U

U is for update. And by that I mean that a novel update. Lately I have been working a lot on my novel, and here is a little piece of it. If you have any suggestions, feedback or ideas please just put it in a comment. I hope you enjoy!!!

I can’t believe it. The guidance councillor has signed me up for group. GROUP! Everyone knows that only the really messed up people are signed up for group. She says that it will help me because I can “connect” with other people who have some troublesome things going on in their life. Seriously, I can’t even walk around the halls without everyone going all quiet and whispering stuff like “That’s the girl who’s dad died! You know the one I was telling you about?” As if I didn’t have enough things that could ruin my reputation to worry about. Anyway the first session is tonight in room 347. I think about calling and asking my mom if I can stay, but than I realize that she doesn’t care. I could stay out all night and when I came in, she would look at me with those eyes. The eyes that never notice, but instead look right through me. I slowly walk back in the direction of class, but really just wandering aimlessly. Before I know it I am running. Running down the halls, my old gray sneakers squeaking on the sterol white ground. I pass so many plain blue lockers, they all blend together. I break through the first exit I see, a rusty metal door and run straight in to Derek Mallow.

****

Caption of the football team, President of student council, and about 58 girlfriends just this year, he’s that guy that has it all, and the teachers just love him. As I trip on his foot and go flying he catches me by my waist, with such strength it surprises me. He has bright sparkling blue eyes that make me want to stare at him forever. He gently lowers me down, and winks, saying something sweet but at the same time funny, but I’m not listening. All I can think is how he is touching me, his arms still around my waist with such ease. It’s to hot, and my face is flushing that embarrassing shade of deep red. He’s looking at me, waiting for my response, but I don’t even know what he said in the first place. I turn away from his gaze, and rip free, sprinting of around the corner, past a huge dumpster where there are three kids with bottles of beer in their hands, drunk. Suddenly, I think of my mother, and how she is probably drinking her problems away right now, not even considering what me and Lily are going through. Thinking of her, I run even faster, my arms pumping at my sides. I fly passed the baseball diamond, and onto a soccer field. In the very middle of it, I collapse, lying down on my back, staring up at the bright blue sky. The grass hasn’t been cut in a while, and is long and full of dandelions. Here, right here outside, with not one person in sight, I feel so connected. I’m not really sure what with, but I feel so clean, new, in touch with myself. I sit there for a long time, watching the clouds drift across the sky. As I think about it, it would be a pretty nice life up there in the sky, just floating around, not knowing where exactly you’re going, but knowing that in the end you will somehow get there. I think about my Dad, and what he would think of my mother right now, of all of us. I can almost picture what he would say right now. Getting over a painful experience is like crossing the monkey bars; you have to let go at some point in order to move on. I remember that he told me his mother always said that when Grandpa died. I wait there in happy thoughts and memories of my Dad until I’m pretty sure that it is the end of the day. I slowly sit up and stretch, watching people run out of school, and race of in cars. I wish that when school finished each day, I had somewhere to be, somewhere I was wanted, not like now, where everyone stares at me wherever I go. And home is definitely not an option. The only thing there is my mother with her Jack Daniels or Jim Beam in tow. I don’t want to see Lily, asking, “Where’s Mommy Sophie? Where is she???” I don’t want to see the bare walls where my father’s pictures should be.

****

Life Lesson: Take some time to yourself. Sure, Sophie’s case that means skipping school and lying in the middle of a soccer field, but it doesn’t need to be like that. You can simply go to a park, go for a walk, or just have some fun. Everyone needs some fresh air and fun every once and a while.

I commented on Rowena's post this week!

HAVE A GREAT DAY GEORGIA!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGIA!!!!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!

JENNY, ROWENA, EMMA, EMILIE, AND ALEDA!!!!!!!!!!

E

E is for Everglades.

The boat speeds through the narrow passage, gently bouncing up and down on the smooth, glittering surface of the water. It navigates the narrow, maze-like paths with ease. Then we pick up even more speed. The wind is so strong that my eyes are watering and my hair flies out behind me. Soon we start to bounce up and down on the surface roughly, and the boat slows down. Just then, we turn into a big pond. The boat slows to a stop. I don't understand why we have stopped, but when I stand up, I see why. I definitely see why. In front of the boat is a 9 foot alligator.

During the March Break, I went to Florida with one of my best friends, Madi. While we were there, we went swimming, tanning, shopping, and jogging. On one afternoon, Madi came downstairs asking if we have ever been on airboat ride through the Everglades. I was a little doubtful, but because I had never been, we decided to check it out. At the time, I didn't know that it would be one of the most fun things I have done in my whole life. The next morning we set off.

As soon as we got in our boat, we headed off to a warm, quiet pond, where we floated around for a few minutes, chatting with the boat driver. All of a sudden, he stopped talking, and pointed to something in the water. When we peered down, we saw a sort of grey and tan animal, and lots of bubbles. Apparently the animal had been a manatee! I was very lucky to see one this time of year, because they usually aren't around in that area in March. Then we set off to these maze like paths, that were small and narrow. It was really fun though, because we could go really fast down those paths because there weren't many animals there. The path would open up into a little pond every once in a while, and we would look around to see if we could find any alligators, or other creatures. Flying around and above those little ponds were about a thousand pelicans. As we exited the first path, one landed right on the boat. It was practically sitting on me and Madi!!! Eventually it got bored and flew off (but not before a photo shoot of course!).

After some floating around, and speeding through the little paths for a while, we came into a big pond. The boat suddenly came to a fast stop. When we looked around to figure out why, there was a huge ALLIGATOR!!! It was 9 feet long! It was so scary!!! On our trip, we saw one more alligator that was only 7 feet long, but still really cool.

Overall, without this experience, the whole vacation would have been different. By taking the risk, we gained not only a lot of fun, but many memories. I hope that one day, you might get to go on an airboat ride through the everglades of Florida!

Life Lesson: Take risks. Try something new. You might just have the best time of your life.

I commented on Georgia's, and Rowena's blog this week.

N

N is for nightmares. We all have them. Especially the main character in the novel I am writing. We dream as we sleep, and some of our dreams become nightmares and can terrify us even as we sleep. Sophie has a lot of dreams and nightmares about her father, now that he is in Afghanistan, fighting as a soldier. She misses him a lot and worries about his safety. Here is one of the nightmares she has about her father the night he ends up being killed.

Bang, Bang, Bang! I’m in a small, crowded room. But when I look down at my hands, they are not mine. I know them so well. They are dirtier and more wrinkled than the last time I saw them, but definitely his. My heart leaps. They are my father’s hands.

I look around. At the front of the room, there is a long, scratched, wooden table. People are crowded around the table, all trying to see what is on the surface. They all look up in surprise when they hear the banging. Then, they all leap into action at the exact same moment. One person jumps, and runs out the other way, out a door that I can’t see. The main door bursts open, and three soldiers come in. I can see more soldiers behind them. Shots ring through the air.

There are people everywhere, crying out in pain, falling to the ground. Someone walks into the room. He is tall, with a moustache. He yells, “WE ARE UNDER ATTACK, EVACUATE!” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, people are pushing and shoving, running towards the exit. More shots are fired, and there are more screams. There is blood everywhere. I run and run towards the exit, but no matter how fast I’m running, it never come closer. People pour out of side tunnels, and race past me. More shots ring out. The person behind me crumples to the ground. I recognize him. He is the man who told us to evacuate. I somehow know that he is in charge. I spin around; hoist the man over my shoulder, and continued running. After a while, my calves are burning, and I need to stop. The man weighs a lot, and I’m tiring quickly. Just as I decide to give up, the door appears in front of me. I leap through the door. I place the man in someone’s arms, telling them to take him to the hospital. They look at me funny, but then complete the task I give them. I sink up against the wall. Let them kill me, I think.

My limbs burn, I’m starving, I haven’t slept in days. I have lice, and many bug bites. I miss my family so much, it hurts. I want to go home, to be away from here. But I have a duty. No matter how bad I feel, no matter how much I don’t want to be here, I need to go and do my job: to stand up and protect people who can’t protect themselves. And that is exactly what I’m going to do. I stand up, ignoring the sharp, shooting pain in my head, and slowly make my way down the cramped, closed tunnels. I find my way into a tiny room. It is dimly lit. There are two soldiers. One is standing by the door. One is loading a shotgun. Something is wrong. I start towards the door, but before I can reach it, the soldier standing there slams it shut. I turn around, trying to make my voice not shake and say, “What do you want?” He looks me straight in the eye and says in a surprisingly calm and clear voice, “Goodbye John. I’m sorry.” Then a shot rings out, and I’m falling.

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What do you think about Sophie's nightmare? If you have any suggestions, please post them in a comment.

Life Lesson: Nightmares can be very powerful and scary, but sometimes our nightmares are trying to tell us something. Listen.

P

P is for parents. Parents nag. Nagging, nagging, and more nagging. Sure, that's what most teenagers think of their parents, but is there more? Parents are there for you when you need them. They watch over you, and make sure you stay safe. They love you no matter what you do.

Parents nag. But have you ever wondered why parents nag so much? Think about it. Parents just want you to be the best you that you can be. Most parents feel that this is their mission in life: to give you the best childhood ever. By nagging you, your parents could actually be trying to help you. (I know, it doesn't really feel like it, does it?) Just think:

Version 1: (nagging) It is 6 in the morning, and time to wake up for school. You decide to put your alarm on snooze and catch a few more winks. But then, just as you're getting to that nice, calm, and relaxing doze, your mom or dad come into the room, muttering under their breath about how you are going to be late if you don't get out of bed this very minute. After a whole lot of nagging, you stumble out of bed, and get ready for school. On your way downstairs, you remember that you have a test today. Whatever, you think, no one else will remember. But of course, your mom or dad is at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for you. "You never mentioned last night that you have a test today!" they exclaim. "If you start to study now, you might have enough time." You start to argue, but it's no use. They hand you the book and tell you that you need to study now, and that nothing is going to change that. You glare at them, but take the book, and sit down to study. After half an hour, and some hard studying, you're feeling a lot better about the test. Your parents test you on the material to build your confidence, and then say that you'll need to eat something, then run and catch the bus. You tell them that you don't have time to eat, because the bus will be here any second. They shove a piece of toast into your one hand and an apple into the other, and send you out the door. When you get to school, you ace your test, and have a great day.

Version 2: (no nagging) It is 6 in the morning, and time to wake up for school, but you sleep on. You forgot to turn on your alarm the night before, and no one reminded you to. At 7, you wake up, take one look at the clock, and dash out of bed. You get ready in world record timing. As you sprint downstairs, you remember you have a test today, but quickly dismiss the thought. Who cares? It's not like it counts for anything. You make a quick decision to skip eating, and attempt to catch the bus. As you make a mad dash towards the road, you can see your bus pulling in. You run faster than you have ever run before, and just make it. As you sit there, staring out the window, you realize that you didn't pack yourself a lunch. Your stomach growls with the thought of food, but it's going to be a while before you have some. When you get off the bus, you have a pounding headache from being so hungry. By the time you get to the class that your test is in, your head pounds every time you move. When you are handed the test, you try, but you just don't understand. You fail the test, and have the worst day of your life.

As you can see in the examples above, your parents' nagging could actually be for your own good. A good nagger is like a good coach!

Life Lesson: Parents have good hearts. They want you to succeed. They want to help you be your best you. They love you like no one else can. Be grateful.

S

S is for summer!

I wake up at 10:30, walk lazily downstairs and make myself breakfast. Then, I have some orange juice, and head out for a bike ride. When I get back, at 1:30, I have a nice cool shower and head out to my friend’s house for a sleepover. We go swimming, watch a movie, and then have some dinner and go to bed. When we wake up, we head out to the beach to play some beach volleyball and relax in the sun. On the way back, we grab some ice cream. I get two scoops of my favourite, strawberry banana. This is heaven. This is summer.

What do you think when you think of summer? Well I think: Free. Nothing I have to do, nothing that is due the next day. This is what summer is like.

In the summer, all kinds of opportunities are just lying around, waiting to be used. You can go to camp when you want to meet new people and have a blast, have a sleepover marathon when you want some company, or go for a swim whenever it gets too hot. You can go and lie in the sun if you’re having a lazy day. You can go for a bike ride when you’re bored, have a nap when you’re tired. There are no boring lectures, no adults telling you to tuck in your shirt, or to sit up straighter.

My favourite part about summer is having so much free time to do whatever I feel like. During the school year, there is never a second I have to myself. I feel like I’m constantly at school, or doing homework. But in the summer, I have all day to do whatever I want, whether it’s a lazy day or an athletic day. It’s up to me to decide what to do with my time.

Sure, free time is great, but sometimes when I have so much free time, I almost want to have something to do. Like if it's the middle of summer, and I'm sitting around bored, sometimes I'll pick up a book, try out a math problem, write a poem or do a Sudoku puzzle. It almost seems like when I'm in school, I want it to be summer, and to have tons of free time. And when it is summer, and I'm bored, I want to have something to do, like I do when I'm in school. I guess what they say is right! People are never happy with what they have.

Life Lesson: Don’t waste one second of summer. Enjoy it to its fullest. Be happy with what you have, not what you want.

I commented on Lyndsey's blog this week!

R

R is for Rowena. Rowena is one of my best friends in the entire world. I have known her since I was four years old. Because we ride the bus together every day, we get to spend quite a lot of time together and we really know each other well. She is always there when I want to talk, and she never lets me down. Sure she's pretty quiet, but when Rowena does talk, it's either HILARIOUS, or definitely worth listening to. She can make me laugh when I'm close to tears, and she can give me great advice when I'm confused.

Rowena loves horses just as much as I do. Sometimes we end up seeing each other at competitions. Rowena even has a barn right at her house (which to me seems like heaven), so she spends a lot of time with horses, and knows A LOT about them. She is a great person to talk to when you have questions about horses or when you want to talk to someone who will understand what you are dealing with. She has a pretty crazy horse named Max, who she loves to death. Honestly, I have no idea how she stays on Max! He is very energetic and faster than the wind! Max is a bay, which means he is brown, with a black mane and tail. He has a white star, right on the middle of his forehead. He is so cute! (Not as cute as Mister T, but a close second!) Max and Rowena are a pretty funny pair. She can be quiet, responsible and mature, while he can be cheeky, spunky and spirited. Perhaps what they say is true: opposites do attract!

Rowena and I aren't opposites though. We have a lot in common (not just horses). We share a lot of the same interests, ideas and opinions. We can work well together because we have similar styles. Rowena and I both find the same things funny and when we start to laugh~warning~it can be dangerous! Remembering to breath can be a challenge. I really enjoy the time I spend with Rowena.

Life Lesson: Good friends help you navigate the long journey of life. Good friends are always there for you. Good friends never let you down. Have a good friend. Be a good friend.

As Walter Winchell once said, "A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."

T

For all of my life, I have always wanted a horse. I started taking riding lessons when I was four years old, and have loved horses ever since. I never in a million years ever thought that I would get a horse of my own, but on June 25, 2008, my dream came true.

Mister T is a Welsh mountain pony cross. He is chestnut, which means he has a reddish brown coloured coat, mane and tail. He has four white socks, which means the bottom of his legs are white, and a white stripe on his face. He is 12.1 and 1/2 hands tall (1 hand is equal to 10 cm). The boundary line between a small and medium pony is 12.2 so Mister T is a small pony by just 2.5 cm! Because he is so close the boundary line, we are often pulled aside at shows to have him remeasured.

Mister T and I compete a lot. Because he is quite small, the only hunter competitions that we can enter have pretty small jumps (2.3 - 2.6 feet). (Hunter is based on how pretty you and your horse look while working together. You need to have a good position, and a fancy horse to do well in hunter.) Because we like to jump bigger than that in competitions, we tried entering jumper contests. (Jumper contests are a race against the clock, with bigger jumps than hunter.) The jumps were 3 feet, which is pretty big for a pony like Mr. T, but we did really well, and I really enjoyed it. We decided to continue doing both hunter and jumper shows. I had a great, but busy summer last year, finishing in second overall in jumper.

My pony has a lot of nicknames. Everyone in my barn has a different name for my pony. I usually call him Mister T, or just T. But here are some of the other names that people call him: T-Pony, T-Boy, Tea Time, Mister, Ponykins, T-T, or Shrunk In The Wash. (Shrunk In The Wash is his show name, or his official name, whereas Mister T is his barn name.)

I tell everyone that T is my pony, but that doesn't say enough about what he is to me. He is always there for me. He is always so happy to see me. When I'm sad, he cheers me up. When I'm stressed, he calms me down. He accepts me no matter what. He is like a best friend, or a brother. As Winston Churchill once said, "There is something about the outside of a horse, that is good for the inside of a man."

Life Lesson: Animals are there for you when humans are not. They listen when the world won't. They give you advice when the world is silent.

L

L is for Lily. In the novel that I am working on writing, there is a sweet seven year old girl named Lily, who is the sister to the main character, Sophie. Lily has medium length blonde hair, and clear, blue eyes. She is kind, cute, and best friends with the world. She loves life, and everyone in it. As soon as you meet her, she becomes your best friend. She loves animals, and often brings strays into the house, feeds them, and then takes them to her neighbour, who is a retired vet. The vet checks them over and helps Lily find new homes for each of them. Lily has a cat named Simba, who she pampers and loves.

I was inspired to create the character Lily from the book, The Hunger Games. In that book, there is a character named Prim, short for Primrose, who is the sister of the main character, Katniss. Katniss is very attached to Prim and will do anything to spare her from the hardships of life, just like Sophie would for Lily in my novel. She tries to put herself before Lily, and tries to spare Lily from the grief and anguish caused by her father's death.

One thing that I have learned from writing about Lily, is that life is always easier with a friend to help you along the way. I have also learned that when you do good things to others, they are willing to help you out when you are in need. I think that we can all learn a lot from Lily, and I hope that once you read this, you will be inspired to do something nice for someone else.

My Novel

Right now I am working on writing a novel. It’s about a family whose dad is fighting in Afghanistan. Sadly, he dies from a roadside bomb, and the family is left with nothing but their memories. The mother is having trouble moving on with her life, and the little sister (Lily or Daisy) is falling apart. Can the main character (thinking about maybe calling her Sophie, Sophia, or Ashley) put her family back together?

I've spent a lot of time thinking about my main character and I have decided a few things about her. First of all, she loves to write, just like her dad did. She loves poetry, and likes to write it too. When he dies, she writes poems and stories for him. She is in Grade 8, and is 13. Her little sister is very delicate and fragile. Whenever I think of her, I think of Prim, from The Hunger Games, because they have a very similar attitude. Remember, these thoughts of mine are not final, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to just post them in a comment.

To do some further research on good ways to write novels, I interviewed a lady named Mrs. Mills, who is a published author. If the name sounds familiar to you, it's because she is a parent of two kids that go or went to this school. One, Elspeth Mills, has graduated and, is now in university, and the other one, Tristan Mills, is in grade 8. I learned a lot of things about the process of writing a novel from Mrs. Mills. Stay tuned for my next blog to learn about our talk!

In a Burka

Invisible. Trying to be invisible. Walking through the street, covered from head to toe with her burqa, trying not to make any noise. She is hot and can hardly breathe through the suffocating cloth wrapped around her face. Her feet are bleeding, and are covered with blisters. Her sandals are too small, and are cutting into her every step. She knows she's supposed to have a man with her, but her husband was killed in a bombing about a month ago, and she desperately needs food.

If I ever had to wear a burqa like the women in Afghanistan and live under the terrible and punishing laws that they have had to, I would definitely want to move, to escape. I would never be able to cope with not being allowed to walk around outside, in my own community, without being with a man, and wearing a burqa. I love to run, be active and independent, and just breathe in the fresh clean air. I love to spend time outside, enjoying nature. If I were in Afghanistan, I wouldn't even be able to walk into a store and buy something. I would always have to live under the rules of the Taliban, and would never be independent. I wouldn't even be allowed to go to school! Right now, the women in Afghanistan have no future. They have no right to an education or a job. I really admire the women that have fought against the Taliban and organized education for their daughters, stood up to the Taliban in the street, and worked together to have their future be a free one. They are so brave.

Having to wear a burqa would really change my life. It is very easy for those of us living in Canada to take our freedoms for granted. We have never had to live without them, but reading The Breadwinner has given me a chance to feel what it could be like. It has made me realize how very lucky I am to live in a free and democratic country. I will fight to keep Canada this way and I hope all of you will too.

Eva Olsson's Presentation

Hate. A word we use everyday, without really realizing its strong meaning, and its power. People say that they hate vegetables, or they hate a pair of shoes, or a T-shirt. We use the word hate too loosely. It's okay to dislike something. But never hate. Why? Because hate is what brought Eva Olsson to her near death experience. Hate is how six million completely innocent people were killed. Not one of them did anything wrong. They were hated because of their religion. Because they were Jewish.

This Monday at school, grades 7-12 attended a presentation by a remarkable lady named Eva Olsson, who is a Holocaust survivor. She told us all about the events that killed her family, and many other Jews. Her presentation was inspiring, and at the same time, heart-breaking. Many people were crying, and I can promise you that every single person in the chapel was listening.

Eva Olsson is said to be lucky. Lucky because she survived the Holocaust. But may I ask you, is she really lucky? She saw her mother, and the rest of her family killed right in front of her face. She suffered the horrible fate of being a Jew in that time. She was not only tortured by bullies, but also let down by the bystanders, who lined up like they were watching an interesting parade, when the Jewish people were marched to the box cars where they were shipped to their death.

I think that Eva had many good points, but I really liked this one: She told us that family is the most important thing in life, and that we should tell our family that we love them every day because tomorrow we might not have the chance. Even though Eva has lived through those horrible events, the thing that she is most traumatized by is losing her mom, and the rest of her family. It shows you that family is definitely important. You can never replace family.

When the Holocaust finally ended, Eva found a true friend. Her husband. But he was also taken away from her when he was only 38 years old by a drunk driver. That was the reason for her last lesson. Never drink and drive because it takes innocent lives, like Eva's husband's, just like the Holocaust did.

After 50 years of silence, Eva has found even more courage, and has spoken up and told her story to over one million people. Why? Eva wants everyone to know what happened to her, and to so many other innocent people, so that it will never, ever happen again. She taught everyone in the audience valuable life lessons that she learned from her experiences. I will definitely never forget her moving speech, and I hope that others won't either.

Middle School Team Building Day

This week the whole Middle School took a trip to a place called the Norval Outdoor School. This school is located in the village of Norval, near Georgetown. We were there on Monday October the 20th for the whole day. This trip was arranged so that the Middle School classes could work on team building activities.

When we first got there Monday morning, we separated into groups by grade, and played a few fun games to get moving after our long bus ride. In the first game we played, we all got three clothes pins to pin on the back of our shirt. The point of the game was to finish with the most clothes pins. Everyone was trying to take each other's clothes pins, and keep their own. The next game we played was where everyone had a partner, and one person would spin around three times, while the other person speed-walked away. Then the chase began, and the person who was spinning started to try and find/catch the other person--all while speed-walking. It was such a funny game to watch!

Then we headed off into groups, and did some activities in the forest area. This included low ropes and this other one where there was a really tall pole, with a tire around it that was resting on the ground. The point of the game was to get the tire up and over the top of the pole. This activity took a lot of teamwork and problem solving. In the end though, it all turned out well. The third activity that we did was called Wizard's Walk. There was a bunch of wires about half a metre off the ground. They all started at certain points in a circular shape. All of the wires were connected in the centre of the circle. The point of this activity was to choose a wire to start at, and then travel to a certain other wire. We all had to work together to get to our destination.

I think it is very effective to use outdoor games to work on team building. One activity that I'd say my group did really well was the Wizard's Walk. In this activity, my group really worked together well and talked to each other to figure out what to do. No one was trying to talk over top of anybody else, and we got this problem solved quickly and easily. We even did it twice because we did it so fast that we had extra time.

One activity that I would say that our group struggled on was the low ropes. Because we did this activity first, everyone was really excited, and wanted to go first. People were arguing, and no one would compromise. This activity was really one of the more challenging ones, and to complete it, we needed everyone's help and cooperation. After a long time, something started to happen. I think that people were realizing this fact, because when someone suggested an idea, people started to listen, and expand that idea. Before we knew it, the problem was solved, and people were walking across the ropes. Sometimes, I think that you learn more from an activity that is going badly than you do from one that went well.

Our time at Norval was very worthwhile. I think we returned to SJK better prepared to work together in the classroom than when we left. By spending some time out of the classroom, I think we will do a better job working together in the classroom!

LA Assignment: Does Clothing Shape Who I Am?

Does clothing shape who I am?

I'm walking down the hall, trying to pull together some dignity. People snicker and whisper loudly. Not loud enough so a teacher can hear them, but loud enough. I try not to be bugged by it, but it is starting to get to me. I feel like there's a big bubble inside me, just waiting to explode. I close my eyes and count to ten, imagining that I'm wearing something different, not much, just maybe some nice neat jeans, and a T-shirt that's not stained and wrinkled. But no. When I open my eyes, I'm still in my homemade, ripped, and stained overalls.

I think that clothing does shape what people think of you, but it shouldn't. If you went to a job interview, and you were wearing ripped jeans and an inappropriate saying on your shirt, people are going to judge you differently than if you're wearing dress pants and a nice sweater. They're going to see the person with the ripped jeans and think, "Wow, he looks dangerous," or "What a slob. I wouldn't trust him with my money. Let's not hire him!" even if he was a great guy, who would work really hard, and was someone that you could really depend on. This is because people's first impressions count for a lot, and are often based on what they see.

I also think that clothing shapes how you feel at the moment when you are wearing it. When you are wearing a fashionable new dress versus a pair of old and stained overalls, you are bound to feel different. When you are wearing the dress, you're going to feel confident and happy. When you are wearing the overalls and they aren't what you want to be wearing, you are going to feel ashamed and embarrassed. You'll stand out, but not in a good way. People will make fun of you, and make you feel like you're worthless, like you're not as good as them. This is especially true among pre-teens and teens.

In summary, I think that clothing can shape what people think of you, especially among teenagers or if you are in a job interview. It doesn't actually change who you are inside on a permanent basis, but it can change your mood and the perception that others might have of you when they first meet you. My clothes can help me feel more confident and happy, but the best way to accomplish this is to be true to myself and believe in myself.

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Hello, my name is Jenny and this is my blog.