Russian Roulette

As I was skimming through my Facebook news feed today I came across an article one of my friends had posted saying, “PLEASE READ!” I clicked on the link and it let me to this blog post named Molly on Molly, by Molly Slicker. This is a very intense blog post or journal as some may call it about this girl that had tried Molly (a popular drug used all over for music festivals or events such as that). This girl had tried Molly with her sister, and her sister ended up being rushed to the hospital and in a coma from this drug that happens to be “so much fun and carefree.”  The sister that was in a coma and expected to die, woke up as if nothing had happened…she was 100% okay and having no side effects. Crazy.

This is a huge lesson to be learned by not only Molly Slicker, but all teens being exposed to these drugs. I myself have been offered this drug as well as many teens that I know, although I turned the offer down I know some people that have tried it. It scares me to think that after hearing traumatic stories such as this one, people will still be so carefree with their lives. The drug may not have a bad affect on everyone, like Molly’s sister, but why play Russian roulette? It makes me sick to see people still doing drugs and doing things similar to this, with the knowledge that it can instantly kill you. Life is a precious thing and can be taken away in a second, there are plenty of other ways to have fun than doing drugs just to get a temporary high. A temporary high isn’t worth a permanent death or hinder to your health. I hope this blog has somewhat of an effect on someone’s thought process next time they are faced with a similar situation. 

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Learning Something At School

On some days, I find myself thinking about school. Why am I here, and what am I gaining from this? I learn something new most days, but on other days all of the information seems pointless.

Although, in my Sociology/Marriage and Family class we get to discuss many interesting topics. One of which that caught my attention the most was the study of different parenting styles. There are two different groupings of parents, those who create the evolvement of their children, and those who let their children thrive on their own. The more organized parenting strategies include parents who sign their children up for multiple activities and strategically grow their skills through involvement. On the flipside, other parents prefer the “natural growth” strategy. This is where they shower their child with unconditional love and support. The child chooses most of their activities with the support of their parent. I agree a little bit with both strategies.

If I were to pick one strategy over the other, I couldn’t say that I would be able to do that. I strongly believe that you have to guide your child into adulthood. As children are at a younger age it is important to sign them up for activities, so that they can build skills and realize what they may enjoy participating in. Although some parents force their children to stay involved with certain activities, this is where I would use the other strategy. I would let the child decide whether she enjoys this activity and what he/she would want to do. You should provide the canvas and opportunities for your child to excel, but give them the power to make their own decisions. After all, I learned something new and exciting today at school, and will actually be something useful to consider in the future. 

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Grindin’ Gators

What is going on with the Gators this season? We have talented players, new coaches, and obviously a new “second half team” mentality. I love my Gators, but it was very disappointing to watch the Georgia game. If we would have made 2 of our field goals we could’ve won the game, and that is extremely sad to see. On a brighter note, I am traveling to South Carolina in 2 weekends for the USC vs. UF game! I’m extremely interested to see how this game goes, but…then comes the FSU game on the 30th. Honestly there is no hope with that game. If we lost to Miami, and Miami got murdered 41-14 by FSU, then I am very scared for our boys.

All in all, we can say that this is a trial and error year, but through it all I am always going to be a die hard Gator fan. What I really wanted to ramble about is the annoying tweeters that say Florida sucks and they need to fire Muschamp. I read endless tweets about the Georgia game and was disgusted. Just because it isn’t our season, doesn’t mean that Muschamp is an awful coach or that we have no talent on our team. People need to start looking at the bigger picture. Why are we not doing well this season? Maybe because a team has to work as a unit. If one part of our defense is defective, this can affect the whole outcome of how the game goes, such as the outcome of the 1st quarter. If we actually look at the situation, then everyone turns around and sees that we actually came back and almost won, it just came a little late in the game. Also, Murphy had some rushing yards and was able to make some plays that we hadn’t seen before, and the defense finally clicked in the second half. People are so quick to pick out the negative in a situation, and nitpick the errors. Take a step back and look at the big picture!

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Positive Vibes

Sometimes days are just way better than others, today is one of those days where I just sat back and relaxed thinking…what an amazing day. First off, I aced my Math exam that I was not prepared for. Second, I bought my Juicy J tickets for $25 (originally $30) for the concert I will be going to in about two weeks, and lastly something amazing happened to top off my great day. 

I am extremely excited right now!!! The past few days in English class we have talked about our next essay on whether our dream job is realistic or not. My dream job as a Sportscaster for ESPN, happened to be used in class as an example for discussion, and most of the class agreed with it being unrealistic. I beg to differ. I think that if anyone is determined, driven, willing to give 110%, and persevere to achieve something in life, then they can sure as hell accomplish it. I want to be a sportscaster more than anything and I am willing to do just about anything to get this job. This is why I believe that no job can be unrealistic, but maybe that’s because I was raised hearing the saying, “You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.” Anyways, I am really really happy right now because I have used my contacts to connect myself with an internship working with the Orlando Magic. THE ORLANDO MAGIC. 

Internships are small stepping stones to landing careers, but I seriously cannot wait to work for this organization and get a chance to learn even more about my future job. Wow, I can’t even grasp that in just a few weeks I will be going to the Juicy J concert, I am currently doing well in all of my classes, in January will be moving to Orlando, and finally starting my internship with the Magic. All I can say right now is that life is good.

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Where I Come From

What is your hometown like? I may be a tad bit biased, but Gainesville is one of the best , if not THE best town in the United States. It has everything you’re looking for if you are single, married, young, elderly, active, or lazy. The night life is extremely fun and entertaining such as going to midtown, but during a quiet Sunday you can find peace by fishing at a nearby lake. You can run 5k’s for a cause on a Saturday morning or go to an art opening on a weekday, whatever you’re interests are, Gainesville has something for you. What’s better than having everything at the palm of your hands?

I have lived in Gainesville my entire life, and have experienced all that Gainesville is made of. I have two older brothers that exposed and informed me of all the sporting events and top news of Gator sports. My Dad also would take me to all of the sporting events, where I’ve gotten to meet huge star athletes such as Joakim Noah, Ryan Lochte, and Tim Tebow. Gainesville is such a great town for all ages and types of personalities, such as a sports fanatic like me. Payne’s Prairie is a large attraction for some that like to enjoy breathtaking sunsets, nature, and stargazing. While some may enjoy going downtown to hit the bars and live music venues. I have the best memories growing up in this town, from biking all over Gainesville when I was little, to attending games at the Swamp, and now going off to college. I cannot wait to get married and come back to Gainesville to start my own family and raise my children here. All in all, my childhood and upbringing was an amazing experience, and I would never trade living anywhere else in the world to call my hometown than Gainesville, Florida.

Also, this is a great song about growing up in Gainesville! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aX_EYWY6Ks

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Shattered Glass

Have you ever thought about how delicate life is?

I had never deeply thought about this statement until two years ago. During the summer entering my junior year of high school at Buchholz, I learned a life-altering lesson. I was with a few of my guy friends out at the Rock field off of Newberry, which is a large sum of land where bikers and runners practice because of the mountainous terrain. It was late at night, and one of my friends had said to hop in his buddies car because they were going to go drifting down the hill. I had no idea what drifting was, so I agreed and jumped in the car along with two others. Immediately after I had gotten in the car, the driver sped off going about 55 mph. I reached for my seatbelt and struggled to put it on, because of how bumpy the ride was. Finally, the seatbelt unjammed and I was able to fasten it. Literally five seconds after doing so, the car took a sharp turn down the hill, and the car flipped. Everything happened almost as if it were in slow motion, I saw the glass shattering and heard the shriek of metal bending. Next thing I know, I have been pulled out of the shattered window, the car is totaled, and my phone is gone. Surprisingly no one was severely injured in the accident!

Now, for the scariest part of the story. Instantly after getting out of the car I began searching for my lost phone so that I could get ahold of my parents. My phone was no where in the car or anywhere to be found. I asked my friend to call my phone several times, and then all of a sudden I see the shining light of my phone screen about 40 yards from the car. This shows, that if it weren’t for my seatbelt and a guardian angel, I most likely would have been ejected from the car and killed.

This was a traumatizing experience, and I hope this story has some sort of impact on you. Make smart decisions, and don’t do anything stupid that will end your life in a second. Life is a precious thing, don’t go through a bad experience that could possibly end your life to learn this.

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Pursuing The Dream

“What do you want to do when you grow up?”

“I don’t care what I do, I just really want to make money,” one of my friends said.

Don’t we all wish to make a lot of money? I’d say so. What stood out to me in this short blurb is when my friend said, “I don’t care what I do…” This stands out to me because I have extremely high aspirations for myself, and I would think others have dreams of doing something with their lives as well. It almost bothers me a little bit when people do not care about their future careers or have an enthusiasm for working for their money. Money does not come easy in this world, and I plan to work hard to reach my goals.

I am going to finish my college education at the University of Central Florida with a major in sports marketing and a minor in broadcast journalism in the process of becoming a sports broadcaster for ESPN. I have heard that at first, this is an extremely low paying job, but this is not going to drive me away from something I am so driven towards. I have a love for sports, and this is something that potentially, if I am good at, will give me the happiness, money, and satisfaction that people desire.

I believe that the ultimate dream job consists of making money and a career that you are truly passionate about, so each day doesn’t feel like you’re working. There are several jobs out there that will provide the riches, but they may not be enjoyable. Wouldn’t you rather work hard for something you are excited to do everyday? Whether you enjoy teaching children, studying biology, or enjoy sports like myself, find something that you love and pursue it. Eventually, the fulfillment and benefits will come to you if you make it happen.

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Phases

People undergo many different stages throughout the span of their lifetime. One of my main phases in life has been breaking out of my once sheltered and quiet self and now experiencing new things and have become a more outgoing person. I attended a small private school from Pre-K until eighth grade, and then decided to transfer to a large public school. Why? I felt that the private school was filled with the stereotypical rich, snobby people. These were all things I didn’t want to solely surround myself with for the next four years of my future.

I started at my new public school containing 2,000 or more students, and only knew select few people including my brother. At first, I immediately showed the type of person I was at the time, shy and kept to myself. Throughout high school, I began my transition of becoming more open and craved meeting new people and befriended many of my peers. Before I knew it, I was friends with just about everyone in my grade-level, and knew 80% of the juniors and Underclassmen. Now, flashback to being at a private school…it is not as bad as it sounds, but it just wasn’t for me. I made a solid group of friends at this school that I kept throughout high school after I transferred. Flash forward, I found myself connecting my private school friends with my new public school friends. Every time I would go to the mall or an event with some private school friends they would always tell me, “I can never go anywhere with you where you don’t see someone you know!” This is something I take pride in because I am one to never judge a book by it’s cover, I have a variety of friends all different interests, races, etc. I made the best choice of my life to move on to a bigger school, and this is one reason why I based my college decision on UCF which is one of the largest universities in the country. I am extremely glad that I went through this phase and have now found my new niche of trying to meet and befriend everyone I can! We may go through some bad phases, but you never know where each stage in life will lead you.

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Determining Your Goal

Throughout my entire life, I have always envisioned a future of playing soccer. I started on my first school team when I was 5 years old, and began playing travel league at the age of 8. You could say from the age of 8 to about 16 my weekends were consumed of traveling, tournaments, and enjoying the company of my teammates. I was very serious about the sport, and I also attended every UF soccer game for motivation. I became friends with Abby Wombach and Mia Hamm who both have played for the US Women’s National Team, and are huge role models of mine. In fact, at a summer camp that I attended in Tampa, Mia Hamm taught me how to properly cross the ball over the defense. When my sophomore year of high school rolled around I decided that travel soccer became too much for me to juggle amongst schoolwork, clubs I was involved in, and a social life.

Although I was not engaging in traveling every weekend with the local soccer club, I decided to still further my participation with the school team. Towards the end of my high school soccer career, I began to think that soccer was not going to be a part of my future anymore. I was recruited by a D1 team in North Carolina, visited the campus, met the head coach, and did the whole routine. In the end, I realized that there were other interests that I wanted to pursue besides soccer, and I turned down the offer to play in college. 

Did I always picture myself not playing soccer? No. Soccer has played a huge part in my life and has shaped me to be the person I am today. That being said, I believe that everyone comes across tough decisions and choices that can affect the rest of their life. You may have to face some tough games and your life may not play out the way you had planned, but you have the power to determine its path.

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