During the teenage years, it is inevitable that every boy and every girl will have feelings for someone of the opposite gender that are stronger than the normal feelings of friendship. Yes, it could be love. But generally it's just a crush. Every one has them, but some people take crushes and dating a step too far.

I think that the purpose of high school is to have fun. Dating is fun. But in order to have the best time while dating in high school, I believe that you should not steady date. When you date only one person while you're young, it limits the range of people you get to know. If you only get to know one guy really well, then you won't know what type of qualities other guys might posses. It limits your knowledge and experience.

Dating allows you to find the type of qualities you are looking for in a guy and it allows you to learn more about yourself and your likes and dislikes. "Steady dating IS courtship, and surely the beginning of courtship ought to be delayed until you have emerged from your teens. "**

When you are dating one person for a long time, it may create a feeling of obligation towards them. I am only sixteen, and I don't want to feel that kind of obligation for one person yet. I'd rather just have fun and live life to the fullest. Without steady dating.

Someday my prince will come

I love watching Disney films, especially the ones with princesses. Princesses are so cool. I don't know why I think they're so cool. My favorite princess is probably Snow White. Yeah, I'm a Disney purist.

Snow White was (as many other princesses were) raised in poor conditions. She grew up with a wicked step-mother, who was this evil sorceress as well. Snow White always had to do all the chores, and her guardian was very rude to her. I mean, Snow White's step-mother was so vain that she wanted to kill Snow White so she could be the fairest woman of all. That's harsh.

However, Snow White did not let this get her down. I'm sure she had her depressed moments, but for the most part Snow White tried to be optimistic and happy. Even when she had to work she would sing songs about being happy while you work. When the wicked Queen's huntsman tried to kill Snow White in the woods, she didn't get hostile, she just ran on to find a new life.

Snow White was always optimistic about every situation she was put in. When she found the dwarfs house, she cleaned it and cooked for them, just to be nice. Snow White is such a nice person, and that's what makes her such a good princess. She deserves the title of princess. That is why Snow White is my favorite Disney movie. She is the epitome of princess.

No fear have ye of evil curses, says you? Har...

Everyone is afraid of something. Fear is totally normal. But for some reason, sometimes it kinda feels like fear is something to be ashamed of. When I was younger, I was afraid of the dark. Actually, I still have a little fear of the dark, I admit. Growing up though, I never wanted to tell my friends I was afraid of the dark because I thought they would laugh at me or something.

I think one of the reasons why it's hard for us to admit our fears is because fear comes across as a weakness. Fallibility is part of human nature, but everyone tries to cover up their imperfections. "We all lead such elaborate lives". People put up a facade to hide behind. Sometimes the person you know is a different person than who they really are. The fear of being ridiculed can stop people from admitting their fears.

It's important to try and get over our fears. If we can learn to be open about things we are afraid of, our friends can help us and be more mindful of our fears. It's also a lot less stressful when you are open, honest, and don't have to hide behind a false personality. Besides, we're all in the same boat. Everyone has fears, whether they be of evil curses or the dark.

Secretly....

What is it about secrets that makes them so hard to keep? If someone tells you something, even if it's completely mundane and boring, but then tells you that it's a secret, it's all of a sudden fun and exciting. I know a secret! Oh my goodness!

Every Christmas, my family and I draw pixie pals. We all vow not to tell each other who we have, because it's just more exciting to find out on Christmas day, right? Of course right. But alas, every year, one of my sisters spills the beans. Once one person tells who they have, the rest is fairly simple to figure out. Thus, the secret is ruined. But it was still fun to have that little secret, for a time.

It's not just my little sisters who have trouble keeping secrets though. My grandpa has a hard time keeping secrets as well. Usually, the secrets are about good things, and my grandpa is such a jovial guy, he wants to see people happy and having fun. Therefore, he finds it conducive to everyone else's well being if he just tells the secret. We have a good time teasing my grandpa about secrets he can't ever keep.

Having a secret gives one a sense of empowerment. When you know something no one else knows, it's makes you feel like you have the upper hand. When you know something no one else does, it definitely gives you an advantage.

Some secrets are meant to be kept. Some secrets just should not be told. But there are some secrets that are just so fun and happy you have to tell someone! Secrets are exciting.

Don't tell anyone though...it's a secret.

Superhero Nuns

Over the summer, I was in Sound of Music, and I played a nun. Honestly, I wasn't very excited. I mean...a nun? That's a little weird. Have you seen the clothes they wear? It was such a different experience for me, and I was a little bored with that show. Luckily, one of my good friends Kiersten was in the show with me, and together we came up with ways to amuse ourselves. With some imagination and a little bit of skill, we formed a superhero organization. We also created a hill-hair salon. That was fun too.

Even if you are placed in the most boring of circumstances, when you have friends there with you, everything seems a little less-boring and more fun. Friends do more than just make things fun, though-they can cheer you up, and they even influence the decisions you make and what kind of a person you'll become. That's kinda scary. That's why it's important that we choose friends who will lift us up, instead of bring us down. I think friends are great, and I love my friends. :)

Making life a perpetual spree!

Winter is my favorite time of the year. I love the snow, and I love the holidays that come during the winter. It's not just the holidays themselves, like getting presents and eating. No, that's not what I get so excited about. My favorite part of the holidays is just the feeling that tags along. You know, all that "peace on earth, good will to man" stuff. But it's true-with the holidays comes a sense of peace and good will.

Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, there's s new feel in the air. It's almost as if it gets snowed down along with the snowflakes. I feel like Ebeneezer Scrooge after he drinks the milk of life. It's a giddy happiness and excitement, a feeling that I'm not always a hostess of. "I like life, life likes me, life and I fairly fully agree. " I guess I should try to be like that all year long, instead of just at Christmas.

Another thing that makes me happy at Christmas is memories. I'm really into recalling funny things that have happened or good things we've done. The memories of Christmas are especially sweet, I don't know why. During the holidays we spend a lot more time with our extended family, and that always creates fun times and good memories we like to recall.

Anyway, I'm glad it's winter again. I always look forward to this time of year. I'm so excited to watch all of our Christmas movies again, listen to the music, and spend more time with my family. Hooray for the holidays!

That I can tell you in one word...tradition!

Why do I enjoy doing community theater? It's not like I'm really into acting. It's fun, but there are other things that interest me more. And yet, every time I get a chance I get involved. There are many possible reasons to this, but the reason why I think I like theater so much is because it's in my blood.

I have been around the theater for my whole life. Every time my grandpa does a show we always go see it to support him. We even help with auditions, attend some rehearsals, and help build the set. Being so involved with a show makes it much easier to love the show once you see it, and when you love one show you go on loving them all.

As a family we share many memories of being in shows. Growing up, my older cousins and I were always in summer plays together. As my cousins started getting too busy for the theater, my little sisters started being in shows. We go to the rehearsals together and just have so much fun. It's a tradition for my grandpa to do a summer play at the SCERA, and it's a tradition for us to support him with that show, whether it means helping him with the set or actually being in the show.

I guess the reason why I enjoy community theater basically comes down to love. I love my family, and the theater represents the time that we are able to spend together. It might seem stressful at the time, but we have so many good memories when we get the chance to look back.

Stiches of wisdom

What is the point of wisdom teeth? For most people, as soon as their wisdom teeth start growing in, their dentist says, "Take them out!" Why do they even bother coming in? I think it's time that humans evolved out of wisdom teeth. Back when cavemen roamed the earth, wisdom teeth might have been a good thing. Since they didn't really have any good dental hygiene, their teeth must have been decaying and falling out alot. So, I guess it was good for them to have an extra set of teeth growing in during their teenage years. Now, though, there's really no reason for those extra teeth.

As for those teeth providing us with wisdom...they do, I suppose. Oh, you can't have the wisdom from your wisdom teeth if you just let them grow in. No, to gain the full amount of wisdom you need to have them removed. What good are those teeth doing for you if you just let them grow in? No good.

Before I got my wisdom teeth removed last Friday, I was so afraid of pain. Flu shots freaked me out. Needless to say, I was pretty scared to go in and have this procedure of oral surgery done. I was worried about the IV, the stiches, and, of course, the post-operative pain. After I got all of this done, I realized that it's no big deal. I now have wisdom stemming from my newly found knowledge that shots and stuff aren't that bad.

My mom recently scheduled a time for my family to go in and get our flu shots. My little sisters are a little bit scared, but me? No way. Come on, a flu shot? Please. I just got my wisdom teeth out. And that was great! Now let's go get protected from the flu...