second I hit the ground on the other side, I knew something was wrong. My legs... they weren't hurting like they should. I looked down, and gasped: my legs were untouched. I checked my whole body. Nothing. Hmm.
  Note to self: That's another miracle for my resume.

20 Facts About Me: Shhh! It's Classified Information!

 Here are some things that you won't find on my profile! I did this for you Kisses, Rose!
                                                        - Hope :)
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1. I want to learn to shoot a bow and arrow
2. I painted my nails black for Halloween, and now, all of my friends are telling me I'm Goth!
3. I had my room three different colors when I was younger: first, it was lilac, then green, now pink (although I plan to repaint it white in a couple years).
4. I don't have that much time before my computer's battery dies. Ahhh!
5. I don't have a phone.
6. I want a sweet treats waffle stick-maker for christmas. (?)
7. All my friends say I look like Snow White. I'm not sure...
8. I have dimples, and whenever somebody says that, I burst into embarrassed laughter, which makes them even worse!
9. My favorite things to shop for are shoes and home decor, not clothes!
10. I have tried writing a few of my own songs. How do you think that went?
11. I have nine American Girl dolls in all!
12. I live in jeans and dresses! Is that just me?
13. My least favorite food has always been lentils, but I love mushrooms!     
14. I peel all of the white stuff off of the orange before I will eat it.
15. I want to be a model, and a writer, and an actress (and a singer, and a dancer...)...
16. I just plugged in my computer charger, so I should be good.
17. I love libraries, but I haven't been to one in a year. And seven months. And nine weeks... and a few hours...
18. I hate horror movies, but I love being scared!
19. I used to be scared of getting braces, but now I want them. (Idk why, they're just... cute!)
20. I made a bucket list, but I don't think that I'm going to complete most of it...  
21. __________________________________________________________________
22. I hope you guys enjoyed this, let me know (in the comments...) if you want something similar! And that's a fact!  
23.                                                     - Hope :)

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 5: Into The Fire

 Disclaimer: You guys probably don't want one, after what happened in the last chapter, but Mackall did a wonderful job, and none of this is mine. Sorry if I've said that a thousand times.
  Please comment, guys! I still have literally one commenter! One! 
  Shout out to my one and only commenter: Kisses, Rose! I will, once again, put a link to her channel below (it's good, check it out!).
  Hope you guys enjoy it!
                                                       Hope :)
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  As I ran towards the main fire, my heartbeat seemed to resound throughout my body, every inch of me alive. Adrenaline surged through my veins, making me faster, stronger, braver. 

  I was nearing the girl now. I still had to go underneath the archway, and jump over the fire, but I was still relatively closer. 

  I stopped short. I hadn't realized that the archway was so close. It was literally right in front of me. 

  All of a sudden, it lurched, and I jumped. The archway was collapsing! 

  There was no way to go through it now, it was too dangerous. 

  I looked around for a solution, until finally I realized. The archway was the only way. If it collapsed with me still on the outside, the little girl would die. There was no other way to do this. 

  What would Catman do? I wondered. Wait, why am I asking myself this? Because I know that he would do the right thing, no matter what? Or because I care enough to consider him?

  It lurched again. The family screamed, but I could barely hear them over the roar of the fire.

  You know what Catman would do, so do it.  It's now or never, I thought. How about... now.

  I took a few steps back. Then I ran, faster than I ever had before. I dived through it, and I must have gotten through at the very last second, because when I turned around, there was nothing but a burning pile of wood. 

  But I didn't even have a second to breath, because the girl screamed again. I whipped around to face her... wait. Where was she? She had been there a second ago. How did she...?

  I saw something move. Underneath a pile of wood. 

  Oh my God. No. 

  She was trapped. Cornered.

  And she was about to be dead.